The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1934-05-18

would be here by midafternoon. Her
mouth set q little harder, her black
eyes were narrow between their dusky
lashes. She squatted patiently by the
heap Of skins and blankets, her fin
gers on Little Moons hot wrist.
So the hours passed-and the crisis
came, tense. painting hour, with the
silver thread in the little tube running
up CHASTITY record, and the patient
dark head rolling at last in unendur-
able suffering.
Sonya held the moving hands, bathed
the drawn face
Hold Observation-Disclosures
steady" she kept saying in Navajo,
''hold tight, little mother"
And after timeless space when she
neither moved nor took her eyes from
the others features, there came
creeping stiffness, a hush, cessation
of movement. The weary head dropped
sidewise, the thin hands became quiet.
Sonya loosed them and reached for
her stethoscope, her hypodermic filed
and ready with its needle in cup of
sterile water. This was the crux, and
she must not fail-for Two Fingers
and the babies out in Chez wash some
where.
She did not fail.
With the sun on the western rim
Of the austere desert the Indian came
up the wash with one child asleep on
his shoulder, the other on his back.
Far off he saw Sonya standing at
the hogan's door and stopped a long
moment to study with his eagle eyes
her pose, her manner.
She stood tall and straight, and one
hand was laid high up on the bleached
pole Of the doorway, the other rested
on her hip. Her head was up, too,
and at, the sight Two Fingers swung
out in a swift dog-trot.
sit is well, Blue South Woman" he
said with conviction as he came to
her; you have saved her."
1T is WELL" said Sonya proudly and
smiled into his dark face.
Without another word he went into
the hogan and looked down at Little
Moon, sleeping heavily with sweat
upon her skin.
So the night came down, blue with
its dark sky, silver with its stars, and
Sonya lay down on the second pile Of
skins and went to sleep with her hand
on Little Moons.
Two Fingers sat all night in the
hogan's door, and none might know
what was in his mind of gratitude and
hope and silent joy.
Sonya was up by dawn, and Little
Moon was awake, weak unto death
but peaceful. Sonya fed her and made
pot Of the precious Cruel and instruct
ed the man in its giving, its protection
from contamination.
"You'd better go to the trading post,
Two Fingers" she told him, land get
some more oatmeal-a big package.
Take the children with you. She will
be all right. She needs rest now, no
worry, and much cruel. Also. pres
emily, mutton broth. go today to my
own place-to sleep-and will come
back. Her life is yours now. See that
you keep it by doing as tell you."
To Little Moon herself she said, II
go now-to rest-but I will come
again. Drink the cruel as have given
it to you, little at time, and sleep
much-sleep all you can. So will you
walk in the sun again"
Then she was outside the hogan,
pulling on her gloves, her saddlebags
at her feet, waiting for Two Fingers
to bring her horse.
He put the bags in place, and over
the saddle his eyes were on her
gravely.
"There was a Blue Woman Of the
South once" he said in Navajo, "whose
SON, being a son of the Sun god, too,
delivered the .Navajos from under the
earth. She was all goodness-the
Turquoise Woman. She makes her
hogan in your heart"
To save her life Sonya, who knew
the legends of these people, could not
help the tears that sprang to her
eyes. 1t was because she was little
tired, maybe bit unstrung with the
recent ordeal-but Two Fingers was
telling her that she had delivered him
and his. Before she could reply a
sound struck on the stiffness, the
crack Of horses hoof against stone,
and she looked quickly down the wash.
There, almost upon her, was Rod
ney Blake on Serge's bay mare.
"Why, Rodw she cried. SLOW in
the world did you find me?"
"Serge told me the way. Are you
ready?"
Eyes. Just going. Oh, I'm glad you
came! It'll be a grand ride back with
the sun coming up. This is Two Fin
gers, whose wife is sick"
The Indian looked up, but Rod
Blake did not see him. 1t was as IL
she had not spoken the last few words,
or as If they had not penetrated his
consciousness.
"Yes," he said, sit will, though 1t
has been cold"
"All right" said Sonya, reaching for
Darkness rein. "Let's go. I'm ready,