The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1934-06-15


"What did for you," she told them
in Navajo, was giving-a service to
my people. You are my people.
have chosen the Navajos before the
Great Spirit. Let be. 1t is we'll"
After long silence Two Fingers
said, ut Is we'll. And we and all the
Navajos around here are your little
people, under your feet. A soft blan-
ket to keep your heels from the
stones"
ut is very WE'LL" the girl said grave
ly and knew he spoke the truth. There
was to come day when she would
have ample and tragic proof of that,
but it was just as well she could not
see ahead
From Chez wash she rode down
along the levels of the sage to where
the debouching canyon had given up
it's pitiful small caravan that day she
had seen Mr.. Satter from the school
taking away the children.
On an impulse she turned and rode
into this rugged cut that bisected the
rising land. She rounded o farm turn
and came upon habitation. There
was no sign of life about 1t, though
1t bore evidence of occupation within
the hour-a matate damp from the
recent mixing of meal, a tiny fire on
the sand. For time she sat her horse
and contemplated it-a good hogan set
against the canyons wall. There was
little sign of prosperity. No rug
bloomed on its hand made loom, the
hogan was bare of comforts, the beds
on its floor being thin and scant. Evil
IDENTIFY these Indians were very poor.
She did not call or move about, but
sat still in her saddle, waiting, and
presently her patience was rewarded,
for soft step sounded behind her
and she turned to see the wild buck,
the squaw, and the littlest child of that
pitiful drama in which she had par
ticipated.
She smiled at them, and when Sonya
Savarin smiled, window of her soul
opened and disclosed a light. The
family came carefully up to her.
II come to see if all is well with
you and yours" she told the man in
Navajo.
at is well with this one" he replied,
touching the child, "but not with this
one" touching the mother. "Her heart
runs away in water, and she does not
eat"
And looking closer Sonya saw In as
tonished sorrow that 1t was so in
deed. The woman, who had been
plump and hale some weeks back, was
now a scarecrow, her old velvet jack
ct hanging loose on her form, her
tragic eyes sunk in hollows. Her
brown lips looked dry and hard.
For a moment the girl felt such
revulsion against the whole white race
as to give her an actual nausea. Her
hands ached to get hold of Satters
fat neck for one good minute.
49," she said, 81 see. Have you told
her that the little ones will be COM
ing home soon? Did the agent tell you
when to go after them?"
mo-" said the man, "and I do not
know where to 60"
"Oh," said Sonya under her breath,
''the dirty beast!'
Aloud she said slowly, "Well, you
tell her to look up to the east and
before many days she will see her
children coming. What is your name,
Hosteen?"
The man hesitated, since the naming
Of ones own name Is not good, but
this was desperate matter.
Il am Hosteen Nez," he said pres
emily, "and she is Cactus Flower"
"And l am Sonya-Doctor Sonya-
from down on the desert beyond Lone
Mesa, and will see the man who took
the children. Maybe four sleeps, may
be five. You tell her eat and get
strong"
81 will tell her." said Hosteen Nez,
and his eyes looked so deep in
to Sonya's that the girls heart hurt
with their probing.
II will come again." she said and,
turning Darkness, went back down the
great cut of Blue Sand canyon as she
had come
That night, talking with Serge and
Lila in the twilit patio with Babs
asleep on her lap, she protested pas
sionately against the treatment of the
Indians by the whites in authority.
Serge smoked in silence, his dark
eyes gazing out along the gray sage
stretches that were turning purple in
the falling shadows
'Kid," he said presently, you're the
best little scout ever, but I'm afraid
that some day you're going to get
yourself into peck of trouble, mess
ing in where you don't belong"
"Messing in where don't belongl"
cried the girl holly. do you call help
ing that mother get her young ones
back for the summer vacation mess
ing in, when she's actually grieving
herself to death in her ignorance and
fear2 Suppose it were Lila and Babs.
for instance?"
Serge moved uneasily, knocked out
the dottle Of his pipe. =
GWal1 of cOurSe-"