Picture Show (Nov 1919-Apr 1920)

10 The Picture Show, March 27//,, 1920. The FaiKOu/ Film. Star " Still he walked and talked with Wanda, Stiit lie said siceel things to Wanda. Still he put his arms around her waist, And called her pet." The Good Girl. CAPTAIN LAWRENCE and Private Flynn did not know that when a blanket Indian rode toward them at a full gallop, his right hand extended palm outward high above his head, it was to show the Mineaska (white men) that he was giad to see them, and that his heart was good. Why should they ? They had been stationed at Fort Lincoln for only six weeks, transferred from old Fort Ethan Allen in the Far East, to promote civilisation on the frontier and subdue the treacherous Dakotas. TheTndians were dissatisfied — restless. Chief Call at Standing Pock, outside the old warehouse on tho banks of the Missouri River, had hurled defiance at the representatives of Washington who sought to abrogate the old treaty by the introduction of a new one, further depriving the Indians of their hunting grounds. The government not owing their red brothers anything except the land that the United .States stands on, resented the old warrior's attitude. He declined to give up another few t housands of square miles — hence t he presence of the 147th ; hence, also, the presence of Captain Lawrence and Private Flynn that Juno evening upon the trackless plains, ignorant of the oncoming brave's most potent sign of peace. So, Captain Lawrence and Private Flynn, being good workmen and true, jerked their ,vliringfield.s to their shoulders and fired. There was a momentary blur of sand and dust simultaneously with the rifles' reports, and when tho smoke cleared away the Indian pony was seen in full retreat. Alertly the soldiers crouched over their • horses' necks, guns sighted for another shot, but before it had occurred to them to bring down the pony — and thus get the rider — he was out of range, all that was visible of him being ono leg from knoe to foot across tho pony's back. " Gee, Captain Ed ! " exclaimed Flynn. " That horse turned on a space no bigger nor a silver dollar ! " Yes. And there wasn't much Indian to shoot at, even if ho hadn't gotten out of range," replied the captain. "The boys will have to pick up some of those tricks — they're immense." " Sure, that ain't ridin', Captain Ed. Av ut is, I'm mighty small potatoes an' not many to the hill — the -divil av a horse swallowed him, bad cess to 'urn. Sure, it makes me feel like I couldn't ride in a freight car if the door was shut." But in spite of Flynn's views, it was riding, and riding that those excellent horsemen of the 147th would never " pick up," for it, was the riding of a Dakota, those sons of the free open range, the greatest horsemen that the eyes of man ever did or ever will look upon. Two hours after dusk the pony lay dead upon the trail, the result of the wounds of the Mineaska's bullets, and the Indian no longer came toward them at full speed in friendship, but as the hunter, now running, now crawling close to the ground — but never stopping. The white men camped, ate, and slept. The Indian did none of these, and when he came upon them they fought, and the two white men soon lay upon the earth convulsed in the throes of seeming death. Mahto-Tatonka (Bull Bear) after one triumphant cry of victory, . Ohil Ya, Pe," was swallowed by the darkness. Wanda was tall, even for a Dakota. She walked with a gliding motion that wasnottobe matched even among her own people. Her ivory bronzed skin was of a shade that no artist could blend. Her eloquent eyes rivalled those of the black-tailed deer — they spoke volumes, when she said nothing. Her people loved her. She was Weah Washtay (the Good Girl). She was five feet eight inches in her tiny moccasined feet, a straight, primitive goddess. The Great Spirit of the Dakotas had talked to Wanda, and it told her that her medicine was good ; and Wanda dreamed with the warmth and innocence of budding young womanhood of the chief that was to come out of the night and claim her for his own. Many of her people, braves, and even chiefs, had taken presents to her father and asked for Wanda — they wanted a sqviaw, but Wanda's heart was cold. Her chief was to come out of the night as in a dream. Had not the great Wakan (Spirit of Mystery) said so ? A Life For Love. WANDA did not walk as her white sisters, of whose existence she did not know, who, belted and laced and high-heeled, cover a mile and talk physical culture for a month. Wanda, in a loose buckskin gown which hung free from her shoulders, walked forty and even fifty miles. It mattered not that she was days absent from the Indian village. Indian girls do not fear the opposite sex of their own people. There are no beasts among them, and as for the beasts of. the forests and prairie, Wanda carried her quiver of finely feathered arrows across her shoulders, and she could with one lightning-like pull of the bow-string bury an arrow to the butt of its shaft into the object of her aitn. And so Wanda came upon them, the Mineaska. And her lover, her brave, her chief came out of the night, so she nursed him and his friend. She made camp for them ; she dressed their wounds ; she brought wasna (food), and the pine and balsam air of tho foothills of oldMedicine Bow healed them and gave them strength. And around the dying glow of the camp-fire, while tho rippling waters at the spring talked of love to the rocks, Wanda would look up into the eyes of her brave with the same air of simplicity that a little child would have in listening to a story told by its mother. And when the prairie wind with its healing breath had given full lifo to him, he would caress the hand that lay warm and trembling in his own — and the hand was not withdrawn. The dark olivo of her face would crimson, her eyes dilate, her face nestle close to his breast — and her raven black hair, all unleashed, was blown across his face by the soft wind of the night. Then Wanda journeyed to the big fort where all the Mineaska were, and said : " Wichasa intancan wan hanhi pecan he napesa hekna wayan Kta, Ka sunka wakan ko awicha'un" ("Come, come with ponies and bring my chief that came out of the night, and he will to marry me "). Mahto-Tatonka was captured and brought to the fort, and Captain Ed and Private Flynn swore that he tried to murder them, and even Wanda said, " We cha sha she chta " (" He is a very bad man "). For had not Mahto-Tatonka wounded almost unto the death her chief that, came out of the night ? So Mahto-Tatonka, his calm, steady gaze never once removed from her who had been t he idol of his people, faced the twelve levelled guns, which spoke as one, as he cried out, " A ta, nena O he ta ka ! " (" my father was brave man ! ") — and naught but a memory was left of MahtoTatonka. But that memory meant much for the future of Wanda. She was disowned by her people — the mighty Ogallallas of the Dakotas. Her parents moved their lodges apart and painted their faces black. Her brothers, four of the (Continued on page 78.) As the sun sank in the xvest, Wanda stood upon the rock oj sorrow. I