the heritage of the sioux-第33部分

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certain　traits　lying　dormant　in　her　nature；　buried　alive　under　the　veneer　of

white　man's　civilizationas　we　are　proud　to　call　it。



The　two　ate　in　silence；　and　in　silence　they　saddled　the　horses　and　fared　forth

again　in　their　quest　of　Ramonwho　had　the　gold　which　Annie…Many…Ponies　boldly

asserted　was　an　added　lure。　〃The　moneealways　the　man　wins　that　has　muchos

monee。〃　Luis　muttered　often　to　himself　as　he　rode　into　the　dusk。　Behind　him

Annie…Many…Ponies　walked　and　led　the　black　horse　that　bore　all　her　worldly

possessions　bound　to　the　saddle。　The　little　black　dog　padded　patiently　along

at　his　heels。







CHAPTER　XXI。　〃WAGALEXA　CONKACOLA！〃



〃So　good　little　girl　yoh　are　to　true'　Ramon！　　Now　I　knows　for　sure　yoh　lov'　me

moch　as　I　lov'　yoh！　Now　we　go　little　ride　more　to　my　house　high　up　in　the

pinonsthen　we　be　so　happy　like　two　birds　in　nes'。　Firs'　we　rest　ourselves；

querida　mia。　This　good　place　for　res'；　my　sweetheart　that　comes　so　far　to　be

with　Ramon。　To…morrow　we　go　to　my　houseto　nes'　of　my　loved　one。　Thees　cabin；

she's　very　good　little　nes'　ontil　tomorrowyoh　theenk　so？〃



Annie…Many…Ponies；　sitting　beside　the　doorway　of　the　primitive　little　log

cabin　where　the　night…journeys　with　Luis　had　ended；　looked　up　into　Ramon's

flushed　face　with　her　slow　smile。　But　her　eyes　were　two　deep；　black　wells

whose　depths　he　could　not　fathom。



〃Where　them　priest　you　promise？〃　she　asked；　her　voice　lowered　to　its　softest

Indian　tone。　〃Now　I　think　we　make　plenty　marriage；　then　we　go　for　live　in　your

house。〃



Ramon　turned　and　caught　her　unexpectedly　in　his　arms。　〃Ah；　now　you　spik

foolish　talk。　Yoh　not　trus'　Ramon！　Why　yoh　talk　pries'；　pries'　all　time？　Lov'；

she's　plenty　pries'　for　us。　Pries'　she　don'　make　us　more　lov'　each　other

pries'　don'　make　us　happywe　like　birds　that　make　nes'　in　tree…tops。　Yoh

think　they　mus'　have　pries'　for　help　them　be　happy？　Lov'that's　plenty　for

me。〃



Annie…Many…Ponies　drew　herself　away　from　his　embrace；　but　she　did　it　gently。

Bill　Holmes；　coming　up　from　the　spring；　furnished　excuse　enough；　and　Ramon　let

her　go。



〃You　promise　me　priest　for　making　us　marriage；〃　she　persisted　in　her　soft

voice。



Ramon　twisted　the　points　of　his　black　mustache　and　regarded　her　askance；

smiling　crookedly。　〃Yoh　'fraid　for　trus'　me；　that's　why　I　promise；〃　he　said　at

last。　〃Me；　I　don'　need　padre　to　mumble…mumble　foolish　words　before　I　can　be

happy。　Yoh　'fraid　of　Luck　Leen'sey；　that's　why　I　promise。　Now　yoh　come　way　up

here；　so　luck　don'　matter　no　more。　Yoh　be　happy　weeth　me。〃



〃You　promise；〃　Annie…Many…Ponies　repeated；　a　sullen　note　creeping　into　her

voice。



Bill　Holmes；　lounging　up　to　the　doorway；　glanced　from　one　to　the　other　and

laughed。　〃What's　the　matter；　Ramon？〃　he　bantered。　〃Can't　you　square　it　with

your　squaw？　Go　after　her　with　a　club；　why　don't　you？　That's　what　they're　used

to。〃



Ramon　did　not　make　any　reply　whatever；　and　Bill　gave　another　chuckling　laugh

and　joined　Luis；　who　was　going　to　take　the　gaunt　horses　to　a　tiny　meadow

beyond　the　bill。　As　be　went　he　said　something　that　made　Luis　look　back　over

his　shoulder　and　laugh。



Annie…Many…Ponies　lifted　her　head　and　stared　straight　at　Ramon。　He　did　not

meet　her　eyes；　nor　did　he　show　any　resentment　of　Bill　Holmes'　speech；　yet　he

had　sworn　that　he　loved　her；　that　he　would　be　proud　to　have　her　for　his　wife。

She；　the　daughter　of　a　chief；　had　been　insulted　in　his　presence；　and　he　had

made　no　protest；　shown　no　indignation。



〃You　promise　priest　for　making　us　marriage；〃　she　reiterated　coldly；　as　if　she

meant　to　force　his　real　self　into　the　open。　〃You　promise　you　put　ring　of　gold

for　wedding　on　my　finger；　like　white　woman's　got。〃



Ramon's　laugh　was　not　pleasant。　〃Yoh　theenk　marry　squaw？〃　he　sneered。　〃Luck

Leen'sey；　he　don't　marry　yoh。　Why　yoh　theenk　I　marry　yoh？　You　be　good；　Ramon

lov'　yoh。　Buy　yoh　lots　pretty　theengs；　me　treat　yoh　fine。　Yoh　lucky　girl；　yoh

bet。　Yoh　don't　be　foolish　no　more。　Yoh　run　away；　be　my　womans。　W'at　yoh

theenk？　Go　back；　perhaps？　Yoh　theenk　Luck　Leen'sey　take　yoh　back？　You　gone　off

with　Ramon　Chavez；　he　say；　yoh　stay　weeth　Ramon　then。　Yoh　Ramon's　woman　now。

Yoh　not　be　foolish　like　yoh　too　good　for　be　kees。　luck；　be　kees　yoh　many

times；　I　bet！　Yoh　don'　play　good　girl　no　more　for　Ramonoh…h；　no！　That　joke

she's　w'at　yoh　call　ches'nut。　We　don'　want　no　more　soch　foolish　talk；　or　else

maybe　I　do　w'at　Bill　Holmes　says　she's　good　for　squaw！〃



〃You　awful　big　liar；〃　Annie…Many…Ponies　stated　with　a　calm；　terrific

frankness。　〃You　plenty　big　thief。　You　fool　me　plentynow　I　don't　be　fool　no

more。　You　so　mean　yoh　think　all　mens　like　you。　You　think　all　girls　bad　girls。

You　awful　big　fool；　you　think　I　stay　for　you。　I　go。〃



Ramon　twisted　his　mustache　and　laughed　at　her。　〃Now　yoh　so　pretty；　when　yoh

mad；〃　he　teased。　〃How　yoh　go？　All　yoh　theengs　in　cabinmonee；　clothes；

grobhow　yoh　go？　Yoh　mad　nowpretty　soon　Ramon　he　makes　yoh　glad！　Shame　for

soch　cross　wordssoch　cross　looks！　Now　I　don't　talk　till　yoh　be　good　girl；

and　says　yoh　lov'　Ramon。　I　don't　let　yoh　go；　neither。　Yoh　don't　get　far　wayI

promise　yoh　for　true。　I　breeng　yoh　back；　sweetheart；　I　promise　I　breeng　yoh

back　I　Yoh　don't　want　to　go　no　more　w'en　I'm　through　weeth　yohI　promise　yoh！

Yoh　theenk　I　let　yoh　go？　O…oh…h；　no！　Ramon　not　let　yoh　get　far　away！〃



In　her　heart　she　knew　that　he　spoke　at　last　the　truth；　that　this　was　the　real

Ramon　whom　she　had　never　before　seen。　To　every　woman　must　come　sometime　the

bitter　awakening　from　her　dreamworld　to　the　real　world　in　all　its　sordidness

and　selfishness。　Annie…Many…Ponies；　standing　there　looking　at　RamonRamon　who

laughed　at　her　goodnessknew　now　what　the　future　that　had　lain　behind　the

mountains　held　in　store　for　her。　Not　happiness；　surely；　not　the　wide　ring　of

gold　that　would　say　she　was　Ramon's　wife。　Luis　was　right。　He　had　spoken　the

truth；　though　she　had　believed　that　he　lied　when　he　said　Ramon　would　never

marry　a　woman。　He　would　love　and　laugh　and　ride　away；　Luis　had　told　her。　Well；

then



〃Shunka　Chistala！〃　she　called　softly　to　the　little　black　dog；　that　came

eagerly；　wagging　his　burr…matted　tail。　She　laid　her　hand　on　its　head　when　the

dog　jumped　up　to　greet　her。　She　smiled　faintly　while　she　fondled　its　silky；

flapping　ears。



〃Why　you　all　time　pat　that　dam…dog？〃　Ramon　flashed　out　jealously。　〃You　don't

pet　yoh　man　what　lov'　yoh！〃



〃Dogs　don't　lie；〃　said　Annie…Many…Ponies　coldly；　and　walked　away。　She　did　not

look　back；　she　did　not　hurry；　though　she　must　have　known　that　Ramon　in　one

bound　could　have　stopped　her　with　his　man's　strength。　Her　head　was　high；　her

shoulders　were　straight；　her　eyes　were　so　black　the　pupils　did　not　show　at

all；　and　a　film　of　inscrutability　veiled　what　bitter　thoughts　were　behind

them。



As　it　had　been　with　Luis　so　it　was　now　with　Ramon。　Her　utter　disregard　of　him

held　him　back　from　touching　her。　He　stood　with　wrath　in　his　eyes　and　let　her

goand　to　hide　his　weakness　from　her　strength　he　sent　after　her　a　sneering

laugh　and　words　that　were　like　a　whip。



〃All　rightjus'　for　now　I　let　you　ron；〃　he　jeered。　〃Bimeby　she's　different。

Bimeby　I　show　yoh　who's　boss。　I　make　yoh　cry　for　Ramon　be　good　to　yoh！〃



Annie…Many…Ponies　did　not　betray　by　so　much　as　a　glance　that　she　beard　him。

But　had　he　seen　her　face　be　would　have　been　startled　at　the　look　his　words

brought　there。　He　would　have　been　startled　and　perhaps　he　would　have　been

warned。　For　never　bad　she　carried　so　clearly　the　fighting　look　of　her

forefathers　who　went　out　to　battle。　With　the　little　black　dog　at　her　heels　she

climbed　a　small；　round…topped　hill　that　had　a　single　pine　like　a　cockade

growing　from　the　top。



For　ten　minutes　she　stood　there　on　the　top　and　stared　away　to　the　southeast；

whence　she　had　come　to　keep　her　promise　to　Ramon。　Never；　it　seemed　to　her；　had

a　girl　been　so　alone。　In　all　the　world　there　could　not　be　a　soul　so　bitter。

Liarthiefbetrayer　of　womenand　she　had　left　the　clean；　steadfast

friendship　of　her　brother　Wagalexa　Conka　for　such　human　vermin　as　Ramon

Chavez！　She　sat　down；　and　with　her　face　hidden　in　her　shawl　and　her　slim　body

rocking　back　and　forth　in　weird　rhythm　to　her　wailing；　she　crooned　the

mourning　song　of　the　Omaha。　Death　of　her　past；　death　of　her　place　among　good

people；　death　of　her　friendship；　death　of　hopeshe　sat　there　with　her　face

turned　toward　the　far…away；　smiling　mesa　where　she　had　been　happy；　and　wailed

softly　to　herself　as　the　women　of　her　tribe　had　wailed　when　sorrow　came　to

them　in　the　days　that　were　gone。



All　through　the　afternoon　she　sat　there　with　her　back　to　the　lone　pine　tree

and　her　face　turned　toward　the　southeast；　while　the　little　black　dog　lay　at

her　feet　and　slept。　From　the　cabin　Ramon　watched　her；　stubbornly　waiting　until

she　would　come　down　to　him　of　her　own　accord。　She　would　comeof　that　he　was

sure。　She　would　come　if　　he　convinced　her　that　he　would　not　go　up　and　coax　her

to　come。　Ramon　had　known　many　girls　who　were　given　to　sulking　over　what　he

considered　their　imaginary　wrongs；　and　he　was　very　sure　that　he　knew　women

better　than　they　knew　themselves。　She　would　come；　give　her　time　enough；　and

she　could　not　fling　at　him　then　any　taunt　that　he　had　been　over…eager。

Certainly　she　would　comeshe　was　a　woman！



But　the　shadow　of　the　pines　lengthened　until　they　lay　like　long　fingers　across

the　earth；　and　still　she　did　not　come。　Bill　Holmes　and　Luis；　secure　in　the

knowledge　that　Ramon　was　on　guard　against　any　unlooked…for　visitors；　slept

heavily　on　the　crude　bunks　in　the　cabin。　Birds　began　twittering　animatedly　as

the　beat　of　the　day　cooled　and　they　came　forth　from　their　shady　retreatsand

still　Annie…Many…Ponies　sat　on　the　little　billtop；　within　easy　calling

distance　of　the　cabin；　and　never　once　looked　down　that　way。　Still　the　little

black　dog　curled　at　her　feet　and　slept。　For　all　the　movement　these　two　made；

they　might　have　been　of　stone；　the　pine　above　was　more　unquiet　than　they。



Ramon；