the heritage of the sioux-第34部分

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



Ramon；　watching　her　while　he　smoked　many　cigarettes；　became　filled　with　a

vague　uneasiness　What　was　she　thinking？　What　did　she　mean　to　do？　He　began　to

have　faint　doubts　of　her　coming　down　to　him。　He　began　to　be　aware　of　something

in　her　nature　that　was　unlike　those　other　women；　something　more　inflexible；

more　silent；　something　that　troubled　him　even　while　he　told　himself　that　she

was　like　all　the　rest　and　he　would　be　her　master。



〃Bah！　She　thinks　to　play　with　me；　Ramon！　Then　I　will　go　up　and　I　will　show

hershe　will　follow　weeping　at　my　heelslike　that　dog　of　hers　that　some　day

I　shall　kill！〃



He　got　up　and　threw　away　his　cigarette；　glanced　within　and　saw　that　Bill　and

Luis　still　slept；　and　started　up　the　hill　to　where　that　motionless　figure　sat

beneath　the　pine　and　kept　her　face　turned　from　him。　It　would　be　better；

thought　Ramon；　to　come　upon　her　unawares；　and　so　he　went　softly　and　very

slowly；　placing　each　foot　as　carefully　as　though　he　were　stalking　a　wild　thing

of　the　woods。



Annie…Many…Ponies　did　not　hear　him　coming。　All　her　heart　was　yearning　toward

that　far　away　mesa。　〃Wagalexa　Conkacola！〃　she　whispered；　for　〃cola〃　is　the

Sioux　word　for　friend。　Aloud　she　dared　not　speak　the　word；　lest　some　tricksy

breeze　carry　it　to　him　and　fill　him　with；　anger　because　she　had　betrayed　his

friendship。　〃Wagalexa　Conkacola！　cola！〃



Friendship　that　was　deadbut　she　yearned　for　it　the　more。　And　it　seemed　to

her　as　she　whispered；　that　Wagalexa　Conka　was　very；　very　near。　Her　heart　felt

his　nearness；　and　her　eyes　softened。　The　Indian　lookthe　look　of　her　fighting

forefathersdrifted　slowly　from　her　face　as　fog；　drifts　away　before　the　sun。

He　was　nearperhaps　he　was　dead　and　his　spirit　had　come　to　take　her　spirit　by

the　hand　and　call　her　colafriend。　If　that　were　so；　then　she　wished　that　her

spirit　might　go　with　his　spirit；　up　through　all　that　limitless　blue；　away　and

away　and　away；　and　never　stop；　and　never　tire　and　never　feel　anything　but

friendship　like　warm；　bright　sunshine！



Down　at　the　cabin　a　sounda　cry；　a　shoutstartled　her。　She　brushed　her　hand

across　her　eyes　and　looked　down。　There；　surrounding　the　cabin；　were　the　Happy

Family；　and　old　Applehead　whom　she　hated　because　he　hated　her。　And　in　their

midst　stood　Bill　Holmes　and　Luis；　and　the　setting　sun　shone　on　something

brightlike　great　silver　ringsthat　clasped　their　wrists。



Coming　up　the　hill　toward　her　was　Wagalexa　Conka；　climbing　swiftly；　looking　up

as　he　came。　Annie…Many…Ponies　sprang　to　her　feet；　startling　the　little　black

dog　that　gave　a　yelp　of　astonishment。　Came　he　in　peace？　She　hesitated；

watching　him　unwinkingly。　Something　swelled　in　her　chest　until　she　could

hardly　breathe；　and　then　fluttered　there　like　a　prisoned　bird。　〃COLA！〃　she

gasped；　just　under　her　breath；　and　raised　her　hand　in　the　outward；　sweeping

gesture　that　spoke　peace。



〃You　theenk　to　fix　trap；　you！〃



She　whirled　and　faced　Ramon；　whose　eyes　blazed　bate　and　murder　and　whose

tongue　spoke　the　foulness　of　his　soul。　He　flung　out　his　arm　fiercely　and

thrust　her　aside。　〃Me；　I　kill　that　dam〃



He　did　not　say　any　more；　and　the　six…shooter　he　had　levelled　at　Luck　dropped

from　his　nerveless　hand　like　a　coiled　adder；　Annie…Many…Ponies　had　struck。

Like　an　avenging　spirit　she　pulled　the　knife　free　and　held　it　high　over　her

head；　facing　Luck　who　stared　up　at　her　from　below。　He　thought　the　look　in　her

eyes　was　fear　of　him　and　of　the　law；　and　he　lifted　his　hand　and　gave　back　the

peace…sign。　It　was　for　him　she　had　killed　and　she　should　not　be　punished　if　he

could　save　her。　But　Luck　failed　to　read　her　look　aright；　it　was　not　fear　he

saw；　but　farewell。



For　with　her　free　hand　she　made　the　sign　of　peace　and　farewelland　then　the

knife　descended　straight　as　a　plummet　to　her　heart。　But　even　as　she　fell　she

spurned　the　dead　Ramon　with　her　feet；　so　that　he　rolled　a　little　way　while　the

black　dog　growled　at　him　with　bared　teeth；　even　in　death　she　would　not　touch

him　who　had　been　so　foul。



Luck　ran　the　last　few；　steep　steps；　and　took　her　in　his　arms。　His　eyes　were

blurred　so　that　he　could　not　see　her　face；　and　his　voice　shook　so　that　he

could　scarcely　form　the　words　that　brushed　back　death　from　her　soul　and

brought　a　smile　to　her　eyes。



〃Annielittle　sister！〃



Annie…Many…Ponies　raised　one　creeping　hand；　groping　until　her　fingers　touched

his　face。



〃Wagalexa　Conkacola！〃



He　took　her　fingers　and　for　an　instant；　while　she　yet　could　feel；　he　laid　them

against　his　lips。








End