the heritage of the sioux-第37节

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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；　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