the heritage of the sioux-第7节

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by　right　of　an　old　Spanish　grant。　He　was　standing　in　the　shadow　of　the　ledge；

leaning　against　it　as　they　of　sun…saturated　New　Mexico　always　lean　against

anything　perpendicular　and　solid　near　which　they　happen　to　stand。　He　was

watching　the　white…lighted　arroyo　while　he　smoked；　waiting　for　her；

unconscious　of　her　near　presence。



Annie…Many…Ponies　stood　almost　within　reach　of　him；　but　she　did　not　make　her

presence　known。　With　the　infinite　wariness　of　her　race　she　waited　to　see　what

he　would　do；　to　read；　if　she　might；　what　were　his　thoughtshis　attitude

toward　her　in　his　unguarded　moments。　That　little；　inscrutable　smile　which　so

exasperated　Applehead　was　on　her　lips　while　she　watched　him。



Ramon　finished　that　cigarette；　threw　away　the　stab　and　rolled　and　lighted

another。　Still　Annie…Many…Ponies　gave　no　little　sign　of　her　presence。　He

watched　the　arroyo；　and　once　he　leaned　to　one　side　and　stared　back　at　his　own

quiet　camp　on　the　slope　that　had　the　biggest　and　the　wildest　mountain　of　that

locality　for　its　background。　He　settled　himself　anew　with　his　other　shoulder

against　the　rock；　and　muttered　something　in　Spanishthat　strange；　musical

talk　which　Annie…Many…Ponies　could　not　understand。　And　still　she　watched　him；

and　exulted　in　his　impatience　for　her　coming；　and　wondered　if　it　would　always

be　lovelight　which　she　would　see　in　his　eyes。



He　was　not　of　her　race；　though　in　her　pride　she　thought　him　favored　when　she

named　him　akin　to　the　Sioux。　He　was　not　of　her　race；　but　he　was　tall　and　he

was　straight；　he　was　dark　as　she；　he　was　strong　and　brave　and　he　bad　many

cattle　and　much　broad　acreage。　Annie…Many…Ponies　smiled　upon　him　in　the　dark

and　was　glad　that　she；　the　daughter　of　a　chief　of　the　Sioux；　had　been　found

good　in　his　sight。



Five　minutes；　ten　minutes。　The　coyote；　yap…yap…yapping　in　the　broken　land

beyond　them；　found　his　mate　and　was　silent。　Ramon　Chavez；　waiting　in　the

shadow　of　the　ledge；　muttered　a　Mexican　oath　and　stepped　out　into　the

moonlight　and　stood　there；　tempted　to　return　to　his　campfor　he；　also；　had

pride　that　would　not　bear　much　bruising。



Annie…Many…Ponies　waited。　When　he　muttered　again　and　threw　his　cigarette　from

him　as　though　it　had　been　something　venomous；　when　he　turned　his　face　toward

his　own　tents　and　took　a　step　forward；　she　laughed　softly；　a　mere　whisper　of

amusement　that　might　have　been　a　sleepy　breeze　stirring　the　bushes　somewhere

near。　Ramon　started　and　turned　his　face　her　way；　in　the　moonlight　his　eyes

shone　with　a　certain　love…hunger　which　Annie…Many…Ponies　exulted　to

seebecause　she　did　not　understand。



〃You　not　let　moon　look　on　you；〃　she　chided　in　an　undertone；　her　sentences

clipped　of　superfluous　words　as　is　the　Indian　way；　her　voice　that　pure；

throaty　melody　that　is　a　gift　which　nature　gives　lavishly　to　the　women　of

savage　people。　〃Moon　see；　men　see。〃



Ramon　swung　back　into　the　shadow；　reached　out　his　two　arms　to　fold　her　close

and　got　nothing　more　substantial　than　another　whispery　laugh。



〃Where　are　yoh；sweetheart？〃　He　peered　into　the　shadow　where　she　had　been；　and

saw　the　place　empty。　He　laughed；　chagrined　by　her　elusiveness；　yet　hungering

for　her　the　more。



〃You　not　touch；〃　she　warned。　〃Till　priest　say　marriage　prayers；　no　man　touch。〃



He　called　her　a　devil　in　Spanish；　and　she　thought　it　a　love…word　and　laughed

and　came　nearer。　He　did　not　attempt　to　touch　her；　and　so；　reassured；　she　stood

close　so　that　he　could　see　the　pure；　Indian　profile　of　her　face　when　she

raised　it　to　the　sky　in　a　mute　invocation；　it　might　be；　of　her　gods。　　　



〃When　yoh　come？〃　he　asked　swiftly；　his　race　betrayed　in　tone　and　accent。　〃I

look　and　lookI　no　see　yoh。〃



〃I　come；〃　she　stated　with　a　quiet　meaning。　〃I　not　like　cow；　for　make　plenty

noise。　I　stand　here；　you　smoke　two　times；　I　look。〃



〃You　mus'　be　moonbeam；〃　he　told　her；　reaching　out　again；　only　to　lay　hold　upon

nothing。　〃Come　back；　sweetheart。　I　be　good。〃



〃I　not　like　you　touch；〃　she　repeated。　〃I　good　girl。　I　mind　priest；　I　read

prayers；　I　mind　Wagalexa　Conka〃　There　she　faltered；　for　the　last　boast　was

no　longer　the　truth。



Ramon　was　quick　to　seize　upon　the　one　weak　point　of　her　armor。　〃So？　He　send

yoh　then　to　talk　with　Ramon　at　midnight？　Yoh　come　to　please　yoh　boss？〃



Annie…Many…Ponies　turned　her　troubled　face　his　way。　〃Wagalexa　Conka　sleep

plenty。　I　not　ask；〃　she　confessed。　〃You　tell　me　come　here　you　tell　me　must

talk　when　no　one　hear。　I　come。　I　no　ask　Wagalexa　Conkahim　say　good　girl　stay

by　camp。　Him　say　not　walk　in　night…time；　say　me　not　talk　you。　I　no　ask；　I　just

come。〃



〃Yoh　lov'　him；　perhaps？　More　as　yoh　lov'　me？　Always　I　see　yoh　look　at

himalways　watch；　watch。　Always　I　see　yoh　jomp　when　he　snap　the　finger；

always　yoh　run　like　train　dog。　Yoh　lov'　him；　perhaps？　Bah！　Yoh　dirt　onder　his

feet。〃　Ramon　did　not　seriously　consider　that　any　woman　whom　he　favored　could

sanely　love　another　man　more　than　himself；　but　to　his　nature　jealousy　was　a

necessary　adjunct　of　lovemaking；　not　to　have　displayed　jealousy　would　have

been　to　betray　indifference；　as　he　interpreted　the　tender　passion。



Annie…Many…Ponies；　woman…wily　though　she　was　by　nature；　had　little　learning　in

the　devious　ways　of　lovemaking。　Eyes　might　speak；　smiles　might　half　reveal；

half　hide　her　thoughts；　but　the　tongue；　as　her　tribe　had　taught　her　sternly；

must　speak　the　truth　or　keep　silent。　Now　she　bent　her　head；　puzzling　how　best

to　put　her　feelings　toward　Luck　Lindsay　into　honest　words　which　Ramon　would

understand。　　



〃Yoh　lov'　him；　perhapssince　yoh　all　time　afraid　he　be　mad。〃　Ramon　persisted；

beating　against　the　wall　of　her　Indian　taciturnity　which　always　acted　as　a

spur　upon　his　impetuosity。　Besides；　it　was　important　to　him　that　he　should

know　just　what　was　the　tie　between　these　two。　He　had　heard　Luck　Lindsay　speak

to　the　girl　in　the　Sioux　tongue。　He　had　seen　her　eyes　lighten　as　she　made

swift　answer。　He　had　seen　her　always　eager　to　do　Luck's　biddinghad　seen　her

anticipate　his　wants　and　minister　to　them　as　though　it　was　her　duty　and　her

pleasure　to　do　so。　It　was　vital　that　he　should　know；　and　it　was　certain　that

he　could　not　question　Luck　upon　the　subjectfor　Ramon　Chavez　was　no　fool。



〃Long　time　agowhen　I　was　papoose　with　no　shoes；〃　she　began　with　seeming

irrelevance；　her　eyes　turning　instinctively　toward　the　white　tents　of　the

Flying　U　camp　gleaming　in　the　distance；　〃my　people　go　for　work　in　Buffalo　Bill

show。　My　father　go；　my　mother　go；　I　go。　All　time　we　dance　for　show；　make

Indian　fight　with　cowboysall　them　act　for　Buffalo　Bill…Pawnee　Bill　show。

That　time　Wagalexa　Conka　boss　of　Indians。　He　Indian　Agent。　He　take　care　whole

bunch。　He　make　peace　when　fights；　he　give　med'cine　when　somebody　sick。　He

awful　good　to　them　Indians。　He　give　me　candy；　always　stop　to　talk　me。　I　like

him。　My　father　like　him。　All　them　Indians　like　him　plenty　much。　My　father

awful　sick　one　time；　he　no　let　doctor　come。　Leg　broke　all　in　pieces。　He　say

die　plenty　if　Wagalexa　Conka　no　make　well。　I　go　ticket　wagon；　tell　Wagalexa

Conka；　he　come　quick；　fix　up　leg　all　right。



〃All　them　Indians　like　to　make　him〃　She　stopped；　searching　her　mind　for　the

elusive；　little…used　word　which　she　　had　learned　in　the　mission　school。　Make

him　adop'；〃　she　finished　triumphantly。　〃Indians　make　much　dance；　plenty　music；

lots　speeches　make　him　Indian　man。　My　father　big　chief；　he　make　Wagalexa　Conka

him　son。　Make　him　my　brother。　Give　him　Indian　name　Wagalexa　Conka。　All　Indians

call　that　name　for　him。



〃Pretty　soon　show　stop；　all　them　Indians　go　home　by　reservation。　long　time　we

don't　see　Wagalexa　Conka　no　more。　I　get　big　girl；　go　school　little　bit。　Pretty

soon　Wagalexa　Conka　come　back；　for　wants　them　Indians　for　work　in　pictures。　My

father　go；　my　mother　go；　all　us　go。　We　work　long　time。　I；〃　she　added　with

naive　pride　in　her　comeliness；　〃awful　good　looking。　I　do　lots　of　foreground

stuff。　Pretty　soon　hard　times　come。　Indians　go　home　by　reservation。　I　goI

don't　like　them　reservations　no　more。　Too　lonesome。　I　like　for　work　all　time

in　pictures。　I　come；　tell　Wagalexa　Conka　I　be　Indian　girl　for　pictures。　He

write　letter　for　agent；　write　letter　for　my　father。　They　writes　letter　for　say

yes；　I　stay。　I　stay　and　do　plenty　more　foreground　stuff。〃



〃I　don't　see　you　do　moch　foreground　work　since　that　white　girl　come；〃　Ramon

observed；　hitting　what　he　instinctively　knew　was　a　tender　point。



Had　he　seen　her　face；　he　must　have　been　satisfied　that　the　chance　shot　struck

home。　But　in　the　shadow　hate　blazed　unseen　from　her　eyes。　She　did　not　speak；

and　so　he　went　back　to　his　first　charge。



〃All　this　don't　tell　me　moch；〃　he　complained。　〃Yoh　lov'　him；　maybe？　That's　

what　I　ask。〃



〃Wagalexa　Conka　my　brother；　my　father；　my　friend；〃　she　replied　calmly；　and　let

him　interpret　it　as　he　would。



〃He　treats　yoh　like　a　dog。　He　crazee　'bout　that　Jean。　He　gives　her　all　smiles；

all　what　yoh　call　foreground　stuff。　I　knowI　got　eyes。　Me；　it　makes　me　mad

for　see　h