Cbe bemawa American
VOL. VII.
CHfiMAWA, ORE., DECEMBER 11, 1903.
NO. 3
Ttye Seeopd mto.
BY ELLA McMUNN.
A little band of Siwashes had moored .
their boats at ; Friday Harbor. The
fish catch had been light, their baskets
no longer found the ready sale that
they had done before the pale faces
begun making them.
A klootchman sat apart and thought.
The winter promised to be a hard one
and the old woman thought of the
children, not, perhaps, with love, but
with a growing uneasiness as to whether
it might not be "best to let the agent
take them. They could earn nothing
yet for a few years; besides no tie of
blood bound her to them, and per
haps when they were older they
might leave her anyway.
Jan, they had picked up last year
in Alaska. They knew nothing of
him, as he had spoken the language
of another tribe when they found
him shivering on a cake of ice in the
far North.
Nora was an orphan of the klootch
man's tribe, and the old woman had
been appointed a sort of foster mo
ther to the two children. She had
taught them bead work and basketry
and begging. But they were not apt
scholars at begging, and that was all
that brought in returns now, so she
thought of the agent.
He had been there the day before
and asked to take them to the Train
ing school, where they could learn.
"Heap much make heap money, bye-and-bye,"
so the agent said.
He came again the next day and .
Jan and Nora went with him. There
were no tears and no kisses at parting ;
but with true Indian stoicism they
stalked along behind him. If they
were sorry to.leave their people they
hid their grief as became a brave race.
They were glad to be together any
way, and although their tongues were
silent they glanced at each other and
occasionally' smiled at the agent's ex
pense. Hu wore such ridiculous
squeaking things on his feet, and
such an odd black thing on his head!
Ten years passed, and Jan and No
ra who were called John and Nora
now stood on the steps : of the As
sembly Hall at Chemawa. They
had completed the school course and
the industrial departments and were
ready to take up their battle with the
world. Their wedding day was not
far distant, but just then the Spanish-American
war broke out, and
at the first call for volunteers John
enlisted.
"Why do you go?" Nora pleaded.
What is the American Government
to you? Have they not taken from
our people everything?"
He kissed the half-angry, half-