United States or Finland ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
You loitered on the road too long, You trifled at the gate " "When you old like Suma-theek," said the Indian, "you sabez then nothing matter except man make his tribe live. Have children or die! That the Great Spirit's law for tribes." Jim said no more. The daily miracle of the sunset was taking place.
The doctor, driving the mule ambulance, dashed up the half-made road. He looked Iron Skull over, and shook his head. "Get the stretcher out," he said to Jim. Four Indians lifted the stretcher with Iron Skull on it, but when they would have put it in the ambulance, old Suma-theek stepped forward. He was taller even than Jim. His face was lean and wrinkled. His eyes were deep-set and tragic.
I know! It will be like a strong arm under his poor overburdened shoulders!" "I have seen that those humans who seek strength from Nature never fail to find it." Suma-theek waited eagerly. "I'll send for Uncle Benny," said Pen. "He'll leave anything to help Jim." Suma-theek nodded. "Good medicine. He that fat uncle that love the Big Boss. I sabez him.
Maybe, Boss Still, all those things you believe, all those things you work for, Great Spirit think no use. Huh?" "The Great Spirit didn't explain anything to us, Suma-theek, but he gave us our dreams. I want to fix my tribe's dream so firmly it can never be forgotten. As for my own little dream of love, what does it matter?"
The chief clambered into the seat by Jim. "Suma-theek, the Big Boss at Washington has given me three months before I must leave the dam." "Why?" asked Suma-theek. "Because I darn well deserve it. I've got everybody here sore at me. Everybody on this Project hates me, so he's afraid it will hurt all the dams the Big Sheriff at Washington wants to build for all the whites."
He followed Jim's gaze and said softly: "That flag it heap pretty but wherever Injun see it he see sorrow and death for Injun." Jim answered slowly: "Perhaps we're being paid for what we've done to you, Suma-theek. The white tribe that made the flag is going, just as we have made you go. The flag will always look the same, but the dream it was made to tell will go."
Suma-theek responded to Jim's wistful smile with an old man's smile of lost illusions. "Dreams are always before or behind. They are never here. You are young. Yours are before. Suma-theek is old. His are behind. Boss Still, you no sabez one thing. All great dreams of any tribe they built by man for love of woman." Jim stared for a moment at the purple shadow of the Elephant.
"Are they all Indians?" asked Pen staring round-eyed at the group of workmen. Iron Skull nodded. "Jicarilla and Mohave Apaches. I've fought with the older men. They make good workmen if you understand them. Old Suma-theek over there is one of my best friends." There might have been fifty of the Indians, stalwart fellows, using pick and shovel with a deliberate grace that fascinated Pen.
"Ride for the doctor!" and the Indian was off like a racing shadow. At Jim's call, old Suma-theek gave a great groan and ran to lift Iron Skull's head. The Indians gathered about in wonder as Jim knelt beside his friend. For Iron Skull was dead. Penelope ran out of the tent house at Jim's shout and made her way among the Indians to Jim's side. "O Jim!" she cried. "O Jim! O Jim!"
The living room was long and low, with an adobe fireplace at one end. The walls were left in the delicate creamy tint of the natural adobe. On the floor were a black bearskin from Makon and a brilliant Navajo that Suma-theek had given him. The walls were hung with Indian baskets and pottery, with photographs of the Green Mountain and the Makon, with guns and canteens and a great rack of pipes.
Word Of The Day