Petersburg High School - Missile Yearbook (Petersburg, VA)

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THE M I SSILE 27 different. I decided to take my skins back to the fort and told Black Bear to be gone. 'Not yet, Great Heart, wait, and before the sun has gone six times around the sky, Black Bear will be back to join his brother.' 'Let it be as you wish. But where go you in those six days F' 'Why should my brother know? Great Heart, I am in love. In the lodge of the Great Grizzly Bear, Pawnees. which is my tribe, there sits the lovely White Rose alone. She asks the Sun, VVhere is my love, Black Bear P The Sun answers her not, neither does the moon, nor the stars, nor even the Great Spirit. She looks out over the prairie, it is full of emptiness, and the heart of White Rose is sad, very sad. Black Bear's heart is sad too. Great Hunter, she is so fair, and I would look upon her once more ere I go with you. Let my brother wait, and ere the sun has six times gone to sleep I will join him. And ere the sun sleeps four times, I will have seen once more, and have kised once more my White Rose. Great Heart, let Black Bear go, for his heart cries out for the heart of his White Rose.' And so he went. I waited for five days and then laughed at myself for thinking he would come back. So I packed my skins and set back-trail. I was eating breakfast the next morning when I heard the cracking of twigs. A red-skin may tread as a cat, but the trapper has ears of a mouse. I grabbed my gun, turned, and saw a painted savage creeping upon me. My rifle leaped to my shoulder at will and Before I had I fired. He fell dead. half a chance to reload, six as hideous as himself sprang upon chance. I was afraid but of the torture that me. I had no not of death, I knew would come before death. I had but unskil- fully kept back my fear. They noticed my terror, for one of them, with three eagle feathers in his hair, shook a knife at my face and said, 'Dog of pale- face and son of dog has slain Black Buffalo and his heart is like water in his breast for it.' Then I knew no more, for down crashed a tomahawk. Perhaps it was midnight, perhaps later-I never found out. It was at least some time after I had lost con- sciousness that I heard a dull sound, a low, gurgling moan. Then a figure. knife in hand. whispered in my ear. so low that it was but a breath, 'Is my brother awake ?' It was Black Bear! I could have screamed for joy, but I kept silent as he told me how he had saved me from the six Mohawks, killing them each one. Something warm dropped from his red, manly hand into my cold hands. I knew what it was. 'Is it well with my brother ?' I replied. 'It is well, Black Bean' 'Dogs of Mohawksl' cried my red- blooded savior as he shook his Fists at the six distant dead bodies. 'Six of you have tasted Pawnee vengeance and more will followl' He picked up a stick as he spoke, spat upon it and snapped it. 'My brother, here is your rifle and bag. I took them from the leader. Come, before the sun awakes we must be far away.' We had followed a stream and had covered some distance when a faint cry came to our ears on the still night air. Black Bear stopped. His nostrils speard wide apart and his proud head flung back. He cursed in Indian and then said, 'Great Heart, the live dogs have found the dead,' VVhen I heard this my heart sank. 'The Mohawks are wise,' said Black Bear. 'But the Pawnees outwit them easily. NVhen I returned and found that you had gone, my heart was sad. The Mohawks were at war, and my brother was unwise. I followed you to your camp, but before I saved you, I made three other trails from your camp- fire. Black Bear is wise. They will be

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26 THEM 1ss1LE g It was off in them mountains and it happened before the oldest of you learned the taste of milk. The prairie was black with buffalo, the streams held fish without number. Nature was at its highest, and it was all magnificent in God's great out-of-doors, my fellow aviators! I was not by myself. There were two others: my friend, Ted Jones, and a real man, even though his skin was red. There are many whose hearts are white under their red skin. Our meeting was strange, very queer. He had scalped my friend Jones and would have scalped me had his foot not slipped, and splash! over into the river he fell. For a moment I stood watching him. Had there been a look of appeal in his eyes or had he called for aid I would have stood still. But no! Too proud to cry for assistance, and in his eyes, as they met mine, only the savage look of hatred of the red man for the white. He was making a manly struggle but Black Bear was slowly losing. He would have killed me, but when a man. a real manly man is as brave as that, what would you do? In a flash of a second I was beside him. Well, I was a strong swimmer, and soon I got him ashore, where the bank wasn't so steep and slick. When I had climbed out, he had already recovered his knife and stood there, a magnificent type of real, red-blooded man, waiting for me. He was without a doubt the finest example of real hon- est-to-goodness manhood I had ever laid eyes on. And did I admire him Pi' The old captain took a long draw on his peace pipe, paused, wiggled his mustache. Did he get y'? Tom inquired. Have I not said he was a real man? He came closer, knife in hand. I had nothing. He suddenly scooped up some grass, burst out in a war cry, and around me in sure 'nough Indian fashion, coming to an abrupt halt at my feet. Throwing the knife. bloodv from my friend Jones's neck, at my feet, he drew himself up so, flung his great arms apart and held his manly chin proudly in the air. 'Strikel' he said. 'Black bear would have scalped White Hunter as he slept: Pale Face drew Black Bear from rushing waters. Black Bear's life belongs to VVhite Hunter. Take it!' Picking up the knife and handing it to him, I said 'Black Bear, I do not want it.' 'Black Bear would have scalped White Hunter, did not White Hunter hear his words ?' A I nodded and answered, 'Black Bear is a man. His heart, the heart of a real man, is white though his hide is red. Let him keep his life and knife, I do not want them.' 'White Hunter's skin is white, but his heart is heap-much big and red. He too, is a man, and Black Bear is his brother till Manitou calls him to the Happy Hunting Grounds. Have I not spoken P' I could not induce him to leave me. He argued that the Mohawks were on the war-path and I was in grave danger both from them and his own people un- less he was with me. In vain did I tell him that I could take care of my- self. 'Black Bear will make himself as small as an ant and move as softly as a Wildcat, so that his brother of the kind heart may not see him nor will he hear him, but he will stay with his brotherf So he stayed. I saw nothing of him, nor did I hear him. I thought he had gone. But suddenly he appeared to save my life from a crouching lion. And one evening I called him, and he stood before me as though the very earth opened up and deposited him in my presence. I don't mind saying I was startled. I told him he could stay with me if he chose. After that we were inseparable. I was young and thought I knew everything, but I soon learned

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28 THEM ISSILE undecided and will divide and fol- low all. Is it not better to fight ten, than fifty? Until the sun awakes we are safe. Let Great Heart clothe his tired feet with wings. VVe go.' We continued on swiftly. VVe fol- lowed one side of the stream for a mile and crossed and followed the other side. Sometimes we waded the stream never leaving a footprint. I was nigh spent, and more than once Black Bear's manly arms carried me over the rocky rapids At last we halted on the edge of a precipice overlooking a beauiful valley. 'Eat. sleep, rest, Great Heart. Your brother of the lynx eyes will watch.' 'Up, my brother! The dogs have found our trail. Stand up slowly and you will see the dogs. 'Black Bear, I see them not.' 'My brother's eyes are clouded,' said the man with red skin and a white heart. Then at once I saw a bright spot of Vermillion, the war paint on the fore- head of an Indian brave. I saw only one, and he was too far to shoot, so I kept under cover. I confess I was rather awed at the red man's powers of ob- servation. 'Here they come,' whispered Black Bear. 'Let Make-Thunder speak to them.' True the red spot had disappear- ed. I watched but could see nothing. 'Is Make-Thunder ready? Yes! 'Then watch,' he replied, and sprang up onto a rock overlooking the whole valley. He shook his proud manly head and shouted definantly the Pawnee war- whoop. 'Mohawk dogs! Squaws! Old women! Black Bear spits on you and defies you! Your scalps shall yet adorn the Pawnee lodge. Dogs that sulk behind rocksl' He sprang down as a hail of balls and arrows flattened them- selves against the rock where he had stood. I was on the lookout and my gun spoke loudly. 'Ughl Great Heart shoots well,' was his only comment. 'Waugh, Ugh! The Mohawk squaws are liarsf screamed Black Bear. 'Do they think the Pawnees are fools? Mo- hawks can not stand before men, they are sneaks and cowards. Let them re- turn to their squaws alone. I, Black Bear, have spokenl' He drew himself into the air, tossed his feathered head and dropped from their view. They rushed upon us. Black Bear threw away his fine bow, after killing the first three, and took out his knife, hurling with unerring accuracy at the next one, striking him dead. My last bullet took the next, but the next rushed on, hurling his tomahawk at Black Bear. I was wounded and a stream far red- der than his skin was pouring out of the sides of Black Bear. It was give and take. Black Bear was struck to his knees, and the yelling warriors surged into the gap between us. Then a cloud of arrows whistled past us, coming from the heights above. 'The Pawnees, brother! The Great Spirit has sent us aid.' The Pawnees slipped quickly past. All but a handful went by, the others stayed to help us. We were sick and wounded. They glared angrily at me. 'Mohawks,' yelled Black Bear, 'your scalps will yet adorn our lodge. Manitou is good.' Stung by these words, a Mohawk warrior checked his headlong flight and sent an arrow whizzing upwards. 'Pawnee cur,' he shouted. 'White Hawk goes to the Happy Hunting Grounds, but Black Bear goes with him.' Straight to its mark flew the arrow. It sank deep, burying itself in the super-manly body of Black Bear, who fell into my loving arms. In a moment he was on his feet again and facing his friends he slowly said: 'Great Heart is my brother, his skin is white, but his heart is red. Be