San Francisco State University - Franciscan Yearbook (San Francisco, CA)

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4 c4Q5' i Q ,' QA. as 'rr f 'Q mu W A t lf? 4, 4 ,xsz V is l ' 4 ' ' '- N is ,G Fs isill lqu - ,V 4 V' Ez? 'C 5 :lx I ' i I , p vo gi . i vfffi ' IN 'Xt ' ' 'e r 1: Q. w s' 45421 v 1 ,' 1 1 . I X Aff v ',. Wh if A J' ,Wm v c All the women exclaimed when the new babe was born to Ohna, third- time widow woman, for her new babe had fingers twice as long as any child ever born into the tribe. Some Families muttered to themselves it was a shame he had to be of lowly birth as all peoples know thattrue warriors and womanly women breed best in a Family, but ot hers con- tended that the advantage of long fingers would overcome this handicap. After all, Ohna was hardworking and frugal and would take good care of this special one. The soothsayers and tribal dignitaries officiated at the occasion of The Naming of the Babe, and even rubbed his tiny body with re al salt instead of the fine sand usually used for commoners. Because of the mystical significance of his long fingers and the fact that he had joined the tribe just at dawn, he was named Luster, and Ohna was given two long strings of dried beef for her achievement. Ohna worked even harder now with the incentive and pride in her son, and some of the hunters did get more work performed for the beef they brought her than they deserved, but she complained not and even took her dead mate's bow and arrow and brought in some small game by her- self. . 13 A 5 l . 1 1 2 i 1 l i l 1 I l 1 l

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V....5 F l l r l P l l F r i . F L e , H- ,--v--.-1-.- Luster crawled and teethed and walked and learned to speak as other children do but was never made to perform the Running and Leaping Rites when he was eight nor the Bringing-in-of-the-Squirrel when he was ten nor any of the other usual ceremonies that marked the years of other boys' lives. One day Femma, a little girl from the next cave, came over to Luster and after duly admiring and exclaiming over his long fingers, very crude- ly asked him about this strange breaking of custom. Luster was kind and patient with her ignorance and explained it to her thus, You see, I have long fingers. I know, she agreed, but how can you learn to bring meat for your home or to run from the grizzly if you do not join in the rites. You could be agile like the rest. And Luster flushed as her eyes traveled over his pale smooth body. You are only a girl. What could you know about such things, he reproved, then relenting at her downcast face confided, I have visions more beautiful than any in the tribe can see and I will share them with the world. Oh, Luster, how wonderfull Will you share them by beating the drums for Ceremony Days or are you going to learn to tell the tribal stories? ' Even better, he boasted. A wall scratcher'? Yes, Already I can scratch better bison than Chut does in the big cave. She looked around fearfully. Don't say that out loud. Chut has charms and hunts not for the meat he eats. Why, all he does is wall scratch. - I know. And that's what l'll do too, only better than Chut or his follower or even the redheaded one from the tribe across the river. I never saw any of his scratchings, Femma admitted and Luster patted her hand pityingly. Ohna puffed into the cave then, her back bent with the day's catch. Luster politely moved his feet so she wouldn't trip and watched her unload the rabbits and squirrels she had killed. ff MXJHE I Ng T fx f y,,, . :E ,je Q ,'2 'v'ib XX me , ., W I f ,N elif' :K ' it 1 1' . W f'!Lm.J.+.,gQQ lin! W- X I4