Show t c C I Miff JL M iii W JOB U. U R B. B 0 lT CHAPTER xi Continued XI-Continued Continued 1 16 16 B- B Hell He'll b be he In the Mescal MI tepee nest nett to 10 1111 Illg house They built It there when he ho wn was nil chief and the they Ihy still Mill II u use I It regularly for the ceremony fey tey showed It R to me ml once when ho hI 1 Irene drove me mo out her hers She hf stopped and cleared her throat for far her voice olce was wn Suddenly IIII husky ky Sho She wondered confusedly con conn If that sound pound was he the drum or her own heart henrt heating beating She gave II n a little cracked laugh that bordered on onI I hysteria A drum In the night It sounds Hounds no ao So flo o IIO Sot Sol Levy Ilvy now took tonic the reins relna from her Irr linking There 1 I Is noth- noth ling to 10 be he frightened about A lot of poor Ioor Ignorant Indians Indian trying to 10 forget their misery Come Com 1 no noman man over ever made n more courageous gesture for the ho little sensitive Jew was terribly frightened tJ Uncertainly In the Iho blackness I they mod made their way toward the drum heat beat Nearer and nearer louder anti louder An And yet jet nil 1111 about darkness allence jOnly Only that pulsing cry and ond rattle nn and heat bent pounding t through the night like ilkI Ih the tide What If he Is not there ri 1 thought Sabra Sol Soi Levy pulled up Ul In the roadway before the tho trampled jard that hI held the Mescal I tepee round to 10 typify the till sun nun built of wood larger than OilY any I. I other building on nn the reservation The horse wore were frightened restive All about In the blackness you jou ou heard the Ihl of other horses horses' hoofs hoof heard them crunching dried herbage e of the autumn With Ith he ho groped his lils WilY way to 10 n a stump that served 11 no res hitching post nn and tied the horses As A. Aslie lie he helped Sabra down clown her knees sud suddenly ni h denly bent and he be caught ht her n. n as she he sank ank Oh I Its It's nil right Stiff StilT I Kuess from guess-from from the ride She Inn leaned against him n R moment then straightened straight ened determinedly He lie took look her hr arm firmly Together they Ihy IOn made de their way woy toward the tent shaped wooden tepee Two great silent blanketed fl figures lIrOI at lit the door Boar through which the Iho fitful flame of the sacred fire unveil flared The Tho figures did not speak They stood there barring the way The Tho little Jew felt Sabrna Sabra's arm trembling In his hand han lie peered up Into Inlo the Iho face foo of the spent Immobile figures Suddenly I Hello Joe Joel I He lie turned to Its Ita Joe Yellow Eyes lie He was was In tho the store only yesterday Sa Say Joe Joo the lady Indy here heir Mrs she Cravat she m wants her son should come ome out and I go 0 home I The Tho blanketed figure stood silent t Suddenly Sabra thought This Is 19 ridiculous She Rhe loosed her hOr arm She took n 1 1111 tcp tep forward her hOr profile Ironte sharp and nn w clear In the firelight I 1 nm om the woman worn wom n an of Yancey Cravat the one you jou ou call t Mend Head If It my wm son Is III In there thre 1 I want wont to take Inke him home now It IsI Is la I 11 time Sure uro take um uni home hoUll replied the tho thoi Indian that Sol Hol had addressed n ns a. Joe Yellow Eyes Kyes YI He Ito stood n amide i tog Ing stumbling n a little So Sol Sul nod Sabra entered the crowded Mescal tepee Q p The Tho ceremony was almost ulmot nt at nn an I end c With daybreak It would be he fin fin fin- by the light Sabra at lit litI tilt could discern nothing except the central fire anti the tho figure crouched t I I before It Yet her eyes went Int this way ny and that searching for fur him 7 raft raft- I unity her lar vision Islon cleared The figures within the tepee paid no attention to tow w those two 11 while 1 intruders Intruder They stood there In tho the doorway bewildered terrified terri terri- m i lied fied I brine brave 1 i A lu u the tho center a n crescent of earth about fix six Inches high curved around n a tf Sire lire built of sticks so arranged that ns nil the ashes fell they formed a n second t cre crescent cent within the other A man squatted equalled tending this 11 tire lire fl watchfully In the center of the crescent crescent cres cres- cent crill upon n ft little star of wige sage t twigs wi lay the mescal 1 symbol of the IIII rite i them lm the chief old Stump tump horn l In the Ihl place of t chief honor III the cm em- em 11 1 of If office In his hands the hands the rattie rattle rat rat- r tie tle the Ihl wand the fun fan of eagle 11 plumes lS All U about the tho tepee crouched crouch Id I'd or lay IllY blanketed motionless figures Some e nut Iut with heads bowed others gazed lIy upon the central mescal lI but but- ton tOil All had bid been bee eating the mescal I t or drinking a n brew In which It had ha 1 1 steeped Now ow and then n a 11 figure would 10 1 draw the blanket over r his head l and sink Ink back lak to receive e the vision o And Auf And the song went Oil on on the shaking c of t r f the gourd rattle ruttle t the tho beat beat beat-beat beat of the thet t buckskin drum The Tho air of the room 1 x was as stilling the room Itself scrupulously scrupulous scrupulous- A ly h sic cUan an At t Intervals als around the wall hull and almost t level with the dirt floor IreI were Ire t I apertures perhaps sixteen Inches square square A little wooden door was vas shut upon most of these thI sear Near each lay figures limper more mort spent even ln than Ihan the other Inert bodies bolls As Sabra ant Sol Pol o stood blinking they learned the Ihl them m I V I lase e of these openings opening For Tor suddenly nausea J overcame one of the Indians crouched In lu the 6 semicircle near the thO flame The man crau crawled swiftly to 10 toone toone one of If the little d opened It it thrust thlu 1 Ids his head bead anti shoulders out Into Inlo the night air relieved relle his body of this the drugs drug's overdose o Sabra only turned her hr eyes away searching searching Then Ihen she khe saw i where the boy lay IllY un under 11 r his ga gay gaj I blanket Ills His face fucE was covered coy cov- erect ered but she ho knew fh Slit She knew v well WIll f 1 how the slim body cm cut lei led In tn Its lot blankets blan Llan- an how It lay nt at nl night M asleep This was as a different sleep but she knew They went to him halm t. r-t. ng their way over the crouching with the fixed trancelike gaze gaza r p the f e recumbent tonus forms onus that lay IllY so 80 still sUU She turned r. r I. I II I I hack hock the blanket Ills His face was smiling smil smil- smiling ing Int peaceful lovely She Khe thought this Is ii the way y I should look nt at him If he hI were wre dead Then tone He Is 11 dead The flu boy hoy lay Iny breathing quietly All AM the room wAs vAi fin an atmosphere of or reverie re of swoon swooning In JJ bliss If It the Indians Indian looked at nil all nt at Sabre nt lit the Jew at lit their efforts to rou roust rouse e the hey boy toy It was wall with the Ihl eyes ejes of sleep I Their lips III were IrO gently smiling Sometimes they swayed n R little Time TIle sacred fire leaped orange e and scarlet and gold 1011 Old did Stump Slump Horn norn wielded his hili eagle ragle feather fan hock hack and ant forth brick back and forth furth Time The quavering flun cadences of the theMe Me Mescal cal song OilS rose and ond fell to 10 time the accompaniment ac oc- of or the gourd rattle and the unceasing ln minim drum Time The white man and woman frail both holh tugged and strained at lit the Inert fl figure of or the Ihl boy hoy Oh lout Hodl I whimpered lIes Hes Hesso so 0 heavy What WInt shall we I do min do They bent again tugged with nil all their strength lifted but hul could not carry corry hint him We I e roust must drag him Sol Sul III said salmi at lit last Ihl They took nn on aria each So Hu dragging dragging drag drag- Irn 11 ging n tugging past those rapt I still forms forma past tho p smiling milling faces they struggled with him m to In the till minor door The It little It II bend beads of nt sweat stood out on her forehead on nn her hem lip Slit She rIll eat breathed I heil In III choking gasps ps Her iler eyes eye were wide anti staring and dreadful In their de mi termination The flu rattle The drum heat bent The high eerie ef song nl notes wordless The blackness of time the outer enter air past the Ihl two Iwo towering motionless blanketed figures figure urr nt at the door Dragging ln him the earth through the trampled weeds weed We WI cant can't lift Ift him Into Inlo the till buggy We t I cant can't She Rill ran ron hack back to the Ihl two nt the door Sin She clasped her hr hands before the one called Joe Jue Yellow Eyes She lifted her white agonized face to 10 him Help me nIl Help me ml She made mOlle n futile gesture of lifting Time The Indian looked nt at her n a moment with n a dead decd unseeing gaze Flecks Klecks of gold and yellow jellow danced reflected In Inthe inthe the black pools of his ejes eyes and l died there Leisurely wordless he walked over O to where the boy lay picked him up UI lightly In his hili great fot arms ns as though he were n a sack of meal swung him Into Inlo time the hUI buggy y sent seat He lie turned then and went back bock to tn Ills his place nt ot the thedoor door They drove 1 hack back to 10 the time town lown of O Osage ago Iras Tim's body leaned II heavily slackly hers against his head lay In her lap lOll like n little boys One achIng ach- ach Ing arm she hI held firmly about him to keep 1111 him from slipping to 10 the floor of the buggy so that finally It ceased to ache and became numb The dawn came lImO and then Ihen the sunrise over rr the prairie Its rf red meeting the red of the Oklahoma earth fit so that they IhlY drove o through h n a fiery furnace She fhe had hind been quiet enough until now v with whim n kind of stony quiet She began hAan to sob n R curious dry racking sound like 1111 n hiccough Now Xo now said Sol I Levy Jevy made n a little till comforting noNe noise between between be hp tween ton tongue ul and teeth So o had bad It Isn't What hat did the boy hoy do he went out to 10 see the sights on this the reservation reserva then tion and ana try what It was like to eat cat this dope stuff this Ihl thU oto Say when I was n a ho boy I did lots worse worse She did not seem to pay lIay much heel heed to tills this m hut hilt It must st hay have o penetrated her numbed brain at nt last lot for presently present present- ly she stopped Ipp the tho painful sobbing and looked down nt at his Ids lovely lly smiling face faceIn In her lap IIII the time long lashes like 1111 n a girls girl's resting so fragilely on the olho olive cheek Il Ile 11 wanted to go I J wouldn't let him Ii Is It too late Sol son Sell no lot Oo no where The Colorado school of trines mines Geology Too late I That kl kid there I Dont Don't talk lalk f foolish t t I h September This Ihl Is the theme time to go It t just Marts Sure te hell he'll m gt go They me drove t through the yard jard lIr over O v r Sabra's carefully tended grass of ot which h she was so 0 proud right to 10 the edge of ot the porch steps nail so dragging drag drag- King ging und and pu pulling III II they got him himIn himin In in u t t him hint s I e w m t sh e t 1 tila hI his d smeared dust sl face a ell I said Sol SI Levy y I guess I Igo Igo Igo go and open the till store Ilore and then lieu have havea a u good cup CUll of lIfT coffee She he put ut out her hand hanl Her tier lo lower loer er lip 1111 was Willi caught between her teeth sharp fill and tight Her fac face was distorted distorted dis dis- absurdly with her effort Wort not to torr rr cry lint Hut when he would woul have hate patted her hr und and tit hall hand l with ids his lis on own 11 n In III a II gesture of comforting she sl-e caught his hand to Item her lips and it The fhe soun sound 1 of the time horses horses' hoofs tiled died away on the still morning air She look looked Id I'd down dawn at nt elm dm She h thought I will take toke n II bath and then I will have o I some ome coffee too Yancey has gone again los Has left time me I know that tow How do du I 1 know It Well eil nothing more morl can cun happen to me Ie now I have e ha hud had l It t all nil und timid I have han borne It II Nothing Nothing Noth Noth- ing more can tan happen to me Ie now CHAPTER XII Tor ur years Oklahoma had longed for statehood ns as a 0 bride awaits the dawn of her wl wedding day At last the bridegroom i said sail a n paternal go government government gov gov- v- v handing her ber over o to the Union Here Is n a star for your jour our fore ture- head hll Meet Ilet the family Then at 1 the lr very altar I the final words spoken the pact sealed scaled the bride brille had hall turned to encounter a stranger strait stran ger gee nn an unexpected guest dazzling breath taking breath taking all ail her ber wildest wildest wild wild- est girlish dream III E EEdna 3 nIl Edna Ferber by Edna Ed do h Bridegroom h 11 I yelled Oklahoma ma Inn mo hurl hurling nl herself her Into Inlo the strangers stranger's arms hilt fatally family to me nu mel I Go o away nl I Dont Don't bother ins me Im I'm busy 18 The Tile name hOme of the gorgeous stranger was ns Oil Ill Oil Nothing else Ise mattered Oklahoma Okla OkIa homa bl the lime dry the windswept wind the burning was os a sea of hidden n oil Ill The Tle red prairies pricked ran black nn and l slim slimy It with h It The Time work lIrk of years jears pa 18 was wal undone In hr n a day IllY The rill sunbonnets shrank back aghast Compared to that which now nUl took look pit place e I the he early days I following the linn Imi III In si wore were They swarmed on cm Oklahoma from every e state Mate In the en Union Ion The plains loIns 1 became black with will little eager laIr delving Ing figures I The lime he nn sanguine roads were choked with rr e every sort ort of vehicle Once more tent lent and shanty towns sprang Iron up where where- the day Iby before hail had been only open prairie staring up III at nt ata n a bin Ing sky Again the gambling w I 1 I i 1 If My Son Is I. In There I Want to Take Him Home Now tent lent time the six l six shooter shooter the roaring saloon the dance hall loran the harlot Men rn fought stole kill killed Id I'd died for Cor n piece of ground beneath whose hose arid surface lay Iny who knew what wealth of ot fluid richness livery Every Iry barren sunbaked sun sun- baked bake farm was n a potential fortune every ery ditch and draw and dried dried up up creek bed hlll might conceal liquid treas trens ure The Wildcat field field Crook Cimarron Crook Nose Nose e right Wahoo Bear Hear Creek these Creek-these the e became magic names these were the Seven Se Cities of rich beyond Coronados Coronado's Coronados Coronados Coronado's Corona Corona- dos do's wildest wittiest dream Millions of barrels bar of oil burst through the sand and ond shale and clay rillY and drenched the Ihl parched earth Drill pump blast Nitroglycerin Here she site conies comes A roar Oklahoma w went ent stark ra raving Ing mad Sabra Cravat went oil mad mod with the rest of them there Just outside the town lown of O Osage age for miles around they were drilling There was that Hint piece of farm land she hind had bought years jears ago ngo when first showed ho signs Ign of restlessness She had c thought though t herself herself her hr self shirt hn shrewd n Ill I'll d to have ha puked picked up UI this fertile little tittle oasis In the time midst of the Ihl bare unlovely plain She he was wa proud of her hit bit of farm Arm land with Its plump of alfalfa corn potatoes and garden truck She knew now wh why It had been so prolific Hy fly n whim of nature rich h black oil lay under all nil that surrounding land IlInd rendering It barren barrent t through Its lis hidden riches No 0 taint of corroding n oil ran beneath that tract of |