Show exile on forlorn island changed slowly from an incredible dream to vivid reality lyrics erics stern reign a seemed like that of nn an ancient dynasty tile the natural order of things it was commonplace to be living in the hourly threat of San domars fury fire hearts mallee malice As nan tolled with tier her slant eyed slaters sisters less and less lesa often did her swift hands pause and her eyes film dim over as she daydreamed daydream day dream dreamed T d of a lost world a pre existence half ha if forgotten yet it was not nil all twilight nans little muscles hardened under strain and sometimes she was surprised at the airy swing of her stride the depth anti and freedom of her her breathing tier her calloused hands bands no longer bled tit at the fish cleaning though she might crawl in her fur bed dizzy with fatigue she sprang out at sunrise with a tingle in her veins and a glow on her tawny skin she became skillful with the nets deadly with the salmon spear and a good catch was almost as satisfactory as a bridge prize long ago before her soul had transmigrated trans migrated to the body of a white squaw As the summer advanced she ehe was given new tasks most of them hard many of them perilous but almost tilt all of them blood stirring breathtaking breath taking in these thesa wild days her laughter as well an her tears seemed easy to flow tier her thrills were no longer synthetic she was warmer less self centered this growth was revealed led vot rot only in her quick moods mirth indignation pity but subtly in her face tier her hands grew red and calloused but in the shadow of her parka hood the luster of her hazel eyes set roys hoys cool head and the curve of her full lips made eries erics viking heart glow with the lust of conquest it was the month of ripening bud to flower fledgling in the nest to winged courier of the air but nans friendship for roy had not yet ripened into love Ilar marriage ringe with him would still be for convenience not for deep need of her heart and soul and it was true that eric stole too ton often into her thoughts tier rier good sense told her that eric could never share the scene to which sometime she must return that beyond these crags and windy wastes they would have leave little in common but how dreamy those scenes became and how vivid and real the sand duries of forlorn island I 1 the harrier between her and the blond viking was not half so strong as the sea reefs enforcing her exile future shipwreck as his mate was wag a farto far to morrows evil but the shelter of Ms his arms was need in the maze of adventure part and parcel of her exile she saw eric in n new light one warm afternoon noon at the drying racks a young squaw nt at tier her side aide pave gave a sudden sharp gasp wheeling she beheld the shadow of agony fall on the leathern face linger a few poignant seconds then pass s slowly lowly away what Is it nan begged the squaw a last falls bride named chirum flower could not understand the words word but tile HIP quick pity in the ohp allen eyes went straight to her heart an expression only a great artist could paint stole into the dark countenance nans own heart leaped wildly here was something imponderably sad yet close to the sublime primal eternal A forlorn half smile touched the coarse lips the eyes gazed off ns its into another 9 nother world down the long on vista of the centuries with that far magic sight which no son of adam ever dreamed anti and which comos comes to eves daughters only a few times from the cradle to the grave Not kotlicky leky she answered simply at once she began to put her hint tools into her seal hide bide poke signifying that she would go now to another labor Kot kotlicky leky was a word that nan had learned it meant baby As she stared bewildered chidam turned and trudged away toward her turf house houm the other squaws squads grunted and went back to drying ish fish arent you going with her nan demanded they looked up puzzled and one of them spoke in a tone lark dark with fatal ism at once tian nan realized that she alone roust must answer the call mother horton and marle were in the berry flats fiats out of reach eric and the hunters were spearing sm floi HOIL on the far beach with a bitter cry nan dropped her own tools and hurried after the squat figure reeling recline to her he dread appointment appointee A TO DIN D CONTINUED 1 |