Jane Allen, Center

by George Cary Eggleston

  CHAPTER IV--WOO NAH AND THE FORTUNES

  "Can we make it, Daddy?" asked Jane. "Doesn't that look like a littlecyclone cloud?" indicating the cloud with a "tail" that seemed to begathering color and speed as the buckboard traveled on.

  "Old Squatty's cabin would be as good a place as any in a blow," herfather replied. "If we get one, we could put the horses in shelteraround there, and maybe the lightning might give the old lady a realglimpse into the beyond. Shall we try it, sister?" to Miss Allen whowas, as a rule, rather timid of the storms that sprung up so suddenlyon the plains.

  "I am perfectly willing," acquiesced the lady. "As you say, brother,the cabin would be a comparatively safe place to seek shelter in."

  With that velocity peculiar to storms of the prairie the anticipatedbaby cyclone gathered force, and with one great gust and almost withoutwarning broke over their heads.

  Jane opened the curtains of the cart to allow the gale a way out,without incurring the possibility of upsetting them. Judith was simplyfascinated with the sweep everything was taking, but Aunt Mary gatheredherself as far as possible into her bonnet and wrap, scarcely venturingto speak while Mr. Allen held his horses in with a firm rein.

  "Just a few paces," he shouted reassuringly. "Hold tight!"

  "All right," called back Jane, and so deafening was the swirl that onlya clear, loud voice such as she exercised could have made its way tothe driver just in front.

  Two big shaggy dogs intercepted the dash of the buckboard into thesquaw's lane. The old woman was still outside, hunched up in thequeerest sort of a hammock, made of a halfed barrel, strung up to twoyoung oak trees. With something like a howl she called the dogs off,and waved a stick to the travelers to come in, seemingly sensing thepossibility of profit in their visit. Mr. Allen discovered where tofind shelter for his team, and as the storm was tearing and scatteringlimbs of trees, and everything it could wrench from stability, he didnot stop until he had entered the queer stable with the cart and itsoccupants.

  "Now we are in for it," he admitted, assisting Aunt Mary to alight."I'm glad we are here and not on Steeple Hill."

  "Thrills!" exclaimed Judith. "More thrills. I have seen nothing butwonders since I came to Montana. I really think, Janie, I have had morereal experiences while here than in all my coast touring."

  "Lovely of you to say so, Judy. But just wait till you see old Mrs.Teekawata. She is the wife of the one great medicine man, or rather hiswidow. Don't mention fortune telling, that would offend her. She is a'scientist.' She will mix up stuffs, and get clues from the smoke! Thatis if she is in a communicative mood."

  "Or in need of white bread," amended Mr. Allen, who had overheard thegirls. "Teekawata is a business woman with talents wasted. She shouldhave been a copper queen."

  The storm was scattering almost as quickly as it had gathered. The oldsquaw had tumbled out of her half barrel, and leaning on her stick,awaited the party's approach from the shack. Aunt Mary edged close toher brother. She had no love for these old Indians, and rather fearedfor her belongings when in their company.

  "Greeting!" called Mr. Allen to the old woman. "Thunder Cloud sent youhis good word. Did you see how he followed us in here?"

  "Si si," answered the woman, who was of the Mexican type. "Approach!"and she indicated an old bench under the mendicant vines that straggledaround the hut. So heavy had they grown the rain of the shower had notpenetrated their depths, and like a canopy, they arched over the poles,propped at ends for their support. She stared at the girls without anypretext of apology. Judith with her dark hair seemed particularlyattractive to the squaw's flagrant scrutiny. Aunt Mary remainedoutside.

  "The young ladies wonder," ventured Mr. Allen, "if you have heard fromTeekawata lately, Woo Nah. Perhaps he has sent a message for their goodhealth?"

  "Health!" she repeated in good English. "The medicine man forgets notthe health of good white brothers. The sunset gives light to theircheeks, and the stars sleep in their eyes," she rhapsodied.

  Jane nudged Judith to make note of the compliment.

  "When Woo Nah was at the government school," continued the Indian, "shehas seen many young girl. They come to give English. Some with hair andeyes like the morning, others with the midnight hair and coals from thefire eyes. But they all like Woo Nah," she insisted.

  "Of course," chimed in Jane. "We like her also. Will you tell us whatyou know from your great husband, the Medicine Man of Broken Hill?"

  "Teekawata, would not that I should foretell. But I give a dream--adream of happiness," and she arose from the patched chair to lead theparty within the cabin.

  "I shall wait here," concluded Aunt Mary, who had no curiosity aboutthe fortune telling or the interior of the ramshackle hut. In fact shewas holding unnecessarily tight to her small hand-bag.

  "Woozy," whispered Judith, whose eyes were sparkling like the coals orthe quartz gems Woo Nah had described.

  Within the cabin an assortment of snake skins and some very large earsof dried corn formed a queer decoration on the log walls. A few skins,perhaps those of the prairie rat, were also in evidence, while theglossy red corn with its artistic husk hung gracefully over a strangepicture, that Jane told Judith was a portrait of the famous medicineman Teekawata. Chairs were relics of civilization which must havetouched the spot at some time in a period of miners transition. Thetable was nailed to the wall and on it the litter of stuff spoiled anotherwise rustic effect. An American stove in the corner was evidentlyof the same vintage as the chairs, and there were other bits offurniture and dishes--perhaps accepted in payment for the services ofthe medicine man, who for years had given some sort of service to thesettlers and their families.

  "Not sisters?" asked and answered the old woman, to Judith and Jane.

  "No, but very good friends," Mr. Allen replied with a ring in his voicethat Jane and her chum fully appreciated.

  The old woman now took her place on a queer high stool. On athree-legged table just beneath this stool was a big Mexican earthenbowl. Carefully she took a cover off the rather pretty jar, and thenopened what looked like a snuff box. This she squinted into with a showof importance and concern.

  "For the ladies' good health I will ask Teekawata to make promise," shebegan. Then she lifted the snuff box above her head and muttered someunintelligible wail.

  Judith had grasped Jane's hand. The scene was getting weird and areturn of the storm, a sort of backfire, made the whole thing seemuncanny.

  "Experience," whispered Jane. "Gives us material for school work."

  "Yes, but it is creepy," answered back Judith. "I wish the storm wouldblow over."

  The old woman continued to mumble and make cabalistic passes with thesnuff box. Finally she took a match and dropped some powder from thebox into the bowl, struck the match on the side of her stool and putthe flame to the powder. Soon a slim string of smoke climbed out fromthe edge of the jar.

  Mr. Allen's face wore so broad a smile that, if the girls had thoughtof attaching any significance to the performance, this would havedissipated it.

  "Teekawata, come!" called the Indian.

  "Midnight hair and starlight eyes," began the squaw, "Teekawata sendsgreeting and health. In gold you will make the fortune of much. Muchyet will you find in the great heart of friends. From the Bear comestrong." At this moment she brought her arms out in a gestureindicating strength, but Judith dodged. She liked the soothsaying as anentertainment, but objected to personal demonstrations. The old womanscowled. Jane was bowing her head in abject attention to make amendsfor her friend's distraction.

  "The Bear star will give our girl power," suggested Mr. Allen to keepthe squaw on the right track through the clouds.

  "Hush!" exclaimed the woman. "Teekawata knows no white spirit."

  "Beg pardon," Mr. Allen could not help whispering for it was too funnyto interrupt a ghost like that.

  The squaw wasted another pinch of her spirit power from the snuff box.She also shook her head apprehensively, to show that Teekawata wouldnot
stand for nonsense. It required a few moments for the "spirits" toget going again.

  "Brave and strong and happy," she finally conceded further to Judith'sfuture, and both girls secretly wondered if that would apply toJudith's famous faculty of absent mindedness. An exchange glancebetween them was thus perfectly understood.

  "A very safe fortune," commented Mr. Allen with a degree of ironyhappily lost on the Indian. Never had information as to the possiblefuture seemed so completely veiled, as that the old woman pretended togive out. To say nothing of generalities it was simply insipid.

  Turning to Jane the Indian changed her tactics.

  "The young lady make wish?" she asked.

  "Oh, yes, certainly," responded Jane. She covered her twitching facewith her hands. Then she looked up and nodded. "I have wished."

  The Indian mixed more powder until the girls could no longer suppress acoughing fit. Mr. Allen looked vaguely at a window that was only a partof the scenery evidently, for vines were growing all over the ledge. Hesighed and choked. Jane put up a detaining hand. She did not want herfortune interrupted.

  "Much gold, much happiness, all the good luck," began Woo Nahdiplomatically. "On the horse it is to be 'look out.' No run over hillin dark. Woo Nah see big hole much dark--no too much run wild." Thisadvice was given in a tone of real warning.

  Judith was delighted. Jane was being scolded for being too wild. Sheshould not run away in the dark with Firefly. What a good joke on Jane!

  Then, as if fearing an ill effect on her audience, Woo Nah quicklyturned her cards, by stirring up the smoky powder again.

  "In the big city there is too much go," she now spoke with authority."All go, go, not take rest for stars, or for great good in pale moon.Fiery head blaze to joy like paper with match, but no ashes keep forto-morrow. All blow away like Teekawata smoke," and she pointed hersharp finger at the smoke Mr. Allen was vainly trying to ward off.

  "Riches always and good health. No sorrow but from home," she mumbled."Friends come like the flowers, too thick to count, too thin for hold,but some stay so fast winter will not take. Girl with midnight cloudtrue for always; the one with the dried corn ropes," (she twisted herhands over her head to illustrate where the corn silk rested on thehead of some one to be suspected) "of that one beware. She is for evil,for enemy for the--sneak." This last she fairly hissed, and in spite ofthemselves the girls' minds reverted to Marian Seaton, who had made somuch trouble for Jane. She had the hair of changeable corn silk,sometimes brown, on good days quite yellow, and between times adiscouraged tawn.

  "And my wish?" ventured Jane.

  The old woman looked up and almost smiled. Perhaps she could see a goodjoke herself.

  "It will--come--" she hesitated. The smoke was getting thin and itsclouds were evidently difficult to translate. Finally she actuallyopened her mouth and swallowed what she could inhale of the vapor.Judith laughed outright, but Jane kept her eyes on the Indian in abjectand wrapt attention. If she failed to "foretell" it would not be Jane'sfault.

  "Firehead shall have her wish," she exclaimed triumphantly, and Mr.Allen jumped to his feet to put the period on the "Kibosh." He had hadenough of the Indian rubbish, and felt the girls had about all theycould enjoy.

  It may seem bromidic to say the Indian rubbed her palms as Mr. Allenthrust his in his pockets, she may even have suffered some irritationfrom the smoke she had been gathering, at any rate when Mr. Allenhanded her over a good clean green dollar, she all but kissed it, thegirls would have testified.

  "From New York?" asked Woo Nah as they prepared to leave.

  "Yes," replied Judith crisply.

  "Woo Nah has friend New York. He make beauty," she patted her cheek toillustrate how her friend made beauty in New York.

  "Oh, a beauty doctor," interrupted Jane.

  "Yes, he send to Woo Nah and Woo Nah give the beauty medicine." Shehobbled over to a box and raising the cover displayed a lot of driedherbs or possibly weeds.

  "Young lady like?" she asked.

  "Why, yes. If it will give us beauty," replied Jane with a quizzicalsmile at Judith, who was whispering to Mr. Allen.

  "Make tea and wash hair with this," and Woo Nah picked up a handful ofthe dried leaves. "I put the sunset water in bottle," she took a smallvial, into which she poured, from the big brown bottle, a verycarefully measured out quantity of the colorless fluid. "This is forthe face, and in the morning the beauty shines," she declared. Janeaccepted the little bottle with a show of gratitude. Judith was stillthe doubter, and made queer eyes during all the presentation speech.

  "We have had a lovely time," she did take the trouble to express. "WooNah, when you come to New York to see your friend the beauty doctor,you must look for us. Ask for Wellington College," she finished, and,as if both girls could imagine that old Indian paying them a socialcall at the aristocratic Wellington, Jane and Judith bolted for thecabin door, and breathed more freely when out again in the refreshingair and struggling sunshine. It had cleared now and the sun was comingout.

  "Oh, Aunt Mary!" exclaimed Jane contritely gathering up the bag andbook. "Did we keep you too long?"

  "I have my book," answered Miss Allen, who had been out of doors duringall the seance. "Did you enjoy it?"

  "Oh, yes, it was--funny," Jane said quietly. "Let's hurry. Dad will betoo late for his telephoning. I feel guilty to have detained him forall that nonsense. Aunt Mary, I am to be beautiful. I have a lotionguaranteed to make me so," and she indicated the little bottle she heldrather gingerly. Mr. Allen hurried to the old shack for the buckboard,and only the chatter of the two happy young girls marked the mileage ofthe home-going journey through the afternoon shadows of the Montanahills.