CHAPTER XIV
GIVE WAY TO MISS SALLIE!
"Aunt Sallie," declared Ruth mournfully about two o'clock the next day,"we are in great trouble!"
"My dear child, what is the matter now?" demanded Miss Stuart.
"Well," continued Ruth, "you remember about the little Indian girl whomBab accidentally shot yesterday? Naki has come back from a visit to herand says she is very ill. He found the doctor there, who says he won'tanswer for the child's life unless she is taken to a hospital in thevillage, where he can see her often, and where she can have the propercare. The doctor told Naki we waited too long yesterday to send for him.He had to probe Eunice's arm to get out the bullet. But she will be allright if she is only properly looked after."
"Then," declared Miss Sallie, "the matter is a very simple one. Have Nakisee to it. The child must be taken to a hospital in Lenox at once.Everything shall be done for her comfort."
"Indeed, auntie, this is not such a simple matter to attend to as itseems. The Indian grandmother positively refuses to let Eunice be moved.She has kept the child hidden in these hills all her life, until shebelieves Eunice will be eaten up, or run away with, if once she allowsher to go among white people."
"Nonsense!" sniffed Miss Sallie.
"It is all very well for you to say nonsense, Aunt Sallie, but you do notdream how obstinate this old woman is. She declares an Indian does notneed treatment from a doctor. In the meantime, poor little Eunice'stemperature is going up, and she is delirious from the fever. What shallwe do? Poor Bab is feeling perfectly miserable."
"Take me to this obstinate old woman," said Miss Stuart, firmly.
"You?" cried Ruth, in astonishment.
"Certainly!" answered Aunt Sallie. "I _said_, '_take me_.'"
"But, auntie, you will so hate the climb up that trail," Ruth argued."And the wigwam is dreadful after you get there. Only the little Indiangirl is exquisite, like a flower growing in some horrid place. I don'tbelieve you will ever be equal to the trip."
"Ruth," insisted Miss Stuart in stately tones, "since I have thrown in myfortunes as chaperon to 'The Automobile Girls' I have had many strangeadventures. Doubtless I shall have many others. Persuading an obstinatewoman to do what is best for the child she loves is not an impossibletask. It does not matter in the least whether the woman is white or anIndian. Tell Naki to take me to the wigwam at once."
"Aunt Sallie, you are an angel!" cried Ruth, throwing her arms around heraunt. "Now, Bab, don't you worry any more," she called into the nextroom.
"Aunt Sallie does not know what she promises!" said Barbara, joining Ruthand her aunt.
"Just let's leave her alone, Bab," whispered Ruth. "We will go along withher to see Eunice. I think I am counting on my Aunt Sallie to win."
Miss Stuart paused to draw one deep breath, when she finally reached theIndian woman's wigwam. Then she quietly entered the tent and walked overto Eunice's bedside. Crouched on the floor by the child was the oldIndian squaw, who did not even lift her eyes to look at Miss Sallie.
Eunice was lying on her cedar bed, with her cheeks the color of thescarlet leaves that once crowned her black hair.
"How do you do?" asked Miss Stuart politely, bowing to the Indian woman.As Miss Sallie put her soft hand on Eunice's hot head, the child stoppedher restless movements for a second. The grandmother looked up.
"Your little girl is very ill!" Miss Stuart continued quietly. "I havecome to see that she has proper care. She must be taken to a hospital atonce. Naki will see to the arrangements. The doctor says the child mustbe moved to-day."
The Indian woman shook her head. "The child shall not leave my wigwam!"she declared, obstinately.
"Listen to me!" commanded Miss Stuart, quietly. Ruth and Barbara stoodnear her, trembling with excitement. "We mean no harm to your littlegirl. Naki will explain matters to you. But she must be properly lookedafter. You are too old to attend to her, and your wigwam is not a fitplace. You declare your Eunice shall not go away from you even for alittle time." Miss Sallie spoke slowly and impressively. "If you do notallow the child to go away, now, for a short time, so that the doctor canmake her well for you, she will leave you forever!"
But still the Indian woman muttered: "My child shall not leave my wigwam.Indians have no need for white men's doctors."
"You are alone, aren't you?" inquired Miss Stuart, gently. "Are not youand your grandchild the last of your race? Perhaps, if you had allowedit, the doctors might have kept other members of your family for you."
The Indian woman shivered. Miss Stuart had touched some chord in hermemory. She raised her black eyes to Miss Sallie and spoke mournfully."You are right!" she asserted. "My grandchild and I are the last of agreat race. I am very old and I am now afraid. Let your white medicineman make my Eunice well again. But I must follow where the child goes.Down in the village they will steal her from me."
"Why, who would wish to steal her from you?" inquired Miss Stuart.
The old woman mumbled. "An enemy came to my door but yesterday." Then alook of cunning crossed her face. She spoke childishly. "The lady iswise!" she declared. "Who could wish to steal a poor little Indian girl?Who in all this world has a claim on her but her poor old grandmother?Enough has been said. An Indian does not like too much talk. The childand I will go down into the valley to ask the service of the whitedoctor. Naki is my friend. I will do as he says. An Indian can keep asecret. Naki has long known that my child and I lived on this hilltop,but he has not betrayed us. He has not even told his own wife. An Indiancan keep a secret." The old woman rocked back and forth as though wellpleased with herself.
"Keep whatever secrets you will!" Miss Sallie replied. "It is enough thatyou will permit the child to have proper care."
"Girls!" Miss Stuart spoke from the depth of the largest chair in theliving room of their log cabin. It was nearly dusk and she was worn outfrom her long walk to the Indian wigwam. "Girls, I want to ask yousomething."
"Attention, girls!" cried Bab. "What is it, Miss Sallie?"
"What do you say," continued Miss Stuart, "to our going back tocivilization? We have had a beautiful time on our hill. I, for one, shalllong remember it. But the days are growing shorter. If we are to enjoyLenox, and all the delights it offers, don't you think it is about timewe were moving there? To tell you the truth, I have already engaged ourboard at the hotel."
"Well then, Aunt Sallie, we have no choice in the matter, have we?" askedRuth, ruefully. "I want to enjoy Lenox, too, but I do so hate to leavethis heavenly hill."
"I vote for Lenox with Aunt Sallie!" Grace exclaimed.
"Sensible Grace!" Miss Stuart murmured.
"See here, Ruth, dear," protested Grace, "please don't look as if youwere offended with me. We have had a simply perfect time in the logcabin, but I am just longing to see the lovely places down in Lenox, andto meet the delightful people."
"Ruth," Barbara spoke sadly, "I, too, want to go down into Lenox now. IfEunice is to be laid up in the hospital I want to be near her, so I canfind out how she is each day. I shall never be happy again until I knowshe is well."
Mollie put her arm round her sister. "Don't you worry so, Bab, dear," shepleaded. "I don't believe your shooting poor little Eunice in the arm isgoing to do her harm in the end. Poor little thing! It was simplydreadful for her to have to spend all her time with her old Indiangrandmother. She never had a chance to see anybody, or to learn anything.She was simply sick for companions of her own age. That is why she wasalways haunting our cabin. I don't believe Eunice is more than partIndian, anyway!" Mollie ended impressively. "I've a feeling that we shalldo her more good, in the end, from this accident than we have done herharm."
"You are a dear!" cried Bab, already comforted by her sister's prophecy.
"You are all against me!" quoth Ruth, rising. "I surrender, as usual, tomy beloved aunt. I want to go to Lenox, but--I want to be here on thehill, too. So runs the world. We can't manage to have all the things wewant at the same time; so hurrah for Lenox and
the gay world again! Comehere to the door with me, children. Let us say farewell to our sweethillside!"
The girls stood arm in arm on their front porch. The evening wind sweptup the hill and rustled through the pines. The brook near their househurried down the slope into the valley as though it were late for anight's engagement.
"Ruth," Barbara declared solemnly, "whatever happens to 'The AutomobileGirls,' one thing is certain, nothing can ever be lovelier than the weekswe have spent together on this beautiful hill. Let us kiss all around.Call Aunt Sallie. She must be a party to the agreement. We will neverforget our little log cabin--never, no, never, in all our lives."