American fiction -- 20th century; Short stories, American
Yaqui set out to see. His stride was that of the strongest and tallest
of his tribe, and distance meant little to him. Hunger gnawed at his
vitals, but the long march across the wastes and heights had not tired
him. Yaqui had never known exhaustion. Before the sun stood straight
overhead he had ascertained that this valley of promise was shut off
from the west and that the stream failed in impassable desert. From
north and east he had traveled, and therefore felt a grim security. But
to the south he turned apprehensive eyes. Long he tramped and high he
climbed, at last to see that the valley, this land of his forefathers,
could be gained from the south. Range and ridge sloped gradually to a
barren desolate land of sun and cacti, far as his desert eyes could
see. That must be the land of the Seris, the man-eaters. But it was a
waterless hell in summer. No fear from the south till the winter rains
fell! Yaqui returned to his camp, reaching there at sunset. There was
joy in the dusky welcoming eyes of his young wife as she placed fresh
meat before him.
“Yaqui’s only son will live,” she said, and pointed to the frail boy as
he slept. The chief gazed somberly at the little brown face of his son,
the last of his race.
Days passed. With rest and food and water the gloomy spirit of the
Yaquis underwent a gradual change. The wild valley was an Indian’s
happy hunting ground, encompassed by lofty heights known only to sheep
and eagles. Like wild animals, all savages, in the peace and loneliness
of a secluded region, soon forgot past trials and fears. Still, the
chief Yaqui did not forget, but as time passed and nothing disturbed
the serenity of this hiding place his vigilance slowly relaxed. The
wind and the sun and the solitude and the presence of antelope and wild
horses always within sight of camp--these factors of primitive nature
had a healing effect upon his sore heart. In the canyons he found
graves and bones of his progenitors.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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