'He looked upon me—I can see him now—a gaunt figure with the chain around his neck and the half-moon badge of his tribe on his chest. His hand was slowly raised, and he pointed at me. I will not give you the words of our tribe, it would be shame unto me, but I will tell you what he said.'
She raised herself to her full height.
'"You are cursed!" I can hear the words now. They hissed through my ears like a sound of running water at flood. "You are cursed!" Again he said it, and I shrank from him. What had I done, what fearful deed had I committed that I should be cursed?
'It was my mother's sin, not mine, and yet not hers. She was taken as a slave might be taken—and I was begot.
'"You are cursed!" It rang in my ears, it rings now. I can see the old king of our tribe rise up and cast me out.'
Jim Dennis watched her; he had never seen Sal in quite this mood before. She looked like a prophetess.
'And when he cast me out what did I reply? I defied him. I said the sin of my mother ought not to be visited upon me. I said that the white man's hand was strong in the land, and that he ought to suffer for his sins, not the poor "gin" that succumbed to him.
'I know King Charlie. He is a just man and good. He has dreamed the dream of our race, and he has wonderful visionary powers. But because he cursed me I left the camp and wandered forth. I was weary and I fell—you know where I fell—on the steps there, and you took me in as you would a little child, and saved me.
'Rodney Shaw is your enemy—he is mine,' she went on. 'He has tempted me and I have urged him on.'
'You have?' said Jim.