Southport telegraph. [volume] (Southport, W.T. [i.e. Kenosha, Wis.]) 1840-1850, 1841-11-02
PRAIRIE SKETCHES.

A party Of thievng Crow Indians came
upon an encampment Of trappers, and re-
quested permission to rest and refresh them
selves with the white men. The vagabond
Crows had neither horses nor arms, while
the trappers had both and the poor Indians
were admitted into the camp without hest
tatlon. The trappers were old and wary
followers OF their trade, and up to all the
subtitle tricks and pilfering propensities of
their visitors. 1t was their boast TO be su-
perIor as we'll in cunning as in bravery TO
any OF the red straggIers who occasionally
crossed them, and on this visitation they
held the unarmed and i'll provided Crows to
be objects filter far for mirth and ridlcule
than capable Of the slightest harm or mis-
chief. In short, they looked for amuse-
ment from the crows, and with the utmost
freedom invited them into the camp.
There were ten trapDers and just eleven
Grows, so that the white men were in mi
nority one. The Indians might have been
genuine emigrants from Down East by the
interesting occupation every man was en-
gagged in, for there was not one of them
without knife and stick, and they came
bits Of sticks down 8 to the little end of no.
thing with the same indomtable gravity
so strikingly, peculiarly and proverbialy
characteristic Of the true sons Of Yankee
land
:" Native here and to the manor born.''
80 far from this singular proceeding OK
citing the watchfulness OF The white men,
they only made it a subject of mirth and
many Jests were cracked, and a gust Of
loud laughter exploded there in the far prai-
RE solitude, at what the trappers consid-
cred an innocent and accidental imitation
as simple Eastern custom that has al
most assumed a standard as national fea-
ture.
The eleven Grows took the mir.h fther
white friends all in kindly part, and while
the sport was going on seemed quite con-
tented to be laughed at They however in
the mean time occupied themselves in Gu
riously examining every thing about the
camp, and the trapper's rifles, one after
another, were handled and admired by the
scrutinizing Crows.
The horses were grazing loosely around
the camp, and these next came in for the
Indians observation. Leaving the rifles of
the white men standing against the trees
where they found them, the eleven Grows
went off to view the horses, while the trap
Pers remained unsuspectingly lounging
upon the grass, each with his rifle within
reach as ne lay.
Suddenly there was q rapid and stimuli
taneous movement among the crows, and
the next instant the whole party were seen
to spring upon the trappers' horses, the
odd Crow jumping up behind one of the
other ten. Ten rifles, with infallibe aim,
were instantly leveled at the robbers, and
ten Grows would inevitably have fallen
dead upon the grass but for the unaccount-
able accident of every one Of the rifles
missing fire! Off went the Crows, disap-
peafing across the horizon with rapidly
that even their sable feathered namesakes
could scarcely have excelled, while the de-
ceived trappers jumped and stamped upon
the grass with rage and fury at finding
their printing knocked out Of their rifles
and the touch-holes plugged tightly with
the little sticks the Indians had been whit
Ting The trick was worthy of genuine
Yankee origin, and the hitherto despised
Crows were highly respected by the trap
pers ever after.