White Cloud Kansas chief. [volume] (White Cloud, Kan.) 1857-1872, 1859-08-11
Indian g shin.pig."


evening in shooting with bows and ar
rows, for FIVE cent pieces, and running
foot races. The Chief Lock-a-losh Tor
Nag -rash) was present on the OCCASION
and directed their movements.
Shortly after dark, hearing a noise as
of merry making down the street, we
proceeded in that direction, and came to
a building in which we found large
crowd collected. They had formed a
semi-circle, leaving one corner clear for a
company of Indians, who were having a
regular dance. About dozen half-na-
ked rescals were squatting along the wall,
and some four or five lousy buggers were
hopping about on the floor. The music
was novel, as well as simple. Three or
four Indians had clubs, hammcring away
on the sides of an empty cracker barrel
with both Of the heads out. The whole
gang accompanied with sort Of chatter
ing and humming song. One fellow was
beating time with a large feather, and
another was rafting belt Of bears claws.
We noticed that all who danced, held
something in their hands to beat time
with. The singers would occasionally
give a couple of quick, shrill yelps, which
seemed to be a signal for the dancers to
leave the floor and prepare for another
sett, as when fiddler taps on his instru-
ment with the bow.
When the dance had proceeded for
some time, q collection was taken, and
the money given to the Indians. A re-
quest was then made, that q couple Of
squaws present should dance; but the in
terpreter, after consulting with the Chief,
announced that the squaws could not
dance without more money. Another
collection was accordingly made, and the
squaws, after much giggling and hanging
down of their heads, got upon the floor,
one having borrowed the big feather, and
the other war-club, to keep time with.
Then the music commenced, and the
squaws went hopping up and down, fire.
quently stopping to hang down their
heads, cram their fists into their mouths,
and giggle. Their graceful appearance
it were useless for us to attempt to de-
scribe. Search romance for descriptions
of graceful Indian women; but do not
attempt to imagine the real thing itself,
without seeing it !
Suddenly Lock-a-losh leapcd up. and
hourishing his war-club, jabbered a few
words, which an interpreter informed the
crowd was a request for them to be ST.
lent, as the Chief wanted to make a
speech. Order being restored, Lock-a-
Josh commenced harangue in the Indian
tongue, in loud voice, making all man
ner of gestures, and striking the wall vi
olently with his war-club. When he
ceased speaking, the interpreter rendered
it into "sort O. English and sort O. not"
1t amounted to about this:
clock a-losh is big Chief He is the
one that killed the Omaha, and throwed
him in the river. He killed him with a
hatchet. He killed more than hundred
and fifty-seven, and stole heap ponies"
The fellow was then going on to tell
what kind of hatchet it was that Lock-
a-lOsh killed the Omaha with, when some
one in the crowd yelled out:
"Hush, you id hound, and let
Lock-a-losh talk !"
eyes, SIR" continued the interpreter,
taking up part of the others language,
Lock-a-losh is hound Teller %
He doubtless thought he had made a
''ten strike" there, and had passed high
compliment upon Lock-a-losh
Order being again restored, Lock-a-
Josh INDUCED in another burst of clo-
quence, which the interpreter rendered as
follows:
Lock-a-losh saw ten, heap armed
white men. He gave all this land to the
white men, and only kept little for
himself, up on the Nemaha. Lock-a-losh
is friend to the white men. Irock-a-
Josh is friend to White Cloud"
He wound up with the remark, that
he wanted some moro money!
The crowd were so much delighted to
hear that Lock a. Josh was a friend to
White Cloud, that they forthwith dis
persed to their homes, to sleep over and
dream about it-even forgetting to raise
the money asked for
We have read in the books, of the ell
oquence Of Logan, Red Jacket, Weather
ford, and other celebrated Indians; but
we dare say the speech of Lock a-losh
was fair specimen of unadulterated In
dian eloqhence +!
RE- They came near having row in
the Constitutional Convention, the day
previous to its adjournment. A Demo