The Portland daily press., 1868-07-25
selected story.
A Great Medicine Man

tinction, being llfSJ III my class, L was, upon
reporting to the Secretary of Wsr, immedl-
ately attached to an expedition then upon
the point ot starting for the purpose OF eA-
ploring and surveying the head waters oil the
Missouri, and its tributaries
l Immediately set out for st. LOUIS, ahu re-
ported to Captain Jones, who was III COM
mand OF the expedition. l was second IN
command. During the summer we slowly
worked our way up to the great stream, not
ing carefully its course tne uepth OF water.
nature of the soil, and as far as time would
permit. the geological peculiarities of the
country. When winter came upon us, we
encamped in the wilderness, at least seven
hundred miles from the nearest white settle
ment. The following year our operations
were much the same; and at the close OF
1888, we concluded that our work was about
halt done. Up to this time the party had
kept pretty well together, as our work lay
along the banks of the great stream but in
the spring of 1884, it was thought better to
detach small PARTIES to explore the smaller
streams. In accordance with this resolution
was placed in charge of party OF six men
and dispatched up considerable branch OF
the Yellowstone river.
Up to this time we had experienced very
little trouble from the Indians They were
at peace among themselves, and we We're
thus drawn into no side quarrels, and by
agad to l-oa tbo f;aodt,ie" n a..i
alter my party lett the main body. however,
L began to notice signs of unusual commo-
tlon among the red men. Small hunting par
ties were no where met with, outlying camps
had been removed; and at length we came
canned mon tbe banks of the stream we
were surveying, and making active prepara-
tions for coming hostilties. l had acquired a
knnwledpe oil several Indian tongues and had
no difficulty in discovering the cause OF the
trouble. A band of Otoes had stolen some
beaver traps and horses belonging to Tire
Shawnees, and the latter were preparing to
aAenge the indionitv, Now. a var between
these two tribes would have consequences
serious enough. II would STOP all expeditions
into the troubled country. which embraced
the whole Yellowstone region. But worse
than this might ensue: these Indian wars are
frequently contagious, and there was no saw
ing when or how hostilities might end. And,
as the Indian does not always confine him
self 10, his immediate or legitimate enemies,
our soourn in the neiohborbood of the con-
tending parties would be very dangerous.
The news of the outbreak therefore. caused
me a great deal of anxiety and returned
from the Indian camp to our own full Of
grave fears for the future. and halt determin-
ed at once to reioin the main marty On
looking for nv eomnanions fonnd Loo
Stephenson, the surveyor. porino over a tai.
tered conv IF tbe ITnited Sfatas 4 lnonoo So,
1884. He had paid five dollars in gold for i,
to a messenger who had hrouobt ont ms t,re'
tions to ms early in tbe enr;nT ond os ~ ,'a
the only bool owned hv ms, anu % ~ was si
expedition. if was nrized accordinniy VI '"e
That eclinse taI,es1 nl.na - ,,or,o,,,
Lieutenantn said Joe. after 7 had told hin, ni
the troubles threatening us.
knew what eclipse he meant for we al,
about if: but the moment be enolo Of ~
thouoht entered INV mind >o VI ''
e AZ .ht -; M iI =.
o,,;naJ "h"' 'i'iie ooes IL coihinehceE L In
quirTu.
iWenty minutes after eleven"
Joe, said l, after pause, can you trav-
el twenty mlies through the woods between
now anu daynSht, 10 morrow morningT'
les he replied promptly, Tor he was al
ways Ieauy.
uuIrieoiy gave MN the necessary direc-
Ilons' ana, taxing small supply of dried
pllaio meat, ne at once set Off on his
journey.
as soon as ne was gone L again repaired
~ she inuiah encaihpment, and found, as L
hau antlclpaCed; that The principal men OF the
Ul;oe % Meie hoitlils council: went 10 the
mS"'1n i,i TiiIu ine coullcil was assembled,
% @nu enteieu Wi.uout any announcement.
~ ~ 'nS hiouioiiie hieh VI the trlDe was
apSahinS. nc SCI iorIh III strong terms the
tSS,u,sniey wnlch h'lu 1eeh put upon the great
ara% 49, natoli' eioquentiy coulselled war,
anu PROMISED, IN the name OF the Great Spirr
~, a,n,s .n"' Sisnai snccesS would attend their
US.
o,,d ren ten NC sa' uowh tne cnlei looked at me,
was bon%;,e y; ohlenes, 4ho Ia1, Iet that my ne
;nt-, thS9 5.i ~ .io oa''lce: ior my intrusion
In~. snE oo.nol was contrary 10 all prece-
trn,s a., na1ser .. was more 10 be apprehended
thnl, 'ne h 'aes .naS me last speaker was any
;'ldD,;n ~ laVoiaoy uisposed toward me,
.aas hs LIN LIN fms nis ioohS AZ length the CHIEF
long insnirati0n and then ar5Getin df freM Few
ly. nuffed fhe smoke first teward tba aiu ,S sroM
then upward toward the pround then NM
ward toward the sky, and lastly toward nv
self This was favorable. so arose and in AZ
Shawnee tongue smoke as follows.
ssThe Otoes have stolen horses ond +r.r
from the Shawnees. It is not well anil +hp
Great Spirit is angry with them. Rnt the
Great Spirit of the pale faces has. cont liz
medicine man to say to the Shawnees We sbail
not 90 to war with the Otoes for ~ Crnat Hm
Spirit himseIf will punish the 0toe. nnIost WIos5S
they return the horses and beaver trans they
have stolen. And this shall be a sion to von.
If tomorrow the sun shall rise and oive j;oht
as usual, and shall pass tbrouob the baav9nS
and set as usual, then the naie face ;s a Iiar
and no medicine man. hut ;f a. - !" Lioh
become dark and cease to give LIGHT. tbe,
shall ye know that the pale face is a nronb of
and that he has spoken the words of the
Great Spirit"
saw that these words had made an inn.
preston, so l turned and left the wigwam.
had not, at that time passed throupb so
many dangerous scenes as have since and
nv nerves were NOT ouite 60 firm, &c tbo, ~ a,
now. Can you wonder then. that nassau
an uneasy night? had no doubt of the cor
rectness of the almanac. But was our calcn-
habit of keeping our reckoning hu u naar ~ ene
notched sticks such as you read Of in @Robin-
son Crusoe." But we might have made .
mistake. And if we had onr IiuaS ,,,o,,II naue .
tainly pay the forfeit. for T had diroo.l,, 20
posed the great medicine man Of tha ee'y ty;p Up.
and unless was completely trinmnbont =,
my plan, he would. / well knew laare ~ ~
stone unturned to effect our destruction
At length the morning dawned fol+
thankful that it was clear. BRIGHT and hear
tiful the glorious orb of day rose above tIa
horizon, with nothing unusual in its annear
ance to indicate the approachino nbappma
non. l kept close within NV tent hnt Nc.
glad 10 learn from one of NV men thot tI'o
Indians were eagerly watcb;ng tho 80
Hour after hour passed NV and st?u d;d oun ~.
show myself The bour Of action bad I ny ~.
come " my
If any of Won were az old sold;ors
you would have noticed that annn~ au,' ui'
diers scanty baggage is often to he t5 SUI
some article cumbersome norho,s ,I"nu
the way as well aS on;ta ,,oIp pJIanapa anu III
nevertheless clinoe r., ha h.JIi' uSJEIe3o, "hlch ne
An article of t5;s ", 1asou;y no maluiy KNOWS Wny.
highly-colored dressinG od"rr poh was an old