The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1872-11-16
LIBERAL ABORIGINAL POLITE
CLAN
BY MAX ADELER.

During the recent visit Of par
ty OF Indians to the East, one OF
the number, Squatting Bear, was
observed to behave himself in
very remarkable and mysterious
manner. He separated himself
from Lis comp anions upon one oc-
casion for several hours, and was
then seen returning dragging o
huge Saratoga trunk behind him
through tho streets with u string.
When he reached his lodgings with
tho trunk, the Indians were puz
zled. Some OF them believed the
trunk to be a new kind Of wiswam
with Mansard roof, while others
conceived the idea that it was q
patent bath-tnb Of some peculiar
sort, and that Squatiing Bear in q
moment of mental alteration, had
been seized with an inexplicable
and unprecedented desire 10 wash
himself The souls of the savagcs
burned with indignation, as they
contemplated the possibility Of this
revolutionary, enerva:ins and de-
moralizing practice or the pale
faces by the noble red men. But
when they questioned Squatting
Bear and demonstrated with him,
that incompi ehepsible brave mere
ly placed his copper-cnlored finger
upon his burnt-amber nose and
winked solemnly with his right
eye.
The trunk was carried through
to the wigwam Of Squstting Bear
unopened (at the expense of Unclc
Sam J, and within the precincts of
his bone it was hidden finally from
view, and was soon entirely forgot
ton.
In the tribe, the brave who kill
the largest number Of enemies in
any given year. and secured the
usual trophies Of victory, was en-
titled to occupy the position as
chief. Squat,ing Bear was known
to have ardent aspirations for the
office, and he worked heard to win
it. For awhile attel his return he
was always foremos. in every e ght
and hen the scalps were counted
around the camp fire. he invariably
had secured the greatest number
Gradually, howevar, certain OF the
braves were impressed with thu
notion that Squstting's trophies
sometimes did not bear very cor
rect proportion to the ferocity O
| the contest or 10 The number O
| the salin. Soversl times. after
brief sEirmish in which ten or fit
teen men were killed, Squattins
would come siding home with a
many scalps as there were deat
men, while, at the same time, tn
other warriors would together hav,
| nearly SO many more.
The braves thought twas queer
but they did rot give the suffice
very serious .attention unit. afte
the massacre OF certain band o
emigrants which had passed clos
by the camp Of the tribe. Their
were just twenty persons in th
company, and after the butcher
several Indians took the trouble +
count the bodies ard to keep tall
with butcher knife upon the sid
Of q chip. That night when tn
scalps were numbered. each bray
had one or two apiece, but Squat
ting Bear handed out exactly fol
ty-seyen OF the most beautiful
lunches of human hair that eye
were sent west of the Mississippi
The braves looked cross-eyed a
each other and cleared their throats
Two CT the number stole out to til
battlefield for tho purpose G
counting the bodies ae ain. and {
aseertaining If this had been
menageria with u few double cat
ed persons in the party.
Yes, there lay exactly twert
/ corpses; and, to make matter
worse, one Of them was bald
headed man, who, for additional S,
curity to his scalp. had run skat
strap over his head and 6uck!ed
under his chin.
When they returned, the emit.
camp devoted itself to meditatio
and calculation. Twenty men xii
ed and fortyscven scalps in III
possession Of sinlge brave, will
out counting those secured b
other participants in the contest
The more the warriors pondere
over this fact, the more perplexin
it became. A brave, while eatin
his supper and rejecting upon .h
. problem, would suddenly imagiI
he saw his way clear, and he woul
) | atom viti his month fnll Of hak 6