The Findlay Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Hancock County, Ohio) 1870-1881, 1872-02-16
From the Louisville Courier-Journall
AN INDIAN CHIEF ON TEMPER
ANCE.

Walk Under-th he-G.ouHd came tc
the cavalry camp, and, entering an
officers tent, began to converse with
him. The CHIEF asked him ior .
drink OF whiskey and was given one
presently he asked for another, when
The officer knowing the Indians fail
ing, promptly relgsed TO let him
have any more. Walk Under the.
Ground soon bscome grossly insolent
and abusive, and SO enraged the ofii-
Ger that he rose fgom his chair and
kicked the old fellow out of his tent.
On his trying 10 re-ea e- the officer
drew his sabre and iurEing the fiat oi
the blade, caught the chief and gave
him 4 tremendSus thrasAing The
insulted Indian went at cncs to Spot
ted Taiis camp and related what had
happened, asking him in conclusion,
if such outrages were to be calmly
borne. The old CHEF replied that he
was sorry for the ill-trsatment his
lieutenant had received, and the affair
was most unfortunate, but as Walk
Under the Ground admitted he had
grossly insplied the officer, he had
10 one to blame but himself for the
unhappy manner IN which his visit to
the cavalry had terminated. As
Walk Under the Ground had expect
ed much sympathy from his chief, he
was enrsged at this decision and be-
gan to abuse Spotted Tail
The chief calmly replied, "When /
go to see the white soldiers | do not
drink their fire-water, and they treat
me kindly and invite me to eat.
When you go to their camp you get
drunk and become insolent. II you
had behaved yourself in a proper and
respectable manner you would have
had nothing 10 complain OF from
them but as You got drunk and in
volved yourself in q quarrel, you
should not come here to make it
matter of complaint to me. You are
a troublesome old man, and when
you are drunk you have no sense left
IN your body. Because you get the
worst OF it in a row OF your own
MAKING is no reason why / should
either sympathize with you or bring
your disgraceiul condGct before the
council. YOu have more than once
occupied the time Of the council with
trifing and vex .tious questions, and
it Is not proper YOU should do so
again. ca home keep a civil tongue
in your head; let fise-water alone,
and your trouble will cease.
On hearing this plain language
from his chief, Walk Under-the-
became greatly offended,
and upbraided him with caring more
to please the whites than his own
people. ''You are" said the chief,
.'willing to be kicked and cuffed
about by the whites, but am not,
and l will fight them Oace YOU
Gere brave warrior. and cared for
your tribe; now yOu have become
old and feeble; you are the friend Of
the whites aud you are no longer
warrior but q woman Unable
longer to endure such reasonable
and insolent language, the old chief
spfang upon his rebellious subordi.
nate, and, before any one could inter
fere, plunged buteher-kniie seven
times into his side and breast.
Walk Underline Ground sank down
at the feet Of his chief, and almost
died. AS soon as he
was dead Spotted Tail ordered the
body to be pitched out of the lodge,
and summoning the Brule chiefs,
related to them wh1t had happened,
and ended by naming one OF them to
succeed the dead man as chief OF the
Brules. All the other chiefs at once
gave in their allegiance to the new
chief, and no one v,ntured to remon-
strate or complain OF the killing OF
Walk Under the Ground.