Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1874-07-30
A Sioux Trick.

IT is less than five years since the writ
er visited the encampment of one of the
remnant bands of Indians on the upper
Missouri and got an insight into the
strategy and cunning which Gen. Custer
and his expedition to the Black Hills will
have to learn exists in the makeup of a
Sioux Indian, as Gen. Thomas and COM
paniOns learned, too late, existed in the
nature of a Modoc
The little band visited byyour narrator
had, with all the inferior tIibes of that
region, from the earliest recollection of
the grayest and most ancient medicine
man of the band, been subjected to the
thieving raids of the mighty, Sioux, who
are, in the vernacular of their weaker
red brothers, heap bad Injun."
Only six weeks before the visit to the
POncas, for that is the name of the band
called upon, the Sioux had attacked the
lodges at night, and stolen every pony
and valuable they could get hold of, be-
sides taking particular pains that no
papoose 1ndian baby was left to tell the
tale to future generations.
What then was my surprise, on the
occasion of my trip to the scene of such
diabolical marauding, to hear the old
white trader who accompanied me say,
one morning:
BLESS my hide, if there amt one of
them Sioux dogs standin' over on that
hill, motionin' as tho he'd like to make
peace with the Poncas"
And sure enough, on a bluff overlook
ing. the lodges, there did stand genuine
Sioux chief, with his hands held up, and
motioning outward-to Indians, sign of
truce.
The encampment had seen the lone
representative of old Red Clouds cohorts
quite as soon as any one, and soon formed
a large circle, into which the strange In
dian entered, still making the signs of
peace
| had heard of the tall-straight-as-an
arrow and noble Red Man. had read of
MN in poetry; but here was the first re-
alization of physical beauty in the Indi-
an | had ever met in my life. He was
fully UP to the description of tall and
straight, and though not more than
twenty-eight years old he carried him
self with dignity born of nothing else
than an innate stoiCism, grand in one so
young.
A black Government blanket with
white border, leggings of buckskin, moe
casins, feathers, bracelets, earrings and
paint furnished dress for the heroic brave,
as he stood undaunted, with his enemies
seated in a circle about him.
Before he would speak, the pipe of
peace was brought out, and passing
around the circle he took a puff with
each dingy entertainer.
Then he told them las interpreted by
the trader) that his people would have
peace with the braves Of the POncas
that his people had wronged them in the
past, when the sun had gone to sleep and
the moon had strayed behind the sky
| hills; that the Sioux had stolen their
| ponies, and done many things which
! called for revenge; would the Poncas
| forgive? would they receive back their
ponies and permit My Soul" (the
| speaker) to return to his people happier:
| During this speech, to when the circle
| of warriors grunted assent, there was q
! sight outside the circle that would fur
! nish a picture for the painting Of an.
| other Dante's g Inferno" or something
worse.
The squaws of the tribe had seen the
young Sioux. and remembering their dead
! papooses, killed by the last Sioux attack
they gathered in squads about the Indian
| peace circle, and. giving issue to never
ceasing undulati0n of wells and bewail
| ings that would outvie legion of wild,
cats, they tore their hair, wrung their
hands, pointing the while toward Their
naked and childless bosoms.
No Indian chided the squaws, or ever
seemed to hear the noise which made {
pandemonium of the background.
The speech of the Sioux chief wa;
heard, and at his own suggestion he re
| turned TO the hill where he first appeared
and brought up from the other side E;
half-dozen dirty natives, leading the fiji
teen or twenty ponies, stolen six week!
before, and handed them over to thei
rejoicing owners Another smoke anC
My Soul' and assistants babe adler
to the spot of their apparent magnan
unity.
What wonderful representation wa
| this little episode in the everyday life o.