New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-04-23

L
stake and roasted, or Otherwise be happily
dispatched TO those hunting grounds, two
outlines Of which ore dimly perceptible in
the rosy CLEANS and purple shadows d
the land Of light which appear above the
sinking sun.
But the brave was disappointed, and
his debut Is the singer Of his own
death.song was unavoidably postponed,
for the General simply ordered him
to be confined, and treated with the
utmost kindness The execution ID
this sentence was confded to Lieu
tenant Brown, . gentleman remarkably
we'll qualified in many respects to wind his
| way into the Indian heart. The corporal
said Of his superior officer, that what
| Lieutenant Brown didn't know about an
IDjun wasn't worth moving, while, a. for
General Sharpeye, if there was anything
he didn't know, he could always remem-
Der it in two seconds. On this occasion.
as the captive was conveyed to the bull
pen or guardroom, the corporal was heard
to remark gently: ''Go in, Lemons; go in!
When the General is one-half of pair of
squeezers, and Lieutenant Brown the
other, fruit like you amt got no chance. !"
Whence it resulted that the prisoner from
that hour was known in the fort, not by
his own poetical name of Dancing Owl,
but by the more civilized sobriquet of
demons"
When the lieutenant, on the next day,
visited the prisoner, he observed that the
Indian had not tasted the food which had
been given to him. The belief in death
by torture had passed away, and resolved
itself partly into the opinion that he was
to be poisoned, and partly into Q grim
determination to starve himself to death.
The officer, with ready intuition, seized
on the whole state of the case. Should
he taste the food himself? He might, it
is true, convince the Indian it was whole
some; but this would also shame him,
and render him more morose. In an in
slant the lieutenant determined what to
do. Among other accomplishments, he
was an admirable proficient in legerde-
main, now known in performing circles
by its more ancient Indian title Of chan
key-pankey." There were few tricks with
which he was not familiar, and long prac-
tice had given him q dexterity at "palm-
ing" such as few amateurs attain. How to
do it was at once clear to him, and he
disappeared from the prison, to which,
however, he returned in an hours time,
and, sitting down, addressed the unfortu-
nate Lemons: .r
'My brother does nor eat" he re-
marked, not in good Navajo, but in the
dialect of neighboring race, which he
spoke with tolorable ease.
There was no answer beyond q defiant
''hu'gh," which sounded like an abridRe-
ment of the projected death song. As
this was what the visitor expected, it did
not discomfort him. Drawing from his
pocket small scarlet bag he remarked:
''Such food as that is not fit for great
brave like my brother. He shall eat, as
eat, that which comes from the Great
Spirit.
Saying this he beat the bag several
times, to indicate that it was perfectly
empty, and holding it ont inquired:
docs the Dancing Owl believe that
there is nothing in it?"
The Dancing Owl fixed upon the bag so
long and penetrating stare that it
to reverie. Finally, and with
the air of man who was playing des-
perate game of life, he assented to the
fact that the bag was empty.
'Then let my brother behold. One
two-three y
To the amazement Of the Indian there
rolled from the bag one, two and three
eggs He did not manifest any astonish-
ment; it was the absence of any such
which indicated to the ex-
perienced lieutenant the sensation which
be had caused. He replaced the eggs in
the bag and gave it to Dancing Owl. But
when the latter looked for them they were
gone.
"Never mind, will find them" cried
he lieutenant cheerily. "The Great
Spirit will not leave his children hungry.
Ha here they are!'
And to the undisguised amazement of
The savage, he now took the eggs in sue
,ession from his own nose.
With great solemnity, he next brought |
rom the bag an antelope steak, nicely |
cooked, pone of Indian corn bread, and |
. handful Of Orioles.
''My brother is q great medicine man,"
finally exclaimed the vanquished savage;
but" he added simply, II, too, have
'een the medicine man of our tribe bring |
buffalo meat out of the ground, and pull |
! jack-rabbit out or his own back"
1.-THE devil you have" thought Lieuten-
mt Brown, though he said nothing. He
lid not know that in the Chippeway le- |
,ends Manobozho is said by prayer and |
to have evolved raccoons for |
God out of himself. But he did
Znow that he had gained his point, and
when he began, as it were, inadvertently
o nibble at a pone, the Indian attacked
lis supper with incredible appetite: He
tie up the meat; he finished the bread
md beans, and when all was gone re-
marked incidentally that it was the first
God he had tasted in four days, with the
of leathern strap and horned
rog.
Next to whisky, there is nothing that An
ndian loves like sugar. And when the
lieutenant had produced from bis magic
,ap handful Of this ravishing delicacy,
he Dancing Owl was thoroughly melted.
jeeinR him in this mood, the lieutenant
rought out q thimble and diminutive
ellis, with which he exhibited holy mir
Gle, taught especially by the Great Spirit
D only few of the elect, and in which
he balls disappeared Unexpectedly, being
onveyed away by invisible spirits. The
ext performances, also represented as
eing of strictly sacred character, were
kecuted by means of purse, into which
70 half-dollars were dropped. but which /
roved empty when opened, and, finally,
grand religious display of three-card
lonte, in which the lieutenant was q first
lass proficient.
The effect of all these ceremonies upon
le Indian was evidently remarkable, and
o again expressed with solemn sincerity
is belief that the lieutenant was q very
reat medicine man. He somewhat puz-
led his entertainer by. indicating that he ,
i'd seen through one or two of his tricks,