The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1876-10-18
A Black Hills Romance.

I
| An old subscriber of THE LEADER,
who spent last summer in the Black
Hills and who is now sojourning in the
valley of the great Salt Lake, sends us
the following poem, composed, he says,
under thesshadows Of the heavy crested
! Wasatch.
The author was inspired to write
these lines by the reported killing, with
Custer's brave soldiers, of an old friend
who formerly resided for some time
with the Sioux, but who left the savages
to become scout and guide for Gen.
Custer. 1t will be remembered that
the newspaper reported after the Gus
ter massacre that three members of the
brave band We're made prisoners by
Sitting Bull, and afterwards tortured
and burned at the stake. One of these
unfortunate men is the hero of the fo-
nance, entitled Absorakie.
ABsoRARIE:
ROMANCE OF THE BLACK NILS.
In the Black Hills ON the border.
In the sioux and Cheyenne country,
Rippling on to add It's volume
To the Father OF all rivers.
Dwelt "A simple forest maiden;
sweet Absorakie they called her.
Tnefe mere sn., sne dwell IN peace , and quiet.
Or the latest Paris fashions
over which, more favored women.
Exercise themselves so greatly,
TIL one hazy day in Autumn,
When the smoky Indian Sunamer
Lent charm to Natures visage,
And the blue haze filled the valleys.
Like n pail, hung Oer the hlll-tOps.
And the mountains in the distance,
Iazily loomed up like giants
Came young and handsome stranger,
From Pembina and the North-land.
Gaily mounted was the stranger,
On the noted Black-Foot hunter
ON the famous war-horse. "White Cloud"
Bride reins and "tapadaroes,"
While .-siacheers' and srosadaroesf
Sinch and pommel and side pieces
Glistened with their FURNISHED silver
And straightway the handsome stranger
Bent him TO the pleasant labor.
of The winning OF the maiden,
And again the old, old story,
Old when first these mighty fir-trees
Were but sprouts upon the hillside.
Old when first the cunning pale nce,
Sailing westward found this country,
Was as usual repeated.
In that little Indian village.
1t is said Love goes unbIdden,
Certain II is there are people
Who when first they meet each other
Feel the smart OF Cupid's arrow,
Feel the thrilling chord responslve-
So IL was with Absorakie
And the North Red River ranger
Through the tangled Hillside thicket,
BY the laughing babbling brooklet,
While he told her Of strange countries.
Of 1.-THE people and their customs;
OF adventures and OF perils,
He encountered in the Northland.
In the Hudson Bay fur country.
So she loved him for the dangers
lie had seen, the gallant rover,
And he Lowell her for her pity.
Then he taught her the North laneuag
That the Northern tribes all 'cum-tux.
Much was "htyou CULTS wawa,''
And the talking and the walking,
With the Chinook and the loving
Soon brought forth the old fruition,
For ono morning oil the village
Was astir with great commotion,
For Absorakie the graceful,
And the handsome graceless stranger
He Hed unsn rSde Ss Sin notss the nighhti,time
She upon the fleet "Black Eagle"
Than whom, there were never fieeter
Steeds in all the Black Hills country,
swift they rode, unto the Northward
Where Sas katchewan's cold waters.
Sparkle in the suns bright glances
To the broad and pleasant prniries,
And low mountains of the Northiand.
Soon he tired of Absorakie.
For II is a noted axiom,
THAT we have not we DESIRE
But possession cools our nrdor
SO one morning in the Spring time.
Wniie ,d e, the i, lender shoots We're sprouiins.
ana the D1rus were singing gnlly,
While all Nature was rejoicing,
roken-hearted and deserted,
Sadly turned BLACK Eagle" homeward
To the Black Hills and Sioux country,
That she might die in her own land,
sleep the last sleep, with her kindred.
There she found the braves assembled,
For a council and a war dance,
For the pale face had discovered
Shining gold, within the Black Hills
And thler hunting grounds were covered
With the miners and the soldiers,
Sent to break the solemn treaty
Made by Sioux with their Great Father"
sitting Bull'' and other warriors
Noted for their deeds OF daring,
Ffercely started on the war path;
Soon the hills were filled with dead men.
While the strife waxed hotter daily.
In the village near the Big Horn,
Where brave Custer and his comrades
Made their charge that shall be noted
When Thermopylae' forgotten,
es,.fs, Mhen the charge at Balaklaya
Was Absorakie soJourning.
When the braves returned from slaughter.
bringing in the dead and wounded
And three captives for the torture.
For the scene ofblood and carnage f
To despoii the hated pale face,
And to glont their iiendish hatred
In the usual Indian fashion.
But Abs6rakie was pining
As the bird pines for Its lost mate,
As the ship longs for the ocean,
TIL she stood upon the portal
OF the great unknown hereafter
Lying there that Summer evening,
stretched upon her couch OF beavers,
Looked she languidly about her,
Little caring for the turmoil,
And the strife that was around her,
Till she saw the fated captives,
Fated to the death by torture,
When her heart turned ice within her,
And her blood all ceased from flowing
For the foremost OF the pris'ners,
Was her handsome Northern lover,
Father to the boy that prattled
On the panther skin beside her.
Nainly did she beg the war chiefs,
Nainly wept, praye and entreated
For the life of her old lover,
Tore her hair out by the handful,
And sent up her wall, heart-broken;
He must die, the council voted,
He had been n scout for Custer,
He, who knew their secret passes,
He deserved the torture richly,
And hre-torture was their verdict.
Then they piled the fagots round him,
Pierced his quivering fiesh with arrows,
Touched the torch unto the pyre,
Danced and howIcd like nends incarnaie,
TIL Death took him from their Torture.