The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1877-02-27

At this moment a fall Fsdskfn, wrapped
| in dirty blanket, stepped from Benind
tree and stood directly in front Of Dan.
Neither of us heard him, as he had buck
skin moccasins on his feet, and his tread
was as light as a cats.
Dan. started as though he had seen
one of his favorite ghosts, and, clutch
ing me by the arm, exclaimed: "Howly
motherl Mister Charles, 10 that tue
diYilW
"No, it's only an Indian; now, DON'T
be fool, and ne won't notice YOU"
knew this fellow right we'll. He was
one of the hunters Of the tribe, and had
his rifle in his arms, while the blanket
concealed everything except his face.
He had been asleep. and was covered up
| to keep off the mosquitoes and flies. lie
was very friendly and could speak pref
| ty good English, and as we walked TO-
ward the camp he informed me that he
had been out hunting all the morning,
and had not as yet Killed anything for
his dinner. | knew what he was after.
| He had seen the chickens that Dan. car
ried, and was talking for them. gave
him one, and we were not troubled any
longer with his company, as he hurried
off TO cook it.
| In about i've minutes we reached the
camp, and found about fifty men, women
and children lOunging around on the
ground, some smoking, some playing
cards and talking, while others were
stretched out asleep, aud not one OF the
whole gang engaged at anything useful,
IeXcept young girl, who had rude
frame in front of her, and was shaving
the nair from deer skin. Dan. didn't
know what to make OF them; he looked
| from one to The other, then at me, out
spoke not u word. AT length one oi
them came up to him and held out his
hand to shake hands with him, but Dan.
hadn't reached that degree OF famillarl-
lty yet, and shrank away from him. L
#eupk the Indians nand, and the first
.R1Aestion he asked was, "oome Cataw-
TDa" (whisky.)
l answered, mo"
AT that time the penalty for living or
selling an Indian intJXica ling liquor
was 500 fine and three months i'm ms
onment; tney woulI get drunk wheE-
ever an opportunity offered, and when
III that condition were not unlike their
white brethren-they would light, ana
sometimes kill each other. THIS tribe OF
WlnneDagOS were II miserable set oil
vagabundo; they had Sold their land o.
the Unitel States Government, and
spent the money, and subsisted by hunt-
ing and stealing. Tney occupied Il
small reservation on tne south SHE OF
Buffalo Lake
There was another tribe some twenty
miles to the northward-tue Memo
mlnees-wh0se condition and general
appearanceI was superior TO the Winnie
bagos. They were protected by the
government, and received regular al
nuities OF food. blankets and money.
About the 1sC of September they would
come down to the Lake and encamp
there couple of weeks lor the purpose
OF gathering The wild rice that grows
in the marshes along the lake, and IL
not unfrequenily happened that they
and the Wluneblgos would have a.hgAt,
4 especially if eIJner party were drunk.
The last fight they had was about Two
wears before l was tuerei when four
were killed and numher badly
wounded with knives aud CLUBS.
Dan. ana | walked around among
them, but | saw That he was anything
but comfortable, ana kept cIose by me
all the time. l gave my two remaining
chickens to All old squaw, who was very
proluse in her thanks, ana proposed to
Dan. that we catch few FISH and star t
for home. Dan. was very glad to get
away from them, and we walked down
to the hrIdge which spans the channel
and commenced fishing, and in an hour
'
home, and afCer giving some to the Ill
dian boys who had accompanied us we
started for home.
Dan. mad pot said much while we were
among the Indians, but he mad made
good use of his lime taking obserVa-
! tions. After we had walked on lVr
about Il quarter of an hour in silence, he
looked cautiously about him on elmer
side, and said: 80, tHem'5 lnjuns, hes
Well, l must say they're the ugliesG aud
/ dirtiest SET of devils | ever saw. | don'G
like them, am tell ye, Mister Charles,
} ii you had not been along with me 1, Il
been aieared o my life, am don'J think
; Phi ever 80 see them again. seen thai
chap Win the chicken, an sure 1t was
jus. as you said, he pulled the feathers
OF by the handful, and Without ever
cuttin' it open, JUS held it over the fire
Oh Il long stuck, au' Wnen iC began TO fry
, little on one side he turned it round
) AM lried it Oh tother side, am then be-
} gan eatIu' it. Sure, but IL made me sick
} to lOok at him. Troth, | believe he'd ate
man as quick as he would a chicken"
/ Dan. gave vent to his disgust of the
. whole race of red men, and was sorry
: that he was not II thousand miles away
} from them, and he cha, ted away until
we reached the end ot the woods and
emerged on to the prairie.
"Can a fellow get drink of water
| about here ~ said he.
eyes," said /, "There is spring un
der mat oak tree over there to the left
| often stop there on my way 10 aud from
The lake."
We tlrned off to the lett, and crossing
| a marshy place of about hundred
, yards in Width, came TO tree, wnegt
| there was IL beautiful spring bubbling
up from the ground, the waters OF whicu
formed themselves INTO small pond i d,
/ low place lew yards beyond. This
!, was u EaVorlte resort IOr the cattle thai
! GraZed on the prairie, and tney haC
> cropped the grass very close around the
: spring. l Laid down my gun, and we
each took drink OF the cool and re-
, lreshng water.
"LeRs stop here Il Bit" said Dan. ats
: beautiful place, and Well rest our
selves Tor awhile. My, my, but that re
minds me of place at hOme," and Dan
threw himself az full length on the
soft grass.
elf that pile OF white clouds away of
there was only mountain, it would LOOK
ior all the world like a place on the
Shannon. Many's the time pve laid
down and looked up on that gh old
mountain, and wondered if ever there
was place SO grand and beautiful, and
then [ would turn and look at the river