Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1879-01-02
Little Pe-tOh-kip.

Little Pe.tOh.kip,
Little Pc toh-kip came to me in the reg
ular routine of trade. -Four yards of
hickory shiring, and an equal amount of
blue and orange calico constituted the met
aphorical pOttage for which his brthrlght
OF freedom was sold. And | am Tree to
say that, for some months after he passed
into my keeping it was much mooted
question with me whether had not been
badly worstcd in the barter. | am ncIin-
ed TO think, upon the whole, that had little
Pe-toh.klp been pet slmlhn or paro-
quct, | should have taken nm out and
made an end OF him without more ado.
Unfortunately, he was boy,-a ten year
old boy, and II BIackioot Indian Mt that.
Beyond the aged maternal aunt, who
caimea him by right of inheritance,
never succeeded in tracing his genealogy
with any degree of certainty. lie
was a 1.-the, supple, clean-llmbed little lei
low. even In his gaunt meagreness, with Il
quick intelligence upon his clearly-cut iea-
lures, which impressed one very iavorably.
True, the predatory habit OF his lie had
increased the expression OF cunning nat,
ural to the aboriginal eye, and added
somewhat to his general wlldness, but he
was young in years. and the effects of
plentiful food and kindness were yet un-
tried upon him.
when little Ie-toh-klps aunt lat,
grim-visaged old squaw, attired in scarlet
legglns and a blanket, mad delivered the
orphan to me, and retired, bathed IN seem
inG tears, my first act was to have him fed
and clothed. Then fell to thinking what
| would do with him; how would make
an educated man OF him, and so prove to
unbelleving humanitarans that the poor
Indian could, by the same process through
which their sons were raised, be elevated
to II plane even above theirs. 1t was in
the midst of these bright imaginings that
the haf-breed servant, TO whose care he
had been intrusted, reported that little Pc
tOh-kip had, lndian-llke, seized the oppor-
tunity OF present feast to ward OIL future
famine by gorglng himself to repletlon;
and that, clad in an irreproachabe suit OF
blue cashmere. he was even then last
asleep in the dust and dirt beneath the
shadow of an empty cart. Later on the
same palhiZing ScrvitOr informed
me that my protege had parted with his
clothing in consideration of two strings of
wampum (Which he had strapped over his
shoulders and about his waisD, an was
parading the adjacent camp with all the
gravity and pride of master mason in
full resalia.
1t soon became evident that, so long AS
we remained in the plain country little Pc
toh-kip's training in the ways OF civilza-
tlon must be abandoned. 1t was only
natural, of course, that his pride in the
better circumstances that now surrounded
him should lead him to present my best
meerschaum pipe to the friend of his youth,
and to bcstOw upon the numerous follow
ing who claimed relationship with him
such easily hidden articles us he could
safely tllch from the general stock. But
such munIticence lesscned the profits upon
trade, and tended TO foster, in the minds OF
his grown up fellows that feeling of supc-
rior mental acumrn by which they imag-
ned II small heather able to get IL long
way ahead Of his big Christian brother.
So little Pe-toh-kip was rclegated to the
charge of the halI-mecd, who utilized his
supcrabundant Vitality in the care of the
horses.
In this congeniaI employment he deve-
Wy" '"N' ~ " ~ ""' 'On''77 i''''' ~
sight of his nude and tiny figure, p"rched
upon the back of the largest animal in the
herd, sweeping like whrlwind over the
grassy plain, came to be Il frequent if mo-
cheering spectacle. And, though detected
in running midnight races against time on
my favoite saddle horse, and loaning
cart-horses to the little barbarian brelh-
ren for II like purpose, there seemed no
other capacity in which he could be rsed,
and therefore lie found safety in the inev-
liable.
When the days grew short in the fall,
and the verdant prares began to take on
the photographic tints of II California land
scape, little Pe-toh-kip and turned our
steps homcward. 1t was not without some
misgivings us to my own fitness to rear
The child Alright thai | cndeavorcd to i'm
press upon him the fact that he was now
leaving behind him the Old life, and enter.
ing upon the untitled realities of the new
that henccforh the Tepce, the racaiiie,
the wild scurry and chase, the feast of to-
day and the famine of 10 morrow would
exist for him only as II shadowy memory
that there arose before him Il pobler man
hood, replete with the grandest of posi-
hiIities, and giving promise of glorious
fruition.
In the first flush of our homecoming,
the brilliant possibilities which tinted little
Pe-toh. kips future took on more perma