Sharp County record., 1879-05-29

not an Indian Snoulu Oe PeL uii'''
bnilding. nor any white man out OF lI'
nntil the trade was over. He also re-
nuired the chiefs to tell their young men
~ keep away from the fort after nlgnl
fall, as good Indians could not ne uls,
tinguished from bad after DARK anu
tbe2 might get hurt The twelve grant
cd yeIncfapt assent to this. Then they
were led, and each got big nTlnA u
whisky. Hospitality discharges IIe
Piegans walked out, mounted tnel
horses, and disappeared down the river;
During the afternoon the entire 6ana
arrived and quickly pitched their lodges
Then their squaws began cooking
After dark the bucks ranged the camp
the dogs howled, and the village was
full of laughter. u,o,o
Early the next morning Haley awoke
me, sayicg, if wanted to see the camp
he would show it to me before the trade
began, as after that it would be lmpos,,
slbIe to see it. SO we strolled out and
walked through the long streets, passed
men with heavy war clubs in their hands,
and noticed mounted men on the tops
of the hills watching the plains Cthls
land is a fghting-ground, and war par
ties forever roam it) for Sioux. Haley
explained to me that these men were 10
keep sober, if possible; to keep order IN
the camp, and to guard against hostile
Indians. fastening back to the post,
we ate breakfast. After seeing to the
barring of the doors, the men Stationed
themselves in the upper story OF the
bastion. Haley, one man, and L went
into the bridegroom. The heavy door
was shut behind US, and we heard the
great beam fall into place, effectually
cutting us off from the rest OF the house
Across the side of the roomran rough
board, making rude counter. Under
this was a row of full barrels of whisky
standing on end. Picking up an ak,
Haley smashed in the head Of one OF
these, and set his tin measures on the
counter within reach. The Indians be-
gan to flock into the inclOsure. A dark
face peers through the window; fold
ed robe is handed in; with rapid mo-
ton Haley spreads it open, looks first at
one side, then on the other. Holding 1t
up, he says, "Iwill give you one quart
and half for it." The Indian shakes
his head. Instantly the robe is passed
out to him, and he goes off; not far
away, however. Another black face at
the window, another robe, the same
process of inspection, and the offer OF
a quart of whisky accepted. Another
robe is passed in, and it may be that the
same Indian will pass in three or four
robes. Then he passes in his canteen
CT small keg, and the whisky is dip
ped out of the barrel and poured into
his vessel The morning passes away.
Many robes have been taken in, and
much whisky passed out. A lull in the
trade, Haley, with weary smile, says
to me, "NoW foretaste of hell is at
hand - A-----.... ...--..,
Afternoon, and the inclosure s filed
with mob of crazy saVages, brandish-
ing their rifles, bowling, drinking,
threatening to shoot the traders, insult
ing them, disputing the measurements
of whisky, crying loudly for more, stag
gering around, falling suddeDly and ly-
ing where they fall in death-ike stupor
men, women, children all drunk; the
camp in an uproar; occasionally the
sharp crack of pistol, or the wild cry
of the Indian police guard, and
q savage blow with a war
club. The afternoon wears slowly
away; the scene grows wilder and
wilder; the war dance is danced in the
inclosure; the war cry is yelled the
bucks rush around stark mad. Down
goes the door of the trading window
with bang; its bolt drops; the door
to the bedroom opens and shuts again
with a crash as we walk out, and Haley,
used up with the strain on his nerves,
sinks exhausted on a pile of blankets.
The Indians are warned to leave the in
closure-to keep away from the build
ing Screaming threats to burn the
tort that night, to scalp the entire gar
rison, they stagger slowly toward their
camp. There is enough whisky there
to lat until morning, and then the
devilment is fast and furious. Haley,
sitting at bastion loophole, hears the
savages howling threats to eat his heart,
to boil him, to burn him, to roast him
before a fire. Whiz! comes an Allen
musket ball past the house. Here comes
another. Down stairs, buck, mad
dened with Yellow-head whisky, tries
to shoot through the cracks of the door.
Instantly baStion belches out shot, but
the Indian is missed. He retreats to the
river bank, and from its cover empties
the contents of Henry rifle into the
building. This warfare was kept up al
night. Constantly fearing an attack in
force, and knowing that if surprise is
successfully made, death by torture
would be the fate of every man in the
post, the whites kept wide awake.