The Benton weekly record. [volume] (Benton, Mont.) 1880-1885, 1880-09-24

~" '>1S '1ti = VI ASsHehlEei 'f1aiO nun
!, eFs they could safely attack. Winter va
!, drawing neaf aud any day the fierce Ar,
TIC winds, heated b. he blizzard, y nigh
: sweep tiosn from the froze,l north, Tn
! 9fees decided to return to ti.eir own Ian,
at once, and bidding the sx farewell. the,
! rode to the north.
Mountain Chief. OF tile Piegan clan
came into the hills in the latter part of j,c
toDei 60 make medicine ai4d fast. Hi
: sharp eye at once saw the sign left by III,
hunters. He did not make medicine mo-
did he fast. He trailed the sign and rar
MS game to cover in the hut. Lying con.
eealed, ne saw the six and the baby.
Breaking III on the story, / asked
George, who told you that % ''standine
Bear, the Cree chief, the frat part; Noun
ain Chief, of the Piegans, (you know the
Dlack viliain) the part yet untold. H. told
me one winter when made trade with
his tribe at the Sandy Hills on the Bow
River he replied Then resuminr tho
story, be said -
creeping back 10 the bpos where he
| had hidden bis horse. Mountain Chief
mounted, and hastencd to the Piegan viii
laGge on the Bow River, q hundred miles to
the west, with the astounding news that
SIX adults and baby were dwelling on the
game preserves Of the Blackfeet Nation
and that three Of these people were Of the
hated Cree tribe, the false ones who made
treaties simply to get favorable chances fo
steal horses. Mountain did not make pub
lic his discovery. He did not want n conn
Gil called to decide what action to take. He
nad decided to keep the treat Of numbering
the seven In cold blood fora few of his
personal friends. He told them what he
mad seen. AS soon as it was dark the
eight braves rode silently out of ca1np.
Ihey We're soon riding over the plains to
the east. Elated at the safety Of the plan |
Fhay hnfi formed, they sang the simple |
horseback song OF the Picgau Indians. /
Ihey never drew :etn until they were in .
the Cypress Hills. Concealing themselves
Ill the underbrush that stood thicklv
ABOUT the little hut where the E'renchmen
'nd t2eir indian wives were sleeping, they
waited for the coming of The dawn. Soon
after it was light the three white men
came out Of the little hut. Instantly tl,ev
we're shot down and scalpesi BY the piegan
"alrlors They scalned Nakjshi's baby;
lhen, becoming angered at the women.
hey Killed them with their knives and
calped them, Loading the captured hors-
IS with the arms, clothing, saddles and
provisions found in the camp, they started
omaWard. :
iialtng, the warriors waited while {
fountain Chief returned to the scene of +
laugE1tor aud cut off the heads Of the sew /
7 dead Indies. These proofs of the mas t
acre were backed oA the horse that was
With the afnls and clothinc Of the. d
1iaffs s.ssea e.iftassisSl tlle sfss3a
u las kfeef as rode into tthe Riszs 5sse 1
rect off the village The Indians Of the i
,Wn, excited BY the song of bloodshed, II
lslled prt Of their lodges. The success p
II warriors branfi5fed aIoft in triumph q
ae bloody scalps. Hating, they opened il
le red blanket and bowlcd the bloody s
eatls one by one down the street between T
le lines Of colored braves. Women and
1ildren kicked the heads about. They D
pat on them, they ran sharp sticks into b
lie sightless eyes, they pulled the voice u
ss tongues far out Of the pallitl lips, h
ausing them to loll grotesQuely. Impal- S.
lg the heads Oh stakes, the village boys c
1ot arrows at them. Dogs were encour- n
5ed to gnaW at them, to eat them. Fin t
ly. they were kicked into the river amid Il
le shouts Of joy OF the whole camp. il
Injecting inte the story remark made i
a thoughtful low tone, George said -
Frank, Mountain Chief told me that this lie
lccess was the greatest calamity that ever b
efel his tribe Resuning the story he +
s'Ihat night GO the Blackfeet f
ere dancing war dance around great G
re in all immense revolving circle the L
eadless spectres Of the murdered six Il
1e having a headless baby on her back r
emed to spring from the ground by the b
re; and they danced the Cree war dance |;
a small circle that rapidly revolved Il
'ound the fire in contrary direction to r
lat Of the Piegan Blackfeet warriors o
he dance of the Blackfeet ceased, They G
ood motionless in q circle. Suddenly the n
.nce of the spectres ceased. Boldly they a
Al, Il
the lines were opened to afford them O
.ssage. The wraitl1s marched into. the Il
llage streets. They scattered, and blind "
they searched for their nlutilated heads. II
oming to the river they walked on the Il
rface Of the water. One BY one they Il
aned over close to the rushing water. d
their arms into the stream they d
,parently searched for and found their d
.ads. When last seen that night by the Il
Iackfeet the spectres We're coBl lplete. o
'.Soon whispers were heard in the camp. O.
le women, the children, and shortly af- O
r, bronzed old warriors, that had never {
nched before Sioux, Grow, and Cheyenne Y
aves, gathered closely around the fires n
at warmed their lodges, and with bated r
cath told of invisible feet that we're "
ard rustling over the brown grass of the al
llage street, or with ilI-concealed anxi- rt
7 they spoke Of the unaccountable fright n
at had taken possession OF the wolfsh A
gs Of the camp. Little Plume, who was II
member Of the numbering party, sat Il
oodilv bv the fire. Ha had lost seven et
inns Of sled dogs. They left the camp in 81
body, and took up their abode III a Blood IL
Ilage. Repeatedly Little Plume brought 81
EN- back. Lashed to stakes around his HI
lge, they sat ontheir launches and howl df
mournfully and continuously the night g
10 yTnIashe6 tloay instantly left fha te