Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1880-03-04

men are in bed, l will tell you the story"
Then. briskly; Frank, this is not busi-
ness. Eat, my boy, then clear out, and
fish or hunt. You will find some fowl
hens in the big willow thicket about five
miles below here. | saw them the 9TH
er day. Shoot some. Tonight we will
have feast, and l will open my two
last bottles of sherry, and we Will talk"
look returned TO the gray eyes, and our
breakfast was soon finished.
Shouldering my ri e, stepped out
of the stockade and slowly walked
down the valley. On the distant hull
side and antelope grazed; down the val
lev before me [ could see few deer
running for cover to the willows by the
stream. Now and then a grouse rose
before me and flew rapidly away. Re
sisting all temptation to shoot at any
thing, l walked steadily on. Climbing
hill, sat on a red rock and amusing
" gazaG at the vast plains to the north
east, at the foothills of the range, and at
the rugged rocky range beyond. l love
the Rocky Mountains, and never tire OF
their face. / wasted hours in looking
and in thinking Of the many tales l had
heard of the range. When the sun was
high above me l started for the willows.
There neatly shot the heads off OF six
grouse. Then, iointing a light trout
pole. I whipped the clear pools
of the south fork of the Te-
ton, and was soon rewarded by q string
of fine half-pound trout. Then came
the pleasant walk through the cool, dry
air, and over the crispy grass Of the
north. What luxury life was in the
valley Of the Teton! [ turned my spoils
over to the smiling Indian woman who
acted as cook for Burr. The rest Of the
| day I spent on horseback. running an
telope with lot of half blood Indians.
At eight o'clock supper was served and
eaten. The sherry was brought out,
and scattered on the table q handful,
my last, of Rosa Conchas that had
never paid duty, and as we sat smoking,
Burr told me this story:
Gin the fall of1868 [ thought it might
be profitable to start trading post in
the Yellowstone Valley. Learning from
the Blackfeet that the Sioux were
camped on the south side of the river, |
determined to ride over and see what
arrangements could make with them.
| crossed the Belt mountains, and,
riding down the valley, was soon at
their camp. I on the north side of the
river, they on the south. [ sat on my
horse and hailed the camp. No an
swer. could see plenty of Indians
walking about, and again | hailed. No
answer. [ shouted myself hoarse and
| the only notice taken of me was by an
old buck, who walked to the river bank,
looked at me, made an insulting ges-
ture. and slowly wandered off. | went
| there to trade, and having got angry at
the treatment, though [ we'll knew that
| ought to leave the valley at once, I,
like fool, resolved to cross the stream
and brave the danger. So forded and
rode into camp. spoke to no one; no
one spoke to me. The sullen braves
turned their backs on me as [ rode up
the street. The young girls looked
curiously at me. Riding slowly along,
[ cooled rapidly. l saw that | was not
wanted, and at last fully realized that
[ was in danger. I DID not dare to ride
to the south, out of the camp, nor did
have courage enough to attempt to re-
cross the liver.
"Before me stood great tent made
of buffalo skins. 1t was the largest /
| had ever seen. | halted, dismounted,
and stood silently at my horses head.
No one noticed me, Indians went past
me. At last young woman came and
stood before me. Looking right into
my eyes she said: What do you want?
| looked her coldly in the face and
made no reply. Smiling, she asked
What brings you hereY Steadily ]
gazed into her eyes and was voiceless
She left me and disappeared into the
great lodge. Soon an Indian warrior in
full paint, with bow and strung arrow in
his hands, came to me. Speaking
Blackfoot, he said: why are you in
this camp? To him Ireplied: 4 wish
to trade with you More men came.
They took my horse, and Selling hold oil
my arm they led me into the great
lodge. Here | was seated and a coun-
Gil was held. [ sat and listened to them
talk of what it was best to do with SO
presumptuous a white man. Some
were IN favor of trading. The large
majority of the Indians were in favor OF
torturing me. 1t was soon decided that
| should be tortured; and they sat and
discussed the many methods. After a
two days talk 1t was decided TO burn
me. | was in a strange condition
mentally. would listen to a plan OF
torture, as though it were some other
man they were talking about; and /
would comment to myself on that plan
as giving the chap out little chance for
his life. But when the dusky brave,
who talked blackfoot, told me that |
was to die by fire the next day, IN
derstOOd perfectly that [ was the man
they had been talking about and [ re-
piled: I know it, Clustering around
me they asked if had understood all
the talk. Yes, had Then why not
answer the maiden when she spoke to
you Il came, not to talk to squaws,
but to trade with men, No use; l
could do nothing by soft talk, and hay
ing played my hands final y resigned
myself to my fate.
~ noticed that the girl who had first
spoken to me in front of the lodge was
watching me. She would quickly
glance at me and then drop her eyes
on the buGkskin shirt she was embroi-
dering with crow hair. Several times l
noticed this, and once | replied with a
smile. The lodge emptied. All were
gone except the girl. She quickly
came to rny side, apparently to refold
some buffalo robes, and in whisper,
said: "You are to die tomorrow. To-