The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1881-05-05
THE INDIAN CAMP.


'er reg Ia And like a faded star beside the bays
Silvery crescent,
PeI passf mon the curved shore of the shining lake
| The mi His tent he pitches
1sa modern chief, in white man S wide-awake
lis time 'DN ~
uReckless of title-deeds and forms of law,
? darx He freely chooses
uaftea Whatever slope wood-side suits his squaw
ou acroxt And 1.-the papooses.
81 VI Eby nots The owners of the land were red
'icu and Holding dominion
de, dee Wherever ranged the foot of beast spread
t throTY The eagles pinion;
late Oh land privileged until they welcomed here
it. RosT Their fair-faced brother,
varo w No hunt at WILL sometimes the bear and deer
s1V Sometimes each other.
to theirs
le NJ sIgow often to this lake, down yonder dark
3ooPT And sinuous river,
.oop M The painted warriors sailed in fleets of bark
and ~ With bow and CULVER!
up the nj. ons baired cbieftain is tber child a
IS do heir - O-'' '''>
it's reIaH To great nation,
oaL; land well might fix, you fancy, anywhere
y, ehings His habitatlon.
seen os Has he to come to hunt the bear and deer,
To trap the otter?
EAlas. there's no such creature stirring here,
D SDOts& On land or water.
tie pool =. s.ro ,,,t,o traffic with +ho +o
s, br0k4 Once more he chooses
the dirt The ancient camping place, and brings his
Al -
~ Then squaw and papooses
In fact
tie boy was @ uefe ba IN AYE hush;
Transfgures with faint roseate hush
OK eyes& His dingy awning.
Aie tiny The camp smoke curling in the misty light
:, while And canvas Santing
stOek 10 the green earth all this is something quite
a H.; Fresh and enchanting;
lr, and Viewed not too closely, lest the glancng
'sseu The iridescent
L" on Soft coors of romance, give place to things
arms Not quite so pleasant.
aoWna The gossamers glistened on the dewy turf;
The lisp and tnkle
a Shr1 VI nasnlng foam-bellS where the placid surf
aw the e"A' oh 'no Sninsie'
rn stoc The shimmerng brches by the rippling cove.
lese ho fresh breeze bringing
oldin' The tnrushes singing. - 'Ae efo'e
house
r dear Make the day sweet. But other sight and
ow Wild And odors fiIlit,
RS boil You oan nnd, as you approach their camping
rlght And reel1ing skillet.
ce and
sueb The il-fed ours rush out with wolfish bark:
!. IN And staring at you,
'oi ai SUN young glri leaps up, smooth-limbed and
CONS 4 dark
As bronze statue.
owe p A bare papoose about the campfire poles
N % 80 IoddleS at random;
io ana on the ground there by the blazing Goals.
When Sits the old grandam.
1T SUI wrink,eo and ,oo, soo,-.
couM In plated collar
gavet pesds and hedgehog quills, the smoke-dried
~ ~ squats in her squaor,
whispy pressing ma marin OF which the boys have shot:
IL A. w. Which done she seizes
'''A 'a"hs claWs, ana drops into the pot
Inc raw, red pieces.
ings ofFbe chief mo.nm,,o
re the found ''''o HAS ~ some mischief
am on H. A bowling urchn
lady "no KNOWS too well, alas! that he is bound
rock} N"s'
e read ihe aolc OF the woods, stern and unmoved,
,nd hal w.u Lays the light lash on
.l1 snu ues i"Ailhg the lively ankles in approved
ltten fatherly fashion.
10Th kB The bov sinks Of
wiser and sorrier,
lat Scht AO 10 'iis ne, the chief of whom we read
Inc Indian warrior?
IN wa 'nefe hangs his tomahawk? the scalps of tall
JonatH Wh !, braves struck in battle?
"ns' piess You, sir, his band is not at all
Ahat klnd OF cattle?
dons4 N ceaslng to be savages they chose
uon Tha, ;. 10 put away things
our A"' sun tne savage: even those hickory bows
are merely playthings
> iaill '0f common On use he rather likes, think,
3 thun drink S'u plahket; and of white mans
kind / fear atrifie.
5er con With nous,,
20 sche teIes, tIsa0ofs scaip-locks and such baga-
nov, He never NEEDLES,
rillv D'"s' paskets, and hardly know what eJse
ne makes and peddles.
the Vute civilized you see Is he aware
,nittin8 Does he, for ~ an ms sbe bneattude? nr;
uiphf reei proper gratitude?
sez '''Hefs and war paint he no more enjoys:
oN II OF lono al but ne is prouder
es 'iieu coat, and boots and corduroys
'llne3 Aho white mans powder.
Z 81 l ss;rc Ie can trade his mink and musouash
For ws;. Baskets of wicker,
II Tan p trlnkets; bows and moccasips
ITO tb Hor "hlte man S liquor.
me e His Mar,to, :.
"'i'on M Is passing, with each strange.
:, III He hoe .. via superstition;
{ tns& ' Tue indian agent for a change
ana indian mission.
l Jilf A'o"hs his cabin and potato patch.
r mutF lndust.,o, And farms a little
shouI4 catch quite, when there are fish to |
i'd orshafts to whittle.
to III aii about him, like rising deep.
a.s.,E He has oS lows the white nation.
as'eE Au Nv Mniie ne pleases us may keep
nd H HIS reservation.
Win his tribe in such paradise
-. That tbo,, =, Ils past believing
WIlHH smrouid still be given to petty vice. |
,plodE Ireaehery and thieving
= II 0s 20 renounce their Indian tricks
ae fnM With v... Are surely ample.
AXE rs nian piety and politics
TOT their example.
/ n 'ot are they happier now tbo, ,rson
~ night, no" IMAM "nen, some
s':as oftpf,os The chosen quotas
IspE o warriors sailed forth to fpht
JG The fierce Dakotas?
asF stnl under ts,.
mat sedate, impassiye port
.aH Spirit ,!Inat inat dull demeanor
0hNA ans, ms demon sleeps-in short
{ SkH Inc same red sinner!
sBa Within those i,,
The midp,ohseev hsevenge and pillage,
eFH4 ut massacre that vet nav ba