Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1881-06-25

feet, rubbing the latter with my hands
to bring back the circulation, kissed
her dark cheek, and while flying about
in the aimless manner peculiar to child
hood, / was continually uttering ex-
pressions of pity, which, though in an
unknown tongue, / am quite sure were
understood by Chit-to, who looked the
gratitude she could not express.
When father read the Bible she lis
tened in her wondering way, and then,
as We all knelt and prayed to God, she
initiated our movement, though it can
not be supposed that she understood
what it meant. Then she began to
show signs of drowsiness and was put
to bed with me, falling asleep as soon as
her head touched the pillow.
lay awake little longer, and no.
ticed that the storm subsidized. The pat
ter of the rain was heard no more upon
the roof, and the wind blew just as it
sometimes does late in the fall when
clearing up. At last sank in slumber.
awoke in the morning and saw the
rays of the sun entering the window.
Recalling the incidents of the previous
evening, / turned over quickly to see
and speak to my young friend. To my
surprise she was gone, and supposiug
she had risen short time before, hur-
riedly dressed myself and went down to
help keep her company.
But she was not there, and father and
mother had seen nothing of her. The
investigation that father then made
showed that she had no doubt risen in
the night and stolen away. Very likely
| FL. aTr So ka sc hnr.
parents for fleeing, and as the rainfall
had ceased, she fastened back through
the woods to their wigwam.
There was something curious and
touching in the fact that she had CROPPED
about in the darkness below stairs, for
she could not have used light, until
she found her own clothing, which she
donned and departed without taking so
much as pin that belonged to us.
We all felt a strong interest in Chit
to, and 1 was sensible of something
akin to strong friendship. Father al
lowed me to go with him few days
later when he visited Lac Qui Parle,
and he made many inquiries there for
the little girl, but he could find out
nothing. No one seemed to know to
whom we referred, and we went home
especially l did-very much disap-
pointed, for had built up strong hopes
of taking her out with me to spend sew
eral days. / was sure that it wouldn t
take us more than a couple of days to
learn each others language. At any
| rate, we would learn to understand each
other in that time.
We went several times after, and neg
lected no effort to discover Chit-to; but
we never gained the first clue.
On the afternoon of August 10Th,
father was sitting in his accustomed
seat in front of the house, and mother
was engaged as usual about her house
hold duties, while I was playing and
amusing myself as a girl of my age is
! inclined to do at all times. The day
was sultry and close, and / remember
| that father was unusually pale and weak.
He coughed a great deal, and sat a long.
time SO still that thought he must be
asleep.
Mother, said I, "what is that smoke
yonder ?"
I pointed in the direction of Lac Qui
Parle, the stretch of woods lying be-
! tween us and the station. She saw O
dark column of vapor floating off in the
horizon, its location being such that
there could be no doubt it was at the
Agency.
''There is a fire of some kind there, :"
she said, in low voice, as if speaking
to herself, while she shaded her eyes
with her hand, and gazed long and ear
nestly in the direction.
1.-The Indians are coming, Edward, "
she called to father; "they will be here
in few minutes !"
As she spoke, she darted into the
house and came forth with fathers rifle.
Knowing how weak he was she intend
ed to use it herself.
Brief as was the time she was away, it
was long enough for the galloping horse
to come to view. Suddenly splendid
black steed Numbered from the wood,
and with two or three tremendous
bounds, halted directly in front of me.
As it did so, l saw that the bareback
rider was small girl, and she was our
little Sioux guest, Chit-to.
She made striking picture with her
long, black hair streaming over her
shoulders and her scant dress fiuttering
in the wind. Her attire was the same
aS Will at our llOuSS, CACSptAhS SuC littO
not the cumbersome shawl.
"Why, Chit-to," said in amazement,
"where did you come from p
''Must go-must go-must go! she
exclaimed, in great excitement. 'In-
dian soon be here y
So it seemed that in the few weeks
since she had been at our house, she had
picked up enough of the English tongue
to make herself understood, though it is
not impossible that she knew enough
when our guest, but chose to conceal it.
1t is very hard to fathom all the whims
and peculiarities of the Indian race.
"What do you mean?" asked mother, as
she and advanced to the side of the
black steed upon which the little Sioux
sat; "what are the Indians doing?"
"They burn buildings-have killed
missionary dis way ~
Chit-to spoke the truth, for the Sioux
were raging like demons at that very
hour at Lac Qui Parle, and one of theil
first victims was the good missionary
|, Amos Higgins, whose wife and chill
dren, however, escaped through the
! friendliness of some of the Sioux.
/, "What shall we do, Chit-to?"
"Get on horse he carry you"
! "But my husband; the horse canno
carry all three of us.