The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1882-09-08
Amateur Indians.

Amateur Indians.
cts a shame, that's what it is, and I
don't think mothers have got any right
to make boys eight years old tend little,
dried-up-looking babies that can't do
anything but cry"
Eddie Barnard's voice expressed the
sympathy he felt for his cousin, Charley
Harnden, when he found him caring for
the baby on that particular afternoon
they had counted on for putting the fin
lshlng touches to a large kite which it
was believed would outsail any other in
the village.
''Boys wasn't made to sit round
holdin' babies, and just wish DIR. Alb
bott hadn't brought this one, cause it's
just done nothing but plague me ever
since it Gomez" and Charley almost
shook his little baby brother, who was
sucking his thumb as contentedly as if
he hadn't an idea how sadly he was in
the way.
"Ill tell you what we might do, and
then babies wouldn't bother us any
more" said Eddie, as he jumped to his
feet suddenly, "we might turn Iniuns
AAhO bWO AOStA "a III u UOOh Obln DdSS0i
lent me. We could be regular Iniun
chiefs, an go out to Chickcommon woods
to live"
At first Charley was delighted with
the idea, and ne danced around at great
risk of upsetting baby entirely; but a
sudden thought clouded his JOY.
Injuns have wigwams, an squaws,
an ponies, an We can't get any of
them"
eyes, we can; we can catch Tom
Downey's old blind horse an play it was
a pony, an you amt smart if you don't
know where to catch squaw.
Where?" asked Charley, breath
lessly.
"Ain't there your sister Nellie Can't
we get lot OF grasshoppers an coax
her out behind the meeting house to see
them An then can't we catch her an
tie her, an drag her by the arms up to
the woods, just like any Iniuns do?'
"Of course. An we could get some
bedquilts for camp"
eyes, an we'll name you Biting Tiger.
an I'll be Big Thunder, an Nellie can
be Moonface, just as it was in the book"
For some moments the boys sat in
silent bliss. Then after time serious
doubt crept into Biting Tigers heart, as
he asked:
"But what will we do for things to
eat?''
"Things to eat?" echoed Eddie.
"Chiefs don't bother about such things
they just send the squaws out to get it,
cause that's what squaws are for"
"My but won't mother be scared
when she finds out that she got an In
jun to hold the baby % said Charley,
thinking with delight that in his moth
er's fear he should be more than repaid
for all the trouble the little fellow had
caused him. "But then she won't be
SO awfully frightened, for he amt got
anything to scalp if you wanted to do
it."
+" We can wait till he grows, an then
scalp him most every day." said Eddie,
consolingly.
Then came the question of how they
were to get away, for, valiant chiefs as
they were, they could hardly drop the
baby on the floor and run.
"Pll tell you what we can do" said
Eddie. "I'll go home an get some
ropes to tie Nellie with, an then I'll go
for the grasshoppers. When you near
me holler, you send Nellie over, an put
the baby in the cradle, an come over
lickety- split, SOS to hold the squaw's
mouth if she sets up yell"
Big Thunder started for his mothers
clothes-line and some grasshoppers,
while Biting Tiger sat holding the baby
as quietly as if he had never thought OF
being an Indian
Surely there never were two chiefs on
the eve of starting in the Indian business
SO fortunate as these two were, for in a
short time after Big Thunder's de-
parture Mrs. Harnden took the baby,
and Nellie seated herself on the doorstep
to play with her doll.
Charley told her of the captive grass
hoppers she would see if she went with
him and, clasping her doll firmly in her
arms. she started for the meeting house
near by, while Charley followed, ready
to spring upon her as soon as he should
see his brother chief.
Eddie was prepared for the first ct in
his new life. He had armed himself
with a long carving-knife and fully ten
yards of clothes-line, so that he was
ready for any desperate attempt atescape
the squaw might make.
All unsuspecting the horrible fate that
awaited her, Nellie approached the fatal
spot, when Big Thunder sprang out,
winding the rope around her body a
dozen times.
"Why don't you cry, an screech, an
kick ?" asked Charley, thoroughly disap-
pointed because their captive had sub
mitted SO quietly.
g What for" asked Nellie, in sur
prise.
"Why, cause we're Injuns an you're
a squaw we've caught, an now we're
going to drag you off to the woods" re-
piled Eddie, brandishing his knife.
~ don't want to be a squaw," and
Nellie now showed signs of making as
much of an outcry as the boys could
have wished for.
&C But you must, and that's all there
is about it" said Eddie, sternly; and
then he took hold Of the ends of the
rope, as he shouted to Charley, "Hold
your hands over her mouth while pull
her along"
Charley hardly had time to reply be-
fore Big Thunder, with the clothes-line
drawn taut over his shoulder, started
ahead with force that threatened to
overthrow both captive and captor.
For five minutes there was a thrilling
and exciting scene IS the chief dashed
along, dragging behind him the squaw,
who was only half gagged by Biting
Tiger.
At the expiration of that time, Big
Thunder tumbled over log, striking
the ground with force that caused his
nose to bleed, while Nellie, being SO
suddenly released, fell backward, carry
ing Biting Tiger with her.
Big Thunder began to cry, but, realiz-
ing that Indians should not be so par
ticI11ar about q 1itt1n thunnn on tho noaa