Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1882-11-15
SELECT.
A Terrible Fight.

| y
must defend himself against the com
bined attack of the four sisters. Th,
writer describes the assembling of tht
Indians to witness tie contest, anC
goes on to say:
| Now the lines are broken and tht
tribe forms huge ring into which th'
savage who provoked the animosity Of
the Polecat family is summsrily thrust
He looks sullen and dogged. He has
a hard fight before him, and he know;
it, but be is man of his hands and be
means to wear those girls out if it lies
in muscle and prompt and effectua
work. He may strike them anywhere
| above the breast, and kill them if 6
blow on the neck will do it, but bullets
and arrows are ready for him if he
strikes foul. The girls on the other
hand, must take off his apron. If they
accomplish that, he is disgraced to the
uttermost moment of his life, driven
from his tribe, left to starve on the
prairie, and all Indians cautioned
against harboring. feeding or associat-
ing with him. The injured woman is
allowed to have such squaws as she
may select to assist her But if she
chooses too many to effect her purpose
it is disgrace to her, and SO she is
careful to select only enough to make
the battle nearly equal.
The Polecat girls are the bellies of
the Yankunais tribe. If a squaw can
be pretty, these girls are beautiful, and
by virtue of their attractions and their
fathers possessions 10 horses and other
satisfactory property they are the
aristocrats of the camp. Perhaps for
that reason they ask no help in their
present undertaking and for that rea-
son also, perhaps, their savage sisters
giggle and exchange whispers as the
four girls step into the ring and ap-
proach the waiting buck. All five are
in full war paint. Down the hunters
cheeks and along his neck are alternate
sepia and green and yellow stripes on
background of brilliant rid, while his
chest, sides and back are tricked out
with rude pictures of guns, bows and
horses. The girls have smeared their
faces with a coating of red, over which
lies another of green striped with yel-
low. Their hair is unfastened at the
back, and the front locks are braided
with otter fur. Each wears skirt and
leggings, but their blankets are laid
aside and their muscular brown arms
are displayed.
There are no preliminaries. The
girls dash at their enemy and attempt
to grasp him If all hands manage to
get hold of him half the battle is ac-
complished. But he meets them
squarely and fairly, planting cruel
blow between the eyes of the girl he
had injured, knowing that if she is
finished be can compel her to call off
the rest She is the general of the at
tacking force and the prime object of
his attack. Over she goes like pine
wheel, but she is up again, her face
streaming with blood and her eyes
swelling The elder girl has contrived
to secure waist hold and locked her
hands behind his back His fists fall
upon her upturned face with frightful
force, but she keeps her hold. The
other two girls are pressing him hard
from behind, but his elbows work like
battering rams, and one steps back with
her hands pressed tightly to her breast
and look of agony in her eyes. Now
he whirls suddenly, planting ponderous
blows upon the face and head of the
girl who, on her knees, still clings to
his waist with death grip. He fairly
raises her from the ground as he spins,
but her hold never relaxes.
His earlier victim again dashed at
him and is rewarded by a crashing
stroke on the mouth. She reels, but
RECEIVERS and darts again to receive his
fist on her neck with force that whirls
her half dozen PAGES off and drops
her like log. Not word is spoken.
The thug of his fists, and the heavy
breathing of the struggling contestants
are the only sounds. The last rally Of
the PROSTATE girl has enabled the rear
party to catch the buck and one has
twined her arms around his neck, while
the other hangs to the right wrist. His
left hand is still free, and it fairly
twinkles in the air as he batters the
maiden at his wrist. Her grasp is like
iron, but her head reels and sways as
his heavy hand falls on it with noise
that reaches the furtherest side of the
irregular ring. Her eyes are closed
and her breath comes convulsively.
Were the fourth girl there to grasp
that arm, the fight would soon end.
The girl behind is choking him, and
he employs new tactics. Grasping the
kneeling girl by the throat, he pounds
the face of the one behind him with the
back of his head. No vanity prompts
are to let go. She tightens her grip,
and buries her face in the back of his
neck. The fourth girl is up, stagger-
ing and dazed. Brushing the blood
from her eyes with an angry motion,
she approaches him, crouching as she
moves. If the blow he has in store for
her reaches the mark he will have
another chance, for the girl at his
waist is growing faint, and he can
easily dispose of the other two. She
comes at him like a cougar The blow
is delivered full upon her breast, but
she grasps his wrist and writhes up
his arm.
Now he is beset with danger The
two on his arms and the one at his
waist pull him forward, the girl behind
still strangling him, throws her weight
on his back 1t vain he attempts to
straighten. The kneeling girl bends
in her despairing struggle until her
hair hangs on the ground. The other
three show the muscles rigid in theil
arms as they press him down upor
their kneeling sister. Suddenly ht
springs backward with marvellous
effort of strength. The fainting girl a
his waist finds her hands torn apart
But that triumph was his defeat Will
crash he comes to the ground, thre,