Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1882-07-04
SEVENTY TWIN BROTHERS.
A Curious Story, Showing How a Band
OF Cree Indians Were Fooled.


from the HeleRG LndeDendeRt.
The following incident, which was
related to an Independent reporter
yesterday by gentleman just arrived
from the British possessions, is suffi-
GENTLY novel to entitle it to place in
our columns. 1t occurred, We are as
sured, about one hundred miles from
Fort Walsh last winter. A band of
Cree Indians woke up one snowy MORN
ing to find that about a dozen of their
choicest ponies had been taken during
the night. Pursuit was soon organized
aud within a few hours a fresh trail
was found in the snow. After follow
ing the trail some thirty miles it enter
ed the Saskatchewan river, the animal
evidently heading for wooded island
in the middle of the river. Smoke was
arising from among the rocks and
trees on the island. After some re-
eounoitering an opening which seemed
to 5e The mouth of a cave could be seen
"a the face of the rocks. Presently a
single Indiana Piegan, the pursuers
deekied fFom his appearance-showed
I'D In front of the opening. He was
painted and arrayed gaudily. Pretty
soon dog ~ his feet scented the Crees
and began growing and barking. The
pieHan Instantly turned and entered
the cave, Ina moment anOti er Piegan
came aroand the rocks and also went
10 then another, arm another, and
anOther, there being out few seconds
between them. The Crees lay. silently
in The bushes Matching and counting
until upwards OF fifty Piegans had come
around therOeks and gone into the
cave. and s8iH they kept coming.
What eeemslt remarkable, was the fact
that an these Indians were to all APP
pearances exacily the same size. were
dressed and Painted exactly alike each
carried Winchester rifle, and most
remarkable Of al, each one seemed q
little lame IN the LETT foot, Imping
slightly. They were, S gaudy crowd,
and the Crees counted seventy of them.
That seemed 30 be al for no more
came. AS the. idea Of seventy twins
was an impossiblity she superstitious
Crees naturally concluded that the evil
spirit had something 10 do with 1t, for
there was no doubt that there We're
seventy PieeAn Indians on the island
who were exactly allie. The Crees
had counted them several times as
they filed in and ont Of the cave.
So Thoroughly were they filled with
the idea that the devil was mixed up
with the twin brother ffaystery that
even when feinforcemenfs arrived,
which was in a few hourk they were
very reluctant to stack the Island.
Willie they were dshetfng what to do,
one less superstitious Than the rest vol
unteered to swim over 10 the island
during the night and investigate. He
did so. On approaehlng she supposed
cave he was surprised n hnd It was no
cave at all, but only ans oDeDing lead
ing some ten feet into the rock, where
ii made a crook and came o1t q the
other side. The opening at this opposite
side was out of sight rom the shore,
and here a fire was burning and soli-
tary gaudily-attired INDIAN sleeping be-
side.t. The stolen 'ponies were ether
ed near by. 1t required hsif giance 70
understand what had seemed 80 mys-
terious before. The slesping llaian
was the only occupant of Ae island,
and the apparent presence Of sixty-nine
other warriors was caused By . sharp
trick of the Piegan dhfet