The daily Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1878-1???, 1883-08-16

| mounted on Il morse, nldlt a mp across
the main range of the Rocky Noun
tains, following an old-forgot,cn Indian
trail, AT noon he stopped among the
pines on the summit TO rest his pony
and lunch While thus engaged his at
tenton was attracted to a solitary horse
man coming up the trail from the west,
who, on near approach, proved 10 be an
old Indian When he came up he stop
ned and said "how!' and on being
invited to dismount, he did so slowly
and carefully, The old braves form
was bent with age, His long hair, once
like the ravens wing, was now bleachod
by the suns and storms of perhaps
century. His ewes had lost the bright
ness of youth, His step, uncertain and
slow, gave evidence that his journey of
life was drawing to close,
He was asked to eat and did so with
| avidity. The traveller asked him few
questions and found that he spoke Eng
lIsh well. On being asked what tribe
he belonged to, he said he was a Moh-
can. Nearly 100 years ago, he said, his
tribe. numbering only about 100 in all,
removed from New York to west of the
great lakes. Some of them he still be-
lieved to be there. Soon after this,
while he was still small boy he was
stolen by hostile band of Western In
dams and had been with the British
Crees for many years, and had been adj
vanced to the position OF chief medicine
man. This he filled until 4 few weeks
ago, when, by failing to save the life of
sick daughter of one of the principal
chiefs, he was compelled in order to
save his life, to leave the tribe. He was
now making his way East to the great
lakes, where he hoped to find some
remnants of his people,
The newspaper man had quite long
and interesting talk with OtowatSe, a
he called himself, and among other
things asked him the purpose of the In.
dams in scaIping their enemies, and
where and how the custom originated.
He replied that the custom had now
become one of revenge and hatred, but
that scalps at one time were only taken
after a battle to show how many OF
their number had been slain A war
party, by comparing the number OF
their own warriors missing, could tell
which side was victorious in point of cX.
ecuton on the foe, The origin of the
custom, he said, was only explained by
tradition. The tradition is in substance
as follows:
Hundreds Of years ago perhaps thou.
sands when the Indians were all one
tribe and under one great chief, dis
pute arose in the tribe as to who should
become chief, the old chief having died
without leaving a son to succeed him.
There were two principal aSprants for
the chieftancy, and each of them had .
strong following, The dispute ended
in dividing the tribe, and in war Pre-
viouS TO this time scalpng was unknown
as there were no enemies TO scalp, the
land being occupied by only one people.
Peace was never made between the two
factions. The chief Of one side had
beautiful daughter and one of the lead.
ing warriors was a sutton for her hand
The chief, ms a condition to consontug
to give his daughter to her warrior
lover, required him to kill the chief OF
the opposing tribe CHS old.Cmc rival
for the chicttaincy) and bring him proof
OF the act. The warrior accepted the
condition, 1t was many long miles tc
the camp Of the enemy, and the snow
was deep, but he Immediately set out
upon his mission. After lying in wait
near the camp Of the enemy, tor DAYS,
and undergoing great suffering from the
extreme cold without having an oppor.
tunity Of carrying out his plan, he final
ly, one night, boldly entered the camp.
walked into the great chief LODGE,
slew him, and cutting of hi, head tc
take back with him as proof, started tC
return to his people. The next morn
iug the murder was discovered. also the
! murderer track, in the snowand drOp,
Of blood which had fallen from the chief
tain'S head. Two hundred warrior.
started in pursuit Of the murderer
They almost overlook him, and he coult
hear them on his track Hewas almost
| tired out, and the dead chiefs head was
| growing heavy, yet he struggled or
with 1t through the snow and the cold
determined not TO relinquish the proof
which would win for him his bride. The
pursucrs pressed him 50 at length that
he threw away every weight but his tro.
ply, They finally gained on the weary
brave 50 fast that il seemed that he
must either relinquish his prize or be
captured, which. of course, would be
death Whipping out his rude knife
(lt was before the time of steel knives.
among the lndians,) he hurredly stripped
of the scalp from the dead mans head
and sped ON, Thus lightencd of his
load he made his own camp in safety.
The scalp was sufficient proof that he
had fulfilled his mission, the old chief
no longer withheld his consent, and the
bright-eyed daughter of the forest be-
came his own, Thus originated the
custom of sca.ping among the Amer-
can Indians. He,eaa, (UoataHa,) h.
dependem
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