The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1884-04-24


~Ughi short gun-my father shoot
me-hurt nobody" This was the way
young Indian expressed his contempt
for the white mans pistol, as he stood
watching its owner cleaning it. Years
ago when the Winnebagoes threatened
to capture the Government property
on tho treaty ground, and go on the
war-path, an officer of the War Depart
ment went among them to confer with
Chief Four Legs and assist Gov. Cass
in keeping the peace. The threatened
instruction was prevented by mere
luiet show of power-and the pistol,
which the officer in moment of leis IRE
was cleaning, was one of the first incl
dents.
The officer replied to the disdainful
remark of the young Indian by saying
to his interpreter, "Tell him if he wants
to knew what these short guns can do,
to just 60 across Fox River and stand
there, and he can have a hole made
through him in d minute"
The Indian declined this polite pro-
posal, but seeing by his manner that
he still believed the short gun" could
"hurt nobody" Col. McKenney felt that
he must do something to prove it's quail
ity, or lose his prestige in the coming
council.
He directed his servant to stick UP q
bit of bark, at fair distance, and then
calling attention through theinterpret-
er to what he was going to do, took de-
liberate aim and fired. The bark fell.
The Indian ran and picked it up,
but seeing no mark, laughed ut the Col
onel and his pistol. The bullet was no
larger than buck-shot, and the elastic
filaments on the inner side ofthe bark
had closed over the hole it had made.
Look on the other side" said the
Colonel
The Indian turned the bark over, and
uttered an exclamation Of surprise. He
poked stick through the bullet-hole,
and then he wanted to borrow the pis-
tol to look at. His contempt had sud
denly changed to profound respect.
Seeing an old Indian fumbling with
his flint and steel and piece of punk,
trying to make fire to light his pipe,
the Colonel told the interpreter to say
he would save him the trouble.
"Tell him I'll bring down fire from
the sun to light his pipe with"
The old Indian looked at the officer
and shook his head with O grunt Of in
credulity. The Colonel went to him,
and drawing burning-glass from his
pocket, held it concealed in his hand
over the tobacco in the pipe. The focal
rays soon did their work.
Smoke" said the Colonel.
The old Indian sucked through the
stem, ard very soon the smoke filled
his mouth. He pulled it out, and then
stopped and looked first at the white
man, then up at the sun, then down al
his pipe, with an expression on his face
of pefect awe and amazement. Appar-
emily he half suspected the white chief
TO be Manitou himself.
The favorable impression was made
complete when, a few days after, on the
treaty ground, and just previous n
six-pounder tield-piece on the shore
of Lake Winnebago. An empty barrel
was anchored at distance of about Q
l'quarter of mile, and several of the
army gunners fired and missedit But
the heavy report of the cannon was suf-
fciently effective to quiet the Indians
and they noticed little else till Col. Nc.
Kenney aimed and sighted the piece
himself. He fred and shivered the
| barrel to atoms.
After that it was an easy matter tc
make terms with the Winnebagoes, anG
the Colonel long continued to be known
among them as the Big Fire-maker.