The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1885-07-03
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4
but were furnished the best of govern
ment rations, allowed 10 retain their
horses, their arms and their amunI-
ton. Clothing and blankets were also
given them seed and farming imple-
ments were issued them, and in all
respects they were better treated than
any other Indians on the reservation.
The result of this treatment has been
to put them in the very best of fight
ing trim, and they sally forth provis-
toned, clothed and armed by the gov
eminent stores to murder unarmed
men, helpless women and innocent
babes.
The military in direct charge of
these savages remained idle in their
camp, when they knew the Indians
were preparing to go off, and what
should have been bloody fight was
an inglorious inactivity, telegraphing
to headquarters for orders what to do.
The savages, once free from the reser-
walton, with the military behind them,
wers free to select their own course to
rob, ravish and murder without let or
hindrance. No soldiery can be blam-
ed for not coming up to these people
when once they have reached their
mountain homes. Every trail, every
pass is as familiar to them as the gar
den walks of our childhood are to US.
injured to climbing these mountains
from childhood, they travel freely and
swiftly through mountain regions, that
to soldiers or a citizen is slow, toll
some, and perhaps an impossible
march. Knowing all this, it certainly
was the duty of the officer in command
to see that the power was put entirely
out of the hands of these murderers
to go off on any raid. But they are
gone. Murder and plumber mark their
path. Hundreds of soldiers, citizens
and armed Indians are in pursuit but
they have as yet failed to ov ertake the
Apache cyclone.
Our two hundred Indians are now
enlisted and are getting ready to go
out after these Chiricahuas. The
greater part of them are the near re-
latives of those that are on the war
path. 1t does seem to me to be a grave
mistake to put arms into the hands of
friends and relatives. No surprise
will be felt by me should we hear of
many of them joining the murderous
ranks of their relatives.
Except the excitement of the war
all is peaceablc and quiet here. All
are busy harvesting their crops or
planting their corn. We feel no fear
of these Indians in and about the
agency. 1 go freely among them and
am often out several days at time
with them. The Indians that have
been enlisted are having their war
dances nightly. The noise of their
shouting, singing and tom toms comes
through my open window. I have
watched them so much that have
lost all interest in their manoeuvers. A
short sketch may please you, so with
your consent I wal describe an Indian
war dance rs they are being performed
here. The great fire is built in an
open space and the singers with their
tom toms stand at one side. Flank
ing from these the warriors form a
part of large circle that reaches near
ly around the fire. The spectators,
seated or standing, finish the great
circle. The spectators in this case are
the few white men that are here, and
the women, children and the old men
of the tribe. The bright blaze of the
fire lights up a scene never to be for
gotten. The warriors for military
suit have donned only the blue blouse
which, belted closely to their person
by the heavy belt and in contrast
to the white drawers, boots, girdle
cloth and red ,turban, makes up fine
showing uniform. They have been
selected with regard to size and height
so there are no contrasts. At the beat
ting of the drums and the singing, from
twenty-five to fifty of the warriors fol-
low their leader into circle and step to
the time of the wild music. AS the
blood warns and the heart sw ellis, the
stepping becomes lighter and swifter,
the guns are held aloft or thrown into
a threatening attitude, leaps and
jumps, light, swift and strong as the
tigers, the shouts of the spectators, the
flashing eyes and streaming locks, and
you behold a sight that makes your
own heart swell. This is kept up for
several minutes. the singing stops, the
dancers break ranks and again in a
few moments an other set of dancers
enter the: ring. Often a few of the
women enter, and in line, generally
following the men, they too dance, but
their clumsy forms and heavy move
ments, are a sorry contrast to the
1.-the forms and light movements of
their brothers. Yet i'm all respects
they are the fit women to be the wives
and mothers of such a race.
w. G. MCDONALD.
ANOTHER CANCER.
About three years ago there appear