The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1885-05-13
'RAIN IN THE-FACE.


Coming suddenly from behind he threw
chester rifle that the savage attempted to
cock. He was taken entirely by sur
prise. No fear showed itself, but from
the Enthusiastically stolid face hate and
revenge flashed out for an instant. tie
drew himself up in an independent man
ner to show his brother warriors that he
did not dread death.
Among them he had been considered
brave beyond precedent, because be had
dared to enter the agency store at all, and
so encounter the risk Of arrest. The
soldiers tied his hands and mounted guard
over him About thirty indians sur
rounded them instantly, and an old orator
commenced a harangue to the others. in
citing them to recapture their brother.
Breathless excitement prevailed. At that
moment the captain In command appear
ed in their midst. With the same cool
ness he had shown In the war and during
the six years of the Indian campaign, he
spoke to them through an interpreter,
With prudence and tact he explained
that be intended to give the prisoner ex-
actly the treatment a white man would
receive under like circumstances; that
nothing would induce them to give him
up; and the better plan to save bloodshed
would be for the chiefs to withdraw and
take with them their followers. Seeing
that they could accomplish nothing by
intimidation, or by superior numbers,
they had recourse +" par!ey, and pro-
posed to compromis, They offered as a
sacrafice two Indians of the tribe in ex-
change for Rain in the-Face.
1t was generosity like that of Artemus
Ward, who offered his wite's relatives on
the altar of his country, for they took
care not to offer for sacrifices any but In
dams of low rank. Rain-in -the-Face was
a very distinguished warrior among them,
and belonged to a family of six brothers,
one Of whom. Iron Horse, was very infu-
entail. The officers prevailed In the end,
and the prisoner was taken to the cavalry
camp. During the time that the Indians
were opposing his removal, the Troopers
had assembled around the entrance,
ready for any emergency, and prepared
to escort the murderer away. The In.
dams instantly vanished; all went quickly
and quietly to their camp, ten miles.dis
tant. Lat r in the day a party of fifteen
mounted warriors dashed through the
agency to the road beyond, which had to
be taken by our troopers on the way
home. OF course our officers expected
al attack from that party when they be.
gan their homeward march; TO their sur.
prise, they were unmolested. We learn,
ed afterwards that the mounted Indians
went to the camp of Two Bears to urge
the young braves there to combine with
them in the recapture OF Rain in-the
Face. Two Bears had long been friendly
to the white man; he was too old to fight
and prevented his young man from join
ing in the contemplated rescue.
After the command had returned ard
the officers reported Gen. Custer sent for
Rain-in-the-Eace He was tall. straight
and young. His face was quite lmper-
turable. In a subsequent interview the
General locked himself in his room with
him. Through an Interpreter and with
every clever question and infinite patti
ence he spent hours trying to induce the
Indian to acknowledge his crime. The
eulprit's face finally lost its impervious
look and he showed some agitation.
II MURDERS.