The southern sentinel. (Winnfield, La.) 1883-1910, 1885-08-07

wa no scarcity of arms or ammunition
| IN the Indian camp. They had NOR
thar they could use.
Just before the embassy" went int
the 4odoc Chiefs presence, Mr.. Steele
said to the newspaper men:
ssGentlemen. want to impress upol
y0u that, being entirely at the mercy
of these people, we are in q delicat,
position. You must leave to Fairchill
and myself the whole business of thi.
mission. Do not talk to the Indian.
or try to watch us closely. and do ex
actly rs we do. Everything must be
concll;atory. Some Of these foolish
young chiefs may seem impert nent. or,
indeed. insult u.s. We must submit to
any indignity, come how 1t may. II
Captain Jack asks you who you are IL
viii be . good point for you to say that
you are the men who write for the
great newspapers which reach the eye
OF the Great Father. aud that his COM
plants will be carefully taken down.
Now, let US be cautions and l believe
there will be no danger"
Everybody trusted Steele and Fair
child, and for once there were gath
cred as quiet, IS demure and as un-
ostentatious . lot of newspaper men as
ever assembled. There were no at
tempts ct interviewing. no bustling
about for pointers. and no button
holing on the quiet in search of
scoops" Each man simply held his
breath and listened. The Nodoc
Statesmen were one and all freed from
newspaper pertinacity.
Captain Jacks cave was a ..vaulted
chamber" of natures make. 1t was
created by volcanic action, and the en-
trance to it was not more than ten
feet wide. The latter was irregular.
and one had to follow q dark and intri-
cate chamber. Once inside. the room
was perhaps sixty feet long by thirty
feet wide. The council fire of sage
brush and CROSSWORD was in full
blast and around it, sitting ON their
launches, were more than one hum
dred Indians. The only squaws pres
emit were Captain Jacks two wives.
one an old pure blooded Modoc. and
the other paler-faced and rather
comely woman. evidently possessed of
. strain Of white blood. She spoke no
English. however. The embassy
was escorted in by Scar-Faced Charley.
Captain Jack sat in the rear of the cave
on mat Of twigs, and one of his wives
on either side of him. He looked up as |
the party entered, and half smiled 1t |
Fairchild. Then he took Steele's |
pro6ered hand. but he did not rise |
rom his seat Then followed hand
nj around. If anybody thinks
his was not irksome he had better try
{ some time. Six people had each to
'hake hands with over ono hundred |
Indians, every one armed to the teeth.
Blinded BY the smoke of the fire in
he cave, each white stomach some
THAT disturbed BY the noisome smells
rom . not too cleanly housekeeping.
md. withal the absolute necessity Of
xpressfng delight in the face il none
q the heart. imposed . task upon the
indians guests which required some
xercise Of will General Candy had
cen thoughtful enough to send along
couple OF hundred cigars with which
Q aid In subduing the savage soul.
|efore another word was uttered Fair
hid opened those and distributed
hem.
One Of the funniest things in aborie-
M economy ID to see an untutored !
lvage smoke . cigar. Ed. Fox. of !!
ew York, came near sacrificing the
ves q thewhole Embassy by laughing
hen Hooka Jim bit his cigar hall waS (
! the middle. put one piece In his
ocket and stuck the other in his {
loutA. elevated q an angle Of sixty :
/