The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1886-06-03

An Old st. Francois Redskin Convinces
a Skeptic OF His Power.

In reading the advertising columns
OF any popular daily, writes CORES
| pondent of the Kansas City Times, one
can not but be surprised at the number
OF clairvoyants and other seers, who
even in this age of skepticism find it
profitable to advertise their powers. My
experience with these gifted people is
slight, but unique and worth relating.
| was once travelling in northern Ne
braska with a guide who knew the
viloaI-'.osS about Us as a farmer knows
his fields. One night we went into
camp by a small spring. where party
of Indians had pitched their ten: 1hey
were of the ST. Francois tribe, and GU
acquaintance of my guide. One OF
Them he pointed out to me as having re-
ceived his government annuity for lO7
years. If he had set his age at 10 L
should not have disputed it. He was a
mere shadow of man, dried and with
cred until he scarcely looked human.
His head was bald and polished; his
face like dried rawhide His name in
English was Louie Coska, but his own
people called him by many-jointed
name meaning one who can call the
spirits out | suppose western Indians
call such medicine men.
"What can you show me? Where can
you send my soul?" l asked, curiouSly,
when ! had listened TO a long account
of his doings. He shook his head and
chuckled and looked at me awhile and
then said: Maybe you han't got no
soul. Well, | will seer Supper was
over by this time and the fires dying
down, but he pushed the charred ends
together until they began to smolder
but did not blaze. He directed me
where to stand and told me to look into
the fire. From Il buckskin bag swung
around his neck he took bits of bark
and gum and threw them into the en-
bers, muttering all the time a sing-sort
of chant. His look, his motions, as he
would bend nearer, nearer til fire as if
to warm himself and then suddenly
spring up to more than natural height,
swinging one foot and one hand alter
nately. We're so funny that | had to fix
my whole mind on the FIRE to avoid
laughing | viii say that thought him
humbug; that he could have any
power over me | did not believe. As |
gazed the embers frightened From
the bits of bark cast in there came
whiifs of perfume indescribably sweet,
followed by Il stencil, sitting and moi
some beyond compare. BY this time the
woods beyond the CLEAN of our fire was
in darkness, and rs | gazed the gloom
seemed to lift-to swing out like a cur
tain. The coal upon which | gazed be-
came a flame; around the flame there
was formed crystal case, which, as |
looked, became lamp chimney. The
old man screamed a final word, and
thrust me forward almost on to the fire.
Still gazing | saw this: a room, large
and comfortably furnished, lit by a
single lamp. Lamplight and freight
cleaned on many articles known to me
OF old. and beside the fire, with knit
I lg in her hand and bible on her knee,
sat my mother. Every feature was dis
tinct. noted the gray threads among
the locks once so black. | saw that her
lips trembled and her eyes were wet. 1t
was of me she thought. 1t was my alb
sence that wet her eyes with tears. |
knew this in some underlined way, but |
knew it, and bent nearer and nearer.
Suddenly her face became convulsed,
her lips quiyeTed She raised her hands
toward heaven. ''My boyr' she whis-
pered 30 my boy" she murmured,
when, presto! as if the word had had
power to dissolve the charm, room,
lamp, and mother all were gone, and L
was struggling in the arms of the guide,
but for whose interference | should have
fallen face foremost into the fire. The
conjurer brought dish of water and
flung it over the Goals, extinguishing
them completely, and hobbled away to
roost without a word in reply to my
questions, without even glancing in my
direction, and when | rose in the morn
ing after troubled sleep their camp
was deserted, and l never saw them