The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1886-07-02
An Indian Seer.

In reading the advertising columns OF
any popular daily, writes CORE.
spondent ofthe Kansas City times, one
can not but be surprised at the num-
Der OF clairvoyants and other seers,
who even in this aye 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 Nebraska with a guide
who knew the wilderness about us as
farmer knows his field. One night
we went into camp by q small spring,
where party OF Indians had pitched
their tents. They were of the st.
Francois tribe, an old acquaintance
OF my guide. One of them he pointed
out to me as having received his gov
ernment annuity for lO7 years. If he
had set his age at ITO l should not
have disputed it. He was mere
shadow OF n man dried and withered
until he scarcely looked human. His
head was bald and polished; his face
like dried rawhide. His name in En-
glish was Louie Coska, but his own
people called him by many-jolnted
name meaning one who can cali the
spirit out. / suppose Western In.
dians call such medicine men.
"What can you snow me? Where
can you send my soul?" l asked, Gu
riously, when l had listened to long
account of his doings. He shook his
head and churkled and looked at me
awhile and then said: "Maybe you
han't got no soul Well, l will see!'
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 di-
rected me where to stand and told me
to look into the fire. From buck
skin bag swung around his neck he
took bits of bark and gum and threw
them into the embers, muttering all the
time q sing-song sort OF chant. His
look, his motions, as he would bend
nearer the fire as if to warm himself
and then suddenly spring up to more
than natural height, swinging one foot
and one hand alternately, wereso sun-
NY that l had to fix my whole mind
on the fire to avoid laughing. / will
say that l thought him q 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 whiffs OF per-
fume indescribably sweet. followed by
stencil, sitting and noisome beyond
compare. By this time the woods be-
yond the gleam of our fire was in dark
ness, and as gazed the gloom seemed
to lift-to swing out like O curtain.
The coal upon which gazed becamea a
flame; around the flame there was
formed crystal case, which, as l
looked, became q lamp chimney.
The old man screamed final
word, and thrust me forward almost
on to the fire. Stillgazing / saw this: A
room, large and comfortably furnish
ed, lit by single lamp. Lamplight
and freight cleaned on many articles
known to me OF old, and beside the
fire, with knitting in her hand and
Bible on her knee, sat NY mother.
Every feature was distinct. noted
the gray threads among the locks
once so black. l saw that her lips
trembled and her eyes were wet. 1t
was OF me she thought. 1t was my
absence that wet her eyes with tears.
knew this in some underlined way,
but Iknew it, and bent nearer and
nearer. Suddenly her face became
convulsed, her lips quivered. She
raised her hands toward heaven. "My
boy!" she whispered. "Oh my boy''
she murmured, when, presto! as if the
word had had power to dissolve the
charm, room, lamp, an9 mother all
were gone, and was struggling in the
arms OF the guide, but for whose in
reference | 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
morning after troubled sleep their
camp was deserted, and I never saw
them again.