St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1886-06-19
AN INDIAN SEER.
The Mysterious Gift Possessed by An Old
St. Francois Redskin.

The Mysterious Gift Possessed by An Old
st. Francois Redskin.
In reading the advertising columns
of any popular daily 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. l was once travelling
in northern Nebraska with a guide who
knew the wilderness about us as a farm
er knows his fields. One night we
went into camp by small spring,
where party of Indians had pitched
their tent. They were of the ST. Fran
co.'s tribe, and old acquaintance of my
guide. One of them he pointed out to
me as having received his Government
annuity one hundred and seven years.
If he had set his age at one hundred and
seventy should not have disputed it.
He was mere shadow of man, dried
and withered until he scarcely looked
human. His head was bald and pol
ished; his face like dried rawhide. His
name in English was Louis Coska,
but his own people called him by
many -jointed name meaning one who
can call the spirit out | suppose West
ern Indians calls such medicine men.
'What can you show me? Where
can you send my soul?' l asked, curl
ously, when | had listened to long &C
count of his doings. He shook his
head and chuckled and looked at me
awhile and then said: '.May be you
hain't got no soul. Well, I 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 buckskln
bag swung around his neck he took
bits of bark and gum and threw them
into the embers, muttering all the time
a sing-song sort of chant. His looks,
his motions, as he would bend nearer,
nearer the fire as if to warm himself
and then suddenly spring up to more
than natural height, swinging
one foot and one hand alter
nately, were so funny that had to fix
my whole mind on the fire to avoid
laughing. I will 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 whitfs
of perfume indescribably sweet, fol-
lowed by stencil, sitting and noisome
beyond compare. By this time the
woods beyond the CLEAN Of our fire was
in darkness, and as | gazed the gloom
seemed to lift-to swing out like cur
tain. The coal upon which [ gazed be-
came flame; around the flame there
was formed crystal case, which, as
looked, became a lamp chimney. The
old man screamed final word, and
thrust me forward almost on to the fire
Still gazing [ saw this: A room, large
and comfortably furnished, lit by sin
gle lamp. Lamplight and freight
cleaned on many articles known to me
IF old, and beside the fire, with knit
TING in her hand and Bible on her knee
sat nv mother Every feature was dis
tinct. noted the gray threads among
the locks once so black. | saw that hel
lips trembled and her eyes were wet
IT was of me she thought. 1t was my
absence that wet her eyes with tears.
knew THIS III SOIut uuuCnhCu "oys Ooo
knew it, and l bent nearer and nearer
Suddenly her face became convulsed
her lips quivered. She raised her hand
toward Heaven. s.My boy!' she Whis
pered. 90 my boy!' she murmured
when, presto! as if the word had hat
mower to dissolve the charm, room
lamp and mother all were gone, and
was struggling in the arms of the guide
but for whose interference Ishould hay
fallen face foremost into the fire. Tn
coniurer brought dish of water am
flung it over the Goals, extinguishini
them completely, and hobbled away t
roost without word in reply to M
questions, without even glancing in m
direction, and when | rose in the morn
inc after troubled sleep their cam
was deserted, and l never saw then
again.-Cor. Kansas City Times.