The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1886-05-15
THE DEATH VIAL.


Peaceful Behavior.
s"Well, doctor, what news?"
.Oh, the redskins are having talk
down there, and by the way some of
them looked at me as l passed, l should
say they mean mischief" 81 a.
"Hum! That's awkward"
1t was awkward indeed. The two
men who were speaking and the two
American hunters who accompanied
them were the only white men among
a whole tribe of Indians, and if it came
toa fight (Which seemed probable
enough just then), their Indian guides
were quite as likely to fight against
them as for them. What was to be
done?
"They know that we've come to
trade with them, !" growled the younger
man, ''and that we must have plenty
of things with us that are worth TAX
ing, and if they choose to get them
cheap by simply cutting our heads off,
] don't quite see how we're to hinder
them. What fools we were to come
here at ALI"
Little did the Disconnected speaker
dream that, not many years later,
thousands of white men-ay, and
white women and children, too-would
be carried safely and easily across that
wild region by express trains running
from one side of the American CONT
nent to the other, and that the very
name of the Indians who were now
threatening him would then be almost
forgotten.
'Wait bit,'' said the doctor. GIVE
got PLAN"
"Have youp What is it?"
"Well, answered the doctor, STEP
pinginto the rude wigwam allotted to
them, and bringing out small brass
bound box, II heard one of the In
dams say something just now about
the bad spirit that came among them
twelve moons ago, and killed many OF
their warriors with sickness Then ]
noticed that several of them were
marked with smallpox, and that was
what gave me my idea"
But before the doctor could explain
what his idea was, the young Indian
chief was seen coming up the hill to-
ward them, followed by fifteen or twen-
ty of his best warriors, all well armed,
and looking unpleasantly fierce. In
stantly the two traders seated them
selves in the door of the wigwam,
with the two hunters standing behind
them, rifle in hand, ready to fire at the
first sign of mischief.
The Indians sat down in circle right
in front of the white men, but for
some minutes not a word was uttered.
At length the young chief himself rose
and spoke.
"Pale-facesl yehave hunting grounds
OF your own far away toward the ris-
ing sun and the great bitter water.
Why come We hither into the lands
which the Great Spirit has given to his
red children, to trouble them and do
them wrongp"
"There is a cloud before the eyes of
my red brother" answered the doctor,
in the same language, ''or he would not
speak thus. We come not to troubled or
to wrong our brothers who live toward
the setting sun, but to trade with them
and TO be their friends"
Friends echoed the chief, scom-
fully. ssThese were the words of the
pale-faces who came among us when
ago. But when they had eaten of our
venison, and smoked the pipe of peace
at our fire, they stole from us and
cheated us. Their scalps now hang in
our wigwams, and perhaps" he added
patting his long knife Significantly,
s.there may be other scalps there soon. !"
A stern hum ran through the listen
ing circle OF Indians, and for mo-
mcnt they seemed about to spring up
and rush upon the Americans. But
Just then the doctor rose, and holding
up his hand for silence, spoke thus:
Chief Of the Shaways! we have come
to you as guests, and now ye threaten
to kill us because We think we are few
and feeble But the white men, though
few In number, are mighty in skin.
Seer and he pointed to the brass
bound box at his feet ''In this box
hold that which can sweep you all from
the earth as the wind sweeps the dust
of summer"
The threat was uttered 50 firmly and
boldly that several of the superstitious
Indians were seen to exchange startled
glances, and the young chief himself
began to look uneasy, although he
tried to mask his agitation by answer
ing haughtily.
words are not as sharp as toma-
hawks, nor a. heavy a. war clubs. Let
the pale-face show US that what he says
g.