The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1886-06-03
AN INDIAN SEER.
The Mysterious Gift Possessed ~ An Old
st. Francois Redskin.

h Mysterious Gift Possessed ny An Old
st. Francois Redskin.
In reading the advertising columns
of any popular daily n can not but be
surprised at the number of clairvoyants
and other seers, who eve in this age of
skepticism find it profitable to advertise
their powers. Myexperience 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 farm
er knows his fields. One night we
went into camp by a small spring,
where a party of Indians had pitched
their tent. They were of the st. Fran
co.'s tribe, and old acquaintance of my
me as having received his Government
If he had set his age at n hundred and
seventy l should not have disputed it.
He was a mere shadow of a 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 a
many-jointed name meaning one who
a call the spirit out. 1 suppose West
ern Indians calls such medicine men.
"What can you show me? Where
can you send my soulP" l asked, curl
ously, when I had listened to a 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, 1 will sect"
Supperwas yer 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 a buckskin
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 1 had to fix
my whole mind on the fire to avoid
laughing. l will say that Thought him
a humbug; that he could have any
power over me 1 did not believe. As ]
gazed the embers frightened. From
the bits of bark cast in there came whifs
of perfume indescribably sweet, fol
lowed by a stencil, sitting and noisome
beyond compare. By this time the
woods beyond the CLEAN of our fire was
in darkness, and as 1 gazed the gloom
seemed to lift-to swing out like a cur.
tain. The coal upon which 1 gazed be.
| came a flame; around the flame there
was formed a crystal case, which, as !
looked, became a lamp chimney. The
| old man screamed a final word, and
thrust me forward almost on to the fire.
Still gazing l saw this: A room, large
and comfortably furnished, lit by a sin,
gle lamp. Lamplight and freight
cleaned on many articles known to me
| of old, and beside the fire, with knit.
| ting in her hand and Bible on her knee,
sat my mother. Every feature was dis.
| tinct. l noted the gray threads among
| the locks once SO black. 1 saw. that hel
lips trembled and her eyes were wet.
1t was of me she thought. 1t was my
absence that vet her eyes with tears. ]
knew this in some underlined way, but
| knew it, and l bent nearer and nearer.
Suddenly her face became convulsed
her lips %quivered. She raised her hands
toward Heaven. s.My boy!" she whis
pered. 80 my boy!" she murmured
when, presto! as if the word had hat
power to dissolve the charm, room
lamp and mother all were gone. and
was. struggling in the arms of the guide
but for whose interference Ishouldbavt
fallen face foremost into the fire. The
conjurer brought a dish of water anc
flung it over the Goals, extinguishins
them completely, and hobbled away t.
roost without a word in reply to m,
questions, without even glancing in my
direction, and when 1 rose in the morn
ing after a troubled sleep their camy
was deserted, and l never say then
again.-Cor. Kansas City Times.