Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1886-06-25
An Indian Seer.

In reading the advertising columns OF
any popular daily, writes a CORE.
spondent fthe 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 q guide
who knew the wilderness about us as
q farmer knows his field. One night
we went into camp by a 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
eminent annuity for 1O7 years. If he
had set his age at ITO I should not
have disputed it.. He was q mere
shadow OF a 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 a many-jolnted
name meaning one who can call the
spirit out. I suppose Western In
dams call such medicine men.
"What can you snow me? Where
can you send my soul?" I asked, Gu
riously, when l had listened to 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, 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 buck
skin bag swung around his neck he
took bits of bark and gum and threw
them into the embers, muttering all the
time 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 I had to fix my whole mind
on the fire to avoid laughing. l will
say that l thought him q humbug;
that he could have any power over
me I did not believe. AS l gazed the
embers frightened. From the bits OF
bark cast in there came whiffs OF per-
fume indescribably sweet, followed by
a stencil, sitting and noisome beyond
compare. By this time the woods be-
yond the gleam of our fire was in dark.
| ness, and as I gazed the gloom seemed
to lift-to swing out like a curtain.
! The coal upon which gazed became a
flame; around the flame there was
formed a crystal case, which, as
! looked, became lamp chimney.
The old man screamed a fna1
word, and thrust me forward almost
on to the fire. Stillgazing Isaw this: A
| room, large and comfortably furnish
| ed, lit by a single lamp. Lamp}ight
and freight cleaned on many articles
| known to me Of old, and beside the
fire, with knitting in her hand and
Bible OH her knee, sat NY mother
Every feature was distinct. I noted
the gray threads among the locks
once 50 black. I saw that her lips
tre1nbled 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 knew it, and l 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! SIS if the
word had had power to dissolve the
charm, room, lamp, and mother al
were gone, and was struggling in the
arms OF the guide, but for whose in
reference l should have fallen face
foremost into the fire. The conjurel
brought q dish of water and flung il
over the Goals. distinguishing then
completely, and hobbled away tc
roost without word in reply to my
questions, without even glancing il
my direction, and when l rose in the
morning after q troubled sleep thei,
camp was deserted, and l never saw
them again.