Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1888-03-02

"hiCA Gan De put ul.ou tno NnesL OF uAfk
marbles.
1t was the extreme beauty of this
polish upon Indian ornaments, and the
knowledge that owing to the Jealous
guardianship of the Indians, there would
be considerable difficulty in obtaining 50
large piece of the rock, that had in
duced the st. Louis merchant to offer
Jorgensen large sum for a block of
tabletop size.
But thus far all had gone famously in
the enterprise. The stone was found
easy of access at the quarry . which Red
Buffalo had led them, and, with the aid
of a sledge-hammer and crow-bar, Odolph
and Hans soon succeeded in breaking
into proper shape and dimensions fine
block of notified stone, varying in color
from light pink to the deepest ruby red.
The most common color is dark red, or
nearly oliver color"
The Indian then demanded and re-
ceived the one hundred dollars, which
Jorgensen Ind agreed to pay him, before
starting upon the return. The other prop
erty was TO be turned over at Yankton.
After this had been done, they set out
upon the way back. The chief, by agree.
ment, was to accompany them all the
way, as a safeguard, should any party of
Sioux accidentally discover their trail
and the object of their trip, or come
| upon them with any hostile intent-some
thing which any white traveller might
expect i'll those regions at that time.
That night they camped on the cast
bank of the Big Sioux, at the crossing,
or ford, of an old military trail, one they
had followed for some distance in coming
out of lankton. The next morning,
when Odol ph and Hans awoke, the chief
was gone. Odolph had lett him on
guard at two o'clock--they had kept
guard by relief and the rascal had
stolen out to his pony mounted and
ridden away. He had taken nothing,
however, not belonging to him, having
refrained, probably, with the hope Of
leaving behind an impression of honesty
and fair dealing.
Jorgensen suspected trcachery imme-
diately. He remembered with alarm the
consultation with the braves at the
Agency, of which he-and the Chief
knew it-understood not word; also
the strict injunction OF secrecy which
Bad Buffalo had laid upon him, and
the now doubly Alarming and significant
fact that the Chief had not entered the
town of Yankton at all, but had stopped
| all night with a half-breed some miles
above, and had contrived to Join Hans
and himself the next morning upon the
prairie where there would be no wit
nesSes.
All that had seemed natural enough at
the time, knowing, as the fur trader did,
the peculiar characteristics of the Indian.
Now, however, the thought came to
him with startling significance that no
white man had seen the Indian in their
company at all
Odolph felt sorely chagrined at his
short sighted confidence, and told his
fears briefly to Hans
I'VE must put that stone in the
river said he, land get out of this
country by some other way than we came,
and we must do it SOON"
Hans was badly frightened, but he
obeyed commands with his usual sturdy
faithfulness, and in a short time the two
had crossed the river in their wagon,
having dumped out the precious stone
into four feet of water, and were driving
hurriedly down the valley on the wesl
side. They pushed on this way for sew,
eral hours along the valley and across the
points of numerous bluffs that pushed
out into it, and then halted in the mouth
of deep rayine, where they determined
to lie in wait until dark, and then drive
straight-or as straight as possible
across the prairie for Yankton.
Odolph reasoned that if they could
reach that point without being seen by
Indians-for he firmly believed that {
party Of Bad Buffalo's bucks were lying
in wait for them along the military roac
the chief would conclude that he haG
lodged them and got safe through will
the pipe-stone, and they could very safe
ly go back in time and get it. On the
other hand, it, as was more than likely
they were caught, the rascals could have
no cause for picking quarrel
The sequel proved his surmises correct,
but, as will be seen, his tactics availed
him little as means of preventing
! trouble.
After halting in the ravine, the Danes
| picketed their horses upon the chill
ate cold lunch of raw bacon anC
crackers, and then threw themselve
upon the grass with their carbines be
side them, to await the coming of nigh
or whatever of adventure the Afternoon
might bring them.
They had not great while to wait fo
n1, Am I'm IN SAn
ture.
They had lain an hour or two, anC
Odolph was stretched upon his bacl
with half closed eyes. when Hans sudden
ly sprang up and exclaimed in frightened
tones: "Nia GVd, OdOlpH De k0mme a
dr9be os" (They are coming to kill us.
Odolph sprang to his feet in time tC
see appear upon the ridge the last one o
squad of Indian horsemen who hat
come over the northern bluff and wer,
ambling down toward them.
There were eighteen or twenty of them
all bucks, and armed to man with car
bine and musket.
Those fellows mean mischief, Hans
sure enough, " said Jorgenseu, speaking
in their native tongue. "Stand bacl
here away from the wagon, a little behint
me and do as you see me do, and throw
ing his carbine carelessly across his lef
arm the fur buyer awaited the Indian
approach with all the careless assuranc
he could assume.
AS the squad drew near, Odolph an,
his frightened companion saw that tn
faces of all of them were hideously be
dauted with glaring paints, green, black
yellow and vermilion
They were scattered out in single fiji
before reaching the bottom of the ravine
and the leaders chief, if Odolph coul,