Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1888-08-16
vnrnRs IN THE GRASS.

lntutH VI RupAs nihlAis VI hhlC-
quah, few days ago, who was en-
terlaining a group of idlers in his
usual pleasant and amusing way,
"I've got something to tell you
something rather strange"
1t may be well, before rehcars-
ing the Captains story, to tell
where he lives. Tahlequah is just
in the edge Of the prairie, and
partly in the prairie. "Like a city
on a hill, is the Captains home,
about halfa mile west oftown on an
elevation in the prairie, about one
hundred feet above the grounds Of
the capitol building Going home
he has to climb a considerable
grassy slope, and it was in the
grass by the roadside he heard the
small voices Of what he took to be
young pOrtridges.
"Not only strange, but laugha-
BILE, too" continued the Captain.
"You may call it a phenomenon
or what you please, but / assure
you | was not a little puzzled" ."
"Go ahead, Captain" remarked
one of the group; eve are getting
interested"
"Well gentlemen," i" he began. ;
he pulled down his chin-whiskers
so hard that his mouth came open
and disclosed a good sized quid OF
"Star," as from his high position
he looked down on the group
through the lower lenses Of his
binoculars.
GAS Mr.. Patrick Henry and my
self were walking home the. other
day my attention was called by
Mr.. Henry to curious voices that
seemed TO come from a rut Of
wagon wheel, overgrown with grass
and weeds. The noise was that of
young partridges running immedi-
ately ahead of us in the rut. 1t
made no difference how fast we
walked, the tiny twittering voices
kept ahead of US, and VIC could not
discover from what ;hey proceeded.
1 said to Mr.. Henry, III find out
what it is. >"
Here the Captain went through
a pantomime Of one going to make
a long jump, at the same time put
ting on an expression Of detcrm-
ina,ion.
"Well gentlemen, ] lit right
among them, and what do you
think it was? Nothing; there was
nothing there, but instead we
heard the voices on the other side
of the road. How the things
crossed the road without being
seen was a mystery TO US. l was
more determined to find out from
what the voices proceeded, if it
took the balance Of the day. So
again | went for the voices in
the grass, but instead Of trying
again the jumping plan, l pulled
off my hatr-here the Captain
took Off his hat and exposed a head
quite bald and we'll developed
about the seat Of veneration-"and
threw It right in the midst Of the
voices. ! went to where my hat
was, and there was that eternal
chee, chee, chee-e-e-e in the grass
Off in another place, still going on
as though they were not in the
least disturbed. ! tried the hat
experiment several times more
with the same result, and tell
you what, l felt ticklish as we'll as
hot from my efforts to find out
what the thing was. The mercury
at a hundred in the shade, you
must know | was hot"
Here the Captain, who il a full
blood democrat, drew from his hip
pocket a bandanna and mopped his
head and face.
"Go ahead Captain and let's
hear what it was" remarked one
of the crowd.
"Well gentlemen" he went on,
as the recollection Of the amusing
finale came up in his mind and
caused him to foreshadow what it
was by merry twinkle in his eyes:
"As / was picking up my hat for
about the fourth time, / accidental
ly cast my eyes upwards and what
do you suppose ! saw?"
Here the Captain looked down
on his anxious listeners with an
expression that for a while betook
OF shade Of remorseness that
tapered off, in a thought, to the
comic and amusing
1--WE do not cast our eyes often
enough above for that which we
need most in this life. If we did,
there is many a mystery that
would be easily understood, or
with which we Sould at once be.