St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-12-23
The GREVE INTERIOR.

ing, II always on duty, they nave right
to delegate their authority to others
from day to day, who are for the time
being fully recognized. In this way.
the burden is equally distributed among
the younger warriors, the older men
being exempt from a task requiring
more activity and endurance than they
possessed.
ltwas on cold morning in the month
of November that | started from the
camp on horseback for my daily hunt.
The game was unusually scarce, and |
had ridden several miles without firing
a shot. At length eSpied in the river
at the mouth Of a small tributary a flock
of mallard ducks. and hoping to pro-
cure a change in our meat diet. | dis
mounted, extracted the ball from my
double-barrcl and loaded them with
shot instead. Crawling warily along,
! had nearly approached within gun
SHOT when the fierce cry OF soldier
close to me pierced my ears, and | was
p0unced upon and my weapon WTeSted
from me in a twinkling. The savage
told me | was on forbidden ground, and
must be punished. He raised my valued
Scott gun above his head, as if he i'll
tended to dash it to pieces upon the
ground. | intercepted this movement
and reminded my asSailant that the
breaking of guns was forbidden, as they
could not be replaced. Handing back
the gun to me, he seized the fur cap |
wore, transferred it to his oWn greasy
pate, and sternly ordered me to return
60 camp, threatening further punish
menJ in the evening. | demonstrated
with him, asserting that | had not
crossed the prohibited riVulet. He told
me he was the proper judge, and 1
deemed it prudent not 10 eXaSperate
him 10y further argument. | forthwith
made the best of my way back to the
camp Oareheaded. where | found my
hunting companion, Alex f., and IN
formed hun OF what had occurred, and
of the soldiers threat, which meant
that our lodge would be slit in divers
places, and some of our kettles and
other furniture knocked to pieces.
The dilemma was Il grave one, and
something must be done to avert, if pos
sible, the catastrophe. Our lodge was a
beautiful one, made of tanned or dressed
buffalo skins, and almost as white as
snow. 1t had the place of honor by the
side of the soldiers lodge in the center
of the camp. which was circular in
form. We had on hand a small supply
of sweet corn dried after the Indian
fashion, which we were keeping for
special occasion. \ huge kettle was
procured and partly filled with choice
venisou, to which was added the
precious vegetable Sterc, and as the
evening approached ii was placed ovef
the fire and the contents thoroughly
cooked, forming a most savOry mess
sufficient in quantity to Salty the cray
ings of dozen hungry whites. Pipes
and smoking material were prepared and
buffalo robes spread around the cheer
full fire, which blaZed in the center of
the lodge. Not long had we to wait be-
fore the peculiar cry of the coming sol
dierS Signiiied that punishment was to
be visited upon one OF more dellnQuentS.
Alex and | went forth to meet them,
and after expressing our fears that they
must be faint and weary after their long
fast. we pressed them 10 enter our lodge.
and partake of the feast specially got
up for their benefit. After some delay
and consultation among themselves, the
soldiers, six in number, graclOuSly ac-
ceDted our invitation, and they did not
quit that repast of fat things until they
had deVoured all that the great vessel
contained. They were then presented
with lighted pipes and an extra plug of
tobacco to each individual, and more
placid and cOntented lot of SavageS |
never had looked upon. We then deli
cately reminded our guests that our
lodge, in winch they were being so hos
pitably entertained, was too costly and
beautiful TO be marred by soldiers
knives, and as a return for our kind
treatment, we felt assured that our
friends would refrain from doing fur
Their damage to our persons or property.
After sundry jokes at our expense, they
graciouSly agreed TO let us OIL scot free,
and the fellow who had so unceTemOn-
iously appropriated my fur cap returned
il to me. but | was careful not to make
USE of 1t until il had undergone a thor
Ough cleansing and fumigation.
We thus escaped 4 serious visitation
by the sacrifice of all our treasured
sweet corn, but neither forgot nor for
gave the scamp who had made me ride
al least tea miles, with no covering TO
my head. in the face of a Northwest
wind, with the mercury down in the
twenties, and determined to watch for
an opportunity to get even with MIN in
perfectly legitimate way, and 1t was not
very long before | was gratitied.
As | have stated, no one, white or red,
was exempt from soldier duty, and it SO
happened one day that my quandam
friend and myself found ourselves in
Cluded in the same detail. In company
with four others, we left the camp be-
fore sunrise to guard against trespasses
of the prescribed limits. / alone was
mounted, and was accompanied by my
magnificent Irish wolf-dog Lion. who
has been immortaliZed by Frank For
ester in his works, and later by Mrs.
Gen. Fremont in the columns of the
Sportsman. The prairie through which
we travelled to our destination was in
terSDerSed with groves of poplar, and
often light woods, and in traverSing one
of these we started a large buck. l dis
charged my gun at him, but it was a
long shot and missed, and Lion took
up the chase while we continued on our
route.
As the buck made for the thick tim
Der, had no idea, fleet as he was. that
the dog would oYertake him. We had
not, however, proceeded more than
three miles when, emerging upon the
open prairie. we discovered in the dis
lance two objects which seemed TO be
engaged in combat, or in play, we could