Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1889-08-24
and success as woman never ruled be-

and success rs woman never ruled Do
fore. ar
She was of the royal blood of the MI,
amis. Her young son had been singled
ont "a her successor, but before ne
could attain the great distinction OF
leadership and command the obedience
of his rivals for the high place, he must
distinguish himself by some deed OF
prowess-must show that he was brave
and resolute as well as wise and dellD-
crate. The captive was now bound to
the stake, and as the merry execution
ers leaped high about him with the Tag
COTS. Tau-cum-wa sat in the outer ring
of spectators trying to form a plan Tor
the advancement of her son, endeavor-
ing to take advantage of the circum-
stance of the sacrifice to call the favor
able notice of the assembled warriors to
her candidate for the honors OF chief.
Her scheme was soon perfected and was
impaired to Pe-she-wa, who carried it
out with spirit worthy of the son OF so
noble a mother. The plan was to save
the victim from a horrible death, to
snatch from the fire the hapless victim,
to cheat the warriors and the women OF
the pleasure of the sacrifice.
The scene had now become one of
great animation. The whole of the
camp had gathered. On the outer linn
its of the throng stood the gloating
women, holding up their babes to glad
den their eyes with the sight of the inn
notation. The inner circles were COM
posed of painted warriors, who filled the
air with their vociferations and coarse
jests. All eyes were fixed upon the
pale victim as, with hands and feet
dashed to the stake, he faced his tor
mentors. The executioner sprang into
the ring, and, waving aloft a lighted
torch, and with many fantastic motions
of the body he approached the captive.
In moment more the fire would be
ignited and the hellish feast would
be on. Now was the supreme moment
for the aged chieftess. She slipped q
knife into the hands of her son, babe
him leap to the captive's rescue, loose
with his sharp blade the helpless victim,
proclaim aloud his craftsmanship and
leave the rest to her sagacity.
Fired by the inspiration of his ambi-
tious mother. the young warrior electri-
fed the crowd by springing into their
midst. He dashed the torch-bearer
aside, waved his cleaning knife, pro-
claimed that he was the chief chosen by
the Great Spirit, and after few slashes
of his knife babe the prisoner go free.
and surprise filled the
minds of the Indians. Although
cheated of their prize, they were so car
ried away with the heroism of the son
Of their chieftess that they regarded
him with feelings of admiration rather
than displeasure and were very gen.
orally satisfied at the strangeness of the
denouement and bold rescue. Pc
she-wa, the Wild Cat. was thereafter a
favorite, esteemed by all the tribe as
god and he became straightway chief
Of the first rank.
After satisfying herself of the COM
plete success of her plan, and after see
ing the surprise of the crowd changed
to admiration of her son and his valorous
deed, the willy mother, in the confusion,
conducted the white man out of the vii
lage, and placed him in a canoe which
was covered with peltries. The canoe
was given into the keeping of some
Indians and was soon gliding
down the Maumee River safely out of
the reach of the blood-thirsty Miamis.
The sequel of this thrilling incident
Chief Richardville stated to Mr..
Hamilton with much satisfaction. Many
years afterwards, being on his way to
to visit the President, he
stopped at town in Ohio. A stranger
and carefully scrutinized
him. Suddenly he threw his arms
around the Chiefs neck. It was the
prisoner, who now in his old
age embraced his benefactor with all
the warmth of filial affection and graft
tude. The meeting was one of mingled
pleasure and surprise to both. As the
leading chief of his tribe, and in their
behalf, Richardville was present at and
signed the treaty of st. Mary's, Ohio,
on October 6, 1878. Before that time,
however, he was a party to the impor-
tant treaty of Greenville, in 1875, and
his name was also signed to the treaty
of Fort Wayne, in June, 1903, and the
treaty made at Vincennes. Ind, in 1905.
=