Fairhaven herald. [volume] (Fairhaven, Wash.) 1890-????, 1890-06-03


was soon to be submitted to a vote. In
the thickest Of the fight, in fact the rec
ognized leader of the anti. leasers was
Crazy Mule. With a knowledge born of
bitter experience, he knew that any
scheme having for one of its chief OBJ
jects the advancement" of the Indian,
should be examined into, especially if
the chief promoters of that scheme were
their ancient enemy, the cattlemen. In
the proposed lease he saw the entering
wedge that was to divide their reserva-
ton and turn over to the white man
their last foothold on earth.
The agents of the syndicate, early in
the skirmish, recognized that it would
be impossible to win him over. His
hatred ofsthe pale face and his determi.
nation, when once his mind was made up
had long since passed into proverb.
They feared his influence, for his ability
as an orator had been proven in many
councils in the past, and on the lease
question he was fighting with courage
born of despair" He worked upon the
mborn hatred of his followers toward the
! "ihtNHs an" NbhJh th'-iAi3 tHtN ioNCu
their homes, to resist, even to bloodshed,
the proposition.
As the vote would be close, those who
had the matter in charge determined TO
make inroads on Crazy Mules personal
followers by the liberal use of the al
mighty dollar The only difficulty was
to find some one bold enough to carry
J ont tIis rlau aul listr;b,,ta tho paa1f,I
| In looking about them their eyes rested
on Two Bellies, and in him they found
one not only willing but anxious "to
/ beard the lion in his dem" Here was
the very chance for which he longed to
make things even up" and besides who
/ could tell but that in the general shuttle
that would follow the new deal he might
land somewhere near the top: As he
had nothing to lose and everything TO
gain, it was worth trying.
day or two before the election lie
appeared in the village with the sinews
OF war in the shape of silver dollars (for
u blanket Indian will have nothing to do
with paper money!. parasols, yellow
paint. chewing gum aYd other things
dear to the red mans heart, besides a
commission to count the ballot and bring
the returns to the agency.
Il would have taken keen ward
worker to have told ON the morning of
election how the village would vote.
History tells us that when the ballots
were counted the leasers had carried
their point by bare majority; but it
forgets to mention that, in order to do
this, more votes were counted than there
were voters to cast them.
When the old medicine man, by an
hours struggle with mental arithmetic
and final count by noses (the Indian
method of balloting) had discovered this
fact, he got out his Winchester and went
around inquiring for Two Bellies. That
worthy, by this time, however, was far
on the road to the agency, and, as a COW
boy who met him expressed it, HE had
move on himself like a man who wa.
riding for record.
Whether tlas means was fair or foul
the leasers carried the day, and thu
larger part of the reservation was turned
over to the COW men. A change wa
soon noticeable. Substantial building
took the place of dugouts; corrals wer'
built at convenient points; surveyors raj
. the lines between the ranges and win
fences followed close behind.
Down at the agency Two Bellies wa
enjoying the reward for the part he ha'
PLAYED, and, if his work could be judge
by the reward, he had played it well
! Right into the swim he landed, and in
; short time was putting ON the airs OF
! man who owned the pool itself. Discard
4 ing the tribal blanket and "gee string,
r he donned a major generals coat, sprin
T bottom pants and had his moccasir
r beaded to the heel. After the excitemer
S that followed the election had subside
a he began to lay his plans for the futur
a The first thing on the cards was to s
t cure squaw. After accomplishing thi
: being well satisfied with his bargain, |
opened negotiations for another, an
k was soon recognized as a man of faini
/, and of affairs. He also enjoyed Il
a favors and perquisites that former
e fell to the lot of Crazy Mule. As sa
1t him standing in front of the agent
e store one evening, with his hat tilted
l the right angle, his cigar between d
p fingers, practicing splitting between j
= teeth, as became politician of his stan
N ing, thought of the old medicine mi
is out in his lonely village, shorn of VIII
ID power and privileges it was possible +
in the agent to take from him, watchil
lie over and guarding alike his little co
Or patch and the sick children of his f
is lowers, to whom, in spite of defeat,
ne was a chieftain still. And then smil
to as | remembered the words: May
If so, pretty soon, long time come, thin
NJ even up"
al The years rolled by, and in the cour
ng of events another election was held. 1
tn party who had been in power so long
ks Washington city stepped down and Of
ID and the friends of reform took up
IL reins of government.
The old chiefs assumed their plac
Die while the pets of the agents were sent
to the rear.
an As rode along I wondered wi
hit, changes would find at the village, viii
was approaching. If expected an
m was disappointed. The same ours,
on parently, barked and snapped at
he horses heels; the squaws seemed b.
I'd. with the same tasks, and under his arl
ssh the old medicine man sat smoking
vas pipe with the air of a proprietor and
by who had earned his rest, and furtll
l more had the advantage of knowing
ON With wave of the hand that inclu'
his greeting and an invitation to s.
lzy he babe me welcome and fell to ask
log me the whereabouts of the other be
nee who in days gone by had "smoked
oh. old sisters" out of these thickets and 81
on. hills. | answered as best | could,
hat they were scattered from the Rio Ora
his to the British possessions. in turn
ave gan to think of some of those who