The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1890-04-08
THE CHIEFS HORSE.
How a Young Lad Had His Curl
osity Fully Gratif1ed.

For three or four years, when was a
boy, had a great desire to live with the
Indians. Not that really wished to be-
come an Indian; but had heard stories
about Indians, and thought it would be
grand sport to hunt deer with bow and
arrows, hurl tomahawk and paddle a
bark canoe over foresight lakes and
rivers.
AS compared with the drudgery of
work at home on my fathers farm in
Pennsylvania. this free, wild life seemed
very attractive. If only / could 60 and
live with some old Indian chief-live
with him in his lodge and 60 hunting or
on the war-path with him thought
that should be perfectly happy.
A great many boys have had similar
foolish dreams-and even some few
girls! Two young ladies have. within
the last twenty-five years, gone so far
as to marry Indian chiefs and live in In
dian villages. and this they did purely
from choice. having been drawn to it by
the deceitful stories read in the low
story-paperS. DeceitfEl. for in both
cases these unfortunate girls led
wretched lives. and embraced the first
good opportunity TO get back to their
civilized homes.
Stripped of all romance, life in an In
dian wigwam is hard and disgusting
existence. Filth. squalor. bad food and
degrading associations are invariably
found there The Indian at home is
taciturn. stolid and morose. often ma
licious and cruel; withal he is super
stitious to degree almost incredible to
aciyilized person.
make these statements from personal
knowledge. for it CHANGED that my boy
ish wish to visit an Indian village was
gratified. and that / nearly lost my life
there from so trivial thing as merely
patting the old chiefs horse. 1t came
about in the following manner:
At the age of fifteen it became neces-
sary that should leave my home and 60
and live with my paternal Uncle Ed
ward, who had recently settled in the
then new town of Lawrence. Kansas. /
arrived there the next day after Guam
trell's raid. and ] foui.d that my uncle,
in whose new store was to be employed,
had been burned out of both house and
store In fact he had lost all his prop
erty. and had escaped the massacre, he
and Aunt Cynthia. only by hiding in
bushy hollow near the town. where they
remained until the murderouS band had
completed their atrocious work and had
ridden away.
had boys longings to see stirring
II
listened to the oft-repeated tale how the
raiders had swOoped down upon the
peaceful town at daybreak, spreading
devastation everywhere. | regretted
that had not arrived in time to witness
the exciting spectacle.
While looking about the ruins of the
town, ! fell in with an Indian boy who
had come over from his reservation.
some miles away, TO view the scene of
destruction. ManatOwa was quite wild
enough in his appearance TO suit the
most romantic fancy. He wore scarlet
blanket and buckskin leggins. He was
adorned with feathers and bedaubed
with paint. He was also begrimed with
smut. for, with the avarice of his race,
he had been stirring up the ashes of the
confiagration. seeking such articles OF
plumber as the flames had notconsumed.
he had picked up little English and
was able to respond to my questions.
Strange as it may seem. ! was quite
infatuated with this ugly young redskin:
and on learning that the Sank and Fox
Indians had not been on the war-path
since the days of Black Hawk, ] pro-
posed to Manatowa to make trip with
him to his reservation.
''How go? Own pony?" Manatowa
asked. j dis not own a pony. and my
uncle's horse had been stolen by the
raiders. 1t seemed at first that my pro-
ject must be given up; but Manatows
proposed a plan by which it might be
carried ont, considerably TO his adj
vantage.
''Me bring two pony" he said. Zone
carry home tings, pick up: pay money,
ride"
But how shall | get back to Law
rence?' inquired.
PAY money. ride back: me come too, I"
was Manatowa's crafty response.
/ had but little money left from the
expenses of my journey westward. with
little present prospect of getting more: