The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1890-07-09
A FALSE PROPHET.

| his lot among the pines and strike for 6
home and fortune in the valley was jacob
| Horson.
He came with his family, cut a swathe
along the south bank of the river, and
erected water mill
The result was a thriving settlement In q
| few years. The woods were yet the hunt
| ing ground for a numerous body Of In
| dians, and the fiat at the mouth Of the
| stream where Horson erected his mill was
used by the Ottawas as a camping ground
in the spring of the .year-the sugar season
A few miles back from the river were
immense forests of maple, where the In.
dians made sugar, and ''tcted" it to the
river camp, where it was stored during the
season.
There were forty wigwams erected on
| the fat one spring, twoscore years ago,
when the incidents occurred that I am
| about to relate.
| Near the bank of the river was large
bark wigwam, which had been erected as
a storehouse for sugar, and here, now the
| end of the sap season, a thousand pounds
| of stirred sugar was stored in birch bark
receptacles made for the purpose by the
| Indians.
One pleasant spring morning as Jacob
Horson was crossing the mill dam, going
from his house to the mill, he noticed
considerable commotion among the Indi-
ans and squaws, large number of whom
had gathered about the storehouse on the
river bank.
Mr.. Horson knew that something was
wrong but paid no heed to it at the time.
An hour later two stout Indian bucks ap-
peared at the mill and asked to see Hor-
son.
1.-TWO bark gone-full sugar"
This was the announcement made by the
two Indians when the pioneer confronted
them. A little inquiry elected the fact
that two birch barks, containing at least
100 pounds of sugar each, had been stolen
the previous night from the storehouse.
Jacob Horson was indignant at the
thought that any of his mill crew had been
guilty of such work, and he at once assured
the Ottawas that he would have thorough
investigation.
At the noon hour when all the men had
gathered in their room, 4t the boarding
house, Mr.. Horson. accompanied by the
two bucks, presented himself before them
and stated the case pointedly.
'If any member or members of nv crew
have stolen sugar from the Indians / want
to know it. 1t may have been perpetrsted
as Joke, and confession now and restitu-
ton will save the mischief makers from
discharge.
The men seemed surprised. Each for
himself denied the theft, and the mill
owner believed them. The two Indians
shook their heads and went away mutter-
ing.
Several days passed, and the discomfort
grew more serious. Jacob Horson did not
believe one of his crew had perpetrated the
theft. It must have been some wandering
hunters, he said, and SO for time the mat
ter rested.
''Madge, did you know that great In
dian prophet had appeared down at Pages
landing?" said young Austin Woodston,
the mill blacksmith, who often visited the
kitchen of the Horsons to see the pretty
hired girl, Madge Mason.
Woodston was a superior young man
and of studious disposition. AS the
boarding house was full Mr. Horson ad-
mitted the young blacksmith to his house,
where he took so we'll he seemed like a
member of the family.
Pages landing was ten miles below the
mill settlement.
II hadn't heard of it." remarked Madge
"Well, it's true, it seems, for Mr.. Stowell
told me so this morning"
''Is he fortune tellerf"
81 guess not that, but an Indian seer,
prophet. The Indians have gone down to
consult him about the loss of their sugar"
"Ise ideal What nonsensep' and Madge
laughed merrily.
so l think, but Mr.. Stowell behaves in
it. He said he believed the Indians would
now find their stolen psopeTty."
The idea that a man like Mr.. Stowell
could be so supers; itious"
That afternoon, however, a delegation of
Ottawas visited Mr.. Horson at home.
I'VE know the thief" said the spokes-
man in fair English. HE lib with you"
what do you means' demanded the
mill owner. quite surprised at the visit.
He supposed the red men had given up all
thought of finding the stolen sweets.
Great spirit tell medicine man we find
thief your house"
DO you mean to accuse met"
"Will you let US search house' Man
steal our sugar, young, with hair on hp-
blue eyes"
do you mean Woodston' He wouldn't
do such thing Yes, search the house If
you want to. You'll have your trouble for
your pains. I'll lead the way"
The mill owner opened his own trunk 70
the red investigators He did not care to
have the ennity OF the Indians, and was
willing to satisfy them that none of the
stolen sugar was IL his house.
At length they entered the young black
smiths room One Of the Indians Pounced
upon a green chest "a one corner, and
threw up the cover, it not being locked
Lol and behold, there, exposed to view,
was heap OF maple sugar, partially en-
yeloped in 4 pssteSosrd box.
The Indians gessiculated violently, and
seemed both pleased and enraged st one
and the same tine.
Jacob Horson was thanderstruck-
He sent for the young Blacksmith at onoe-
When he was confronted with the evidence
ae seemed d1nteunded
Where did you get thst slgar, Austin
Woodstonf' demanded the MIL owner.
Il did't get it at ali, " svowed the black
smith Il don't know how it caHse in my
chest. In sure il wasn't here two days
ago"
II the young man bad said that be
bought the sugar Mr. Harson might have
believed hin His denial ofsl knowledge
Of how the sugar came to be In the chest
but added TO the suspicion Of guilt The
Indians confsessed the sugar, oniy small
portion OF the amount lost, and returned
"a thar fEssnds zseA ths nAKA