Elmore bulletin. [volume] (Rocky Bar, Idaho) 1889-1906, 1890-07-26
HONOR AMONG CROWS.


Bow Five Warriors Kedeemed Their Word
and Repaired Wrong.
The reputSd simplicity and nobility of
the Indian character are not wholly fc-
uious- Indian standards OF right and
wrong may be widely at variance with
the standards established by the Cau-
casian neighbors OF the red men, but
that they maintain their standards such
as they are is beautifully illustrated in
narrative OF facts which Major Wyman.
agent for the Crows gives 10 the Yellow
stone Journal, of Miles City. II would
be difficult 70 find finer sense OF honor
prevailing in the most civilized commu.
nifty than Is here cxemplified.
Some time before Christmas last year
the Ma or received information through
the police that certain Indians, fiye in
numbe we're in the possession of some
fresh beef As the time that had elapsed
since ration day made IL clear that they
had killed beef unlawfully, they were
summoned 10 appear before the agent,
who quest oned them rigidly as to where
they got the meat and finally compelled
them to make a clean breast OF the mat
ter, disclosing, as was supposed. the
fact that they had killed beef steer
Being desirons OF knowing whose steer
IL was. which information could only
be had from an examination of the
brand the Major asked the Indians
what they had done with the hide.
and was informed that It had been put
in the river in q hole used for watering
ponies. He then ordered the culprits TO
take a lodge pole and go the hole whore
they had thrown the hide and fish ii out
II possible, expecting that they would
make some kind OF hook on the end OF
the pole and grope around under the
water for the missing hide; but the In
dians either lacked mechanical genius
pv else construed the order too literally.
for going to the water hole they thrust
the pole down TO the bottom. in which
position il was firmly held by four Of
them, while the fifth stripped of to the
skin, and using the pole as a safety
hold, went down under the water where
II was ten feet deep to hunt for the hide,
AS soon as the first one came to the sur
face exhausted another took his place
until the whole five had made search,
unsuccessfulfy of course, when with
hearts on the ground they returned u
the agency to tell the agent OF Their
failure. This, remember, was with the
mercury ten degrees below zero.
Major Wyman was OF course surprised
when he heard what they had done, but
did not let them know it. He explained
20 them that the failure TO find the hide
merely prevented his making restitu
tion for them to the person who owned
a. L.. A. f-ErI u
animal still remained and they must b,
punished for it. lie accord ingly sen
fenced them to confinement in the jai
with hard labor at wOod-sawing for
term OF days. which had not expired
when Christmas came The five culprit
had worked faithfully, however, and OF
Christmas eve the Major sent for them
and after explaining the Christmas fes
tivities as enjoyed by the Great Fathe
and his people. told them that he wa
going To give them some coffee, sugar
rice. beans and other delicacies dear I
the red mans stomach, together wit
permission 10 go to their homes tha
night and celebrate Christmas with thei
people, the only condition being thei
word of honor that when the sun wen
down on Christmas day they would b
back to finish the remainder of thei
sentence. The Indians gave their pa
role without hesitation and thankful,
took their departure laden with sur
plies.
The Christmas feast was enioyed. an
a. the sun sunk behind the hills ol
Christmas day the five warriors reportei
for duty at the wood pile like SO man
school boys. but unabashed and with al
the dignity Of honest men, whose pleGg
OF honor had been taken In the full ex
pectation that 1t would be redeemed
few more days at the wood pile com
pieted the sentence, and TODAY ther
are no Crow Indians in the whole Crog
Nation more impressed with the duty o
obedience owed 10 the Great Fathe
through his representative, the agent
than those five. There can be no doub
as 70 the authenticity of the story. an
James Fenimore Cooper himself neye
entertained grander conceptions Of tn
Indians character. Anaconda Mont.
standard