Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1890-07-16
HONOR AMONG CROWS.
How Five Warriors Redeemed Their Word
and X paired Wrong.

How Five Warriors Redeemed Their Word
and repaired Wrong.
The reputed simplicity and nobility OF
the Indian character are not wholly io-
titious. Indian standards of right and
wrong may be widely at variance with
the standards established by the eau
casian neighbors of the red men, but
that they maintain their standards such
as they are is beautifully illus trated in
q narrative of facts which Major Wy1nan,
agent for the Crows, gives to the Yellow
stone Journal, of Miles City. 1t would
be difficult to find finer sense of honor
prevailing in the most civilized commu-
nifty than is here exemplifed.
Some time before Christmas last year
the Ma or received information through
the police that certain Indians, five in
number, were in the possession of some
fresh beef. AS the time that had elapsed
since ration day made it clear that they
had killed d beef unlawfully, they were
summoned to appear before the agent
who quest oned them rigidly as 70 where
they got the meat and finally compelled
them to MAKE clean breast of the mat
ter, disclosing, as WAS supp sed, the
fact that they had killed beef steer.
Being DESTROYS of knowing whose steer
it 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 a hole used for watering
ponies. He then ordered the culprits to
take lodge pole and go the hole where
they had thrown the hide and fish it out
if 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
dams either lacked mechanical gen; us
or else construed the order too literally,
for going to the water hole they thrust
the pole down to the bottom. n which
pos ton it was firmly held by four of
them, while the fifth stripped off to the
skin, and usng the pole as a safety
hold, went down under the water where
1t was ten feet deep to hunt for the hide.
AS soon as the first one came to the sur
face exhausted another took place
until the whole five had made search.
unsuccessfully of course, when with
hearts on the ground they returned to
the ag. ncy to tell the agent of their
failure. This remember, was with the
mercury ten degrees below zero.
Major Wyman was of course surpr sed
when he heard what they had done, but
did not let them know it. He explained
to them that the failure to find the hide
merely prevented bis making restftu-
ton for them to the person who owned
the steer, bnt the crime of killing the
animal still remained and they must be
punis ed for it. He accord ngly sem
fenced them to confinement in the ia l
with hard labor at wood-sawing for a
term OF days, VIII CHI had not expired
when Christmas came The five culprits
had worked faithfully, however, and on
Christmas eve the Major sent for them,
and after explaining the Christmas fes-
tivities as enjoyed by the Great Father
and his people, told them that he was
going to give them some coffee, sugar,
rice, beans and other delicac es dear to
the red mans stomach, together with
permission to go to their homes that
night and celebrate Christmas with their
people, the only condition being their
down on Christmas day they won be
back to finish the remainder of their
sentence. The Indians gave their pa
role without hesitation and thankfully
took their departure laden with sup
plies.
The Christmas feast was enjoyed, and
as the sun sunk behind the hills on
Christmas day the five warriors reported
for duty at the wood pile like so many
school boys, but unabashed and with all
the dignity of honest men, whose pledge
of honor had been taken in the full ex-
pectation that it would be redeemed A
few more days at the wood pile COM
pleted the sentence, and to-day there
are no Crow Indians n the whole Crow
Nation more impressed with the duty of
obedience owed to the Great Father
through his preventative, the agent,
than those five. There can be no doubt
as to the authenticity of the story, and
James Fenimore Cooper himself never
entertained grander conceptions of the
Indians aracter.-AnaconCa (Mont)
Standard