The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1890-06-26
= 1ENogRroor FACES sHosHoaes
He Levels Rifle st Them, Much to the
Disgust of the Indians,

He Levels a Rifle at Them, Much to the
Disgust of the Indians,
"One summer about eleven years ago,
when vas cut in Wyoming" said the
colonel, "my younger brother, who was
then q college boy, came out 60 spend his
summer vacation with us. VIII gaTe the
rough men cut there q good deal Of amnse-
ment with his ideas Of how @ man should
dress ON the plains. But he wasn't bad
fellow, for he had no little spirit and was
always willing to do his share OF the work.
IF you ever met a Shoshone Indian at
that time you know what perfect type Of
lazy, peaceful harmless YedSkin Is. We
used to consider thatsthe Shosh0nes were
born 60 be kicked about, and an afraid
that many of Us lived up to our beliefs. A
man would never hesitate If there had
been any petty thieving around the camp
to walk four CT five miles, 90 into an In
dian camp single handed and kick things
about, or drag the mighty braves from
their blankets until be had found his
saddle, his bpidle, his rife, or whatever 1t
was that had been stolen. Having found
it he would sling 1t on his back aud stride
off amid the disappointed grunts OF the
dirty braves.
"But Will, fresh from the east and never
having seen an Indian before, could not
understand this boldness. When there
were Indians in the camp begs:lg for to-
bacco be was always suspicious of treach-
cry. At such times he kept an anxious eye
on the guns and watched every movement
OF the visitors closely, while we used never
to think of such thing.
rive left him in charge Of the camp one
day and started for the mountains after
deer. Finding ourselves several miles from
camp that uight we started q fire, broiled
a steak over the wood Goals, and gathering
some leafy branches for beds and pillows
turned in and slept the sleep Of the just.
"As we drew near camp the next even
ing we saw sight which sent Us into
roers Of laughter. VIII wes ensconced
behind barricade which he had made Of
saddles, boxes, bedding-anything he could
find. He was standing there with pale
look Of agony on his face, all the spare
guns and six shooters carefully arranged
around him. Two hundred yards away
from the breastworks sat q half dozen Sho-
shones looking utterly nonplused and dis
gusted. Coming up TO the Indians first
we tried to find out Whist tho trouble was
From their grunts and grinaces, gestures
and snatches of broksn English, we learn
ed that they had come 70 pay Us visit on
the preceding afternoon. Tbey had caught
the young tenderfoot mapping, and he had
not noticed their approach until thcy were
within few fect Of him. AS soon as he
saw them coming up silently, as Indians
always do, he seizsd hiAFife and frantical-
ly waved them back. Nor would he rest
until they had fallen, back to the position
which they then held.
when we failed to appear that night
the boy imnediately decided that VIC had
been massacred and hastily began to throw
up big breastworks. The Shoshanes rolled
themselves IN their blankets and went TO
sleep, but VIII stood guard all that night
and watched them with eagle eye until we
returned the next Gay. Even then, when
we walked toward him, the Indians follow
ing as in solemn wonder. ha was forshoot-
ing, but we laughed ct him go fmmoder-
ateky that he threw down his rife suikily.
AS for the braves, their opinion of the boy
was shown by the action of one big, solemn
faced buck, who. going up to VIII, touched
him on the forehead, and even then VIII
started back. The buck looked at him q
moment, we roady 30 burst into roars
again, tapped bis own forehead slowly,
shook his head grayely and turning away
said 'UghP IN tones of the deepest disgust.
I'm the opinion Of that Indian only an
insane man could believe that thare was
any fight in a Nintah county ShosAone. -
New York Tribune