Telegram-herald., 1890-03-24
rhE SIOUX suk-pAnok
ozs - sac nS.s Czxs0ss C@stSaes -
W.rkLks IndL<a Tree

Les tSEkHI ec1N2-kk con t<1c1tcs -
Ihs CenpsRy : eErlOGs custom Of shs
saogx Fro1 this article se quote the
following "Wasn al kzc assembled
aE6 she Hedicins-4ss bsd set tie date
tor tbs beginning % tAe great dance
as1ioateS . tie ssn, tie 'sgR-p0le' was
forty or rtty tesg sign, with the straight
est al most eRitor2ly t@pering trunk
that could Be foUnd within = reasonable
distance. wss chosen. TIE selection -
slssys DaA1s By soEas cd woDGa. gen
erA.ly ths Oldest enc N Tie camp II
there Is any ~sy Of determining -1s
leads : ne16sr or Iczioens g2yly
dressed IN The beautiful beaded back
skia gowns thsy wear On state oce&.
sions, the part q The naiteHs = % strip
the tree u its hints a. high As possi oie
withoas telling IL Woe - the girl VI b.
claims - De = maids a and loins tie pro
csssion The Old sqt.4s forms, sgainst
whose q aims sny reputable warrior or
ssaeE nay publicly proclaim Her pun
ishment s suift snd sure, and her deg
radiation mere cruel than interesting
The selection of the tree Is the only
special seStare Of the nrst days celebra-
ton. After IL has been stripped OF rs
branches nearly 70 ths top, the brush
wood and trees for = considerable dis
tance about IL are removed, and u Is
left standing fog ths ceremony Of the
second day.
Long before sunrise the eager par
tioipzntS In the next great step were
preparing themselves for the ordeal;
and quarter OF an hour before the sun
rose above tho broken hills OF white
clay long line Of NAKED young warri-
ors. In gorgeous var-palnt aud feathers,
with rifles, bows aEd arrows, and war
lances in hand, faced the east and
the sup-pole. which WAS from i've to
six hundred yards away. Ordinarily
this group Of warriors numbers from
fifty 70 possibly two hundred men. An
intsrproter near me estimated the line
beheld as from q thousand 10 twslVe
hundred strong. Not far away, on a
high hill overlooking the barbaric
scene, was an old warrior, medicine
man OF the tribe, ! think, whose solemn
duty it was TO announce by shout that
could be heard by every one of the e1-
pectant throng the exact moment when
the tip OF the morning sun appeared
above the eastern hills. Perfect quiet
rested upon the line of young warriors
and upon the great throng Of savage
spectators that blacked the green hills
overlooking the arena. Suddenly the
Il L.
one knee, with his extended palm shad-
ing his scraggy eyebrows, arose to his
full height, and in slow, digniied
manner waved his blanketed arm above
his head. The few warriors who were
still unmounted now jumped hurriedly
upon their ponies; the broken, wavering
line rapidly took on more regular ap-
pearance; and then the old man, who
had gathered himself for the great eff
fort, hurled forth yell that could be
heard TO the uttermost limits of the
great throng. The morning sun had
sent its commands to its warriors on
earth to charge.
1.-The shout from the hill was re
echoed by the thousand men in the val
ley; it was caught up by the spectator:
on the hills as the long line of warrior!
hurled themselves forward towards the
sun-pole, the objective point of every
armed and naked savage in the yelling
line. As they converged towards IL tht
slower ponies dropped out and the
weaker ones were crushed to the rear
Nearer and nearer they came, the long
line becoming massed until 1t was but /;
surging crowd of plunging horses and
yelling, gesticulating riders. When th'
leading warriors had reached a poin
within hundred yards of the sun-pol,
a sharp report Of rifles sounded along
the line, and a moment later the rush
ing mass was sheet of flame, and tn,
rattle-shots was like the rapid beat Of 1
drum resounding among the hills
Every shot, every arrow and every lance
was directed at the pole, and bark an(
chips were flying from its sides like
shavings from the rotary bit Of a planer
When every bullet had been discharged
and every arrow and lance had beer
hurled the riders crowded around th'
pole and shouted as only excited savage
can shout.
Had it fallen in this onslaught anoth
or pole would have been chosen and an
other morning devoted TO this perform
ance. Though this seldom happens, 1
was thought that the numerous assail
ants OF this pole might bring 1t to th'
ground. They did not, however, al
though 1t looked like a ragged scare
crow, with chips and bark hanging from
it's mutilsted sides.
That such a vast, tumultuous thronl
could escape accident in all that wilt
charging, firing OF shots, hurting o
lances and arrows and great excitemen
would be bordering on a miracle, and n
miracle happened. One of the grea
warriors was trampled upon in tb
charge and died late that evening, an
another Indian was shot. The bruises
sprsins and cuts that might have bee
spoken Of in lesser affairs were here un
noticed, and nothing was heard OF them.
VOOOOO WORSHlPERS.