The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1890-03-01

udu the 4akJef III charge determined TO
make inroads on Crazy Mules personal
followers by the liberal use Of the al
mighty dollar. The only difficulty was
to find some one bold enough to carry
out this plan and distribute the needful.
In looking about them their eyes rested
on Two Bellies, and in him they found
one not only willing but anxious ITO
beard the lion in his den." Here was
the very chance for which he longed to
make "things even up" and besides who
could tell but that in the general shuttle
that would follow tho new deal he might
land somewhere neal the top? AS he
had nothing to lose and everything to
gain, it was worth trying.
A day or two before the election he
appeared in the village with the sinews
of war in the shape of silver dollars for
a blanket Indian will have nothing to do
with paper money!, parasols, yellow
paint, chewing gum, and other things
dear to the red mans heart, besides a
commission to count the ballot and bring
the returns to the agency.
1t would have taken a keen ward
WOAhGA w lA1tC LOl0 Va tiiG IlOIIlQR Oh
election how the village would vote.
History tells US that when the ballots
were counted the leasers had carried
their point by a bare majority; but it
forgets to mention that, in order to do
this, more votes were counted than there
were voters to cast them. 81.
When the old medicine man, by an
hours struggle with mental arithmetic
and a final count by noses (the Indian
method of ba~llotingl, had discovered this
fact, he got out his Winchester and went
around inquiring for Two Bellies. That
worthy, by this time, however, was far
on the road to the agency, and, as a cow
boy who met him expressed it, sHe had
a move on himself like a man who was
riding for record"
Whether this means was fair or foul,
the leasers carried the day, and the
larger part of the reservation was turned
over to the cow men. A change was
soon noticeable. Substantial buildings
took the place of dugouts; corrals were
built at convenient points; surveyorsran
the lines between the ranges and wire
ACilCco AOlOWGu CAOoe DeilkIus
Down at the agency Two Bellies was
enjoying the reward for the part he had
played, and, if his work could be Judged
by the reward, he had played it well.
Right into the swim he landed, and in a
short time was putting on the airs of a
nan who owned the pool itself. Discard
ing the tribal blanket and ssgee string,'
he donned a major generals coat, spring
bottom pants and had his moccasins
beaded to the heel. After the excitement
that followed the election had subsidized
he began to lay his plans for the future.
The first thing ON the cards was to Sc
cure a squaw. After accomplishing this,
being well satisfied with his bargain, he
opened negotiations for another, and
was Don recognized as a man of family
and of affairs. He also enjoyed the
favors and perquisites that formerly
fell to the lot of Crazy Mule. AS l saw
him standing in front of The agency
store one evening, with his hat tilted to
the right angle, his cigar between his
fingers, practicing splitting between his
teeth, as became apolitician of his stand
ing, I thought of the old medicine man
out in his lonely village, shorn of what
power and privileges it was possible for
the agent to take from him, watching
owe and guarding alike his little corn
patch and the sick children CT his fol
lowers, to whom, in spite of defeat, he
wal a chieftain still. And then / smiled
as / remembered the words: MAY be
SO, pretty soon, long time come, things
even up"
The years rolled by, and in the course
of events another election was held. The
party who had been in power SO long in
Washington city stepped down and out,
and the friends of reform took Up the
reins Of government.
The old chiefs assumed their places,
while the pets OF the agents were sent to
the rear.
AS l rode along / wondered what
changesI would find at the village, which
/ was approaching. If | expected any I
was disappointed. The same ours, APP
parently, barked and snapped at my
horses heels; the squaws seemed busy
with the same tasks, and under his arbor
the old medicine man sat smoking his
pipe with the air of a proprietor and one
who had earned his rest, and further
more had the advantage of knowing it.
With a wave Of the hand that included
greeting and an invitation to a seat,
he babe me welcome and fell to asking
me the whereabouts Of the other boys,
who In days gone by had ''smoked the
old sisters out Of these thickets and sand
hills. | answered as best | could, for
they were scattered from the Rio Grande
to the British possessions. | In turn be-
gan to think of some of those who had
played a prominent part in those days,
and was about to put the question as to
their fate, when the sight Of a buck bend
ing low under a load Of wood attracted
my attention. Something about him APP
peared familiar, and as lie approached /
could scarcely believe my eyes, for in the
laborer I recognized the ex-politician,
Two Bellies.
Old Crazy Mule, seeing my look of
wonder, gave a grunt and a chuckle and
relapsed into silence. instead Of the
major generals coat and spring bottom
pants and high hat, in which | had last
seen Two Bellies, he now appeared with
an old blanket over his shoulders, his
lower limbs incased In a pair of blue
overails, and Us lie threw down his load