The Democratic advocate., 1891-05-02
How squaws Cure Fever.

Late in the evening of the second day,
while was lying on the bearskin with
swimming brain and a fevered brow, he came
back, but not alone. Two strong. athletic
squaws, each toting large pack, were his
companions.
The elder of the two was about as tough
athery-looking.a specimen of aboriginal
ugliness as / have ever fallen in with, and,
making due allowance for the difference in
age, the daughter was a perfect model of
her They both cast their loads uncere-
mouiously aside and the elder proceeded at
once to business Watching me closely as
she did 50, she rolled large handful of
leaves in her hand until they were partially
pulverized, then passed them over to the
younger squaw, who soon made pint of
very bitter tea from them, which | was told
to drink. | managed to gulp it down, hot
and bitter as it was, and the old squaw then
seized me without ceremony and packed me
snugly in bearskin and blankets
With the rise cf the sun the confounded
ague began to threaten me, and Mrs. Black
bird with the help of her interesting daugh-
ter, proceeded to take measures for expel-
ling it in manner quite as novel and
original as her treatment of fever. First
she undid a bundle of dirty blue cloth and
| took therelrom several bundles of neatly
| bound, minute twigs. | had heard some
hard stories of "whippin out the ager,
| and Smelled pretty extensive mice imme-
diately, but on the whole concluded to 90
through, so | suffered them to divest ME of
my clothing and seize me firmly by the
wrists, and made no objection even when
Mrs. Blackbird applied the switches gently
to the bare skin. Gradually the blows in
creased in rapidity and severity; old Peter
who had stood by as spectator at first,
stepped forward and seized Il wrist firmly
in each hand, 50 suddenly that | had no
time to object; and the whipping immedi-
ately became energetic and general. Each
of the squaws with a switch in each hand
We'd with the other in rapidity Of hitting,
and as the sluggish, torpid blood strove to
dash with answering speed through the
tingling veins the pain became unendura-
4 bic. | had resolved to bear all that was
asked of me, in hope of a radical cure, but
the torture was too severe and | ordered
them to desist, trying at the same time To
wrench myself loose from Peter. They
only laughed and laid on the harder.
became mad with pain and went in on my
muscle, biting and butting iuriOusly at old
Peter aud giving the leathery females un-
gallant kicks about the ribs and abdomen
a proceeding that made them laugh all the
more and brought down the switches with
increased vigor | entreated and cursed
by turns, tried bribery and fiattery, begged
for resting spell, and threatened death to
the party of conspirators Immediately got
loose, but all in vain They fogged me
for time that seemed an age, and only let
me nif when | was too exhausted to stand
alone Then was again enveloped in
skins and blankets, when, strange as it may
seem, almost Immediately fell into deep
slumber, from which did not awake until
evening. When | did awake it was with
general sense of soreness all over the
outer man; but where was the ague Gone.
Completely cured, as we'll as the fever.