The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-11-15

The new Chleftaln gathered the Strug~
cling remnants of his tribe. He addressed
them with bitter calmness.
.The white men take my land; they drive
OF NV ponies: they kill my children! My
brother takes the warpath. Many suns the
red men and the white mon fight. Many
soldiers, many braves, die. The war chief,
NV brother, is slain, The youne men are
buried by the creeks. Egan fights no more.
White man SAYS: Peace; TAX a home at
Malheur. There is good land and good
water, white mans food. The red man ana
the white man eat bread together Egan
is DONE" @& @@
So, from the borders Of Nevada the poor,
half clad Indians were mounted on their
WORKOUT ponies and marched of to "Mal-
heur,,' and the Indian reservation WAS be-
gun.
Oeetah long remembered that ride. A
lot Of bundles were put upon a mouse-col-
ored pony's back and tied on, making him
look like a young elephant with legs too
small; then she was perched at the top and
fastened to the load by a strap drawn
tightly across her lap. She was afraid, bat
her uncle laughed at her and gave her a
little whip. She soon became mistress OF
the situation, and when the pony stopped
to eat she would swing her lash around and
hit him in some tender spot, whenever the
bundles gave her a chance to strike.
At Malnsur, where / first saw Oeetah, abe
was living in her unele's lodge. 1t was ten
wears since her ride on the mouse-col0red
pony. so that she was now thirteen. She
was short and fat, and had chubby cheeks.
Her hair and e%yes-well. they wore Indian
hair and eyes-hair straight, black and
shiny, eyes dark, deep aud shy. She wore a
pretty manta dress, which fell below her
brown moccasin, and a red blanket. which
had a way of creeping up to the top Of hsr
head on slight provocation, while one side
was sliding around over her mouth. She
was really the freshest and p~rettiest Indian
girl I ever saw. Her ietty hair, braided be-
hind was as smooth as satin in front. and
her brown face. Redeemed by her shawPs
reflection and warmed by her
young blood. was positively hand
some. The stern Ezan smiled upon hsr
marked attention and respect. l found she
could read a little. sew and cook.
About three years after she was married
to a young chief of the Nevada Piutes. l
had seen him on my visit at Maiheur; a
bright fellow who cut his hair short and
dressed like a young white farmer. His
Boston name WAS Leigh. His sister
Sarah was often with the Malheur Piutes,
a girl of great intelligence and character;
she acted as interpreter, and taught the
other girls many things. Leigh. too, could
read and write a little.
Oeetah went to Nevada with Leigh, but
she often made the long journey, pony
back. TO visit her uncle at Malheur. She
was with Egan when another friRhtful In
dian wal broke out. 1t began between
some Shoshones and white mon in Idaho.
about 100 miles east of Boise City.
After the first conflict the Shoshonss
rushed on toward the west. robbing and
killing white people all along. and always
gathering numbers from the Indian tribes
they passed, until finally they arrived at
the Malheur.
That afternoon Egan was asleep in his
lodge. At the door the Ioo-at-the old
medicine man-vas sitting on a box chant
ing his wild prophecies to the women who
we're seated on the ground. Some were
tendil Q their babies, some making ''manta
dresses others doing bead embroidery on
deer-skin coats and moccasins. Oeetah sat
nearest the old medicine man, finishing a
pair of moccasins for her husband and
listening intently to the weird chanting of
the old Indian: Time nears. The Indians
will rise from. the dead, sweep all white
men from the land"
"Let the Too, at say how many suns!'
said Oeetah.
"Oh, the Too-at knows; the Too-at will
tell by and by"
thinking. She dreaded war-it meant muir
der. She hoped her teacher might be
spared. She didn't want him to die. Leigh
had always worked with white men and
they had paid him wages. She could MOI
see why her people wanted auch white men
killed.
Suddenly Il strange, persistent, far-oh
noise, like the continuous whooping o
mon and women, interrupted their talk anC
work. 1t seemed to some from the direc
ton Of the Castle mountain. which raissC
its lofty crest above them toward tn,
north.
There came into view a number of younj
men on horseback. Egan was evIdentl
angry. AS soon as the young mon saw hin
they became silent. respectful, dismountet
and approached the people now standin
mp in no little excitement. The babe
cried. and the old Ioo-at was adding hi
shout to the din: Coke Oke sun. this
the day.! The leader of the young me
spoke to Egan: "Egan, be war chic.
Buffalo-Horn is dead. white men killed hin
The Shoshones are mad. Ihs war path
FULL"
Egan answered grimiy: II have tough
the white man. 1t is no good. My word
given to him. Tn shoshones will be dc
stroyed."
Olu oph ! uAlkb'y i1N"H AZ AS y
ard! Oks- Oke sunl Egan will lead h
p~eople!'
The young Shoshone spoke again: "Ega
come to the council at Stein Mountain
The old chief of the Piutes will be ther
Leigh will be there, and the young mel
the Klamaths. the Cayuses, the Columbia
and Walla Wallas. ERan, come to tt
council"
The chief could not resist a call to a col
ference, he promised to 90.
Oeetah, hearing that her husband an
his father, the old Pluto chief, were to
at Stein Mountain, asked to accompany h
uncle.
The excitement in camp was great. Egg
took the wild Shoshones to the Indian age
of Malheur and asked rations for his guest
The agent refused the food. This was III
fortunate, for it made Egan suddenly al
deeply angry, for hospitality is a sacr,
thing in Indian eyes, Quickly all was sti
confusion, clamor. The young Shoshon
were telling their tales of successful mu
ders and robberies of the white men
arms, of the soldiers who must come fro
far separate posts; the Ioo-at was wild
prcphesying and urging; and the anR
Egan forbidding nothing, the whole can
was on the swift move to catch and sadd
the ponies, the women gathering up t
stuff to pack on the animals.
Oeetah had her own white pony. 81
caught him by seizing his long, dragon