Evening journal., 1891-12-29

! thief at his mercy
His long arms suddenly relaxed thei
| hold around Ted's waist and dropped I.
his sides, his tongue hung out and hiscye
began TO roll upward
Then just as he was about to fall. Tee
| gave him a tremendous push, which sen
him headlong into the deep snow, an,
snatching up the ham, hurried back 10 til,
sled with it upon his shoulder.
Now. an Indians sense Of right and jus
tice Is often as keen as that Of his whit,
brother, and he can appreciate a pluckS
net as well. Perhaps these Winnebago.
would have been just as well pleased if tn,
young man had been able to escape witt
the stolen ham; but rs II was they could
not help admiring the white BOYS daring
and yelled with delight at the discomfit
ure Of the young brave as he picked him
self up out Of the snow and skulked off "a
his wigwam
White papoose heap bravep they shout
ed as Ted came back to the sled. "Ketchum
bad injun stealum hamp'
We thought that would put stop to the
stealing from our load, but my uncle told
us 70 be on our guard, for the young brave
whom Ted had 80 disgraced in the eyes OF
his brothers would be sure to take revenge
upon us some way IL be could.
On the next trip up we traded with thu
Nlnnebagoess rs usual, and was certain
that nothing was stolen while we stopped
az their village for had George keep strict
watch OF everything on the lead while ]
did the trading. But when we unloaded
that night in camp a fifty pound sack 81
flour was missing What had become OF il
was more than we could tell.
studied the matter over for several DAYS
and / came to the conclusion that sone
thieving Bago had been hidden behind a
tree close 70 the road, just beyond the In
dian village, and that after we had finished
trading and had seated ourselves on the
front end Of the load and started on he had
sprung out, snatched the sack of flour from
the rear Of our sleigh and lodged back be
hind the tree until we were out Of sight.
1 told Ted about it when we reached
home.
II am perfectly sure that's just the way
IL was done, said he, "but Just let them
try that game again. Wen be ready for
them next trip"
And 50 we were It was Georges turn
70 stay at home; and after Ted and / had
arranged our load we took four heavy
double spring otter traps and set them
around the rear end Of our sleigh AMONG
the sacks Of -four, bacon, hams and other
supplies, fastening the chain of each Sc
curely TO the sleigh box, while over the tor
Of everything we spread, as usual, piece
OF limp canvas.
George and i on the trip we had Just
made, noticed that the young fellow vino
had tried to steal the ham was not in the
crowd which surrounded our Sled the
week before. Neither was he to be seen
when Ted and | stopped at the village this
time.
This was very much what we had ex.
pected
My customers kept me busy dishing out
cups Of sugar and coffee and Ted was try.
ing TO cut plug Of tobacco in two with
his Jackknife for an Indian who wanted
half plug, when he slyly nudged me and
pointed up the road with his thumb.
Without stopping my work glanced IN
the direction Ted indicated, and saw about
half a black head peering out from behind
a big pine which stood within three feet Of
the sled track and about forty rods up the
road.
We traded as long as the Indians had
anything 20 barter and then straightened
up the load, mounted our seat in front and
drove leisurely on, looking neither to the |
right nor the left.
We had barely passed the big pine when |
we heard a swift movement behind us. and
then, In an instant, we heard one Of oui
traps close with ''clickn and a kind d |
humping noise.
Knowing that we must have the thief IN |
tow, Ted carelessly cracked his whip at the |
team and away we went at a brisk trot
The road for several miles ahead rar |
along the stream, and was so level and 1
smooth that the horses scarcely felt the |
load behind them, while we chatted anu |
laughed az though nothing had happened |
though OF course we were really much ex /
cited and felt an intense curiosity to look |
around.
we could hear the regular pat, pat, pat /
OF the captiye's moccasined feet upon the /
well packed snow as he kept pace with che /
team, but were careful not to turn ON /
heads in his direction.
We must have driven on this way nearly |
a mile when the fatigue and pain, together 4
with the hopelessness Of trying to get his I
hanu out Of the trap, made il impossible foi 4
the thief to control his rage longer.
He uttered a yell that seemed almost e /
lift the caps from our heads, and when ~.
turned around he shouted:
White boy, stop um horse White |
boy, stop um horser'
But Ted only cracked his whip and made
the team 60 faster Then the Baro', l
black eyes sparkled with rage and fury az
be yelled at the top Of his voice, at the
same time making leap as if to jump or
the sled
White boy, stop um horsel Let Iniun
gol lnjun kiilum white boyl"
"Oh, you will, will youW said Ted, as be
grasped one Of the newly purchased az
helves aud sprang to the rear Of the load
Drive faster, Ben" he shouted to me.
and we will make him sing different
tune before be gets his hand out Of that
trap"
touched mp the team while Ted stood
ready 70 strike the man II he attempted to
board the sleigh.
! have heard il said that an Indian never
sheds tears, but before we had gone hall a
mile farther this young brave stopped BIZ
raving and threatening, and began tc
blubber like a little child.
suppose he thought we meant TO take
him clear 70 camp with US, but when Ted
thought he had punished him enough be
called me to bring the team down to a
slower pace.
Now said he, you bad Injun, you
stealum white mans meat, stealum -four.
stealum everything You 20 stealum any
more from white manfn
mo- nor blubbered the Indian. white
man let iniun 50, Injun stealum no more
lnlun be white mans friend. No killum-
no stealum.n
60" 'SN
The trap had caught the fellow around
he flt nrta n