The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1892-11-25
STORY OF MASCOT jim.
An Indian Romance of Crime,
Skill and Love.
IT CONTAINS ENOUGH MATERIAL
To Maxo a GoGod-sizcd volume..An
ODD sort of wooinG aud Sad End.
Girl stnked o, a Horse Race, but
the Winner Loscs-A Good story OF
a Mothers Love.



Washington star.
who's ahead?"
"Nick's boy-no. Mascot Jim. Wait
till they turn, then We can see."
A party of friends were visiting me at
my home on tho White River Agency,
and that morning we had driven IL to
the Indian a c track. Usually the
track runs in q straight line, with In
dams stationed at each stop to insure
fair riding, but here the joining of tho
two rivers outlined n level tract OF land
the shape Of u horseshoe. and at each
point OF the shoe.like figure was an i'm
:nense cottonwood tree. Uadcr one sat
Gatah, "the cross.eyed man." who was
guarding the spoils OF NicLaurcc t"big
ncck") and the blanket friends had bot
on his son, who rode for him. Under
the opposite tree we're Navajo blankets
aud Guckskins that were bet on Mascot
Jim, the !unchback.
They wore running the second race
when we arrived. aud we could but dim
IS sec through the C., nj OF dust the Six
Indians who were riding, but We knew
Mascot Jim would come out ahead. The
indians themselves, though Betting on
Nick's boy, would always, when Mascot
Jim won, shake their heads and point
at his dcformity. "Bad spirit in there
win"
They have reached the half-mile
po!cl The turn is made! Nic&'s hoy
is ahead, but / bet Paddy on JIM" said
the doctor, and lie was sure Mascot jim
would win, or he neve! would have bet
his favorite driving horse. One Of Nick
auree's men put up Il horse against
Paddy-so the bet was ''legalizud."
"Ilcre they GOMEZ" The tres is al
Iaost reached and Jim behind Sudden
ly he leans forward till the horses back
is almost free from its load, and loosens
tho side strap OF the bride. 1t may be
only a trick to attract the others at
tention, or perhaps tho loosened Bitten
couragcs the horse 10 20 iaster-never-
thcless tho trick answers, and tho horse
OF Mascot Jim bounds forward, a neck
ahead of Nlck's horse.
The Indians come around to examine
the quivering sides OF the horses to see
if spurs had been used, as the jockeys
were Obliged to ride perfectly nude,
using only their bare feet to urge on
their beasts. Tho horses backs were
free Of saddles or blankets.
Suddenly old Cohoo ('sharp eyes"l
called out: "Coch-i, coch-i," mo
good"l. The Indians looked at tho
tiny cut place on the horses neck, and,
with suspicious shakes OF the head,
called Mascot jim. Ho explains rap.
idly. "He cut i'm on wire fence" So
they could say nothing, but a sharp
arrow point OF flint tied on Mascot's
arm under the bracelet he always wore
was covered with fresh blood.
Mascot Jim came up to the doctor.
"You win my horse. Cheereenona
(medicine man3, on my racer" YES"
said the doctor. "and ! bet him on you
again" "Toy-yock (all right, inc win
race. See my blankets" He pointed
10 a pile OF at least twenty in number.
Near it was another heap composed Of
valuable buck kIns. Beside them lay a
pair of moccasins some poor fellow had
lost. a pretty brocelet OF solid Navajo
silver and q necklace OF antelope teeth.
While talking he had been watching
a group of squaws and bucks, and after
calling our attention to his winning he
chose the handsome.t blanket and sl!-
YER bracelet and walked toward the
group.
They saw him coming and called out
mockinglv, "Keenutu-Keenotu"-'tho
hunchback-lhe hunchback." He hest
tated the blood showed black under
the brown skin-then went on toward
"Benoise" dear one), the motherless
child OF old Wyaskot, and ut her feet
threw down blanket and bracelet. She
would have refused but her father an
swered for her with "Toy-yock-aye
dono." "All right, now, it is we'll"
The boys hnoted, the girls scream
"KeenoIu Catchum Benoise. Benoise
Kenotu's squaw, "but Mascot Jim's face
wore a happy, satisfied smile, aud. as
he was mounted he turned toward Ben
oise with the first laugh that his mouth
had ever emitted. In this race, horses
were bet against horses Jim's was a
hardy, strong broncho. while Nick's
boy rode u lOng.neck, slim-limbed racer
brought from the white mans home"
feet, but short winded. Only tho two
horses started. Hardly a word WAS
spoken. except tho calls from the
Watchers percned high in the cotton
wood trees. The turn is made. They
are coming in. neck and neck! No, the
bay gains! No use tor Muscht Jim 10
use his arrow point; but suddenly, Just
as the bay is almost even with tho tree,
jim falls. Only a trick, but the race
must be run again. The bay is windcd
already-a mile was long for hIm-and
hu never will stand the two miles.
Jim's horse seems rs fresh as when the
start was male.
OF course, Jim wins. Drunken. lazy.
little hunchhack, all he is good for is to
race and gamble, and he always wins at
both, as he does not hesitate to "sioon
TO conquer"
Nick's boy sends his pretty pct over
10 Mascot jim. and his groom rubs tho
sleek limb. and the glossy back till
every hair is in place. Mascot jim
mounts him and rides again to the
gro,:p, where sits Bennise, gloomy and
sac, a great 1soad hanging over her.
iile hunchbacS dismonnts and hands
the bridlo rein 10 Beuuise. All were
waiting for tho answer, and asain
Wyaskot made 1t by stepping forward
and placing the rein in her hand. This
was the betrothai. That night Mascot
Jim rode away beside tho little bay
hat carried Bpnoisc, and his home was
hencefnrlh in the wicG-i.up OF Wyaskot.
Do you question Wyaskot's motive in
- Du Eoorat, shn