Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1892-01-21
EARNED THE PRIVILEGE.
A WOMAN WHO SITS IN HER
NATIONS COUNCIL.
The Only Woman In America Who Does
How She Made II Her Rlght-TEe
Romautic Adventures OF
Old suns Wife.

Old suns wife.
Old SUMS wife sits in the council Of !
..er nation--the only woman. white. |
red, or black, Of whom l have ever
heard who enjoys such . prer0gative |
on this continent She earned her Pc |
culiar privileges If anyone ever earned
anything. Forty or more years ago |
she was Piegan maiden known only
in her tribe, and therefore nothing
more than her good origin. her come
illness, and her consequent value In
horses. She met with outrageous for
tune, but she turned it to such good
account that she was speedily en-
nobled. She was at home In . little
camp on the plains one day. and had
wandered away from the tents.
when she was kidnapped. 1t was
in this wise. Other camps were scat
tered near there. On the night be-
fore the day of her adventure a band
of Crows stole number OF horses
from the camp OF the Gros VentreA
and very artfully trailed their plumber
toward and close to the Piegan camp
before they turned and made their way
to their own lodges When the Gros
Ventres discovered their loss and fol-
lowed the trail which seemed to lead
to the Piegan camp. the girl and her
father. an aged chief, were at q dis
lance from their tepees, unarmed and
unsuspecting. Down swOoped the
Gros Ventres. They killed and scalped
the old man. and their chief swung
the young girl upon his horse behind
him. and binding her to him with
thongs Of buckskin. dashed off trl-
umphautly to his own village. That
has happened to many another In
dian maiden. most OF whom have be-
haved as would plaster image. saw
ing few days OF weeping. Not
such was Old Suns wife.
When she and her captor were in
sight of the Gros Ventre village she
reached forward and stole the chiefs
scalping knife out of its sheath at his
side. With it still wet with her faith
er's blood. she cut him in the back
through to the heart Then she freed
his body from hers. and tossed him
from the horses back. Leaping to
the ground beside his body she not
only scalped him, but cat of his right
arm and picked up his gun. and rode
madly back to her people, chased
most OF the way but bringing safely
with her the three greatest trophies
a warrior can wrest from vanquished
enemy. Two of them would have dis
tinguished any brave. but this mere
village maiden came with all three.
From that day she has boosted thu
right to wear three eagle feathers.
Old Sun was young man then. ant
when he heard of this feat he cam'
and hitched the requisite number 0
horses to her mothers travels pole
, beside her tent do not recall hov
many steeds she was valued at but
, have heard of very high priced Indian
girls who had nothing except thel
, feminine qualities to recommend them
: In one case l knew that young man
, who had been casting what are calle
.sheep's eyes" at maiden. went on
: day and tied four horses to her father
. tent. Then he stood around an
waited, but there was no sign frOr
b the tent Next day he took four more
;. and SO he went on until h
!, had tied sixteen horses
. the tepee. At the least the
v were worth twenty dollars perhar
!. thirty dollars apiece. At that tn
O maiden and her people came out. an
n received the young man so graciousl
a that he knew that he was 1.-The youn
a woman's choice" US We say in civil
It lied circles sometimes under yer
=. similar circumstances.
At all events. Old Sun was rich an
powerful. and easily got the saval
heroine for his wife. She was admitte
to the Blnckfoot council without Pre-
20 test and has since proven that h
valor was not sporadic for she h
d taken the war-path upon occasion. Al
IN other scalps have gone to her credl
D. Julian Ralph in Harper's Magazin