Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1892-06-30
THE BOY YES.


the fire.
This was always the signal to the boys
that he was ready to begin to shoot
butfaloes and Indians. Uncle Jack was
a grizzled veteran officer of the regular
army, and had seen much hard fighting
on the frontier.
"Why, yes," said he, 81 do know
something about what Indians are good
for as fighters, and for downright hui
man courage, without any of the sneak
ing, strike-you-in-the- back work in it.
think the Cheyennes stand ahead of
them all"
"But what Cheyennes? Where did it
happen?" clamored the boys, who knew
well enough that there was some special
instance back of the general statement
of Cheyenne bravery.
"How did you little rascals know
what was thinking Off" he growled.
"Well, in 1878 my command was sta
toned at the Wild Rose agency. Things
had been moving smoothly for long
time, but the Indians We're getting fat
and saucy on government rations, and
that state of things couldn't last. Every
brave had a good breech loader and a
pony or more. Even the boys-wiry,
saucy little rats-had their own guns
and ponies, and the way they did run
was q caution.
"There were two little chaps in par
ticular who used to loaf around the post
who had the most impudent black eyes
and the most stoical faces when they
thought you were watching them. They
were handsome little rascals, if they
were dirty and lazy, and often they used
to run races across the parade ground
to amuse the officers for stake of army
cartridges. They were the most fear
less, nimble little monkeysl
"Half the time you couldn't tell which
part was horse or which part was rider.
The way they stuck to these little ponies
in every position imaginable, now on
this side and now ON thatl They were
along the neck, under the belly, heads
almost dragging the ground! They
dropped their hats and picked them up
again at breakneck gallop. They fired
their rifles with one hand until it made
you think of Fourth of July in Bangor.
They were sons of Lone Wing, a chief.
81 got to watching for the little imps
to come and show off their tricks, and
missed them when they didn't put in an
appearance; for fellow becomes so lone
ly out there that he bankers after any
kind of face he's used to, even if it is a
dirty red face.
"You know | haven't much use for a
live Indian. Somehow, living out on the
frontier, one picks up prejudice against
them. Many of the young Indians who
hang about the agencies doing nothing
become thieves and vagabonds, but
couldn't help admiring these two boys.
'They stood by one another like
Damon and Pythias. One day some of
the men coaxed one of them into the
barracks and got him stupid drunk.
That's an example of the way Indians
are sometimes improved at the agen-
cies.
"Well, the other boy wouldn't bulge
an inch away until he took his comrade
with him. He hung around him until
after dark, and then managed to creep
in while the men were at mess, and
actually lugged the sleeping fellow out,
whistled up the ponies, loaded him on
like log of wood, strapped him ON with
a lariat and galloped off
"They had the blood of the old
sachems in them, and do believe would
have died for each other. got to like
them as much as possibly could like an
Indian, and that would be about as hard
for me as to like rattlesnake.
oxy1 ~.
ernment is not the best provider in the
world, and the Indian department is
great deal more uncertain than the pay
master or commissary of the army.
Well, one time the beef cattle were
stampeded and run off by rascally Sioux,
and the other rations were about a
month behind time and things got to
looking pretty blue over at the agency.
1--WE let them have all the army goods
we could spare, and Agent Pierson sent
his scouts here and there to pick up
what beef they could lawfully, but be-
fore they could get supply the redskins
began to grow lean.
"Some of the squaws and papooses
that staggered over to the agency would
hardly have made shadow, and it is
no wonder that petty depredations were
committed.
"First the agents poultry went. Then
some one got into the storehouse and
carried off lot of eastern canned goods
the agent had for his own table. He de-
clared that he would make the guilty
one smart if he found him. That night,
to cap the climax, floor board was
loosened from underneath and piece OF
meat the cook had ready for breakfast
was taken from the agents kitchen.
"The guard saw the thieves and fired
on them, and by the flash of his gun
recognized them as Panther Tail and
-Four Toes, the two Indian boys. for
got to tell you about their names. PAN
ther Tail was the totem or manitou
name of the older boy, and the younger
one was called Four Toes by the whites
because in some boyish adventure he
had lost the little toe from his right foot.
"When the guard came to make an
examination there was the four toed
track of one of the barefooted thieves