St. Landry democrat., 1892-01-02
FRICK WHARTON'S PERIL.

Frick Wharton was an old campagnel
on the frontier, who had served his cOun
J try from the time of the Custer MASSAGE;
until the spring of 1890. His intimate
knowledge of the Northwestern country,
and of the Indians and their languages
his perfect horsemanship, his GOODNESS,
| pluck and readiness of resource made
| him most valuable man as either scout
or interpreter.
He was fond of the life. and babe
fair to spend all his active years in the
| government s service, but he encountered
at last one person who did what no Sioux,
Cheyenne Or Ogallala was ever able to
do-moke him captive
mat person was q certain blue-eved
young woman from the far away New
England hills, who had come West to
teach an agency school, and who said
yes to the most important question
the brave scout ever uttered As a con-
sequence he Withdrew from the service,
and with his savings, which had reached
respectable snm, bought a ranch in
South Dakota, and settled down into the
quiet life of a raiser of cattle and tiler
Of the soil
Wharton lived happily eD4edgh until
the recent roui6btrewith- thg Sioux nation
began. He was quick to foresee the
serious nature of II a longer. He knew
the superstitious nature Of the Sioux, and
| their liability to intense and reckless ex-
element under a religious delusion. The
craze over the expected Messiah, the
ghost dances, and the frenzicd appeals
OF the medicine men were sure to inHame
the young warriors.
If war was prevented. it would have
to be done by men who knew the Indians
well, and were not afraid Of them
AS the signs Of trouble dcepened, Frick
grew more and more reckless He longed
to leap once more into the saddle, and
ride to the scene of the trouble. 1t was
TO be battle of wits as well as of arms,
TOR no people surpass the Sioux in sub
tilty and cunning,
He was sure his services would be
welcome, for no one knew these people
better than he.
One day he preached the matter alb
ruptly to his wife.
Jeunic,' - he said, live made up my
mind to see the government through in
this thing"
Il knew it was coming" she said
"and | have wondered why you didnH
speak Of it BEFORE
How did you know it was coninr?'
he asked. Il haven't said word"
His wife laughed. "Why," she said,
you've been absent minded, you've htd
little appetite, you've walked aimessv
about, you haven't slept well. and youte
acted as it there was some heavy trouble
on your mind. 1t was as plain as coald
be what was the matter"
"Well, he asked, "what did you think
about it,
81 thought that if you didn't mention it
pretty soon, should ask you what in
the world you meant by not offering YOUR
services when your country needed
them.''
Prick did not say much, but kissed his
wife attectionately, and was prouderthan
ever OF her. He had ma lie no mistake
in estimating the sort of stuff she was
made of.
Within few hours Wharton and his
wife rode away toward Pierre, where
Jennie was left with friends, and Frick
set out alone for the Pine Ridge Agency.
He intended to offer his services at once
to General Miles.
1t was long ride, but he knew every
mile Of the way. 1t was also danger
Gus ride, for although no open outbrc ak
had as yet taken place, Frick had picked
up enough Information on the road to cd
able him to decide that the conhagration
was at hand.
On the afternoon Of the second day,
when the sun was shining in a clear sky
and the air was crisp and keen, an In
dian horseman rode over a swell of the
prairie, and by his course showed his wish
to make closer acquaintance with the
scout.
Prick was not in the habit of running
away from solitary Indians, SO he drew
the rein Of his pony, and with the ami
NAL at moderate walk, awaited the
coming of the warrior who was in native
costume.
llSh me- pt d ottui WV cI IliHl, dlti
held his Winchester ready, but he de-
tected no hostile movement. Presently
he was surprised and pleased to recog-
nize the Indian as an Ogalala whom he
knew very we'll, and who. through some
queer whim, had received the unexplain-
able name of Brother-o of his Father-and-
Mother
Who was responsible for this amazing
title it is impossible to say, but since it
was too long to be used except on state
occasions, Prick had shortened it to
"Brif: when he had occasion to call
the Indian by name.
Briff had been friendly Indian for
years. He had been Tricks companion
on several of his dangerous scouts. The
two had camped together in the dismal
gorges and canons of the Black Hills
and Big Horn Mountains. They had
faced the awful blizzard in the land of
the Assinaboine, and starved, suffered
and hunted together until it would seem
that the ties Of friendship could not have
been welded more strongly.
But this was an extraordinary occasion
Wharton knew that many friendly In
dams had come under the influence of
the prevailing superstition and had joined
the ghost dancers. He shook hands cor
daily with Brif, but kept a watchful
eye upon him.
Brif declared that he was as good an