The Red Cloud chief., 1892-08-19

4 iGt tuOSt tNO Gritty AWAY Lnc NEWS
that they had seen me.
"The minute they went out of sight
i pulled up my anchor stone, and put
that big rock into one of my bundles of
bulrushes. I did not take the anchor
rope off the rock. but Just tied the bull
PUSHES firmly round the stone.
Next / took of my buckskin coat
and buttoned II round the bundle.
Then ! propped IL up solidly in the mid
die of the canoe, Just where I had been
sitting. and l clapped my old hat on
top of IL.
FINALLY ! stuck the butt Of my fish
ing pole among the other bundles of
bulrushes, and set it slanting out over
the water in front of the dummy l had
pressed up.
I'm my pocket ! had n heavy two
hundred-feet line that used for trolling
with live frogs. tied one end of this
to the dummy, and took the other end
in my teeth. My intention was to
swim ashore, but just as I was about
to do so l reflected that the boat was
not now anchored, and might rs well
paddle the distance, because the Indians
certainly could not see me from where
they must have reached by that time.
$50 I padded to the island. Then |
took out my old double-barrel and my
powder-horn, and gave the canoe u
shove outward. The trolling line paid
out nicely. When the canoe, with the
dummy in IL, had gone out to where II
hal been with me, | stopped it by hold
ing the line.
There was n gentle breeze from the
steadily In place in the little channel
between the island and the point the
Indians were making for.
when ] saw that the dummy and
fish-pole looked all right, l lodged
back among the willows out Of sight.
Then I looked out again Mt my dummy.
"Wcll, Bob, ! just had to lie down
and roll and laugh when ] squinted at
that image. II sat up--facing meas
straight as a judge, and held that pole
as natural as life.
II lay in the bushes n long time, look
ing at the opposite shore, before ] saw
another sign of the two Indians. The
breath of wind kept the canoe we'll out
at the end of the trolling-line. The
dummy was about fifty yards from me,
and about the same from the opposite
bushes, to which ! expected the Indians
to crawl.
''Hy and by ! saw one OF them put
out his head from behind a tree n good
way back from the lake. They knew
who they were after, and that made
them so cautious they were "a good hall
hour in working their way to the point.
Now and then I'd see them lodging
from tree TO tree. At last they reached
the edge, and ] could see them pecpirg
out from among the bushes.
Pretty o ! saw both of then
poke out their rifles and take steady
aim. Just when their guns cracked
gave such a pull with my line that tn,
canoe capsized, and out tumblet
the dummy head first on the sid,
of the that had swung rount
nearest to me. As the bowline was tiet
to the stone in the dummy, the canoe
was now anchored. 1t sort Of hid tn,
tumble from the two shooters.
1--WE seen some comical things in my
time, but ! never wanted To laugh NOR,
than when l saw that old hat go divin,
for the bottom. But / kept as still rs
mouse, and 70 did those Sioux for
spell. ..
1.-THE weight Of that rock kept tn,
dummy at the bottom. but my old ha
came off and rose TO the top, where i
floated with the fishing pole.
"Still the two Sioux made no move
Won Snn th. yuSnn1s u.rnp s.r, tln,
had killed me. They didn't know bu
I'd jumped overheard, and was hidin,
behind the canoe. But when they ha,
waited long enough for me to b
drowned IL l hadn't come up, the wine
turned the canoe round so that the,
could see both sides of 1t.
THAT satisfied them, and they boil
came jumping out of the bushes TO tn
edge of the water. Such n scrcechin,
and yelling with delight you ncve
heard.
'Thcy were both young fellows, an,
the idea that they had succeeded in kill
ing the nan that all their old brave
half believed was protected by som,
magic, just tickled them half TO death
A white mans scalp and gun
and that scalp my scalp, and my oil,
double.barrel, to carry back to thei
village-why, they thought they fcl
the biggest kind Of feathers in thei
caps already!
when they got tired of yelling an,
dancing they took oil their powde
horns and bullet pouches-about al
they had on except their paint an,
Observation-Disclosures laid them on TIN
beach with their rifles. Then the,
jumped in and swan for the canoe.
"As soon as they reached it both o
'em climbed into 1t, and began to lool
round for their victim. The water wa
clear as crystal, but just at that place
the bottom was covered with water
moss two feet deep; that's why it's sucl
a good place for bass.
THE weight Of that rock sunk tn
dummy SO deep into the moss that tn
Indians could see no sign Of II. The,
looked and looked, and ut the SAM
time inspected and jabbered about IN,
Ratchet and knife, which ! had lef
aboard when ] landed.