Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-10-08
A UTE LIE EN- D.

| NAe~A SAoeA- AooAooioosa, young cnler from
the Southern Ute tribe. and wenosene, the fair.
ess daughter Of the Northern or Uncompahgrs
race. Up the canyon a. far a. their keen eyes
could see, down the ravine till the river and
rocks seemed blended in one great shadow, nc
form OF life was visible but the birds, the
grasshoppers and crickets, or perhaps the sly
coyote trotting here and there, or the shining
trout in the creek at their feet Several miles
away could be seen the smoke from the wick.
i-up fires, but friendly mountain hid the
camps occupants. All alone they could talk
OF themselves, their mutual love-and in wordi
- melodious a. those in which Hiawatha spoke
OF Minnehahs calling her his sunlight, moon
light. starlight,-the freight Of his people, "
20 Toolooloosa talked to Wenosene, in a Language
unknown to US, but dear to i.s people. Come,
my wee one-my little bird, come with Too
looloosa, who loves you We will steal away
from Pagoa, the great chief, your father, and
then my horse War Eagle in two sleeps hard
riding will carry US to my homo in the south.
Love and Joy are there-come, my little rabbit
| come"
She looked up to him-lovely wenosene-
| with tears in her great black eyes, and shook
her head Observation-Disclosures shall
die without you. but I cannot 60 or they will
kill us. Even now Stretch the Dog has seen
| su0 ioFc sAbus. On! my lOOlOOlOOba, go ana
leave me. Go today or it will be too late.
But shall always love you"
Long he urged her, saying: II am Tooloo-
loosa, the Firebrand--I always conquer where
others fail love only you and shall take you
away as gem to wear near my heart. 1 will
send for i've young squaws and five strong
braves to give the chief. your father, for you.
They will bring twenty ponies. and baskets OF
willow and dishes Of clay. Rather than give
up my Wenosene ! would give all my tribe
owns in horses and lands Rather than leave
| my dove would be prisoner in her cage"
| For o moment she stood by him, her whole
heart revealed by her love-lit eyes; then with
a sob Of joy she sprang to his open arms and
| with embraces and terms of endearment they
talked of their love and their future. They
| had thoughts only for each other, so that the
habit Of watching and listening had been well
nigh forgotten and only the little gray hawk
| aloft in the air saw figure creep from sage
brush to the protecting pine branches, then
behind the rocks. on, on, ever nearer the
lovers. No danger was dreamed Of till an
ugh" caused the girl to start with scream
from her lovers arms and both to turn toward
the speaker.
| There stood the old medicine man, Stretch
the Dog. As they gazed, unable to speak, he
slowly dropped his blanket. Great Spirit. pro
| tectOr OF all Indians, care for Toolooloosa and
Wenosene! Stretch was in war paint. From
his tightly plated hair to his waist and from
knee to ankle the perfectly nude skin was the
background for figures painted in most hide
Gus colors.
| Wenosene with an arrow through her heart
| Below it was Toolooloosa the Fire brand tied
in the center Of blazing pile Of pitch pine.
Too we'll they knew what was meant. Too
looloosa had been sent with truce from the
hated southern tribe. He had dared to love
wenosene the Fairbody, the belle Of the North
ern Utes, and death by fire was to be the pun
| ishment
Stretch spoke no word. but motioned Tooloo-
loosa to walk before and Wenosene to follow
him. Up the canyon past the falls, over the
| rocks down hill, crossing small plateau, and
| the wick-i-ups were reached
| The old squaws were busy preparing the
| evening meal The chiefs and braves we're
lying around teasing the dogs or playing with
the toddling papooses. ALI understood the
| meaning of the procession.
Pagoa motioned Stretch to take Toolooloosa
| to the prisoners wick-i-up. Five braves rose
| and followed They were placed as guards
over him. Several old squaws roughly caught
| Wenosene by the arms and hair and half drag
| cling her to her wick-i-up removed the Novely
dress of white buckskin, her beaded mecca
Tins, her belt Of silver, necklace and bracelets,
| and then they cut her long, beautiful hair An
old dirty garment was given her, but her feet
were left uncovered.
all their clothing but the loin cloth, and
donned their war paint Before the council
began there was a slow, SOLEMN dance around
| the fire with no music but the "Ah! All Ugh!
All! All! Ugh!" that marked the dancing time.
For an hour this lasted, then when twilight had
| was peeping over the snow-clad peaks OF the
Rockies the dancers sat down.
The silence was unbroken till Pagoa began
speaking. His talk was brief, but it explained
| all Toolooloosa the Firebrand, a chief in the
| hated Southern Ute tribe, had come with five
| braves and fiftean To try ala
peace between the two tribes. They had given
| him food and drink. their daughters had
waited on him. the chiettain's pipes had been
freely offered him. Now he repaid their kind
ness by daring to love and attempting to carry
away Wenosene the Fairbody. He must die
| But how?
At the end of his speech all agreed with him
that TOolooloosa must die. Death by fire was
suggested, but he had come in peace, SO by
Indian law he must return in safety. His five
young braves and all but one of the horses they
had brought must remain as a pledge that
Toolooloosa would return and fight. His bows
and arrows would be returned to him and the
blankets he needed for clothing. This was the
final decision SO Toolooloosa was brought from
the wick-i-up and told the arrangement
He answered in words becoming to one of his
brave race: .Toolooloosa the Firebrand loves to
| fight. All he asks that the Uncompahgres fight
fairly and give up .Wenosene If Tooloolooss
wins the battle. Toolooloosa take one horse
| and one bow and culver Of arrows"
When the twittering birds gave warning OF
coming day the Indians again led forth Tooioo
loosa. They mounted him on his strong ..WaI
Eagle" and placed in his hands his bow and
| arrows.
Poor Wenosene, from an uplifted corner Of
| her wick-i-up cover, saw him raise his hand tc
the great spirit land and wave it toward the
spot where she lay, then he was Off like the
wind. With a cry from a broken heart she
threw herself face downward on the pile O,
deerskins in the corner
For two days nothing could rouse Wenosene
The kicks and cuffs Of the women watchers
the taunts Of the young squaws and braves who
passed her wick-i-up, were all unanswered
seemingly unfelt or unheard. Food and water
were refused. Life seemed almost extinct
The old squaws touched their foreheads lightly
saying, "All gone, ali gone" then pointed Il
tho graveyard beyond saying Very soon nov
she gO;' so considering her almost dead the,
left her unmatched.
The third day after Tooloolooea had gone
she heard an old Indian az he passed her doc,
say, To-day Firebrand starts with his men,
All! he was coming back! She must be strone
for his sake 30 that night when all were asleer
she cautiously crept from under her wick-i-uI
and found food and drink. cake Of bread
and chunk of dried beef was taken back 4
her bed and hidden for her next meal Mex
day her seemingly unconscious position wal
resumed, so no watchers were placed over her
When the sun was midway in the heaven
she heard great commotion. A runner hAt
returned from his station on a neighborine
mountain who told that he had seen thu
haas Apao 80 To~l