The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-09-17
In THE EVERGLADES,
An interesting Bear Hunt With Sem
mole Indians.

a Chase Which Destroyed the Ten
derfoot's Ambitions-Hos OF
Florida's Indians.
From the Pittsburg Dispatch.
Kissimmee, Fla, Sept. 10.-During the
past month there have been reports that
the Seminole Indians were preparing
their war paint on account of a supposed
insult Such news is not correct. The
Florida Indians would do nothing to
AROUSE the white mans revenge, for they
have sense enough to know that if war
comes again it would mean eXtermina-
ton, and their love for the land Of the
palm is too dear to them to run any such
risk. So when the monotony of these
long summer bank-failing-days was bro
ken by an invitation to go bear hunting
with the Seminole chiefs, with more than
usual willingness for hunt after big
game, we started.
1t had been our good fortune to befriend
an Indian chief during one of his visits to
Kissimmee, and true to his Indian nature,
the kindness was not forgotten-nOt only
was his friendship assured, but that of
every Indian of the four different tribes
about 400 in number. Securing an old
guide, a sail boat, enough provisions to
I'd uSC tI1S luulduS 10 GACldluls w U1bC uldI
eat plenty" with our guns and fishing
tackle, and the usual snake bite remedy,
we turned our boat toward the Ever
glades and in three days found as wild
and weird a country as Stanley ever eX-
plored Ia darkest Africa. The second
day out two chiefs with their slaves-for
slavery does exist among the. Seminoles-
met US in canoes. They came to show us
a short cut to their distant Indian village.
We gave them the lead, and, on being re-
duced to polling instead of sailing worked
our way through water lilies, tail grass,
overhanging branches, getting stuck in
the shallow water and marsh, yet this
part of the trip had more zest to the
square mile than hundred hunts in the
north could have.
A SENSE OF HUMoR.
The Indians have a keen sense of humor
and hearing we had never killed bear
deer nor alligator, told our guide, Indian
have fun ogus (heap) with white man.
and as they continued to laugh and talk
| together with significant looks toward
the "tenderfoot," we took the spirit of
the fun and asked the question, "NOck-o-
! tee2' (what is itD, at every opportunity.
! We enjoyed the sport with these childish,
| friendly Indians, and caught trout, too,
as never before-sOme weighing II
! pounds till we were tired pulling them
| III. III lTuub u Us we SAW SOIlbbDlllS IA
| the water, and the usual question, "NOck-
o-teel The chief answered, a snake. We
shot and killed beautiful water turkey,
| so much priced for mounting.
| The next thing we came upon was an
| alligator asleep, (which the Indian said
was dead. We punched him, and got
| dashed full of water with his tail as he
| disappeared under the snrface. Then
the yell of the red men proved they were
| joking again at our expense. Another
time we came upon a herd of cattle feed
ing in the marsh on the maiden cane.
! One guide told us these cattle were web
footed and first cousins TO the sea COW.
| We had an exhibition in the Indian skill
in throwing the spear and guiding the
canoe while standing. We could see no
| sign of life anywhere except the swaying
of the large lily pads on top of water.
| WhiZ! went the spear with a long rope
attached, and so feet away great com
motion was going on. Pulling in the
| rope we saw on the spear fine trout
which proved to weigh II pounds. Time
and again they threw, each time with the
same success.
AS we reached the Seminole village
twenty dogs came rushing at US, but re-
ceiving a good scolding in Seminole lam
guage they skulked away. A couple
dozen pickaninnies came too to inspect the
pale faces; then followed six or eight
straight as arrows-Indian braves. These
we were introduced to.
The Seminole word of welcome was
given, "Ha-tee-eten-ch ee-kick-cha- hits
ebay" meaning Glad to see you" The
village we found to be about a dozen wig
vans and several palmetto sheds, ar
ranged with no view to looks. We could
not be unmoved by the thought that here
is a tattered and poverty-stricken hand
full of warriors that once held Il strong
government at bay for fifty years. Con-
cealcd in the Businesses of the Ever
glades, their removal is an impossibility.
The Seminoles are suspicious, fearful that
some pale-faced government agent viii
discover them, so when an invitation to
go bear hunting was received we knew
the friendship of the braves was gen
uine.
The trail the dogs soon found. and if
ever a sound was sweet to ears it was the
baying of five hounds close on bruins
trail. The Indians yelled, but we were
getting well worn out, and bravely
brought up the rear A hunt in the Ev-
erglades, pulling through soft mud,
climbing over logs, pushing through vines,
crawling on hands and feet through the
tangled, matted underground, getting
into deep black, miry mud above the
knee, expecting or fearing each step we
would strike a moccasin, are the penal
ties paid for the romantic adventurous
hunt with a Seminole Indian.
At last the leading dog reached the
bear and the attack commenced, but
Madam Bruin was too much for the dog,
and one blow broke his leg. The dogs
bowls caused the other dogs to stop a
second and the bear dashed of for the
| thiclxet, the Indians, on account of the
denseness of the forest, not being able to
get a fair shot at the retreating enemy.
CUTE AS CONNECTICUT YANKEES. -
Many tourists hire the Indians who fire.
quent civilization to guide them in hunts,
but the Indian mo like pale face" and
will mislead the tenderfoOt, taking him
around and around, always keeping out of
sight Of game, and, with a cunning that
would do credit to a Connecticut Yankee,
feels as disappointed as the hunter posi-
bly, could. II is not poor Los idea to
show the white man his hunting grounds.
Reaching the Seminole homes, we ar
ranged our tents, divided our provisions
with the chiefs and the young bucks, and
| started out with the bear dogs to pros
pect for bruin. At noon we returned,
! having found where bear had eaten one
of their hogs at only a distance of three
miles from camp. This was sufficient;
not only was the Indian eager for the
! hunt. but vengeance for the lost hog was
| fresh Only the dogs trained for bear
were taken and at daybreak we started.
IRA 1relinor a few miles we struck "A marsh.