The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-01-08

"Can you explain 10 me the mysterious
| secret which has. always been perfectly in
/ applicable TO me how the Indians carry of
/ their dead?'
| II do not wonder that you should be
! puzzled over such problem" said the
medicine man. II will tell you. 1t is 3
common belief among the Indians of the
| plains that no warrior who has been
/ scaiped ever lives again, but is condemned
/ TO utter annihiiation. This is the reason
/ the Indians try 10 sea-. p every white man
| they can, SO as to prevent his ever pursu-
/ ing them again in the happy hunting
/ grounds beyond the grave. For this rea-
| son the instant an Indian falls he is
seized and carried off the field. The
| secret Of such a feat lies in the drill
| back Of ii. The rider is trained TO stoop
| down from his horse while he is at full
speed and pick up light objects lying on
the ground. Gradually heavier weights
are selected, until a, last few Indians
reach a state of such remarkable pro-
hciency In this art as 10 be able to stoop
down, and picking up the body OF the
heaviest man, swing 1t across their horses.
Warriors are forewarned 10 raise their
arms from the field if wounded or dying.
This act IS generally performed by two In
dams. Riding at Jul speed neck TO neck
on either side of the Frustrated form, the
riders stoop at the same instant, seize the
wounded warrior and with double effort
swing Kim up in front of one OF the riders,
who scurries of with him to safe cover or
camp.
in the drills the picking and the
| picked up take turns at playing dead or
wounded. This is the reason why in every
engagement with the Indians the signit-
cant words, indian loss unknown are
the only reports which young lieutenants
thlrstlng for glory can make with nothing
to show for their palma
THE indians are greatly helped in this
by the horsehair loops which go round the
necks Of their horses and III which they
hang by one arm. using their horses as
shield"
What is the secret belief of the Indians
regarding a man that is either strangled
or smothered?"
"They believe" said the old medicine
man, that the soul goes out of the mouth
| at death, except when a man is either
| strangied or smothered. In such case the
soul hovers around the body forever.
| This is why they dread hanging so much.
| No Indian will ever fight in the dark. for
| he believes that should he be killed IN the
dark his soul would dwell in the dark for.
| ever"
els it true that there is an unwritten
| volume of Indian proverbs which, If
| printed would make remarkable reading?"
What you ask is true" said the medi-
cine man. AFT all the Indian proverbs could
be brought together in book they would
tax the inspired wisdom of Solomon.
Here are are two of them, for instance:
Have a good time while you live, for
you will be a long time dead.
Don't you like 10 see the deer fall?
So do We, white man. And SO OH you
might go with book full"
What Is the secret Of the myth that
lies below the building of Navaj 10 lodge?"
at Is one of the most wonderful secrets
that was ever kept hidden from men. 1t
is not known by anybody unless one man.
The four corner posts of the lodge are
made respectively Of cliff rose. mountain
mahogany, scrub oak and cedar. The
reason Tor this is that the hunters that
sleep against them shall smell of them
and IN that way get nearer to the deer.
The old Navajo once said to the young
men: You kill nothing because you know
nothing. Build your house in this way.
Then 60 forth to hunt and it shall be that,
having washed your bodies of the human
scent, when you draw your bow if you
want to kill buck all you have to do is to
shoot into the mountain mahogany and
you will find dead deer where your arrow
strikes, while if you want to Kill female
deer you Will shoot your arrow into the
cliff rose, and you will find doe there
Great medicine" said the chief. Lies
under all this. The successful hunter
knows just what to take with him."
MILLER HAGEMAN.