Capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1893-1895, 1894-03-17

- N~NANg VI eASlu' AOu budli uOG lOlR
enjoy your vengeance. Tie Great
Spirit shall cause to fall on you the
punishment your crime merits"
The chief Of the Blackfeet, not ri
derstanding the language of tic
Crows, asked the woman what the
prisoner was saying to her.
He demands that you cauee him
to suffer a good deal in order W put
his courage to the proof before all
your camp, and for that purpose he
wishes you to pour boliing water over
lis head" The Eiachfoot v2s some
what astonished a. such request.
However, he hastened to carry out
the supposed desire of the prisoner,
believing that Ills Eoc ting was done
with the design of insulting him, so
he took a kettle of billing water and
poured it slowly onto the head of his
victim.
HE is ati-fed," the prisoners
wife said to the Blacllfoot. Con
tinue to water him. He says that
you do him good"
When she thought the scalding
which he had received would inevi-
tablv cause death, she said to the
chief of the Blackfeet:
Now he desires that you leave
him tied to this post to die Of hun
ger"
las he wishes it, replied the chief.
'We are going to move the camp for
fear that your people may come to
search for those whom we have mas
sacred, so we will leave the prisoner
at his post to die of hunger, accord
ing to his desire"
There was an Old woman in the
camp of tue Blackfeet that was re-
jected by the others She had small
lodge all to herself, and when the
others stopped at any place she
pitched her tent at some distance
from the camp. She took pity on the
prisoner, and when she saw the camp
set out she herself folded up her lit
tie tent of hide and went forth slow
ly behind the rest. AS they did not
appear to trouble themselves about
her, she retraced her steps Without
being observed by any of her people
she cut the bands which bound the
prisoner to the post She also gave
him a knife, a little food and piece
of linen to cover his head. So soon
as the prisoner saw himself free, he
set out, Notwithstanding his scalding
burns, to regain the dwellings of his
own people. Weakened by suffering,
it took him three days to reach the
camp of the Crows, where they were
anxiously awaiting the return OF
their warriors.
To make a deep impression on his
people, he did not enter their camp
Immediately, but remained at some
distance uttering groans. Then, seat
ing himself on the ground, he tear
fully related the sad fate of his war
riors, brought about by the infamous
treachery of his wife.
Early the following day all the
men among the Crows capable of
fighting were en- route to overtake
the Blackfeet,
The latter had prudently pitched
camp three days distance from where
they had left their prisoner, so it was
only after six days march that the
Crows reached them. They halted
at a sufficient distance, not to be dis
covered by their enemies, and con-
cealed themselves in large, dry ra-
vine.
The Grow chief warned his people
to do their best to preserve the life
of the old Indian woman who had
taken pity on him. In regard to his
wife, they were ordered to take her
alive if it were possible.
Before going to the assault one of
the chiefs of the expedition desired
to visit the camp in order to discover
these two personages.
At 10 o'clock at night, when the
fires were. burning low and the men
had gone into their lodges for the
night, he enveloped himself in a
blanket and boldly entered the camp
of the Blackfeet. He had no diff
Guilty in recognizing the chiefs lodge.
1t was there that he discovered
her whom he was ordered to take
aiive. He eoon found also the lodge
of the good old woman at the extrem-
ity of the camp. She was seated be-
fore a little fire, wrapped in her
blanket. He approached her and
said II take pity on you, you who
have had commiseration on one of
our people. You saved him. Well,
l intend likewise to save you. In
some minutes all my people will be
here to massacre this camp. None
can escape, for we are too numerous.
If YOU desire to avoid death, follow
me. and l will place you in safety.
Come quickly, for my warriors are
advancing"
The Crow chief assisted her to carry
away her little lodge as far as the
ravine.
AS soon as she was sheltered from
| dano,ar tha Crow chief gave the sig.