The Opelousas courier., 1894-10-20

like that one. I couldn't see one OF
the varminte, hut ( knew the woods
was full of 'em, and they had me- sur,
rounded like a rat in a pen. didn't
stop to think more'n a minute. Then,
THROWN my rife over one arm and my
bucket OF the other, and calm Tige
TO my heels, l sauntered cross the
patch az though nothin' had happened.
The reds saw the trick In a fash, and
when ( reached the timber it was
lined with 'em, all laughin' and iab-
BERN as though the whole thing was a
great joke. Their actin didn't fool
me a bit, but | couldn't see any way
out of the scrape and went straight
ahead.
GLOW! Howl they grunted, as
neared 'em, and half a dozen advanced
with outstretched hands. But no soon
err had l clasped hands with one of 'em
than the whole passle ponnced on me,
as / expected 'em to do, snatchin'
away my gun and tyin' my hands be-
hind my back. l knew better than to
show fight; but one red rascal paid
dearly for his fun, for the minute
the first one grabbed me old Tige
made a spring and fastened his big
jaws in the villains throat with a grip
that only the blow of q tomahawk
made him let go. Maybe I didn't long
to have my double barrel in my hands
when they killed that faithful old
hound.
''There wasn't less than forty of EN-,
and all young bucks not an old
man among EN-; and all In war paint
and feathers. From the way these were
put on l knew 'em to be a party of
young Brules. They'd been on a raid
up north ag'in' the Chippewas. and
had a number of scalps with long,
black hair danglin' from their belts.
They bein' all young braves and so far
from the home of their tribe, away out
toward the Big Muddy, counted a whole
lot in my favor Though they drew
their bows and made as if they'd send
a dozen arrows through me, and swung
their t~omahawks YER my head, it
didn't alarm me a bit.
III oCCs l. ACFCI plShCu u HudLlC
with any of the Sioux; but when they
forced me into a fight l always made
this old double barrel here such a te r
o to EN- that to take me back to
their village a captive would be worth
more to these young warriors than the
scalps of half the Chippewa tribe.
'They lugged me off to their camp
On thu oAoro ~ tho rro:r;o h,,% n 1i%f1o
way from my own There l found a
whole train of ponies, in charge of a
few braves they had left to keep camp,
while the rest of the band struck out
for the timber to kill game for supper.
That vas how they happened to find
me-, struck my camp and followed my
trail. hoped at first that they hadn't
sighted my camp but we hadn't more'n
reached theirs before a bunch of 'em
came traipsin' in with my whole out
fit, traps, maple sugar and all. My,
what a jubilee they did have over
that maple sugar! And it made
ME mad enough to scalp the
whole tribe to see EN- smackin'
their lips over that and my bucket
of b~lackberries. They held a regular
council of var round a big fire that
night to decide what they should do
with me. l understood quite enough
of the Sioux tongue to catch the drift
of all they said, though I was mighty
careful not to let my face show it.
Some Of the h~ot-headed ones were for
scalpin' and burnin' me alive then and
there. for fear that I'd slip through
their fingers as I'd done before. But
one big, strappin' fellow and, as
much as | hate the pizen critters, l
must say that he was a hne-lookin' In
jun-he got up and made a big speech,
tellin' the other braves how long their
people had been after my scalp, and
how many o sthe1r biggest braves my
old gun hal sent to the land of sspir-
Its, and what a great thing it would be
for 'em to take me back alive and let
the old chiefs settle my fate. 1t would
make big men of 'em in the eyes of the
tribe, he argued, while 1t would be all
the more fun to roast me at home
among their families. Every ~ was
on me while this young chief spoke.
UAN L tCIA yous DOOs ~ GOOA OIL lily
nerve to keep from shown by my face
that I understood what he said.
Thinks / to myself: With all that trip
ahead OF me, my young friends. If your
old chiefs ever get the chance to hold
, pow-wow overs me old Thad Balm
has lost his cunnin', that's
all. l could see by the way they
3runted that some of the younger
braves didn't like this idea, but the
most of EN- agreed with their leader.
They gave me q good supper Of the
vension they found at my camp, and
some of the berries and sugar, too; but
they bound me fast enough, and made
sleep in the middle OF the whole
pack. The camp was astir early the
next morning. That young chief took
possession Of my rifle, slung my pow
1er-horn and bulletrpouch over his
shoulder, and seemed mighty proud of
EN-. They were all mounted, VITA
Of ponies to spare, one of which
put me on, tyin' my feet together
under its body and my hands behind
back. You know l never was fond
Of horseback ridin', Bob, but %contin-
ued the old man, as he stopped to re-
Oil his pipe and-allow q broad smile to
rack up into little squares the
wrinkles of his weather beaten face,
give me a good birch bark and a
Keen, wide blade for q journey every
lime.
1T didn't take me long to get enough
that sort of ride; but, to throw 'em
IF their guard, | dug my knees into
he pony's ribs and scurried along In
;he middle of the band, laughin' as
hey did. fit to kill myself whenever a
nut his. foot in a ponher hole and