Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1894-04-05

minutes. when he perceived the women
going down TO the river. Unseen he
scanned those who passed by. hoping
TO discover his own, He was begin
ming to despair, when he saw one COM
ing alone at some distance from the
others. That was his wife He let her
pass and 30 as far rs the river. so as
TO make certain that he did not de
ceive himself. As she returned he left
his hiding place and stood before her.
Great was the surprise of this woman
Mt the sight of her husband. He did
not give her any time to question him,
Your parents" said he to her, ''are
with ME. At little distance ON the
prairie. l have only just left them in
order to come and rescue you from
your enemies. Let us save ourselves
before the camp awakes, and rejoin
our own people.
NO" she replied, Il will not set out
now. l must steal something from
those who made me prisoner. Re
turn to your warriors, and when night
time has arrived l will escape from the
Blackfeet's camp and rejoin you" In
spite of the chiefs entreatieS, she
would not consent to follow him then.
He thereupon fastened away to
await with his own people the time
when his wife would leave the camp
'fhe plan of this woman was not to
reioin her husband. She regarded his
deSrtion of her as an insult, and she
had sworn to be avenged should the
opportunity offer. On perceiving her
husband in the morning. she had dis
she asked was simply Il prctcXt to
give her time to prepare the means
of vengeance against him.
She left the river, with her kettle
filled with water and thoughtfully bent
her course toward the lodge Of the
chief of the Blackfeet.
AS soon as she had deposited her
vessel, she covered her face with her
blanket, and, assuming Il mysterious
air, SHE sat down aside, as If greatly
pre-occupied with some extraordinary
secret To the questions of those who
preserved absolute silence
The chief. believing that she was
i'll or lamented her captivity, wished
to console her and inquired the cause
of her sadness.
II had curious dream last night
said she. 81 saw my spirit, and it re-
vealed to me Il great thing. You shall
see If it has deceived me. This is what
it showed me- Some miles from this
camp, In the thicket which you see
yonder there are thirty warriors of
the Crows tribe who have been hid
ing since yesterday. They are waiting
for favorable opportunity to surprise
and massacre us.
go and take them by surprise, in
sufficient numbers, so that none of
them escape. In order to accomplish
this hasten to surround the wood on
all sides. Kill all these warriors ex-
cept their chief, whom you will bring
to the camp. l have something to say
to him."
Indians, it is known, have unlimited
faith in dreams; they are revelations
to them. Nothing more was wanted
to set the camp astir
In no time all the warriors had as
scmhled around their chief.
Meantime the woman's parents and
friends were waiting patiently, but
without anxiety.
The Blackfeet glided along like
snakes in the grass, and soon sur
rounded the wood where the Crows
were hidden. AT the given signal they
were to jump up and run in the di-
rection Of the wood, while uttering
their war whoops
At the first cry uttered by the Black
feet chief circle of men seemed to
start up out of the ground, and ii
was impossible for the Crows to leave
their hiding place. They perceived
that they were betrayed, and that
nothing more remained for them than
to sell their lives dearly They made
heroic efforts to open a little path
through the ranks of their enemies,
but he Blackfeet, six times more nu-
merous, killed them all, with the ex-
ception of their chief, whom they sue
coeded in taking alive, as his wife had
directed. Him they tied to a post to
await whatever torture the council de-
cided to intlict upon him the following
day.
His wife, to insult him in his mis-
cry, sat down in front of him.
Although it was the custom of In
dams to suffer stoically and preserve
silence when condemned to death, this
one could not resist reproaching his
wife for her base treachery.
What" said lie. do you still dare
to look at me, monster in human
shape, when you have just caused all
your family to he massacred! Your
brothers and mine hav exposed their
lives to come and deliver you from
captivity. and you have treacherously
betrayed them. You shall not long
enjoy your vengeance. The Great Spir-
it shall cause to fall on you the pun
ishment your crime merits