The herald., 1895-08-04

''that the white man wants rain very
bad that bis crops ars all burning up in
the ground for the want Of moisture. We
make rain before for we had no shelter
for our women and children. 1t is differ
ent now" ne continued. I'VE have got
tents for our women and children and we
will let cur rainmaKor make rain If yo u
will give us five bales of blankets
The old chief took his seat and the pipe
was passed around again. The Indians
evidently thought that l would at once
acceue TO the propositions; but when
told them that the white man believed
that no one but the Great Spirit could
make or withhold rain and that could
not encourage their superstitions by
agreeing to pay them for what did not
think they could do they were consider
ably crestfalen and asked il l objected
to their making rain.
I told them that had no objection to
their going through with any OF their
rights, customs or ceremonies, provided
it did not lead to crime or bloodsheu. a
short tina previous they had murdered
an old woman wEo was accused of being
q witch, and had arrested the perre etra-
tors and sent them to Fort Leavcnworth.
IF any of your people need blankets'
said |. Il will supply them. but not as
reward for making rain"
The old medicine man seemed extreme
~ unNl0uS TO make RAIN anu tIle Ciiicis ub
last consented that he should go ahead.
He at once proceeded to the Nosho river.
about a mile distant. nearly all of the
Indians following. When he reached the
bank he made q speech TO them, caution
ing them against going into or drinking
the water while he was in it, or permit
ting any of tho children to do so. He
then went slowly and solemnly down into
the water and lay down in it. He had q
buffalo's tail in his hand and every few
moments he would dip this in the river
and throw the water into the air.
The sun went down that evening as rod
and fiery as it had for the three months
previous. There were no more signs Of
rain apparent than there had been. ani
we all thought how foolish the Indians
would appear when the old man failed in
his labors. After sundown the old man
stopped at my house on his way to camp
for his supper: He said that he would
After supper he went back to the river
again. After watching the performance
until or 10 O'Clock we went home and
went to bed. many of us cogitating no
doubt on the punishment the Indians
would mete out to the olu man for his
failure.
Between IL and l o'clock that night il
set in to rain. and we had one of the
heaviest rains that had seen for many
"a day, and it continued all the next day
and into the succeeding night.
For years after the Indians threw up to
me my unbeief in the power of their
"rain-maker." The old man was simply
some signs that assured him it was going
| to rain soon, hence his anxiety to get al
| it as soon as possible. but to hint to one
| OF the Indians that the medicine man
was not responsible for the rain was the
| rankest heresy.
Elm to be fraud, for in his younger
days he had been medicine man him
| sell, and l must relate here a tradition
| OF the old Chief not exactly as the In
] dams tell it, for they belive that he re
| ceived his information direct from the
| Great Spirit.
| Previous to the war OF 1912 the British
were extremely anxious to engage the In
| dians in an outbreak, and many OF th'
tribes wre equally so, but majority o
| the Creeks were opposed to the war. o
Path lo-yo-hola, who was then younl
and ambitious, was a leader in the wa
party About this time an emissary o
the British from Canada visited Floridf
and made the acquaintance of the youn
chief. If | mistake not the emissary wa
| Proctor. but am not sure of that. In hi
conversation he told the Young chief O
a celestial phenom enon that would TAX
place at a certain hour of q certain day
a total eclipse of the sun. The younl
CHIEF at once conceived brillint idea. H.
called q great convention OF the Who'll
tribe to meet aC their grand council
ground, snd fixed the time OF meeting
few hours before the time .or the eclips
to begin. About half hour before tina
time he came out of his tepee gorgeousl
arrayrd in bear skins and feathers an
mounted the stand that had been pre-
pared for the speakers. lie at once COR
menced an eloquent harangue in whic
he told of the outrages that had been pei
petrated upon them by the whites, an
told them that the Great Spirit wa
offended at them for not avenging thei
wrongs. ITO show his dis.peasure, sal
he, ''the Great Spirit will hide his hea
in a few minutes and will visit the dire'
vengeance on our people il they do nc
Join our friends in avenging our wrongs.
Sure enough the eclipse did commence q
he had predicted and soon the earth wa
in total darkness. 1t is hardly necessar
to say that this did settle it.