Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1896-07-11

decided to asst arena and kept the all
.viaung with their shrill and sturdy
shrieks Of announcement or walls OF
~lamentation, but so like n coyotes is the
tongue of the Sioux belle that it is al,
but impossible to tell when they are
tickled out Of their beaded socks or in
the last agonies Of a torturous death.
Indian Sham Battle.
Under the command of Big Elk and
Standing Bear the opposing forces were
deployed upon the broad plain, scouts were
thrown out and all the minute details Of
the impending clash perfected with a sys-
TEN that Uncle Sam might do worse than
to sometimes follow. Old Red Cloud, in
boiled shirt. scarlet scarf and plug hat,
sat on his pony off on a little promontory
with all the dignity Of a monarch Of all he
surveys. His once far reaching war cry
has been hushed to a whisper and his once
agile red shanks stiffened like sticks by
the en"crcachment Of time, and he took no
part save that of a lookeron in the frivol-
tiles of his children. But that he enjoys
these memory-waking scenes was evil
denced by the shining red leathery face
and furtive CLEANS of his eyes, as well as
by his occasional bluff at a warwhoop.
There was a short interval Of bantering be-
tween Big Elk, stripped to eagle plume
and breech clout and Standing Bear In a
war bonnet reaching to his heels and a big
brass breastpin. Big Elk shook his rife in
defiance. while Standing Bear worked his
braceleted arms and long lance furiously.
A hush, and then simultaneously each
sounded his respective wal cry. Then came
the fireworks. 1t was a very cataclasm Of
white ponies with green tails. black ponies
NTH x,ol1ou ctripac n md mini manac nalka
dotted and checked ponies and ponies in
fact Of all the colors of Joseph's coat. some
with tabs painted with gaudy ribbons.
withes and willow branches; other with
buffalo horns attached to the sides OF their
heads and scalps and coyote tails stream
ing from bit and girths. and their wild
riders with lance and shield, faces and
naked bodies bedaubed with the very in
tensity of artistic ingenuity with flaming
serpents and horse tails, with cracking
paniment of the ~fiercest and most hair
curling yelps and whoops that ever rent a
summer air.: In a flash all were one writh-
Ing, struggling, shrieking mass, c%onvult-
Ing in the smoke like a huge colored SER
pent. the squaws all In stiff legged motion
were in a perfect frenzy and walled IN
lugubrious tones or screamed in most eld-
ritch ferocity, making 1t impossible to
distinguish whether Ii was exultation or
lamentation which was swaying them.
1t would have been difficult to have told
which side won from the way in which
they dragged off the dead and dying and
the inextricable tangle In which they
wormed themselves after the little BATH,
was over, had 1t not been for old Rec
Clouds forcing himself among them ant
presenting Standing Bear with a little
beaded sack of some shining stuff, pre-
sumably coin. for making the best show
Ing. In the afternoon and night there was
the war and sun dance and an Grafton by
Red Cloud, some horse and foot racing, ar
Indian migration. another fight, the Pipe
of peace, a german by the squaws anc
some more dog soup.