Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1896-04-09

WAS ludl SlG WlSneu she might De with
her mother in the hunting grounds
among the shadows beyond the grave.
Everything that could be done after
this time 20 cneer the broken spirit OF
the ,,vmdn was done but without
avail. Apparently the thought OF TAX
ing her life had come upon her with
great suddenness and great force. for
it was impossible TO bring her out of
her melancholy mood The other In
dians at the point were more than us
ually disposed to be kind to her, from
the fact that amCng them she was
looked upon as 4 princess, her father
being the ruling chief of the small
tribe, for among these Indians the
tribal relations arc preserved and the
chief has null authority, although all
are wards of the government. Kline
aki had been a belle among them in
her youth. and, though her face
showed the signs of her great sadness,
she was still of much more comedy APP
pearance than many of the othe:
women of her age.
The manner in which ki-me-aki
finally put an end to, all her woe was
us strangely inconsistent with the ma
ture of an Indian as the fact itself.
One acquainted with the usages Of
these people would have expected that
some poisonous herb or potion would
have been used or a wound inflicted in
some barharic fashion similar to the
tortures inflicted by the early sayages
upon their victims. Not So Kline
aki made an abrupt ending Of ncr life,
and in very scientific manner. shoot-
ing herself through the heart with Il
ball CT a 4S-calihre Winchester rife.
the shot which caused her death
was fired just at sunset on the day
named. Throughout the day the In
dian women of The camp had watched
her movements, and had grown hopeful
that her gloom had been dispellel.
Ki-me-aki went about her lodge quietly
and put everything into the best OF or
der. She walled no more beside the
little keHnel-like structure over her
mothers grave beside the door of the
hut, but for the first time in several
days carefully Comhed out and
braided the long black hair which she
had disheveled in her wild grief Food
had been cooked and arranged in or
der as though the homecoming of
Que-Co-mic was expected and awaited
with gladness, and the fragrance OF
ewly-parched corn and of dried moose
meat stewing over the open fire with
wild rice, greeted the nostrils of those
who ventured past Que-co-mic's cabin.
Que-Co-miC was coming nome that
night, but not to find his daughter XII
me-ali awaiting him with gladness.
Just at sunset the Indians at Sucker
Point heard the sharp report of Il rife
coming from Que-CO mics lodge. They
did not all .".sh to the scene in an in
slant, but ole by one came out from
their hutS questioned each other. and
finally gathered in a little group before
their CHIEFS lodge, where, in charaC-
teristic Indian fashion, they held a
solemn pow-woW before taking any
further steps The delay thus occa-
stoned was just sufficient to make the
final denouement most ira ric While
the party were consulting hey were
startled by the appearance among
them of their chief, who came silently
and swiftly, following his eager dogs
who had smelled the cooking food.
They told him what they had heard,
and without a word old Que-co-mia
opened the door of his lodge and beck
oned to two If his councillors to follow
him within
The sight which greeted them was
such as to confirm their worst fears
Stretched out at full length upon
moose hide robe spread before the fire,
Ki-me-aki lay dead, the rifle lying
across her body, it's muzzle still loosely
grasped in her left hand Her right
foot was bare, and against its first, or
big toe the trigger of the rifle still
rested. BY her side lay the beautifully
beaded mocassin and stocking which
she had removed from her foot, and all
things indicated that the deed had been
done with the greatest possible delib-
Grafton. Ki-me-aki had barred her
breast to receive the wound, from
which a slight stream of blood tricklei
out and was absorbed in her garments,
and had met death with the stolid
stoicism characteristic of her race, with
neither a smile nor frown.
1t is believed that Que-co-mic will
not long survive his daughter. He IS
over 20 years of age, and the death of
Ki-me-aki preys upon his mind. He
has been seen about Tower several
times, where he has made efforts to Sc
cure whisky. In this he has succeeded
poorly, for though many Of the Indians
find il easy TO get liquor at Tower, as
at many other frontier towns the
friends OF old Que" comic have eXerted
themselves TO leep it from him. They
fear that he might become indamed 10
deeds of violence through the use o.
fire-water. and that he might bring
upon himself death in even more tragic
form than that which took Ki-me-aki
to the happy hunting grounds.