Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1896-07-30
TWINS TO-
tVhen They Appear In an Indiau Can.
One Of Them 10 Killed.

tWhea They Appear In an Indian ca.-
One of Them IL Killed.
! The following true story Of Indi.,
life is told by an Arizona p~rospecto,
land describes one Of the queer suner.
:odtions of q barbarfc tribe: I'm jam.
Iary, 1886, I vas crossing a desert with
Q team. It Is necessary 20 carry water
across the plain, and l had a good sun.
ply In a barrel on the wagon. Every.
thing was going along In good shape
until nearly noon, when an accident
resulted in the loss Of every drop Of
water we had. It was Impossible "a
proceed further without water, and
yet to remain there would be equally
serious. We did our best. Along in
the evening I was picked up by a band
Of Apaches in an almost exhausted con.
dition. They gave me water and one
young couple who seemed to be supe,..
or In intelligence fed me.
Il, however, did not have my fun
senses. The terrible strain on a dry
alkali plain without water and in the
burning sun was enough to turn ones
brain. Indians are superstitious, illogi.
cal and childish to q degree which no
civilized man has any conception. This
was to my advantage. They thought me
insane, and, as they regarded one u Of
his mind as something supernatural
and to be revered, they treated me with
the greatest kindness. l did o trust
%ho Yn1ious HANOI whom T horor T.,
cover my mental balance l tried to give
no outward evidence Of this fact, and
wandered among them In a solitary
and speechless manner I was sham.
ming to get away all the time.
"a few days after my arrival Mt camp
twin boys were born to the young wife
of the Indian who had fed me and cared
for me. This Is not any more uncom-
mon among the Indians than elsewhere,
and although the red man Is passion.
ately fond Of children, yet the appear.
ance of twins and a crazy man, as they
regarded me, forbode them evil, and
the medicine man said that the squaw
was a witch and that she and her in
fants must be sacrificed. Melo pleaded
for his wife without avail. She did not
attempt to escape. I was not yet able
to understand the Indian language,
and it was some time before I was
aware Of what troubled my young
friends. and only a few hours remained
before the mother and her children
would be burned.
Il made my escape and succeeded in
reaching the agency. Here, with much
trouble, l secured a detachment Of cav
airy and led them back to the Indian
camp. l had no hope of being In time,
but, fortunately, the chief had eaten
something that did not agree with him
and the sacrifice was postponed a few
hours. When we rode up the noise OF
the beating tomtoms and the singing
Of dancers drowned out the sound OF
our approach. In the distance we could
see the young wife and her two children
being driven into her shack and the
warriors with burning firebrands grad.
ually closing in to ignite the funeral
pile. At this moment we were discov-
cred and the dance was brought to q
standstill. The presence Of the troop
ers was sufficient. I persuaded Melo
and his wife to return to Phoenix with
me. They have lived there since and
have aided me in gaining knowledge
of the Apaches."-Denver Field and
Farm.