The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1897-04-15
Stories of an inland State.

A curious procession entered the Agency
Forty or more Indians, some mounted,
some on foot but ell bowling, swept down
the street. Other Indians joined them and
lent their voices to the savage outcry.
The Indians circied. In the center stood
a curious man He was a negro. coal-black.
his eyes rolling in terror and showing the
whites plainly. His lower jaw had drop
ped in abject fear, and his legs were
trembling visibly.
He glanced fearfully from face to face
bat nowhere could he see friend. Nothing
but savage, threatening faces Then he
looked apprehensively behind him. In a
little cart drawn by a single mule harness
ed with soft rope. he saw his wife. q
buxom negress, black as himself and tremb-
Ing as he with terror. Gathered about her
short skirt were four negro children. all
too small to know their danger. all rolling
their large eyes about with curiosity.
The Indians had simply found negro on
the reservation and were taking him off
In Indian style. This tribe did not amalga-
mate with the negroes. although many In
dian tribes do. Their chiefs were against
the negro and he was not allowed to come
on the reservation. much less settle there.
Ills HcSEO WAS uldhiIlS an jour
rey to the North with his family and had
passed upon the tribes land, had been dis
covered and captured. The animosity OF
the Indians for the black man was some
thing fearful 10 behold.
The negro's hands had been bound be-
hind him and he expected 70 be burned at
the stake. The savage cries of the Indians
gave him good cause to apprehend this.
h.
about the captive was Misty Dawn. These
were the first negroes she had ever seen.
Why were they so black? Were they of a
tribe OF Indians? No. For the man had
just spoken to his wife and he had spoken
clearly.
Why had they bound the man so? She
pushed herself through the crowd to the
negro
Seeing her he dropped on his knees be-
fore her and cried: 'Missus, M.ssusr'
At the same time hand was laid upon
her shoulder and she was pushed aside.
Misty Dawn turned angr,ly, but seeing
the Agent, Holding, subsidized.
Misty Dawn" said the Agent. stand
back. Let me talk TO the man.
MY man. said the Agent kindly. 81
am agent here. These good people will not
BARN you. Negroes are not allowed on
this reservation and my friends here will
simply escort you off their land
Homes Mistah Agent, l didn' knowah
that?''
Probably not. They will not harm you.
What. Have they bound you?''
The Agent quickly united the cord about
the mans wrists and murmured to him
self: THE deviEsh Indians! What won't
they do"'
The Indians had quieted down. The Agent
turned to them.
Mind you, Running Bull. you are not
to bind him, or to harm him in any way
I will not permit 1t. Do you hear? Take
him off the reservation. Do no more howl
ing. Let the man ride in his cart. You
Running Bull. go alone with him and show
him the way out. No! No, None but
Running Buh shall go. Go home, all of
you. Now. my man, go along with Run
ming Bull here. He is a good boy and viii
not hurt YOU. Go home, the rest of you"
The Indians dispersed. The Agent help
ed the negro into his cart and Running
Bull on a pony set out ahead.
Misty Dawn beheld all this with wonder.
The Indians sulked away and left her and
the Agent standing there alone.
1t was privilege she now took, not TO
Include herself in the commands he gave
the Indians.
HE is not Indian?" she asked.
mo. He is a negro
why do the Indians hate him sop
That's hard to say, Misty Dawn. Be-
cause he is of different race"
Running Bull would not marry so black
a woman?'
NO"
would you?"
mo"
But white man marries the Indian"
mot the best white men, Misty Dawn"
He felt that he had said too mudh. The
girl blushed. There was infinite sorrow in
her voice when she said:
Then the nice white man looks upon us
as these Indians look upon the black man
there"
Yes, yes. Misty Dawn. That is the
truth"
Why did she put such questions to him?
But she kept IT up:
THE white man is high. the Indian lower,
the black man lower still?''
Eyes, Misty Dawn"
The dark eyes of the young woman were
covering with tears.
Holding started away, She placed hey
hand upon his arm. He could not help MOTTO
ing what a delicate white hand Il was.
''The best white man does not marry the
indiana
He does not
But I am white"
The time had come as he had long anti
cipated- This woman must know row.
She was already in womanhood He had
hoped that white squawman, better than
the average. would make her his wife. She
must never I've with full-blood Indian.
But he would tell her the truth now, for It
must come, some time.
You are white. Misty Dawn" and ne
added with sadness. But you are In
dan
Tell me of that?" she asked.
"Ah! Misty Dawnl Why will you ash
that? The white man is the king Of all
RACES. He Is domineering. proud. He
loves his blood. Ii is only good blood when
no savage blood is mixed In IL TIE proud
white man says he will not take as his
wife any woman who IS no: al white blood
He says to the Indian woman who has but
a single drop OF Indian blood In her veins
You are not white. You are Indian. Your
blood is tainted. I can not be your hus-
band One drop OF Indian blood IN your
veins and You are Indian be yoS ever SC
white OF skin. This negro you saw here
there are sQuswmen among the negroes
TOO, Misty Dawn, and they sometimes have
very white daughters. But the proud
white man will not take these white daugh-
tiers with negro blood IN their VEN. FOR ne
says: You have negro blood n your veins
and you are negro So the poor white girl
rnfrsr 90 70 The h;arl rne-n g. - -