The Wichita daily eagle., 1897-12-05
Col. Freeman's S Ward.
For the Eagle

| II was Wakegrd Sunkta, or payment time
at the Usage Agency. All around the little
village were the camps OF the red men: low.
obiong teepees. set up IN every place that
AFFORDED room. In the summer time 1t Is
the habit Of the Indians to camp out on the
| prairie. near the Agency, but now snow
| lay on the ground. SO they camped in town;
the Cedar Vale hill keeping of some of the
| wind.
Little Cno-pa was seven years old. and
bis father Wah- sho-wa-ga-hah. brought
him with the rest of the family to witness
! the payment and see Col Freeman, the
Great Fathers Agent, who so kindly sign
ed their annuity checks and snarled at
them for crowdlng his office.
Time hung heavily on little Cho-pa's
hands HIS father was gambling In the
| little room over the postoffiee, his mother
was at the Traders. buying red and blue
ribbons. and beaded moccasins, so he wand
cred forth from the teepee. his little feet
making tracks scarcely larger than those
Of the coyote who was just now eating the
beef laid on the teepee floor.
When he passed the Agents office he
spied several boys throwing snow balls.
They were white, It's true. and wore clothes
which kept the snow from freezing the bare
skin, but Cho-pa had no distinct ideas Of
social distinction and the snow wouldn't
feel any colder than the bath his mother
gave him in Bird Creek few hours before.
With his little brown hand he gathered
snow ball and packed II until is was stone
like He threw and missed the white boy
his missile had been aimed ct. He threw too
high. Yes, IL went righ; into the window
Of Col Freeman's Office.
'Me-um sick no want play."he explained
to his white compan Mons as he ran quickly
back to his temporary home.
He Rad broken the long-knife's (soldiers)
window, What would become of him now.
The long-knife was hard on the Indian; he
knew that Didn't he send Peh-tse-moie
off TO the black diamond hole Qansing, Ks)
for nothing but killing a traders calf when
he was out of meat? And wasn't he tie
cause of Nin-ca-she now being in jail at
Ne-shuh-sha (Stillwater) for buying a
bottle of med'cin at Pawnee and bring
ing it home? The little fellow lay on the
blanket floor OF the teepee and shivered as
he thought of his possible fate. then he
grew drowsy and forgot all his troubles.
A rough hand on his shoulder aroused him
and he looked up into the face of Marshal
Robacker, who stood over him and said
gruffly:
come along,''
The stories of men tortured at the stake
flashed across the little fellows brain as
he got up and tightened his breech clout
Stories Of prisoners being disenboweled and
scorning to utter word OF plant or give
a sign Of pain, and of his fathers words of
praise for them who faced death without
flincning came TO his mind.
Resolving to emulate them he followed
the marshal in whose eyes was a twinkle
which belied his gruff tone. Up the office
stairs they went Robacker's big hand TAX
ing the chubby brown one to help its owner
up the hallway. They went at the office
door and a tremble shot through the little
fellows frame. Would the soldiers present
guns and riddle him before he had time 10
explain. What was that sentence the
long-robes (priests) taught him to say when
in danger? He racked his brain. Oh, yes.
"Jesus, little Jesus, of course. Mary and
Joseph take care of me-
Then the door of the agents Office opened
and they entered.
Col. Freeman left the office for dinner
just a few moments be ,ore Cho-pa threw
the snow ball that had caused the trouble.
1t was 1870 p. m. when ne felt the gnaw-
ing pangs of hunger and he hurriedly cast
away the stump of cigar and went up the
hill towards home The cigar fell TO the
waste basket; it smouldered awhile and
then the papers burst into bright blaze.
Then came the results OF an Indian boy
trying 20 learn the white boys game. The
sphere came through the window and fell
into the waste basket with enough force
TO eXtinguish the blaze. the heat melted
it and before the cigar stump lit the paper
again. it had been deadened by the mel
ted snow. The Colonel took this view OF
the matter. which caused the absence of
the soldiers, the guns and the mutilated |
body of Cho-pa.
Robacker led Cho-pa up to the desk, be- |
hind which the agent was writing, with the |
habitual frown on his face. when he saw |
the half naked boy before him.
"Is this the boy he said, harshly TO the |
marshal, who nodded.
Several ideas passed through the little |
brown fenow's head as he stood. straight |
as an arrow before the desk. He caught |
at one. Me-um like Cog wash'ton, no tell |
lie, bloke window" ne said, sturd.ly.
The Coloners hard face grew soft and he
smiled. while the visions of the soldiers.
the guns and the Lansing coal mines fad
ed from the young Indians mind. The |
q gent motioned him around and showed him |
the now soggy remains OF the waste bas-
ket's contents and the cigar stump. Then
he pulled dollar from his picket:
Take this but don't throw any more
snow balls, now get" and the little form
left the office feeling two inches higher
than when he entered
That is why Cho-pa went to bed that
night with pains in his breech clout. from
eating candy and apples. that is why ne
Salutes the long-knife when he meets him |
at the Wakegra Sunkta and the stately
Colonel returns the naked mans 'saluer,'
with a smile. J. A. REGNIER-