The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1897-04-06
Stories of an Inland State.

sieepily and stared about him In the
, shadowy light of the wigwam. He unroll
ed his blanket from around him and sat up
His mother looked at him mutely.
rs the papoose still ill?'' he asked.
'She is gone,'' said the mother in wild
voice.
The boy arose and threw few twigs on
the fire. He came over and looked at the
face of his little sister and turned away
Grief did not rack him. 1t is a dreadful
thought, but his absorption, then, was Of a
mercenary nature.
Each baby's life in the tribe was worth
$780, That was the sum yearly paid by a
beneficient government to the tribe. The
government regarded the Indian as its
ward. Pressed by pioneers, it rel;nquished
the Indian tribes lands. sold them, took
charge of the proceeds and paid an equal
portion of the interest TO the Indians, man
woman and child alike.
so each man, woman and child in the
tribe received $500 a year; Waving Hair
and her children received together an in
come of s1,6OO.
| With Misty Dawn gone this amount
would be reduced 10 s., 200. This was what
was occupying the young Indians mind.
He turned to his mother and said grimly:
Eve must get another Misty Dawn
| The mother looked at him stupidity.
Her annuity will stop" he continued in
explanation.
HIS mother studied him, replying slowly:
Running Bull, Jake is dead.
"Then you have heard from him?
Eyes. He is dead
"Where?"
81 do not know OF the reservation"
Running Bull, the half-breed, remember
! cd his father well. 1t did not affect him
emotioually in the least that his father had
| deserted him. He remembered him as
| rough man, out of sympathy with his son
! and he did not grieve, when he went away.
because he had lost father. But he did
hear him grudge and it was on this &C.
count:
When Black Volts gang had attacked
and vanquished the Mexican train, Run
ming Bull and the others had drifted back
TO the reservation from which they had
never been missed by the agent. Running
Pull, who had for a captive the tiny white
baby had sold her to an Indian named
Yellow Nose. He had done this because he
had no particular use for a strange baby
and for the further and all-sufficient reason
that baby in his possession would have
attracted the attention of the agent and
" ould have led to inquiries which would
have meant punishment for him not only,
but for all Black Wclf's murderous lodge
Running Bull did not belong to Black
VOLTS band and was merely visiting 1t
when II went away OF its eventful excur-
sion. 1t was fear OF the Agent which also
caused the men in the lodge to hide the
scalps they had taken. TO conceal the
vehicle they had captured in a distant
49,
they had appropriated as much as possible.
The immense amount of silver coin they
had captured and unapprec.ated After
punching holes in few for ornaments they
laid the rest aside secretely. Yellow Nose
kept his purchased white baby out of sight,
informed the Agent of a new birth and had
his annuity increased 800.
When he returned TO his home, Running
Bull with characteristic taciturnity, said
nothing. But his white father suspected
and pinned the boy down. The facts came
out slowly Beffel, the squawman, visited
the Indians and threatened them with eX-
posure. The price they paid for his silence
was in every instance their silver Mexican
coins. 1t was the collection of this money !
and the surprising total which 1t made |
which led Beffel to desert his Indian wife |
and children, flee the tribe and return to |
his white family in the state-a very rich |
man.
But, Indian-fashion, Running Bull had |
never told his mother anything, not even |
the cause of her husbands desertion which |
Running Bull now suspected to have been |
the silver money which then he thought
only ornaments. This had all happened a
year and half previously. One day Run
ming Bull had asked Yellow Nose about the
little white papoose which he had sold him
and Yellow Nose had told him that the
little papoose had died. With the strong
suspicion of his nature, Running Bull
doubted this and kept an eye single to de-
tecting whether Yellow Nose had tried to
deceive him.
Now his mother said to him.
Jake left money"
''He did What?''
1.-TWO hundred dollars to each child while
Il lived"
That would give US 81 eco year" said
Running Bull counting on his fingers
quickly. with Misty Dawn gone we lose
500 year. We must have another Misty
Dawn"
He wrapped his blanket\ around him and
strobe out into the darkness>until he came
o Yellow Noses wigwam.
He called him out.
81 must have the white papoose," said
Running Bull.
white papoose is gone"
yellow Nose. Running Bull must have | .
Ter. He will pay you now whole years |
nnuity. Come. The papooss was mine. !
gave her 10 you for fifteen ponies. I want ,
Ter back Z
white papoose is gone" said Yellow
lose :
Running Bull was puzzled. He did not be- :
eve the Indian, but what was he to do? G
You want papoose," said the Indian. /
White papoose?" a
"Yes'' ?
Doesn't Running Bull remember the 7
fifteenth which Broken Tree took?" O
Running Bull did remember. The white z
egro baby that Broken Tree had stolen Z
Iere was the deliverance. :
let Running Bull go there" said Vel
wv Nose with a stealthy. Indian smile. 2
Running Bull awakened Broken Tree o
no had just buried his wife. The widower, c
18th only two other wives left TO him, came Y
lt and viewed his visitor II
Broken Tree said Running Bull. Run a
Ing Bull wants white papoose." c.
The Indian stared at him and waved MS O
ard in refusal. a
But I must have her. I viii give the a
lnuity now for whole year" :;
The offer was tempting. The Indian hes Il
ated. 81
When VIII you give annuity :,
Tomorrow. 1 want the white papoose | r
wv" n
TIE Indian stin hest;tated II
She is TO; yours. urged Running Bull ! Il
Broken Tree stole her. II The Agent should r.
lew he - y
But Broken Tree shut him off with a We | "
.ment snort "
Broken Tree did not steal the baby" al