Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1897-12-15
THE REINDEER PACK.
A Christmas Tragedy.

Charley Big Foot was a tall, pock-
marked Sioux, who had been caught
stealing cattle in the land of the Crows.
Heap bad Injun' was the verdict of the
Grow council, which meant that he was
condemned TO a month of servitude on
their reservation. Now there is an an
Gent law among these Northern tribes
regarding the duty of prisoners, which
brings into everlasting contempt the man
who runs away from punishment. So
Charley Big Foot needed no watching,
but did his work as if he were getting
pay, and when it was done went and
came quite as he chose. 1t was early in
December when Charley went into cap
tlylty, and the naked ridges along the
valley of the Little Horn were under a
foot of snow, which had been swept and
frozen by the winds until the plains were
like a great white rock holding the vault
OF heaven On its rim. Charley knew ev-
cry ridge and hollow III these lonely
wastes, and he could tell you what the
white graves meant on Custer hill. Twen-
Y years ago, when he was young brave
IN the mighty, camp of Gail, when the
tepees covered five miles of the valley
from river to bluff, he remembered how
they had swarmed up the ravines and
surrounded the pale-faced horsemen and
raked them off their feet with 5000 bull
let's, IN the time it takes to pull a trigger.
All same-fght heap hard' was as
much as Charley would ever say about
it; and that, in connection with the I'M
broken line of dead men. was enough
One day this bad Indian felt cheap
SICK, and that evening he took the trail
up the Little Horn to the camp of a
medicine man. Sitting on warm furs be-
tore the fire of the Grow doctor, he heard
the young men tell Of what had happened
at the white mans school. The shame
and horror of reading, writing, spelling
figuring and praying were all described
and there was great fun in the red mans
tepee. All agreed there was a better
sense in the screening of an owl, or the
bowling of coyote. Suddenly the laugh
ter ceased and the shadow of a serious
curiosity rested on the dark faces around
the fire. The boys were telling how
Santa Claus came to the agency, and of
all the wonderful things he brought to
his back-the sleds and skates and snow
shoes, the wonderful jackets of red and
yellow, and the handkerchiefs as bright
as the clouds in the sunset sky and as
soft as the coyotes ear, the shining
knives and guns and pistols, the nuts and
candies tied in bags Of dyed and painted
gauze. All this caused q great futter in
the breasts of the red folks, and they
began to ask questions-both men and
women.
''He spirit?' Charley Big Foot inquired
anNiously.
"No-he no spirit" said one of the
boys. He white man-heap fat, smoke
pipe-he rich man, too.''
Come on chu?''
mo; he drive reindeer-heap hard.
Make snow fy-make whiskers how'll
get there pretty quick" And they said
that he came from the East over the
Rosebud trail, leaping the ravines and
bounding over the hills. The hoofs Of the
reindeer, striking the snow, were like the
wings of the wild goose in his flight
swift and tireless. And, as he moved,
the fine snow rose about him, like cloud,
SO that no eye could see him. but you
could hear the swish of his whiplash,
which was thirty PAGES long. So skillful
was the big fat father that even as his
sleigh went Slowing and bouncing over
the plains he could swing his lash in the
air and sting the withers of the leader.
When he stopped the white frost Jay in
drifts upon his shoulders, and his hairy
head was like a mountain summit. When
he shook it an avalanche came Gown,
and the wind was in his lungs and his
voice was mighty--like the breaking of
timber in the whirlwind.
When Charley went back to the agency
over the lonely trail that night, he was
wading up to his neck in thoughts that
were rank with cupidity. He reckoned
that he would be a very rich and happy
Indian if he could manage. somehow, to
capture Santa Claus. and that wonderful
pack filled with golden gew-gaws and
things to make his body gay and his
tongue glad. Now the temptation that
shines before the robber throws back Of
him the shadow of evil, and murder steals
up to him and enters his heart under the
cover of it. At first the crafty Sioux was
afraid, and he shrugged his high shout
ders, granting audibly, when he thought
of the long lash of the big, fat father.
L 41on4 011i.l f7x-
him ''all same" He felt sure no spirit
would have the bad taste to wear wits
kers and smoke a pipe.
1t was Christmas eve, and darkness
had settled on the land Of the Crows.
Charley Big Foot was hurrying eastward
on the Rosebud trail, his rifle slung on
his shoulder. The wind was bowling in
the hills and the drift of snow and frost
Kissed like sea spray, dashing full in his
face so fiercely that it made him gasp.
Where the trail strikes the valley of the
Little Horn it leaps off the ridge, and
Big Foot stopped below this psint, turn
ing his back to the wind and peering into
the darkness. Then he laid down his
gun and axe, and q long rope on which
four stakes were knotted. Removing his
blanket he drove two stakes through the
snow into the frozen ground on either
side of the trail. Then he cut the rope in
two pieces, which he tied firmly to the
sSldhtS. Ouc Il 1Ill1e uISHeI lIIou luc Jill
'er, SO that they stretched across the trail,
one about knee high to man and the
other as high as his hip. This done, Big
Foot lay flat on his stomach close beside
the trap, and let the snow drift over
him. He held his gun under his blanket
so as to keep it dry, and waited.
Some miles northeast of the spot where
Big Foot lay listening to hear the tread
.of the reindeer pack, one of the herds
men on the foot hills of the Rosebud
range had been having serious trouble
with his sheep. OF all Gods creatures
THAT have feet and legs under them,
sheep are the most hopeless idiots
When the wind began bowling late in
the afternoon, the herdsman started for
his flock with dog and pony. The wind
is worse than wolves when it blows hard
and the flock is a big one. You must
keep them moving against the wind, or
they will go with it in wild rush-the
farther the faster until they fall-a strug-
;gling, bruised heap of meat and wool.