The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-08-21
Illus THE INDIANS LIVED.
ycIDENTs OF A TRADERS VISIT TO
CAMP ON THE PLAINS

roI Criticism by Indians-Ehe Buff
A foIo Hunt-A Brush With n Party
Of sioux and the Scalp Song - The
q Chief and His Wives.
From the New York Sun.
Kip Mont was midsummer, and the
laws passed slowly and with UNMARRIED
&r3notony at our trading post on the up
i mr. Missouri The Indians were far out
H. the prairie, camping with the buffalo
4onl securing the thin, light summer skins
AFith which to make new lodges, mecca
3.ns and various other things. It was hot
Ina The river valleys; not breath of wind
4strred the foliage of the cottonwoods, and
we wandered from one place to another
8uying TO find the coolest nook. There
eas nothing to do to pass the time except
4 s9ep and eat and count the days that
must pass ere the cold weather would
/ dive the IndiansSback to the river and
/ ulde would begin again. 1 was not a
Il little pleased, then, when one day a run
4 nsr from the Blood Indian camp brought
] word that the chief desired a wagon load
4 Of trade goods sent out to them, and the
head trader ordered me to go, selecting
A as my assistant a French half-breed en-
hoye named Archie, a trusty man and a
cheerful companion. Long before noon we
n haded a heavy wagon with sugar coffee,
pbacco and cartridges, hitched on four
good horses and began to pull up the
4 bng, steep hill which wound up through
& the pines to the prairies, several miles
from the river. At last we reached the
level of the rolling table land, and how
pleasant al was TO feel the cool prairie
breeze in our faces and to gaze upon the
endless eXpanse of plains and mountains
about us! Southwark the snowy noun
tains doomed up as distinct and clear cut
4 as if they were but a mile or two away
yet they were nearly fifty. Off to the
east and southeast numberless f1at-topped
and pine-clad buttes rose from the plain as
far as We could see, and everywhere was
the bright sunlit prairies, the clear blue
sky, and the cooling wind.
Our horses were fresh and we made good
time under Archie's skillful driving, reach
ing big Crooked creek twenty miles or
more from the river, long before dark.
While Archie cared for the horses l Went
up the creek little way with my rife
and secured a fat antelope from bunch
which was coming in to the water We
soon built a fire of buffalo chips and had
hearty meal of liver, hard bread and
tea.
The country we were in was infested by
war parties of hostile Indians especially
the Sioux, and we knew we were running
good chance of losing our scaps by
camping there. So as soon as supper was
over We put out the fire, and carrying our
n BEDDING some distance away, lay down
Tor the night, not emitting to coil hair
n rope around the robes 10 ward off any stray
iattlesnakes which might come along.
4 Some time in the night small herd of
Il buffalo came along and got quite close to
& use before they had our wind; then they
ian off, snorting and pounding the prairie
Ike thunder with their heavy hoofs: but
our horses were used to them. and did not
stampede, as we feared they might.
ABOUT 10 o'clock the next day we came in
4 slsht OF the Blood camp, which was strung
up ana down little stream whose head
IS IN The Snowy mountains. Almost every
family had a new lodge, and very white
4 ana neat they looked in the clear sunlight
tame OF all kinds was %idently very plen-
IN the vicinity, for about every lodge
1uhs long lines of drying meat, and the
ground was covered with the skins of buff
4 laio' elk, antelope and deer, pegged out 10
ury. We drove al once 10 the chiefs lodge
ana ne greeted us very kindly. ordered his
"Eos-ne mad tiyV-to unload our wagon
ana STOW the goods inside the lodge and
maze US SIT with him and smoke and eat
uuo exchange the news. But we were not
10 rest very long; the camp was short of
4 carriages and tobacco, and soon we had
me lodge surrounded with men anxious to
uade- Antelope and deer skins were quoted
~ forty cents pound that season. or
uDout dollar each, and elk hides We're
"oIlh as much again. For the former we
palu eight cartridges, and for the latter
we've at cost of sixteen or twenty-four
tstls' ana tobacco, tea, sugar and other
,Nf,
u5e lHuians were well satisfied, and return
Is rejoicing ' + u Oie'9
Cu' host, Chief Pe-nuk-wi-im. was one
VI me JoIiest old Indians ever knew. He
vas very portly, and had long since given
~ 'He chase, but ne could well afford to
40 so, Tor he had several hundred head Of
horses which he had no difficulty in lend
:" poor young men for half the spoils
.Ie cHdse, ana one OF two young orphan
Uoys uFed with him and cared for them
~, 'iieA BOARD and clothes. His five wives
1oiIed increasingly to tan and drv the
es ana hldes which were constantly
,,s brought in. Yet they had a com
paIauVely easy time, for they did moi
work very long hours. thew rested ubon
- pleased, and they were contented. for
80 knew that the lot of women was TO
W. VI ana 10 serve their lord and master
.I ttne mere was no open jealousy among
e elie4i' tuey wed with one another in their
.''eeIiVlohs to the chief, and he in turn
se eTIl.eu , TO regard them all with equal
l"eo'' Inc head, or oldest. wife was in
d measure the overseer of the others and
directed their work, and her place in the
ibouss was always by the side of her hus-
oaHu at his right hand Yet This appar-
any respect 'i III
ms aS tne sun went down all work ceased
me ae hunters returned from the chase
e'sls were called out here and there
snG me .ne camp was filled with song
Snu laughter Among the younger peonle
, o9'ices ana games of chance We're in order
r ~ill'e me older ones smoked and told sto-
- Vi war the chase or recounted the
,s oiuertul doings of the gods. Every even
~, US lhe mead men of the tribe. the noted
"5Stllors' medicine men and sages gather
81 IN fe-nuk-wi-ims lodge. and l was al
we, oyS interested in listening to their tales.
~ 80 was Archie, so long as the story
taii,a Vi the chase or war. But when they
-. OF religion of the power and great
i r,7s.. oI thelr gods, Archie would become
Ir'pS'ient' Tor, like all the halfbreeds Of
h..