The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1898-03-19
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b manners. Next thing you know he'l
q stipulate for peace smoke. Can't tai
IL until after smoke, and he'll smoke hal
n an hour before he'll say word" Star
nard glsred disgustedly around at tn
: silent officers, as much as to say: "Yo1
!. know this as well as do gentlemen
!. Why don't you warn the colonel? VIII,
4 didn't you do itP'' But they were silen
or turned away in visible enbarrass
i, ment. Some of them bad warned tn,
= colonel and even argued with him. Til,
old fellow looked vexed and badgeret
In good earnest now. He seemed to have
known Stannard many year, as wal
indeed the case, and so would listen tc
Tar more from him than he would from
, his own people.
All the time this excited talk was 90.
ing on some little distance to one side
, the bakers dozen Of Indians were SQUAT.
ted on the ground husily plying fingers
and spoons. only occasionally casting
furtive glances at the group. Around
them, in bigger, broader semicirole,
nearly 800 troops-infantry and caval-
ry-stood resting on their arms, watch
ing the scene and occasionally indulg.
ing in rough frontier chat and chat.
But the interpreter knew Stannard Of
old. marked every word that he said.
and In low tone warned his chief, who
glanced at Stannard' 8 sturdy figure and
swapping eyes with no little concern in
his face. then helped himself to more
of the bacon.
Just as Stannard prophesied, more
than an hour was taken up by the feast.
BY that time every scrap was eaten, and
Yellow Wolf babe his interpreter petit
ton for more, and again be began, 1--WE
are poor and hungry" and pleaded for
renewed supplies. but this time the
colonel babe the infantry captain speak
for him, aud speak be did in no uncer.
tain tone. Not another mouthful until
the talk was over. then they'd see about
it, Another conference followed between
Wolf and his interpreter. conducted
with vast gesticulation. for, like the
Arapahoe, the Cheyenne language is one
so cultural and unoouth that it is said
two Indians of the same tribe cannot
understand each other in the dark,
They must have recourse to gestures.
And then. just as Stannard said, the
willy old fencer for time came up with
proposition for smoke, No confer.
ence could be held without one. But
again; eve are poor and hungry. We
have no tobacco"
They had their pipes, however, and |
these were speedily filled. lighted, and |
with deep cultural "UghsI'' and signs
Of contentment the squatting warriors
drew deep clouds n. fhe fragrant vapor
into the lungs apparently and exhaled
the smoke in long blue jets, Yellow
Wolf insisting on far greater ceremony
and passing his beautifully oruamented
pipe from lip to lip Of those nearest
him. Half an hour was consumed in
this way. and the sun was growing red.
der and sinking lower, and the old colo.
mel was waxing wroth and fldgeting
here and there, and then, and not till
then. when the great orb was barely
half an hour high, did Yellow Wolf
motion the throng to fall back and give
him room. and not until the soldiers re.
turned to their places and the warriors
squatted ct respectful distance from
their chief and the colonel and his off.
GERS took their stand facing the Indian
leader did that savage dignitary advance
q step or two and begin. He dropped his
blanket from his shoulders with an
perb gesture, and then. clad only In
breech clout, moccasins, paint and bar
barrie necklace, armlets, leglets and
magnificent war bonnet Of eagles feath-
ers, proudly swaying both arms in thu
wild grace of his savage oratory, Yellow
Wolf began. Every 40 or so words he
would pause. and the interpreter would
10 his best
Long years ago, said Wolf, "this
BEAUTIFUL land teemed with buffalo, elk
nd deer, and their fathers led them
the Indians) to the chase. The white
nan was unknown. Their young men
we're brave, their maidens pure and
their people strong and pros
erous and happy. Their foemen trem-
led before them and fled at their COM
ng. They we're lords of the soil and
new no master but the Great Spirit.
hen came the white man, tempting
hem with gifts drugging them with ,
re water, stealing away their maidens, !
laying their young men, We could
ave Stayed the despoiler, but we would
OF, for we had welcomed the white
ION and loved him as brother. Then
,me lying paper ohiefs-not warriors
who told us to sign papers and we
ould have cattle and horses, wagons
I'D meat and -four and coffee and sugar e
ke the white man. and then they told N
y we had sold our lands and must 10. b.
o whereof They led us far away from Y
Ia wild hills and haunts Of our ia. T.
'ers. They drove us down among the n,
lffalo soldiers-the negro Indians-the q.
, warrior nations of the south, where N
If young men siokened and died, where t tr
IT maidens were poisoned, where the CO
eat fathers agent starved and cheated r
. and when we appealed to him put Ut
If chiefs in prison and threatened our
Jung men. At last he brought soldiers en-
shoot and kill, and then we sought ~
e plains, poor and starving as we were nc
sought our kindred here at the north, W
the old, old hunting grounds and we a. q,
Q trailed and followed and fought. ~
lr young men are shot again, and our =
men are dying of weakness and fam
Q. We are helpless, we are wronged ctr
ok at me-" be said. with magnificent sal
sture, II am poor and naked. Why flo
. these soldiers here? Why are we e'e
and fought and killed, we
10 have done no wrongr' And Wolf r.,
'ked grandly about him. Il have Al
ne," he said and his followers gut. to
rally grunted their applause. and all
IS reverted to the colonel, just as the .
rim Of the sun reached the horizon o,L
! turned his mottlad face to fire as he bo:
lfronted it.
Yellow Wolf. said he, "your ideas
right and wrong and ours don't +
zee. I don't know anything about inc
If row with the agent 1 do know c sa
It when you broke away your people III
~