Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1898-03-12
The Story Teller.
THE CHEYENNE BOY BRAVES,

"Why," said Uncle Jack, chewing
the last bit of his toothpick into Wao
of fibres, preparatory to shooting ii
into the fire.
This was always the signal to the
boys that he was ready to begin to
shoot buffaloes and Indians. Uncle
Jack was a grizzled veteran officer o.
the regular army, and had seen much
hard fighting on the frontier.
"Why, yes" said he, ~ do know
something about what Indians are
good for as fighters and for down
right human courage, without any Of
the sneaking, strike-you-in-the-back
work in it, I think the Cheyennes
stand ahead of them all"
"But what Cheyennes &? Where did
it happen ?" clamored the boys, who
knew we'll enough that there was some
special instance back of the general
statement of Cheyenne bravery.
"How did you little rascals know
what was thinking of ?" he growled.
"Well, in 1878 my command was sta
toned at the Wild Rose Agency.
Things had been moving smoothly for
a long time, but the Indians were get
ting fat and saucy on government
rations, and that state of things
couldn't last. Every brave had a good
breechloader and pony or more.
Even the boys-wiry, saucy little
rats-had their own guns and ponies,
and the way they did run was a
caution.
"There were two little chaps in par
ticular who used to loaf round the
post, who had the most impudent
black eyes, and the most stoical faces
when they thought you were watching
them. They were handsome little ras-
Gals, if they were dirty and lazy, and
often they used to run races across the
parade ground to amuse the officers
for a stake of army cartridges. They
were the most fearless, nimble little
monkeys
"Half the time you couldn't tell
which part was horse or which part
was rider. The wey they stuck to
these little ponies in every position
imaginable, now on this side and now
on that They were along the neck,
under the belly, heads almost drag
ging the ground! They dropped their
hats and picked them up again at a
breakneck gallop. They fired their
rifles with one hand until it made you
think of Fourth of July in Bangor.
They were sons of Lone Wing, a chief.
II got to watching for the little imps
to come and show off their tricks, and
missed them when they didn't put in
an appearance for fellow becomes
so lonely out there that he bankers af-
ter any kind of face he's used to-,
even if it is dirty red face.
"You know 1 haven't much use for
a live Indian. Somehow, living out
on the frontier, one picks up preju-
dice against them. Many of the young
Indians who hang about the agencies,
doing nothing, become thieves and vag
abonds; but couldn't help admiring
these two boys.
"They stood by one another like Da-
mon and Pythias. One day some of
the men coaxed one of them into the
barracks and got him stupid drunk.
That's an example of the way Indians
are sometime improved at the agen-
cies.
"Well, the other boy wouldn't bulge
an inch away until he took his COM
rade with him. He hung round him
until after dark, and then managed to
creep in while the men were at mess,
and actually lugged the sleeping fellow
out, whistled up the ponies, loaded
him on like a log of wood, strapped
him on with lariat and galloped off.
"They had the blood of the old
sachems in them, and I do believe
would have died for each other. 1 got
to like them as much as possibly
could like an Indian, and that would
be about as hard for me as to like a
rattlesnake.
"Maybe you have heard that the
government is not the best proVider in
the world, and the Indian department
is great deal more uncertain than
the paymaster or commissary of the
army. Well, one time the beef cattle
were stampeded and run off by ras-
cally Sioux, and the other rations were
about a month behind time, and things
got to looking pretty blue over at the
agency.
1--WE let them have all the army
goods we could spare, and Agent Pier
son sent his scouts here and there to
pick up what beef they could lawfully
but before they could get supply the
redskins began to grow lean.
"Some of the squaws and papooses
that staggered over to the agency
would hardly have made shadow,
and it is no wonder that petty depre-
dations were committed.
"First the agents poultry went.
Then some one got into the storehouse
and carried off lot of eastern canned
goods the agent had for his own table.
He declared that he would make the
guilty one smart if he found him.
That night, to cap the climax, floor
board was loosened from underneath,
and piece of meat the cook had
ready for break fast was taken from