The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-12-15

feeble that she had fallen from sheer
weakness. In her hands she held few
bits of sage brush, which she had been
collecting to make a fire, and as she re-
vived under our ministrations, she NUT
tered: "Bes kaz! bes kaz!' ct is cold it
is cold. Being asked why she did not
remain within the shelter of the hut on
such a night she explained that her
daughters husband had come to visit
them and as she had no other place to
go, she had wandered out on the open
plain
The situation is complicated by the prev
alence of polygamy in the tribe, with the
result that some one or another of mans
mothers-in-law is apt to pop out almost
anywhere and leave him a poor manned
wreck. As the belief is perfectly sincere,
this is a real danger, far more dreadful
to the Indian mind than an encounter with
an armed enemy. have seen an old war;
rior-a man whose courage had been tried
in battle and was beyond doubt-turn and
run like rabbit when notified that his
mother-in-law was approaching.
If no such escape is possible the man
will drop down by the trail and drawing
his blanket over his head, remain thus os-
trich-like until the danger Is past. But
if any of his friends are about they will
hustle the woman away and conceal her
DNAA4iid q tOOh VI even UEultlu SOlIlc Sd5G
brush until he can escape. The woman
is, of course, soundly berated for thus in
terfering with the comfort and converts
ence of her son-in-laW.
We had much fun with one of our herd
ers, an ill-favored Navajo perhaps thirty
five years old who had married the
daughter of an old woman who lived near
our camp. The wife had been discarded
| for good and sulncient reasons, but that
made no difference so far as the old wo-
man. was concerned. Once a mother-in-
law always a mother-in-law is the Nava-
no rule, and we expended much ingenuity
in the attempt to bring these two face to
face. We never succeeded, but several
times we came very close to success and
were rewarded by the intense excitement
which took possession of the little crowd
of haneers-on always about camp.
On one occasion l called the old woman
into the Kitchen tent and gave her what
was left of the coffee, always in demand
| by the camp followers. While she was
drinking it l sent out word to the herder
whom l saw coming up the hill with the
horses that 1 wanted to see him at once.
| He came up on a trot smiling as usual,
| and had actually placed his foot in the
doorway when a tremendous yell broke
| from the hangers-on outside. Some word
was shouted that l did not catch; the
| smile on the mans face changed to Alarm
| he wheeled and shot off down the hill ike
an arrow. How far he ran ! Eever found
/ out, but he did not make his appearance
| for more than three hours. and for
week after that he was very surly.
The Navahos have been termed the In
! dian Yankees, and many schemes TO ob-
Viate the mother-in-law peril have been
| devised. Pesh-la-Kai, the silversmith, VINO
| hammered good American silver coin into
| bracelets. rings, buttons, and other artl-
cles of jewelry, had given the subject
much thought. lie was one OF the most
! prominent men in the tribe, quite wealthy
/ and very influential, and il was incumbent
+ upon him, if he wished 10 maintain his So
cial prestige 10 have at beast three wives
| But his business took HIM all over the
! reservation, and the recourse of the oFdl-
nary Indian, who moved his home to au-
other part of the country from that occu-
pied by his mother-in-law, was not open 10
him. In his emergency he had brilliant
| idea. He found a woman who had inre9
goodlooking daughters and ne marrleu
them all of-hand, thus reducing the moth
er-in-law peril to It's lowest terms. Iheu,
with a bride of 100 sheep and i've ponies
he induced his one mother-in-law TO NOV
a hundred miles away 10 the outskirts OK
the reservation. Since then he has liVed
1 happy and untrcubled existence.