The leader. [volume] (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1895-1905, 1898-12-28
An Indian Dinner Raid
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
1T AN NOT able TO sentimentaliz,
By Eleanor Kirk.

no doubt that they have been unjustly
and inhumanly treated, ard what they
might have been had conditions beer
more favorable, it is hard to tell. But
they were the terror of my young days
ard though never once did they harm
me or mine. | was in constant fear that
l might do something which they
should consider worthy OF their ven
geance. The braves struggled into oui
hamlet from time TO time, sometimes
TO sell their bows and arrows, or ex
change them. for eat but mole fire.
qaently begging or demanding wra'
they wanted. their favorite articles OF
diet being rice, hominy and meal.
The squaws came oftener, and
brought herbs and berries Of various
kinds. and in the winter rush baskets
some of them being exceedingly pretty
Our little settlement was in the
| ncighborhood of Elk Lake, Mimi, and
cur schoolhouse was Only short dis
tance from our homes"
Did the Indians ever disturb Tie
school or brighten the pupils?" one Of
the little group hasteued to ask, she
with the rest of us, being eager for Z
story.
The were in the habit. in the win
Ter, of coming into the schoolhouse to
warm themselves" the young man re-
piled, "und they were generally cute
enough to arrive about dinner time
You see, gu; of our fear we had es'ab'
lished very bad precedent Of dividing
our food with them"
II should call it very humane pre-
csdent," another lady remarked. Poor
down-trodden creatures. How they
have suffered"
Every true" was the smiling reply;
"but of all the persistent and pestifer,
Gus beggars. the Indians carry off the
palm, and if you once begin to give
them you can never stop without a row
of some kind. 1t was no joke to me
] can tell you, to see three or four tall
copper-coiored braves horribly paint
ed and well armed, glide into the school
house and surround the stove. Indians
never walk like other folks, you know
education in the abstract, for In all my
acquaintance with them-and il was
| much more intimate than ! desired
! never knew them to disturb q recita-
ton. II one YVES in progress, they
| waited silently until it was over. When
the class was dismissed, each brave
would select his victims, ard begin the
cultural cry Of: Eat, eat; Injun 'un-
cry; eat eat!
ION these occasions / used to he
| frightened almost out of my small wits
could not swallow a mouthful, and
they got not only my dinner. but my
dinner pail also, which they always re-
ceived with a grunt Of satisfaction.
about half the pupils were like ME
in this respect, and half of the other
half would divide equally with the yo-
racious redskins. and the other quarter
| would not give them single bite.
| II think that the Indians liked best
those that divided with them. and had
almost as much contempt for the cow
ards who gave up everything as they
| had hatred for those who gave them
| nothing.
Among the latter class were two
| girls, one -. the other 16, Mary Ham
mond and Lizzie Bradbury. who seemed
to have no more fear of the Indians
| than they had of each other and would
| frequently tantalize them by showing
| large slices of bread or cake, of which
the savages were very fond.
| "Such behavior terrified me beyond
description, fer l knew by intuition.
as well rs by what had read and heard
how merciless those red men were TO
| those who offended them.
Our parents did not know what was
best to do. some counselirg one course
of conduct and some another. But al
| last the teacher decided that the only
way TO put an end TO these Indian din
ner raids was for us to bring nothing
| with us to eat for awhile, and be dis
| missed earlier.
| 81 was old enough to know that a
| stop must be put to their work. for
every week the number of would-be
| diDers-out increased, and our parents
would before long have the whole tribe
on their hands. But l was distressed.
| beyond measure by this arrangement
1t seemed to me ii would be much wiser
to dismiss school entirely than try
such an experiment.
| "But the teacher was firm, and the
hungry regime was inaugurated. The
| first time the Indians came after this
they simply grunted their disapproval
and departed peaceably. The next time
their gruDts were more pronounced
and they held a protraeted powwow
outside the schoolhouse. The teacher
"a young woman who had been sent
| to Minnesota for her health-had the
| courage Of lioness. Those best nc
| quainted with the Indian character had
| advised her to take no notice of these
| undesired visitors, and no one would
ever have supposed from her manner
| that the savages made the slightest i'm.
| preston upon her fears. to say nothing
| of her inner Consciousness of contemp,
and disgust.
| Between the second and third call OF
! these dusky braves there was much
longer time than usual, and we begar
to think that the teachers plan had
| been successful.
| But one morning. Immediately ate,
assembling, squaw by the name o.
Mooshna. whom we all knew and liked
very much, came hurriedly into tn,
schoolhouse and approached the teach
err. She had picked up quite an assert
ment of English words, and l, sitting
A Future New Woman.