The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1898-08-24
OCHE, THE CHICKASAW.


shaven, and on either cheek he wore
thin and formal whisker. Perhaps
il was to this severe exterior that
Colonel Bailey owed his appointment
as deputy sheriff of Guthrie district;
but be this as it may, everybody knew
him to be capable and fearless, and
so when an elusive young Chickasaw
bandit was seen in the vicinity of Lee
high it was the colonel who was chosen
to run him down.
Colonel Bailey selected me as one
of his associates. For the other he
picked out an unsociable fellow,
known in the community as "Frozen
Pete" suspect that he had no
great confidence in our ability to catch
the thief. For when we reached Le-
high and found the outlaw under lock
and key, he seemed very well satisfied.
1t merely remained for us to bring the
prisoner safely to Guthrie and lodge
him in the county iail.
After a short delay, we started
on our return journey, and so it
happened that one breezy autumn
evening we four encamped in n
hollow of the Washita Hills, Okla
homa, with more than half our ride
behind us.
Our prisoners name was Oche-a
Chickasaw word meaning "all right. "
Never was name less appropriate. Ex-
cept in his youth, his vigor and the
marvellous quickness of his motions,
Oche was anything but ''all right"
Though he stood five feet ten in his
moccasins, his extraordinary leanness
left his weight scarcely hundred
pounds. He spoke little English and
was wholly without education, but his
high reputation for cunning had been
thoroughly earned. A pair of frayed
buckskin trousers and dingy blanket
made up his simple costume. He
looked typical Indian outlaw, but
his face was kind, and there were
men who said his gratitude for favor
was keen and lasting.
AS professional horse-thief Oche
had small claim upon the kindness of
honest men, and he must have ex-
pected the severest justice at official
hands. But at the outset the Indian
had reason to be surprised, for con-
trary to his appearance Colonel Bailey
was generous to fault, and his kind
consideration for prisoner was in
variable. Frozen Pete AMI followed
his example We had no wish to be
discourteous, and it seemed only nat
ural and right to offer Oche such little
attentions as were within our power
to bestow. i remember in particular
that last night when the Indian was
shivering beneath his scanty blanket
how the colonel drew off his heavy
weather-coat and spread it carefully
over him. Oche merely raised his
head and stared hard into the rugged
face of the sheriff
The hollow in which we had halted
was natural basin, situated on the
west bank of a branch of the Washita
river. Eastward between us and the
stream n very narrow wall of shaly
earth rose precipitously to the height
of full 30 feet. To the north and
west the low hills were almost perpen-
dicular. Thus on three sides the
basin was entirely shut in by cliffs.
On the fourth alone to the southwest
the view was open, and through the
gap we could see stretches of the il
limitable prairie.
The tall prairie grass grew abun-
dantly on the floor of our camping
ground, and here and there along the
hard, dry walls clung an occasional
patch Of stubbly buffalo grass or
sickly cluster of yellow cacti. Ger
tainly it was not pretty spot, but the
tall banks were rampant against the
chill breezes of the northwest, and
the basin had long since been favor
ite hating ground for travellers.
On this night, however, the wind
had veered round until it swept unre-
sisted through the mouth of our three
walled fiat, All night long its vio-
lence steadily increased, and when
the colonel wakened us by loud shouts
of "Rouse! Rousev it was blowing a
gale.
l started up and began to draw on
my heavy boots. The colonel was al
ready making coffee over glowing
heap of brush sticks. BY chance nv
eyes wandered to the opposite side of
the basin, where We had picketed our
four broncos. They were gone.
In blank amazement / pointed to
the spot. The colonel followed the
direction of my gaze and understood.
Then by common impulse we ran to
where his overcoat lay. He snatched
1t from the ground. Beneath were n
blanket, piece of heavy rope aud a
pair OF locked handouts. Oche had
gone, too.
Had the blow been less severe, the
colonel might have given expressive
vent to his feelings, but as it was, he
merely dropped upon the blanket aud
began to examine the discarded man
acles.
There are times" he muttered.
weakly, "when man who calls him
self man insists upon being mule.
This is one of the times, and I'm the
man."
"How was it doneP" I asked, kneel-
ing opposite him ON Oche's blanket.
Il