The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1899-02-15
RED EAGLES RAID
UPON THE SIOUX

Days and days the relatives OF the
Blackfeet warriors who had been kill
ed by the Sioux during raid mourn
ed for their lost ones. The wife of the
white man Dan, who had f-llen with
them, was prostrated with grief.
One often hears it said that Indian
women marry white men only for the
easier and more luxurious life they may
lead. am sure this is a mistake. l
have known many such women and
believe them 10 be fully as faithful and
affectionate as their white sisters
1t was not long before we got an ac-
count OF the unfortunate expedition
from Red Eagle, the leader of the par
". One evening my friend and host,
Running Crane, invited him to come
over and smoke while. AS the pipe
was slowly passed around the circle
the old man, in few careful and we'll
chosen sentences, sympathized with
the GnI1eky chief and cited instances
from his own experience to show that
the best laid plans, even when backed
by the strongest medicine, must some
times fail. The kind and low spoken
words of the old man were too much
for Red Eagle His proud and sullen
reserve suddenly gave way and tears
streamed flom his eyes. Then he sob
bed in sharp, sitting, heaying gasps,
most distressing to hear.
"No, no, my son." said old Running
Crane, gently taking his hand and
strOking it, 'do not cry. Take cour-
age; Pm sure it was not your fault"
One of the old women, the tears
streaming from her own eyes, said
brokenly: sob, pity us, my son; do
not make us cry any more" Then the
young man Strengthened himself up
and tried to subdue his grief, and after
a little told us all about the ill-fated
foray. 1t was the only time i ever
knew a male Indian to break down
and show emotion.
when We left here" he said, my
heart was light. / thought Of the
prayers and sacrifices we had just Of
fered the sun, and of the strong med
icine Wolf-tail had given me, which
would protect us from the dangers by
the way. We travelled steadily all
night, and at daybreak the timbered
bottoms of the big river the Missouri)
lay at our feet. We descended the long,
pine-cIad slope, leaving one of our
party on the ridge TO watch out. In
the densest part of the timber, near
the river, we built two war houses of
the long, slender willows, and starting
small fires within lay down to rest and
sleep. We dozed nearly all day, get
ting up nov and then to replenish the
fire and to eat. changed the lookout
at midday and went up on the ridge
myself TO look over the country. There
was no wind, 50 had there been people
around we would have seen the smoke
Of their fires rising up into the clouds.
All about US, up aud down the river
and far out onto the prairie the buffalo
and antelope were quietly feeding or
lying down, another good sign that
the country was uninbabited- Near
shutdown l called in the sentinel, nn-
rolled the medicine pipe, and We
smoked aud prayed We also sang the
wolf song, and told my young men
that we should try to be like this
medicine brother Of ours, ever careful
and looking out for danger ahead.
"At dusk We climbed up out Of the
valley and started off to the east over
the level prairie, keeping far enough
back from the river to avoid the breaks
and cut coulees. So we travelled night
after night, stopping each day to rest
and sleep in the thick timber down by
the river. We passed the mouth of
Bear river 1.-THE MusselsheIli. We
camped one day at the Round butte.
t 40 sleeps after that, at dawn, we look
ed down into the wide valley and saw
great herds of horses feeding on the
slopes Of the other side. We could see
no camp, but many thin columns of
smoke rising up through the trees
showed US where it was.
ave did not go down into the timber
that morning, for fear some of the
enemy might discover u.s. Near by
was thieket of pines, and we crept
into it and waited for night to come
Sure enough, many people crossed
over into the timber below us during
the day. Women came over for fire.
wood, boys hunted rabbits through
the brush, and hunters rode across on
the Ice and then oct on the prairie after
game. A young man and his wife
rode BY 50 close that we could see their
eyes and hear them lauga and talk
II. fsffla fhoughf the affoulv WAS 80