Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1899-01-06

! who were so troublesome TO us-were
going further south; but the braves
were coming to the schoolhouse this
very day. To save trouble the squaw
advised that they should be fed. In
| vain did our teacher reply that the pu-
| pills no longer brought their dinners,
and that there was nothing to feed
them with.
"'Papooses go home-get eat Moosh-
ma insisted.
But the teacher said no to all of this,
| kindly but firmly. and at last her visitor
drew her blanket more closely about
her, and. with look of disappointment
and anxiety on her usually inexpensive
face. silently left the schoolhouse.
"Mooshna had made very deep inn
preston upon the teacher, and after
| brief mental conflict, which I knew was
one of the hardest battles that brave
little woman ever fought. she laid the
| case before her pupils.
ct said no to Mooshna,' she ex-
| planned. because I am not afraid Of
| these Indians. But 1 wish to say to
| those who are afraid, that if they think
best to go home and bring back some4
| thing for our expected guests to eat,
! they have my permission 10 do so. The
! only thing insist upon is that you all
return, and as quickly as possible.
Mooshna has never told me lie. and
since she has said they are all going
south, 1 am willing to make this con-
| cession.'
ST can tell you there was one boy who
| made rush for the door, and was fol-
| lowed by at least half the pupils. L
| hadn't much breath when I reached my
4 L. I,,s@ y,
| food left after 1 had made up my bun
die. 1 shall never forget how she
begged me to remain with her. But
/ though very much frightened, and very
| cowardly, fear, couldn't be as mean
| as that. Yet I confess there was no
place like home about that time.
when I entered the schoolhouse
with my package. the teacher laughed
| till she cried. I can see her now wip-
| ing the tears away and hear the merry
| ha! ha! has with which she greeted me.
"Wen, the redskins arrived-five of
| them this time-looking as black as
| thunder clouds and more horribly
painted and bedecked than ever 1t
| was evident that this call meant bust
| ness.
ST thought the teacherowould never
| made of the kind CT stuff that could
concede two points the same day. But
at last the little bell tinlzled, and we
| were at liberty to do as we pleased.
"The names of the Indians were Deer
Skin, Oak-knot, Thunderbolt, No Eyes
| and High Stopper, the last being chief
1y distinguished by his long legs and
his ability to get over the ground
quickly.
"But there wasn't one of the five who
| would have felt any more compunction
| about numbering the whole lot of US
| than they would have felt in killing a
chipmunk.
"The boys and girls who had provided
| for this OCCASION set to work immedi-
ately to make a good showing of the
viands. My contribution covered a
| whole desk and at once attracted Thun-
derbolt and High Stopper, vino sailed
| in to my mothers goodies with an ap-
| probation which must have been born
| of long fast. The more they ate the
better 1 felt, having been early in
structed that man was IL very docile an
| imal when his stomach was full.
"'Boy eat said Thunderbolt, point
ing to a solitary piece of bread on one
| corner of the newspaper.
| "The boy thus commanded shook his
| head; but it must have been very sick
| ly smile that played about his trembling
lips.
"'Boy cat,''the Indian insisted.
| "'Boy no like said I, trying to grin
| again.
Just at this point Mary Hammond
and Lizzie Bradbury approached my
| desk. Mary lad a. piece of cake in her
hand and Lizzie a sandwich. They held
them out apparently in good faith, and
then, as the Indians were about to take
them, they drew them back with a most
| tantalizing and contemptuous EXPIRES
sion.
| Before I could draw a second breath
| High Stopper had seized Mary and
thrown her across his shoulders as if
she were only feathers weight, and,
with a war whoop that I can hear now,
| strobe out of the schoolhouse. No
| words of mine can describe the scene
that followed.
1.-THE other four Indians kept on gor-
| mandizing, apparently not in the least
| disturbed by this episode.
'Thunderbolt, inspired by the exam
! pie of his comrade, made movement to
| seize Lizzie, but the teacher and a few
| of the larger boys stood between.
1.-The matter was settled by the ar
rival of a score or more fathers and
brothers, who put the wretches to
tight.
'sMary Hammond returned unframed
but so badly frightened that it was
| a week or more before she could artic-
ulate a. single word.
/ THE Indian had mounted his pony
with his burden still swung over his
| shoulder, and, after having taken her