The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-06-04
NEXT Day TIE CHESTS CINE.


Tux1eo0 - 1n11oA OOee01 CoAteo
On - Ten Why ahs visatess Are
DelayeA - Easing Bes Csaas.
TIT was In the fall Of iss that I met
Won Hassiocher again Twelve
years before we had ssen the last OF
each other In q certain drawing room
III In San Francisco And now We had
drffted together Id Alaska-Dackers on fne
Gkasway trail.
ana had passed through the whole Kamut
a AIaskan life. He had mined, he had
owned q sawmllI, then cannery. store
He had been q hunter. captain OF
orhoonsr A man must do anything there.
For years he had traded with the Indians
lived among them and finally became one
Of their chiefs. He has cheers token
on his arm, deepiy tatooed-
One nighf we were camped by the tra1l.
amid q desoistion Of granite rocks. All
abcut US cleaned snowy peaks, and here
ana there glacier threw back the STATE
iisht more duly. The long lake lay still
and black at our feet. Such trees as
there were crawled close 10 the ground.
hardly knees high. Our camp IRE was the
only point OF human comfort Tor miles
around.
II was q time for story telling. and by
the light Of the IRE jotted down. AZ he
told Il, this tale OF Indian life-
1
The preparations for the big potiatch
Ut Tuxican were complete.
Great quantities Of dried fsh had been
prepared. and TO season II there was seal
oil and candie-nsh oil which had reached
tho proper ripeness. or you might call IL
rancidity; and a. much seaweed as many
Indians could hope TO do away with. 30
the feast was all provided for. and every
day the salmon became more savory. the
Barrels Of sugar. bolts OF calico. boxes
Of hard tack, Cd darticles of glassware.
every sort Of Eft that could Be s,n useful
t&iuable that could appeal to their vigor-
Gus appctites or their even more vigorous
desire for possession. was Therefor this
HUT the days passed and then the weeks
until more than three had gone: and no
guests bad come. There was grave anx.
iety. and Indian patience was exhausted
Then the big medicine man was asked
to make medicsne--to tell the cause OF this
long waiting and to read the future.
He was very old-one would say 100 years
almost-and ne was fearfuily emaciated.
More literally skin and bone than any Nv
ing thing have ever seen. Al the ap-
pointed time the chiefs and other men.
FULLY hundred In all. were arranged ac-
c0rding 10 their rank within his house:
tho chiefs seated on the edge OF the raised
tcr5or. the others standing in rows behind
them.
In the center Of the house. on bed Of
gravel was pyre OF small resinous logs,
built UP crosswise to a height Of nearly
f1ve feet: and this was burning With ins
tense red brtlilancy. The chiefs held medi-
beat in unison on the edge OF the plat
form, as an accompaniment TO a weird,
endless chant. The heat was very great.
and as the singing grew louder and faster
the excitement increased almost to the
point Of delirium. The smoke curling
above us and towards the dusky corners
row above row Of dark faces. usually so
placid. but now savage and drawn-gieam-
Ing eyes and barharic ornaments-all were
1liumincd by the fierce red glow, while the
shadows were deep, impcnetrabie. . study
In rouge ct n0ir.
his breech~clout with each hone and angle
brought Into sharp relief and each furrow
deepened, became slowly rigid and tense
in every line. His eyehalls rolled upwards
until pupils and irises disappeared. He
was hypnotic trance indeed. we were
all in nearly tho same condition. 30 con.
fagious Is great excitement~so powerful
the effect Of It's long continuance.
He rose slowly. and turning as slowly
towards me. let his eyeballs fall until he
looked straight through my eyes and far
beyond. And pointing at ma with his med
icine stick he asked me To give him fire."
knew what this meant. though I had
the bed of hot cmbcrs ! raked out with
my stick. glowing coal the size OF an
English walnut This l laid In the palm
OF my bare hand II did rot burn-I sup
pose because I was perspirng SO freely;
nor was there any scared spot on my
hand afterwards.
I carried the coal 10 him and placed Il
IN his hand. He calmly raised IL to his
mouth and put II In. His cheeks were so
thin that they were brilliantly lighted
from within and pulled out with steam
which escaped in clouds from his mouth
Then he deliberately chewcd the coal the
glow decreasing as he did so. When th,s
inward illumination had quite ceased. he
spat out what was left and called for
more.
severely. selected n coal that was neariy
rs large as a hens egg and whise~hot He
carved this with gustc and IL III up and
dsstendea his old cheeks tlli with great
clouds OF steam pouring from hts mouth
ard nose, his Nerce cid eyes flashing into
mine. his arm extended and se.uing To
beekon me into the red glare that PLAYED
about him. he looked like the very devil
tncarnate.
Ten times In all I gave him hre~-and
more.
The flames blaxcd fitfully. now surround
ing the mesictn. man In "A glory OF light
ard again shaking and marking deep
shadows between hss ribs. until he looked
like a skeleton indeed.
What WIS the prophecy IL was never
heard The old man opened his mouth 10
speak. There sound but n sotil
was passing through those paiiid parted
llg's and dry. throa,y rattle accompanied
tta exit,
Next day the guests came.
san FRANCISCO STEAMERS,