The Appeal. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. ;) 1889-19??, 1899-01-21

DRY. I look back now to that time as the
pleasantest period of my life. It sad
Cens me, too, to think Of the wonderful
change q few years have wrought IN
the existence Of the simple redmen; once
the proud owners OF these Imitless plains
and towering mountains, free and inde-
pendent as the air, they are now hemmed
In by the bounds OF their reservations and
gradually fading away. But a few moe
years and they. too, will have disappear
ed like the buffalo. So runs a Kipp
<Mont) letter to the New York Sun :
shall never forget the day l first met
the Blackfeet and the impression they
made upon mel had journeyed down
out Of the mining camps into the plains
OF the upper Missouri, and there one
morning tribe of picturesque and gayly
apparelled people passed by On their way
to hunt buffalo In the country south Of
the river. Long and earnestly stared
at this struggling column of riders at
their saddles and account renents, at the
mysterious pouches and bags Of the
medicine men, as they swung on the sides
Of a painted horse. It was a great sight
to young man fresh from the East, who
had never seen a wild Indian and knew
nothing of him except through the me-
dunn of Cooper's novels. - =
who are these people ~ T. asked Of a
white man who brought up the rear Ut
the long procession "and where are they
going?'' 49,, i-.-.s
"They are the Blackfeet' he replied,
land they are going south of the river to
WINTER 49,.
DO you go with them?'' I asked.
Yes he said. IT am a hunter and
trapper and as my wife is Blackfoot we
travel with Them ...-...
"Wait a little" I said. Coma over to
the post. If possible I would like 60 make
arrangements to accompany You for a
time =
That night found myself sheltered for
the first time in an Indian lodge, made
of the tanned skins of buffalo cows, and
very cheerful and comfortable it seemed.
1t was conical in shape, sixteen feet in
diameter at the base, and, the centre of
it was given UP to the fire, which, though
out sufficient warmth. AS 4 sat back On
my couch, watched the neat wife Of my
new friend prepare our simple meal and
listened to his stories Of hunting and ad-
venture, I was thoroughly content. In
the evening the chief of the tribe sent for
us, and we went over to his lodge, a very
large one, painted on the outside with
life-sized figures of animals and decorated
with buffalo tails. -..- --,-, r. --..z
When we entered, the old man graceful
ly motioned us to the place Of honor at
his right, and one of his sors-he had
seven-placed some food before us. I said
I could not eat, but my friend Dan in
formed me that I must at least taste a
little of it, for to refuse 1t entirely Wolld
be considered a gross breach of etiquette.
SO slowly worried down the tender flesh
from a roast antelope rib, while Dan al
so ate some. and talked with the chief IN
the strange language which I at first
thought I would never be able to learn.
In answer to the old mans questions no
told him that I had come from the far
east to see something Of his country and
hunt a little. The chief replied that I
was welcome and he hoped I would Like
his people and kill great deal of game.
Then another old man, whom I subse-
quently got to like very much, the Run
ming Crane. said that was to look on
him and my father, that his herd of
horses were mine to ride when I wished.
II am going to give you a NAME" he
continued, "a name I bore in my boy
hood days and which is truly ancient,
respectable and lucky. I name you APP
pe-kun-hy, the Spotted Robe"
asked Dan to thank MIN for me. but
was told that there was no equivalent for
the word THANK in their .anguas. ;. So
he said I was very glad and would
try not to disgrace the name, and then,
two pipes having been smoked, which
invariably determined the end of a call
or feast, we went home and to bed.
Travelling: by easy stages, and some
times staying a day or two in a favored
locality, we finally came to the Yellow
river (named by Lewis and Clarke the
JUDITH and here the tribe went into
winter quarters among the sheltering
groves of cottonwoods bordering the
stream. Buffalo, elk, deer, antelope, and
bighorn were abundant and soon the
lodges became hidden by the vast guam
titles of drying meat and the hides and
skins hanging about them. I went a few
times with the young men to run buffalo
Or stalk deer and elk, but soon became
so interested in studying the language
and customs of these strange people that
I gave up hunting altogether and passed
the days and evenings with the old men,
listening to their tales of war and the
chase and of the doings of their gods.
One night we were all startled from our
sleep by the firing of guns, yells and
shrieks at the upper end of the camp,
and with one accord every man sprang
from his bed, grasped a gum and ran to
the scene of the excitement. In few
minutes hundreds were gathered there,
pushing, crowding, and yelling, and it
was some time before we could learn just
what had happened. A war party from
one of the many surrounding tribes, we
found, had entered, the camp and had
discovered in the act of cutting loose and
leading off the Ravens favorite buffalo
horses, which he had tied for safety near
his lodge. Rushing out to intercept them
and give the alarm, the Raven had been
shot dead. His brother was badly wound
ed. The marauders had made good their
escape and numbers of the best horses in
the camp were missing from their tether-
ing places. The air was filled with the
crying and lamentations of the relatives
of the dead man; on every hand the aged
men were shouting out for vengeance.
Amid the noise and confusion the war
riors who had horses at hand were hasti-
ly saddling them, and in a few inmates
about fifty rode off in the hope of over
taking the enemy. Except for the con-
tinuous crying of the be-eaved women,
the camp soon quieted down again; but
few returned to their beds. All the next
uay the people sat quietly in their lodges
awaiting in suspense the return Of the
pursuing party and praying for their
safety. I idled about the upper part OF
the camp, hoping to see something OF the
burial Of the Raven, and ere long ga "
the woman bring the body, wrapped and
bound in many robes, out Of the lodge
and place 1t carefully on travoi already
hitched to a horse standing near by. IS
The women, some twelve or fifteen of
them had all cut off their hair close to
1 the head, and the wives and mother Of
the dead man had also cruelty scarified
their legs which were bare to- the knee
and exposed to the snow and cold One
Of them led the horse, and the rest fol-
lowed behind CRYING mast dnlafully and