The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-01-21
ONE WHITE MANS BURDEN.
CASE OF sTEvENS, WHO MARRIED
An INDIAN GIRL.

Bring Up Hts Children In n Civilized
way-Tsle Of Indian Justice That Casts
Light on slf-0overnment by filipinos.
KIP Mont, Jan. His name was Stevens.
He was u big, burly. good-natured, hard work
ing fellow. and hadn't an enemy In the world
Perha pa his education was limited, he may have
used a knife in preference TO a fork at the table,
and drunk tea out Of a saucer. but in those days
such little things didn't count In the Western
estimation OF a man, When he came out on tho
plains In the long ago, and looked about for some
thing TO do, he thought il would be a good thing
TO raise horses. So heSbuilt n comfortable log
cabin on the banks Of the Yellowstone, a stable
and ~corrals. and then invested all his little capital
In 4 band Of mares which an enterptising trader
had driven over from Oregon, A monih alter
ward, he rode out on the beach one morning to
to run the herd in to water. and where they had
been the night before. he found a painted. be-
feathered coup stick standing in the bunch grass
with n pair Of embroidered moccassins lying near
IL: the horses had been stolen. Not one OF them
remained except the animal he rode. and had Kept
in the stable over night,
Little did Stevens imagine, as he returned to
the cabin and prepared to follow the thieves.
that the whole course Of his life was to be changed
by this occurrence, that he was never to see the
rude cabin again, never TO unlock the door
so carefully fastened ere he strapped the roll Of
blankets behind his saddle and rode away. Had
the horses not been stolen, he might have lived
in the Yellowstone TO this day, becoming the
owner Of large herds and broad lands.
In those days it was nothing unusual for In
dams to steal horses from the settlers along the
Yellowstone, and, while the owners were greatly
inconvenienced by such all occurrence, they did
-. .,,,h uk.pt, 4, W.. /, ,,,,,a l,hav
simply went over to the reservations bordering the
Missouri River and got their horses. Stevens.
however. was destined to have no such luck
He went TO the lanktonais Agency and for days
rode about through the camp and the adjacent
hills. but found no animal of his brand. Then
he travelled on up the river to the reservation Of
the Assinaboins and Gros Nentres. Then he
spent another week in a ~truitless search. BY
this time his provisions were all gone. Having
both a rifle and a six shooter. he traded the former
for = little -four. bacon, and tea. Then he struck
out over the two hundred miles of parched and
dusty plain for the land II the Blackieet quite
certain that they must have his stock since they
had not been taken by the tribes he had visited.
Under the weight Of its load of blankets and
provisions besides it's rider, Stevens's horse had
become very thin and f~ootsore, and he was Obliged
to travel slowly, walking and leading the ANNA
more miles than he rode. One evening he cooked
supper by a little stream which flowed from tht
Bear Saw Mountains out on the plain. Then
before II became quite dark. the horse was pick
etcd in the centre ot a damp swale where the graS,
grew high and thick, and carrying his blankets
into the willow grove that frnged the creek, NJ
made his bed and quickly fell asleep Wher
he arose in the morning he found that he was afoot
At first he thought that the horse had pulled
loose and strayed away; the picket pin, however
was still where he had driven il, and a couple
Of feet II the lariat still tied To IL told the story
II had been severed with n sharp knife, Grea
as this misfortune was, II did not daunt him. "Atte
all, he soliloqui7ed. Il believe I'm rather lucky
II | hadn't made my bed in the willow patch. tn
Indians would have cut my throat"
They had not taken the saddle, but il was use
less 10 him now. lie gathered up the provisions
rolled them IN a single blanket which he threw
over hs shoulder, and bravely started on owe
the brown plain, How he succeeded in trayersins
the remaining distance is q mystery, BY da.
the sun scorched him numerically and SCENE,
TO dry up his very blood. At night he shiyere,
under the thin blanket. At times he sutfere,
for lack Of water; again there was no fuel, no
even n few buffalo chips with which To toast
slice Of bacon and scorch a ball Of dough, Final
ly the provisions gave out. and although gam
of all kinds was abundant, he could not 0%pproacl
within pistol range Of it. Starving and ragged
SO weak that he reeled In his walk he arrived q
the agency of the Blackfeet one day, ana peupl
ma,velled when they heard his story, that h
had not died on the road,
Alas, for his hopes Stevens soon found tina
the Blackfeet were also ~guiltess Of the theft %
| his horses, and here ended his quest. Their,
were no more reservations 10 be visited unless h
3 went ~ those In the far north, or away 70 he east
:; ward IN. Dakota. and that was out 81 the ques
! ton. He had no means to enable him t. do So
Giving I'm all ex DactlOn of pyer seeing his Stpcl
: again, he looked around for some work to do
, and was employed by a ranchman living jus
his employer faithfully and received good wages
: As he never drank or gambled, in a couple Of year
he managed To save up quite a sum Of money
h married to a Biackioot squaw Relatives an,
8 friends Of the woman were constantly comlnl
r and going and one day a visitor named White
. Il have had my eye on you for a long time,
Q think you are a good and kind white man, Now
y vii marry her according TO the white mems way
: blankets, and thirty, big round pieces Of silver
. ,h Don't do t., said the rancher' when he hear,
a q who enters into an alliance Of this kind, VIII
. marries outside Of his own race, makes a fearful
mistake BE warned by the ex perience | have ha
. and tell them 70 go their way"
. But Stevens had already seen the girl, an
. even II she was an Indian, she was fair Ia loo
: upon. Her features were comedy; her figure good
a and her large dark eyes seemed To have a tender
y wistful, melancholy expression which went I
T. his heart When she shyly looked at him.
seemed as II those eyes were saying HAY
: pity on me; rescue me from the fate which feal
Save me from becoming the slave and drudge &
some savage, who will beat and misuse me $
y long as | live" Against those melting glance
the cold arguments Of the rancher were II n
>, avail
T. viii you have me- Stevens asked the cir
y Are you willing 10 marry me-"
She bowed her head in assent
/ They were married by n nelghboring luStiC
Of the peace. Stevens bought a wagon and horse
q few cattle, n general stock II provisions, clothin
10 and tools, and moved - the reservation. HI
father in law had selected a location for the coupl,
and there in time Steyens's industry built up
model ranch There were = comfortable hOus
of four rooms, commoiiOus corrals and shed
/. a fence inclosing broad and well watered fields.
All went we'll for a time and Stevens Oite
laughed when he thought how mistaken hi
rancher friend had been in prophesying that n
"a good could come Of such a marriage, how the teal
" had stood In the honest fellows eyes when h
III begged him u shun such an alliance as /
IL would poison. True, he noticed that no incOr
#, siderable part Of his income found its way in,
- the hands Of his father in law, hut he was a llber,
vi man, and 50 long as he could afford It, he sal
70 nothing. Ere long a child was born Ia him, an
G then another, and another lie felt that HI
: cup Of happiness was full He worked no
re- harder than ever, and in the evenings he woul
SIT by the FIRE with the little ones about him, an
plan how To wiring from the fields and his her,
4. an ever increasing income for their benefit II
W children, he determined, should not hc btnugl
0f up like other half bfeds lac knew, They shoul
M grow up to b. honest, industrious, Christian me-
~ and women They should have splendid edl
III cations; should be taught all the nice manner