The Opelousas courier., 1900-05-26

WhCLO tAO 1AMOhAVUV WGl0 VuC0LI pGtts
It was so hot that even the keenest
hunters had not tho energy to mount
their runners and ride forth to the
chase.
Under one of the raised lodge skins
an Indian trader reclined upon a
couch of robes, lazily smoking. The
people of the lodge were ont gossip
ing, all but an old, old man, who, like
the trader, was thoughtfully smoking.
He had been blind for many o year;
his thin hair was white. Not the white
of the aged Anglo.Saxons, but yell
lowish, tawny white. His skin was
streaked and furrowed and wrinkled
with age; his form bent and withered;
he was the oldest OF his tribe, and had
seen nearly a hundred winters come
and go on these northern plains. His
thin, low voice broke in upon the
traders .reverie.
white man." he said, "are you
still here?'
Eyes" the trader replied. ssYes,
I am here; what can I do for Hollow
Horn?"
Hand me my medicine sack; the
large n which is hanging mp. I will
show you something, and then tell
you o story. This day reminds me of
q journey | once took to the south,
where every day was like this, only
hotter"
The trader arose and handed him
the painted and fringed cylinder of
rawhide. Hollow Horn deity opened
it and began to draw forth various
packages and parcels, until he found
the n he was seeking, which he
tossed across the lodge.
Look at that" he said.
The trader unwrapped it's covering
OF buckskin and found that it was q
Dong, slender lance head Of gray steel;
stamped on the socket were the words:
antonio Perez, Sevilla, I723."
why, he exclaimed, tits q Span.
ish lance head and very old. Where
did you get it?"
~ will tell you," the Indian re-
piled. SIT is a long story and q very
strange one; but strange things hap
pen. Perhaps We should not say that
anything is strange, for is it not all
ordered by the gods?n
Theii he told the story of the Span.
lard who long dwelt with the tribe
and OF his vengeance on the brother
who drove him from civilization ont
among the Indians; story such as is
seldom met with outside of books of
romance, but one which might even
now be corroborated by records or
traditions in some old Spanish settle
ment in the southwest. /,
Long ago" he said, tswhen I was
o youth, we were hunting one summer
along the Yellowstone. One evening.
when the sun had nearly set. the peo. ,
pie saw something coming toward the :
camp, and at first they could not make
out what II was, bat after q little they :
It was q man, limping along very .
by the aid of o staff. Some of ,
the young men were for rushing ont !,
and killing him; but my father, che ,
forbade them, !
Let him come, be said; he can /
us no harm. We will find out who !.
be is and maybe learn news. !
SO everyone stood and waited. and :
he man came on, very slowly and !.
painfully, nearer and nearer. He J
came to where we ell stood watching. :
md the people drew back this way !
md that, leaving my father to face J,
him. Indeed all yer afraid. and !!
many Of the women and children ran {
AWAY, for nev had such 8 man been :
,een before. He was naked except
. long, ragged shirt he q his
ong, thick black hair, his beard ana y
nustacle, we're matted like q BULBS : :,
'ull OF grass and burrs. His ewes :
we're wild and rolled like those of :
wounded wolf when il is brought To :
Day. He was thin; so thin and lean !.
hat the bonos seemed ready to burst !.
trough the skin; his feet were sore Y
md bleeding; q wound in the thigh :
blood down his leg. He did I
lot appear TO see ne, but kept limping :,
n. shaking his head, looking wildly z
his way and that. and m~uttering to >
r
Where are you going?' asked nv
ather, stepping up and placing . hand !,
n his shoulder. The stranger rave i u;
hriek. = fell s~enssless to the B,
L.
was many days before he recov- to
req and 1t was nearly 8 year before
. earned onr speech. He said he II
from the far south, where the 81
1eatner was always warm, where ali D.
inds of berries and things grew the "
ear round, where snow never vas ID
cen, except on the tops of the high al
st mountains. His people were white fe
len, but of another race than tha fr
rappers we had seen. His father had la
led, leaving him and his brother Iii
lrge square lodges made Of stone. and s,
reat riches of various kinds. This Ia
rother had always been very mean til
nd cruel, and us soon Ne the father sa
led be began to plan 10 gat oil that gr
old man left One night the great u
hief Of that country came to the lodge au
I the brothers for : feast, and on his Vi
.ay home some men spran0 ont Of the in
ushes BY the trail and would hava ra
He'd him but for the warriors Who Il
ere with him. Then the bad brother d,
'ent to The great chief and said. e s.
who did this wrong; il wa INV u-
and six Of his friends and s.
stations. s,
The chiefs warriors seized them 90
threw them into d strong stone Il,
dgs and told them 10 pray, for when IA
10 p rose the next morning fher II,
ouid be shot. But there were those ~