The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-01-28

mounted his pony and ridden forty miles
to nurse the friend who had employed him
when he needed money. Ho told his fam
lily ne would not return for several days
perhaps longer He was willing and anx-
ious to prove his gratitude for q small
Chief black Coyote.
Mr.. Burbank also painted the portrait
Of Chief Black Coyote, whose neeh. al
though the wounds have long since healed.
shows fscars from the many decorations
inflicted on himself to save his children.
This Indian had lost several children,
and. insaccordance with tan Indian custom,
had tasted for several days, during which
time he dreamed that an owl came to him
ana told him that II he would cut seventy
pieces OF. flesh from his body. and offer
them to the sun. the remaining children
would be spared him. Spartanlike,. the In
dian, took Q knife and from his flesh cut
seventy pieces, though weak from fasting.
This same chief was the one chosen by
his and other tribes to 80 North many
years ago. when It was thought an Indian
messiah was to come. This was at the
time Of the great ghost dances. when the
Indians worked themselves into frenzies
ana predicted that all the Indians ami
whites would be buried under gradual
shower Of dirt: but that the messiah might
come in time to save them and take them
70 the uappy uuntlnB Brounus, wHes
game should be plentiful and there shoulj
be no winter, but eternal sunshine and
warmth.
Black Coyote Is strongly impressed with
an idea of his own Importance; and after
q visit to Washington, where he had been
the observed Of all bservers-commented
on, written about. gazed upon-he was SO
swelled with pride that he disdained to
converse with other Indians. even calling
the attention of the few whites at the
agency to the fact that he was important
while at Washington. A conductor had
given him a broken badge, but Black Coy
ote wore 1t with an air which said plainly:
big 1nJun, heap great at Washington"
His chagrin was humorous, and he did no.
disguise his disgust when Mr.. Burbank
explained to him that conductor was not
parsonage OF Importance, and did not
rank quite next to the senators he had
seen at the capitol. After this the con
ductor's badge was worn no more, nor
could any one get him to tell why he hac
discarded that emblem Of distinction.
Mr.. Burbank says the Indians are not,
as SO many seem to think. deficient in the
sense OF humor. He has heard them joke,
and laugh. and Jest with each other, one
Indian telling the other not to come to the
artist-he was bad medicine"
Poses I'm Snake Dance Costume.
One Of the finest portraits Is OF Ho-Mo-v.
OF the MoQui tribe In New Mexico. He
was the leader In the great snake dance,
which Is only danced by crowd belonging
to what one might best describe as the
Masonic order of the Indians, for the MEM
bers Of this order stand by each other for
good or evil and have pass words and
other signs which only the initiated un
derstand. They dance the snake dance
once in two years, and paint their faces
black and white in three stripes, the black
through the center. This is to represent
the first white streak, rain; the black,
thunder. and the lower white streak.
purity.
Now, for member OF this society to let
a white man see him in his costume OF
the snake dance is punishable with death.
but Ho-Mo-vi struggled his costume In a
bag to Mr.. Burbank's room. and then. ar
rayed in feathers and emblemat.c emb.oid-
cries. he posed for the portrait He was
the chief and probably felt he could break
the rule. and In case OF discovery, being
judge, could suspend the sentence.
Mr.. Burbank has been In New Mexico
before, but wanted to go again as the
women in that section are more pictur-
esque than in any other part OF the coun-
try. The carrying OF the water on the
head has tendency to keep the figure
1.-THE and slender. and the attitude itself is
pretty, as Du Marier well knew.-Chicago
Tribune.