The Opelousas courier., 1901-12-07
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l IL SOuLH LA
~ kota, Under the new bount,
e act which became a law In
that State in the winter of 1S95-99
We're two mere tots of children; Rose
and Custer Foulkrod, who made theil
appearance at the house of the county
treasurer one morning only three
weeks after the law went into effect.
Rose, the elder, is but eleven years
OF age, and Custer only nine or ten
and they looked even younger. The
children are not brother and sister
Rose appears to be wholly or in par
OF Indian descent, and Is a wait adopt
ed In the Foulkrod family several
years ago. Custer, on the other hand
is a bright, sandy-haired little fellow
who gave direct answers to all ques.
tons put to him. His father, he said
had gone for q soldier" and his moth,
er was ut her early home in Indiana,
but Grandpa and Grandma. Hogan
were at their sod house on the North
Fork, eleven miles distant. The chill.
dren had come from there that morn.
ing.
When first seen, at about z o'clock,
they were sitting in front of the treas.
urer's home on a rude sled, harnessed
to a very subdued, piebald cayuse OF
Indian pony. How long they had been
there Was not clear; they appeared to
be waiting to be seen, not heard. II
was a cold morning, while yet six
inches of frozen snow lay ON the
ground, and their clothing was. far
from warm or abundant. They had
wrapped themselves in three worn old
blankets, and had a large. rickety
box at their backs. Rose was sitting
straight as a stick, her black eyes
fixed on the house windows; she
scarcely spoke. at all, and declined to
go into the house, after the treasurer
had invited them to enter, but watched
his face closely. It was the boy who
did the talking. He said that they
had come to "get the bounty" s. that
they could "go to the store and buy
grub stuff"
Bounty on whatg" the. treasurer
asked them.
"Wolfses." said the boy. "Five
wolfses and a lion and a kiyote."
But have you the proofs-the hides.
Or scalps with the tails?" the treas
urer asked.
Yep" replied the boy, in a business
tone. Jumping nimbly v the goods
box he hauled out from it five wolf
pelts, a coyote hide, and a small.
mountain-lion skin-all fresh.
The wolfskins were those of the
large, gray timber-wolf a formidable
and destructive brute which .inflicts
deplorable losses on the stockanen of
the counties west OF the Missouri.
bordering the Black Hills. The new
bounty law provides that three dol
lars shall be paid by county treasurers
for each gray wolf scalp or hide, q
like sum for a mountain-lion, and one
dollar for a coyote.
But satisfactory evidence must be
presented that the animals were killed
within the county or State, and 1t is
the ~treasurer's duty, on payment, to
punch a hole not less than half In inch
In diameter in each ear Of every skin,
to prevent repeating" The skin,
thus marked, is returned to the per.
SON presenting 1t, who can sell it If
he wishes. 1t is expected also that
the owners of cattle and sheep ranches
viii pay q bounty to those who de.
stroy wolves and panthers. in addition
to that paid by the State.
To prevent fraud, the county officers
are obliged to use vigilance, and in
this instance the treasurer's suspicion
was that the children had been sent
to him by some n who had brought
the skins into the State from Nebras-
ka or Wyoming.
Where did you get these hidesT'
he asked.
"Of'n wolfses," replied the Lad.
"Yes, but who killed them?"
The boys eyes searched the treas
urer's. Grandpa Hogan made pills
fer 'em." he replied, as if ~conceding
something unwillingly, "but her and
me ketched EN-" he added. stoutly, In
dicating his companion with a nod.
How old a man is your grand.
father?" the treasurer asked iRcredu-
lousy.
He's most eighty, grandpa is, and
it took him most all the forenoon every
time to get TO skin 'em."
Look here, you must tell me the
truth about this!' said the treasurer.
severely.
I'm tellin' you the TRUTH replied
the boy, with clear-eyed honesty. "Hel
and me Reached 'em and grandpa
made pills fer 'em, fer u.s."
aBut tell me how you caught these
wolves" exclaimed the treasurer. still
unconvinced.
1--WE ketched 'em In the shack"
what shack? Where?"
aGrandpa's old shack, where he used
co i've, On t'other side OF the crick.'
Eyes, but how did you catch wolves
In this shack" questioned the treas
urer. How came the wolves in the
shack?n
sThey went in to get the boss head
and the steer bones."
"BonsB that yea pat thsss fer baiti