The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1901-12-01
Romance of Early Oklahoma
Related by a FrontierSman
GIRL OF GREAT BEAUTY
She Was the Mysterious Ward
of WhirIwind.

experience related TO Ed Marchant, edi-
I tor Of the Aiine Chronoscope this last
week. Marchant says:
No story Of joust and tourney; OF knight
and Saracen; of the march Of Coronado
or the voyage OF Prince Modoc. carries
such spring OF action. fascinating plot
and happy denouement as one related
by old A. G. skinner. the father of al"
when here last week from his ranch home
below San Antonio. Texas. That it has
10 do with scenes familiar to every reader
| of the Chronoscope VIII make it doubly
entertaining. and the telling. in the old
gentleman's peculiar style, viii take moth
ing from it.
Whenever II comes around near the
time for Thanksgiving" he said. my
mind some way gets around to what is
now called Big Timber the woods just
1 across the creek from your town and the
/ big tree that is the most commanding
/ figure in the forest. I measured it today
/ and found it 10 be twenty-three feet
around. II is not much bigger now than
when 1 first saw it. but / never actually
measured IL before. 1t seems to me,
though, that it is bigger and indeed it
| ought to be, for it has been a long time
ago.
"Of course you don't know much about
Whirlwind. There are many old plainsmen
who remember him well. l have a very
distinct recollection of him. He died but
few years ago. and in his lifetime WAS
one Of the worlds greatest soldiers. He.
in his way, and with his peculiar warfare.
should rank with Napoleon and yelling
ton. II truthful history was written Of
him it would place him on record as being
the one Indian who whipped Custer. that
is to say before that great general went
down before the red warriors of the north
he had been Outmaneuvered and outgener-
aled by Whirlwind. Indeed his manner
of fighting won for him his name. He
fought his fights in a rush like Roman
Nose fought Forsythe at the Arickaree.
This does not. however. have much
bearing on my story. nor does It have TO
do with the friendship bore me by Whirl-
wind. may say In passing, though. that
that came through a kindly act I was
once able TO do his son. Le-ne-pah, who
was killed in a battle with soldiers about
south of that part of Kansas which is now
Stevens county.
What I was able to do for Whirlwind's
son brought me. as I have said. Whirl-
winds friendship and also his totem. 1t
is not generally understood that the west
ern Indians have totems. Cooper tells a
great deal about it in his stories Of the
eastern Indians. The western Indians
have them also. Whlrlwind's totem, /
have. it yet at my home was a fish
rudeIy engraved on the inside Of the half
of a small musseI shell. There was hole
drilled through the shell. and through 20
passed deerskin thong. from which It
was suspended about the neck Of the
owner.
That totem was a safeguard and a pass
port among all the Indians of the lower
country, and has all 20 do with my story.
"A story that among some Of the bands
Of Whirlwiud s Indians there was a young
white woman grew into circulation.
remember l first heard OF it when at
Santa Fe. With the story was one OF
her wonderous beauty and the mystery
surrounding her presence with the Indians
one time you could hear that she was a
girl Of eighteen OF twenty years undoubt-
edly white and dressed in the barbaric
splendor of a princess. Bill Hickok once
told me that he saw her with Whrlwind
own party well west on the Cfmsrron. and
that she wore heavy gold arm-bands
The more I thought Of the beautiful
white captive the more I was determined
10 see her. and feeling secure IN the pos
session OF the totem OF Whirlwlnd. I
started out
1T is not a necessary part Of the story
to follow in detail my trip or its length
but in time I heard Of Whirlwind's own
immediate party in a village in the grove
of the big tree west OF the Medicine
Wood which was the name the Indians
called the creek now Eagle Chief il
was. as near as remember. just about
this time OF the year. The trees had put
on their uniform OF yellow. and the course
Of the stream 20 the north and TIE south .
was marked with yellow and bronze
''Whirlwind gave me a staid and digni-
fed welcome. and ] was assigned a tepes
near his. Le-ne-pah. his son. had been
dead some time. and knowing our friend
ship tho chief probably showed as much
feeling as Is possible with an Indian. This ,
WIS the first time he had seen me since 4
his sons death indeed when 81 is recall }
"a that he died. as 7 have said. n fe9 !
years ago FROM the shock q the sudden 5
knowledge ~ tne death ~ he little grand I,
daughter. it may he said that Ike au f.
brave men ~ had tender heart
'It was nearly lightfsn when Z arrived ,
az the camp. and few hours after +.
leard tie thump ~ the drum summonirE
b council AZ the head chiefs teri % be- r
ue none - mv business rolled over ir !.
-ny blankets sgd went to steep How lorr /.
slept 4 DO not know bat the moon haa !,
gone When Z was awakened ~ an Indian /,
Who gave me Whlrla fnd = or5er % cgue
10 The courcl tent oisege5 80 mate
er - c0urss- and found an assembly ~