The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1901-01-03

news OF my nnd had spread through camp
and the people came 20 see the bones OF
the great animal. among others came
Old sun. the medicine man. the oldest
one Of our people. You know him. Nearly
a hundred years have whiiened and
thinned bis hair and wrinkied his face.
he has been blind a long time and Is
quite feeble but OH he Is wise he knows
well an me roots and leaves which win
cure people of various lis. and he has
secret helper who enables him 70 nnd
great favor with the gods; they listen to
his prayers Also, Old Sun has won-
derful memory; All the tales he ever
heard. an the traditions. an ancient hia-
tory Of our people as handed down from
father 70 son through an the ages are
stored IN his mind. Ills grandchlld led
him - my lodge and / bade him welcome.
placing him ia the seat of honor; my
woman gave him soup and meat When
b. had feakied I handed him the freshly
lighted pipe and We emoked together 10
aiicnee for a time then he asked that my
and be brought out and I placed The
bones one by ore before him. He ran
his hands over them carefully. feeling
their shape spanning their breadth and
thickness, n0iing with his quick. slender
fingers every peculiarly about them. al
~ eaid presently. but very low. as IL
talking 20 himself. at. Ills a. I thought.
they are bones N one 0f those dreadful
ancient animals our forefatAers feafed 20
much And then. after lli1le. he tod
me that they should mol Sc kept IN the
lodge or in camp lest bad luck befau me
and mine. When be said thaf my old
woman gave me look and a nod. as
much az 60 say. 7 told gou how foolish
you We're not 20 lisiens It's the way OF
women 20 try and make a nan fhlnk
ihat they are wisost; 1 would have re-
proved her ronndiy Tor her forWardness
had not been 80 anxious 10 listen 10
old sun.
" When J VAS . yuuih. the old man
said, 7 wen remember hearing the o.d
story iellers relate what had been handed
down 70 them abouf this dreadful ami
mai There were WV names for II.
sometimes q Wa called the ancient one.
and sometimes The water animal Just
how II looked never learned: d was
said that q, had long horns growing out
N front. very long n1se. aud that Il
Missouri whenever q chose 70 do 80.
I'm the beginning thi was not the
country of our forcfathers When Old
Nan fashioned The FIRST people he brought
them forth on a low harrow strip ~
celntry where snow sseyer fell. where
cold winds never blew. TO tha west OF Il
VA nothing bui deep blue water extend-
ins % the end of the world. on is east
ern side rose h.gh rough rnountalns
whose rumrlie u.re covered win snow,
and for ths greater Part q ths time
Lost u dark clouds Old Man was not
very wise when he gave the people such
. place 20 i've upon. perhaps ne did not
count upon their rapidly Increasing ia
numbers But they I'D. and ~ a few
yeurn they killed on ai the deer and elk
thcreabouts Then they began on the
smaller animals and birds. and those
soon became - scarce that they COM
menced o. stafae The men r0unselled
together. I'VE vii ali die II We remain
here. hey said. I'VE must try TO dnd
neW country where game lr as plenti-
ful ~ q once was here" or course there
was buf one way for them % travel n
search of f. and that was over the
molntaiis They did not know then that
here were wide plains beautiful rivers
and valleys. they fcnred that az the blue
water extended TO the end 0f the world
N one direction. 80 mlsht the rough high
mountains continue 20 the Jumping on
piatr At tne other eide Bm summoninr
theis best courage. they SCI forth. either
20 nlld pleasant country. or 20 periy;
in The high. cold mountains Horses they
had not. Of course. on;y a few dogs 10
heip pack their small lodge coverings and
scang store ~ robe.
when. after climbing steadily an DAY.
they arrived az the summit 81 the mount
ain. nothing was 10 be seen to the east
ward but peak after peak Of snow-cav-
cred rock. and 20 for many daya they
journeyed on. surrounded ~ tan mount.
ains and dsep cnnons They suffered
from coldt their m0ccasina wore out and
the rough rocks cut their feet. game was
scarea and what little they mana reu %
KIN barely kept them alive. they began
10 ihink that they would soon perish. hut
one morning. few nen who had gone
on ahead ard had reached tire Eilnmlt ~
a low mountain began % uhoop and
dance aboul. ana beckon the others -
NNtIN up AANA ANANttN 70 Dc AftHfiN eN- T
cited The rest. women and children and I
an. scamperrd upward as fast as they
could, end when they too arrived al ere
TOP. What a beautiful sight me. their ewes.
there. almost az their feet lay the broad. i
gresn plains and timbered valleys. fairly
alive with game. not emily deer and elk.
but other large creatures the like Of
which they had never seen before. That
night the camp was flied With red. fat /
neat
IL the people had found a rich coun- 4
Try they had also found 4 dangerous one.
Tor there were many large and he-ce AMI
mails irfestiug f. espccis.iy great long
.laved bears which aid not fear to charre /
The hunters. and gomea and children
aoou. IN search of berries. snd
tear them 70 pieces. TIE hulierr'
weapons were not q much force. the
bow and nint-,ipped arrown. nint-headed
ipears and var clubs were al they had.
Coed enough. % BE- sure with which 10
Gay the deer ana elk and even the bur-
iaio. but Of liitie use against az angry
bear.
After looking around Tor the best
locality. ne wanderers had chosen