The suburban citizen., 1901-10-05

WOll uOUulleS III oOulu La
~ kota, under the new bounty
act which became a law in
that State in the winter of 1S9S99,
were two mere tots Of children, Rose
and Custer Foulkrod who made their
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 OF ten,
and they looked even younger, The
children are not brother and sister.
Rose appears to be wholly or in part
Of Indian descent, and is n waif 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-
tions put to him, His father, he said,
had gone for a soldier" and his moth
er was at 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 rHde sled, harnessed
to a very subdued, piebald cayuse or
Indian pony. How long they had been
there was not clear; they appeared to
be waiting to be seen, not heard. 1t
was a cold morning, while yet six
inches Of frozen snow lay on the
ground, and their clothing was far
from warm OF 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
60 into the house, after the treasurer
had invited them to enter, but watched
his face closely. 1t was the boy who
did the talking. He said that they
had come to get the bounty" so that
they could "go to the store and buy
grub STUFF
Bounty on what?" the treasurer
asked them.
"Wolfses," said the boy. give
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 over 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 inhicts
deplorable losses on the stockmen 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, a
like sum for a mountain.lion, and one
dollar for n coyote.
But satisfactory evidence must be
presented that the animals were killed
within the county or State, and it is
the treasurer's duty, on payment. tc
| punch hole not less than half an incl
in diameter in each ear of every skin
to prevent repeating" The skin
thus marked, is returned to the per
son presenting it, who can sell it II
he wishes. 1t is expected also thai
the owners OF cattle and sheep ranches
will pay a 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 il
this instance the treasurer's suspicion
was that the children had been sen
to him by some one who had brough
the skins into the State from Nebras
ka or Wyoming.
Where did you get these hides?'
he asked.
"On'n wolfses," replied the lad.
"Yes, but who killed themY
The boys eyes searched the treas
urer's. Grandpa Hogan made pill
fer EN-" be replied, as if concedinl
something unwillngly. "but her anC
me ketched 'em," he added, stoutly, in
dlcating his companion with a nod.
How old a man is yeur grand
father" the treasurer asked, incredu
lousy.
Hes most eighty, grandpa is, an,
1t took him most all the forenoon ever,
4 time to get to skin EN-"
Look here, you must tell me tn
truth about thisg said the treasurer
severely.
Pm tellin' you the truth" replie,
! the boy, with clear-eyed honesty. "He