Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1901-02-21

COON and not like an Indian. Henth;no
more than these few facts Gould SaerH-
tary Davis gather.
1t was nearly ten years later that II
sepn =. ives was sent at the head of an
expedition. to survey the Colorado
River A rodppf~asagoons was d.
tailed as the guard.fe&his party rvsx.
had been at West Point and had. hsaS
transferred to the Typographical sur-
vey. While UP in the mountains to the
east OF where now the town of Green
river is the Indian guides became UNI
easy and reported that they were spied
upon by some redskin scouts to whom
they could not approach close enough
TO learn their tribe. Guards were more
carefully placed. One morning the re-
lief OF one of the outer pickets found
the man shot through the heart by an
arrow.
There's an Indian chief on the
guard line and he's asked to see .you:s
You should go to your commanding
officer, corporal" Ives replied. I'm not
in charge of the escort" -:
No, but the Indian asked for YOU.
sir, and by name''
Well, that's strange-how the devil
does he know me? Bring him up, but
If he has any others with him keep
them out of camp
A few minutes later the corporal re-
turned with the chief, who was
marvellous figure for even a Navajo.
He was very tall and straight and
muscled like an athlete. A guide was
called to act as interpreter.
II guess we don't need that fellow"
the chief remarked as the guide came
up.
The officers had gathered at Ives
tent and then mouths fell open in
amazement as they heard him speak,
for his English was pure and without
flaw of accent. The Navajo sat down
ON a camp stool in a self-possessed
way and looked the group of men over
quietly.
'Have you any spare tobacco, Ives?"
he asked.
The tobacco was found for him and an
orderly was despatched to an officers
tent for the bottle that, because of the
inaccessibility to civilization, had been
nursed lovingly and held for extraor-
binary occasion.
How does it come, Ives, you're not
wearing the uniform? You didn't fall
down at the Point, did you?"
Great Scott, what do you know
about the Point?" cried the astonished
Ives.
But the chief only smiled and went
on talking about the Point and the men
who were there fifteen years before.
His familiarity with the army ende
there, for he asked hungrily abo,r
these few men and how they had done
in the Mexican war. He was surprised
to learn how we'll their fortunes had
prospered. For two hours the officers
stared at this great brown Indian and
searched their memories in vain efforts
to place him.
"You may be pleased to learn that it
had been arranged to kill your party
off, Ives, but I recognized you yester-
day while you were prowling around
the hills, and we'll declare the killing
off for old times sake. I've enough
braves within mile of you to ride you
all down in an hour" the Navajo said.
as he rose to go.
But who in thunder are you?"
Ives cried. you seem to know me, but
1 can't for the life of me recall you"
Don't you remember Mclean, who
was in your class at West Point?" the
chief asked.
What! Bison McLean-who was
drowned?"
eyes. I'm Bison
There is no record of any other in
stance of magnanimity on the part OF
Bison" Mclean. Only an occasional
trapper, with the exception of Indians,
saw him after that. His history
thenceforth is as mysterious as that
which had connected itself with him
when he was only the great Navajo
war chief How he left the Point and
joined the Indians, and why, no one
knows to this day. The retreat or
Chief Joseph and his Nez Perces from
New Mexico to the lava fields in the
war of 1877, one of the most remark
able in all military history for its
strategy, is credited by army officers
to the generalship of Bison NC
Lean. Col Louis Craig OF the Thirty
second volunteer regiment told TINS
story one evening at Fort Leaven-
worth last summer, and added as MS
own theory that the unexpected or
SANITATION of the Sioux In the
wounded Knee campaign was the
work of the same Bison Mclean
It is not doubted that he is now deaa'
but when and where did he die! NO
one knows and probably never Will
Kansas City Star. IS
"cheese IT,