Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1902-10-25
I SOME MJUNS."
\ THE TRAPPER'S ST0RY ora Si0UX'S
Z GRATITUDE.
.
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4 THE TRApPER'S ST0RY ora SiOUX'S (.
GRATITUDE. {
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~ NOE in his life old Thad Grit
fin, the trapper, did very
Y foolish thing; at least, that
was what he called the act,
/ when he thought of it at all, for long
time afterward. Two young Sioux
braves having attacked him, Thad had
killed one and wounded the other. But
he took the wounded man to his cabin,
dressed the wound, nursed the Indian
back to health, and then restored his
gun and canoe, and told him to 60
home to his own people.
But the Indian did not lead scalp.
ing party back to the trapper's camp,
as Griffin had half expected he would.
Nothing more was heard of him. Three
years after, when Griffin left Fort
Smelling at the end of September, and
started up the Minnesota River to be-
gin his fall hunt, the incident had al.
most faded from his mind. He pad
died to the headwaters Of the Pomme
de Terre, and camped few days in a
little thicket Of scrub oak, while he
looked round to see what the prospect
was for furs-and for Indians. He
had kept his eyes open all the way up
river. for the Sioux were reported to
be on the warpath. This, however,
was somewhat in the trapper's favor,
for they would be likely to travel in
big bands, and with care he might the
easier avoid them.
There We're "slathers of fur signs"
but no traces Of Indians in this region
of rolling prairie, broken at the east
ward by belt Of heavy timber. So
one day Griffin set out with his gun to
try for a saddle Of venison. When the
afternoon was almost over he found
a good sized buck, and presently start
ed for camp with the hide and saddle
slung to his back.
Clear sky and bracing atmosphere
and the promise Of successful season
made the blood fairly bound through
the trapper's veins. and he strobe. along
feeling as though he would like to
sing. Indians were far from his
thoughts just then. The greater was
his dismay when, just as he had
reached the top Of low ridge half
way between the woods and his camp,
he saw band Of forty Sioux coming
up on the other side.
Griffin had had many a "fuss" with
these same Indians, and he recognized
them instantly as belonging to a vii
lage that wintered in the Ottertail
woods, away off Mt the northeast. Evil
IDENTITY they had been out on the Da-
kota prairies for big buffalo hunt,
for they were on foot and leading
their ponies, which were loaded with
hides and dried meat.
Flat In the grass dropped Griffin, but
not soon enough to escape the sharp
eyes Of the Indians. Raising terrific
whoop, they left the ponies to look
out for themselves, and came on in
body, while Griffin slipped the venison
from his shoulders and started at his
best pace toward the belt of timber.
The Indians were not more than two
hundred yards away when Griffin
sighted them; but in running he had
the advantage Of going down hill, and
he had almost doubled the distance
before they reached the top of the
ridge and began to shoot at him. None
OF the bullets happened to hit the mov-
ing target.
Griffin glanced over his shoulder.
AS he expected, dozen Of the swiftest
runners had thrown off their blankets
and. knives in hand, We're approaching
at a rate that meant mischief for
man who must cling to twelve-pound
gun. But the trapper had been In
worse places than this, and he felt
that If he could once get into the
woods, with night falling, he could
dodge the Indians.
He was still half mile from the
timber when he looked back once more.
One Of the braves was now far in ad.
vance Of the others, but all his pur.
suers were gaining, and Griffin began
to fear that he might lose the race,
tired as he was from his hunt and
handicapped by the weight he carried.
That foremost Indian must die!
Griffin slackened his pace trifle, that
he might get his breath before trying
to take aim. The Indian put on an.
extra burst of speed.
When Griffin was close to the timber
the leading Indian had come SO near
that the trapper could hear the patter
of his footsteps. Thinking 1t must be
now or never, the trapper wheeled and
was about to pull trigger when his
adversary made movement that
caused Griffin to hesitate from sheer
surprise. The Indian waved him to-
ward the woods.
white man no shootw he shouted.
"Me him friend! No stop; Injun no
ketch umw
The white man took a good look.
This-yes, this was the same young
brave he had spared and nursed! Real
izing that, Griffin grasped the meaning
Of the words, and instantly he faced
about and made for the woods again.
white man saved Injun, now Injun
save white man." the savage called
as soon as the trees and bush hid them