The Topeka state journal., 1902-12-13


banks of the river, SO the hunters in
stead Of going directly up the river
turned to the eastward. hiding their
trail and coming to the river again af-
ter one days travel
One evening there came to their caTnp
four Ca-taw- ba Indians:who had young
Usage brave as prisoner. He was tied
with thongs upon pony, and they said
that the Osages had stolen some ponies
from them, and they had captured one
of them and that they were gong 10
take him to their village to be dealt
with as their chief saw fit. The Chero-
kee hunters knew what this meant The
young captive told them that he was
the son of the olrd Wa-shah-sha chief,
No-shun-ga the Path, that the old chief
had a big village with many "Ah-to-
pah" or tepees, and il they would res
cue him the old chief. his father. would
give them many buffalo robes ana plen-
ty of corn that the great village was
just one sleep" or a days travel from
where they were. The young sub
chief Gul-H-ge-na, counciled with his
warriors, which resulted in their releaS-
ing the captive and sending the Ca-ta-las
away without their bows and cuivers.
The young Usage the next day led the
Cherokee hunters to village CT No-shun-
ga, the Path, and after telling his story,
the old chief had his warriors to form
great circle, and with beating of
drums" and singing and dancing, they
received the young sub-chief and his
DdnQ WITH great ITlenQSA11D.
The Cherolkees stayed in the village,
which was situated where the city of
Council Grove now stands, two weeks
The old chief gave them fresh ponies, a
great many buffalo robes, a big supply
of buffalo meat and corn, and four pack
ponies. He told them that down the
river about three days travel, there was
another Wa-shah-sha village on the
west side, that it's chief was a splendid,
tab hi. young brave name Che
or four houses (tepees), and that he had
sent a runner to inform him of the
coming of the Cherokee hunters, that
they would be friends
The Cherokees stopped at the village
of Che-to-pah on their way back and
were received with great friendship and
feasting. The Cherokees struck their
camp about three hundreds yards down
the river from the village and agreed to
visit Che topaz and his people two
moons.
| Che-to-pah, the young Usage chief,
was warrior of magnificent physique,
more than six foot in his moccasfns,
handsome face, dressed in the brightest
of eolors, his leggins were of the finest
dressed buckskin, and the "trappingS'
of his spotted war horse were the most
beautiful and richly finished of any
chiefs on the border. He spent most of
his time in the Cherokee camp The
richest robes and the dantiest mecca
sins found their way to the tepee of
Ge-wah-ni and her mother. The mother
accepted the gifts as presents of a. chief
of another tribe. Not so with the
young girl. She knew too well the
meaning of the young Usage, but she
dare not refuse the gifts, while the old
| squaw was prone to receive them.
| Many moons before this on the banks
of the beautiful Wan she had listened
to the soft words of the young SUBJ
chief, the Buck, and they were as sweet
to her as the song of the waters as they
passed through the moss and stones.
She had taken from his hand the
choicest fish, and the fattest turkey.
| She had walked among the stately trees
with her warrior and theardat cooling
| of the dove; she had told him that
when the dogwood was in bloom she
would go to his tepee. Was this not
enough? The love of an Indian maiden
is her life, her DEATH her all.
The young Cherokee sub-chief watch
ed the actions of Che-to-pah with an
evil eye. He ehegasne Aos grow lloTbid--s
breast fs-lfke the raging winds-the
thunder storms, a great surging of ma
tures most evil instincts.
Gul-li-ge-na gave orders one evening
to pack. everything tof move except the
tepee poles, to leave the tepees stand
ing and to wait for further orders.
The young sub-chief had planned a
fearful revenge. He had, as he thought,
picked out Ghetto pahiS tepee and knew
exactly where he slept So with his
great uncomfortable jealous spirit and
murder in his heart he crept to the
tepee, where he thought the young
Usage lay and buried his hunting knife
in the heart of warrior, as he slept,
then hurrying back to his own camp he
gave orders to move with all haste to
the southwark after sending two war
riors to stampede the Usage ponies.
The stampeded ponies awoke the
sleeping Osages and they Immediately
discovered the dead Usage, but it was
not the young chief-Gul-li-ge had
blundered and the Usage knew that the
cold blade buried in the breast of one
of his best warriors was intended for
him, and he knew why. He made a
that he would capture the beautiful Ge-
wah-ni and have her anyway, even if he
had to kill every Cherokee in the land.
1t was near the middle of the day, be-
fore the Osages got their ponies back,
but they Immediately formed a war
party of forty warriors and started on
the trail. Through the prairie across
Russell creek on to Cabin creek, the
trail was plain and could be followed
at gallop. The second day they
sighted them near Pryor creek, but lost
the trail toward night