Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1902-01-04


- the purple peaks of the Cone
Mountains. Locusts sang shrilly from
every grease-wood bush, and whole
choruses of the same insects droned
forth from the mahogany shrubs The
landscape had peculiarly concal
tendency; each individual hill was cone
shaped; the nut-pines, punctuating
their gray-blue slopes, tapered to a dan
green cone, and down at the base of
pyramidical mountain clustered few
peaked wickiups. A cloud of reddish
dust arose from a trail that twisted In
sinuous loops up and over the Cone
Mountains, as three ponies picked their
way along its winding course. A roam
pony led the trio; he was ridden by
stern old Meloxi, an Indian of wide re-
pute among the Washoe tribe. The
second animal. strange little pinto.
bore the daughter of Meloxi; and bring
ing up the rear came Washoe Billy,
mounted on his sturdy bay.
The riders We're silent but, being In
dams, this seemed matter of fact; some
thing might be learned from the ex-
preSsiOns stamped on the countenances
of the three redskins. MeloXi looked
ter, rebellious and indignant; while
Washoe Billy wore a victorious half
smile every time he looked at Ta-tat,
which was not infrequently. The ponies
were tired and dusty-the riders
cramped and dusty, too.
Several dogs began to bark as the
tiny calvaCade approached the wicki-
ups; half dozen fairly clad pa
posses skurried up from the tricklng
stream in the nearby arroyo, and stared
at the sorry-looking party. By the
time the ponies were halted before
MelOXi's tepee the whole village had
gathered about them. Neither Meloxi
nor Washoe Billy caused this unusual
Interest; Ta-tat, the rebellious-counte-
nanced daughter of a chief, had re-
turned into their midst; not willingly,
either, but fOrcibly brought home by
her father and her future husband,
Washoe Billy.
1t was this maiden, the pride of the
Cone Mountain Washoes, that excited
the curiosity Of the villagers. Ta-tat,
from mere infancy, attracted consider
able attention. On her right temple
grew glistening whisp of white hair,
which accentuated the raven duSkiness
of her abundant locks. This splotch Of
! white among the shining black, re-
sembed a magpie's plumage, and for
/ this reason she was called Ta-tat, the
| Washoe word for the chattering mag
pie. Then Ta-tat was very clever, and
one day MeloXi listened to the appeal
of home-missionary lady, which re-
suited in his sending bright little Ia
tat away to the Carson Indian School
No other Cone Mountain papoOse had
ever attended the school, consequently
the relatives and friends Of Ta-tat took
a deep interest In her progress at the
institution.
! For five years she had been acquiring
the book-lore of the palefaces; often
Meloxi received letters that were care
fully read to him by Rancher Bannon's
wife, who lived not far from Cone
Mountain. All reports reaching Me-
loxi's ears were good, and quite credit
able even to big chiefs daughter. So
Meloxi spoke proudly of his clever Ia
tat, and deposited her letters in a
dainty willow basket, from which he
took them to demonstrate to every visi-
tor the accomplishment Of this Washoe
princess.
was made to the Cone Mountain Wash
oes. One of their own villagers, while
visiting Carson, saw Ta-tat walking
with Horace HOp-FoOt, and promptly
reported the fact on his return home.
Now the Washoes did not object to
young Draves-far from 1t; but Ta-tat's
hand had long been promised TO
their maidens keeping company with
Washoe Billy, and to think that she
could so far forget herself as to walk
with another brave, and he a Piute at
that, and one whose reputation was
quite notorious, reused the wrath Of
Meloxi and Washoe Billy, and all the
villagers besides. After brief con
sultation, the old chief, accompanied
nv Ta-tat's intended and an extra pony,
iourneyed Carson-wards, intent upon
conducting the tickle and disloyal girl
to the paternal lodge.
That his mission terminated sue
cessfully was clearly illustrated when
the expedition returned to Cone Noun
tain. Ta-tat deigned not to greet with
any show of cordiality the companions
of her childhood days. She slid off the
weary pinto, shook out her dusty gar
4 In,