The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1902-03-06
Ta.Tat'S Transformation.
The Orssd Coup Of On Indian Maid.
nv JOHN HAROLD uAMLiN.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

THE lnnguorous mists OF n perfect
Indian summer shroudcd the pur-
pie peaks of the Cone mountains. Lo-
rusts sang shrilly from every grease
wood bush, and whole choruses of the
same insects droncd forth from the
mahogany shrubs. The landscape had
. peculiar conicnl tendency: each in
dIvidual hill was cone-shapcd; the
nut-pines. punctuating their gray
blue slopes. tapered To n dull green
conc; and down at the base of pyrn-
midical mountain clustered few
peaked wickiups. a cloud OF reddish
dust foated skyward and mingled
with the shimmcring veil Of autumn
haze that blurred the hill tops. The
Z reddish dust arose from n trail that
twisted In sinuous loops up and over
& the Cone mountains, us three ponies
picked their way along It's winding
sourse. A roam pony led the trio:
!. he was ridden by stern old Mcloxi. an
indian OF wide rcpute among the
Washoe tribe. The second animal. u
strange little pinto, bore the daughter
Of Meloxi; and bringing up the rear
s came Washoe Billy. mounted on his
sturdy bay.
B The riders were silent. but. being
: Indians. this seemed matter Of fact:
something might be learned from the
! Expressions stamped on the coun'e-
nanccs of the three redskins. Meloxi
looked stern and dignifcd; Tn-tnt. his
daughter, rcbellious and Indignant; {;
while Wasloe Billy wore a victorious
haif-smil& every time he glanced at
! Ta-tat. which was not infrequentiy.
!, The ponies were tired and dusty--the
riders crampcd and dusty, too.
Severnl dogs began to yelp ns the
tiny cavalcadc approached the wick
iups; half dozen nirily clad papooses
sburlied up from the trickling stream
u the nearby arroyo. ami stared nt
the sorry-looklng party. by the time
the ponies were halted before Meloxi's
tcpec, the whole village had gathered
abssAt them. Neither MeloSi nor
:. Wakhoe Billy caused this unusual In
fterest: Ta-tnt, the rebeliious-counte'
nanceti daughter Of n chief. had re
turned into their midst; not willing
ly, either, but forcibly brought HON,
/, BY her father nnd future husband
y wnshce BilIy.
II was this maiden. the pride %
the Conc mountain Washoes. that eS
cited the curiosity Of the villagers
Tn-tat, from mere infancy, ATTRACTED
(, considerable attention. On her righ
temple grew glistening wisp a
white hnir, which nccentuatcd th'
raven duskincss Of her nbundnn
locks. This spot Of white among th'
shining black rcsembled n mngpie'
pIumnge, and for this reason she wa
called Ta-tat. the Wnshoe word fo
the chattering pngpie. Then Ta-ta
was very clever. and one day McloN
listened TO the appeal Of u bome-inis
sIonnry lady. which resulted In hi
sending bright little Ta-tnt away /,
the Carson Indian school. No othc
Cone mountain papoose had ever nj
tended the school, consequently tb
= relatives and friends OF Ta-tat too
n deep interest In her progress nj tn
institution.
For 1--WE years she had been ncquii
Ing the book-lore of the palcfaccs
often Meioxi received' letters thn
were carefully read 10 him by Iinnche
lannon's wife. who lived not far froi
Cone mountain. Al reports renchin
Meloxi's ears were good. and quit
credltabie even Ia a big chiefs daugl
ter. So Mcloxi spoke proudly Of h
clever Ta-tat, and deposited her letter
in q dainty willow basket. from whic
ne took them 10 demonstrate to e.
y cry visitor the accomplishments Z
this washoc princess.
But one day q startling re,ciatio
was Ineds tn the Gone nountai
4Wanhoes. One or their own villnger
while visiting Carson, saw Ta-t'
\. walking with Horace Tiop.Foot. M
promptly reported the fact on b
khHssrn home. Now the Wasboes
o6A Qbject 10 their maIdens keepif
III somrohy with young braves---far fro
(t, bu1 Ta-tnt's hand Ind long bee
promf1ed 10 Washoe Billy. and
1hink that she could SO tar forget he
y = ~ III ns 20 walk with another bray
4 ~ ~ : pln1e nt that, and whose re
IN o<k kt1on ~ &Gtte notorious, rous'
a, ~ wrath of MoIoxi and Washoe B
x, ". IA al the vilipgerx besides. Aft
( * XXI counuIta den. the old chief q
ronied BY Ta-tat's intended and !
I Y Y = b,ony. journeye6 Carson-wart
= y 1iocn epndnctir6 the hcklc nj
~ teek tg Me pattern
80 kminatsd ~