River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1902-09-11

good-by to his parents and friends
and started on his journey. He took
with him a shotgun for securing food
on the way. His companion, Ma
tue, went on ahead, as Patsy clearly
wished to be alone. Every now and
then Mature would look back, to see
tears rolling down Patsy's cheek.
For an hour and more they rode
up the wash of Wallapai canyon, the
red walls towering up into the pure
blue of the sky, but neither walls
nor sky had any attraction for either
of them.
Mature was distressed at Patsy's
sorrow, and Patsy's thoughts were
ali! who could tell? Slowly they
rode on Mature every now and then
looking back to see that Patsy fol-
lowed. They reached the hilltop and
now Patsy seemed to lag behind more
than before. Mature went over a
ridge down into small canyon, up
and out on the other side and there
waited for Patsy. Half an hour, an
hour, an hour and a half passed and
he did not come. So, feeling some
thing akin to fear, Mature went
back to see what was the matter.
Half mile or so back he came upon
Patsy& horse, shot through the head.
Thoroughly alarmed he called aloud
for Patsy, but nothing save the echo
from the walls of the canyon be-
meath gave him answer. He walked
back little further and there under
chimiwoia (mountain rush) bush
he saw Patsy, his gun in his hand,
dead. He had sat down and DELHI
erately placed the shotgun under his
face and fired.
When Mature returned with the
news to the village the excitement
was intense. Few would have re-
garded the Havasupai Indian as
stolid had they seen the wonder and
awe and distress depicted on every
face. Suicides among Indians are
comparatively rare-far more so
than among the higher civilized peo-
plies. At first the Indians could rot
believe it. Then a number of them
went up to the hilltop to see the
body. They could find no traces,
either OF horses or men, except those
made by Patsy and Mature, so they
were compelled to the conclusion
that it was a case of deliberate sui
eide.
Suicide for grief; suicide because
the days of his sorrow were to be
passed away from the scene of it's
origin: suicide because his brothers
spirit would hover around his for
mer home and never hear the wall
of Patsy's voice. The white man
may and does laugh at such explana-
tions. They are absurd and ridic-
ulous. Indeed, when talking with
the acting agent the other day I
never even suggested such ideas be-
cause 7 knew they would sink into
stony ground, yet 1 know, and SO
do all who intimately know the IN
dian heart, that these are the only
real causes for poor Patsy's tragic
and awful act.
The agent came from Truxton. the
deputy United States marshal. the
Wallapai policeman and others came
to investigate. The body was Gre
mated, but nothing else was done.
And now Patsy's spirit has joined the
spirit of his brother and together
they have gone to explore the mys-
ferrous regions of the beyond. The
Havasupais seem to have settled
down to the even tenor of their way,
and only the flowing waters of the
creek where Patsy used to sport and
swim and play sing a sad and MOURN
full requiem for young life ruthless
" slain because the white man did
not. could not, would not understand.
G. WHARTON JAMEa