Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1902-12-31
SOME MJUNS."
THE TRAPPER'S STORY OLA SioUx'S
GRATITUDE.
nee in his life old Thad Grif-
fin, the trapper, did a very
foolish thing; at least, that


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 go
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
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 were "slathers of fur signs"
but no traces of Indians in this region
of rolling prairie, broken ut the east
ward by a belt of heavy timber. So
one day Griffin set out with his gun to
try for saddle of venison. When the
afternoon was almost over he found
ii good sized buck and presently start
eG for camp with the hide and saddle
SLING 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 dismny when. just as he had
reached the top of low ridge half
way between the woods and his camp,
he saw a band of forty Sioux coming
up on the other side
Griffin had had many fuss" with
these same Indians, and he recognized
them Instantly as belonging to n vii
Iage that wintered in the Ottertail
woods, away off at the northeast. Evi-
IDENTIFY they had been out on the Da-
kota prairies for a big buffalo hunt,
for they We're on foot and leading
their ponies, which We're loaded with
hides and dried meat.
Flat in the grass dropped Griffin. but
10 L.,
eyes of the Indians. Raising a terrific
Whoop, they left the ponies to look
out for themselves, and came on in a
body, while Griffin slipped the venison
from his shoulders and started at his
best pace toward the belt of timber.
The Indians We're 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 NOV
ing target.
Griffin glanced over his shoulder.
AS he expected, dozen of the swiftcst
runners had thrown off their blankets
and, knives in hand, We're approaching
at rate that meant mischief for a
man who must cling to a twelve-pound
gun. But the trapper had been in
worse places than this, and he felt
that il he could once get into the
woods, with night falling, he could
dodge the Indians.
He was still n half mile from the
timber when he looked back once more.
One of the braves was now far in adj.
vance OF the others, but all his pur-
su@rs We're 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 slackcned his pace trifie tha,
he might get his breath before tryinn
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 neal
that the trapper could hear the pattel
of his footsteps. Thinking it must bC
now or never, the trapper wheeled ant
was about to pull trigger when his
adversary made movement tha
caused Griffin to hesitate from sheel
surprise. The Indian waved him TO
ward the woods.
White man no shoot. he shouted
"Me him friend, No stop Iniun NJ
ketch'umw
The white man took n good look
This-yes, this was the same youn;
brave he had spared and nursed, Real
izins that, Griffin grasped the meann:
OF the words, and instantly he facCt
about and made for the woods again.
white man saved lnjun, now lnjuI
save white man." the savage callet
rs soon as the trees and bush hid then
from sight white man hide UNI