The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-07-23
THE woolNe OF TAHlssHEE.


! coPper-skdnned. strong An Indian IL
everything but his garments. Buckley.
| the station agent, saw him and shook his
| big, firm hand.
Why, hello. Micco.' laughed the agent,
admiring the young braves smart clothes
and polished shoes, have you come back
TO stay?''
Yes. I think must stay. 1t is home. -
He had PIT down his luggage and was
I looking away toward the freighthouse
/ where three young men Of his tribe were
I standing like brown statues in the shade.
They We're watching him. and he went Up
TO them and with his hand cutstretched
10 the nearest smiled and said:
How, Kakagon2
How" said the other letting Niece
/ hold his hand for a moment
4 am glad 10 come home to Sequoyah.
| But the three young Indians only looked
at him and said coldly. as they stalked
away into the dusty sunlight:
How"
Niece stood then alone in the shade and
| took of his hat. letting the dry breeze
! play upon his close cropped head. Some
! freighters were putting wool into the
/ freighthouse, ana he could smell the
( pungeRt odor of sheep. could see again
/ the green-walled canyon where he had
{ slept away the first years OF his life.
:
houetted against the red mesa, ne watch
/ ed Kakagon and his two companions,
/ walking away toward the village.
I wonder why, said Niece. TO himself,
4 looking down at his tailor made suit.
! He went back TO the station and into the
: sizzling Office where a telegraph instru-
/ ment clicked near the open window.
| Mr.. Buckley" said the Indian. Il leave
/ my baggage here. Maybe l can stay at
| your house
The agent looked up nodding silently.
while he finished the message, and then:
! What's the matter. Mico2 Amt you go
in to set up with the tribe?
Maybe. yes. 1 don't know, Mr. Buck
ley"
He walked away. a lonely. crestfanea
giant, and when he was out in the sand
with his back toward the sun and his face
toward the foothills Buckley watched him.
wagged his head. and to himself said:
They'll be no fatted calf fer you
Cooneyi He's even got on a collar and tie
And them patent leather shoes, OH no.
Niece, they won't never stand for that.
The Indian truGged o7er the bIiSterng
hills to the river bottom where a hun
dred lodges, ye.lOw-streaAed and gray.
lay scattered among the cot-eaWoods A
wagon came out = = ifns between the
timber Tahunce. an oil man IF the
tribe. was on the seat. AID behind hsm.
squat in the wagon bed, with six or seven
staring children, his two sqGaws.
They stood up when they saw him stand
ing in the bend TO let them pass, but
they neither stopped nor made any sign
of recognition
How, Tahuneei' cried TIE yourg mao.
I come home 10 Seyuoyah,
How grunted the old man, but drove
on. the women and children staring OPEN
eyed at Niece.
He passed into the village OF tapees and
saw from afar. stolid. familiar faces peer
ing furtively at him from slooming door
ways, but none came out 10 meet him. to
welcome him. to know him. But at Ia
hunee's lodge he looked boldly into the
doorway and said:
''Tahissheer'
a scared oval. olive face came out OF
the shadow and she stood for a second
irresolute before him. Then she half
whispered. hushing the word as it came
10 her mouth Niece" and ran away
He watched her for a moment and then
walked back to the station. looking tired.
homesick and sullen. He sat on the truck
IL the moonlight with Buckley that night
and smoked. Yes. he meant to remain
with his people he explained. He had
learned a great many ways to help them
something about business. and food, and
how to keep well and advance" That
vance" his people. To look after their bus
iLess, TO protect them In traficking with
hite men. now that their lands were
GpportiOned and for sale. He had been
che of their strong young men, a good
hunter even when a child. His father had
been a wise chief. He meant to stay. TO
marry one Of the girls of his tribe. if that
might be. No, he would not abandon the
dress and habits of the white man. He
had learned better at Carlyle. He would
1--we in d house with floor and ceiling ana
a stove, and he would teach his people
low much better that was than their
ay. the old way.
For a week, some time each day, Niece
talked like that 10 the station agent but
every evening when the sky was fading
from turquoise to purple and the wind
came strong from the mountains. odorous
Of balsam and the faint incense OF his
PEOPLES fires Niece wandered away to-
ward the village. siSulking alone among
the shadows TO Tahunsee's lodge. Tn
hidden he entered unwelcomed he sat
down on a goatskin. unnoticed he filed
his pipe and sat smoking, smoking,
smoking Sometimes Tahunee would sit
outside near the doorway. blinking at the
stars and smoking too. But Tahisshee
always fitted away at his approach.
Sometimes he carried presents Of coffee
in b-ight-colored, paper ackages. or cans
of tomatoes with haring red labels and
set them down in Tahunee's tepee but
nobody spoke 70 him. When four moons
had come and wlned and the sap was
going out Of the reeds by the river he
brought a saddle. a great new saddle for
Tahunee and laid it beside him as he
sat smoking, but Tahsshee was never
there. never gave him moro than a
quick, scared look.
You need hair cut. Niece. said the
laughing Buckley one day. But the IN
dian only stared blankly az him and
walked away. Micco's hair grew TIL IL
tell about his white collar One dag he
bought pile OF hides at the freight
house. and. without q word TO Buckley.
dragged them down the hot road ard
over the trail 70 the foothills. IN a lone
ly thicket above the village ne threw
them on the ground. and with an ak
hewed limbs from the trees TIL he had
made for himself q stand a poles about
= hich he swafhed hides. stitching them
With buckskin thongs. and ar last. with q
lrand from his Ere. burning upon the
staring cover Of skin a rude picture or I
a raccoon and under IL his name Niece.
And that night when the stars began
70 eiimmer and the hiil-wiud came down
cool among the cottonWo0ds- Micco came /
forth, skgifdng 10 longer For on his /
feet We're yellow moccasins. beaded with /
blue and white and leyyow beads. his I
Icing. strong legs we're in soft 6eerskin. /
with a chain Of elk teeth IT his rirdic I
ana a blue and red blanket about his /
Joins. HIS black hair was braided and /
cIed and trimmed with feathers 81 ghe 4
Jay and IN his crest was the long eagle 1
feather Dipped with crimson
so that when he walked into the village 4
the Young men stood forth aHd said (