The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1903-07-25
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had gone out to supper and left the
door unlocked He had no clerk, and
inside We're a number Of blanket In
dams seated upon boxes and barrels,
very much at home. knew that Gov
ernment employees at all the Sioux
agencies were notoriously negligent in
the matter of locks and keys, yet l
was surprised at Kelley's supreme con-
fidence in these Indians.
When we were alone that evening
spoke to him about the matter.
"'Oh," he replied, in his easy way,
'if there are Indians in the store when
I'm ready for meals, don't send them
out. Show Sioux that you have per-
feet confidence in him, and you can
trust him with anything you've got.
The best clerk had, in the days when
my trade needed help, was an Indian
Martin Blueshield. Martin saved Inc
from loss by thieyery several tires;
the thieves We're whites.
"I'll tell you Of Martins fracas with
Big Kosky. Kosky had timber claim
over here on Laroot Creek. He was
some kind Of foreigner and had
worked in the pineries; he was the big
gest and the meanest man that ever
came into these parts. He was tre-
mendous fellow in size, with q neck
and chest like a bulls, and he had 4
black beard as coarse as straw. that
c+oo.1 cfro irhf ont lilo q hnp'c hric tlo-
''At that time the Indians here, who
have always been peaceable, were feel
ing very timid. 1t was the year after
the Custer fight, and the people Of the
settlements hereabouts We're not well
disposed toward the Indians.
Il don't know how it is" said Kelley,
ref1ectively, "but most white people
don't seem to know the difference be-
tween a good Indian and a bad one.
Fully nine-tenths of the Sioux have
never taken part in any hostile move
against our people. Yet this nine
tenths have been made 20 suffer greater
privations than the fellows who did
the fighting.
"Well, Big Kosky and some others
took advantage of the situation here,
and robbed the Indian; whenever they
had half chance. Xosky, at Laroot
Greek, was close to the reservation
line, and he had keen eye for stray
ponies. I suppose he stole and sold a
dozen or fifteen of them in a year.
After every loss the Indians would
herd their ponies closer for time;
then they'd get little careless and
more stock would disappear. 1t did
not the slightest good to complain: both
l and the missionary here went to the
sheriffs in the adjoining counties, and
tried to get them to put a stop to the
robbery.
''The Indians :oon came to fear Big
Kosky much as some people fear evil
spirits. They thought he had a wakan''
big medicine or spirit-"which pro-
tected him. They said he could look
right through person and sec what
was behind him. He usually carried a
two-bitted Ak with a long handle,
which the Indians looked upon as his
war-weapon; and they supposed he
could throw this through man at a
very long distance.
, "He used to come to my store now
and then to trade, and the Indians al
ways kept away from him, for he
hated them and would glare at them
like mad beast. But my clerk, who
had been educated in white schools,
had lost his fear of vakan men, and
it was amusing to me to watch the play
between them.
"'Good day, Mr.. Kosky" Martin
would say. very politely. will you
have some rope to-day, or will you have
one Of these fine knives? and he would
hold up butcher-knife or coil of
rope for inspection.
Big Kosky's eyes would blaze. and
then he'd nutter something in his OWE
language and turn to me for what he
wanted. Probably, though, there would
have been no fracas between Martin
and Kosky If I hadn't been called to
Fort Berthold on business. Kosky
came over the neYf 6av with q nnpf and