The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1903-05-28

k'~S>
~ office, to await the slow
EIall i6li coming of the mail, and
found that the proprietor
had gone out to supper and left the
door unlocked. He had no clerk, and
inside We're a number Of blanket In
dians' 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
was surprised at Kelley's supreme con-
Edence in these Indians.
s. When we were alone that evening
S spoke to him about the matter.
.Oh," he replied, in his easy way,
eff there are Indians in the store when
I'm ready for meals, don't send them
out. Show a 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 me
from loss by thievery several times;
the thieves We're whites.
"I'll tell you Of Martins fracas with
Big Kosky. Kosky had timber claim
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 a tre-
mendous fellow in size, with neck
and chest like 4 bulls, and he had a
black beard as coarse as straw, that
stood straight cut like 4 hogs bristleS.
''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 were not we'll
disposed toward the Indians.
Il don't know how it is,' said Kelley.
refectively, "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 orr 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
Creek, was close to the reservation
line and he had keen eye for stray
ponies. suppose he stole and sold a
dozen OF fifteen of them in year.
After every loss the Indians would
herd their ponies closer for a time:
then they'd get little careless and
more stock would disappear. 1t did
not the slightest good to complain; both
I and the missionary here went to the
sheriffs in the adjoining counties. and
tried to get them to put stop to the
robbery.
"The Indians oen came to fear Big
Kosky much as some people fear evil
spirits. They thought he had wakan'
big medicine or spirit-"which pro-
tected him.. They said he could look
right through a person and see what
was behind him. He usually carried a
two-bitted AK with long handle,
which the Indians looked upon as his
war-weapon; and they supposed he
could throw this through a man at q
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 q mad beast. But my clerk, who
had been educated in white schools,
had lost his fear Of wakan men, and
it was amusing to me to watch the play
between them.
"'Ceod 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 mutter 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 hadn't been called to
Fort Berthoid on business. kosky
came over the next day with cart and
yoke of oxen after some -four. When
Me entered the store he glared at Mar
tin as usual, and finding was to be
sonA for week or two, he turned on
his heeN and walked out.
"a littlA while afterward an Indian
came in and told Martin that the big
medicine vase seehun"-white man-"had
taken one Of my ponies. which was
picketed in raviEe beside the road.
The old scamp supposed it was an In
dams pony.
Martin said nothing, b1S locked the
store. saddled his pony, and Ment after
Big kosky. About two miles fem the
store he overlook the fellow, with my
horse tied behind his cart. Then theTe
was a lively time. Kosky got off his
cart with his axe and charged Martin,
yelling like q wild man. The boy
lodged on his spry pony and watched
for an opening.
He circled swiftly around the cart
and oxen until Big Kosky was pretty
we'll blown trying to get at him. Then,
when Kosky was at the opposite side
of the cart, Martin made sudden
dash at the oxen and belabored them
with a stockwhip. 1t needed only q
cut or two to set them off at a jump,
and Kosky. puffed and tired, was left
to shout after the runaways.
Martin ran the oxen to safe dis
tance. then cut the led pony's rope.
and drove the animal homeward. with
Big KOSky shouting after him all kinds
Of threats.