Evening star., 1903-10-24

wondered If I was a welcome guest-if
the red man was not secretly wishing in his
heart that he, with his people, could again
be left alone with the flowers the birds,
the fish and the game which in this region
a century before had lived for the Indian
alone. l sighed with him when the old
medicine man said: Long time ago Una.
tilla tribe lots of men; now she small
people"
But this was the morning of the Fourth
Of July. and Whirlwind, the butler for the
tribes, had to be off TO town to get big
grub" Meantime | went to see many In
dans whom l now know. The news of my
buck and wing having spread through the
village. 1 found that | was welcome guest
in every Wigwam. These Indians having
lived along the Columbia-the main route
of the pioneers of our great northwest-are
perhaps the most interesting in America.
They told me many thrilling tales of war
and hazard. [ w IS glad it rained that day
and that the powwow was put off until the
following Monday, for l wished to hear
more of their stories.
The Indian celebrates pretty much as the
white man does; lie parades, he feasts, he
dances, he CANDLES. He has learned from
the white man to play cards. Many a
game Of seven-up did see in the village.
Where did you learn to play cards?' L
asked one young buck.
'At school,, he answered
They gamble most, however, at a game of
their own. They take four bones. two of
them having bucksllin strings tied on them.
1neSe lHcy SEGltie ABOUT anu mae III iUelT
hands. The point of the game is 10 guess
which hand holds the bone with the string.
At this simple game saw long row of In
dians, men and women, sit for hours. To
win the game one had to guess right for
fifteen times. On the result Indian
would bet a saddle or horse o. sometimes
as much as a hundred dollars. They are
born gamblers.
barbecue. The dance, like that l saw in
the tepee, consists in jumping up and down.
first on one foot and then on the other
shaking bells or rattles and giving an occa-
sional whoop And in their horse races they
jockey for the start just as do the riders
at our tracks. The rider is mounted bare
back The distance is usually two miles
and return. An Indian will bet his fortune
on race 1t is the parade which is unique.
Let me tell you of the one 1 saw.
One by one the bucks and squaws left
their tepees and, taking their ponies with
them, went among the trees along the river
until the village was deserted, save by the
whites who had come to view the wild
pageant. At o'clock l heard a pistol-shot,
and soon a warwhoop resounded. Then In
single file the warriors painted and dressed
| in the gaudy garb of the warpath, rode
around the circle of tepees; the squaws,
wearing all their beads and bright sportive
vestments, followed them. AS the brilliant
cavalcade drew near to the tepee of Chief
| No-Shirt he and his squaw Thunder, who
| was mounted on spotted pony, joined and
| led the procession. Those who followed
| held places due to rank. A prominent fig
| ure was Hoosis- -Mox-Mox (Yeilow Hair),
| the centenarian chief of the Palouses. His
| face was painted yellow and streaked with
| red He was the happiest Indian of them
| ALL Far to the rear rode the dozen dancers
| who were to cut didos under the arbor in
| the middle of the camp. They had daubed
| their bodies, naked save for the clout
| strings of beads and jingling trnkets, with
| pigments of many hues Three times the
| barbaric train galloped around. Then
| forming in line at the far end of the field
| they dashed forward, whooping and yelling
| and in a wild hurrah ended the parade.
! CHAS. N. CREWDSON.