The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-12-06

grove for six or seven miles UP and
down the river, and understood from
the Indian boys and girls that we
should winter here.
1 have not said much about Betty in
the last two or three chapters, but
that was because there was little to
tell. Talking Woman never struck her
again after our fight, but she was al
ways scolding and threatening, and
Betty did not get half enough to eat.
Almost every day 1 saved some of my
provisions for her. The Indian boys
and girls liked her and always treated
her kindly, and whenever she came to
our lodge Red Moon would pat her on
the head. 1 always saw her once or
twice a day, and sometimes in the
evening" and we were never together
that we did not talk of escape.
By this time all the dogs and ponies
were friendly, and l could go into the
herd at night and put my hand on
any pony. l fed out all the sugar,
pinch at a time, and when it was all
gone I tempted the horses with roots
and corn. The Indian boys were all
good riders, and for long time they
had been anxious to see how well l
could ride. One day they brought
pony out for me to mount, and 1 should
soon have been on his back but for
Red Moon. When he found out what
! was going to do he called me away
and sent me after firewood. Upon my
return to the lodge with the fuel he
tried to tell me something and went
over it twice. I failed to understand
him then, but later on it came to me
that he was giving me good advice. The
sly old fellow knew that 1 had made
friends with the dogs and ponies, and
he suspected my object. If was plan
ming to steal a couple of ponies some
dark night and ride away it was bet
ter that the Indians should think I
was poor rider and afraid of the
horses. Then they would not be on
their guard. l was not asked again
to ride. and the Indian boys and girls
chuckled and laughed as if they took
me for a greenhorn.
We had a bad scare one night soon
after setting up our village on the
river. At that time the plains were
alive with buffaloes. Every day for
weeks and weeks we saw herds of
them numbering thousands, and even
the SquaWs and boys went out and
shot them down. So many were killed
that there was always more fresh meat
in the village than we could eat, and
many hundred pounds OF 1t was cut
into thin strips and smoked or dried
in the sun. Sometimes the great herds
became frightened and set off at a wild
gallop, and on such occasions they ran
over everything in their way. One
day. while about twenty of our men
were out hunting, the herd became
frightened and headed for our village.
AS soon as we saw them coming we
all ran into the grove. 1 helped Red
Moon on one side and Betty on the
other and we also assisted him to
climb a tree, and then climbed up after
him. We were only ten feet above the
ground when the buffaloes came rush
ing along like a great wave. They
knocked down and destroyed every
wigwam, and then came rushing
through the grove and knocked down
many trees. We had two women and
two children killed and several others
injured, and when the herd had passed
we found that it had carried with it
about thirty of the ponies, none of
which we could hope to see again.
Robes, provisions and cooking utensils
were trodden into the earth, and the
stampede turned out to be a very bad
thing for the village.
(To Be Continued)