The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1903-05-20
The Exploit Of
MARTIN BLUESCHIELD.
IIl5] I!Si;lI
| O
|I@| (I5S'
BY Franklin We.lss Calkns.

Jl9I l9I coming Oh lhe mall, ana
found that the proprietor
had gone out to supper and left the
door unlocked. He had no clerk. and
inside were n number of "blankct In
lians" seated upon boxes and barrels,
rery much ut home. 1 knew that Gov
,rnment employees at all the Sioux
agencies were notorously negligent in
The matter of locks and keys, yet
gas surprised at Kelley's supreme con-
idence in these Indians.
When we were alone that evening
spoke to him about the matter.
"Oh," he replied. in his easy way,
Aif there are Indians in the store when
TIN ready for meals, don't send them
out. Show Sioux that you have per-
feet confidence in him, and you can
!rust him with anything you've got
The best clerk l had, in the days when
my trade needed help. was an Indian
Martin Blueshicld. Martin saved me
from loss by thlevery several times;
the thieves were 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 Il foreigner and had
worked in the plneries; 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 bulls, and he had n
black beard as coarse as straw. that
stood straight out like hogs bristles.
'At that time the Indians here. who
have always been peaceable. were feel
ing very timid. 1t was the year after
.he Custer fight, and the people of the
settlements hereabouts were not well
disposed toward the Indians.
Il don't know how it is," said Kelley.
rehectively, "but most white people
don't seem to know the difference be-
tween good Indian and bad one
Fully nine-tenths of the Sioux have
uever taken part in any hostile move
against our people. Yet this nine
;enths have been made to suffer greater
privatons than the fellows who did
thc fighting.
well, Big Kosky and some others
look advantage of the situation here,
and robbed the Indianj whenever they
had half chance. Kosky, at Laroot
Creek, was close to the reservation
line, and he had a keen eye for stray
ponies. ] suppose he stole and sold a
dozen or fifteen of them in year.
After every loss the Indians would
herd their ponies closer for q time;
then they'd get little careless and
more stock would disappear 1t did
not the slightest coed to complain; both
and the missionary here went to the
sherlffs in the adjoining counties. and
tried to get them to put stop to the
robbery.
The Indians loon came to fear Big
kosky much az some people fear evil
spirits. They thought he had q wakan"
big medicine or spiiit-"which pro.
tected him. They said he could look
right through 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 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 mad beast. But my clerk. who
had been educated in white schools.
had lost his fear of wakan men. and
II was amusing to me TO wa .ch the play
between them.
Good day. Mr.. Kosky" Martin
would say, very politely. VIII you
have some rope today, or will you have
one Of these fine knives:' and he would
mold up butcher-knife or n 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
nave been no fracas between Martin
and Kosky IL hadn't been called Ia
Fort Berthold on business. Kosky
came over the next day with a cart ant
YOKE or oxen after some flour. WheI
ne entered the store he glared at Mar
eln as usual, and finding l was to bt
'"i Il Mech UT TWO, He turucu Oi
1iis heel and walked out.
"A little while afterward an Indiar
came In and told Martin that the bis
medicine wasechun"-whIte man-"hat
'aRen one of my ponies, which wat
picketed In n ravlne beside the road
Inc old scamp supposed II was an In
dian's pony.
Martin said nothing, but locked tn,
store, saddled his pony, and went aftel
Big kosky. About two miles from th'
store he overlook the fellow, with m,
morse tied behind his cart. Then ther
was lively time. Kosky got of hi
cart with his axe and charged Martin
yelling like wild man. The 10,
lodged on his spry pony and watcne,
Tor an opening.
He circled swiftly around the car
ana oxen until Big Kosky was prett
well blown trying to get at him. Their
when kosky was ut the opposite sid
OF the cart. Martin made n sudde
unsh at the oxen ard beiabored then
WIN stockwhip. 1t needed only
cut or two to set them on at a jumr
ana kosky. puffed and tired. was lef
70 shout after the runaways.
Martin ran the oxen to a safe dis
"nee, then cut the led pony's rope
ana drove the animal homeward. wit
ns Nosky shouting after him all kind
" threats.