The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-05-24
THE WESTERNERS
BY STEWART EDWARD WHITE.
Copyrighted by Mcclure, Phillips & Co.
Continued from Last Sundays News)
TX.
THE BROTHER OF GODS

Rain-in-the- Face had no very def
mite idea of where he should go. The
main and pressing need was TO put
a certain distance between himself and
his pursuers as rapidly as possible.
To this end he pushed diligently
northwest in a bee line. At first he
covered his trail skillfully, so that Gus
ter's men would have to guess his di-
rection of flight as any one of the $50
degrees of the complete circle. After
a little, this was unnecessary. 1t be-
came desirable to fall in with a camp
of the Sioux, in order that he might
be didected to his own tribe of that
people, the Uncpapa.
But as day followed day, Rain-in-
the-Face owned himself puzzled, In
the space of time that had elapsed since
his escape, he should have encountered
q dozen bands, for he was intimately
acquainted with the country and with
the Indian habit of life. The village
sites were deserted. the plains were
empty. The Indian did not know of
the two expeditions, commanded fe-
spectively by Crook and Terry. which,
lHe one from the SOull anu Ailt ptAANA
from the north, were cOnverging at the
Big Horn; nor that in that district
nearly every plains Indian had en-
camped, either openly allied with Sit
ting Bull, or near enough to become
so should such a move seem eXpedl-
ent.
So for a week he subsisted alone as
only an Indian can.
Let loose a tired pony at night on
the plains. and in the morning he will
turn up well fed and full of Vigor. 1t is
the same with a savage. He knows
expedients for getting food, for prepar-
ing it, for combating thirst, for sleep
ing in bad weather with some degree
of comfort, which a white man never
acquires without long and hazardous
apprenticeship. 1t is a case of the sur
vival of the fittest; and the Indian al
ways survives
Toward the end of the week, Rain-in-
Face drew near the low hills OF
the Cheyenne river, in good condition,
except that his moccasins were nearly
wornout. Then he became aware OF
a camp. As beseemed a good warrior,
he secuted carefully until he had salts
fed himself that the lodges were those
of people of his own nation. Then he
allowed himself to be captured by the
herd boys and escorted to Lone Wolf,
the chief of the band.
Lone WOlI ndQ DeeH easily ptfSudu-
ed by Lafond that II was not good pol
icy to join Sitting Bull. The tribe was
we'll fed and rich. 1t could gain moth
ing by such a war, and could lose
much. Now was the time to prepare
against the coming winter; now, in
the early summer, when the energYfot
the band was az its flood. War ii
had enjoyed but recently with the Paw
nees; so the hearts of the young men
were big with valor Let them equally
enjoy the chase, the other branch of
braves education.
These, and a hundred like reasons,
Lafond had urged so plausihly that the
chief had come, without difficulty, to
his way OF thinking. After all. why
not at least await the plum season,
and the great gathering of prairie
chickens which was invariably conse-
quent on the ripening of the fruit?
With that plan in view, the warrior
had moved his band and all its house
hold goods to the banks of the Chey-
enne, where he settled down peaceably
TO season of plenty. There Rain-in-
the-Face found him.
The camp had been pitched, after
the usual rambling manner, in a broad
grass park of sandy subsoil, below
hills on which wandered the ponies in
times of safety or lurked the senti-
nels in time of danger. Above the
lodges. like blazoned arms, We're sus-
pended the spears and shields of the
warriors, and before the open flap of
each the owner could be seen sprawled
in dignifiel idleness among his faVorite
squaws. Children sat grave and silent
near at hand, or whirled in mimic and
noisy warfare farther out over the
pairie. Dogs skulked here and thtre.
Kettles above shallow fire holes bub-
bled and steamed. About over the
ground was strewn the indescribable
litter of a long used camp Through
the early summer air rose Shrill laugh
ter, the sounds of good-natured chaff;
the yelp of dogs and the hum of lower
conversation; for, no matter how shy
or stoical an Indian may seem before
strangers, he is sociable enough among
his own people. Near the center of
the village stood the lodge of Lone
Wolf. At his hand sat Michail La
fond.
The half-breed had in the past two
years reverted almost to the type of
his more savage parent His hair was
long and worn loose, after the Sioux
fashion. The upper part of his body
was naked. About his neck hung a
string of bears claws Paint streaked
his countenance. White buckskin leg
gings. ornamented with beads~covered
his legs. Only the shifty character
of his eyes and a certain finer model
AiiB VI lhe DolQ lines OIL MS lace M
ferentiated him from the full-blooded
Sioux at his side. The two were con-
versing in the Sioux language.
To them the boys brought their
stranger. From various directions
squaws and children sidled nearer for
a look. The warriors, disdaining such
an exhibition of womanish curiosity,
remained placidly smoking in the sun
shine. Near at hand the sounds of
laughter and of conversation died, and
the solemnity of ceremony fell.
AS he approached, the stranger rails
ed his right hand. palm forward in to-
ken of peace, and then drew the edge
of the same hand across his throat
from left to right. This latter is the
sign" of the Sioux, and thus Lone
Wolf was made aware that he received
one of his own nation. Lone Wolf in
clined slightly and raised his hand
with the peace gesture. The three
then sat and the inevitable pipe was
produced.
Thus Rain-in -the-Face was received
with all ceremony. Later, the first dip
into the kettle of boiling meat was
conceded him. and in that manner he
was made free of Lone VOLTS lodge.
No question was asked as to his iden-