Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1904-12-29

Il promise, sir" said under my
breath.
The next moment the door behind
me opened. and the Indian stole into
the room.
For a space the two stood face to
face in silence. Then the belt bearer,
looking wariiy around at the empty
room, asked why Chief Warragh re-
ceived his brother alone.
my brother Gomez alone replied
Sir william, with emphasis. TT " the
custom Of the Cayuga to send three
but a fragment Of II belti Or does he
think us of little consequence. that he
comes without attestantsf'
81 bear three BELTS" said the Indian
haughtily. Nine Of my people started
from the Ohio. ! alone live"
Sir william bowed gravely and. mo
tionlng me to be seated, drew up an
armchair of velvet and sat down. fold
ing his arms In silence.
Then for the first time In my life l
oat at a Hgurative council ire and lis
tened to an orator Of those masters Of
oratory. the peoples Of the Six Nations.
Dignified, chaSy Of gesture, clean,
yet somewhat sac and overgrave OF
speech, the Csyuga, facing the baronet,
related briefly his name. Quider, which
In Iroquois means Peter; bis tribe.
which was the tribe Of the Wolf. the
totem being plain on his breast. He
spoke Of his journey from the Ohio,
the loss Of the eight who had started
with him, all dying from the smallpox
within a week. He spoke respectfully
Of Sir William as the n man who
had protected the Six Nations from
unjust laws, from incursions, from
white mems violence and deception.
He admitted that Sir William was the
only man In America who today re-
tanned the absolute trust and conf
dence Of the Indians, adding that II
was for this reason that he had m
And then he began his brief speech,
drawing from his pouch a black belt
of wampum:
Brother, with this belt we breathe
upon the embers which are asleep, and
we cause the council fire to burn in
this place and on the Ohio. which are
our proper f~ireplaces. With this belt
we sweep this fireplace clean, remov,
ing from 1t all that is impure, that We
may sit around 1t as brothers.
Brother, the unhappy oppression OF
our brethren by Colonel Cresap's men
near the Ohio carrying place 10 the oc-
casion for "A coming here. Our ma
ton would not be at rest nor easy until
they had spoken to you about II. They
have now spoken with this belt.
Brother, what are WI to dor Lord
Dunmore will not hear us. Colonel
Cresap and his men, to whom we have
done no harm, are coming to clear the
forest and cross our free path which Lies
from st. Sacrement to the Ohio, and
which path brothers belts, which
we still possess. have long since swept
clear. What shall we dor Instead of
polishing our knives we have come to
our brother Warragh. Instead Of seek
Ing our kin, the Mohawk and the Onei,
da, with painted war belts to throw be
tween us and them, we come to our
brother and ask him by this belt what
Ia left for US to do. Our brothers have
taught us there Is a God. Teach Us
he Is q just Colby this belt"
During this speech Sir William sat
as still as death, neither by glance nor
gesture nor change Of color betraying
the surprise. indignation and alarm
which this exposure Of Colonel Ores
APPS doings caused him.
As for me, l Of course vaguely III
derstood the breach Of faith committed
by Colonel Cresap In invading the land
Of our allies and the danger wo might
run should this Cayuga chief go to our
Mohawks and Oneidas with war belts
and infammatory appeals for venge.
ance on Cresap and his men.
That he had instead come to US. bray.
ing all dangers, losing indeed all bis
comrades, on this mission Of peace,
most splendidly attested to the power
and influence Of Sir William among
these savages. whose first instinct is to
draw the Ratchet and begin the horrid
vengeance which they consider their
right when ~unjustly molested.
1t Ia seldom the custom to reply to
q speech before the following day.
Custom and tradition rule among the
Six Nations.
was prepared. therefore. when Sir
William. holding in his right hand
the three belts Of wampum, rose and
thanked the Cayuga for his talk, prais-
Ing him and his tribe for resorting to
arbitration instead of the Ratchet, and
promising an answer on the morrow.
The Cayuga listened In silence, Their
resuming his blanket turned on his
heel and passed slowly and noiselessIy
from the room, leaving Sir William
standing beside the armchair, and me
erect in the embrasure Of the case
ment.
bent and arranged the three belts
On the table near him.
Thank you. Aichael,' he said heart
lily. .and l must sag that in this mat
ter Of the Cayuga you have conducted
admirably. Mr.. Duncan has told me
all; 1t was wisely done. Had you re
ceived the Cayuga with less welcome