The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1904-02-24

low the traders corral. You should
have worn your moccasins, as well as
a divided skirt, that night instead of
French-heeled bottines. The rest
others can tell"
The others were Kennedy, and the
recaptured, half recalcitrant Pete,
the latter turned states evidence.
Kennedy told how he had wandered
down into the flats after ''the few
drinks" that made him think scorn-
full of Sioux; of his encounter with
Eagle Wing, his rescue by Field and
a girl who spoke Sioux like native.
He thought it was little Pawn Eyes
when he heard her speak, and until
he heard this lady; then he under
stood. He had been pledged to Sc
meant to tell soul, but when he
heard the lie the lady told about the
lieutenant, it ended any promise.
Then Pete, an abject, whining
wretch, was ushered in, and his story,
when dragged out by the roots was
worst of all. Poor Mrs. Hay! She
had to hear it, for they sent for
her; somebody had to restrain Ma
nette. Pete said he had "known Ma
nette long time, ever since baby.
So had Crapaud. Yes, and they had
known Eagle Wing, Moreau, always
knew his father and mother. Knew
Nanette's father and mother" But
Black Bill interposed. No need to go
into these particulars, as substan-
tiating Mrs. Hay and himself, said he.
"The lady knows perfectly we'll that
I know all about her girlhood," so
Pete returned to modern history.
Eagle Wing, it seems, came riding
often in from Stabber's camp to see
Nanette by night, and che was in
heap trouble, always heap trouble,
always want money!" and one night
she told Pete he must come with her,
must never tell of it. She had money,
she said, her own, in the traders
safe. but the door was too heavy, she
couldn't open it, even though she had
the key. She had opened the store
by the back door, then came to him
to help her with the rest. He pulled
the safe door open, he said, and then
she hunted and found two big letters,
and took them to the house, and next
night she opened the store again, and
he pulled open the safe, and she put
back the letters and sent him to Mr.
Fields back door with note, and then
over to saddle Harvey and Dan, and
bring 'em out back way from sta
ble." Then later she told him Capt.
Blake had Eagle Wings buckskin
lot
them or somebody would hang Eagle
Wing, and she kept them going, "all
time going" meeting messengers
from the Sioux camps, or carrying
letters. She fixed everything for the
Sioux to come and capture Hay and
the wagon-fxed everything even to
nearly numbering the sentry on Num-
Der Six. Pete and Spotted Horse, a
young brave of Stabber's band, had
comprised that attempted rescue.
She would have them kill the sentry
if need be, and the reason they didn't
get Wing away was that she couldn't
| wait until the sentries had called off.
| They might even then have succeed
ed, only her pony broke away, and
she clung to Eagle Wings until he
he had to hit her to make her let go.
The wild girl, in fury declared it
false from end to end. The poor
woman, weeping by her side, bowed
her head and declared it doubtless
true.
Her story-Mrs. Hay's-was sad
dest of all. Her own father died
when she was very, very young. He
was French Canadian trader and
traveller who had left them fairly
we'll to do. Next to her Indian
mother, Mrs. Hay had loved no soul
on earth as she had her pretty baby
sister. The girls grew up together.
The younger, petted and spoiled, fell
in love with a handsome, reckless
young French half breed, Jean La
Fleur; against all warnings, became
his wife, and was soon bullied, beaten
and deserted. She lived but little
while, leaving to her more prosperous
and level-headed sister, now welded
to Mr. Hay, their baby daughter, also
named Nanette, and by her the
worthy couple had done their very
best. Perhaps it would have been
wiser had they sent the child away
from all association with the Sioux,
but she had lived eight years on the
Laramie in daily contact with them,
sharing the Indian sports and games,
loving their free life, and rebelled
furiously when finally taken East.
"She" was the real reason why her
aunt spent SO many months of each
succeeding year away from her hus-
band and the frontier. One of the
girls playmates was a magnificent
young savage, son of Crow Killer,
the famous chief The father was
killed the day of Crazy Horses fierce
assault on the starving force of Gen.
Crook at Slim Buttes in '76, and good,
kind missionary people speedily saw
| promise in the lad, put him at school
and stroye to educate him. The rest
they knew. Sometimes at Eastern
schools, sometimes with Buffalo Bill,
but generally out of money and into
mischief, Eagle Wing went from one
year to another, and Nanette, fool
ishly permitted to meet him again
| in the East. had become infatuated