The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1905-06-30

riors, clothed in bodies of mangled flesh
were seen by those beated in the chase
who happened inadvertently to pass by
Its dreaded boundaries, and MANY
warrior told of hearing awful and UNI
earthly means and shrieks from those
who mad entered it against the will of
the Great Spirit, while huge specters
of horid mien, some clothed in robes of
lurid flame and som Elm ugly shapes of
loathsome beasts, had been seen in the
dark shadows of its precincts.
war Eagle was a young and NIGH
ty chief of the Sissetons, who dwelt in
the rich country at the great bend of
the Minnesota. In the chase and on
many battlefield, he had distinguished
himself far above all the mighty men
of his tribe, for he was powerful of
body and stout of heart In the great
councils of his nation his manly form
lowered head taller tina nall the fam
ed warriors, and his advice never went
UNDECIDED He was indeed the idol of
his tribe. All sang his praises and many
dusky maiden had cast longing eyes
at him and many mother had schemed
in vain to catch him for her daughter.
He, however was of melancholy dis
position, and would not wed. He
70 oil a.
ton and the solitude of the forest was
his favoritie haunt. Here his keen eye
and quick brain had acquitted
him with all the secrets of Nature. He
revelled in her beauty and rejoiced in
her mysteries.
"One day in the heat of the chase, he
pursued a deer into this enchanted val
ley, without realizing where ne was
until in its midst. Captivated by the
beauty of the place, he dismissed every
superstitious fear and concluded to
make the valley his place of refuge from
those who were trying to force him to
wed girl he did not love. Many day
he spent in this delightful spot, musing
alone in its peaceful solitude.
Zone day young brave came breath
less into the voltage, which lay near the
confines of this valley with the start
ling intelligence that war party of
their dreaded foes, the Chippewas, were
encamped on the plateau, just west of
the mouth of the Blue Earth. The VII.
lage, which moment before had been
the very picture of tranquility, was
suddenly thrown into the widest con-
fusion. The women and children ran
hither and thither in panic of fear.
Some were hunting for missing or
struggling members of their families,
some were chasing after the ponies and
dragging them to a place of safety. The
men hastily decked themselves for war
and hurried to the council chamber:
Soon band of chosen warriors issued
forth, led by War Eagle, their trusted
chief. They were nerved for the CON
hict, not only by the wish to protect
their homes, but also by the desire to
avenge the death of a prominent mem
Der of their tribe, who but a fortnight
before had been waylaid and killed by
some of the proving foe, while hunt
ing on the Waraju or Cottonwood river.
The war party was not long in reaching
the neighborhood of the enemy. Crawl
ing stealthily up through the rushes,
when skirted the sides of the table
land on which they were encamped, War
Eagle and his band got to within few
rods of their tepees. The Dakotahs
soon discovered that they outnumbered
the foe four to one. In view of this
fact and for the further reason that it
was hardly yet the hour of noon, it
was determined to attack at once and
not wait for a daybreak surprise after
the usual tactics of Indian warfare 1t
was desperate fight. The Chippewas
were all tried warriors and dearly each
sold his life on that bloody field At
last one Chippewa chief only remained.
Though all his comrades had fallen, he
still stood like rock in front of his
lodge, holding alone the whole Sioux
tribe at bay. The slain lay about
MIN in heaps, but his great strength and
courage seemed yet undated. At last
crowd of Sioux warriors made a rush
upon him and, although half of them
! fell beneath his mighty blows, still by
their overwhelming numbers, they
were on the point of wrenching his
scalp from his head, when War Eagle,
VINO had watched with admiral ton the
chiefs splendid valor and had been won
by it, rushed in between him and his
assailants and compelled his brother
Sioux to desist.
"As the Chippewa chief arose, it was
to witness some of the Sioux dragging
from his wigwam his only daughter, a
beautiful maiden of tender years, for
whose life and honor ne had fought
that day SO desperately. Turning to his