The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1905-12-07

1pe foot W the other undef ~ ArEa ~'"
Iiuy Of his ohief.
!, 10 men Ike yoe Who bring dsAsredf on
the Paw nss4. sAd Bear chief. Ics cams
to . camp of dead mco. fca ssok theu
scalps. Yo1 took their unprotected pom
lee. Nov yos come back warrior ano
hero. Let me see your scaips.
Big Elk stood sshy gray sndsspetchiess'
from bead 10 foot.
Give me the scalpsl communded Boar
Chief, s,ernly. In desp silence the old man
sludlod than critically.
Il 10 worS than thought, be said, Win
catch In his volOs. These dead mee were
possessed BY the Evil Spirit, They died o.
the small pox. And ycu have brought y
hons to your own people.
But Big Elk was beyond rsproach. he
lay writhing BY the fireplace, hs cowardly
soul sickened 1t the mere mention Of the
plague. Bear Chief spurned him aside with
his foot.
Get up, dogl he commanded. Leave the
village. Take your precious sca'ps. Nay
Ti-ra.wa deal With you as you have dealt
with us this day. Begoue!
Big Elk suesked out through the passage-
way into the darkness, and Bear Chief
turned to Flying Eagle with grave and
hesye eyes. II 10 worst, he said. T-ra-wa
be mercifull
Send for the doctors, ,Atius! pleaded fly
Ing Eagle. Perhaps Il is.aot too late. The
Evil Spirit has been with us 90 shorts
time. The doctors may scare him away.
The old man shook his head. Thsv shall
do their best. he answered, but they have
small power over this one spirit. have
lived many seasons. know the Evil One.
See, hereears his arrow-marks, and Bear
Chief pointed to his own deeply pltted face.
The medicine-men must dance and the
priests offer prayer and sacrinces. You,
he turned to Flying Eagle hopefully, you
have been favored lately by Ti-ra-wa. Pray
Tor oor people. I 90 to the medicine
lodge.
But after days Of prayer and tasting and
dancing, the plague came.
II 10 Sun Chief himself! gasped . mes
senger, on the threshold Of the medicine
lodge. He is possessed Of the Evil Spirit.
Come quickly.
No one who 10 sheltered BY civilization
can dream what smallpox means TO the In
disns. The Skid we're stricken down BY
hundreds. MaLy died Of thirst and hunger,
because no one had been left to serve them,
Those who lived In isolated houses on the
on tskirts OF the village often grew too sick
to protect themselves or their dead and dy-
iug from the wolves,
But during all this time Of bitter trial
one man grew sleek and prosperous. Death
had entered even into the medicine-lodge,
and Kit-uks alone remained to represent
the order Of doctors.
The people, in despair. Of anything bet
Ter, bought bis services with robes, horses
and ornaments. Kit.uks had become the
richest Of the Ski-di.
Life would have been perfect for the
Young medicine-man II he had not feared
| the smallpox and Flying Eagle. Slpee q
many of the great men had died, Kit-uki
aspired to be supreme among the Ski-di
but Flying Eagle, being popular, stood II
the way.
It WAS whispered among the people thai
r ying Eagle might be head chief 1t th'
death Of bis father-in-law, which seemed
near even to Bear Chief.
Son he called one morning, before day
break.
Flying Eagle rose quickly and stumbled
across the dark lodge room to the old man.
chamber. Here, atius, he answered gent
ly.
would speak with you, my son. TIT
time 10 short. Before the full moon g.
to Ti-ra.wa. Nay, do not grieve, child
for It 10 good. grow weary, and woul'
see Ti-ra.wa The other chiefs know
When am gone you must take my plac
In council. 1t 10 agreed.
Ti-ra-wa grant that the time be loDi
in coming, answered Flying Eagle, fer
ventlv.
But 1t is near, insisted Bear Chief, - th
hide is to the back OF the buffalo. Max
no more protests. II you must mourn, wal
until It is over. Now we must talk OF on
people, the Skl-di.
Tl.ra-wa was good when hs sent you m
way, the old man went on. Time "a
when grieved for son. Not now. Man
men In the head chiefs place would thin
only Of themselves. You will not. Yo
must look after the Ski-di as II they wer
chIldren-which they are. We would no
tell them 90, but you and !, and Two other'
know that they are but children. You mus
be their father.
The old man waited q moment, but Fly
ing Eagle could not trust bis voice to 81
swer, and Bear Chief seemed TO undel
stand.
When you need wise counsel, my son,
to Pipe Chief or to Good Sky. Beware
Kituks. He grows great, like the musi
: room, In one day. He swels with vanity
like the milk weed.pod before the burstin
time. And the piagues How are the
hat suffer.
Az bad q ever, stius. There may be q
Ski-di left to govern.
No fault Of yours. You have grow
weak With prayer ard fasting. fea- 4
you, the Evil Spirit !, so powerful. ha'
thought Of one more effort for our peopl
Yes, stiusf
Take my best ornaments, The necklace
hears claws and the bow.csse Of panther
: hide, a. gift TO The Abinsls They hs'
taught our doctors much medicine, Wiki
r-ra-wa himself taught them. Go 70 u
Iunder lodge Of the boiling water, 10 2
'' howa, hesve In my gifts and sle'p besi'
= ihem. Perhaps Ti-ra-wa will take pity 81
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