Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1905-04-07
BRAVERY OF INDIAN WOMEN.

Instances In Which They Have DIS
played Courage and Sell. Sacrifice.
While the popular belief that the
Indian wife ,is merely an unreckoned
quantity in the affairs of her tribe and
nation, slave and drudge for her
warrior husband, has some foundation
the rule has many exceptions, says
the Los Angeles Times.
That the squaw should perform the
most of the daily labor about the camp
and wigwam, while the brave takes
his ease, in order to be. fresh and
strong for the long hunting trip or
the hardships on the warpath, seems
In accord with the natural fitness Of
things in Indian philosophy; and the
squaw performs her task willingly and
| without a murmur
But let her lord and master assume
too arbitrary a hand or heap too many
indignities upon her, and there Is I'M
| mediately such a domestic war In the
camp that he Is not likely soon to for
get 1t. Never will the writer forget an
instance Of this kind which he witness
ed one night in the upper Columbia riv-
er country, about six years ago. He had
pitched his tent near an Indian en-
campment, in plain view and within
reasonable earshot of the redskin band,
and along in the evening his attention
was called to the fact that some unu-
sual commotion was going on among
his neighbors. The light Of several
campfres made everything plainly
visible. and sitting upon convenient
log in front of his tent, he observed
highly interesting and rather anus
Ing spectacle.
One of the warriors had incurred
the displeasure Of his patient squaw
and was manfully trying to bluff the
matter out, with an overawing stern
ness and dignity commensurate with
his personal greatness as a noted brave
| and the lord and master Of his house.
hold.
But the more he tried to overawe
| the fiercer and more defiant be-
came the wrathful squaw, until sud
denly drawing a long, wicked looking
knife, she leaped into the open space
| in front of the circle of wigwams, ana
throwing her blanket from her shoul-
ders stamped it into the ground with
spiteful impetuosity. Then, squaring
herself like a Roman gladiator, she
proceeded to hurl such mighty and
scathing TRADE of abuse and defiance
at the whole Indian camp that all
withdrew to a respectful distance, not
one venturing to speak or to make
movement while she had the floor.
For two hours she stood there, pour
ing forth her long pent up emotions In
the light of the camp fires. her sinewy
form and wrathful countenance max
ing a weird picture Of ferocity. For
two hours, without a moments inter-
mission, and such a tremendous ana
scorching harangue from human lips
the writer never expects to hear again
Finally, she brought her pyrotechnic
oratory to a lurid and wonderfully
impressive climax; then, gathering up
her spurned and bedraggled blanket
she strobe to her wigwam with tread
comparable to that Of an mtamed
lioness. Not another word was heard
from Mr.. Brave, and modest respect
full silence enveloped the whole Indian
camp for the remainder Of the night.
In point of personal bravery the
souaw is often far from being the in
ferior of her lawful mate. The annals
of the west are full Of instances OF
her courage. Many times during the
fierce Sioux wars, in the Black Hills
region, detachments Of warriors were