The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1906-05-18
INDIAN MAGIC.
Wonderful Stories Of Feats Performed
Ry the American Red Men.
portland oregonian.)

1
them ALL
The modern stage magician, Of
course, has the aid of assistants, and
of prepared stage, but the wild
Indian just squats down on the prairie
wherever he happens to be, seeming
ly without any preparation whatever
and does things that will make a
mans hair stand on end.
"One day l saw a Sioux medicine
man, with nothing on but a breech
cloth and a dozen different paints.
having in his hand a kind of wand,
do some things with rattlesnakes that
1 never saw equalled by any snake
charmer in the world. The old fellow
was a noted necromancer among his
people, and had often heard of him.
One day, in the village, 1 met him
and an exhibition was quickly ar
ranged. That fellow positively did
not have time to make any prepare
tions whatever, but went at his job
Immediately
HE waved us away some ten feet
or more and soon we were glad to be
20 feet away from him. He took his
cane or wand, whirled it swiftly
around his head a moment, and when
he ceased doing so he was holding a
big squirming rattlesnake by the tail.
1t was lightning change, all right.
He laid the snake on the ground, and
when l next noticed it there wasn't
any snake at all, but there lay that
Indians stick in it's place.
Grabbing the two plaits of hair
which hung down his back, they, too,
suddenly became live rattlers and
twisted themselves around his neck,
the kissing heads swaying back and
forth near his face
Then that old Indian produced or
manufactured snake after snake. We
never saw where he got them from,
but in a few minutes he had the
ground around him literally covered
with them. But they remained near
him, although crawling around, twist
ing and squirming. Then the worst
thing of all, that red Indian deliberate
ly ate them up, one at a time. At
least he appeared to eat them, alive,
and finally there was nothing left
but the wand and his braids of hair,
which had returned to its natural self.
"One day, over in the Big Horn
Basin, l saw a Crow Indian do some
tricks that would make him famous If
he ever got on the stage with them.
This fellow took a buckskin tobacco
bag, drawing it through his hands to
show there was nothing in 1t. He
even tied it in knot, for the same
purpose Then he united 1t and
threw it on the ground. Almost i'm
big jack rabbit, with ears
a foot long, bounded out of the sack,
darted this way and that, like streak
Of lightning, disappearing with pack
of camp dogs right after him. A mo-
ment, and without the Indian going
near the bag, three big rattlesnakes
crawled out, threw themselves into |
position and were ready for fight at |
once. But before they could raise |
row a large owl came out of that bag, |
blinked and winked at the sun for a |
and then few away. The |
indian killed the snakes with his |
stick, picked up the bag, took out
pipe and some tobacco, loaded the pipe
and, without the Formally of lighting |
t, began to puff away while clouds of
smoke rolled out.
But the very best piece of magic
ever saw" said Colonel Cody, was
lone by Cheyenne Indian medicine
nan out in the wilds of Wyoming.
There was a full dozen of us, and we
greed we had never seen anything
ike 1t, and l never have since then
ither.
I'VE had formed circle-the whites
nd the Indians-and when the con-
urer entered he was without a stitch
f clothing, except that he wore gray
rmy blanket across his shoulders.
lie had a big warclub in his hand.
long with him there came a little
indian girl, looking about years old.
he child didn't have much more on
han old Medicine did, either.
THE little girl lay fiat down on the
and old Medicine covered her |
18th the blanket, right in front of us {
II. Then he began making passes |
yer the blankets, and suddenly rails {
lg his war club aloft, he brought 1t I
own with fearful force on the little e
ody. of which we could plainly see r
lie outlines under the glanket. There r
as a scream, and l instinctively /
rabbed my pistol, but managed to re- b
ain myself, knowing it was some kind
a fake n