Lewiston evening teller. [volume] (Lewiston, Idaho) 1903-1911, 1907-12-23

ooh, guess Shanty Town can take
keer of ITSELF" observed Matthews,
sending up smoke rings.
Lounsbury walked out
There was but one thing left for
Colonel Cummings to do: Ask this man
to interpret in the medicine lodge. that
ut least the Indians might learn their
position. Knowing it, they might he
prevailed upon to select one of their
own number to accompany the expedi-
ton and repeat the terms. The COM
handing officer. rather provoked at
Lounsbury, who, he thought had
harmed and not helped his cause. i'm
lnediately suggested this course to
Matthews.
81 can parleyvoo for you there. all
right" agreed Matthews pair pizingly.
"But how you goin'?"
"You and I alone"
Matthews stared, Garry any gunsr'
he asked.
"Not when | go into the stockade.
The Indians are without weapons.
And l like to show them that | trust
them"
The other laughed. You go t. tell
some redskins that they s goin' t. be
strung up and y don't take no gun.
Well, not for me, colonelw
Then we'il have a guard"
20. X. I'm with you
A scout who understood the sign
language was dispatched to the stock
ade. And by the time the braves We're
settled down before the blaze Colonel
Cummings, Matthews and a detail of
of the medicine lodge.
The soldiers waited outside the big
wigwam, where they made themselves
comfortable by moving up and down.
Their commanding officer and the in
terpreter went in. At their appearance
the warriors rose gravely. shook hands
and motioned the white men to take
seats upon a robe placed at Lame
Foots left hand. The air in the place
was already beginning to thicken with
kinnikinick and fire smoke. The min
gled smell of tobacco and skins made
1t nauseating Colonel Cummings
would gladly have hurried his errand.
But Indian etiquette forbade haste.
He was forced to contain himself and
let the council proceed with customary
and exasperating slowness.
The first step was the pipe. A young
Sioux applied a burning splinter to a
sandstone bowl and handed the long
stem to the medicine man. His nos
trils filed he gave the pipe to Colonel
Cummings, from whom in turn 1t pass
ed to Matthews, Standing Buffalo,
Canada John and thence along the
curving line of warriors. When all
had smoked the bowl was once more
filed and lighted. and once more it
was sent from hand to hand. Not I'M
til this ceremony had been repeated
many times did the council come to
speech.
But neither the commanding officer
nor his interpreter made the first adj
dress. Though the braves guessed that
something unusual had brought about
an assembly at this hour and though
their curiosity on the subject was
childishly live, they surpassed their
captor in patience. Stolidly they look
ed on while Lame Foot rose to his feet
The war priest was not the figure
that had led the band south after the
battle-not the naughty, stately brave
that the sentimentalist loves to pic
ture He was feathered and streaked
as before. A stone mallet hung from
his belt. But he wore no string Of
bears claws. They had gone the way
of the sutler. which was a tasty way,
strewn with bright labeled but aged
canned goods. And as for his en-
broidered shirt, 1t was much soiled
and worn. and he had so gained in