Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1907-05-03

| e - A0 Commented literally hopping
.-on one tree to another, hanging by his
ailnS' and cIinging to the creepers, wax
ens up as he passed, the birds, which
| new away in alarm.
us strange journey lasted about three
| quarters OF an hour. At length the guide
otopped, looked attentively around him,
ana glldlng down the trunk, reached the
S!ounu. The spot where he now found
nillselr was rather spacious clearing, in
me center of which blazed an enormous
lre' serving to warm forty or fifty red
sklns, completely armed and equipped for
| war.
luis detachment of redskins was GER
| 'alnly on the war TRAIL or at any rate on
| serious expedition, for they had with
'nen neither dogs nor squaws. In spite
| VI the slight care with which the Indians
| were wont to guard themselves at night,
lhe Tree and deliberate manner in which
tue GUIDE entered their encampment prov
| eu tnat he was expected by these warriors,
VINO eVlnced no surprise at seeing him,
| put' on the contrary, invited him with
nospltable gestures to take a seat at their
| IRE. The guide sat down silently, the
chief standing by his side. This chief
was still young man, his marked fea-
lures displaying the utmost craft and
boldness. After rather heightened in
terVal, doubtless expressly granted the
visitor to let him draw breath and warm
himself, the young chief bowed to him
and addressed him deferentially:
| My father is welcome among his sons !;
they were impatiently awaiting his ar
rival
The guide responded to this compli-
ment with a grimace.
| Our scouts" the chief continued
have carefully examined the encampment
of the Yoris, and the warriors of the
Jester are ready. Is my father Curu-
milla satisied?"
Curumilla laid his right hand on his
chest and uttered with a cultural accent,
| "Ugh.' which was with him a mark of
the greatest joy.
The Jester and his warriors had been
too long acquainted with Curumilla for
his silence to seem strange; hence they
yielded to his mania, and giving up the
hope of getting syllable out of his closed
| lips, began a conversation in signs.
The redskins have two languages. the
written and the sign language The lat
| ter which has attained high perfection,
| and which all understand, is usually en-
ployed when hunting, or on expeditions,
when word pronounced even in a low
voice may reveal the presence of an am
buscade to the enemy, whether men or
| beasts.
1t would have been interesting for any
stranger who had been present at this
interview to see with what rapidity the
gestures and signs were exchanged be-
tween these men, so strangely lit up by
the rudy glow of the fire, and who re-
sembled with their strange movements,
| their stern faces and singular attitudes a
council of demons. At times the Jester
with his body bent forward and emphatic
gestures, held a dumb speech, which his
comrades followed with the most sus-
tanned attention, and which they answer
ed with a rapidity that words themselves
could not have surpassed.
At length this silent council terminated.
| Curumilla raised his hand to heaven, and
| pointed to the stars, which were begin
ming to grow dim. and then left the cir
Gle, The redskins respectfully followed
him to the foot of the tree by the ala of
which he had entered their camp. When
| he reached it he turned round.
May the Wacondah protect ms faith
err" the Jester then said His sons
have thoroughly understood his inten-
tons, and will follow them literally. The
great pale hunter will have joined his
friends by this hour and he is doubtless
awaiting u.s."
at is good" Curumilla answered. and
saluting for the last time the warriors,
who bowed respectfully before him, the
chief seized the creeping plants, and rails
ing himself by the strength of his wrists,
in a second he reached the branches and
disappeared.
The journey the Indian had made was
very important and needed to be so for
him to run such great risks in order to
| have an interview at this hour of the
night with the redskins.
| The chief recommended his aerial trip
with the same lightness and the same
good fortune. After lapse of time COM
paratively much shorter than that which
he had previously employed, he reached
the camp of the white men. The same
silence prevailed in it's interior; the SEN
| tinels were still motionless at their post
| and the watch fires were beginning to ex-
pire.
The chief assured himself that no eye
was fixed on kim-that no spy was on
the watch; and, feeling certain of not
being perceived, he slid silently down the
tree and resumed the place beneath the
buffalo robe which he was supposed not
to have left during the night.
At the moment when, after taking a
final glance around, the Indian chief dis
~ IL
who was lying athwart the entrance of
the hut, gently raised his head and look
ed with strange fxity of glance at the
place occupied by the redskin.
(To be continued.)