Waterbury evening Democrat., 1907-11-13

ings met in a single hoary line. T take their place." he said at last with dignity.
 Following supper. which Dallas pre- pared, all gathered before the cheery blaze There the evangelist, anxious over the welfare of the people among whom he had preached and taught, promptly began to question Squaw Charley.
 You have not told me of your cap ture," he said, "or of the fight thst came before it. Were you taken in the north-in the country of the White ,Mother-or in Dakota?"
 The Indian nodded.
 "Dakota?'
 Swiftly the pariah's whole aspect al- tered. A moment before, satisfied as to food, happy and comfortable, he had squatted down in his blanket But now, his shoulders bent, his chin sank to his breast, his eyes grew dull and sullen.
 Were you in the Mauvaises Terres?" queried the evangelist.
 Squaw Charley shook his head.
 "On the Powder?"
 There was a silent assent.
 'The soldiers pursued. Maybe they surprised you-whlch?"
 To answer the Indian rose slowly. with ono of Tooooctar3c orpfoboc bo raked out some ashes and leveled them upon the hearthstones. Next, across them, stopping and using a finger, he drew varying line that showed the trend of stream. Far up toward its source, in a bend, he placed bits of bread from the table to indicate the lodges of his tribesmen. Slivers from stick showed that the tepees had been set thickly In a grove of tall cot tonwoods. White beans, from a filled pan on the floor near by him, stood for the warriors that had fought. His fingers moved more quickly as by means of q handful of corn that Dal. las had put in his leather pouch he planted the United States troops on three sides of the Indian campground and moved them forward to the at tack.
 Adroitly he maneuvered the oppos- ing forces. with advancing here and retreating there, groans when the white men felt the fight too keenly. low whoops to picture an Indian gain, little puffs of the breath to betOken flying bullets. The onlookers saw the battle as it ragged about the tepees. And the flickering lantern. as Squaw Charley moved 1t in a semicircle, told them that the firing began at day break and continued until dark.
 All at once he changed the picture. Twelve beans were rapidly counted out and laid fin rows, and he mourned soft ly over these to show that they were slain warriors. Five kernels of corn a line of pale faced dead-were placed beside the bean rows. This done, be covered the lantern with the grain sack and leaned back against the logs.
 "Aye, aye" cried David Bond sadly. twelve braves and five troopers per ished! Seventeen souls went to thei.' Maker to marx the greed of the white man and the yearning to harry Of the redl Why do the Indians not stay in peace and quiet upon the lands set apart for them and not go abroad stealing and slaughtering7 Why do my own people not give back to their brothers the country that is rightly theirs?'
 Once more Squaw Charley stopped forward and. resting his weight on one hand. traced the return march of the troopers 10 a crossing of the Missouri where the command had buried It's dead; from there he drew the route southward to the ferry and Fort Bran non. Here he stuck the splinters in a circle to picture the stcckade below the barracks At last. rising he drew his blanket close about him. put the grain sack over his tangled hair and. with . parting look t0Eaud Dallas and the evangelist, went slowly out
 Perfect quiet followed the pariah's going. His recital of the conflict. dumb though if was. had powerfully stirred the little audience. for as he had pro ceeded with his crude nInicTy the i'm asinatio1 of the others had filed i1 the scenes he could not sketch
 The section boss spoke first Not in- capable of feeling Yet disliki1g 10 show emotion because it might bs counted a weakness he hzstezed to