The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1907-12-26


tered the sliding panel now, but climb
ed ladder and viewed the Indians
from the safe height Of the board walk
An armed escort went with the rations
on issue days The sentry beats We're
halved. and the number Of watchers
thus doubled. And every night a de
tail entered and rigidly searched each
lodge to see that no brave was trying,
after the fashion Of the badger, to bur
row a way out. Squaw Charley alone
was exempt from any new ruling, for
he came and went when he chose.
Yet he had changed In no less degree
than his brothers, though in a different
way. The word from Medicine noun
tain had been a blow to culver under.
For months the outcast whose loyalty
the Plow Woman boosted had been
slipping from his old time fealty to
her made false by his dream Of win
ming back his rank. In a moment be
had seen his chance for honor wiped
out Before him again there lay only
woman's work, curses, beatings and
life with the dogs-even worse, TO see
her whom he coveted going to Stand
ing Buffalo,
lie could bear the curses and the
cruelty He could sit quiet under the
ridicule that outraged the childish van
ity Of his kind He could thirst. He
could starve But. returning to the
roof one night he had prowled yearn-
ingly past her lodge and had come
upon her and her new lover standing
cheek to cheek, close wrapped in a
single blanket
And so this night while the warriors
watched the sacred track upon the sky,
he made his way to the river For
there he meant to plead the God Of
/ David Bond, that he send him a chance
for valor-a chance to STAY Out in
the starlight, therefore, he fell upon
1 his knees.
But before his simple mind had
framed bis petition there entered a
thought that puzzled and alarmed He
pondered upon it. The God OF David
Bond was a God of peace, who frown-
ed in awful anger upon fighting and
bloodshed. The preacher had said so.
Had taught Thou shalt not kill,' Had
taught that no answers were vouch-
safed to wicked prayers, but punish
ments instead How, then, could a
prayer of that kind be sent to him?
The outcast was dismayed
Then came a happier idea. The God
of David Bond, being a God of peace,
why trouble his ear? Why not pray
/ this one prayer for blood to the great
spirit he had served before-the great
spirit who marked out the destinies of
the Dakotas, who was ever strongest
In times of war?
1 Hurriedly Squaw Charley got to his
feet and ran to the edge of the bank,
where there were climbing lengths of
| grapevine. Degraded, he might not use
| tobacco for rite. But the great spirit
would understand. In the dark his
| hands felt for and found a dry stalk
He snapped off a finger length of it,
A second to take flint and steel from
his buckskin pouch Another to light
the bit OF vine. Then
/ But he did not sit upon the ground
with crossed legs. Neither did he pull
upon the vine He let 1t go out instead
And sank hesitatingly TO his knees,
for, again, he had remembered
David Bond had said: The red
mans god is poor aad stlngy. He lets
his people want and starve He lets
enemies triumph over them and de
stroy. But the God of the white man
is rich and good See how generously
he gives to those who serve him! Yet,
lest you anger him, have none other
because he is a jealous Cod"
He might not pray to either then!
He lifted despairing eyes and saw
above him. divinely luminous, that
sacred path, glittering white with the
fastening spirits of the dead.
He put a ragged sleeve across his
eyes to shut out the sight It brought
a picture he longed to forget-the ter
rible picture of his downfall
1t was a spring day, and the inca
papas, to make ready for battle, were
dancing the great sun dance He was
the chief Moon Dog then, naughty as
any. brave as the next, given to war
fare and the shedding Of blood. In
the great tent 1t was he who led
He was naked save for a loin cloth
SOup StAChS were UIaIQ6u ii HIS ndT.
Eagle feathers trailed from his scalp
lock. The skin OF his body was hidden
beneath devices
He signifed a wish to suffer wound
ing. to have willow wands run through
the flesh of his back Standing Buffalo
was dancing beside him. and it was
that warriors knife which leaped from
its beaded sheath to do the cutting.
And then the wounds weakened the
chief Moon Dog The wands tore his
flesh past all power to endure. and he
knew nothing, but when the squaws
brought him TO life again they told him
that, like a squaw. he had pleaded for
mercy and wept!
For this he was branded. spat upon.
cast out and cursed. For this he had
gone hungry, secured kettles and herd
ed with the dogs.