Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1907-12-21


IN ribbon, stretched the Milky
ETssss5 Way The braves in the stock.
gsssSSy ade were watching it. their
faces reverently upturned They sat be-
ifore their lodges in silent knots Of two
or three or stood apart here and there.
shrouded in summer sheets of dressed
cowSkin and motionless as statues.
When they moved. it was to draw
heavily upon Il pipestOnc bowl and
waft'the incense of kiunikinick toward
the glimmering strip overhead-the sa-
cred road that leads the Sioux to the
happy hunting grounds.
One moon had passed since the sig
nal smoke arose on Medicine mountain.
In that time. though they had tasted
and prayed, not 4 crumb of hope had
come to feed their IanguShing spirits
Truly 1t seemed as if the pied buffalo
We're bringing them more than n gen
erous share of i'll luck. The interpreter
told them only evil newS-that all but
sixty of the pony soldiers had gone to
hunt and kill Indians AS for the dis
tant peak. from it had curled up no
news at all.
They gambed no more. They spoke
no more of the captive white women.
The four condemned brooded in their
wigwams, with eyes gloomy, with hair
urkempt. Among the squawS, hot dis.
content was working. They greeted
even those who brought them rations
with black looks and menacing GEES
lures. And all-warriors as well as
squaws-got up with the sun and paced
along the log walls like prisoned ami
mails, wearing n deep rut into the
earth.
Throughout the winter they had been
cOntented enough with their lot In nc
.otherwinter had they enjoyed such free
dom from labor and care, such health
comfort and abundant food. But now
the grass was grazing high. The
new leaves were opening. The willows
were in bud. The wild fowl were back
and nesting by the river and slough
In lonely ravines the antelope kids
were beating proof that it was the
killing season of the pronGhorn. And
here the village was yet shut in pen
like pigs.
Soon--it might be any day-the -four
chiefs would be dragged out to die by
the rope. If the rest We're sent away
would it not be to some reservation.
And If by chance they got free? Theil
ponies were gone. Where could they
get others? Then it would be late il
the summer perhaps. On what would
their women and children live? There
would be no dried meat for pemmican
no caches of roots or berries, no pack
ed fish, no smoked tongue, 10 backfa
nothing. And all would go hungry.
The post saw how terrible was th'
ferment among the hostage crew and
following David BOMBS last visit I,
the stockGde. had used extra precau
lions. The officers families never en-
tered the sliding panel now. but climb
ed n Ladder and viewed the indians
from the safe height OF the board wall;
An armed escort went with the ratiorU
on issue days. The sentry beats wer
halved. and the number of watcher
thus doubled. And every night de
tail entered and rigidly searched eacl
lodge to see that no brave was trying
after the fashion of the badger. to bur
Z TOW, way out. SuudW Charley dlOn
was exempt from any new ruling, 70
he came and went when he chose.
Yet he had changed in no less degre
than his brothers, though in a differen
way. The word from Medicine mOur
tain had been a blow to CULVER under
For months the outcast whose loyalt
the Plow Woman boosted had bee
slipping from his old time fealty I
her, made false by his dream of viii
ming back his rank. In a moment b
had seen his chance for honor wipe
ort. Before him again there lay onl
svoman's work. curses, beatings and
life with the dogs-even worse. to sc
her whom he coveted going to Stant
ing Buffalo,
He could bear the curses and II
cruelty. He could sit quiet under tt
ridicule that outraged the childish val
ity of his kind. He could thirst. II
could starve. But. returning to II
roof one night, he had prowled year.
ingly past her lodge and had con
upon her and her new lover standiI
cheek to cheek, close wrapped in
single blanket
And SO this night. while the warrio