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

ing meadow to the distant waters of
the Missouri. Then the travee poles Of
Indian tribes gave it the semblance of
a wagon track, the center of which
was worn bare by the hoofs of laden
ponies and the feet of trudging squaws,
and finally the numbering carts of trad
| ers, the Studebakers of settlers and
those heavier wagons that roll In the
rear of marching men made Of the
track plain and hardened highway.
| Down it that morning, approaching
to the accompaniment OF loud talking,
the tramping Of horses, the cracking Of
whips and the jingling of spurs, came
long procession. Yet so absorbed
was Dallas in her blowing that not
| until the head of its column was close
| upon her and there was barely time to
go to the brides OF the frightened
, mules did she see it,
A tanned, unkempt officer led the
way, with baying foxhounds running
about him. On either hand rode his
staff and his scouts, Arickaree Indians
In patched breeches and dusty blan-
kets. And behind, full bearded, all
| military look gone from their boots,
hats and uniforms, came the cavalry,
riding two and two and flying torn and
faded guidons.
Dallas had no chance to view the
| front of the command, for the mules
claimed all her attention by hauling
back on their bits. But now they
quieted a little, and she was free to
watch the dozen or so musicians who
came next, mounted, with their brass
instruments In hand. She saw that
these men were nudging one another
| and directing at her glanees which
were bold and amused.
Something OF her fathers hatred of
soldiers stirred her. She grew defiant,
yet only for a moment The must
clans trotted by, and now indians were
passing-men, women and children,
| whose stOlid faces disclosed no hint of
grief or hatred for their captivity.
The braves, twenty in number, formed
the head of the band and kept no or
! der of march as they spurred forward
their ragged, footsore ponies. Their
| Springfield rifles, knives and toma-
hawks had been taken from them, but
| they still carried their once gay lances
| and shields of buffalo hide covered
with rude pictures of the chase and
battle. But, though on other occasions
these would have betokened the free
warrior, they now only emphasized by
contrast the blankets that trailed in
gioriously from their wearers' shoul-
ders to the ground and the dropping
feathers of the conquered chiefs.
A war priest. whose string of bears
claws, triple feathers, charms and bag
plainly betokened the medicine man.
headed the tribe. He was seated upon
a gandily decorated saddle. The nose
band. front and cheek pieces of his
horses bride were thickly studded
with brass n IS Bright pompoms of
coiored wool swung from the curb and
the throatlatch- and the nags tail was
stifiy braided with strips of wooden.
scarlet and yellow and blue. Close be-
side him rode two stately braves OF
high rank. their mounts as richly ca
parisoned. their buckskin shirts gor-
, gcons with bead and porcupine quill
embroidery, otter skin headdresses
upon their hair. Like their leader, the
dusky faces of the two Indians and OF
those forming the rest of the parry
were hideously painted, showing that
all had but recently been upon the
! warpath.
The other half of the redskin COM
pany was more squald 4 score of
spotted. sway backed ponies erept
along. bearing and at the same time
dragging heavy loads Each saddle
held squaw and one or more small
children, the squaw with a coeoon-like
papoose strapped to her back. and at
the tail of each horse. surrounded by
limping Indian dogs came a travee
laden with a wounded or aged Indian
or heaped with cooking utensils. blan-
sets and buffalo skins.
One woman of all the sluaws rode
pony that had not a doI BILE burden.
She was dressed in buckskin and
bright calico and sat upon a blanket
that almost covered her horse. Her
hair teas braided neatly; her dark /
cheeks were daubed with carmine. She /.
kept rigid seat as she passed Dallas, 7,
and her black eyes answered the 9th. /
er's kindly look with one full of sullen /
pride. Beside Der hobbled an aged bag /
across whose wrinkled mouth and chin /
was a deep and livid scar
When the Indians were past more .
troopers followed. After them trun-
died haif dozen light feldpieces. the
wagon train and ambulances filed with
sick or wounded soldiers, all under
the conduct of rear guard. Soon
the entire cayalcade was gone and had
halted on the river bank TO wait the
ferry. Dallas was alone again, listen
ing to the faint strains of the band,
which from the cut was CALAMITY an
nouncing the return from the long cam
paign.
4 thn lnnr ~ IL. ILL. L ......4...L