The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1908-11-11
INDIAN BRAVE
IS AN OUTCAST
For Life Because HeBrOke
Word of Honor.
HAS LIVED ALONE 81 YEARS
In His Little Cabin, Without
Word From Lips of
His TribeSmen.


~ failed 10 keep his word tbirty-seven
years ago. Since that time he has
been an outcast among his own peo-
pie. Not by sign or word has he been
recognized. and he will breathe his
last without any Of his relatives or
former friends making overtures OF
forgiveness.
A most unusual fate is that ofHarry.
an old Indian of the Cheyenne tribe.
He did no more than thousands OF his
white brothers have done, but tribal
customs are more rigorous than those
OF the social fabric OF the civilized
whites. That he has been paying the
penalty for one sin all these years is
not regarded at all out of the way by
the members Of his nation.
Harry lives alone on Doggy Creek,
near the Darlington Indian Agency.
For thirty-sevn years his Life has
not changed. He buys his provisions
at the agency, but never stays in town.
He is a Pariah and knows it. He
accepts his fate with characteristic
stoicism. No one has ever heard
him complain.
AS a young man Harry loved b
play monte. He was one of the fast"
braves Of the tribe. Finally he reach
ed the conclusion that he could. live
without work.
But monte is a tickle employer and
Harry was pennilees more often than
flush. Still he persevered. And the
inevitable happened. He needed mon
ey for his gambling debts, and need
ed it badly. He knew he could not
face the members of his tribe with
the obligations unpaid, and he stole
a white mans horse.
That in itself is not an unpardona-
BILE offense among the Cheyennes, but
in those days the Indians Of that
tribe were exclusive So when the
officers came to arrest young Harry
there was a great commJtion among
the chiefs. That one Of their nation
should be subjected to the Eumilia-
ton Of arrest was unbearable.
It was decided at a conference that
Harry should go to Darlington and de
liver to the owner the horse he had
stolen. The plan was unfolded to the
officers, VINO were skeptical. The head
men insisted. They pledged their
word of honor that the young buck
would return with the horse as they
promised.
The Officers, rather than risk trOu-
BILE, agreed, on the condition that
Harry would give up his six-shooter.
There was no choice left TO the
young transgressor. He was disarmed
and set out from camp early one
morning at the heels Of a white
friend, riding the horse he had stolen,
bound for the agency.
But the officers had not taken into
consideration the extreme disgrace OF
Harry's position, weaponless and hui
INFLATED. Soon after fording river,
the white man looked back in time
to see Harry's horse clear fence. and
with his rider disappear in the UNI
derbrush bordering the road.
The horse was delivered at the
agency, as the head men promised,
and young Harry was absolved from
prosecution, but the Cheyennes, shame
faced and wrathful because the
bridesmaids word had been broken, de-
cIared the gambler an outcast.
For more than a week Harry ftol-
licked at the agency, playing hds fav-
orite game and winning heavily. By
the time he was ready to return to hds
camp he was worth a small fortune,
taken from the officers at Fort Reno.
Full Of cheer he set cut for the
camp on the Washita. News Of the
disgrace he had brought preceded
HIM When he reached the outskirts
of the camp he was met by the head
men themselves and warned not to en-
ter He was harranged for his false
promise. In vain he explained that he
had returned the STOLEN horse. That
was insufficient. He had violated
the sacred pledge Of the rtibe. He
was no longer a Cheyenne. His aged
mother, who tOttered out 10 inter-
cede in her sons behalf, was forbid
den to give him a drink Of water.
His father was not allowed to give
ham meat or meal.
It was an embittered young buck
that turned his back on the camp
Of mis- horefathers and, hungry and
THIRSTY, with a pocket full III coins
for which re had no use, strobe in
to the woods. never 10 return.
True 10 biz instincts, Harry did not
go far IRON tAe cheyenne comp. II
Was lonely spot ON the Washlta he
built a rude cabin and during the years