The Lafayette advertiser. [volume] (Vermilionville [i.e. Lafayette], La.) 1865-19??, 1908-02-07

NTceh valley
Il suppose So" he replied Most ct
our n%eighbors, l find, are KioUas, who
took allotments in the valley l think
Lame Dog, the Kiowa. might be COZ
sidered as the leader of the fashion
able set. He is very dissipated, drinks
and CANDLES and has three wives.
Lame Dog usually makes his calls nm
der cover of darkness, invariably car
rying away with him-unknown to his
host-sOme little souvenir of the visit.
such as a pony or other detached prop
erty. But the three Mrs. Lame 10
we may expect, will use more formali
ty in their calls, and l should not be
surprised to see them drop in any
day"
was half persuaded that Frank wal
only joking. hut nevertheless l was
| quite sure that he was in earnest whep
he continued:
IF they should happen to drop in
you will be expected to offer them
something to eat. An Indian always
| expects this. 1t will do no harm to
keep on friendly terms with them"
But despite Franks %admonitiOn, I
think / should have shut the doOr on
the visitors when they came-fOr they
| did come some three days later-had
| it not been for the sympathy l had for
the little copper-colored papoOses
strapped on boards, and the fact that
some of Franks friends on the range
had brought us nearly q whole quarter
| Of beef, which equipped me to meet
| the demands of the occasion.
l was preparing dinner and Frank
was sitting by the window cleaning
his rife when, happening to step to
the door, l was surprised to see three
Kiowa squaws standing before me.
| They we're very wretched and dirty,
but perfectly healthy specimens OF hui
mainly. Each was wrapped In q blan-
ket and carried on her back some
thing that resembled a sn%owshoe. to
which was bound with buckskin
thongs a little brown papoose.
The visitors greeted MI in broken
English, and insisted IN shaking hands
with me. Then, without more ado,
they entered the shanty and began in
speeding the furniture and draperies
with child-like simplicity.
The instinct of barter is strong IN
the Indian, and they began to banter
me to trade. One offered me her
blanket for the drapery in the corner
and another a pair Of moccasins for
the covering on the couch. They
were all three talking at once, gestic'
ulating at this and that article OF
furniture, each trying as well as her
limited vocabulary would permit to
strike a bargain with me, SO that in
my bewilderment l felt as If l had
suddenly been called to preside over q
bargain counter.
Frank looked On the scene with
evident amusement. l was helpless
and knew not what to say or do. AL
the time l was planning in my MIND
how to get rid of the disagreeable Wis
itors. | think Frank OWNED what
was in my mind, for presently he sug
gested that the quickest and sures1
solution was to serve the visitors will
refreshments, and / was glad enough
to act on the suggestion.
When the meal was finished the,
sat down in the middle of he foo
and began to jabber to one another
in their own language. Presently
they spied the piano which was open
and it was evident that the sight of !
aroused their curiosity to the highes
pitch. They gathered about the in
strument, talking volubly and touching
1t with their hands IS II IT had bee,
some sort Of an animal which they ex
pected to move at their touch.
Heap teeth!"' cried one, waving he
hand in the direction Of the keyboard
"Oh! Mah-chee-loo-thee!"
I was quite sure they had neve
seen a piano before, for when n o
them happened to touch one of tn
keys, the sound produced caused he
to Jerk her hand away and step bacl
in momentary terror.
!. At this juncture Frank suggeste'
that l play for my visitors, and move
by a sudden impulse, l sat down o.
the stool and struck the keys. TIL
: effect on the visitors was startling
!. They retreated quickly to the far en-
! OF the room. jabbering necessarily an
: pointing to the instrument. Turnin
my gaze from them l went on playing
selecting a piece from Wagner-suI
posing that it would likely prove Z
pleasing to the uncultivated Of tn
three Kiowas as anything else.
I must have presented a strange
; even Q terrifying aspect-for as tn
notes died away, | turned to find tha
the visitors had disappeared an
|, Frank was laughing.
/ went to the door to see the thre
squaws beating a retreat from tn
; house. At sight of me in the doc
way they uttered excited ejaculation
m%uttering: Heap crazy!"
l never saw the three Mrs. Lam
Dog again, nor was I bothered by an
! more visitors from the tribe, but
3 learned afterwards that l was know