The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1909-10-06

Bill Mathison stood in the cabin
doorway maleyolently regarding the
lhuddle OF many-poled lodges across
the river. Shrill yelps rose In a
lchorus as copper colored crone is
'sued from lodge and hurled male
ldictions and pieces Of firewood at a
ipack of thieying mongrel dogs On
lthe fiat beyond the tepees, bunch of
1ponies, thousand head or more, of
mingled breeds and many colors, were
being held togetherin a compact mass
by mounted Indians, while scores on
foot prowled through the circling
herd, catching trim little ponies and
leading them TO their tepees.
Blast 'em!" growled Bill. "Is
they stay another week, antelope II
De nae mair plentiful than water on
the Mohave; an therell no be grass
enoo' on yon bottom tae feed a
healthy prairie dog, ma!r less bunch
o calves"
IF we was in Gods country now"
moasned Todd Wayne, as he wiped
the last of the breakfast dishes, AN
sach doin's was takin' place, thered
be bunch IN Injuns hot-footin it for
The reservation, with sartain repre-
sentatiyes nh Uncle Sammy givin' 'em
a touch uh hiGh life on the rear.
These here Canadians is more daliber-
ate"
"Oh, ay! they'll be aroond." ELL
caught Whit of the rank odor that
hangs like a halo about an Indian
camp. He slammed the door vicious
ly, and sat down with his feet cooked
iup on the stove front. But the red
'deevils II hae a the hides an jerked
meat they'll want by that time. It's a
fryin' shame tae see the puir beasties
murdered by the hoondred."
1T shore is" Todd agreed, "but I
don't see that we got any license t.
enforce the game laws-them bucks is
somewhat numerous for two white
men"
over in the Blackfoot camp the
hunters mounted and rode north;
dourscore greasy, bead -bedecked abor-
1gines, wrapped in the many-hued
blankets furnished by a benevolent
Indian Department, their post-trader
rifles looped to their saddle horns.
Ten miles north Of the Red Deer no
uoft breathed chinook had touched the
mills since the first fall of snow. Biz
yards, bearing the chill of the ice
pack and everything SHOWS, swept up
from the north and tore across the
wilderness that lies between the North
Saskatchewan and the Red Deer, driy-
ing the antelope farther and farther
south; for when the snow covers the
grass on the hills. and burles the
sagebrush in the hollows. the prong
horns must seek fresh grazing
grounds That was why the Black
feet under Medicine Child jumped the
reservation and hunted in the Red
Deer country.
Their method was simple and. I'M
der the conditions, eminently success
ful. Then they rode in a body until
they came to the deep snow. Then
they scattered east and west until
there was a crescent-shaped line of
braves, five miles from end To ord
In this formation they combetl the
country, driving thousands of ante
Iope before them to bend in the riy-
er, across which, because of the CLASSY
ice, the pronS-horns could not 90.
when the frightened wild things
surged to and fro, seeking to break
through the ever-tightening lines, the
indians cast off their mask of stolid-
aty and fell to slaughtering. with
nashing eyes and shrill whooping. nm
III the last antelope had broken des-
perately through the line of barking
guns or lay unheeding in the tram
pied snow.
The popping of guns down the riv-
er and the sight of the suuaws hasten
ing away with skinning knives and
pack ponies to carry the meat. pro-
voked Bill Mathison to the utterance
OF profane sentiments. As he and
Iodd Wayne surveyed the killing
from the roof of the calf shed and
speculated on the length of time II
would take to wipe out the antelope
on the Red Deer at that rate, there
came 1angle of bells, and a single
horse sleigh slipped out of the mouth
OF the coulee down which ran the
home ranch trail.
Good enough That's the wise
gent that teaches school at Beaver
Crossin'," Todd exclaimed. I'm
shore glad somebody's come along.
Yuh're good company, scotty, but
yuh've got { broodin' over this Injun
proposition, and it's gettin' monoto-
nous"
Jaw, whisht yer fule talk" COM
manded Bill. Then he shouted hos
pitably to the newcomer, PIT yer nag
/ the stable an gae RIGHT in. Wen
be WI you as soon as we feed these
blattin' beasts o. calves.
When Bill and Todd finished taking
care of their stock they hastened to
the cabin. The schoolteacher had
built a roaring fire, and was interest
edly watching the Indian camp
through space he had thawed on the
frosted window pane. A box, about
two feet square, stood in the centre