The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1909-08-28
AN INDIANS CUNNING

AN INDIANS CUNNING
The eLAcs<FEETS STONY OF THE
GREAT WHITE HORSE.
Daring 0trAteOy ~ WAlsA 9hls
srleetest Of An stesAs was Secured
For Bis eva Tribe by the 00aStsss
Thief Among the C,ows.
Ali Indians who use horses are v9J
fond Of horse racing and not only race
their own hsrses against one ansthor,
but they race their own against those
OF other tribes and used to do tlais even
IN the wild era Of the buffalo and of
constant warfare. Even at that tine
friendly tribes and bands Joined In H.
two grand buffalo hunts Of sach year
and after tho hunting was over Pteted
the fastest horses Of the various. hands
one against the other. At ono dine not
so vegy long ago the Blackfoet 1oa TIE
very fastest Asess that any 60 kAgW
Of. the fastest horse Of which any one
could. tel q which any one had seen.
He was q source Of wealth to Tie tribe.
for Indians are very foDA Of betting.
and this animal always won every
thing hat was bet against him. Yen
can imagi1e bow proud the Blackfeet
were Of this creature. You can also
imagine how envieus were the Stonsys.
the Crows. the Sioux. the Creeks and
all <4>n <>Al Y,>HI - R~~ unl~
Stealing IL considered fair between
tribes. and IL 1t can be successfully
done those savage people think It very
honorable. even glorious. The Black
feet, therefore. kept the wonderful
race horse In q tent at night. They did
not dare leave him out with their other
horses. They bought . string Of bells
at the Hudsoo Bay company's nearest
fort, put the bells around the horses
neck. tied him to tepee pole inside .
big tepee and set fsur men to sleep In
the tent with him. This was the rule
every night, and on No night did the
men forget to close the door OF the
tepee and ''cinch" It tight With thongs
Of buckskin. whoever could steal that
big white beauty Of horse had to be
very clever thief. they thought: but. In
truth, they never dreamed that he
could be stolen.
The smartsst thief among the Crow
Indians told his chief and the head
men that he was going to try to get
that horse away from the Blackfeet
One evening he crawled through the
grass to the tall blu1 along the Bow
~ <r<~<h - o,,v YA>hn THAI -aa
the locality. where the Blackfeet had
their camp. He saw the noble horse
led into a certain tent, and he saw the
four watchers 20 in and close the door.
Night fell and he crept down the
slanting blu6 into the camp. The only
thing he had to fear was the barking
OF some dog. II deg saw or heard
him and barked. that would ct all the
other dogs barking. and he would be
obliged to run for his life. Stsalthily.
~ only IN Indian can move e. his soft
ly moccasined feet. this arch thief Of
the thieving Crow Nation crept into the
Blackfeet camp. He had to step over
several sleeping dogs. and he did net
awaken one. He came to the tsot Of
the white horse. He looked It all Over.
He went to another tepee and took
travels from its aide and carried It and
set it up against the horses tent.
A travois 10 the wheeLless wagon de
Indians use In the summer. It u made
Of two Icing poles with the upper ends
near together; the lower ends spread
apart and drag upoa the ground. You
see by this description that II trav0es
is stood on end 1t can be made TO serve
as sort ~ LADDER. Thus die arch thief
Of the Crows used the one ~ put mp
against the horse tent. On II hs climb
ed to the top Of the tepee. and from
there he GOT q view 0f the interior,
looking Down between the tsnt poles
that fern the sides Of the chimney
hole. He saw the hsrse dinly. and
even mere dimly he saw the four men
beside the horse. all asleep. He climb
ed upon the tent poles: he peised his
body very nicely il the chimney open
Ing: he dropped fairly and squarely
upon the white horses back.
The instant he felt himself On the
back Of the beast his knife. which WAS
In his hand, swept through the cord
that tethered the horse. His heeas shot
In against the horses sides, the bells
rang out sharp and clear. and the hsrse
snorted with surprise. But the pres
sure Of tie thiers heels urged the ami
NAL forward. and - b. took one step
tie man reached out and ST q gAsh
straight mp and down through tlse Gas-
tened door, which was oaly bocka1Elm-
Tie fosr Indiaus jeaped % tDear ~.