The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1909-03-21
RUNNING THE GANTLET.
Pleasing Pastime Formerly EN-
ployed by the Indians.

| Hahu phrase associated with such JOcu-
lar attacks as q man is subjected to
when he intrudes in a bargain rush or
| a meeting of suffragettes. Time was
| when 1t stood for a bloody ordeal of
| saVagery. There are not few descend
ants in this country of those who suf-
| Tered 1t, and many a thrilling story of
the Indian rite is still told around the
evening fire in regions where people
nave time to dwell on pioneer days.
holidays commemorative the early
days of the republic are well calcu-
lated to stir up such family traditions,
While dark, gusty night in the Adiron-
dacks or Maine woods gives the best
| possible setting for a recital of hair
! raising horrors But it is possible to
go too far in the search for dramatic
accessories The presence of a modern
red man talking slang and smoking a
cigarette would spoil the picture
The gauntlet was a peculiar institu-
| ton among the Indians, being a COM
b-nation of field sport and spectacle
and the satisfaction of a deep semi-re-
! lig1ous thirst for revenge. 1t was like
/ football and ''ParSifaI' and an attack
on the umpire Joined in one grand per-
! Torrance. The social instincts of the
Indians demanded that all members of
the tribe should take part in the tor
| ture of a captive: il was educational
I - AhN anu II hCpt Ntlt SQudNS
2 FUSED so that they did not ask for
votes. An Indian on the warpath had
/ his selfish tendency to accumulate
scalps at mis- belt modified by the tribal
sentiment of taking home few cap
tives to give pleasure to others.
There were feasting and dancing as
| a prelude to the game, and every In
dian put on his best feathers and paint
ed his face like the leading lady of
no r-rle 81 1s-.~ 81 a.
and purple wampum were the costumes
de Tigueur. Two long lines were formed
and the members of the tribe were
armed with stones attached to thongs,
pointed sticks, rawhide whips and other
miscellaneous Weapons. Knives and
tomahawks were forbidden by the
rules. not out of kindnes. but lest the
victim should drop before every body
had a share in the fun It was also q
foul to give q mortal wound unless the
the captive's face was painted black,
Generally ne was expected TO survive
the gauntlet and afford final spectacle
by being burned at the stake. The more
humane white Puritans, it has been
pointed out. merely put their witches on
the rack before burning them. The In
dian love of bravery or physical forti-
tude occasionally saved the life of
captive who had withstood the ordeal
was then adopted by some member of
the tribe. perhaps a widow or a mother
bereft of her son. Fenimore Cooper
describes TIE narrow escape of his hero
from marrying a squaw who elected
him after the test of the gantlet. Leath-
restocking frankly declared that he
would rather die than become pater-
familias in wigwam.
Frying Pan Wins the Day.
4 story is told how a Pennsylvania
woman in the year 1850 successfully ran
the gsntlet with the aid of a frying
pan. Her name was Mrs. Elder, and
she lived in the Juniata valley. She
was looking, black haired and 80
years Of age when the Senecas cap
tured her in a raid and took her to their
settlement on the Allegheny, They
made her walk during the long jour-
ney and her homespun dress became
torn, her feet were bare and her hair
was filled with twigs and leaves. She
carried the big iron frying pan which
she had been washing when the attack
was made on her home. She had pre-
sentiment that the frying pan, emblem |
of civilization would be of use TO her, |
and she clutched it firmly as she |
trudged through the woods. The other |
captives were downhearted; she had !
faith in the frying pan in which had |
sizzied so many indigestible dainties for |
her loved ones.
The fatal day and moment came when |
the Indians, yelling like demons, start |
ed the cantives down the line of the |
gauntlet. Mrs. Elder calmly watched |
the progress of her companions and /
waited her turn. She trusted to the |
speed natural to a frontierswoman and /
the charmed domestic implement that |
she bore. The word was given, and she |
ran. BY using the pan as a shield she /
escaped so many blows and was get
ting on so we'll that an old Indian /
stepped out to block her progress She
raised the frying pan in air and brought /
il down on the bare shoulder with such /
force that the sharp edge of the iron /
cut his flesh. The Indian fell back, tax
ing the name of the Great Spirit in vain.
howl arose from the rest of the line
The beautiful captive made hit with
a chivalrous few, but the most were
by her daring. However, the
success of her first attempt gave her
strength and. using her wea-
pom first on one side. and then on the
other, she finally reached the end of
her tormentors and safety. The medi-
cine man who dressed the wounded
braves said that there must be heap
Of magic in the white squaw's pan.
At the council fire that night the
young brave who had taken Mrs. Elder
prisoner asked permission to have her
as his wife. He was so impressed with
her courage that he was willing to take
chances with the frying pan and its
owner. The council postponed decision
on this request until the Indians should
be established in their winter quarters.
The march toward this village was be-
gun in a few days. On the march the
young brave was very kind to the cap
tive he desired, and she, with a slight
degree of the coquettishness of her sex,
kept him guessing. One day she would
promise to ask the council that she be
given to him. and then she would spend
all her time doing little things for other
admirers. The frying pan was her con-
slant companion and, discovering it's |
proper use, the Indians appointed her
chief of the culinary department. A
thought came to Mrs. Elder of under
mining the health of her captors by fire. 1
luent treats of f1apjacks and dough-
nuts. but she hesitated thinking il Il
would be less cruel to use poison. She Il
was saved from the necessity of decid-
ing these doubts by the opportune ar
rival of an English rescuing party. and II
she lived many years TO tell her grand
children Of her adventures in captivity. II
Boys Wit Saves Him.
Among the captives of large band of
oil In, 1,o lei