Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1913-07-11
An Indians Bravery.

An Indians Bravery.
A striking story of the cour-
age and self-sacrifice of which
the American Indian at his best
is capable is given by Mr.. o. H
Mills in the Des Moines Register
and Leader. It was told to the
white men by the famous Sac
chief, Black Hawk, who himself
saw the incident.
1t all began with an unfortu-
nate quarrel between an Iowa
and a Musquakie, in which the
latter killed the former, and then
in a moment of frenzy scalped
his victim. The two tribes were
at peace, and this act, allowa BILE
only in time of war, was in Indian
ewes an 1ntolerable breach of
faith.
The Musquakies offered all
sorts of reparation, but the Iowas
would accept nothing but the
person of the offender, to be
tortured and put to death in pro-
pitiation of the outraged spirit,
OF the dead man. To this the
Musquakies agreed on condition
that the culprit be given a month
to fortify himself for his terrible
ordeal. But just as the month
was about to expire, he fell i'll
with ga raging fever. In that
condition he could not be carried
across the paririe, but a failure to
produce him at the appointed
place would arouse the suspicious
and perhaps the hostility of the
Iowas.
A council was called to debate
the matter. before which appear
ed Como, a brother of the sick
man. There are no squaw-men
in our family" he declared. Il
will 60 in his place"
The others tried TO dissuade
him, and described to him the
fortunes he would have to I'M
dergo; but he insisted upon MAX
ing the sacriffic. Accordingly,
an escort was selected to ac-
company him, at the ,.,head of
which Black Hawk, then a young
but widely respected chief, was
placed.
i never saw more pathetic
scene," said Black Hawk, than
the parting of Como and his father
and mother and other relatives.
The whole tribe was over
whelmed with gloom"
In the middle of the afternoon
the party arrived at the Iowas'
village. Como had asked that
his identity should not be
disclosed, but one of the Iowas.
who was present at the time
the young Indian was slain,
saw that the guilty party was
not being delivered, and Black
Hawk told the whole story. The
Iowas accepted it as true, and
after brief council, consented
to the arrangement. The death
circle was staked out, and pa
trolled with armed guards, and
Como was placed in its center,
while his escort was entertained
in the teepee of chief. 1t was a
chill November day, and the sun
was just sinking behind the cliffs
of the DesMoines River when the
escort left the camp.
They paused on hill about a
halfmile distant from the camp.
They could see that the fires had
been lighted: round the death
circle, and in the hush of the
evening came the plaintive sound
of Como chanting his death-song.
Having travelled some two
hours, they halted and made
camp. About midnight the
heard the clatter of horses feet
| and in a moment more sing {
horseman rode up. 1t was Como
This was his remarkable story
The fires OF the death circle
were burning brightly, and tht
squaws with their burning sticks
were preparing to make the frs,
attempt to extort cry Of pair
and agony. when an old man, tht
father of the dead Indian, raised
his voice.
"Stopl' he said. Let mi
speak. Ian the oae that has