Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1914-12-03

truSty blade, when piercing rebel
yell rent the air and the parson and
Zigler, the former cavalry man under
Gen. Early, dashed. scalping knife and
tomahawk in hand, from their place
of concealment straight through the
assembled throng which fell back or
, was scattered right and left by the
intrepid parson and the ex-rebel cav.
alryman. Everything to prevent Sc
, rious consequences had been carefully
! considered. Fifteen of our outfit had
been informed of the plan but not one
.. Of the troopers from the west had
been apprised of the contemplated sur
, prise on the major.
When the bogus red men dashed
through the circle the lady mentioned,
Stanley and myself were standing
close to the major and, according to
agreement, we three quickly gave the
peace sign and she hailed the onrush'
ing jokers in the clear Apache dialect.
But according to Encouragement, all
signs and dialects failed and We We're
brushed aside like so many autumn
leaves, and with the same yell the
two "injuns' rushed straight for the
major. brandishing the Ratchet and
the scalping knife and with a vigorous
How, How informing him that they
We're two southern gentlemen from
away back, but just at that time re-
tired, to which the major replied,
Glad to meet you, gentlemen" then
turning to his wife asked, Madam, do
I look skeert?'' "
At that every throat opened and ev-
cry human lung belched forth in three
cher for the major. Three more
cheers and tiger rent the desert air
for the two gallant ladies of the plains.
The majors wife then joined mer-
rily in the fun-making and said if we
could produce some tom tom music
and a few squaws to do the dronlng
act, that she and the other lady would
give lis a sample Of the Apache scalp
and war dance.
A war dance is the dance performed
by all savage tribes of the west before
they start out to kill and leave be-
hind them a trail of blood and MUIR
der with burned and devastated homes
bedecking the wayside. This war
dance is often performed between
times while on their blood-curdllng
raids.
The scalp dance generally takes
place in or on the outskirts OF their
village after the return from raid
or the war path. The scalps Of their
victims are displayed on pole in the
center of circle around which '~ley
perform their diabolical celebrations
in all their savage revelry.
The scalp dance is the mostferoclous
when one or more captives are being
tortured or burned at the stake. Then
in the wild revelry of the dance the
redman's scant attire is often discard
ed entirely and their nude forms daub-
ed with paint and made slippery from
liberal application of bear or wolf
grease. he performs hideous contor-
tions around the fire that burns out the
life of the pale face.
There are other dances which were
IMPORTANT features in the lives Of the
red scalpers of the far away mountains
and plains. The buffalo dance, the
wolf dance the bear dance, the ante
lone dance and many others which
| time and space forbid me to describe
now. | will Just speak word of the
triba! or bond dance. This perform
ance has reference only when the scion
of the family of chief of one tribe
marries directly the off spring of a
chief of another tribe. This is the time
| that savage sociability prevails in the
camp, participated in by rich and poor
of both tribes Comanches never
used the buffalo lance, but instead
used the buffalo fast or watch. If the
game above mentioned was tardy in
it's appearance in their usual haunts,
the dance was commenced and main
tanned until the game put in an appear
ance. The Comanche instead OF
dance, demonstrated with feast and
watch at which sacrifices OF ponies
and dogs we're made to the great Man
itou. the redman's God. I will not stop
to describe those dances and feasts in
detail but will return to the dropped
thread of my story.
When the majors wife kindly offered
to demonstrate the Apache war and
scalp dance for our benefit, the neces-
sary tom tom music was Immediately
procured, four of our outfit had every
thing from jews harp to bass drum
Some of the returning soldiers were
logged out as squaWS and could per-
form the droning and dancing act to a
kings taste and under the instructions
of the women the war dance was soon
in full swing. This performance being
finished. the scalp dance was put on
the stage. We used the flag pole be-
longing to the stage company, for
scalp pole and also for torture stake.
A dummy female captive was construc-
ted. Pieces of buskskin were substi-
tuted for scalps and fastened high up
on the pole while the dummy lady cap
tive was bound to the foot of the same
pole and paper was used as faggots and
the scalp and torture dance went mer
rily on but we were yet to witness the
last of the act thrown on as reserve.
When the proper time arrived the
torch was applied and the flames. as
cending heavenward commenced to
scar the captive at the stake. The
younger of the women dashed from the
ranks of the dancers, scalping knife in
hand, to scalp the burning captive, but
the knife was staid in mid air, for at
that moment the clear notes of bugle
sounding the cavalry charge, broke the
stiffness Of the desert air and some
caya1rymen led by the intrepid major