Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1914-05-20

which he recognized at once as the
companion mitt of the one he and
Inness had found sometime before
Encouraged by the finding of this
mitt he made progress more rapidly
4 till at length reaching the Root riv-
| er, he made his way up that stream
until he saw before him an Indian
camp, which, after some hesitation,
he determined to visit, hoping to OBJ
tain there some information concern
ing Frances and her kidnapers.
The day was far spent when he
entered the camp, albeit, nearly all
the hunters were still absent on the
chase, so that only few besides the
women and children were present
Very little attention was given him
apparently as he wandered about the
camp, and had it not been that a
close observer would have noted
the queer little faces with the pierre
ing black eyes of the pappooses
peeping at him through openings in
the wickiups, it would have ap-
Feared as though the camp was de-
serted.
But this seeming absence of oc-
cupants did not continue long. First
one and then another cautiously ap-
preached within few feet of the
white stranger, until perhaps a doz-
en- of them had come out of hiding,
all as wild as so many prairie dogs.
To their confusion, the stranger
suddenly started them with the
weird too-hooting screech of the
owl, and so perfect was the repre-
sentation that older heads than these
Indian children were often deceived
by it. 1t was not however for the
amusement of the children that he
y made the call of the screech-owl
thrice repeated, he had another more
important object in view; Jesse, at
, the moment when he gave the cry
was quite near the teepee of Eowah,
who, upon hearing the call sprang
TO her feet and ran to the entrance
8 of the teepee where she could see
: who it was that had so startled them,
for we'll she knew that the call, per-
feet as it was, was not the call of
an owl.
Upon Frances a very different eff
feet was produced for she not only
knew that it was not an owl but also
= she knew just who had made it,
Jesse had often practiced it in her
= presence, so that his peculiar into
4, nation was familiar to her and she
; would have recognized it anywhere.
"Eowah! Eowah!" she hurriedly
;, cried, Il know that voice and who
it is that makes that call, it is Jesse.
do let me show myself to him so
that he will know | am here
I. white Lily stay in teepee dat
best. Eowah talk screech OWL"
whereupon she left the teepee and
drawing Jesse aside told him all
about the arrival of Frances with
Niger Godfrey and Jim Cobb, and
then gave him such advice as she
believed would best serve them both.
Before the interview closed, it was
arranged that Frances, under the
care of Jesse, should leave the
camp that night as soon as it was
prudent to make the attempt.
These arrangements being COM
pleted she directed Jesse to a place
of concealment where he might re-
main till the hour for their depar-
ture was reached
But while he fingered among the
teepees, the hunters began to ar
rive and Immediately he was sur
rounded by them and questioned con-
corning his presence in the camp.
Jesse gave them plain straight ac-
count of all that had taken place
since the kidnapping of Frances; how
that Jim Cobb out of revenge for
the thrashing he had received had
instigated the abduction of Frances
by Niger Godfrey because he lack
ed the courage to make an assault
upon Jesse himself.
Then Little Crow called upon Jim
Cobb for his version OF the affair,
but that worthy was so confused by
the unexpected presence of Jesse in
the camp and the consciousness of
his own guilt that he was able to
make but a lame attempt at justif-
cation of his crime; laying the blame
CT the affair on Niger Godfrey in
stead of assuming the responsibility
himself.
The impression made upon the
braves was very decidedly against
him, nevertheless it was no affair of
theirs, and so, expressing with a
grunt their Indifference, they sep
arated, leaving only Jesse and Little
Crow together.
The chief who had been interest
ed in what he had heard, and con-
WINGED by the STRAIGHT farward 90