Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1914-07-18

days scalp dance on the bank of Cow
Creek. They begged to see the squaws
which were held as hostages but were
stoutly refused. On the eve of theil
departure however Matherson rode out
of the stockade with the three hos
tages robed in cheap calico dresses OF
the most gaudy hue and riding three
fine ponies all of which he turned
over to the red warriors. Matherson
told us that the Joy of the warriors ex
ceeded all bounds ever known on the
Santa Fe trail and that they then in.
sisted that the blood bond of brother.
| hood be formed between Matherson
and the tribe.
The blood bond of the brotherhood
is known among all Indian tribes OF
the plains even to the Navahoes of
New Mexico and the" Navaios of
Arizona. The fierce Comanche recog-
nize the blood bond also. It can be
performed only by the great medicine
man in presence of the high chiefs of
the tribe. l have never been present
at ceremony of that character but
will give you q description of it as
performed in its simplicity.
| If the bond is to be performed be-
tween paleface and band of Indians
council fire is built; council held.
the pipe of peace is passed; the pale
face smoking first, then the chiefs.
Then the left breast Of the raleface
and that of the head chief is barred
and small puncture made with the
point of an arrow and the blood
caused to appear on the surface. Then
the paleface touches his index finger
to the blood on the breast Of the chief
and makes circle around the incision
| in his breast. This is repeated by the
chief by making circle on his left
breast in like manner. the blood OF
the pale face being used. Then a bow
and two arrows and tomhawk are
produced and the pale face strings
+. the bow and shoots an arrow into
, space towards the rising sun. being
! the east. This is repeated by the
chief who discharges the arrow to-
wards the west after which the toma-
hawk is wrapped in piece of buck
skin, buffalo hide or blanket and is
then buried in the ground at which
time a cereHony peculiar to the
tribe is chanted. This ends the cere-
mony of the blood bond of brother
hood as conferred On the Santa Fee
trail. This bond was not in vogue
among the Sioux or Arapahoes nor
with old Roman Nose the chief of the
Dog Soldiers. I have not the time to
describe what was known as the Dog
Soldiers but viii do so when I speak
OF 1866 on the Santa Fe trail
There was another tall bridge at
this point and after another days rest
we crossed the bridge and with high
spirits We pulled westward towards
Fort Zarah and Pawnee Rock the
latter being described in former note.
We camped that night at the Wallows.
This depression derived it's name from
simply being low place carved by
the American bison paving and wal
lowing in the dirt. Here we found
good supply of stock water and we
camped early. Just as the sun was go
ing to rest in the west herd Of
twenty fine buffalo came along to the
wallows to quench their thirst. Two
fine buffalo was procured from the
herd and the cooks stayed up all OF the
night frying and roasting the meat
Many disputes arose as to who actually
killed the buffaloes each one claiming
that it was his shot that slew the shay
gy monarch of the desert. But the
dispute was always settled and was
washed down with a good piece of
steak or roast When buffalo was
killed for consumption they were
rarely skinned The head would be
severed from the body the jaws split
open and the tongue taken out then
all the legs were taken off at the
knees and cast. away. Then the car
cass was divided and subdivided, the
liver and kidneys always being taken.
The hide was never removed from the
sections of the carcass but was used
as a protection for the meat
From the Wallows we passed Plum
Buttes. This is the top of the divide
between Cow Creek and the Arkansas
river The Buttes are simply nest
of small sand domes caused by wild
wind currents CT the desert. There
was plenty of fine buffalo grass here
as we'll as what was known along the
trail as bear grass, buffalo thistle and
soap weed. Here the sand is deep and
dry making heavy wagon travel slow
and difficult Crossing the Buttes
westward we were on a down hill
grade to the big bend of the great
savior or the plains. the Arkansas
river We camped that night on the
bank of the river where we remained
until about noon the next day. Here
was the most extensive prairie dog
town on the Santa Fee trail. We had
been passing small herds of buffalo all
day and towards evening the various
small droves began to merge into one
common body and appeared to be trav.
cling direct towards our outfit. I had
often witnessed vast herds Of buffalo
moving peacefully over the ranges
farther to the south along the old Sac
and Fox and Usage trails but this was
my first time to actually view regu-
lar buffalo roundup by the chief bisons
Of the tribe.
Stanley, James Marrow, (my bud
dy), and Tom Smith the assistant
wagon master and myself rode out to
them and we could see the old bulls
hustling about forming the herd just
as an officer would form his company.
The flank and rear were guarded by
the bulls of the herd and the calves
were all pushed into the herd and the