The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1914-11-21

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distant cries OF painted horse
men charging. From my hard won
vantage on the ridge | had an unob-
structed view OF the encampment, n
great circle OF tepees and tents three
miles In circumference, Graded In a
sag OF the timberless hills.
Five thousand Sioux were here in
all their martial splendor, painted and
decked and trapped for war. living
anew their tales OF might and repeat
ing I'm mlmicry their greatest battles
Five days the feasting had continued
Five mornings had been awakened
at dawn TO see a thousand ochered
feathered horsemen pour out OF the
gullies upon the camp. their horses
rearing and plunging, their rifles snap
ping and splitting, while the valley
rocked to their battlecres and TO the
answering clamor OF the army which
met them The od0rs OF savage
people had begun to pail on me- the
sound OF "A strange language had begun
10 annoy me, and longed for another
white man or word in my own
tongue, Next to my tent was another
one which had been erected during my
absence. and through the Dap was
thrust the head Of my friend. the GOV
eminent doctor.
Gee, I'm glad to see you" | said as
l shook his hand. I'm as lonesome
as a deaf mute al song recital"
whats the matter? Won't the In
dams talk to your
81 guess they would IL they could,
but they can't. Out of these 5000
Sioux ! haven't found one who can
understand word | say. and I've
tried some 1880 OF them"
The old gentleman laughed.
"Your government schools have
gone back in the betting with me, doc.
You must keep your graduates under
lock and key"
"They can all speak English II they
want to-that is, the younger ones
can. Some few Of the old people are
too proud to try, but the others can
talk as well as we can until they for
get"
do you mean to say these aborigi-
mes have been fooling me? ! don't be-
lieve It." said /. There is one that
can't talk English, and I'll make a bet
on It," indicated a passing brave
with an eagle feather headdress
reaching far down his naked legs. lie
was magnificent animal-young
1.-the and rs tall and straight as sap
ling-and was decked from head to
feet in his gorgeous panoply I've
tried him twice. and he simply doesn't
understand"
My friend called to the warrior:
Hey, Tom! Come here a minute"
The Indian came, and the doctor con.
tinued
"When do you hold the horse races,
Thomas1
Tomorrow, o'clock, unless It
rains" said the fellow.
care you going to rider
NO. My race horse IS sick"
As the ocher daubed figure vanished
into the dusk the old man turned to
me, saying:
yale"
"What2"
yale: II. A. Hes a graduate"
"Impossibleg declared why,
could hardly understand him. lie
talks like a foreigner or "a II he was
( just learning the language"
Exactly. That halting unfamiliari-
~ with English marks the death and
decay OF his learning. In three years
more he'll be an Indian again through
and through Oh, the reservation Is
full OF fellows like that" The doctor
continued, with a sigh: ITS melan-
! choly acknowledgment 20 make, but
our work seems TO count for nearly
nothing It's their blood.
i've heard II graduating class read
theses from a platform, sing cantatas
/ I'm chorus and deliver orations. Then
| have seen those same young fellows
three months later squatting in to-
PEGS. grunting in their native tongues
, and eating with their fingers.
"Some years ago | felt ] was well on
nv way TO success. for found n
youth who offered every promise OF
great manhood. | studied him until /
knew his every trait and his every
strength. lie did not seem to have
any weakness. | raised him under my
own supervision into tall, straight
fellow as handsome as figured bronze
and with a mind far In advance OF his
people and his years. He had the best
blood OF the nation I'm him, being the
| son az n war chief. and they called
him Thomas Running Elk. lie was
educated nt the agency school under
me, and he went through his college
course like stag at the head OF a
great herd, n silent, digniiied. shad-
owy figure, unapproachablc and mys.
terious TO his fellow students. In all
things he excelled, but he was best
perhaps In athletics, the credit for
which also took, feeling godlike
satisfaction IN my work.
News came 10 me or his victories
a