The Glasgow courier., 1916-02-18
BAGGING sNIPE
q SNIFE
OLD INDIAN GAME

Nj LHOSS WIN nave UcCi hoASu
by adoption into the tribe of the
Biackfeet Indians the strangest and
most impressive experience probab-
ly fell to Larry" D. Kitchell, now
touring the United. States lecturing
on the scenic beauties Of Glacier Ma
tional park. Besides adding to his
vocabulary one Indian word that has
great meaning to himself, Kitchell be-
lieves he made the important discov-
cry that the "snipe bagging" pas
time, so provocative of mirth among
the pale face tribe of this generation
really had it's origin among the abort
gines.
The blackfeet are one of the most
serious faced of all American In
dians. The fact undoubtedly is their
asset in putting over" their famous
joke. "Nee-O-Kop-Wa." Now, "Nee-
O-Kop-Wa" literally means "holding
the sack" and in real "snipe-hunting
style" too. The only difference Kit
chell could discern was that the In
dams are more picturesque about it,
presenting their intended joke-victim
with a handsomely beaded buckskin
receptacle instead of the time-worn
burlap. Added credit must be given
the wary redskins for successfully
posing Kitchell upon Rocky Noun
tain peak with a deerskin pouch d1a-
matically outstreched in his hands,
when it is known that Kitchell is an
eastern man, born and bred, and
furthermore grew to manhood with
full knowledge of "snipe-hunting."
It is rather a peculiar coincidence,
that his initiation into the Indians
mysterious game occurred on the
thirtieth anniversary of the "other
time he bit," when a callow youth
back in the Allegheny country.
Inquisitiveness usually is baited as
the groundwork for snipe hunting
expedition. Nothing like that in the
Indian version of this great Ameri-
can stunt. Maybe that's why Larry"
did not live up to his name and be-
come suspicious of their modus oper-
andi.
Immediately following the weird
ceremonial that attended the adoption
of Kitchell into the trib, the pale
faced lecturer appropriately named
IN:cL NJ To - ,,a{al %riho1
orator of the Blackfeet-was taken
by the Indians thrugh the Glacier
Park chalet village on Upper Two
Medicine Lake, and solemnly led up
the winding mountain trail to the
peak of Mount Henry. Impressive
explanation was made in the Indian
tongue and translated through an in
terpreter, that inasmuch as the newly
adopted paleface brother was a lee
turer going out among the people
to tell them about the wonderful
scenic beauty the great spirit had
created on the roof Of the Rockies
it was their duty as native-born peo-
pie of that wonderland to escort him
to the best point of vantage whence
he could behold the vastness of the
subject he must treat with mere
words. 1t was all very thrilling to
Kitchell. The blood coursed through
his veins much faster than when he
appeared before his first audience.
as he himself made the comparison.
With much oratory and loud beat
ing of tom-toms they left him up
there holding the much priced gift
from the chief himself-the buckskin
pouch--which they charged him to
hold outstreched (Just SOY while they
performed the climax to the ceremony
by retiring to ledge on the other
side of the mountain to commune
with the Great Spirit that he might
send forth the Sacred Thunder Bird
to fill the magic bag with inspira-
ton sufficient to last kitchell through
out his entire lecture strip during the
coming winter.
. When pressed for details of the
incident, lecturer Kitchell now naive.
ly changes the subject by bursting
into beautiful sword painting OF
fleecy clouds overspreading the won.
derful picture Of. scenic grandeur he
saw three thousand feet below him
But, if talking to an old frind who
good natnredly keeps up the chidine
to ss.l &c ss M frank
confidingly:
"Well, now, Who in the great
paleface realm ever would suspect
those grave, solemn Indians could Sc
quickly transform themselven from
their sphinX-like seriousness?"
come an ardent student of Indian folk
Kitchell, who, by the way has be
lore, while adding only one Indial
word to his vocabulary as the resul