The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1924-06-13
CAPTAINS OF
ADVENTURE
By ROGER POCOCK
Copyright By BObbs-Merrin Company
By ROGER POCOCK

their God. They had perhaps not no
ticed the glass, or If they had, had
thought it some secret charm or anu
come a great parsonage, and from then
on the utmost consideration and kind
ness was accorded to me.
"'When I entered Lone Walkers
lodge that evening-he was the chief,
and my host-I was greeted by deep
growls from either side of the door
way, and was Mortified to see two near
ly grown grizzly bears acting as if
about to spring upon me. l stopped
and stood quite still, but believe that
my hair was rising; I know that my
flesh felt to be shrinking. I was not
kept in suspense. Lone Walker spoke
to his pets, and they Immediately Lag
down, noses between their paws, and
passed on to the place pointed out
to me, the first couch at the chiefs
left hand. 1t was some time before l
became accustomed to the bears, but
we finally came to sort of under
standing with one another. They
ceased growing at me as passed in
and out of the lodge, but would never
allow me to touch them, bristling up
and preparing to fight if 1 attempted
to do so. In the following spring they
disappeared one night and were never
seen again.
must have felt as he journeyed south
ward over the vast plains, and under
the shadow of the giant mountains
which lie between the Saskatchewan
and the Missouri, for he knew that he
was the first of his race to behold
them" We were born a little too
latel
Monroe often referred to that first
trip with the Piegans ss the happiest
time of his life"
In the moon of falling leaves they
came to Pile of Rocks river and, after
three months went on to winter on
Yellow river. Next summer they wan
dered down the Musselshell, crossed
the Big river and thence westward by
way of the Little Rockies and the Bear
Paw mountains TO the Marias. Even
paradise has its geography.
Rife and pistol were now useless,
as the last rounds of powder and ball
had been fired. But what mattered
that? Had they not their bows and
great sheaves of arrows? In the
spring they had planted on the banks
Of the Judith large patch Of their
own tobacco, which they would harvest
in due time.
Zone by one young Rising VOLTS
garments were worn out and cast
aside. The women Of the lodge tanned
deerskins and bighorn (sheep) and
from them Lone Walker himself cut
and sewed shirts and Ieggings, which
he wore in their place. 1t was not per-
mitted for women to make mems
clothing. So ere long he was dressed
in full Indian costume, even to the
belt and breech-clout, and his hair
grew so that it fell in ripping waves
down over his shoulders A warrior
never cut his hair, so white men living
with Indians followed their fashion,
else they were not admitted to rank
as warriors. "He began to think of
braiding it. Ap-ah'-ki, the shy young
daughter Of the chief, made his foot
wear-thin parf1eche (arrow-proof)
soled moccasins for summer, beauti-
fully embroidered with colored porcu-
pine quilts; thick, soft warm ones of
buffalo robe for winter.
"T could not help but notice her,
he said, on the first night I stayed In
her fathers lodge. learned the
language easily, quickly, yet 1 never
spoke to her nor she to me, for as you
know, the Blackfeet think it unseemly
for youths and maidens to do so.
Zone evening a man came into the
lodge and began to praise certain
youth with whom I had often hunted !;
spoke Of his bravery, his kindness. his
wealth, and ended by saying that the
young fellow presented to Lone Walk
er thirty horses, and wished, with APP
ah'-ki, to set up lodge of his own. 1
glanced at the girl and caught her
looking at me; such look expressing
at once fear, despair and something
else which I dared not believe 1 inter-
preted Alright. The chief spoke: Tell
your friend" he said, ''that all you
have spoken of him Is true; I know
that he Is a real man. a good, kind,
brave, generous young man, yet for all
that I cannot give him my daughter"
again looked at Ap-ah'-ki and she
at me. Now she was smiling and there
was happiness in her eyes. But if she
smiled I could not. had heard him
refuse thirty head of horses What
hope had / then, who did not even
own the horse rode? l. who received
for my services only twenty pounds a
year from which must be deducted the
various articles 1 bought Surely the
girl was not for me. 1 suffered.
alt was a little later, perhaps a
couple of weeks, that 1 met her in the
trail, bringing home bundle of fire.
wood. We stopped and looked at each
other in silence for a moment, and
then 1 spoke her name Crash went
the fuel on the ground, and we en-
braced and kissed. regardless Of those
who might be looking.
$50, forgetting the bundle of wood,
we went hand In hand and stood before
Lone Walker, where he sat smoking
his long pipe, out on the shady side
Of the lodge.
The chief smiled. "Why, think
you, did I refuse the thirty horses?'
he asked, and before / could answer !:
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