Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1924-07-24
CHAPTER TX
The Duel of the Medicines


Although Crazy Horse and Sorrel
Horse rode into Little Big Mans
camp shortly before midnight the
prisoners saw nothing Of either Be
! fore the great leader Of the hostiles
arrived the white men were conducted
back to the lodge and the flap tight
| " closed. A small fire was lighted in
side and by its light three warriors
stood on guard to prevent any attempt
at escape. Dinsdale was asleep when
the war chief and his escort Of q
dozen men made the camp and was
| aroused by the commotion.
On opening his eyes he beheld the
three silent figures Of the. guards,
| their eyes rejecting the light from
| the heap of Goals. Scissors was awake,
and whispered
eff I can have a talk with Crazy
Horse I think we would be all right
| for while. But that Shunca-luta will
try to keep between us. He ranks
| high as a mystery man and Is fair
magician and ventriloquist. He claims
| to get his help from Taskuskanskan,
| their moving god, who lives in the
four winds and is never seen, but is
represented by Tunkan, who in turn
is prayed to through rocks and stones
| Queer mess. Reckon white man can
never get it all Strengthened out. /
made a picture of Sorrel Horse when
| / was prisoner that other time, and
| it scared him. He's bound to work
against us. But I'm wakan. Wish
Crazy Horse would come in to look
us over"
Scissors would have felt more at
ease had he known that the chiefs
first desire was to have the prisoners
brought before him. Sorrel Horse,
however, requested time for consult
! ing his medicine, and reported back
to the chief that. it would be better to
/ wait until the sun rode the sky. AL
/ though considerably disturbed that
the chief should ignore him, Scissors
| dissimulated and Dinsdale fell asleep
| and did not awaken until morning.
With the sunrise came another kettle
| of meat Scissors pronounced it to be
mule deer and Dinsdale ate heartily.
After they had eaten, Little Big Man
visited them, and he could not con-
ceal his secret exultation. Scissors
pretended not to see him, and after
waiting several minutes the Indian
said:
"Now Shunca-luta has come Two
Knives Talking has lost both his med
icine and tongue They say the white
man was tied up all night and could
not get free"
Scissors, who had finished his bowl
| of meat and had his hands Free picked
up some thongs his guards had left
on the ground and rolled them into a
| small ball and held them in one palm.
! Then his fingers closed over them,
contracting as if squeezing them into
q very small compass, then flew open
and the ball had vanished
Little Big Man scowled malevolent-
| ~ Scissors said:
1.-TWO Knives Talking finds his med
| icine is still strong. 1t grows weary
! Of working on children. Send in
Shunca-luta with his medicine. Then
we shall see."
! Just outside the entrance a deep
voice doomed: "The white mans med
| icine is very strong. But the medi-
| cine of Shunca-luta will eat it up.
Two Knives Talking once ran away
from the Ogalala. Now Shunca-luta's
medicine brings him back. This time,
| they say, he will not leave until he
| goes away to be ghost"
Little Big Mans eyes glittered at
| this threat
Scissors called back: "Shunca-luta
is vsry wakan, but Taku Wakan has
not whispered in his ear. Why does
he stay outside the lodge? The white
man will not hurt In