The Colorado statesman., 1924-07-26
A TALE OF VENGEANCE
A. D. 1S40

Mississippi, and that river was their
frontier. The great plains and deserts
beyond, all speckled now with farms
and glittering with cities, belonged to
the red Indian tribes, who hunted the
buffalo. farmed their tobacco, played
their games, worshiped the Almighty
Spirit. and stole one another's horses,
without paying any heed to the white
men. For the whites were only little
tribe among them, wandering tribe OF
trappers and traders, who came from
the Rising Sun Land In search Of
beaver skins. The beaver skins were
wanted for top hats in the Land of the
Rising Sun.
These white men had strange ano
potent magic, being masters of fire,
and brought from their own land the
fire-water and the firearms which made
them welcome among the tribes. Some
times a white man entered the tribes
and became an Indian, winning his
rank as warrior, marrying, setting up
his lodge, and even rising to the grade
OF chief OF such was Jim Beckworth,
part white, part negro, a great war
rior, captain of the Dog Soldier regi-
ment in the Grow nation. His lodge
was full of robes; his wives, by whom
he allied himself to the leading fami-
lies, were always well fed, well dressed
and well behaved. When he came
home with his Dog Soldiers he always
returned in triumph, with bands of
stolen horses, scalps in plenty.
Long afterward, when he was an
old man, Jim told his adventures to
writer, who made them into a book,
and in this volume he tells the story of
Pine Leaf, an Indian girl. She was
little more than a child when, In. an
attack of the Cheyennes upon the vii
lage, her twin brother was killed.
Then, in passion of rage and grief,
she cut off one of her fingers as sac
rifice to the Great Spirit, and took
oath that she would avenge her broth
er's death, never giving herself in mar
riage until she had taken a hundred
trophies in battle. The warriors
laughed when she asked leave to join
them on the war-path, but Jim let her
come with the Dog Soldiers.
Rapidly she learned the trade OF
bow, spear and gun, running like an
antelope, riding gloriously; and yet
withal a woman, modest and gentle ex-
cept in battle, famed for 1.-the grace
and unusual beauty.
"Please marry me-" said Jim, as
she rode beside him.
"Yes, when the pine leaves turn vel
low"
Jim thought this over, and COM
planned that pine leaves do not turn
yellow.
"Please!" he said.
yes" answered Pine Leaf, 'when
you see a red-headed Indian"
Jim, who had wives enough already
as became his position, sulked for this
heroine.
She would not marry him, and yet
| once when a powerful Blackfoot had
nigh felled Jim with his battle-ax, Pine
Leaf speared the man and saved her
chief. In that engagement she killed
four warriors fighting at Jim's side.
| A bullet cut through his crown of
eagle plumes. "These Blackfeet shoot
| close" said Pine Leaf, "but never
fear; the Great Spirit will not let
them harm u.s."
In the next fight, Blackfoot's lance
pierced Jim's Logging, and then trans
fixed his horse, pinning him to the AMI
NAL in its death agony. Pine Leaf
hauled out the lance and released him.
.I sprang upon the horse" says Jim.
| "of a Young warrior who was wounded.
The heroine then Joined me, and We
dashed into the conflict. Her horse
was Immediately after killed and dis
covered her In a hand-to-hand encoun-
| ter with a dismounted Blackfoot, her
lance in one hand and her battle-ax
| In the other. Three or four springs OF
my steed brought me upon her antag-
| onist and, striking him with the breast
| of my horse when at full speed,
knocked him to the earth senseless,
and before he could recover, she
pinned him to the earth and scalped
him. When 1 had overturned the war
rior, Pine Leaf called to me, Ride on,
/ have him safe now"
She was soon at his side chasing the
flying enemy, who left ninety-one
killed in the field.
In the next raid, Pine Leaf took two
prisoners, and offered Jim one of them
to wife But Jim had wives enough
of the usual kind, whereas now this
girls presence at his side In battle
gave him increased strength and cour-
age while daily his love for her famed
| higher
At times the girl was sulky because
she was denied the rank of warrior,
shut out from the war-path secret, the
hidden matters known only to fighting
| men.
There is no space here for 1.-THE of
her battles, while that great vengeance
for her brother piled up the tale of
scalps. In one victorious action, charg-
ing at Jims side, she was struck by a
| bullet which broke her left arm. With