Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1924-07-24

ted Tail agency?"
His expression was almost genial
as he put the query, but Scissors shook
his head and repeated:
my white brother was carrying am
munition to the Cheyennes on the Rose
bud"
A scowl of disappointment darkened
the chiefs visage. Had Scissors re-
piled in the affirmative several men
from the agency were ready to brand
him as a liar, for they knew the man
Crazy Horse had referred to. Crazy
Horse stared at the ground and
twirled revolver by the trigger guard.
None sventured to break the silence,
and at last he said:
"They say the white man is friend
Of High Wolf"
''He was welcome in his lodge in
Montana one winter ago. He hunted
with some Of the young Cheyenne
men,"
Crazy Horse fixed his gaze on Dins-
dale, but understanding nothing Of the
Teton dialect the prisoners face be-
trayed nothing. 1t was useless to ques-
ton him, as Scissors would answer for
him. The chief seemed to lose all in
terest in the alleged friend of High
Wolf and abruptly asked:
Where is Frank"
Frank Gruard?'' asked Scissors.
The. chief nodded. Gruard, native
of the Sandwich islands, had been cap
tured by Crazy Horses men while
serving as mailcarrier in Montana. Be
cause of his dark complexion he was
believed to be an Indian who had been
taken prisoner by the whites while
very young. He had lived with the
Indians for several years and was
thought highly of by both Crazy Horse
and Sitting Bull. Scissors truthfully
answered that Gruard was serving as
guide and scout for General Crooks
forces.
Instead Of showing any resentment
Crazy Horse said:
"He was a good man. would like
to see him and call him Kola again.
Shunca-luta has his mystery glass and
is seated by his wolf robe. What does
his medicine tell him?''
Sorrel Horse, who had been cha
grined at the lack Of respectful atten-
tion, became busy Immediately. He
opened roll of red cotton cloth and
from a wad Of eagle down gently
picked up small round stone and
whispered to it and then held 1t to
his ear for nearly a minute. Care
fully replacing the sacred stone on
the eagle down he boasted:
"Shunca-luta's medicine is very
strong. 1t has teeth like the gray wolf.
1t will bite the medicine of Two Knives
Talking into many pieces
With the aborigine's love for the
dramatic the spectators leaned for
ward, the copper faces revealing their
rapt attention. No duel could COM
pare with a duel between rival medi-
cines. Crazy Horse, too, was intense
ly interested, and Shunca-luta was at
his BEST when demonstrating his wiz
ardry before an appreciative audience.
After glancing haughtily about he
closed his eyes for moment as If
summoning spirit strength, then swift
ly extended hand high above his
head and plucked deck of playing
cards from the air. A sibilant hiss of
approval rewarded his sleight-of-hand.
Holding the cards face down for a
moment he carelessly threw them on
the ground within reach of Scissors.
Then, apparently without looking at
the white man, requested:
"Let Two Knives Talking pick out
one if his medicine is not asleep"
Scissors selected a card and almost
Immediately Shunca-luta brought the
tips of his index fingers and his thumbs
together to form the shape Of dia-
mond and announced: "Squaw."
Scissors held up the card so all
might see it was the queen of dia-
monds. Several other cards were
read" in a like manner. Then the
medicine man scooped them up and
made a motion Of tossing them into
the air, and they we're gone and his
hand was empty.
For an Indian he's clever with
cards." Scissors said in English for
Dinsdale's benefit.
During the second his gaze was off
the medicine man the cards dropped
before him as if falling from the sky.
A mur1nur of approval warned Scis-
sors he must be on his. mettle. He
tore sheet of paper from his pad and
did something to it with his scissors.
Folding the paper he requested Crazy
Horse to hold it in his left hand. The
chief hesitated for moment, then
accepted the paper and clinched it
tightly to make sure it did not van
ish. Scissors then proceeded to pick
up the cards and to shuttle them with
a dexterity that would have won the
hearty admiration of San Juan Joe or
French Curly.
Next he extended his two hands, the
deck in his left palm, and asked the
medicine man to look at the top card,
to announce it and then cut the deck,
placing the cut in the right palm and
burying it with the remainder of the
pack. Sorrel Horse unwillingly COM
piled, his common sense warning him
his rival would not embark on any
thing that was destined to be fail
ure. He held up the three of hearts
and buried it in Scissors right palm
with a shallow cut.