The Wolf Point herald. (Wolf Point, Mont.) 1913-1940, 1926-11-18

fRhting for and. last and not least,
It was the Indian agents chance 10
come gracefully over on u !
He's done more Of the actual work
Of getting the celebration going
than I have"
81 wonder whyY' askel Billy.
suddenly.
"All there is left for him TO do
said Levine. Lydia, before the
speeches begin. go up in the pines
and choose your tract. I'll buy II
for YOU"
"The whole things wrong" NUT
tered Billy.
Levine gave him a. quick look,
you'd better go along with Lydia
and take a look at the pines" he
suggested.
I'D like TO look at the pines
again." said Lydia. "Come along.
Billy"
They entered the woods in 81
lence and followed a s~un-fecked
aisle until the sound of the cele-
bratiOn was mualed.
Billy leaned against one of the
great tree trunks and stared
thoughtfully about him.
I'm all mixed up, Lydia" he
said. "It's all wrong. I know the
things Levine and the rest are do
Ing to get this land are wrong,
and vet I don't see how they can
be stopped. came up here last
month to see how bad off the In
dams were. And | saw the poor
starving. diseased brutes and j
cursed my white breed. And yet,
Lyd. | saw a tract of pine up In
the middle of the reservation that
I'd sell my soul to own"
There was understanding in Ly-
dia's eyes. ooh. the pines are won
derfuI," she exclaimed. IF n
could only keep them forever. And
I suppose that's the way the In
dams feel about them. too"
"It's all wrong" muttered Billy.
TITS all wrong. and yet" more firm
Iy. 1.-THE reservation is doomed n
II we don't take some of il. Lydia,
Wen not be helping the Indians
but just being foolish"
ITO have 1t and hold it for your
children's children" exclaimed Ly-
dia, passionately. You and yours
to live on ii forever. And vet, I'd
see a dead Indian baby and starv-
ing squaws behind every tree. /
know I would"
~ tell you what I'm going TO
do" said Billy. doggedIy. I'm go
Ing TO get hold of that tract. I'm
not going to deceive myself that
it's all anything but a rotten thiev-
ing game we whites r playing,
but I'm going to IT, anyhow. I'll
pay for it, somehow. and I'll go on
doing what ] a to see that the In
dians get what's left of a decent
deal"
The two listened TO the wind in
the pines. then Lydia said. we
must get back for the speeches
Levine had just finished his
speech when Billy and Lydia got
within hearing, and he introduced
State Senator James Farwell as
the chief speaker of the day. His
audience. standing in the burning
sun was restless. The Indians.
understanding little that was said,
were motionless. but the whites
drifted about. talked In undertones
and applauded only when as a fit
ting peak to all the efforts OF the
ages toward freedom. Farwell
placed the present freeing of the
Indians from the reservation.
1.-THE fool !" said Billy to Lydia,
as Farwell finally began TO bow
himself off the platform.
Levine rose and began, Ladies
and gentlemen, this ends u pro-
gram. We thank"
He was interrupted here by APP
plause from the Indians. Looking
round he saw Charlie Jackson. lead
ing forward old Chief Wolf.
"Chief Wolf wants to say a few
words" cried Charlie.
"The program is closed" called
Levine loudly.
There was a threat in Charles
voice. HE is going to speak y
And there was a threat in the In
dian voices that answered from
the audience. LET speak. Let
speak"
Levine conferred hastily with
Farwell and the Indian agent then
he three with manifest reluctance
stood back and Charlie led the old
Indian TO the foot Of the platform.
Old Wolf was half blind with
trachoma. He was emaciated with
sickness and slow starvation. New
erthelsss, clad in the beaded buck
skin and eagle feathers of his
youth, with his hawk face held
high. he was Il heroic figure of a
man.
He held up his right hand and
began to speak in a trembling old
bass. Charities young tenor trans
lating sentence by sentence.
II come from the wick-i-ups OF
my fathers to say one last word to
the Whites. I have lived too long.
l have seen my race changed from
young men strong and daring as
eagles, as thrifty and fat as brown
bears, to feeble yellow wolves fit
only to lap the carrion thrown
them by the whites. and TO lie in
the sun and die.
And | say to you whites, you
have done this. You swore by your
God. i'm solemn council, that we
could keep this reservation for
ever. With room for all the peo-
pies of the world here, you could
NOT find room for the Indian. You