The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1938-06-10
M Zen Of the
by Captain
G. Elliott Nightingale
Copyright, WNU
4 CHISELER STARTS
4 RIOT


continuous roll of the tom-tom!
and the weird, blood-chilling shrek
ing of the Salteaux Indians had ech
oed and re-echoed over the Atha
baskan plains. Meanwhile, in the
tents and tepees, babies died in the
arms of mothers too starved tt
suckle them, while others, including
the aged and ill, were slowly dying
from hunger and the 30-below-zero
weather that had been gripping the
region for weeks. And, as the Sal.
teaux suffered and died, the war.
riors and braves, with the help Of
some struggled rotgut whisky were
dancing themselves into an ugly,
fighting, bloodthirsty mood. They
were steaming up for little skull
splitting and scalp-lifting party to
be staged on the handful of whites
who were responsible for their pitt
able condition.
The Salteaux, rather superior
group, were justified in their anger
and rage, for the administration OF
their affairs had fallen into the
hands of a double-dyed CRATER and
chiseler. When the Great White
Mother made the treaty with the
Salteaux, she not only agreed to
give them equipment, horses and
cows with which to begin farming,
but she also agreed to give them
food and supplies twice a week un-
til they were well established and
prosperous. Everything went along
fine until some underling in the In
dian affairs department was placed
in charge while his superior was off
on rather extended vacation down
east. From this time on, the food
supplies for the Salteaux began to
diminish. Each time the rations
were handed out, they weighed a
few ounces less than before, with
the result that after a week or two
the allotments reached the most ri
diculous proportions, and the Sal
teaux began to grumble out loud. To
make matters worse, game was ex-
ceedingly scarce in the region that
winter, and even rabbits were few
and far between. Moreover, had
there been furs and skins, the Sal
teaux could have traded for food at
the Hudson Bay Trading post locat-
ed right on the reservation.
And now, with the tribe slowly
starving to death in the middle Of
a stiff Athabaskan winter, it was
time for action. Having worked
themselves into a frenzy of rage
and hate, the warriors and braves
swooped down on the government
and helped themselves
to few tons Of -four, sowbelly, ba-
con and other staples. The under
ling in charge made faint squeak
Of protest, and right away two husky
braves had him by collar and belt
and were heaving him off into the
distance, Loaded with all the food
they could carry away, the Salteaux
returned to their tepees and had
The first really decent feed in weeks.
And, as they fed and gorged them
selves, the Men of the Mounted
we're on their way to investigate
what was termed an "Indian out
.age."
The officer in charge, although a
:earless policeman, was poor hand |
With Indians, and his opening re-
marks were to the effect that the
Great White Mother was deeply
grieved to learn that her Salteaux
children had committed this terri
Die crime (taking the food that
belonged to them). Fur
hermore, the poor misguided, or
nisinformed officer asked them why
hey committed the robbery when
everybody knew that the agent
handed out plenty Of food twice a
week. Naturally, the Salteaux be-
ran to think that the red-coat was
insane. Did he not know that they
we're starving? Did he not know |
hat the food ration had been grow |
ng smaller and smaller until there
vas not enough for one child, let
llone brave? No, the officer did |
lot know this.
Furthermore, he rather brusouely
tated that they were not starving
It all, and that the rations given
hem were more than sufficient.
his was the spark to the powder.
The braves began fondling their RI
les and clubs, and they moved in
lose, dangerously close. The air
vas electrified with the tension of
battle. Up to this time
here had never been any misunder-
landings, nor had there ever been
hots exchanged between the Sal
eaux and the Mounted Police, and
wasn't long before an ordinary
ed coated constable was down
mong the ugly Salteaux patching
Kings up and, incidentally, learn
ng the truth about the diminishing
atoms. Needless to say, the quar-
Ell was patched up SO well that
here has never been any more trou-
lie with the Salteaux.
The chiseler? Well, he saddled
p one morning and rode east. He
aust have kept on travelling, for he
asn't been seen since.
l.