Year: 1868

The following story. from the Milwaukee
Wisconsin, reads like romance of Cooper,s.
condensed, but it is said to be record of
facts gathered by IL gentleman who is collect
ing material for history of the upper Mis-
sissippi valley:


A party of thirty Winnebagoes came down
from the late scalp dance at which the tribe
was gathered on the Trempeleau river, in the
north. and encamped on French's Island, in
the Mississippi river, just above the St. Paul
Railroad depot at La Crosse.


The band was under the control of well
known chief of the Winnebagoes named Wau-
kee-se-hoonger-er, or Snake Chief who had
two wives, Se-es-ka and He-nee-kee. Sees
ka was about thirty years of age. graceful in
appearance, with q pleasant look and an
interesting face With whites she was fa
yorite, while with the Winnebagoes she was
looked upon very kindly-indeed, adored
with all the ardor of Indian favor Snake
Chief was a noted warrior of the Winneba-
goes and was very much liked by his tribe
He was powerful and brawny fellow, and
when sober was peaceful and good natured !;
when drunk he was ugly and disagreeable.-
One of his favorite pastimes when in this con-
dition was beating his wives.


On Friday last Snake Chief returned to his
wigwam drunk. Se-es-ka was in the wig
wan, and the chief commenced beating her
over the head and shoulders. Driven to des-
peration and unable longer to stand his bru-
tality, Se-es-ka drew knife and stabbed the
chief twice, the blade penetrating the heart
of the warrior, who died instantly while the
first notes of the death song were on his lips
The affair at once created sensation among
the Winnebagoes, who did not know how to
act. They loved their chief, and they loved
their chieftains wife. 1t is well known
regulation" among the Indians that when
man is slain a relative must avenge his
death by taking the life of the slayer Sees
ka knew this. Some of the Winnebagoes
urged her to fly, but she would not With
true Indian resignation she folded her blank
ct about her and sat down in her wigwam,
facing the door, and awaited her .avenger.-
1t was believed by many that Ue-nee-kee,
the younger and favoritc wife, would be the
avenger, but she seems to have had no such
intention. She mourned the loss of her hus-
band, but took no steps further than to send
runner up the Trempeleau, where Snake
Chiefs relatives were, to notify them of what
had taken place. Meanwhile Sees-ka sat in
her cabin chanting the death song, stoically
Indifferent to what was going on about her,
and only talking when questions were asked
her.


On Sunday morning an Indian from Trem-
peleau made his appearance in camp He
was known as Chan-no-ne-ga, and had evi-
IDENTIFY travelled without halting since he
learned of the death of Snake Chief Enter.
ing the camp, without a word he walked sol
emnly to the place where the body of Snake
Chief lay, took a long look at it, and then
turned sulenly away. Nobody spoke to him,
yet all watched with interest his movements.
Deliberately loading his gun with buckshot,
he uninterruptedly walked to the wigwam
where Se-es-ka sat, having remained there
since the murder, took one look at the woman,
who loudly chanted the death song. Not
muscle of the woman's face moved to denote
that she labored under any excitement, but
she sat there quietly and calmly, her eyes
moving upwards, and her voice, as the un-
couth song escaped her lips, steady and firm.
She knew that the avenger was before her
that in another moment her spirit would leave
its frail tenement of clay and seek that of the
chief who had gone before her; yet no look
or sign indicated that she feared the fate
Such is Indian stoicism and Indifference.


The eyes of the two did not meet. In the
face of Chan no-ne-ga there was a look of
mingled hate and revenge. Deliberately he
raised his musket to his shoulder-deliber-
ately he aimed it at the woman's Lead-cool
ly he fred The report rang out through the
Indian camp-the smoke cleared away-Se-
es-ka still sat there-her blanket about her
her arms folded-but one side of her head
was blown completely away-her spirit had
fled, and the code of Indian justice was sat
isfed-Wau-kee se-hoong-er-er was avenged.


The murderer, with just look to satisfy
him that his work had been well done, shoul-
dered his musket and walked deliberately out
the camp. Nobody spoke to him-nobody
offered any interference-and stepping into
his canoe he padded to the shore and disap-
peared in the woods, leaving the Winneba-
goes stupefed.