Beadle's New York Dime Library No. 272 — page 40: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

leg oe - = —— i Ore ~ ~ a> —— oe ee ee — °- > _— << oe =a. -« — - - =. <a ~ - . a Se A ee la _ _ Te ae ———— ae el ld A eae A IN SS ee eee — ee ge a we a Ee —_ nti a ~~ Fee eo ~~ _ -_ — —i = >_> —— = * ~— ~ ce ) warfare can only end one way. \ 16 mit; but until then, let the white man keep clear of us.” Slocum could not help pursuing the conversa- tion, for there was a fascination about this sin- ular man he could not account for, and he saw n Sitting Bull a man who could be argued with on a basis of civilized knowledge. ‘* But you must know,” he said, ‘‘that the For every white man you kill, the Government can send a - thousand to take his place, and you must be hemmed in, within a few years, when the rail- road advances,” Sitting Bull laid his finger on the young man’s arm, and pointed to the north. ‘‘Away in the land of the snow,” said the mvage chief slowly, “lies a fair country, where red-men and white are equal: and the White Mother over the sea makes all alike her chil- dren. The Echipeta, the Piegans, have gone there, and the Nez Perces will follow. hen our last bunting-grounds are ruined; when the eful ox takes the place of the maned buf- 0; when the red warrior gives place to the cowboy, and no home is left to us here; there is a refuge yet with the White Mother... When that time comes, we will go there, Till then we will kill all we can. I have spoken. My brother is welcome to my lodge, and the Brothers of the Black Cloud shall make him welcome also,” He made a slight, imperious gesture to the young surveyor to mount, and added to Bat ichards, who had waited humbly by: ‘Send for your goods. The white hunter shall not be hurt, unless he tries to leave the camp. In that case the dog-soldiers will teach him the rules,” Slocum felt relieved when he heard the order, for he had begun to feel serious doubt as to the safety of Montana George, in the midst of the Sioux hunting-parties But Richards went away, and the young sur- veyor, feeling decidedly nervous and ill at ease, in spite of bis success so far, followed the Sioux chief through the midst of a crowd of squaws, who were skinning and cutting up the buffalo slain in the bunt. Sitting Bull rode slowly and with lordly indif- ference through the crowd, never deigning a lance at the women, who were chattering over eir work and casting curious glances at the white man whom they saw in such close com- munion with the renowned chief. They passed on up the valley and followed its windings for several miles, till they turned the corner of a wooded bluff, and Seth Slocum for the first time in his life saw a large Indian mri undisturbed by enemies, and in full tide of life. Several hundred teepees were scattered irregu- larly along the northern bank of the riverin a lovely spot, sheltered from the cold winds so soon to come. They were ee in little clumps belongin to the different bands, and in each band stood - large lodge witb a lance stuck in the ground be- fore it, feathered all alon rting a shield festooned with scalp-locks, and longing to the chief of the band or fern be As they passed through, Sitting Bull with the hee gerd of a host showing a guest over place, pointed out the different bands to his ion, saying in French: ‘*These are the Bois Brules; yonder are the Arapahoes; these are Cheyennes; those under the bluff are Tetons; the bind yonderare Yank- tons; and these are my own Unacpapas.” The last band was the largest in the camp comprising nearly a bundred lodges, many of them having low shelters of brush beside them, known as “‘ wicky-ups” among pr reneep ee Standing beside the chief’s lodge, between two of the bands, was a large tent of skins, somewhat resembling a marques, and capable of holding several hundred people, In front of it stood a row of poles crowned with flags, each flag adorned with tne red fea- thers of the * medicine-bird,” and Slocum re- cognized it at once as a similar erection to the one which he bad seen among the Mohawks at their annual festivals, known as the great ‘‘ Med- icine Lodge.” As tb it, the chief said: **The Brothers of the Black Cloud will meet there to-night. See that you are prepared to answer questions before all. We keep the sacred fire alive, and death is the doom of the man who ane maintain his place. This is my lodge. the shaft and sup- CHAPTER XVIII. FATHER DE SMEDT. THe further Seth Slocum advanced on his oe quest, the more was he impressed with ate insecurity of his position among the In- ns, There was an ominous something in the air of Sitting Bull, in the gravely averted glances of every Indian he met that showed him be was far from being trusted yet. The constant warning language of the chief led him to expect a severe and searching exam- ination when the brothers of the Order met at night, and he had sufficient penetration to see — ey - ° - _—- aa — —- . . - sn Sel a that these wild Indians were very different men from the semi-civilized Mohawks and Senecas of the New York reservation, whom he had been accustomed to think of as representative Indians. But for the proud prospect that lay before him if he succeeded in carrying off the precious field-book on which so much depended he would have wished himself safe back in Gladstone. But be was too far advanced now to go back, and he set himself to rack bis memory for every word and phrase of the ritual of the Order in which he had been instructed, modelled, like that of most secret orders, on Masonic lines. He had received his original initiation in. the Mohawk tongue, with which, as a child, he had become familiar, and later in French, common to the Canadian Indians and those of the Hud- son’s. Bay Territory. | It was in French that he expected to be catechised, and he was racking his brain to got his answers correct, sitting in the corner of the at. chief’s lodge, with the squaws around im at their various occupations, when he heard the tones of a cultivated, educated voice at the open doorway, saying, in French: ‘* Dieu te benise, mon fils. Ou est cet etran- ger dont on me parle?” (God bless thee, my son, Where is this stranger of whom they speak to me?’) hed It was to Sitting Bull the question was aid- dressed, and Siocum heard him reply: ‘“* He is in my lodge, father, and safe if he an- swers the questions to-night. If he falters, you know the rule,” Slocum looked up and saw the form of an old man, white haired ard closely shaven, dressed in the dark cassock of.a Catholic priest. ‘‘ Father de Smedt,” he thought at once. The old priest had a singularly kind and benevolent face, and his voice was as gentle as a woman’s as he answered: ‘‘You know, my son, that the Holy Church sanctions no secret societies, and cannot assent to any rules that call down bloody vengeance on a man that has done no harm to any.’ The Indian shrugged his shoulders slightly as he replied: “The customs of our people are one, and those of yours are another, father. We have a custom, and it says that if a traitor enter our rpms with a double face and a false tongue he les. The old priest bowed his head with a depre- cating smile. ‘‘ And we have a book, come from the Great Spirit, which says: love your foes, Do good to them that bate you. But I donot argue with my children. can only tell them what is right, and if they will not heed my words theirs is the blame before the Great Spirit. May I see the stranger?” Sitting Bull bowed his head. ‘* May I speak with him alone?” Slocum waited anxiously for the reply. Sitting Bull looked up at the priest, and there was a tune of warning in his voice as he an- swered: ‘Why should you see him alone? I¢ is not necessary. ‘‘T ask to do so, nevertheless,” returned Father de Smedt, quietly. The chief appeared to hesitate for a little while, and Slocum was surprised to see that be was uneasy. The lord of the encampment looked sullen and rebellious under the eye of the quiet priest, but it was easy to see that be was under the in- flue.ce of Father de Smedt, for he tried to evade the missionary’s eye as be answered: ‘*T donot see why you should. Do you wish to oH bim to escape?” Father de Smedt drew himself up with the first emotion he had vet displayed. “Have I shown that I am your foe?’ he asked with a quiet severity that proved his utter fearlessness. ‘‘T have lived among your people for how long that I should now be asked kill a prisoner, have I interfered with yout You know better. I have told you often that it is not for this life I labor, but the next. Tor- ments endure but for an hour, but the life of the next world is forever. I desire to see this stranger and prepare him for the world to — Sach he fail to satisfy your people in this. Can I goin or not? Sitting Bull listened with averted head, and his tone was one of grumbling acquiescence as he answered: ' “You have the liberty of the camp. Give your word as a priest that he shall not be al- owed to escape, and you can take bim where you will, . Father de Smedt made_the sign of the cross over the Indian’s forehead. “T accept the trust, He shall be brought back to this lodge before sunset.” ae he looked Se a Jotge and beckoned to Slocum, saying in English: | ** Come "here. monsieur. I would speak with you a little. Are you a Catholic?” Slocum rose and greeted the priest politely. “T am vot, father; but I hope I am a fair sort of a Christian.” * such a question as that? If you have sworn to” Seth Slocum, Railroad Surveyor. i eed Rr ee —_— ~« ——— =. =- & —_ Father de Smedt looked at bim with some curiosity as he advanced, and replied: ‘I hope so too, my son; for ours is the only religion that can sustain a manin the trials about to befall you.” Sitting Bull did not look up from the place where he was sitting at the door of the lodge: but Slocum, obeying the priest’s signal, accom- panied him from the place and walked out into the camp. Not fifty yardsfrom the lodge, be saw the teepee of Bat Richards, and Montana George was seated before it on a stone, in au attitude of deep dejection, his weapons taken from him; while the half-breed, dressed up in all the Indian finery of which he was possessed, was standing by the lodge door, the center of a group of warriors with whom he was convers- ing in the silent sign language of the plains, As they passed the lodge, Montana George looked up at Slocum in a despairing way, and rose from his seat to say: ‘‘Ob, Mr. Slocum, I knowed this would end in bad. The devils are as sweet as honey, now they’ve got us, They'll roast us alive. You'll see. Ob whata fool I was to come here with you. The man, generally a brave, determined fel- low, seemed to be completely demoralized, and Slocum asked him: ‘‘What’s the matter, George? You have been the bravest of friends so far, What has happened to change you thus?” ontana George cast a suspicious look at the priest, and answered: ‘‘ Never mind; you'll see. God forgive you for bribing me to come here. I don’t know nothin’ bout your Injun societies, and I don’t wanter. If ’d knowed you was a squaw-man I'd never have come bere. But you’ll see some day what it'll all come to.” ‘What do you mean?’ asked Slocum with some indignation. ‘' Do you suppose I’m going to betray you?’ Montana laughed bitterly. - ‘IT don’t spose nothing, but don’t you trust too much to your societies. Life’s as sweet to me as it is to you, and don’t bo forget it Dente If I want to tell what I know, I can tell it, Slocum Jooked bim in the eye, and saw that the plainsman could not meet bis glance squarely; while there was a wild, frenzied look about bim that showed bis reason was tempo- rarily unbinged. The fact was that Montana George was frightened balf to death, and had reason to be. He knew the Sioux well, The young surveyor tried to soothe him by telling him: ‘‘George, we have nothing toconceal. We came here to trade, and it’s no one’s business what we buy. You've nc cause to fear if I am friends with the Indians; for we are bound to- gether, as you know,” Montana George shook bis bead sullenly. “ That’s all right of course, You're eddicated, and know how totalk. Seeif your eddication will get you out of this muss, I ain’t mueb on French, but I kin tell when I bear Bat Richards telling folks what fun they’ll bave making a target of me, It’s all right, but 1 know this. If they put me to the torture, 1 won’t be the only one.’ And with that be turned away and went to eit down on his stone, while the Indians, who had been watching the collcquy, began to talk to each otber on tkeir fingers, with great rapid- - end marks of intense enjoyment of the joke of torturing George. — Father de Smedt had listened with the im- passive gravity of a statue to the whole tirade of the uneducated plainsman, and now he plucked Slocum’s arm and said: ‘'Con e, my son, we have no time to waste,” . The young man walked away with bis con- ductor, coger, throvgh tbe midst of cemp after camp, till they came to an open meadow by the river, beyond which the ponies were herded. Everywhere they passed, Slocum saw that furtive eyes were watchirg them; but no one cffered any opposition to their progress, and the priest said nothing till they got to the meadow, out of earshot of anybody. Then be took a seat on a rock, waved Slocum to another, and said: “Do you speak French?” “Yes, father,” was the answer, in that tongue. *T am glad of it, for my English is not easy from want of use. bat have you come bere for, my son?” Slocum evaded the reply. ‘Has not Sitting Bull told you?” **T bave not asked bim.” “Has no one else told you?” ‘Yes. The Horse Chief and Powder Face bave said that you belong to the Indian Order of the Black Cloud. Is that true?” “ Certainly, father.” | ‘* And bave you come bere and put your bead into the jaws of the bear, merely for love of a silly and superstitious ceremony? To be called achief by a few savages in a dark lodge, and i ee signs and words that mean no- ng : | Slocum was nettled at the scornful tone, comicbooks » CoO j - ~~" « = i