Rensselaer Union, Volume 6, Number 43, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 16 July 1874 — A Sioux Trick. [ARTICLE]

A Sioux Trick.

'\ v It is less than five years “since tire writ-, er visited the encampment of one of tlie remnant bands of Indians on the upper Missouri and got .an. insight into tlie strategy and cunning which Gen. Custer and liis expedition to the Black lHlls-w ill have to learn exists in the make-up of a Sioux Indian, as Gen, Thomas and companions learned, too late, existed in the nature of a Modoc. The little band visited by your narrator liad, with all the inferior tribes of that region, from the earliest recollection of the grayest and most ancient medicineman of the band, been subjected to tlie thieving raids of the mighty Sioux, who are. in the vernacular of their weaker red brothers, “ heap bad Irijun.” Only six weeks before the visit to the Poncas, for that is the name of tlie band called upon, tlie Sioux had attacked the lodges at night, and stolen every pony and valuable they could get hold of, besides taking particular pains that no papoose (Indian baby) was left to tell tlie tale to future generations. Wliat then was mv surprise, on the occasion of niy trip to the scene bf such diabolical marauding, to hear tlie old white trader who accompanied me say, one morning: “ Bless my hide, if there ain’t one of them Sioux dogs standin’ over on that hill, motionin' as tho’ he’d like to. make peace with tlie Poncas.” And sure enough, on a bluff overlooking the lodges, there did stand a genuine ■Sioux chief, with liis hands held up, and niotioriing outward—to Indians, a siim of trace.

The encampment had seen the lone representative of old Red Cloud’s colmrts quite as soon as any one, and soon formed a large circle, into which the strange Indian entered, still making the signs of peace. I had heard of the tall-straight-as-an-arrow and noble Red Man: had read of him in poetry; but here was the firs; realization of phjpical beauty in tlic lndian I had effr.ihet in my-life. lie Was fully up to the description of “ tall and straight,” and 'though not more than twenty-eight? years old he- carried himself with a dignity born of nothing else than an innate stoicism, grand it; one so young. A black Government blanket with white border, leggings of buckskin, moccasins, feathers, bracelets, ear-rings and paint furnished dress for the heroic brave,

as lie stood undaunted, with liis enemies seated in a circle ajibul him. Before lie w'bulcE speak, the pipe of peace was brought out, and passing around the Circle he took a putt’ with each dingy entertainer. Then lie told them (as interpreted by the trader) that liis people would have peace with the braves of the Poncas; that bis people had wronged them in the past, when the sun liad gone to sleep and the moon had strayed behind the sky Bills; that the Sioux had stolen their ponies, and done many things, which called for revenge; would the Poncas forgive? would they receive back their ponies and permit “My Soul” (the speaker) to return to his people happier? Buring this speech, to which the circle of warriors grunted assent, there was a sight outside the circle that would furnish a picture for the painting of another Dante’s “ Inferno,” or something worse. The squaws of the tribe had seen the young Sioux, and remembering their dead papooses, killed by the last Sioux attack, they gathered in squads about the Indian peitce circle, and, giving issue to a neverceasing undulat ion of yells' and bewailing® that would outvie a legion of wildcats, they tore their hair, wrung their hands, pointing the while toward their naked and childless bosoms. No Indian chided the squaws, or even seemed to hear the noise which made, a pandemonium of the background. The speech of the Sioux chief was heard, and at liis own suggestion lie returned to the bill wliere'he first appeared, and brought up front the other side a half-dozen dirty natives, leading tlie fifteen or twenty ponies, stolen six weeks before, and handed them over to their rejoicing owners. Another smoke and “ My Soul” anil assistants hade adieu to the spot of their apparent magnanimity. What a wonderful representation was this little episode in the every-day life on tlie frontier of the loftiness of tire Indian character, to be sure! But when w e take into consideration tlie fact that, that selfsame night, u band of Sioux entered the camp and stole tlie whole of those ponies over again, besides tweiveor fifteen fUII- - horses,which the Government had feelingly supplied in c-pir.pensa'tion for tlie loss of ponies by the Sioux, wliat a representation if was of the unfathomable cunning of tlie sons of Japhct! '“'My Soul” was a spy sent to find out where the new horses were corraled.— Ilcniiniseenees of a Western Editor. — f