"The Iron Horse"

Manawatu Times, Volume XLIX, Issue 3263, 5 February 1926, Page 9

"The Iron Horse"

By Edwin 0- Hill.

CHAPTER Vll.— Continued,

Davy determined to journey to Mata-Tatonka’s village on Powder River and could not be dissuaded by the trader. His confidence was justified and three days after he left Port Laramie he rode Into the straggling village of teppes to bo greeted Immediately by Henry Spence. MataTatonka received them in his lodge where Spence lived when with the tribe’, and gave them the place of honour! The Chief was the finest, looking red man Davy had ever seen Erect, he stood more than six feet, carrying himself with an assured air of power and inflexible resolution. Throughout the tribe his will was law. Craft, real sagacity and much success in the incessant warfares of the Sioux against Crows, Pawnees, Arapahoes and the Gros Ventres Piackfeet had won him great renown.

Spenee presented Davy as his younger brother and Mata-Tatonka greeted the youth with a deep, resonant “How!” and with a handgrip that made David wince. Ho looked every Inch the savage prince of a powerful people. The white men remained silent, obeying the etiquette demanded. Mata-Tatonka’s first wife handed her lord his ceremonial pipe, of carved red.sandstone and filled It with thhe mixture of tobacco and red willow root, which the Sioux preferred to the uiiadultered weed. MataTatonka lifted the pipe to the four quarters, Indulged in a whiff, then passed It from left to left, handing it first to the newcomer. Davy Imitated his host, then paissed the' pipe to Spence, who, In turn, whiffed a little cloud of smoke before returning it to the chief. The squaw replaced It on«the wall of the tepee, where it hung with a hundred, trophies of battle and the chase. Followed a silence in which Mata-Tatonka studied Davy without especially seeming to do so, Yet Davy was thoroughly aware that the fierce black eyes were probing him.

"It is good.” said Mata-Tatonka, presently. ‘They say a young eagle has flown from the mountain top. They say it is a white eagle with a red heart. ~ It Is Mata-Tatonka’s wish that the youth who Ismiles will spread his rolpe In his lodge. Mat-Tatonka shall be his elder brother.”

“Spence translated, saying to Davy: “Your medicine is strong. You have made a fine impression on the chief. He likes (style. Better offer him something—give him a presentIf you have anything."

"Say to the great war chief that I am only a young man who has performed no great-deeds and who lacks words to thank so renowned a warrior as Mata-Tatonka,” said Davy. "Tell him that I am proud to be his friend. Say to him that I have brought him a present.” Spence, highly pleased, spoke rapidly In the Oglalla tongue and Mata-Tatonka’s eyes gleamed, though his stern face remained Impassive. Davy hastened from the lodge, searched his pack and found a handsome hunting knife, with an unusu-, ally long blade and ‘ silver.mounted handle. Returning, he placed the fine knife In Mata-Tatonka's hand, almost melting the chief’s iron reserve.

"Mata-Tatonka will count many coups with his now knife.” he said proudly. ‘He will have many new scalps of Crow dogs to hang in his lodge. It is good!”

Ho called to his squaw and meat wats served, buffalo rump boiled with a sweet root that Davy had nevei before tasted, the whole good and well cooked . The squaw served it in ladles of horn. After meat they smoked a long while with no worw spoken. Then Spence asked permission to see Mata.Tatonka’s winter count, something few white men had ever looked upon, the Jealouslyguarded and almost sacred record of the tribe, written in pictographs winter after winter, for a century and a half, upon the dressed inner side of a white buffalo robe. The winter count ran in spirals from the centre, a scries of widening circles, each cerele composed of a succession of crude, yet eloquent pictures recording some significant event that mark, ed each year of Ogalalla history. Mata-Tatonka himself arose, found the tribal record and carefully unrolled it from its covering of skins. He spread it upon the floor of the lodge. Spence’s fore finger traced backward. os he mentally computed the years in white men's terms. Then, with his finger, pointed to a crow which seemed to be falling, brokenwinged from the air, he spoke.

“As my brother sees ,thig was Kill. ed-Many-Crows Winter,” he said to Mata-Tatonka, and added to Davy. “It was the year Mata-Tatonka’s father whipped the Crows on Lodge Pole Creek the same year your daddy was killed in the Black Hills. Count, ing backward make® it '63. “The People of the Bear took many Crow scalps,” said the chief, proudly. “They say Mata-Tatonka’s women made a trail rope of Crow hair. They say the People of the Bear braided Crow into the tails of their horses!” “My brother is a great warrior,” ageed Spence. “In that year, he went on, “my young brother and his father were attacked by the Rgd People, the Cheyennes, who were led by a white 'man w r ho hated all white people. The heart o£ this white man was very black. His heart was a snake’s heart His mother was of the Red People and he made many young men of her tribe foolish with lying words and rnini-wakan, whisky. Ho led the

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foolish young men into' thieving and useless slaying. They called this man Two Fingers because his right hand was maimed. Two Fingers murdered my young brothers father, not as brave men fight, but as cowards fight. Docs Mata-Tatonka know this man ? “Hata-Tatonka does not know him,’ responded the chief. “There has been much talk in the lodges of this man. They say he no longer rides with the Red People. They gay that he went from the Red People in Star-Passed-With-a.Loud-iVoise Winter. Some say he was heyoka and that the Thunderbird slew him. Mata-Tatonko does not know. He was a very bad man?” “The Chief says that the renegade left the Cheyennes about three years ago, the winter they saw a great falling star which exploded not far from their village, and that there are different stories about him ,some saying he was ‘heyoka’ crazy: some that he was killed by lightning,' others that he just dropped out of sight That’s about all I’ve been able to pick up anywhere. Seems to be no trail.”

“That devil is alive and somewhere in this country. Davy said to Spence after they had left the lodge of the Chief. “Some day we’ll cut his trail. When that time comes ” “Your father was a good man,” said Spence. “His bones must be covered.”

Davy fell easily into the life of his friend, whopi ho looked upon as a wise, dependable older brother. Spence was hunting and trapping in the Powder Elver country .adding to his store of pelts by trading with Mata.Tatonka’s people. He J taught Davy the lore of the country in the many months that, passed as they slowly worked northward toward the Yellowstone. The friendship of MataTatonka opened all lodges to them. Davy came to a more complete understanding of the Indians than is acquired by most white men ,for . he lived their life and to some degree fell into their ways of thinking. He hunted with them and played their games ,and once . against Spence's advice,. accompanied a. small band of young dare-devils yearning for glory on a horse-stealing raid against the cleverest of all horse thelves, the Crows. It wais a successi'in roray, td be chronicled in the Oglalla winter count as They-Took-Many-Horses Winter. Davy returned something of a hero among the young braves ,and looked upon with growing respect by the elders of the tribe.

Mata-Tatonka calmly offered his second daughter, Little Sun. to Davy one evening as they sat at meat in the Chief’s lodge, and seemed puzzled when Davy refused politely but emphatically. Little Sun was pretty enough as Indian girls went, though with a plumpness that presaged un. beautiful bulk within a few years. He told the Chief that ho felt highly honoured, but that his was a man’s trail .a lone trail of vengeance, He could not take a wife because he must go out alone, before many moons, to seek his father’s slayer. That was an explanation perfectly comprehensible to Mata-Tatonka, and the matter dropped there, although Little Sun, who had made eyes at Davy many times In her father’s lodge,, was mournful. “You did well.” said Spence. “White men who tie up with Injun women are fools. It usually leads to bad trouble, and they have to feed a passlo of their wife’s relatives. The girl’s kind of purty. though." "I don’t care for girls, white or rod,” said Davy, blushing like a girl himself. 'They used to make a lot of fun of me in Sacramento because I never had a sweetheart. I like tjiem well enough, Silent, but oh, 1 don’t know I have never seen any one of them that I wanted to pale off with.” They left, the Oglalla tribe one spring and worked westward to the enchanted land of the Yellowstone. Spenee had been there years before with Bridget, but to Davy it was a region of marvels with its springs Of boiling water, its leaping fountains, and its giant trees. Eventually, they turned south towards Port Laramie, where there was news that made Davy’s heart leap—news of the railroad. Davy had been iso long in the wilderness that no hint of the truth had reached him. Now he learned that the road was building, coming fast; that its eastern part had reached North Platte on the Platte River In Nebraska, and that the western part had forged ahead in California to the slope of the Sierra Nevada Mountains.

Eagerly he told Spence that he would start at once for North Platte. “I’ve just got to go,” he said. “Something calls me. I've felt it

stronger and stronger the last year. It’s strange and I can't explain It to myself, but it’s there.” ‘‘Better wait until e wagon train passes goin’ East,” said Spence. “The news here Is that the Cheyennes and Sioux are on the warpath against this railroad of yours. Talk is that there’ll bo fightin’ every mile of the way. The Injuns are wild with fear and hate. Mata-Tatonka’s Oglallas' were our friends by a happen so. "Won't be the same on the plains. . I can’t, leave here yet,A while.” "No," said Davy, stubbornly. ’T’m going. I’ve got to risk it. Mata-Ta-tonka’s young men have taught me a few tricks. Besides, Star can outrun any Indian pony that ever bucked. Come when you can. Silent. YduTl find me a railroad man, pounding spikes, maybe.”'

“That’s a hell pf a ambition,” said Spence.

The next day Major Anson, commanding the post sent for Davy, “I hear you are riding to the Platte,” he said. “If you are bent on going you can be of great service to the army. I have dispatches I would like to get to Kearney, but there’s no scout here I can trust, or who wants to'make the trip. How about it?” T’m your man,” said Davy, “Have ’em ready at sun ?up, Major, for I am sure hitting the trail.” (To Be Continued.)