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diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6833f05 --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,3 @@ +* text=auto +*.txt text +*.md text diff --git a/26565-h.zip b/26565-h.zip Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..b059928 --- /dev/null +++ b/26565-h.zip diff --git a/26565-h/26565-h.htm b/26565-h/26565-h.htm new file mode 100644 index 0000000..96e8272 --- /dev/null +++ b/26565-h/26565-h.htm @@ -0,0 +1,1965 @@ +<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN" + "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd"> + +<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> + <head> + <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html;charset=iso-8859-1" /> + <title> + The Project Gutenberg eBook of The Sheep Eaters, by W. A. Allen + </title> + <style type="text/css"> +/*<![CDATA[ XML blockout */ +<!-- + p { margin-top: .75em; + text-align: justify; + margin-bottom: .75em; + } + h1,h2,h3,h4,h5,h6 { + text-align: center; /* all headings centered */ + clear: both; + } + hr { width: 33%; + margin-top: 2em; + margin-bottom: 2em; + margin-left: auto; + margin-right: auto; + clear: both; + } + + div.centered {text-align: center;} /* work around for IE centering with + CSS problem part 1 */ + div.centered table {margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; + text-align: left;} /* work around for IE centering with CSS problem part 2 */ + + .r {text-align: right;} + .l {text-align: left; padding-left: 2em; font-size: 90%;} + + body{margin-left: 10%; + margin-right: 10%; + } + + .pagenum { /* uncomment the next line for invisible page numbers */ + /* visibility: hidden; */ + position: absolute; + left: 92%; + font-size: smaller; + text-align: right; + } /* page numbers */ + + a {text-decoration: none;} + .center {text-align: center;} + .smcap {font-variant: small-caps;} + + .caption {font-weight: bold;} + + .figcenter {margin: auto; text-align: center;} + + /* XML end ]]>*/ + </style> + </head> +<body> + + +<pre> + +The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Sheep Eaters, by William Alonzo Allen + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: The Sheep Eaters + +Author: William Alonzo Allen + +Release Date: September 9, 2008 [EBook #26565] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE SHEEP EATERS *** + + + + +Produced by Paul Dring and the Online Distributed +Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was +produced from images generously made available by The +Internet Archive/American Libraries.) + + + + + + +</pre> + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 400px;"> +<img src="images/i002-400.jpg" width="400" height="608" alt="W. A. ALLEN, AUTHOR" title="W. A. ALLEN, AUTHOR" /> +<span class="caption">W. A. ALLEN, AUTHOR</span> +</div> + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_1" id="Page_1">[Pg 1]</a></span></p> + +<h1>THE SHEEP EATERS</h1> + +<h5>BY</h5> + +<h2>W. A. ALLEN, D.D.S.</h2> + +<p> +<br /> +<br /> +</p> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 100px;"> +<img src="images/i003-100.jpg" width="100" height="93" alt="decoration" title="decoration" /> +</div> + +<p class="center"> +<br /> +<br /> +THE SHAKESPEARE PRESS,<br /> +114-116 <span class="smcap">East 28th Street</span>,<br /> +<span class="smcap">New York</span>.<br /> +1913. +</p> + +<hr /> + +<p class="center"> +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_2" id="Page_2">[Pg 2]</a></span> +<span class="smcap">Copyright</span>, 1913,<br /> +<i>by</i><br /> +W. A. ALLEN +</p> + +<hr /> + +<p class="center"> +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_3" id="Page_3">[Pg 3]</a></span> +<i>This Book Is Affectionately<br /> +Dedicated To My Friend</i><br /> +<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 4em;"><span class="smcap">Mrs. Clara Dallas.</span></span> +</p> + +<hr /> + +<h2><a name="CONTENTS" id="CONTENTS"></a>CONTENTS</h2> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_5" id="Page_5">[Pg 5]</a></span></p> + +<div class='centered'> +<table border="0" cellpadding="2" width="60%" cellspacing="0" summary="CONTENTS"> +<tr> + <td class="r">Chapter</td> + <td></td> + <td>Page</td> + </tr> +<tr> + <td class="r"><a href="#CHAPTER_I">I</a></td> + <td class="l">AN EXTINCT MOUNTAIN TRIBE</td> + <td class="r">7</td> + </tr> +<tr> + <td class="r"><a href="#CHAPTER_II">II</a></td> + <td class="l">THE OLD SQUAW'S TALE</td> + <td class="r">12</td> + </tr> +<tr> + <td class="r"><a href="#CHAPTER_III">III</a></td> + <td class="l">THE GOLD SEEKER IN THE MOUNTAINS</td> + <td class="r">21</td> + </tr> +<tr> + <td class="r"><a href="#CHAPTER_IV">IV</a></td> + <td class="l">STARTING FOR THE PAINT ROCKS</td> + <td class="r">30</td> + </tr> +<tr> + <td class="r"><a href="#CHAPTER_V">V</a></td> + <td class="l">A TALK WITH LITTLE BEAR</td> + <td class="r">35</td> + </tr> +<tr> + <td class="r"><a href="#CHAPTER_VI">VI</a></td> + <td class="l">CURIOSITIES AROUND PAINT ROCK</td> + <td class="r">45</td> + </tr> +<tr> + <td class="r"><a href="#CHAPTER_VII">VII</a></td> + <td class="l">THE STORY OF AGGRETTA AND THE RED ARROW</td> + <td class="r">54</td> + </tr> +<tr> + <td class="r"><a href="#CHAPTER_VIII">VIII</a></td> + <td class="l">CLOSING WORDS</td> + <td class="r">72</td> + </tr> +</table> +</div> + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> + +<h2><a name="THE_SHEEP_EATERS" id="THE_SHEEP_EATERS"></a>THE SHEEP EATERS</h2> + +<p> +<br /> +<br /> +</p> + +<h3><a name="CHAPTER_I" id="CHAPTER_I"></a>CHAPTER I</h3> + +<h5>AN EXTINCT MOUNTAIN TRIBE</h5> + +<p> +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_7" id="Page_7">[Pg 7]</a></span> +The Sheep Eaters were a tribe of Indians that became extinct about fifty +years ago, and what remaining history there is of this tribe is +inscribed upon granite walls of rock in Wyoming and Montana, and in a +few defiles and canyons, together with a few arrows and tepees remaining +near Black Canyon, whose stream empties into the Big Horn River. Bald +Mountain still holds the great shrine wheel, where the twenty-eight +tribes came semi-annually to worship the sun, and in the most +inaccessible places may still be found the remains of a happy people. +Small in stature and living among the clouds, this proud race lived a +happy life far removed from all other Indians.</p> + +<p> +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_8" id="Page_8">[Pg 8]</a></span> +The Shoshones seem to be a branch of the Sheep Eaters who afterwards +intermarried with the Mountain Crows, a tall race of people who gave to +the Shoshones a taller and better physique. From what can be gleaned, +the Sheep Eater women were most beautiful, but resembled the Alaskan +Indians in their shortness of stature.</p> + +<p>These people drew their name from their principal article of food, +Mountain Sheep, although, when winter set in, elk and deer were often +killed when coming down before a driving snow storm.</p> + +<p>Their home life was simple. They lived in the grassy parks of the +mountains which abounded in springs of fresh water, and were surrounded +by evergreens and quaking asps and sheltered by granite walls rising +from fifty to a thousand feet high. Their tepees were different from +those of all other tribes, and were not covered with rawhide but +thatched with quaking asp bark, and covered with a gum and glue made +from sheep's hoofs. Another variety were covered with pitch pine gum.</p> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 500px;"> +<img src="images/i012-500.jpg" width="500" height="332" alt="WHEEL OF THE HOLY SHRINE, BALD MOUNTAIN, WYO." title="WHEEL OF THE HOLY SHRINE, BALD MOUNTAIN, WYO." /> +<span class="caption">WHEEL OF THE HOLY SHRINE, BALD MOUNTAIN, WYO.</span> +</div> + +<p> +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_9" id="Page_9">[Pg 9]</a></span> +In this manner lived the twenty-eight tribes of Sheep Eaters, carving +their history on granite walls, building their homes permanently among +the snowy peaks where they held communion with the sun, and worshipping +at their altar on Bald Mountain, which seems likely to remain until the +Sheep Eaters are awakened by Gabriel's trumpet on the morning of the +resurrection.</p> + +<p>Never having been taught differently, they believed in gods, chief of +which was the sun, and consecrated their lives to them; and their +eternal happiness will be complete in the great Happy Region where all +is bright and warm. The great wheel, or shrine, of this people is eighty +feet across the face, and has twenty-eight spokes, representing the +twenty-eight tribes of their race. At the center or hub there is a house +of stone, where Red Eagle held the position of chief or leader of all +the tribes. Facing the north-east was the house of the god of plenty, +and on the south-east faced the house of the goddess of beauty; and due +west was the +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_10" id="Page_10">[Pg 10]</a></span> +beautifully built granite cave dedicated to the sun god, +and from this position the services were supposed to be directed by him. +Standing along the twenty-eight spokes were the worshippers, chanting +their songs of praise to the heavens, while their sun dial on earth was +a true copy of the sun.</p> + +<p>A short time ago I learned that among the Mountain Crows there lived an +old woman, who was the very last of her tribe, and who was so old she +seemed like a spirit from another world. She had outlived her people and +had wandered away from her home on the mountains into the valleys, +living on berries and wild fruit as she wandered. She alone could read +the painted rocks and tell their meaning, and could relate the past +glories of the tribe and the methods of the arrow makers, who +transformed the obsidian into the finished arrows ready to kill the +mountain ram.</p> + +<p>I was very anxious to see this creature, who had outlived her race and +her usefulness, and so one day I saddled my horse, Billie, put on +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_11" id="Page_11">[Pg 11]</a></span> my +cartridge belt, took my rifle in my hand, and set out for the mountains +where I knew a small band of Mountain Crows were hunting buffalo on Wind +River.</p> + +<p>After a long ride I passed Bovay Creek and struck the Buffalo Trail, +which led directly toward the mountains. It soon headed toward the south +and I crossed a mountain stream and headed toward the Big Horn Canyon. I +had gone about two miles when I discovered something to my right sitting +on the remains of a mountain cedar, and in a moment I was on the scene. +I pulled up my horse and dismounted and discovered that I had found the +object of my search, the Sheep Eater squaw. +</p> + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> + +<h3><a name="CHAPTER_II" id="CHAPTER_II"></a>CHAPTER II</h3> + +<h5>THE OLD SQUAW'S TALE</h5> + +<p> +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_12" id="Page_12">[Pg 12]</a></span> +Passing the Big Horn Canyon, where the rushing waters were beaten into +spray, and where granite walls were shining like great sapphires +reflected in the sun's bright rays, I wondered how many centuries it +took to chisel that mighty water way fifty-two miles through this +tortuous mountain. Perpendicular walls of fully 2000 feet are standing +sentinels above this silvery water which goes roaring and foaming +through the narrow abyss.</p> + +<p>The golden eagle closes its wings and falls through space like a rocket +from some unknown world, uttering a scream that resounds like a crash of +lightning. The Big Horn, proudly perched on yonder crag, bids defiance +to all living creatures. For fifteen miles this box canyon has cut +through the backbone of the mountains and holds the clear waters as in +the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_13" id="Page_13">[Pg 13]</a></span> +palm of one's hand. At the mouth of the canyon, where the waters +flow calm as a summer lake, as though tired from their terrible journey, +the rounded boulders, the white sands and quartz that have passed +through, are resting, peaceful as the wild rose which waves to and fro +in the spring zephyrs.</p> + +<p>In the sand lies a dead cedar. Torn from the mountain top and crashing +down the canyon, it was carried by the rushing waters out on to the +beach and deposited in the sand. Sitting on a branch of this cedar is an +old woman. Her white locks hang crisp and short on her bony shoulders; +her face is covered with a semi-parchment, brown as the forest leaves, +and drawn tight over her high cheek bones; her eyes are small and sunken +in her head, but the fire has not yet gone out. An old elk skin robe, +tattered and torn, is thrown across her shoulders, with its few +porcupine quills still hanging by the sinew threads where they were +placed a century ago. The last of her race! Yes, long ago her people +have become extinct, +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_14" id="Page_14">[Pg 14]</a></span> +passed away leaving her to die. But alas, death +does not claim her, and she wanders alone until picked up by the +mountain Absarokees.</p> + +<p>I sat down by her side and asked her by sign talk: "Are you a Sioux?" +She shook her head. "Are you a Blackfoot?" Again she shook her head, and +the effort seemed to tire her. I made many signs of the different +tribes, but in the Crow sign she said "No" to them all. Her form seemed +to be of rawhide, and on her fingers were still a few old rings made +from the horn of the bighorn ram.</p> + +<p>I gave her some of my lunch, as I ate, and she munched it with a set of +old teeth worn to the gums. She ate in silence until all was gone; then +I told her I was a medicine man, and asked her how old she was. She held +up ten stubs of fingers, all of which had been partly cut off while +mourning for dead relatives, then took them down until she had counted +one hundred and fifteen years. Her eyes brightened, and she fronted away +to the main range to a towering crag of granite, facing +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_15" id="Page_15">[Pg 15]</a></span> +the north, +where Bull Elk Canyon empties into the Big Horn. She held her withered +arm high above her head and said in sign language:</p> + +<p>"My people lived among the clouds. We were the Sheep Eaters who have +passed away, but on those walls are the paint rocks, where our +traditions are written on their face, chiseled with obsidian arrow +heads. Our people were not warriors. We worshipped the sun, and the sun +is bright and so were our people. Our men were good and our women were +like the sun. The Great Spirit has stamped our impressions on the rocks +by His lightnings; there are many of our people who were outlined on +those smooth walls years ago; then our people painted their figures, or +traced them with beautiful colored stones, and the pale face calls them +"painted rocks." Our people never came down into the valleys, but always +lived among the clouds, eating the mountain sheep and the goats, and +sometimes the elk when they came high on the mountains. Our tepees were +made of the cedar, thatched with grey moss and +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_16" id="Page_16">[Pg 16]</a></span> +cemented with the gum +from the pines, carpeted with the mountain sheep-skins, soft as down. +Our garments were made from the skins of the gazelle, and ornamented +with eagle feathers and ermine and otter skins.</p> + +<p>"We chanted our songs to the sun, and the Great Spirit was pleased. He +gave us much sheep and meat and berries and pure water, and snow to keep +the flies away. The water was never muddy. We had no dogs nor horses. We +did not go far from our homes, but were happy in our mountain abode. +Then came the Sioux, who killed the elk and buffalo in the valleys. They +had swarms of dogs and horses, and ran the game until it left the +valleys and went far away. Their people were always at war and stealing +horses, which was very wrong in the sight of our people, who never stole +anything. Our men were fearless and brave, and could bring down all +kinds of game with their bows and arrows, and were contented; but the +Sioux were not contented with fighting their enemies, but came to our +mountain home and +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_17" id="Page_17">[Pg 17]</a></span> +began to try to ascend the trail. Our chief met +them on the steep precipice and ordered them to stop where they were, +but they murmured and made signs of battle. Our people had great masses +of rock as large as houses, where they could let them loose down the +trail and crush the Sioux into the earth as they were all down in a deep +canyon.</p> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 400px;"> +<img src="images/i021-400.jpg" width="400" height="630" alt=" +SHEEP EATER SQUAW 115 YEARS OLD +"THE WOMAN UNDER THE GROUND"" title="SHEEP EATER SQUAW 115 YEARS OLD +"THE WOMAN UNDER THE GROUND"" /> +<span class="caption"> +SHEEP EATER SQUAW 115 YEARS OLD +"THE WOMAN UNDER THE GROUND"</span> +</div> + +<p>"The Sioux stopped and began a war council, and began to paint and get +ready for battle. Our chief got the great rocks ready, and then sent a +runner to tell the Sioux that our people never went into the valleys nor +killed the buffalo, and that we wished to be apart from all other +people. After a long council the Sioux fired a volley of arrows at our +runner, and wounded him in the thigh. He came to the chief greatly +alarmed at the dreaded Sioux as they were many.</p> + +<p>"The ponies in the valley below were strange looking creatures to us; we +had never seen them before. The dogs were howling and the valley rang +with the wild warwhoop. The +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_18" id="Page_18">[Pg 18]</a></span> +time had come for action, and the Sheep +Eaters assembled at the narrow trail, headed by their chieftain, Red +Eagle, with his bow six feet long, made from the mountain ram's horn, +and bound with glue and sinew from the sheep's neck. Great excitement +prevailed. The squaws and children had hidden among the rocks with all +their robes and earthly possessions. The wild and savage Sioux knew no +fear and were pressing up the narrow trail with war paint and feathers, +their grim visages scowling in the sunlight as they came.</p> + +<p>"Red Eagle, with that bravery known only to his tribe, waited until they +had reached the most dangerous precipice. Then with a great lever that +had been prepared years before, he loosened the great rock from its +moorings, and with one crash it sped down the canyon like a cyclone, +tearing the trees from their roots, and starting the rocks, until the +canyon became one great earthquake. The screams of the terrified +Indians, the howling of dogs and the neighing of horses were heard in +one awful roar. The +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_19" id="Page_19">[Pg 19]</a></span> +battle was over. The canyon was a mass of blood, +and death was abroad in the valley. Not a living thing was to be seen.</p> + +<p>"Red Eagle took a horn made of red cedar, and gave one long quivering +blast which echoed and reechoed through the alps and was carried across +the glaciers to every part of the mountain. Then the women and children +came back and once more took shelter in their comfortable homes."</p> + +<p>I arose and gave the old crone the balance of my lunch, and told her I +was going to see that mountain some day and see their houses, but she +held up her hand and said, "Away up mountain long time ago, maybe so, no +tepee now."</p> + +<p>And I went and left her sitting alone on the old tree, waiting for the +Great Spirit to come take her to her tribe, over on the happy hunting +ground, where scenes of warfare and savage Sioux would never molest them +again. As I left her alone on the bank of the Big Horn I could not help +feeling a pang of pity for the +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_20" id="Page_20">[Pg 20]</a></span> +wild woman of the Rockies, whose life +had been spent among the canyons, and on the streams whose waters had +chiseled great passages through those granite walls centuries ago. She +who was once a belle in her tribe and had lived to see the extermination +of her people, and now wandered alone wishing to die and pass beyond. +The earth was not to her as it had been in her youth.</p> + +<p>I shall never forget the spell that came over me as she raised her +palsied arm and showed me where she had lived a hundred years ago. +Something seemed to tell me she was speaking the truth and my trip to +that mountain became a living passion from that day. +</p> + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> + +<h3><a name="CHAPTER_III" id="CHAPTER_III"></a>CHAPTER III</h3> + +<h5>THE GOLD SEEKER IN THE MOUNTAINS</h5> + +<p> +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_21" id="Page_21">[Pg 21]</a></span> +On the apex of Medicine Mountain, whose rugged cliffs hold communion +with the fleeting clouds, and where the winds sing dismal songs among +the cedar boughs, there the forked lightnings at intervals light up the +panorama and a thousand beautiful springs and waterfalls sparkle like +myriads of diamonds. The mountain ash and the golden leaves of the +mountain quaking asp cast their shadows to make perfect this great +wonderland, whose colors are more splendid than the rainbow or the +golden setting of the western sun.</p> + +<p>Among such scenery one could live away from the gilded vices and the +artificial lives of the crowded cities, and it was close to the god of +nature these people lived and carved their history on the mountains and +rocks, worshipped the sun because it was warm and bright, and +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_22" id="Page_22">[Pg 22]</a></span> because +it lighted the narrow trail through the defiles of the mountains, across +the streams and through the cool green forests, along the rugged cliffs +where the horny hoofs of the elk, deer, and mountain sheep had blazed a +trail so narrow and so steep that none but the Sheep Eaters dare travel +its rugged heights.</p> + +<p>Along these trails could be seen at the four seasons of the year, all of +the Sheep Eaters, wending their way to the sacred shrine, the great +wheel, with its gates and its gods of plenty and light. Here on an +elevated spur a thousand feet above the Porcupine Basin, standing out to +the east, is a great look-out, where the great sun dial with its +twenty-eight spokes representing the twenty-eight tribes of the Sheep +Eaters, overlooking the great Grey Bull country, the Ten Sleep Mountains +and the Teton Peaks sweeping down toward the Big Horn Canyon. There the +Grey Bull and Wind River and Sage Creek are sweeping through Big Horn +Canyon, with its chiseled walls, more than a third of a mile in height, +and its serpentine +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_23" id="Page_23">[Pg 23]</a></span> +trail fifty-two miles into the Big Horn River, and +thence into the Yellowstone and Missouri and on to the ocean.</p> + +<p>Here nature's god had spread with lavish hand the richest and the +greatest blessings to the Sheep Eaters. The buffalo down in the valleys, +the antelope on the plains, the gazelle along the streams, and the elk, +black-tail and big horn on the mountains, the mountain grouse, and the +streams filled with trout, camas root for bread, cherries, raspberries, +and strawberries, made a Garden of Eden for these people until a +thousand years had passed, and the tribes increased to twenty-eight +before the onward march of the Sioux across and beyond the Mississippi +and Missouri brought them into the Sheep Eaters' country.</p> + +<p>Around the base of these mountains were many alluring deposits of gold, +and small gold camps had started at Fire Springs, Bear Creek and on the +east and west forks of the historical Little Big Horn, all in or near +the beautiful Porcupine Basin. But the alluring grains of +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_24" id="Page_24">[Pg 24]</a></span> +the precious +metal could not be found in paying quantities and the miners had quietly +packed their plunder and "hiked the trail" to more plentiful paying +"diggins."</p> + +<p>The entire village was deserted except for the venerable Captain Jack, +who still drew a pension from the English Government which, small as it +was, supported him in this beautiful country.</p> + +<p>As we swung down the trail which passed near his cabin door, we were +hailed by the old veteran, coming wet from his claim with a pan of sand, +which showed many grains of bright gold.</p> + +<p>"Just took up a small pan, it's sure rich," he said, "get down and we +will have supper and some deer steak."</p> + +<p>This was too much, for we were all hungry and tired, and the large +black-tail deer hanging in the corner of his cabin told only too well +that venison was in the larder. Our horses were soon picketed, the packs +stored away, and we +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_25" id="Page_25">[Pg 25]</a></span> +were all straining our eyes to see the precious +gold.</p> + +<p>There were many colors, but all but two or three were very fine. They +had lured thousands to the Basin, but the yellow metal could not be +found in anything like paying quantities. Mr. McKensey told the Captain +that I was quite an expert in placer mining and had been in the Black +Hills, Virginia City, and Old Alder Gulch. This was enough and I had to +agree to stay over a day and see a wonderful clean-up, which would be +tomorrow. I wanted to see more of the wonderful Basin and so decided to +stay over and see the Captain make his week's clean-up, which should run +from seventy-five to a hundred dollars, all told.</p> + +<p>The Captain was seventy years of age, rheumatic, and slightly bent. Only +when speaking of the English Army he straightened his shoulders and was +all soldier. His eyes were a steel grey, and his hair was long and +white, hanging on his shoulders, and he wore a long thin beard. He was +well educated and loved +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_26" id="Page_26">[Pg 26]</a></span> +the mountains with a love only known to the old +pioneer and miner. With assurances of a fine clean-up in the morning we +retired.</p> + +<p>Morning brought the sweet refreshed feeling only known to the tired +mountaineer, and after our breakfast of venison, coffee, fried potatoes +and bacon, we were off for the sluice-boxes laden with the precious +metal.</p> + +<p>As we walked along, the Captain told me that the geological formation +was something wonderful in that region, but with my lifetime of +experience I could see no reason for placer gold in the mountains. The +decomposed mountains showed considerable erosion but the rocks seemed +entirely devoid of granite or quartz, and there was no volcanic action +to be seen. There was considerable iron and sandstone, but no sign +whatever of gravel wash. The small particles of gold had surely been +deposited by some glacial wash from the north in the early formation of +the earth.</p> + +<p>Soon we reached the cut where the Captain had done some wonderful work +in the shale +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_27" id="Page_27">[Pg 27]</a></span> +rock. Where a large spring came out of the ground he had +piled the rock ten feet high on either side, and his dump where he had +piled tons of dirt was in splendid shape. Here was a notice framed in +the miner's style describing the veins, lodes, dips and spurs, running +fifteen hundred feet to the north-west and south-east, corner posts, +etc.</p> + +<p>The sluice-boxes were soon cleaned and the sand and gravel reduced until +we could almost see the bottom of the pan—but no gold. After the entire +contents was retorted with quicksilver and burned out there was not +twenty-five cents worth of gold. The Captain assured me that his partner +had taken several ounces out of the claim and had sent it to the assay +office for melting and refining.</p> + +<p>I said, "Captain, you are an old man and should go to the settlements +and enjoy the remainder of your life." He replied, "There is no place on +this earth so dear to me as these mountains. Here is where I have lived +and here is where I shall die—close to the nature +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_28" id="Page_28">[Pg 28]</a></span> +god and his +beautiful works, among the flowers and birds of summer and the storms +and evergreens of winter."</p> + +<p>It was enough. I caught the inspiration and could have remained with him +had I been so unconventional. But life held something dearer and I was +soon headed toward the cabin.</p> + +<p>"Well, Captain," I said, "you will never find gold in these mountains, +but if you love the crags, and the wild winds and the deer, nature in +all its purity, the bursting of the buds in springtime, the flowers on a +thousand hills, the cold pure water, the frisking squirrels, the pure +air; then stay in the home of the miner, the prospector, the hunter and +the nature lover, until you cross the great divide which is allotted to +all men."</p> + +<p>Our visit with the Captain was at an end, and we must say good-bye, +perhaps forever. Our horses were ready and our packs were lashed on with +the diamond hitch. I got my saddle horse and we moved down the trail, +the Captain talking about his placer. At last +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_29" id="Page_29">[Pg 29]</a></span> +we came to the steep +trail, and he straightened up and said, "Well, when the snow flies I +will see you at your home in the city of Billings, and then I will show +you some gold that will convince you that I am right."</p> + +<p>"Captain," I said, "the latch-string hangs out for you, and if you will +only come and spend the winter with me I shall then endeavor to even up +the score with you for this favor, as I know I can do it in no other +way."</p> + +<p>He replied, "Well, I am glad that you know it, and when you photo the +great paint rocks of the Sheep Eaters, their Wheel or Holy Shrine, their +tepees and landmarks, send me a copy of their wonderful works. And may +the Great Spirit keep you until we meet again. So long, Doctor."</p> + +<p>"So long, Captain, and may your days be full of sunshine."</p> + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> + +<h3><a name="CHAPTER_IV" id="CHAPTER_IV"></a>CHAPTER IV</h3> + +<h5>STARTING FOR THE PAINT ROCKS</h5> + +<p> +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_30" id="Page_30">[Pg 30]</a></span> +Slowly we traveled down the trail full of rounded boulders and stone, +our horses scarcely able to keep their feet, and finally we walked and +led our horses until we reached a valley far below the apex of the +mountain. Here a clear cold stream of water went tumbling down the +valley, and here we unpacked and made our camp for the night.</p> + +<p>While McKensey cooked supper I went after a black bear, whose tracks I +had noticed on the sand at the water's edge. I took a course as near +north-west as possible, and was soon among the trees and rocks which I +loved so well, and which brought remembrance of other days among the +mountains.</p> + +<p>After some wandering I struck a heavy game trail, and could see deer and +bear tracks not over a day old. I filled the magazine of my +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_31" id="Page_31">[Pg 31]</a></span> +rifle and +plunged along at a fast pace. Here and there were thick clumps of +quaking asp, mountain birch, and on the creek banks were choke cherries +and plum trees. Great springs of water bubbled out of the earth, and by +one of these springs I found some of the Sheep Eaters' lodges. They were +decayed and fallen to the earth, but the rounded stones with which they +warmed the water were there, where the great medicine lodges had stood +years before, and where, unmolested, they had passed happy days among +the hills and valleys.</p> + +<p>The old woman's stories of her people were being proved true, and as I +passed onward mile after mile I was entranced with the richness of the +land, the abundance of game that had once held sway among the hills, +shown by the antlers of the elk parched white by the suns, which lay on +every side and the rams' horns often seen by the stream. A few bones of +the little gazelle were among the remains, and a heavy buffalo trail cut +the mountains where once the buffalo +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_32" id="Page_32">[Pg 32]</a></span> +passed through this land out onto +the Yellowstone.</p> + +<p>I had wandered a long way and now cut across the country to the camp +through rocky canyons and dense cedar growth. I started a bear from his +bed but could not find him, and then found that the bear had started a +large band of black-tail deer, which ran about a half a mile and then +walked leisurely along, cropping the bunch grass here and there. About a +mile from camp I jumped a bunch of fourteen of all kinds, and when they +broke cover out of a plum thicket I shot a two-year-old spike buck, cut +off his hams and carried him to camp, where I found the boys waiting for +some venison.</p> + +<p>Our camp fire already lit up the valley, and the clear running stream +glistened as it passed over the granite and quartz of the Porcupine +Basin. Great shadows were thrown among the trees like the ghosts and +goblins on the ride of Tam O'Shanter, who reveled among the witches and +warlocks. But we were hungry and happy +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_33" id="Page_33">[Pg 33]</a></span> +and turned our attention to the +broiling venison and brewing coffee.</p> + +<p>After supper we began a study of the mountains and the probable cause of +gold being distributed all along the streams in such small quantities. +Some said it was deposited by a great glacier from the north, or some +volcanic action on or near the natural park, but no theory seemed wholly +satisfactory.</p> + +<p>When the sun illumined a thousand peaks the next morning, after a +delightful rest, we rode away from this Holy Grail of the Sheep Eaters, +and it was not hard to imagine the character of the little men who lived +among these hills and valleys.</p> + +<p>When we reached the top of the divide we took a south-eastern course for +the famous Paint Rock country, near Shell Creek and its tributaries. Our +route lay through the sage brush of the Bad Lands, and some of the party +were very anxious to stop at a mountain stream and catch some trout. +There were some old +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_34" id="Page_34">[Pg 34]</a></span> +sluice-boxes and deserted cabins, which were very +interesting to the average sightseer.</p> + +<p>But we pulled on for the Paint Rock, and after ten hours hard ride we +arrived on this sacred and historic ground. We picketed our tired +horses, piled our packs under a cottonwood tree, and were soon trying to +unravel the mysteries of an extinct race. Strange to say no horses were +visible on the great calendar of rocks, but men, women, children, and +hieroglyphics were crowded on all available places that one could get to +register some fact or fancy of this tribe.</p> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 500px;"> +<img src="images/i042.jpg" width="500" height="297" alt="SHEEP EATERS PASS TO THE HOLY SHRINE" title="SHEEP EATERS PASS TO THE HOLY SHRINE" /> +<span class="caption">SHEEP EATERS PASS TO THE HOLY SHRINE</span> +</div> + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> + +<h3><a name="CHAPTER_V" id="CHAPTER_V"></a>CHAPTER V</h3> + +<h5>A TALK WITH LITTLE BEAR</h5> + +<p>The term Paint Rocks will convey various meanings to the average reader. +A description seems in order to make more plain what these rocks are +like.</p> + +<p> +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_35" id="Page_35">[Pg 35]</a></span> +Just imagine a stream of clear, pure water running through a canyon, +small and narrow, with a smooth-surfaced rock face, cut by the water +when the earth and stone were young and tender, on which one could write +as on a black-board in a school room. Here the Sheep Eaters came to +record their history. Here father and son came to write the traditions +of their tribe; and here came that old squaw, whose name in her own +tribe, as translated by the Crow chief, Pretty Eagle, was, +"Under-The-Ground." Emblems, original with their tribe, were cut with +the obsidian arrowhead in irregular semicircles. The outlines of men +and<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_36" id="Page_36">[Pg 36]</a></span> +women were about three feet in height. In some places the storms, +the wind and the water, had erased parts of the engraving. In other +places hunters had built their smoking camp-fires against the face of +the rock and blurred the markings, or had wantonly fired bullets into +the faces and destroyed the work of the Indians.</p> + +<p>As I was getting my camera arranged to get a picture of one group, an +old Indian came riding up the creek on a pinto pony. Soon came dogs, and +squaws dragging their tepee poles, and without so much as a "How," they +began tearing off their packs and setting up their lodges. The packs +consisted of old kettles, stale meat, old elk skins made into robes, +parflesakes filled to the brim with pemmican, made of elk fat, choke +cherries, and jerked elk half dried and half horsehair. Several young +puppies, too young to walk, were tied with soft thongs just under the +fore legs of the ponies.</p> + +<p>Within half an hour the whole Little Basin +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_37" id="Page_37">[Pg 37]</a></span> +was filled with the smell of +spoiled meat and musty old blankets, spread in the sun to dry, and the +whole camp looked like the dump ground of a small town.</p> + +<p>The old chief turned the entire care of the horses, dogs, provisions and +camp over to the squaws, and while they were busy, he came slowly toward +the camera, watching every move I made in trying to get a picture of the +Paint Rocks. He was about five feet tall, heavy set and rather dark. His +good, round head well set on fine shoulders, was covered with long, +heavy hair, carefully braided in small braids, which hung below his +waist. At intervals these braids were cemented with some wax and painted +red and green, which gave them the appearance of being bound with +straps. The sternness of his large mouth, square chin, and heavy jaw was +relieved by the large, brown eyes. Three scars on his face told of a +battle fought many years ago, as also did the knife scar on his breast +and the old gun-shot wound. On his wrist were brass wristlets, and +three<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_38" id="Page_38">[Pg 38]</a></span> +missing finger joints told of mournings for his dead. A medicine +bag and a half dozen elk teeth swung at his throat; these and beaded +moccasins and leggings showed him to be a chief. An Indian he was all +through.</p> + +<p>As I turned to look at him he straightened himself to his full height, +and I had taken him in from head to heel when he put his right arm out +in front of him closed his hand, and gave it three rapid motions up and +down, which, in sign talk, is "How do you do." Quick as a flash I +straightened my arm out, laying my thumb across my little finger, made a +half curve, out from the body inward, then an angling sweep down, which +means "Good." A twinkle came in his eye, and he answered by giving me +the same sign.</p> + +<p>I knew him, but twenty years had passed over his head since I last saw +him, and it was twenty-eight years since he and Sitting Bull fought a +duel with knives, on the Big Horn.</p> + +<p>I gave him a challenge and called him a Sioux, which is done by +straightening the +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_39" id="Page_39">[Pg 39]</a></span> +fingers of the right hand, laying the thumb close +into the palm, making a rounded curve outward, then a quick sweep across +the throat. He found and gave me the answer "No." Then he came very +close to me, and when he saw the powder in my face, he gave a grunt of +satisfaction.</p> + +<p>I took off my glove and held out my hand. He grasped it quickly and said +in the Crow language, "Long time ago," then paused—"long—time—ago, +many moons, you heap good to me and my braves."</p> + +<p>"How many moons?" I asked.</p> + +<p>He stopped and his mind was busy running over the many years, many +camp-fires, the wrongs he had sustained from the British Government +which compelled them to leave their homes and come to the United States. +With a sigh he held up one hand, and with the other hand pulled down +three fingers, saying, "Ten, ten, ten."</p> + +<p>I gave him the sign of correct, then his face +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_40" id="Page_40">[Pg 40]</a></span> +brightened, and as the +boys gathered around us, he said, "Do you know who it is?"</p> + +<p>"Yes," I replied, "I know you, you are Little Bear, the chief of the +Cree Nation." He held up his hands and began making rapid signs. "It was +you," he said, "who were our friend when our braves were arrested for +killing buffalo on Razor Creek."</p> + +<p>"Yes," I replied.</p> + +<p>"We never forget our friends," said he. He then gave me a beautiful +peace pipe. The stem was two feet long, with animals engraved on it; and +the bowl was made from Minnesota pipe-stone rock, inlaid with silver.</p> + +<p>Our camp fire was going, and we all sat around it and smoked the pipe of +peace, which is done as follows: The pipe is filled with the bark of a +red willow, and when lighted is handed to the highest or head chief. He +takes one or two long whiffs; then, as he raises his head and blows the +smoke in clouds toward the heavens and the Great Spirit, he passes the +pipe to his guest on the right. This is continued +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_41" id="Page_41">[Pg 41]</a></span> +until the pipe is +empty, and all is done with the greatest reverence toward the Great +Spirit.</p> + +<p>After the peace smoke, Little Bear, with his squaw and his son, took +dinner with us. We had fresh venison, potatoes, onions, hot pancakes and +maple syrup, canned pineapple and coffee. Little Bear ate a hearty +dinner and said it was good, and to meet friends made him very happy.</p> + +<p>After the meal I took some pictures of the rocks, and Little Bear asked +me what I wanted them for. I told him those marks were a history of an +ancient tribe of people.</p> + +<p>"Yes," he said, "many, many, moons. Our tribe knew nothing of them. +Long, maybe so, heap years, much old squaw live with Mountain Crows. +Crows call her 'Under-The-Ground.' She tell much of little folks way up +mountain. Much eat Big Horn sheep. Much pray sun and heap Great Spirit. +Old squaw say, little squaw much good face, all time good, bucks no +fight, yes." +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_42" id="Page_42">[Pg 42]</a></span></p> + +<p>I told him I had been upon the Medicine and Bald mountains and had seen +their shrine wheel, and where they had lived in the Big Horn mountains. +I told him I had also been far up Clark's Fork, where their sheep pens +were, "Yes," I said, "they are all gone. Great chief, Pretty Eagle, and +I were old friends, and he told me all about the little Indians, their +bows and arrows, and many things the old squaw had told him about their +lives on the mountains; but Sheep Eaters, all gone now."</p> + +<p>"Ugh," he replied, "by and by, maybe so, Crees all gone, Crows all. Heap +bad for Injins."</p> + +<p>I told him it would be a long time before that happened, and that some +day perhaps the Government would let the Crees come and live with the +Crows, on the beautiful Little Horn.</p> + +<p>"Yes," he said, "that would be very nice. If the Great Father at +Washington would only say the word, we would come and work very hard. We +do not like our reservation in the north-west. It is too cold and the +land is poor +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_43" id="Page_43">[Pg 43]</a></span> +and the Red Coats are not good to Injins."</p> + +<p>When our visit was over and the Indians were preparing to move, I turned +the camera on the camp. A squaw who was watching me, gave a grunt, +turned her back, and ran; and the others, alarmed scattered like dry +leaves before a wind. They did not return until I had taken the camera +down and put it away. Little Bear explained that they were afraid, +because they thought the camera a bad spirit.</p> + +<p>As the little band moved off toward the north, Chief Little Bear came +and grasped my hand and said, "You have always been my friend, +good-bye."</p> + +<p>As they rode away with all their worldly goods packed on a few poor +cayuses, I could not help contrasting their present condition with that +of thirty years ago. Then the red man owned the country. The plains, the +rivers, the trees were his; and his, too, were the wild horse, the +buffalo, the elk, the deer, and the fish. Self reliant, free, happy, he +was then; today, a beggar. Everything taken from him, +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_44" id="Page_44">[Pg 44]</a></span> +his tribal +relations broken, left alone. The hardest stroke of all was to have the +tribal relations broken, and to be forced under the control of the hated +and despised pale face. Happy indeed were the Sheep Eaters never to have +been driven from their mountain home and never to have known the power +of the pale face!</p> + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> + +<h3><a name="CHAPTER_VI" id="CHAPTER_VI"></a>CHAPTER VI</h3> + +<h5>CURIOSITIES AROUND PAINT ROCKS</h5> + +<p> +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_45" id="Page_45">[Pg 45]</a></span> +For two days we camped among the Paint Rocks, studying them, but could +find nothing that indicated battle or fighting. Neither did we find any +dead, nor graves, nor even bones. If, like the Crows, they buried in the +trees, the last trace was gone. There were no mounds of earth, or +indications of earth burials. The rocks were mostly covered with +likenesses of nude men, women, and children, and with emblems. In places +the artist evidently stood on some elevation of wood or stone, for the +carving was higher than the average man could reach. Along a crest of +sandstone I saw some very odd formations; they looked like huge inverted +cones, that some giant sculptor had carved there. Perhaps they were +formed by the erosion of centuries, or it may have been the wear caused +by the rubbing of the buffaloes, +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_46" id="Page_46">[Pg 46]</a></span> +for we found many of their bones +there, and I have often seen telegraph poles rubbed to the breaking +point. When the buffalo is annoyed by buffalo gnats and his great coat +is filled with mud and sand, he soon wears away a pretty strong pole.</p> + +<p>This was a strange place, and in our search we found geodes, petrified +snakes, and short sections of fish. We also found several petrified +jaw-bones, of what looked to be wolves, still containing the teeth, and +fossils of many kinds. Some looked like vegetables, some were hexagonal, +and some looked as though made of floor tiling. We found many water and +moss agates of various sizes. The ground was covered with some meteoric +rock full of iron.</p> + +<p>Here we passed the day hunting for some graves, but it was no use. Tree +burial seems to have been their method of disposing of the dead. In this +method of burial the body is taken to some low bushy tree, rolled in +fine robes and blankets, and with green strips of elk hide, wrapped to +two or more limbs. This +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_47" id="Page_47">[Pg 47]</a></span> +secures it very firmly, and as the sun and wind +dry out the skin the thongs tighten, until only years of sun and rain, +mice and bugs, eat away the thongs, and the blankets, bones, and skins +are carried away by the wind. In this method of burial the body lasts +about twenty years or less.</p> + +<p>We were tired and hungry when we returned to camp, but we soon had a +blazing fire with all the odors of good things on the breeze. Just as we +sat down to eat, I heard a horse's footfall, and turned to see who it +was. A young brave rode into the trail, and I caught up my gun. His +hands went up like a flash giving me the sign of a Crow. As all the +hunters and trappers in the west, north and south of the Yellowstone +River, know the Crows to be peaceful, I put up my gun and gave him the +sign that I understood what he said.</p> + +<p>Young braves are always the very hardest members of the tribe to engage +in conversation, except a young girl of marriageable age. Both +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_48" id="Page_48">[Pg 48]</a></span> do all +their courting by making eyes at each other.</p> + +<p>I knew him. He was a chief's son. Years before I had got some papers to +Washington for his father. Also I knew he could talk some broken English +and Crow, and was a superb sign talker.</p> + +<p>We began to eat and I made signs for him to picket his horse and join us +at supper. I knew he was trailing the camp outfit, which had gone and +was many miles away by this time. He pretended not to understand, but +looking much disappointed, started to ride away. I hailed him and told +him to go back and get his packs, and come have supper with us, and +picket his horses with ours. His face remained blank, and he showed no +sign of understanding till I added that I was a friend of the Little +Bear chief, and had kept the officers from arresting his braves at Razor +Creek many moons ago. Then his face lighted up. "Ugh, me see you before. +How you know me got pack horses? You no see 'em." +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_49" id="Page_49">[Pg 49]</a></span></p> + +<p>"Never mind, I know Injin," I replied, "I heap plenty see."</p> + +<p>He turned down the trail and soon returned with three good looking +packs, well loaded. I showed him a good place to unpack and he made +short work of it. And then what a supper that Indian did eat!</p> + +<p>After supper I told him the story of the Reil rebellion in Canada, and +how when they got whipped the halfbreeds and Indians came across the +line into the United States; and the history of his grandfather, the Big +Bear, and his father, the Little Bear. All of this amused him and put +him on very easy terms for the night. I asked him why he would not talk +with me when he first came up.</p> + +<p>He said, "Sometimes Injin say too much. Me no talk much. Better so. Some +white man want to know heap too much. You my friend. You Little Bear +friend, my papa."</p> + +<p>"Yes," I said, "I understand, but you can talk like the pale face some, +and you have a Cree alphabet." +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_50" id="Page_50">[Pg 50]</a></span></p> + +<p>"Me no can say what you mean," he replied.</p> + +<p>I took a paper and showed him +some of the letters which ran like this +<img src="images/i058-75.jpg" width="75" height="17" alt="Triangular Symbols" title="Triangular Symbols" /> +</p> + +<p>"Yes, me heap understand."</p> + +<p>"I got some letters from Canada, which were written to your father. Your +sister read them to me in English, and I sent letters to the Great +Father at Washington, to get a place for your tribe with the Crows."</p> + +<p>"Yes, me heap savy now," he said.</p> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 500px;"> +<img src="images/i059-500.jpg" width="500" height="388" alt="ROCKY MOUNTAIN BIG HORN" title="ROCKY MOUNTAIN BIG HORN" /> +<span class="caption">ROCKY MOUNTAIN BIG HORN</span> +</div> + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> + +<h3><a name="CHAPTER_VII" id="CHAPTER_VII"></a>CHAPTER VII</h3> + +<h5>THE STORY OF AGGRETTA AND RED ARROW</h5> + +<p> +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_51" id="Page_51">[Pg 51]</a></span> +On my return I passed the Little Horn, swung to the west, and traveled +up the Big Horn to the canyon, where I found some mixed Indians who were +busy catching and drying white fish. There were River Crows, Shoshones, +and a few Mountain Crows camped along the river in their summer homes or +wickyups.</p> + +<p>After I had dismounted, taken off my packs, and turned my horses loose +to eat the bountiful bunch grass with which the ground was carpeted, I +went up the river to where some rocks projected into the water and soon +caught a dozen fine trout, and began getting my supper. Just as all was +ready, I saw the old Sheep Eater squaw sitting on the ground not far +away. I went over to her and, taking her by the arm, led her to my camp +fire and helped her +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_52" id="Page_52">[Pg 52]</a></span> +to a portion of my broiled trout, potatoes, and +coffee. She kept her eyes on me for a while as she ate, then said in +sign talk, "I know you now."</p> + +<p>I answered, "Yes?"</p> + +<p>When she had finished eating, she drank her coffee and setting the tin +cup down, said with a sigh, "Heap good." Then, after giving me a long +and earnest look, "Me heap know you, yes, long time ago; heap talk about +mountains and Sheep Eaters, yes."</p> + +<p>This was my chance, and I was not slow to take it. "Yes," I said, "and I +should like to know more of your people," and as she made no reply I +went on, "about the young people, about how they get married."</p> + +<p>Still without looking at me, she answered: "Me all time know about young +Chief Red Arrow, Papoose, and the beautiful young squaw, Aggretta; face +all time like sun, all time beautiful eyes like stars, Aggretta bring +springtime and flowers, heap. Yes I tell pale face about Red Eagle +Papoose and Aggretta." +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_53" id="Page_53">[Pg 53]</a></span></p> + +<p>By this time many braves were standing around the camp-fire listening to +the old Sheep Eater, who rarely talked of her people. She settled +herself more comfortably, pulled her blanket around her shoulders, and +began her tale in a dull, listless way, but as scene after scene came +before her mind, she forgot her audience and herself and lived again +those days of her girlhood. As I watched the flush come to her cheeks +and the light kindle in her eyes, I lost sight of the withered old relic +of a tribe now passed away, and saw only the beautiful girl of the past +taking part in the scenes she so vividly described.</p> + +<p>This is the story she told: "Red Eagle papoose no name yet. He never do +anything to get name. Papoose boy must do something good, save some +life, do some great act before he can be great man. Aggretta get name +because she so beautiful. Papoose go see Aggretta, stay long time, give +her beautiful eagle feathers and beads, but Aggretta no make beautiful +eyes at him. Come summer time, Aggretta +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_54" id="Page_54">[Pg 54]</a></span> +go to mountain top to pray to +sun. Come dark night, storm, Aggretta get lost among clouds. The great +storm swept all over mountains and snow fell on ground, on mountain top.</p> + +<p>"When Red Eagle papoose find out Aggretta lost on mountain, his heart on +ground. He get dried sheep and roots and great bow and arrows, flint +arrows, and go to Aggretta."</p> + +<p>Fascinated, I listened, oblivious to everything but her story, which I +shall have to put into my own words: "Swift as the mountain ram he +climbs the rugged rocks and takes the trail to the great shrine wheel. +Soon he finds her moccasin tracks, and with all the fleetness of an +Indian runner he climbs the rocky trail, here and there stooping to find +a footmark, the breaking of a piece of moss, or the displacing of a +small stone. The bent grass in places showed the direction in which +Aggretta had gone. With bow and arrow he glided on and up. Soon he came +to the snow line, where the trail became more precipitous and the snow +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_55" id="Page_55">[Pg 55]</a></span> +deeper. He stopped and wildly blew his cedar horn, but no answer came. +The storm had abated and the sun's warm rays were making the snow soft. +All impressions and trails were obliterated. The reflection of the sun +on the snow was blinding. After a careful survey, he struggled on up the +trail, whose serpentine twists wound in and out through trees and +canyons and dazzling snow until he was almost blinded.</p> + +<p>"Entering a narrow canyon filled with fir and spruce trees, he stopped +in this haven to rest his tired eyes. When his vision had cleared, his +heart gave a bound; he thought he could see a moccasin track ahead in +the trail. He was off like a deer, and in a moment he was scraping the +soft snow away to find—the tracks of a terrible grizzly. Now he knew +there was trouble ahead, for he felt sure the bear would follow +Aggretta's trail. His suspicions proved correct, and mile after mile he +followed the trail, until he came to the camping ground where the Sheep +Eaters met twice a year to +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_56" id="Page_56">[Pg 56]</a></span> +worship. Just as he reached an elevated spot +he heard the scream of his Aggretta, and starting in the direction from +which it came, he saw the grizzly coming straight for him. He brought +his long bow to his face and placed the great jagged arrow against the +sinew. Dropping on his back, with both feet against the bow and both +hands on the sinew, he bent the bow until the arrow was just at full +length and the flint touched the bow; then, letting the bear have the +shaft full in the breast, he jumped like a cat to one side, and the bear +passed. One terrible roar told that the grizzly had been hit in a vital +place.</p> + +<p>"The bear turned and started after the young brave, who was bounding +along toward the scrub fir tree where Aggretta was perched. On came the +bear, with the blood streaming from his mouth, steadily gaining on the +brave, until it seemed certain he would catch him before the tree was +reached. Aggretta, watching the race, gave a cry of warning, and the +brave turned suddenly and bounded away down the +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_57" id="Page_57">[Pg 57]</a></span> +hill. The bear, +infuriated with pain, rushed after him. When the distance between them +was short, the brave leaped aside with the agility of a coyote, while +the weight of the great monster carried it down the mountain side. +Before the bear could make the turn, the brave was beside his Aggretta +in the tree. But no sooner had he cleared the ground than the monster +was underneath the tree, tearing at the lower limbs, while the shaft +remained buried in his vitals.</p> + +<p>"The brave took another arrow from his quiver and with deliberate aim he +drove the arrow with its obsidian shaft into one of the bear's eyes, +cutting it entirely out. The great brute rolled over and with his paws +tore the arrow from his eye, but the inward bleeding was fast filling +his powerful lungs.</p> + +<p>"The two lovers sat together trembling like forest leaves, as the +grizzly rolled over the snow with his life blood oozing away. The young +brave drew another shaft and was about to send it home, when Aggretta +said, 'Wait, he +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_58" id="Page_58">[Pg 58]</a></span> +will not live long now, and you may need your arrows. +We are far from our people and there are many wild beasts between us and +our lodge.'</p> + +<p>"He replaced the arrow in his quiver, saying, 'Aggretta speaks wisely, +like her father, Black Raven.'</p> + +<p>"At last the lovers came slowly down from the tree. Cautiously the brave +crept forward and made sure the bear was dead. Then he grasped the +shaft, and exerting all his strength pulled it from the breast of the +dead brute, whose lungs it had penetrated. Holding the bloody arrow in +his hand, the young brave told Aggretta this was his first great bear.</p> + +<p>"'Yes,' said Aggretta, 'now you have won a name, and Aggretta the +daughter of chief Black Raven, will name you the Red Arrow.'</p> + +<p>"After taking the claws of the bear to make a necklace for himself, they +started down the trail in their homeward journey. Young and fleet of +foot, they went, at a swift pace down the mountain, hand in hand. After +covering many +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_59" id="Page_59">[Pg 59]</a></span> +miles, Red Arrow called a halt at a mountain spring, +where he took from his buckskin shirt some dried sheep, and they ate +heartily while they talked of the great rejoicing there would be in the +Sheep Eaters' lodges when they returned.</p> + +<p>"After lunch they started on down the trail, Aggretta keeping pace with +Red Arrow. Once the stillness was broken by the faint blast of a red +cedar horn; but it was not until they had stopped to rest in a great +park, where the snow had melted away, that they heard a blast that +echoed and reechoed through the wild hills and canyons and the farthest +glen. Red Arrow recognized the blast as coming from his father's horn, +and took from his belt a horn made from the mountain ram's horn. Filling +his powerful lungs, he placed it carefully to his lips, and blew one +long quivering blast which burst through the air like a rocket, +penetrating the canyons and the forests, echoing far down through the +valleys where the Sheep Eaters had built their lodges among the crags. +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_60" id="Page_60">[Pg 60]</a></span></p> + +<p>"As they rested under a great tree with the sunlight filtering through +its branches, making lacy patterns on the moss at their feet, and the +magpies and squirrels scolding and chattering in the nearby trees, +Aggretta told of her wanderings on the mountains, and her escape from +the bear, the despair she felt of ever being rescued, and her joy when +she saw him, Red Arrow, coming. Red Arrow's heart was too full for +utterance, and when she had finished, he sat looking into her beautiful +brown eyes, while his heart throbbed almost aloud. At last he said, 'Red +Arrow look heap on Aggretta?'</p> + +<p>"Casting her eyes around like a frightened fawn, she moved closer to her +lord of the forest.</p> + +<p>"'Aggretta much good, and great father say me have Aggretta,' he +continued.</p> + +<p>"She nestled still closer and he slipped his arm around the trembling +maiden and drew her to him. His pleading eyes looked straight into hers, +and through into her very soul, as he said, +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_61" id="Page_61">[Pg 61]</a></span> +'You give me much good +name, now do you give me Aggretta?'</p> + +<p>"Softly her arm stole round his neck, the black head went down on his +shoulder while tears of joy slipped down her cheeks. Words could not add +to the rapture of these two hearts drawn together by the wonderful love +known only to the children of nature, and they sat in silence until the +cedar horn was heard again. This was the signal to move on. Down through +the beautiful ferns and wild flowers the lovers sped, leaving behind the +mountains and the snow. Hand in hand they pressed forward down the +winding trail, beaten deep into the earth by the buffalo, the elk, the +deer, the sheep. The goldenrod nodded in the breeze. Little squirrels +went frisking up the nut pines, gathering the rich nuts, and the ruffed +grouse safely hidden among the brown leaves, quietly viewed the scene.</p> + +<p>"Tired and breathless the two Sheep Eaters reached the park a few miles +above the village and were met there by the rescuing party. The +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_62" id="Page_62">[Pg 62]</a></span> great +chief, Red Eagle, folded Aggretta in his arms. Then taking his son, he +embraced them both and blessed them with his richest blessings. The +horns were brought forth, and their notes bursting upon the air apprised +the waiting villagers of the finding of Aggretta. When the royal pair +had been escorted from the mountain park to their lodges, the whole +village joined in song and praise for the young chief. Then all the +chiefs assembled, and before them and the young brave, Aggretta +bashfully told the story of how she was driven to the forest by the +storm, lost among the great fir trees, followed by the bear, escaped +into the fir tree, and her rescue by the young papoose when she had +given up all hope. She described his race for life and the courage and +ingenuity with which he outwitted the bear, and of his sending the arrow +to the creature's heart. She told how, when he had pulled the arrow from +the brute's heart all dripping with blood, she had named him Chief Red +Arrow.</p> + +<p>"The chiefs, after listening to her story, +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_63" id="Page_63">[Pg 63]</a></span> +agreed that the papoose had +won the right to a name; and he was then and there christened Chief Red +Arrow.</p> + +<p>"The next day Chief Red Arrow selected a beautiful tepee, made of the +best of lodge poles, cemented together with pine pitch and glue from the +mountain ram's hoofs, and in it he stored his earthly stock of goods. He +carpeted the floor of his new lodge with the skins of the mountain ram, +the cougar, the red deer, the elk, and the bear, while the walls were +hung with robes from the mountain bison, the otter, the beaver, the +mink, and the martin. The villagers watched with interest while he +worked. He drew a rawhide thong across the center of his lodge, facing +the door. On this he hung the prize trophies of the chase, making a +partition for his lodge. In the center he left a door-way, over which he +hung a beautiful spotted elk calf robe for a door. The lodge was located +in an ideal spot, where the green mountain ferns covered the ground and +a spring of clear water sparkled and bubbled close at hand. On either +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_64" id="Page_64">[Pg 64]</a></span> +side stood a large, low, spreading pine, protecting the lodge from the +summer suns and winter storms.</p> + +<p>"While Red Arrow was still busy decorating his lodge for his young +bride-to-be, sixteen of the best hunters were sent into the forest and +mountains and directed to bring in the choicest game to be found and the +skin of the great bear that had come so near killing Aggretta.</p> + +<p>"All this time Aggretta was nowhere to be seen. It was a custom among +the Sheep Eaters that the prospective bride must seclude herself and +prepare for the coming ceremonies.</p> + +<p>"Four days later the lodge was completed and all but three of the +hunters had returned loaded with mountain sheep, elk, and deer. On the +fifth day came the three with the skin of the great bear which had given +Red Arrow his name.</p> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 400px;"> +<img src="images/i075-500.jpg" width="400" height="644" alt="A SUMMER HOUSE OR LOVERS' RETREAT" title="A SUMMER HOUSE OR LOVERS' RETREAT" /> +<span class="caption">A SUMMER HOUSE OR LOVERS' RETREAT</span> +</div> + +<p>"The great skin was placed on the ground. Red Arrow brought Aggretta +out, and before the whole village she repeated the story of her terrible +experience on the mountain and her +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_65" id="Page_65">[Pg 65]</a></span> +rescue by Red Arrow. Then the +great Red Eagle, in all his splendor, stepped upon a rock and announced +that his son, Red Arrow, now had a name, won by bravery shown in the +saving of the life of Aggretta, and in ten sleeps the Red Arrow would +bring this beautiful maiden, daughter of the Black Raven, to his lodge, +at which time there would be great rejoicing and feasting among the +Sheep Eaters. When he had concluded three blasts were blown on the cedar +horns and the crowd quietly dispersed to their lodges.</p> + +<p>"The next ten days were busy ones in the village. Every Indian had his +share in the preparations for the great event.</p> + +<p>"On the morning of the tenth sleep, before even the birds had begun +their morning chants, thirty braves in their gala dress, stole silently +forth from their lodges and assembled in the open space before the +village. When the first faint blush of dawn appeared in the east, a +blast from thirty cedar horns broke the stillness of the beautiful +mountain village. As the last +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_66" id="Page_66">[Pg 66]</a></span> +notes died away two processions from +opposite ends of the village started toward the bridal lodge. Aggretta, +in her bridal gown of skins and beads, black hair down to her moccasin +tops, came with the step of a queen from her father's lodge, attended by +twenty-eight lovely maidens, each the choice of her tribe. From the +other end of the village came Red Arrow out of the lodge of Chief Red +Eagle, attended by twenty-eight braves, all splendid in their wedding +garb.</p> + +<p>"Never bride pledged her troth amid greater beauty. Overhead a canopy of +blue, with here and there a fleecy cloud daintily edged with pink. Round +about were walls of massive, towering rock, stately evergreens and the +thousand surrounding lodges, and under foot a carpet of grass and ferns +and flowers.</p> + +<p>"Just as the sun's rim cleared the horizon, the lovers met at the door +of the lodge and stood side by side on the great bear skin, while the +blowing of horns and the chanting of twenty-eight maidens and +twenty-eight braves +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_67" id="Page_67">[Pg 67]</a></span> +made the mountains ring with joy. Then a thousand +voices swelled the chorus of praise to the young aristocrats.</p> + +<p>"The great medicine chief came forward and performed the rites of the +tribe. The pair knelt on the bear skin with their faces to the sun, +while he joined them together in marriage. The ceremonies finished, the +brave and his bride entered the lodge he had prepared, while the +villagers went to their tepees, chanting songs of praise to the new made +bride.</p> + +<p>"At evening, when the sun had gone to rest and the stately peaks had +changed from pink to lavender, from gold to copper, and from purple to +gray, when the evening star had cleared the horizon and had begun to +wink and beckon to the laggard moon, then again the village awoke to +life, and the royal feast began. Fires were kindled and great flat +stones were heated. Choice cuts of elk, the tenderloin and tongues and +hams of sheep were roasted. Venison steak and ribs were broiled to a +turn. The bridal couple came forth and once more took +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_68" id="Page_68">[Pg 68]</a></span> +their place on +the bear skin. The singers and dancers in the center of the great throng +began their weird chants and slow rhythmical steps. The tom-tom burst +forth, the chants became louder, the dance swifter. The maidens took up +the chant, first low and sweet, and as it grew higher and louder, the +young braves added their voices, then the older people joined the +chorus. Torches of cedar, burning like rockets, were thrown into the +air, the tom-toms pealed out their muffled notes, and from a thousand +throats rolled the great wedding song, until the tepees shook, and the +hills and valleys echoed with the sounds of rejoicing. They danced and +chanted and feasted while the stars came out till the sky seemed +crowded, while the camp-fires leaped and blazed. They danced and feasted +and sang, until the camp-fires smouldered and died out, and the night +birds made their last faint twitterings before seeking rest. They sang +and feasted and danced when all else was still save the Grey Bull River, +murmuring as it swept along over its gravelly bed, the +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_69" id="Page_69">[Pg 69]</a></span> +far off hoot of +an owl, or the cry of the coyote still lingering for his share of the +wedding feast. When the little stars had gone to rest and the larger +ones were beginning to slip away, then quietly, in groups, the throng +dispersed, wishing the newly married pair good night and happy days, as +they passed.</p> + +<p>"When the last one had gone, Red Arrow turned to his bride, and taking +her by the hand, led her into his lodge. Looking into her brown eyes, so +full of love and trust, he said, 'This is our home, and I know we shall +always be happy here, for our people all love us and the great spirit is +well pleased.'</p> + +<p>"Then he let the skin fall loosely over the door, and the great day of +the Sheep Eaters had passed. The silent night became more silent, the +owl ceased calling to his mate, the coyote skulked into his lair, the +birds ceased their chirping, the great forest trees seemed in a trance, +not a flower or fern moved, all nature was at rest.</p> + +<p>"The Great Red Eagle, chief of the twenty-eight +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_70" id="Page_70">[Pg 70]</a></span> +tribes, sent runners to +all his people with the message that in the spring, when the warm sun +should come again, all the tribes were to assemble at the great Sun Dial +to worship and rejoice over the wedding of his son to the beautiful +Aggretta.</p> + +<p>"The warm sun came, and a great camp-fire was kept burning for two +nights on Bald Mountain, where it could be seen by the tribes many miles +away, even into Wyoming. Then came the greatest gathering that had ever +assembled in the mountains.</p> + +<p>"Day after day came the people, eager to see the young chieftain and his +squaw, who were to rule the people when the great Red Eagle was no +longer able to rule. Songs to the sun began to rise from the great +rock-ribbed mountains, and the royal family, with Red Arrow and the +beautiful Aggretta, took their places on the great stone spokes of the +wheel, facing the east. They began their worship by moving along until +they came to the rim, when the men turned to the right and the squaws to +the left, singing +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_71" id="Page_71">[Pg 71]</a></span> +their chants to the sun. The sun chant begins very +low, but as they go around the wheel it becomes louder and louder until +the climax is reached, then a new company takes the wheel, and the first +worshippers retire to their seats, watching and joining in the chants +until the foothills and canyons and plains resound with the music.</p> + +<p>"Thus the days and nights were passed until the end of their fourteen +day holiday had come. The chief and his squaw had become acquainted with +the leaders of the twenty-eight tribes, and after the annual worship was +over and the customary gifts had been made to the young chief, Red +Arrow, and his bride, each tribe, headed by the subchief went to their +homes among the mountains."</p> + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> + +<h3><a name="CHAPTER_VIII" id="CHAPTER_VIII"></a>CHAPTER VIII</h3> + +<h5>CLOSING WORDS</h5> + +<p> +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_72" id="Page_72">[Pg 72]</a></span> +One evening, when the old squaw seemed to be in a friendly mood, I made +some inquiries as to where the several tribes had lived, and she said: +"You white man want to know heap about Sheep Eaters. Why for you know so +much?"</p> + +<p>I told her I was very much interested in her people. Then I gave her a +pretty bead necklace of regular crow beads, ornamented with paint. She +put them on and a smile lighted the wrinkled old face.</p> + +<p>"White man heap good," she said, patting the beads; then after admiring +the beads for a time, she turned her attention to me. "White man find +many camps of Sheep Eaters on Paint Rocks. Sheep Eaters make much squaw +and papoose on rocks. On Great Mountain, white man find many tepees and +sheep pens where<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_73" id="Page_73">[Pg 73]</a></span> Indian catch much sheep to eat. Many rivers away up in +mountain, find much Indian work. Away up close to bad spirit country, +you find many tepee, much rich plenty. (National Park.) Our people think +bad spirits always at war in the earth, so our people scarcely ever went +into that country, although our great men fetch obsidian from there to +make arrows. Our men make arrows of the most beautiful design. We were +called the arrow makers. We made the most beautiful fur garments and our +tanned skins were the best."</p> + +<p>"Tell me who you are, are you a chief's daughter?" I asked.</p> + +<p>She turned her eyes away at the question, and sat for a long time with +that vacant look on her face as though seeing all her past; then +suddenly she turned, and looking squarely at me, she said, "Me Red +Arrow's squaw."</p> + +<p>I was amazed, but could not doubt her word, as she had told me the truth +so far as I had investigated. It seemed impossible that this most +haggard of old women could have been<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_74" id="Page_74">[Pg 74]</a></span> the most beautiful girl of her +tribe. But a hundred and fifteen years of life can change much, even the +beautiful curves of the human body and the roses on the cheek and lip. A +hundred and fifteen years! But this was the chance of a lifetime, I must +not let it slip away while I dreamed.</p> + +<p>"Where did your people go?" I asked; "what became of your tribe?"</p> + +<p>"One beautiful day," she replied, "when sun warm and earth green, white +man got lost and his ponies come into our camp. White man very sick. +Medicine man put him in big tepee and take care of him, give him much +bath in hot water. Man got very red like Indian man, face much all over +spots. By and by he die. Then sickness all over camp. Sheep Eater run +off in forest and die. Some run to other villages, they all die. Sheep +Eater all much scared and run away. Many tepee standing alone, all dead +inside. Red Eagle die, Red Arrow die, me no die, me very much scare, go +off in mountains, eat berries, cherries, root. +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_75" id="Page_75">[Pg 75]</a></span> +Me find many Sheep Eater +dead in woods. By and by Sheep Eaters not many. They go to other Indian +tribes down in valley on river, where much big water runs, and eat heap +buffalo, ride pony, marry heap squaw. Sheep Eater have one squaw, other +Indians many. Then Sheep Eater no more, no more papoose, no more squaw, +all gone. Cold winds go, spring come, wild geese come back to lakes. +Sheep Eater no come back, all gone. Tepee rot, rain, wind, snow, sun, on +bones, on blanket, tepees, skins, bows, arrows. By and by all gone too. +Indian no go there long time, many moon."</p> + +<p>So passed away the proudest race of Indians that ever lived on earth. +They left behind no trace of history except the Paint Rocks among the +canyons of Wyoming, near Basin City, and in Crandle Creek Basin, +Montana, on which we might read of a thousand historical deeds if we +could but find the key. These, and the great shrine wheel on Bald +Mountain, the sheep pens where the wary sheep were caught, and here +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_76" id="Page_76">[Pg 76]</a></span> and +there along the mountain trails, stone blinds behind which the hunter +lay in ambush for game, are all that is left to remind us of a tribe now +extinct.</p> + +<p>From those visible signs, and the tales of the old squaw and stories +extant among other tribes, we find the Sheep Eaters were a strong, +brave, peaceable race of people, clean morally and physically. Provident +and inventive, excelling in all the Indian arts. They lived as brothers. +No poor were ever known among them, all sharing alike except the chiefs, +who had larger tepees and more robes that they might care for visitors. +Death was meted out to the woman who broke her marriage vows, and after +death she was condemned to live in darkness and never again to see the +sun they worshipped.</p> + +<p>They never knew the use of alcohol in any form. It was left to the +<i>proud, civilized whites</i> to bring that curse to the Indians. This +favored people never saw but the one white man, and he +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_77" id="Page_77">[Pg 77]</a></span> +only brought +death to their bodies, leaving their souls unashamed to face their +Maker.</p> + +<p>It seems very fitting that this most perfect tribe of which we know +should have lived out their little span of life among the most perfect +surroundings, building their homes in the crags and rocks among those +towering mountains, whose lofty heads are covered with perpetual snow, +on whose sides great glaciers lie half hidden, like monsters of the +deep. Dark stretches of timber fringe the canyons where the bald eagle, +silent as the grave, seeks its prey. To the south the black forest +clings to the shoulders of the mountains where the snow goes whirling +across the peaks, along the table land, and into the valleys. Always and +always the silent Rockies towering among the clouds on the one side and +the majestic Big Horn on the other. Sentinel peaks, capped with the +eternal snows, stand like hoary-headed giants. Great piles of God's +masonry wall in this emerald vale with one ever-astounding, sometimes +appalling, always changing vista of mountain, +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_78" id="Page_78">[Pg 78]</a></span> +forest, river, lake, +crest, gorge, and peak. Crouched in this empire of solemnity by night +and grandeur by day, was the home of the Sheep Eaters.</p> + + + + + + + + +<pre> + + + + + +End of Project Gutenberg's The Sheep Eaters, by William Alonzo Allen + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE SHEEP EATERS *** + +***** This file should be named 26565-h.htm or 26565-h.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + https://www.gutenberg.org/2/6/5/6/26565/ + +Produced by Paul Dring and the Online Distributed +Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was +produced from images generously made available by The +Internet Archive/American Libraries.) + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: The Sheep Eaters + +Author: William Alonzo Allen + +Release Date: September 9, 2008 [EBook #26565] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE SHEEP EATERS *** + + + + +Produced by Paul Dring and the Online Distributed +Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was +produced from images generously made available by The +Internet Archive/American Libraries.) + + + + + + + + + +[Illustration: W. A. ALLEN, AUTHOR] + + + + + THE SHEEP EATERS + + BY + + W. A. ALLEN, D.D.S. + + + [Illustration] + + + THE SHAKESPEARE PRESS, + 114-116 EAST 28TH STREET, + NEW YORK. + 1913. + + + COPYRIGHT, 1913, + _by_ + W. A. ALLEN + + + _This Book Is Affectionately + Dedicated To My Friend_ + + MRS. CLARA DALLAS. + + + + +CONTENTS + + + Chapter Page + + I AN EXTINCT MOUNTAIN TRIBE 7 + + II THE OLD SQUAW'S TALE 12 + + III THE GOLD SEEKER IN THE MOUNTAINS 21 + + IV STARTING FOR THE PAINT ROCKS 30 + + V A TALK WITH LITTLE BEAR 35 + + VI CURIOSITIES AROUND PAINT ROCK 45 + + VII THE STORY OF AGGRETTA AND THE RED ARROW 51 + + VIII CLOSING WORDS 72 + + + + +THE SHEEP EATERS + + + + +CHAPTER I + +AN EXTINCT MOUNTAIN TRIBE + + +The Sheep Eaters were a tribe of Indians that became extinct about fifty +years ago, and what remaining history there is of this tribe is +inscribed upon granite walls of rock in Wyoming and Montana, and in a +few defiles and canyons, together with a few arrows and tepees remaining +near Black Canyon, whose stream empties into the Big Horn River. Bald +Mountain still holds the great shrine wheel, where the twenty-eight +tribes came semi-annually to worship the sun, and in the most +inaccessible places may still be found the remains of a happy people. +Small in stature and living among the clouds, this proud race lived a +happy life far removed from all other Indians. + +The Shoshones seem to be a branch of the Sheep Eaters who afterwards +intermarried with the Mountain Crows, a tall race of people who gave to +the Shoshones a taller and better physique. From what can be gleaned, +the Sheep Eater women were most beautiful, but resembled the Alaskan +Indians in their shortness of stature. + +These people drew their name from their principal article of food, +Mountain Sheep, although, when winter set in, elk and deer were often +killed when coming down before a driving snow storm. + +Their home life was simple. They lived in the grassy parks of the +mountains which abounded in springs of fresh water, and were surrounded +by evergreens and quaking asps and sheltered by granite walls rising +from fifty to a thousand feet high. Their tepees were different from +those of all other tribes, and were not covered with rawhide but +thatched with quaking asp bark, and covered with a gum and glue made +from sheep's hoofs. Another variety were covered with pitch pine gum. + +[Illustration: WHEEL OF THE HOLY SHRINE, BALD MOUNTAIN, WYO.] + +In this manner lived the twenty-eight tribes of Sheep Eaters, carving +their history on granite walls, building their homes permanently among +the snowy peaks where they held communion with the sun, and worshipping +at their altar on Bald Mountain, which seems likely to remain until the +Sheep Eaters are awakened by Gabriel's trumpet on the morning of the +resurrection. + +Never having been taught differently, they believed in gods, chief of +which was the sun, and consecrated their lives to them; and their +eternal happiness will be complete in the great Happy Region where all +is bright and warm. The great wheel, or shrine, of this people is eighty +feet across the face, and has twenty-eight spokes, representing the +twenty-eight tribes of their race. At the center or hub there is a house +of stone, where Red Eagle held the position of chief or leader of all +the tribes. Facing the north-east was the house of the god of plenty, +and on the south-east faced the house of the goddess of beauty; and due +west was the beautifully built granite cave dedicated to the sun god, +and from this position the services were supposed to be directed by him. +Standing along the twenty-eight spokes were the worshippers, chanting +their songs of praise to the heavens, while their sun dial on earth was +a true copy of the sun. + +A short time ago I learned that among the Mountain Crows there lived an +old woman, who was the very last of her tribe, and who was so old she +seemed like a spirit from another world. She had outlived her people and +had wandered away from her home on the mountains into the valleys, +living on berries and wild fruit as she wandered. She alone could read +the painted rocks and tell their meaning, and could relate the past +glories of the tribe and the methods of the arrow makers, who +transformed the obsidian into the finished arrows ready to kill the +mountain ram. + +I was very anxious to see this creature, who had outlived her race and +her usefulness, and so one day I saddled my horse, Billie, put on my +cartridge belt, took my rifle in my hand, and set out for the mountains +where I knew a small band of Mountain Crows were hunting buffalo on Wind +River. + +After a long ride I passed Bovay Creek and struck the Buffalo Trail, +which led directly toward the mountains. It soon headed toward the south +and I crossed a mountain stream and headed toward the Big Horn Canyon. I +had gone about two miles when I discovered something to my right sitting +on the remains of a mountain cedar, and in a moment I was on the scene. +I pulled up my horse and dismounted and discovered that I had found the +object of my search, the Sheep Eater squaw. + + + + +CHAPTER II + +THE OLD SQUAW'S TALE + + +Passing the Big Horn Canyon, where the rushing waters were beaten into +spray, and where granite walls were shining like great sapphires +reflected in the sun's bright rays, I wondered how many centuries it +took to chisel that mighty water way fifty-two miles through this +tortuous mountain. Perpendicular walls of fully 2000 feet are standing +sentinels above this silvery water which goes roaring and foaming +through the narrow abyss. + +The golden eagle closes its wings and falls through space like a rocket +from some unknown world, uttering a scream that resounds like a crash of +lightning. The Big Horn, proudly perched on yonder crag, bids defiance +to all living creatures. For fifteen miles this box canyon has cut +through the backbone of the mountains and holds the clear waters as in +the palm of one's hand. At the mouth of the canyon, where the waters +flow calm as a summer lake, as though tired from their terrible journey, +the rounded boulders, the white sands and quartz that have passed +through, are resting, peaceful as the wild rose which waves to and fro +in the spring zephyrs. + +In the sand lies a dead cedar. Torn from the mountain top and crashing +down the canyon, it was carried by the rushing waters out on to the +beach and deposited in the sand. Sitting on a branch of this cedar is an +old woman. Her white locks hang crisp and short on her bony shoulders; +her face is covered with a semi-parchment, brown as the forest leaves, +and drawn tight over her high cheek bones; her eyes are small and sunken +in her head, but the fire has not yet gone out. An old elk skin robe, +tattered and torn, is thrown across her shoulders, with its few +porcupine quills still hanging by the sinew threads where they were +placed a century ago. The last of her race! Yes, long ago her people +have become extinct, passed away leaving her to die. But alas, death +does not claim her, and she wanders alone until picked up by the +mountain Absarokees. + +I sat down by her side and asked her by sign talk: "Are you a Sioux?" +She shook her head. "Are you a Blackfoot?" Again she shook her head, and +the effort seemed to tire her. I made many signs of the different +tribes, but in the Crow sign she said "No" to them all. Her form seemed +to be of rawhide, and on her fingers were still a few old rings made +from the horn of the bighorn ram. + +I gave her some of my lunch, as I ate, and she munched it with a set of +old teeth worn to the gums. She ate in silence until all was gone; then +I told her I was a medicine man, and asked her how old she was. She held +up ten stubs of fingers, all of which had been partly cut off while +mourning for dead relatives, then took them down until she had counted +one hundred and fifteen years. Her eyes brightened, and she fronted away +to the main range to a towering crag of granite, facing the north, +where Bull Elk Canyon empties into the Big Horn. She held her withered +arm high above her head and said in sign language: + +"My people lived among the clouds. We were the Sheep Eaters who have +passed away, but on those walls are the paint rocks, where our +traditions are written on their face, chiseled with obsidian arrow +heads. Our people were not warriors. We worshipped the sun, and the sun +is bright and so were our people. Our men were good and our women were +like the sun. The Great Spirit has stamped our impressions on the rocks +by His lightnings; there are many of our people who were outlined on +those smooth walls years ago; then our people painted their figures, or +traced them with beautiful colored stones, and the pale face calls them +"painted rocks." Our people never came down into the valleys, but always +lived among the clouds, eating the mountain sheep and the goats, and +sometimes the elk when they came high on the mountains. Our tepees were +made of the cedar, thatched with grey moss and cemented with the gum +from the pines, carpeted with the mountain sheep-skins, soft as down. +Our garments were made from the skins of the gazelle, and ornamented +with eagle feathers and ermine and otter skins. + +"We chanted our songs to the sun, and the Great Spirit was pleased. He +gave us much sheep and meat and berries and pure water, and snow to keep +the flies away. The water was never muddy. We had no dogs nor horses. We +did not go far from our homes, but were happy in our mountain abode. +Then came the Sioux, who killed the elk and buffalo in the valleys. They +had swarms of dogs and horses, and ran the game until it left the +valleys and went far away. Their people were always at war and stealing +horses, which was very wrong in the sight of our people, who never stole +anything. Our men were fearless and brave, and could bring down all +kinds of game with their bows and arrows, and were contented; but the +Sioux were not contented with fighting their enemies, but came to our +mountain home and began to try to ascend the trail. Our chief met +them on the steep precipice and ordered them to stop where they were, +but they murmured and made signs of battle. Our people had great masses +of rock as large as houses, where they could let them loose down the +trail and crush the Sioux into the earth as they were all down in a deep +canyon. + +[Illustration: SHEEP EATER SQUAW 115 YEARS OLD "THE WOMAN UNDER THE +GROUND"] + +"The Sioux stopped and began a war council, and began to paint and get +ready for battle. Our chief got the great rocks ready, and then sent a +runner to tell the Sioux that our people never went into the valleys nor +killed the buffalo, and that we wished to be apart from all other +people. After a long council the Sioux fired a volley of arrows at our +runner, and wounded him in the thigh. He came to the chief greatly +alarmed at the dreaded Sioux as they were many. + +"The ponies in the valley below were strange looking creatures to us; we +had never seen them before. The dogs were howling and the valley rang +with the wild warwhoop. The time had come for action, and the Sheep +Eaters assembled at the narrow trail, headed by their chieftain, Red +Eagle, with his bow six feet long, made from the mountain ram's horn, +and bound with glue and sinew from the sheep's neck. Great excitement +prevailed. The squaws and children had hidden among the rocks with all +their robes and earthly possessions. The wild and savage Sioux knew no +fear and were pressing up the narrow trail with war paint and feathers, +their grim visages scowling in the sunlight as they came. + +"Red Eagle, with that bravery known only to his tribe, waited until they +had reached the most dangerous precipice. Then with a great lever that +had been prepared years before, he loosened the great rock from its +moorings, and with one crash it sped down the canyon like a cyclone, +tearing the trees from their roots, and starting the rocks, until the +canyon became one great earthquake. The screams of the terrified +Indians, the howling of dogs and the neighing of horses were heard in +one awful roar. The battle was over. The canyon was a mass of blood, +and death was abroad in the valley. Not a living thing was to be seen. + +"Red Eagle took a horn made of red cedar, and gave one long quivering +blast which echoed and reechoed through the alps and was carried across +the glaciers to every part of the mountain. Then the women and children +came back and once more took shelter in their comfortable homes." + +I arose and gave the old crone the balance of my lunch, and told her I +was going to see that mountain some day and see their houses, but she +held up her hand and said, "Away up mountain long time ago, maybe so, no +tepee now." + +And I went and left her sitting alone on the old tree, waiting for the +Great Spirit to come take her to her tribe, over on the happy hunting +ground, where scenes of warfare and savage Sioux would never molest them +again. As I left her alone on the bank of the Big Horn I could not help +feeling a pang of pity for the wild woman of the Rockies, whose life +had been spent among the canyons, and on the streams whose waters had +chiseled great passages through those granite walls centuries ago. She +who was once a belle in her tribe and had lived to see the extermination +of her people, and now wandered alone wishing to die and pass beyond. +The earth was not to her as it had been in her youth. + +I shall never forget the spell that came over me as she raised her +palsied arm and showed me where she had lived a hundred years ago. +Something seemed to tell me she was speaking the truth and my trip to +that mountain became a living passion from that day. + + + + +CHAPTER III + +THE GOLD SEEKER IN THE MOUNTAINS + + +On the apex of Medicine Mountain, whose rugged cliffs hold communion +with the fleeting clouds, and where the winds sing dismal songs among +the cedar boughs, there the forked lightnings at intervals light up the +panorama and a thousand beautiful springs and waterfalls sparkle like +myriads of diamonds. The mountain ash and the golden leaves of the +mountain quaking asp cast their shadows to make perfect this great +wonderland, whose colors are more splendid than the rainbow or the +golden setting of the western sun. + +Among such scenery one could live away from the gilded vices and the +artificial lives of the crowded cities, and it was close to the god of +nature these people lived and carved their history on the mountains and +rocks, worshipped the sun because it was warm and bright, and because +it lighted the narrow trail through the defiles of the mountains, across +the streams and through the cool green forests, along the rugged cliffs +where the horny hoofs of the elk, deer, and mountain sheep had blazed a +trail so narrow and so steep that none but the Sheep Eaters dare travel +its rugged heights. + +Along these trails could be seen at the four seasons of the year, all of +the Sheep Eaters, wending their way to the sacred shrine, the great +wheel, with its gates and its gods of plenty and light. Here on an +elevated spur a thousand feet above the Porcupine Basin, standing out to +the east, is a great look-out, where the great sun dial with its +twenty-eight spokes representing the twenty-eight tribes of the Sheep +Eaters, overlooking the great Grey Bull country, the Ten Sleep Mountains +and the Teton Peaks sweeping down toward the Big Horn Canyon. There the +Grey Bull and Wind River and Sage Creek are sweeping through Big Horn +Canyon, with its chiseled walls, more than a third of a mile in height, +and its serpentine trail fifty-two miles into the Big Horn River, and +thence into the Yellowstone and Missouri and on to the ocean. + +Here nature's god had spread with lavish hand the richest and the +greatest blessings to the Sheep Eaters. The buffalo down in the valleys, +the antelope on the plains, the gazelle along the streams, and the elk, +black-tail and big horn on the mountains, the mountain grouse, and the +streams filled with trout, camas root for bread, cherries, raspberries, +and strawberries, made a Garden of Eden for these people until a +thousand years had passed, and the tribes increased to twenty-eight +before the onward march of the Sioux across and beyond the Mississippi +and Missouri brought them into the Sheep Eaters' country. + +Around the base of these mountains were many alluring deposits of gold, +and small gold camps had started at Fire Springs, Bear Creek and on the +east and west forks of the historical Little Big Horn, all in or near +the beautiful Porcupine Basin. But the alluring grains of the precious +metal could not be found in paying quantities and the miners had quietly +packed their plunder and "hiked the trail" to more plentiful paying +"diggins." + +The entire village was deserted except for the venerable Captain Jack, +who still drew a pension from the English Government which, small as it +was, supported him in this beautiful country. + +As we swung down the trail which passed near his cabin door, we were +hailed by the old veteran, coming wet from his claim with a pan of sand, +which showed many grains of bright gold. + +"Just took up a small pan, it's sure rich," he said, "get down and we +will have supper and some deer steak." + +This was too much, for we were all hungry and tired, and the large +black-tail deer hanging in the corner of his cabin told only too well +that venison was in the larder. Our horses were soon picketed, the packs +stored away, and we were all straining our eyes to see the precious +gold. + +There were many colors, but all but two or three were very fine. They +had lured thousands to the Basin, but the yellow metal could not be +found in anything like paying quantities. Mr. McKensey told the Captain +that I was quite an expert in placer mining and had been in the Black +Hills, Virginia City, and Old Alder Gulch. This was enough and I had to +agree to stay over a day and see a wonderful clean-up, which would be +tomorrow. I wanted to see more of the wonderful Basin and so decided to +stay over and see the Captain make his week's clean-up, which should run +from seventy-five to a hundred dollars, all told. + +The Captain was seventy years of age, rheumatic, and slightly bent. Only +when speaking of the English Army he straightened his shoulders and was +all soldier. His eyes were a steel grey, and his hair was long and +white, hanging on his shoulders, and he wore a long thin beard. He was +well educated and loved the mountains with a love only known to the old +pioneer and miner. With assurances of a fine clean-up in the morning we +retired. + +Morning brought the sweet refreshed feeling only known to the tired +mountaineer, and after our breakfast of venison, coffee, fried potatoes +and bacon, we were off for the sluice-boxes laden with the precious +metal. + +As we walked along, the Captain told me that the geological formation +was something wonderful in that region, but with my lifetime of +experience I could see no reason for placer gold in the mountains. The +decomposed mountains showed considerable erosion but the rocks seemed +entirely devoid of granite or quartz, and there was no volcanic action +to be seen. There was considerable iron and sandstone, but no sign +whatever of gravel wash. The small particles of gold had surely been +deposited by some glacial wash from the north in the early formation of +the earth. + +Soon we reached the cut where the Captain had done some wonderful work +in the shale rock. Where a large spring came out of the ground he had +piled the rock ten feet high on either side, and his dump where he had +piled tons of dirt was in splendid shape. Here was a notice framed in +the miner's style describing the veins, lodes, dips and spurs, running +fifteen hundred feet to the north-west and south-east, corner posts, +etc. + +The sluice-boxes were soon cleaned and the sand and gravel reduced until +we could almost see the bottom of the pan--but no gold. After the entire +contents was retorted with quicksilver and burned out there was not +twenty-five cents worth of gold. The Captain assured me that his partner +had taken several ounces out of the claim and had sent it to the assay +office for melting and refining. + +I said, "Captain, you are an old man and should go to the settlements +and enjoy the remainder of your life." He replied, "There is no place on +this earth so dear to me as these mountains. Here is where I have lived +and here is where I shall die--close to the nature god and his +beautiful works, among the flowers and birds of summer and the storms +and evergreens of winter." + +It was enough. I caught the inspiration and could have remained with him +had I been so unconventional. But life held something dearer and I was +soon headed toward the cabin. + +"Well, Captain," I said, "you will never find gold in these mountains, +but if you love the crags, and the wild winds and the deer, nature in +all its purity, the bursting of the buds in springtime, the flowers on a +thousand hills, the cold pure water, the frisking squirrels, the pure +air; then stay in the home of the miner, the prospector, the hunter and +the nature lover, until you cross the great divide which is allotted to +all men." + +Our visit with the Captain was at an end, and we must say good-bye, +perhaps forever. Our horses were ready and our packs were lashed on with +the diamond hitch. I got my saddle horse and we moved down the trail, +the Captain talking about his placer. At last we came to the steep +trail, and he straightened up and said, "Well, when the snow flies I +will see you at your home in the city of Billings, and then I will show +you some gold that will convince you that I am right." + +"Captain," I said, "the latch-string hangs out for you, and if you will +only come and spend the winter with me I shall then endeavor to even up +the score with you for this favor, as I know I can do it in no other +way." + +He replied, "Well, I am glad that you know it, and when you photo the +great paint rocks of the Sheep Eaters, their Wheel or Holy Shrine, their +tepees and landmarks, send me a copy of their wonderful works. And may +the Great Spirit keep you until we meet again. So long, Doctor." + +"So long, Captain, and may your days be full of sunshine." + + + + +CHAPTER IV + +STARTING FOR THE PAINT ROCKS + + +Slowly we traveled down the trail full of rounded boulders and stone, +our horses scarcely able to keep their feet, and finally we walked and +led our horses until we reached a valley far below the apex of the +mountain. Here a clear cold stream of water went tumbling down the +valley, and here we unpacked and made our camp for the night. + +While McKensey cooked supper I went after a black bear, whose tracks I +had noticed on the sand at the water's edge. I took a course as near +north-west as possible, and was soon among the trees and rocks which I +loved so well, and which brought remembrance of other days among the +mountains. + +After some wandering I struck a heavy game trail, and could see deer and +bear tracks not over a day old. I filled the magazine of my rifle and +plunged along at a fast pace. Here and there were thick clumps of +quaking asp, mountain birch, and on the creek banks were choke cherries +and plum trees. Great springs of water bubbled out of the earth, and by +one of these springs I found some of the Sheep Eaters' lodges. They were +decayed and fallen to the earth, but the rounded stones with which they +warmed the water were there, where the great medicine lodges had stood +years before, and where, unmolested, they had passed happy days among +the hills and valleys. + +The old woman's stories of her people were being proved true, and as I +passed onward mile after mile I was entranced with the richness of the +land, the abundance of game that had once held sway among the hills, +shown by the antlers of the elk parched white by the suns, which lay on +every side and the rams' horns often seen by the stream. A few bones of +the little gazelle were among the remains, and a heavy buffalo trail cut +the mountains where once the buffalo passed through this land out onto +the Yellowstone. + +I had wandered a long way and now cut across the country to the camp +through rocky canyons and dense cedar growth. I started a bear from his +bed but could not find him, and then found that the bear had started a +large band of black-tail deer, which ran about a half a mile and then +walked leisurely along, cropping the bunch grass here and there. About a +mile from camp I jumped a bunch of fourteen of all kinds, and when they +broke cover out of a plum thicket I shot a two-year-old spike buck, cut +off his hams and carried him to camp, where I found the boys waiting for +some venison. + +Our camp fire already lit up the valley, and the clear running stream +glistened as it passed over the granite and quartz of the Porcupine +Basin. Great shadows were thrown among the trees like the ghosts and +goblins on the ride of Tam O'Shanter, who reveled among the witches and +warlocks. But we were hungry and happy and turned our attention to the +broiling venison and brewing coffee. + +After supper we began a study of the mountains and the probable cause of +gold being distributed all along the streams in such small quantities. +Some said it was deposited by a great glacier from the north, or some +volcanic action on or near the natural park, but no theory seemed wholly +satisfactory. + +When the sun illumined a thousand peaks the next morning, after a +delightful rest, we rode away from this Holy Grail of the Sheep Eaters, +and it was not hard to imagine the character of the little men who lived +among these hills and valleys. + +When we reached the top of the divide we took a south-eastern course for +the famous Paint Rock country, near Shell Creek and its tributaries. Our +route lay through the sage brush of the Bad Lands, and some of the party +were very anxious to stop at a mountain stream and catch some trout. +There were some old sluice-boxes and deserted cabins, which were very +interesting to the average sightseer. + +But we pulled on for the Paint Rock, and after ten hours hard ride we +arrived on this sacred and historic ground. We picketed our tired +horses, piled our packs under a cottonwood tree, and were soon trying to +unravel the mysteries of an extinct race. Strange to say no horses were +visible on the great calendar of rocks, but men, women, children, and +hieroglyphics were crowded on all available places that one could get to +register some fact or fancy of this tribe. + +[Illustration: SHEEP EATERS PASS TO THE HOLY SHRINE] + + + + +CHAPTER V + +A TALK WITH LITTLE BEAR + + +The term Paint Rocks will convey various meanings to the average reader. +A description seems in order to make more plain what these rocks are +like. + +Just imagine a stream of clear, pure water running through a canyon, +small and narrow, with a smooth-surfaced rock face, cut by the water +when the earth and stone were young and tender, on which one could +write as on a black-board in a school room. Here the Sheep Eaters +came to record their history. Here father and son came to write the +traditions of their tribe; and here came that old squaw, whose name +in her own tribe, as translated by the Crow chief, Pretty Eagle, was, +"Under-The-Ground." Emblems, original with their tribe, were cut with +the obsidian arrowhead in irregular semicircles. The outlines of men +and women were about three feet in height. In some places the storms, +the wind and the water, had erased parts of the engraving. In other +places hunters had built their smoking camp-fires against the face of +the rock and blurred the markings, or had wantonly fired bullets into +the faces and destroyed the work of the Indians. + +As I was getting my camera arranged to get a picture of one group, an +old Indian came riding up the creek on a pinto pony. Soon came dogs, and +squaws dragging their tepee poles, and without so much as a "How," they +began tearing off their packs and setting up their lodges. The packs +consisted of old kettles, stale meat, old elk skins made into robes, +parflesakes filled to the brim with pemmican, made of elk fat, choke +cherries, and jerked elk half dried and half horsehair. Several young +puppies, too young to walk, were tied with soft thongs just under the +fore legs of the ponies. + +Within half an hour the whole Little Basin was filled with the smell of +spoiled meat and musty old blankets, spread in the sun to dry, and the +whole camp looked like the dump ground of a small town. + +The old chief turned the entire care of the horses, dogs, provisions and +camp over to the squaws, and while they were busy, he came slowly toward +the camera, watching every move I made in trying to get a picture of the +Paint Rocks. He was about five feet tall, heavy set and rather dark. His +good, round head well set on fine shoulders, was covered with long, +heavy hair, carefully braided in small braids, which hung below his +waist. At intervals these braids were cemented with some wax and painted +red and green, which gave them the appearance of being bound with +straps. The sternness of his large mouth, square chin, and heavy jaw was +relieved by the large, brown eyes. Three scars on his face told of a +battle fought many years ago, as also did the knife scar on his breast +and the old gun-shot wound. On his wrist were brass wristlets, and +three missing finger joints told of mournings for his dead. A medicine +bag and a half dozen elk teeth swung at his throat; these and beaded +moccasins and leggings showed him to be a chief. An Indian he was all +through. + +As I turned to look at him he straightened himself to his full height, +and I had taken him in from head to heel when he put his right arm out +in front of him closed his hand, and gave it three rapid motions up and +down, which, in sign talk, is "How do you do." Quick as a flash I +straightened my arm out, laying my thumb across my little finger, made a +half curve, out from the body inward, then an angling sweep down, which +means "Good." A twinkle came in his eye, and he answered by giving me +the same sign. + +I knew him, but twenty years had passed over his head since I last saw +him, and it was twenty-eight years since he and Sitting Bull fought a +duel with knives, on the Big Horn. + +I gave him a challenge and called him a Sioux, which is done by +straightening the fingers of the right hand, laying the thumb close +into the palm, making a rounded curve outward, then a quick sweep across +the throat. He found and gave me the answer "No." Then he came very +close to me, and when he saw the powder in my face, he gave a grunt of +satisfaction. + +I took off my glove and held out my hand. He grasped it quickly and said +in the Crow language, "Long time ago," then paused--"long--time--ago, +many moons, you heap good to me and my braves." + +"How many moons?" I asked. + +He stopped and his mind was busy running over the many years, many +camp-fires, the wrongs he had sustained from the British Government +which compelled them to leave their homes and come to the United States. +With a sigh he held up one hand, and with the other hand pulled down +three fingers, saying, "Ten, ten, ten." + +I gave him the sign of correct, then his face brightened, and as the +boys gathered around us, he said, "Do you know who it is?" + +"Yes," I replied, "I know you, you are Little Bear, the chief of the +Cree Nation." He held up his hands and began making rapid signs. "It was +you," he said, "who were our friend when our braves were arrested for +killing buffalo on Razor Creek." + +"Yes," I replied. + +"We never forget our friends," said he. He then gave me a beautiful +peace pipe. The stem was two feet long, with animals engraved on it; and +the bowl was made from Minnesota pipe-stone rock, inlaid with silver. + +Our camp fire was going, and we all sat around it and smoked the pipe of +peace, which is done as follows: The pipe is filled with the bark of a +red willow, and when lighted is handed to the highest or head chief. He +takes one or two long whiffs; then, as he raises his head and blows the +smoke in clouds toward the heavens and the Great Spirit, he passes the +pipe to his guest on the right. This is continued until the pipe is +empty, and all is done with the greatest reverence toward the Great +Spirit. + +After the peace smoke, Little Bear, with his squaw and his son, took +dinner with us. We had fresh venison, potatoes, onions, hot pancakes and +maple syrup, canned pineapple and coffee. Little Bear ate a hearty +dinner and said it was good, and to meet friends made him very happy. + +After the meal I took some pictures of the rocks, and Little Bear asked +me what I wanted them for. I told him those marks were a history of an +ancient tribe of people. + +"Yes," he said, "many, many, moons. Our tribe knew nothing of them. +Long, maybe so, heap years, much old squaw live with Mountain Crows. +Crows call her 'Under-The-Ground.' She tell much of little folks way up +mountain. Much eat Big Horn sheep. Much pray sun and heap Great Spirit. +Old squaw say, little squaw much good face, all time good, bucks no +fight, yes." + +I told him I had been upon the Medicine and Bald mountains and had seen +their shrine wheel, and where they had lived in the Big Horn mountains. +I told him I had also been far up Clark's Fork, where their sheep pens +were, "Yes," I said, "they are all gone. Great chief, Pretty Eagle, and +I were old friends, and he told me all about the little Indians, their +bows and arrows, and many things the old squaw had told him about their +lives on the mountains; but Sheep Eaters, all gone now." + +"Ugh," he replied, "by and by, maybe so, Crees all gone, Crows all. Heap +bad for Injins." + +I told him it would be a long time before that happened, and that some +day perhaps the Government would let the Crees come and live with the +Crows, on the beautiful Little Horn. + +"Yes," he said, "that would be very nice. If the Great Father at +Washington would only say the word, we would come and work very hard. We +do not like our reservation in the north-west. It is too cold and the +land is poor and the Red Coats are not good to Injins." + +When our visit was over and the Indians were preparing to move, I turned +the camera on the camp. A squaw who was watching me, gave a grunt, +turned her back, and ran; and the others, alarmed scattered like dry +leaves before a wind. They did not return until I had taken the camera +down and put it away. Little Bear explained that they were afraid, +because they thought the camera a bad spirit. + +As the little band moved off toward the north, Chief Little Bear came +and grasped my hand and said, "You have always been my friend, +good-bye." + +As they rode away with all their worldly goods packed on a few poor +cayuses, I could not help contrasting their present condition with that +of thirty years ago. Then the red man owned the country. The plains, the +rivers, the trees were his; and his, too, were the wild horse, the +buffalo, the elk, the deer, and the fish. Self reliant, free, happy, he +was then; today, a beggar. Everything taken from him, his tribal +relations broken, left alone. The hardest stroke of all was to have the +tribal relations broken, and to be forced under the control of the hated +and despised pale face. Happy indeed were the Sheep Eaters never to have +been driven from their mountain home and never to have known the power +of the pale face! + + + + +CHAPTER VI + +CURIOSITIES AROUND PAINT ROCKS + + +For two days we camped among the Paint Rocks, studying them, but could +find nothing that indicated battle or fighting. Neither did we find any +dead, nor graves, nor even bones. If, like the Crows, they buried in the +trees, the last trace was gone. There were no mounds of earth, or +indications of earth burials. The rocks were mostly covered with +likenesses of nude men, women, and children, and with emblems. In places +the artist evidently stood on some elevation of wood or stone, for the +carving was higher than the average man could reach. Along a crest of +sandstone I saw some very odd formations; they looked like huge inverted +cones, that some giant sculptor had carved there. Perhaps they were +formed by the erosion of centuries, or it may have been the wear caused +by the rubbing of the buffaloes, for we found many of their bones +there, and I have often seen telegraph poles rubbed to the breaking +point. When the buffalo is annoyed by buffalo gnats and his great coat +is filled with mud and sand, he soon wears away a pretty strong pole. + +This was a strange place, and in our search we found geodes, petrified +snakes, and short sections of fish. We also found several petrified +jaw-bones, of what looked to be wolves, still containing the teeth, and +fossils of many kinds. Some looked like vegetables, some were hexagonal, +and some looked as though made of floor tiling. We found many water and +moss agates of various sizes. The ground was covered with some meteoric +rock full of iron. + +Here we passed the day hunting for some graves, but it was no use. Tree +burial seems to have been their method of disposing of the dead. In this +method of burial the body is taken to some low bushy tree, rolled in +fine robes and blankets, and with green strips of elk hide, wrapped to +two or more limbs. This secures it very firmly, and as the sun and wind +dry out the skin the thongs tighten, until only years of sun and rain, +mice and bugs, eat away the thongs, and the blankets, bones, and skins +are carried away by the wind. In this method of burial the body lasts +about twenty years or less. + +We were tired and hungry when we returned to camp, but we soon had a +blazing fire with all the odors of good things on the breeze. Just as we +sat down to eat, I heard a horse's footfall, and turned to see who it +was. A young brave rode into the trail, and I caught up my gun. His +hands went up like a flash giving me the sign of a Crow. As all the +hunters and trappers in the west, north and south of the Yellowstone +River, know the Crows to be peaceful, I put up my gun and gave him the +sign that I understood what he said. + +Young braves are always the very hardest members of the tribe to engage +in conversation, except a young girl of marriageable age. Both do all +their courting by making eyes at each other. + +I knew him. He was a chief's son. Years before I had got some papers to +Washington for his father. Also I knew he could talk some broken English +and Crow, and was a superb sign talker. + +We began to eat and I made signs for him to picket his horse and join us +at supper. I knew he was trailing the camp outfit, which had gone and +was many miles away by this time. He pretended not to understand, but +looking much disappointed, started to ride away. I hailed him and told +him to go back and get his packs, and come have supper with us, and +picket his horses with ours. His face remained blank, and he showed no +sign of understanding till I added that I was a friend of the Little +Bear chief, and had kept the officers from arresting his braves at Razor +Creek many moons ago. Then his face lighted up. "Ugh, me see you before. +How you know me got pack horses? You no see 'em." + +"Never mind, I know Injin," I replied, "I heap plenty see." + +He turned down the trail and soon returned with three good looking +packs, well loaded. I showed him a good place to unpack and he made +short work of it. And then what a supper that Indian did eat! + +After supper I told him the story of the Reil rebellion in Canada, and +how when they got whipped the halfbreeds and Indians came across the +line into the United States; and the history of his grandfather, the Big +Bear, and his father, the Little Bear. All of this amused him and put +him on very easy terms for the night. I asked him why he would not talk +with me when he first came up. + +He said, "Sometimes Injin say too much. Me no talk much. Better so. Some +white man want to know heap too much. You my friend. You Little Bear +friend, my papa." + +"Yes," I said, "I understand, but you can talk like the pale face some, +and you have a Cree alphabet." + +"Me no can say what you mean," he replied. + +I took a paper and showed him some of the letters which ran like this +[Illustrations: Triangular Symbols] + +"Yes, me heap understand." + +"I got some letters from Canada, which were written to your father. Your +sister read them to me in English, and I sent letters to the Great +Father at Washington, to get a place for your tribe with the Crows." + +"Yes, me heap savy now," he said. + +[Illustration: ROCKY MOUNTAIN BIG HORN] + + + + +CHAPTER VII + +THE STORY OF AGGRETTA AND RED ARROW + + +On my return I passed the Little Horn, swung to the west, and traveled +up the Big Horn to the canyon, where I found some mixed Indians who were +busy catching and drying white fish. There were River Crows, Shoshones, +and a few Mountain Crows camped along the river in their summer homes or +wickyups. + +After I had dismounted, taken off my packs, and turned my horses loose +to eat the bountiful bunch grass with which the ground was carpeted, I +went up the river to where some rocks projected into the water and soon +caught a dozen fine trout, and began getting my supper. Just as all was +ready, I saw the old Sheep Eater squaw sitting on the ground not far +away. I went over to her and, taking her by the arm, led her to my camp +fire and helped her to a portion of my broiled trout, potatoes, and +coffee. She kept her eyes on me for a while as she ate, then said in +sign talk, "I know you now." + +I answered, "Yes?" + +When she had finished eating, she drank her coffee and setting the tin +cup down, said with a sigh, "Heap good." Then, after giving me a long +and earnest look, "Me heap know you, yes, long time ago; heap talk about +mountains and Sheep Eaters, yes." + +This was my chance, and I was not slow to take it. "Yes," I said, "and I +should like to know more of your people," and as she made no reply I +went on, "about the young people, about how they get married." + +Still without looking at me, she answered: "Me all time know about young +Chief Red Arrow, Papoose, and the beautiful young squaw, Aggretta; face +all time like sun, all time beautiful eyes like stars, Aggretta bring +springtime and flowers, heap. Yes I tell pale face about Red Eagle +Papoose and Aggretta." + +By this time many braves were standing around the camp-fire listening to +the old Sheep Eater, who rarely talked of her people. She settled +herself more comfortably, pulled her blanket around her shoulders, and +began her tale in a dull, listless way, but as scene after scene came +before her mind, she forgot her audience and herself and lived again +those days of her girlhood. As I watched the flush come to her cheeks +and the light kindle in her eyes, I lost sight of the withered old relic +of a tribe now passed away, and saw only the beautiful girl of the past +taking part in the scenes she so vividly described. + +This is the story she told: "Red Eagle papoose no name yet. He never do +anything to get name. Papoose boy must do something good, save some +life, do some great act before he can be great man. Aggretta get name +because she so beautiful. Papoose go see Aggretta, stay long time, give +her beautiful eagle feathers and beads, but Aggretta no make beautiful +eyes at him. Come summer time, Aggretta go to mountain top to pray to +sun. Come dark night, storm, Aggretta get lost among clouds. The great +storm swept all over mountains and snow fell on ground, on mountain top. + +"When Red Eagle papoose find out Aggretta lost on mountain, his heart on +ground. He get dried sheep and roots and great bow and arrows, flint +arrows, and go to Aggretta." + +Fascinated, I listened, oblivious to everything but her story, which I +shall have to put into my own words: "Swift as the mountain ram he +climbs the rugged rocks and takes the trail to the great shrine wheel. +Soon he finds her moccasin tracks, and with all the fleetness of an +Indian runner he climbs the rocky trail, here and there stooping to find +a footmark, the breaking of a piece of moss, or the displacing of a +small stone. The bent grass in places showed the direction in which +Aggretta had gone. With bow and arrow he glided on and up. Soon he came +to the snow line, where the trail became more precipitous and the snow +deeper. He stopped and wildly blew his cedar horn, but no answer came. +The storm had abated and the sun's warm rays were making the snow soft. +All impressions and trails were obliterated. The reflection of the sun +on the snow was blinding. After a careful survey, he struggled on up the +trail, whose serpentine twists wound in and out through trees and +canyons and dazzling snow until he was almost blinded. + +"Entering a narrow canyon filled with fir and spruce trees, he stopped +in this haven to rest his tired eyes. When his vision had cleared, his +heart gave a bound; he thought he could see a moccasin track ahead in +the trail. He was off like a deer, and in a moment he was scraping the +soft snow away to find--the tracks of a terrible grizzly. Now he knew +there was trouble ahead, for he felt sure the bear would follow +Aggretta's trail. His suspicions proved correct, and mile after mile he +followed the trail, until he came to the camping ground where the Sheep +Eaters met twice a year to worship. Just as he reached an elevated spot +he heard the scream of his Aggretta, and starting in the direction from +which it came, he saw the grizzly coming straight for him. He brought +his long bow to his face and placed the great jagged arrow against the +sinew. Dropping on his back, with both feet against the bow and both +hands on the sinew, he bent the bow until the arrow was just at full +length and the flint touched the bow; then, letting the bear have the +shaft full in the breast, he jumped like a cat to one side, and the bear +passed. One terrible roar told that the grizzly had been hit in a vital +place. + +"The bear turned and started after the young brave, who was bounding +along toward the scrub fir tree where Aggretta was perched. On came the +bear, with the blood streaming from his mouth, steadily gaining on the +brave, until it seemed certain he would catch him before the tree was +reached. Aggretta, watching the race, gave a cry of warning, and the +brave turned suddenly and bounded away down the hill. The bear, +infuriated with pain, rushed after him. When the distance between them +was short, the brave leaped aside with the agility of a coyote, while +the weight of the great monster carried it down the mountain side. +Before the bear could make the turn, the brave was beside his Aggretta +in the tree. But no sooner had he cleared the ground than the monster +was underneath the tree, tearing at the lower limbs, while the shaft +remained buried in his vitals. + +"The brave took another arrow from his quiver and with deliberate aim he +drove the arrow with its obsidian shaft into one of the bear's eyes, +cutting it entirely out. The great brute rolled over and with his paws +tore the arrow from his eye, but the inward bleeding was fast filling +his powerful lungs. + +"The two lovers sat together trembling like forest leaves, as the +grizzly rolled over the snow with his life blood oozing away. The young +brave drew another shaft and was about to send it home, when Aggretta +said, 'Wait, he will not live long now, and you may need your arrows. +We are far from our people and there are many wild beasts between us and +our lodge.' + +"He replaced the arrow in his quiver, saying, 'Aggretta speaks wisely, +like her father, Black Raven.' + +"At last the lovers came slowly down from the tree. Cautiously the brave +crept forward and made sure the bear was dead. Then he grasped the +shaft, and exerting all his strength pulled it from the breast of the +dead brute, whose lungs it had penetrated. Holding the bloody arrow in +his hand, the young brave told Aggretta this was his first great bear. + +"'Yes,' said Aggretta, 'now you have won a name, and Aggretta the +daughter of chief Black Raven, will name you the Red Arrow.' + +"After taking the claws of the bear to make a necklace for himself, they +started down the trail in their homeward journey. Young and fleet of +foot, they went, at a swift pace down the mountain, hand in hand. After +covering many miles, Red Arrow called a halt at a mountain spring, +where he took from his buckskin shirt some dried sheep, and they ate +heartily while they talked of the great rejoicing there would be in the +Sheep Eaters' lodges when they returned. + +"After lunch they started on down the trail, Aggretta keeping pace with +Red Arrow. Once the stillness was broken by the faint blast of a red +cedar horn; but it was not until they had stopped to rest in a great +park, where the snow had melted away, that they heard a blast that +echoed and reechoed through the wild hills and canyons and the farthest +glen. Red Arrow recognized the blast as coming from his father's horn, +and took from his belt a horn made from the mountain ram's horn. Filling +his powerful lungs, he placed it carefully to his lips, and blew one +long quivering blast which burst through the air like a rocket, +penetrating the canyons and the forests, echoing far down through the +valleys where the Sheep Eaters had built their lodges among the crags. + +"As they rested under a great tree with the sunlight filtering through +its branches, making lacy patterns on the moss at their feet, and the +magpies and squirrels scolding and chattering in the nearby trees, +Aggretta told of her wanderings on the mountains, and her escape from +the bear, the despair she felt of ever being rescued, and her joy when +she saw him, Red Arrow, coming. Red Arrow's heart was too full for +utterance, and when she had finished, he sat looking into her beautiful +brown eyes, while his heart throbbed almost aloud. At last he said, 'Red +Arrow look heap on Aggretta?' + +"Casting her eyes around like a frightened fawn, she moved closer to her +lord of the forest. + +"'Aggretta much good, and great father say me have Aggretta,' he +continued. + +"She nestled still closer and he slipped his arm around the trembling +maiden and drew her to him. His pleading eyes looked straight into hers, +and through into her very soul, as he said, 'You give me much good +name, now do you give me Aggretta?' + +"Softly her arm stole round his neck, the black head went down on his +shoulder while tears of joy slipped down her cheeks. Words could not add +to the rapture of these two hearts drawn together by the wonderful love +known only to the children of nature, and they sat in silence until the +cedar horn was heard again. This was the signal to move on. Down through +the beautiful ferns and wild flowers the lovers sped, leaving behind the +mountains and the snow. Hand in hand they pressed forward down the +winding trail, beaten deep into the earth by the buffalo, the elk, the +deer, the sheep. The goldenrod nodded in the breeze. Little squirrels +went frisking up the nut pines, gathering the rich nuts, and the ruffed +grouse safely hidden among the brown leaves, quietly viewed the scene. + +"Tired and breathless the two Sheep Eaters reached the park a few miles +above the village and were met there by the rescuing party. The great +chief, Red Eagle, folded Aggretta in his arms. Then taking his son, he +embraced them both and blessed them with his richest blessings. The +horns were brought forth, and their notes bursting upon the air apprised +the waiting villagers of the finding of Aggretta. When the royal pair +had been escorted from the mountain park to their lodges, the whole +village joined in song and praise for the young chief. Then all the +chiefs assembled, and before them and the young brave, Aggretta +bashfully told the story of how she was driven to the forest by the +storm, lost among the great fir trees, followed by the bear, escaped +into the fir tree, and her rescue by the young papoose when she had +given up all hope. She described his race for life and the courage and +ingenuity with which he outwitted the bear, and of his sending the arrow +to the creature's heart. She told how, when he had pulled the arrow from +the brute's heart all dripping with blood, she had named him Chief Red +Arrow. + +"The chiefs, after listening to her story, agreed that the papoose had +won the right to a name; and he was then and there christened Chief Red +Arrow. + +"The next day Chief Red Arrow selected a beautiful tepee, made of the +best of lodge poles, cemented together with pine pitch and glue from the +mountain ram's hoofs, and in it he stored his earthly stock of goods. He +carpeted the floor of his new lodge with the skins of the mountain ram, +the cougar, the red deer, the elk, and the bear, while the walls were +hung with robes from the mountain bison, the otter, the beaver, the +mink, and the martin. The villagers watched with interest while he +worked. He drew a rawhide thong across the center of his lodge, facing +the door. On this he hung the prize trophies of the chase, making a +partition for his lodge. In the center he left a door-way, over which he +hung a beautiful spotted elk calf robe for a door. The lodge was located +in an ideal spot, where the green mountain ferns covered the ground and +a spring of clear water sparkled and bubbled close at hand. On either +side stood a large, low, spreading pine, protecting the lodge from the +summer suns and winter storms. + +"While Red Arrow was still busy decorating his lodge for his young +bride-to-be, sixteen of the best hunters were sent into the forest and +mountains and directed to bring in the choicest game to be found and the +skin of the great bear that had come so near killing Aggretta. + +"All this time Aggretta was nowhere to be seen. It was a custom among +the Sheep Eaters that the prospective bride must seclude herself and +prepare for the coming ceremonies. + +"Four days later the lodge was completed and all but three of the +hunters had returned loaded with mountain sheep, elk, and deer. On the +fifth day came the three with the skin of the great bear which had given +Red Arrow his name. + +[Illustration: A SUMMER HOUSE OR LOVERS' RETREAT] + +"The great skin was placed on the ground. Red Arrow brought Aggretta +out, and before the whole village she repeated the story of her terrible +experience on the mountain and her rescue by Red Arrow. Then the +great Red Eagle, in all his splendor, stepped upon a rock and announced +that his son, Red Arrow, now had a name, won by bravery shown in the +saving of the life of Aggretta, and in ten sleeps the Red Arrow would +bring this beautiful maiden, daughter of the Black Raven, to his lodge, +at which time there would be great rejoicing and feasting among the +Sheep Eaters. When he had concluded three blasts were blown on the cedar +horns and the crowd quietly dispersed to their lodges. + +"The next ten days were busy ones in the village. Every Indian had his +share in the preparations for the great event. + +"On the morning of the tenth sleep, before even the birds had begun +their morning chants, thirty braves in their gala dress, stole silently +forth from their lodges and assembled in the open space before the +village. When the first faint blush of dawn appeared in the east, a +blast from thirty cedar horns broke the stillness of the beautiful +mountain village. As the last notes died away two processions from +opposite ends of the village started toward the bridal lodge. Aggretta, +in her bridal gown of skins and beads, black hair down to her moccasin +tops, came with the step of a queen from her father's lodge, attended by +twenty-eight lovely maidens, each the choice of her tribe. From the +other end of the village came Red Arrow out of the lodge of Chief Red +Eagle, attended by twenty-eight braves, all splendid in their wedding +garb. + +"Never bride pledged her troth amid greater beauty. Overhead a canopy of +blue, with here and there a fleecy cloud daintily edged with pink. Round +about were walls of massive, towering rock, stately evergreens and the +thousand surrounding lodges, and under foot a carpet of grass and ferns +and flowers. + +"Just as the sun's rim cleared the horizon, the lovers met at the door +of the lodge and stood side by side on the great bear skin, while the +blowing of horns and the chanting of twenty-eight maidens and +twenty-eight braves made the mountains ring with joy. Then a thousand +voices swelled the chorus of praise to the young aristocrats. + +"The great medicine chief came forward and performed the rites of the +tribe. The pair knelt on the bear skin with their faces to the sun, +while he joined them together in marriage. The ceremonies finished, the +brave and his bride entered the lodge he had prepared, while the +villagers went to their tepees, chanting songs of praise to the new made +bride. + +"At evening, when the sun had gone to rest and the stately peaks had +changed from pink to lavender, from gold to copper, and from purple to +gray, when the evening star had cleared the horizon and had begun to +wink and beckon to the laggard moon, then again the village awoke to +life, and the royal feast began. Fires were kindled and great flat +stones were heated. Choice cuts of elk, the tenderloin and tongues and +hams of sheep were roasted. Venison steak and ribs were broiled to a +turn. The bridal couple came forth and once more took their place on +the bear skin. The singers and dancers in the center of the great throng +began their weird chants and slow rhythmical steps. The tom-tom burst +forth, the chants became louder, the dance swifter. The maidens took up +the chant, first low and sweet, and as it grew higher and louder, the +young braves added their voices, then the older people joined the +chorus. Torches of cedar, burning like rockets, were thrown into the +air, the tom-toms pealed out their muffled notes, and from a thousand +throats rolled the great wedding song, until the tepees shook, and the +hills and valleys echoed with the sounds of rejoicing. They danced and +chanted and feasted while the stars came out till the sky seemed +crowded, while the camp-fires leaped and blazed. They danced and feasted +and sang, until the camp-fires smouldered and died out, and the night +birds made their last faint twitterings before seeking rest. They sang +and feasted and danced when all else was still save the Grey Bull River, +murmuring as it swept along over its gravelly bed, the far off hoot of +an owl, or the cry of the coyote still lingering for his share of the +wedding feast. When the little stars had gone to rest and the larger +ones were beginning to slip away, then quietly, in groups, the throng +dispersed, wishing the newly married pair good night and happy days, as +they passed. + +"When the last one had gone, Red Arrow turned to his bride, and taking +her by the hand, led her into his lodge. Looking into her brown eyes, so +full of love and trust, he said, 'This is our home, and I know we shall +always be happy here, for our people all love us and the great spirit is +well pleased.' + +"Then he let the skin fall loosely over the door, and the great day of +the Sheep Eaters had passed. The silent night became more silent, the +owl ceased calling to his mate, the coyote skulked into his lair, the +birds ceased their chirping, the great forest trees seemed in a trance, +not a flower or fern moved, all nature was at rest. + +"The Great Red Eagle, chief of the twenty-eight tribes, sent runners to +all his people with the message that in the spring, when the warm sun +should come again, all the tribes were to assemble at the great Sun Dial +to worship and rejoice over the wedding of his son to the beautiful +Aggretta. + +"The warm sun came, and a great camp-fire was kept burning for two +nights on Bald Mountain, where it could be seen by the tribes many miles +away, even into Wyoming. Then came the greatest gathering that had ever +assembled in the mountains. + +"Day after day came the people, eager to see the young chieftain and his +squaw, who were to rule the people when the great Red Eagle was no +longer able to rule. Songs to the sun began to rise from the great +rock-ribbed mountains, and the royal family, with Red Arrow and the +beautiful Aggretta, took their places on the great stone spokes of the +wheel, facing the east. They began their worship by moving along until +they came to the rim, when the men turned to the right and the squaws to +the left, singing their chants to the sun. The sun chant begins very +low, but as they go around the wheel it becomes louder and louder until +the climax is reached, then a new company takes the wheel, and the first +worshippers retire to their seats, watching and joining in the chants +until the foothills and canyons and plains resound with the music. + +"Thus the days and nights were passed until the end of their fourteen +day holiday had come. The chief and his squaw had become acquainted with +the leaders of the twenty-eight tribes, and after the annual worship was +over and the customary gifts had been made to the young chief, Red +Arrow, and his bride, each tribe, headed by the subchief went to their +homes among the mountains." + + + + +CHAPTER VIII + +CLOSING WORDS + + +One evening, when the old squaw seemed to be in a friendly mood, I made +some inquiries as to where the several tribes had lived, and she said: +"You white man want to know heap about Sheep Eaters. Why for you know so +much?" + +I told her I was very much interested in her people. Then I gave her a +pretty bead necklace of regular crow beads, ornamented with paint. She +put them on and a smile lighted the wrinkled old face. + +"White man heap good," she said, patting the beads; then after admiring +the beads for a time, she turned her attention to me. "White man find +many camps of Sheep Eaters on Paint Rocks. Sheep Eaters make much squaw +and papoose on rocks. On Great Mountain, white man find many tepees and +sheep pens where Indian catch much sheep to eat. Many rivers away up in +mountain, find much Indian work. Away up close to bad spirit country, +you find many tepee, much rich plenty. (National Park.) Our people think +bad spirits always at war in the earth, so our people scarcely ever went +into that country, although our great men fetch obsidian from there to +make arrows. Our men make arrows of the most beautiful design. We were +called the arrow makers. We made the most beautiful fur garments and our +tanned skins were the best." + +"Tell me who you are, are you a chief's daughter?" I asked. + +She turned her eyes away at the question, and sat for a long time with +that vacant look on her face as though seeing all her past; then +suddenly she turned, and looking squarely at me, she said, "Me Red +Arrow's squaw." + +I was amazed, but could not doubt her word, as she had told me the truth +so far as I had investigated. It seemed impossible that this most +haggard of old women could have been the most beautiful girl of her +tribe. But a hundred and fifteen years of life can change much, even the +beautiful curves of the human body and the roses on the cheek and lip. A +hundred and fifteen years! But this was the chance of a lifetime, I must +not let it slip away while I dreamed. + +"Where did your people go?" I asked; "what became of your tribe?" + +"One beautiful day," she replied, "when sun warm and earth green, white +man got lost and his ponies come into our camp. White man very sick. +Medicine man put him in big tepee and take care of him, give him much +bath in hot water. Man got very red like Indian man, face much all over +spots. By and by he die. Then sickness all over camp. Sheep Eater run +off in forest and die. Some run to other villages, they all die. Sheep +Eater all much scared and run away. Many tepee standing alone, all dead +inside. Red Eagle die, Red Arrow die, me no die, me very much scare, go +off in mountains, eat berries, cherries, root. Me find many Sheep Eater +dead in woods. By and by Sheep Eaters not many. They go to other Indian +tribes down in valley on river, where much big water runs, and eat heap +buffalo, ride pony, marry heap squaw. Sheep Eater have one squaw, other +Indians many. Then Sheep Eater no more, no more papoose, no more squaw, +all gone. Cold winds go, spring come, wild geese come back to lakes. +Sheep Eater no come back, all gone. Tepee rot, rain, wind, snow, sun, on +bones, on blanket, tepees, skins, bows, arrows. By and by all gone too. +Indian no go there long time, many moon." + +So passed away the proudest race of Indians that ever lived on earth. +They left behind no trace of history except the Paint Rocks among the +canyons of Wyoming, near Basin City, and in Crandle Creek Basin, +Montana, on which we might read of a thousand historical deeds if we +could but find the key. These, and the great shrine wheel on Bald +Mountain, the sheep pens where the wary sheep were caught, and here and +there along the mountain trails, stone blinds behind which the hunter +lay in ambush for game, are all that is left to remind us of a tribe now +extinct. + +From those visible signs, and the tales of the old squaw and stories +extant among other tribes, we find the Sheep Eaters were a strong, +brave, peaceable race of people, clean morally and physically. Provident +and inventive, excelling in all the Indian arts. They lived as brothers. +No poor were ever known among them, all sharing alike except the chiefs, +who had larger tepees and more robes that they might care for visitors. +Death was meted out to the woman who broke her marriage vows, and after +death she was condemned to live in darkness and never again to see the +sun they worshipped. + +They never knew the use of alcohol in any form. It was left to the +_proud, civilized whites_ to bring that curse to the Indians. This +favored people never saw but the one white man, and he only brought +death to their bodies, leaving their souls unashamed to face their +Maker. + +It seems very fitting that this most perfect tribe of which we know +should have lived out their little span of life among the most perfect +surroundings, building their homes in the crags and rocks among those +towering mountains, whose lofty heads are covered with perpetual snow, +on whose sides great glaciers lie half hidden, like monsters of the +deep. Dark stretches of timber fringe the canyons where the bald eagle, +silent as the grave, seeks its prey. To the south the black forest +clings to the shoulders of the mountains where the snow goes whirling +across the peaks, along the table land, and into the valleys. Always and +always the silent Rockies towering among the clouds on the one side and +the majestic Big Horn on the other. Sentinel peaks, capped with the +eternal snows, stand like hoary-headed giants. Great piles of God's +masonry wall in this emerald vale with one ever-astounding, sometimes +appalling, always changing vista of mountain, forest, river, lake, +crest, gorge, and peak. Crouched in this empire of solemnity by night +and grandeur by day, was the home of the Sheep Eaters. + + + + + +End of Project Gutenberg's The Sheep Eaters, by William Alonzo Allen + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE SHEEP EATERS *** + +***** This file should be named 26565.txt or 26565.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + https://www.gutenberg.org/2/6/5/6/26565/ + +Produced by Paul Dring and the Online Distributed +Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was +produced from images generously made available by The +Internet Archive/American Libraries.) + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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