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About The Red Cloud chief. (Red Cloud, Webster Co., Neb.) 1873-1923 | View Entire Issue (Oct. 5, 1922)
RED OLOUD, NEBRASKA, CHIEF Erskine Dale Pioneer By John Fox, Jr. Ooprriaht bjr Cfauln SrriMur'a Bon I "I CAN WAIT" SYNOPSIS. To the Kentucky wildorncns outpost commanded by Jeronio BandorB, In tlio tlmo limna dlatcly preceding tliu Hevolutlon, cotncH u white boy llcclng from a trlbo of Hluvwnocn by whom ho luul been enquired und adopted ns a Bon of tho chief Kahtoo. IIo Is Riven nhcltcr und nttrnctR tlio favornblo attention of Dnvo Ynndell, a lender unions tho settlers. Tho boy wurns of tho coming of a Shawnco war party. Tim fort Is attacked, und only paved by tho timely appear anco of a party of Virginians. Tho leader of theso Is fatally wounded, but In his dying mpmenta recoR nl.rfl thu fugitive youth us his son. At lied Ouks, plantation on tho Juntos river, Virginia, Colonol Dale's homo, tho boy appears with a messago for tho colonel, who aflor reading It Introduces tho bearer to lilt daughter llarbara us her cousin Hrnklno Dale. Krskltiu meets two other cousins, Harry Iale und Hugh Wllloughby. Ynn dcll visits ltcd Oaks. At tho coun ty fair at Williamsburg Krsklno mcctH a youth, Dane Grey, and thero at otico arises a bitter antag onism botween them. Grey. In liquor. Insults Krsklnc, nnd tho lat ter, for the moment nil Indian, draws his knife. Ynndell disarms hltn. Ashamed, Ersklno leaves ltcd Oaks that night to return to tho wilderness. Ynndell, with Harry nnd Hugh, who havo been permit ted to visit tho Sanders fort, over take him. At tho plantation tho boy had left a note In which he gave tho property, which Is his as tho son of Colonel Dale's oldor brother, to IJnrbara. Tito party Is met by thrco Shawnees, who bring news to Krsklno (whoso Indian namo Is White Arrow) that his fos ter father, Kahtoo, Is dying und desires) him to como to tho tribe and become Its chief. After a brief visit to the fort Hrsklne goes to the tribe. Ho llnds there a white worn an nnd her hnlfbreed daughter, Karly Morn, and saves tho woman from death. He tells Kahtoo ho Is with the Americans ngalnBt the Ilrltlsh. An enemy, Crooked Light ning, overhears him. CHAPTER VIII Contnuod. 9 "Tomorrow," snld the old chief, "they shnll hunt. Knch slinll tnke his bow unci the sumo number of urrows nt sunrise nnd return nt sundown. . . . The next day they shall do the same Willi the rillo. It Is enough for today." The first snow fell that night, nnd at dawn the two lads started out each with n bow and n dozen arrows. Krsklne's woodcraft bad not suffered nnd tho night's story of tho wilderness was ns plain to his keen eyes us a printed page. For two hours be trumped swiftly, but never sign of deer, -elk, bear or buffalo. And then nn hour Inter he benrtl n snort from a thick copse nnd the crash of an unseen body In flight through the brush, und he loped after Us tracks. Black Wolf ennio In at sunset with n bear cub which he had found feeding npurt from Its mother. He was trium phant, nnd Crooked Lightning wns scornful when White Arrow appeared empty-handed. Ills left wrist was bruised und swollen, and there was a gush the length of his forearm. "Follow my tracks back," be snld, "until you come to the kill." With a whoop two Indians bounded nwny and In an hour returned with n buck. "I ran him down," said White Ar row, "and killed him with the knife. He horned me," und went Into bis tent. The bruised wrist nnd wounded fore arm made no matter, for the rifle wns the weapon next dny but White Ar row went another way to look for game. Each hud twelve bullets. IUuck Wolf came In with n deer and one bul let. White Arrow told them where "Tomorrow," Said tho Old Chief, "They Shall Hunt." they could find a deer, a bear, a buf falo and an elk, and bo showed eight bullets In the pnlm of his band. And fee noted now Hint the Indian girl was always an Intent observer of each con test, and that she always went swiftly back to her tent to tell bis deeds to the white woman within. There wnB a feast and a dance that night, nnd Kahtoo could have gone to his fathers and left the lad, young as fce was, as chief, but not yet was ho An W tiik fiBfil WWkWiWkf'ml - ready, nnd Crooked Lightning, too, bided his time. Pressed ns an Indian, Erskine rode forth next morning with n wampum belt nnd a talk for the council north where the Ilrltlsh were to meet Shaw nee, Iroquois nnd Algonquin, and urge them to enter the great war that was Just breaking forth. There was open ami angry protest against sending .so young it lad on so great u mission, but the old chief haughtily brushed It aside: "IIo Is young but his feet nre swift, Ills arm is strong, his heart good, nnd his head Is old. He speaks the tongue of the paleface. Resides, he is my son." One nuestlon the boy nsked ns he made ready: "The white woman must not be burned while I nin gone?" "Xo," promised the old chief. And so White Arrow fared .forth. Four days he rode through the "north woods, und on the fifth lie strode through tho streets of n town thnt wns yet filled with grent forest trees: u town nt which lie had spent three winters when the game was scarce nnd the trlbo had moved north for good. He lodged witli no chief, but slept In the woods with bis feet to the fire. The next night he slipped to tho house of the old priest, Father Andre, who had taught him some religion nnd a little French, and the old man welcomed him us n son, though be noted sadly his In dian dress nnd wns distressed when be heard the lad's mission. IIo was quick ly relieved. "I am no roynllst," he said. "Nor am I," snld Erskine. "I came because Kahtoo, who seemed nigh to dentb, begged me to come. I nm only u messenger nnd I shall speak his tulle; but my heart Is with the Americans und I shall fight with them." The old priest put his lingers to bis lips: "Sh h h I It is not wise. Are you not known?" Erskine hesitated. Earlier that morning he bnd seen three otllcers riding In. Following was it youth not In uniform, though he car ried n sword. On tho contrary, bo was dressed like an English dandy, and then he found himself face to face with Dime Orcy. With no sign of rec ognition the boy had met his eyes squarely and passed on. "There is but one man who does know mo nnd ho did not recognize me. Ills nume Is Dune Grey. I nm won dering wlint ho Is doing here. Can you find out for me nnd let me know?" The old priest nodded nnd Erskine slipped back to the woods. At sunrise the grent council begnn. On his way Erskine met Grey, who ap parently wns leaving with n bnnd of traders for Detroit. Again Erskine met Ida eyes and this time Grey smiled: "Aren't you White Arrow?" Some how the tone with which ho spoke tho nume was nn Insult. "res." "Then it's true. We heard that you had left your friends at the fort and become an Indian ugaln." "Yes?" "So you are not only going to fight with the Indians against tho whites, but with the Ilrltlsh ugnlnst America?" "Wlint I nm going to do Is no busi ness of yours," Erskine snld quietly, "but I hope we shall not be on the same side. We may meet again." Grey's face wns nlrendy red' with drink and It turned purple with lin ger. "When you tried to stab mo do you remember wlint I said?" Erskine nod ded contemptuously. "Well, I repent It. Whntcver the side, I'll light you anywhere nt nny time und In nny way you please." "Why not now?" "This is not the time for .private quarrels and you know It." Erskine bowed slightly an act that came oddly from nn Indian head dress. "I can wait nnd I shall not forget. The day will come." The old priest touched Erskine's shoulder us the nngry youth rode nwny. "I cannot make It out," he said. "He claims to represent an English fur company. Ills talk is British, but he told one man last night when be wns drunk thnt he could hnve a commis sion In the American army." The council lire wns built, the flumes crackled und the smoke rolled upwurd nnd swept through the leatless trees. Three Hrltlsh ngents sat on blankets, and around them the chiefs were ringed. All dny the powwow lusted. Each agent spoke und tho bur den of his talk varied very little. The American palefaces hnd driven the Indian over the grent wall. They were killing his deer, buffnlo nnd elk, robbing him of his land mid pushing hint ever buokwaid. They were ninny and thpy would become more. The Ilrltlsh. were the Indian's friends the Americans were his enemies nnd theirs; could they choose to fight with their enemies rather tlian with their friends? Each chief answered In turn, and ench enst forward his wampum until only Erskine, who luul snt silent, remained, and I'ontiac himself turned to him. "What says the son of Kahtoo?" Even as ho rose, tho lad saw creep ing to the outer ring his enemy Crook ed Lightning, but ho appeared not to see. Tho whites looked surprised when bis boyish figure stood straight, und they were amazed when be addressed tho traders In French, the agents in English, and spoke to tlio feathered chiefs In their own tongue. Ho cubt the belt forward. "That U Kahtoo' talk, but this Is mine." Who bnd driven the Indian from the grent wutcrs to the grent wall? The Ilrltlsh, Who wero tlio Americans un til now? Ilrltlsh. Why were the Americans fighting now? Becnuse the British, their kinsmen, would not give them their rights. If the British would drive tho Indian to tlio great wall, would they not go on doing what they chnrged the Americans with doing now? If the Indians must fight, why fight with the British to beut the Americans, nnd then have to fight both a Inter day? If the British would not trcnt their own kinsmen fnlrly, wns it likely that they would treat the Indlnn fnlrly? They bud never dono so yet. Would It not be better for the Indlnn to mukc the white man on his own hind u friend father than tho white man who lived more than u moon nwny ncross the big seus? Only one gesturo tlio lad mndc. He lifted his bnnd high and paused. Crooked Light ning bud sprung to bis feet with n bourse cry. Alrcudy the white men had grown uneusy, for the chiefs bud turned to tho boy with stnrtlcd Inter est nt his first sentence und they could not know whut ho wns Buying. But they looked relieved when Crooked Lightning rose, for bis wns the only fnce In tho assembly thnt was hostile to the boy. With a gesture Pontluc bade Crooked Lightning speak. "Tho tongue of White Arrow is forked. I hnve heard him say ho would fight with the Long Knives ngnlnst the "The people Are Angry. They Say You Are a Traitor and a Spy." British and he would fight with them even ngnlnst his own tribe." One grunt of rngo ran the round of three circles nnd yet Pontine stopped Crooked Lightning und turned to the lad. Slow ly the boy's uplifted hand came down. With n bound he leaped through tho head-dress of n chief In the outer ring and sped away through the village. Some started on foot after him, some rushed to their ponies, and some sent arrows nnd bullets after him. At the edge of the village the boy gave a loud, clear call and then another ns he run. Something black sprang snorting from the edge of the woods with pointed enrs und searching eyes. An other call came and like the swirling edge of n hurrlcnnc-drlven thunder cloud Firefly swept nftor his master. The boy rnn to meet him, cnught one bnnd In his mnne before be stopped, swung himself up, nnd in n hall of arrowB und bullets swept out of sight. CHAPTER IX. The sound rf pursuit soon died away, but Erskine kept Firefly nt bis best, for he knew thnt Crooked Light ning would he quick nnd fnst on bis trail. He guessed, too, thnt Crooked Lightning had nlrendy told the tribe wlint be hnd Just told the council, nnd thnt he nnd the prophet had nlrendy made nil use of the boy's throat to Kahtoo In the Shawnee town. lie knew even thnt It might cost him his life If he went back Micro, and once or twlco he started to turn through the wilderness and go back to tho fort. It was the thought of the white woman who was to be burned that kept him going and sent him openly and fear lessly Into the town. Ho knew from the sullen looks that met him, from tho fenr In tho faces of his foster mother and the white woman who peered blindly from her lodge, and from the triumphant leer of tho prophet thnt bis every suspicion was true, but nil the more leisurely did lie swing from his horse, nil the more haughtily stalk to Knhtoo's tent. And the old chief looked very grave when the lad told tho story of the council and all that he had said and done. "The people nro irngry. They sny you nre i traitor nnd n spy. They suy you must die. And I ennnot help you. I nm too old nnd the prophet Is too rtrong." "And tho whlto woman?" "They thought you'd turned Injun agin," he said, "but It's all right now." (TO UK CONTINUED.) Uncle Eben. "Dnr nln't no ketchln' up wlf some folks," snld Uncle Eben. "I called 'Itnstus Plnkley's 'tcntlon to do fnck dat he wus boldln' bis book upside down, nn ull ho snld wns dnt it took u mighty sinaht mnn to do his rendln' l dut wnv." Washington Star The MfiKM LMON (Copy for Tlila Department Supplied bjr the American t-Mnn Nw Service.) NAVAL SHOW AT CONVENTION Chairman Neville of Committee, Prom ises Dig Dlcplay at New Or leans Meeting. Delegutes to the American Legion national convention at New Orleans nre promised one of the most spec tuculur und In teresting nuval shows tlie nation bus seen, nccord lng to Lieut. C. W. J. Neville, &WKM4 chairman or tno mmEm convention naval j tAim affnlrs commit B " fe t e e, w li o has jjft. M been III Wnsh wmm 4PMi 1 n g t o n com msim pletlng arrange uients. Commander Neville obtained the promise of Assistant Secretary Jtuosevvlt that he would send one bat tleship nnd u number of destroyers to partlelpute In the program. ArrtuigtmentK hnve nlso been made to have the Ettle boats now at .Tuck sonvllle, St. Petersburg, Tampa, Gal veston Mid St. Louis culled Into nc tlve service wlm u view to directing the annual erube of the nnvul reserve men, who form their crews, to New Orleans. A Heel of 112 hydroplanes will fly from Pcnsncohi to New Orleans n few dtis before the convention and will remain on the river for exhibition flights. While in Washington Commander Neville nlso arranged for Invitation to the naval authorities of England, Canada, Australia, France, Italy, Bra zil and Cuba for their attendance at tho naval show. A flotilla of subma rines, now en route to the East from Mure Island, Cul., also may be u fea ture of the naval display. THE LEGION'S SWEET SINGER Charles Youno, Popular Tenor, Will Warble at the New Orleans Convention. Down New Orleans way the word's gone out thnt tho Amerlcnn Legion's "sweet singe r," Charles Young, Is going to be on the J o b ugaln this year at the big national eon volition, nnd there's rejoicing. The thousands of Legionnaires who utteuded the Kan sas City conven tion nnd expect tn pit nlso to New Orleans, have been asking for weeks whether Young will be there. Young Is ofllclnl soloist with the National American Legion band, nnd announcement has Just been made he will break away from his concert, oratorio nnd opera work to nccoui pany the band on a tour, and appear with It at the convention. He per haps is one of the best known of the fun, if.,,. .lni'rrj nnd nt the KnnSllB ' City convention was In constant de mand. Young became a member of the crew of the U. S. S. Louisville in the enrly days of the World war, having enlisted In the navy. He then wns chosen ns soloist for the famous hand of John Philip Sousa and toured with the bond on Its remarkable recruiting campaigns. Following bis discharge from serv ice, Young started on an active nnd successful enreer ns n public singer. He Is n member of the Amerlcnn Le gion nnd of Las Soclete ties 40 et 8 Chevnux. After the Fakirs. Persons who havo suddenly ac quired Worbl war rerortls, wound stripes nnd a desire to help other dis abled veterans by soliciting subscrip tions to equally bogus magazines have so aroused the American Legion nnd municipal authorities nt Sy mouse, N. Y thnt the two forces have combined ngnlnst such fnko nollcltlng. Anyone seokln;: a license to sell magazines Is turned over to the Legion for Inves tigation. That Local Color. Mrs. Timothy liny For heaven's Hike! Whut ure you going to do with thnt old wagon? And that harness grandfather had? Where on earth Is the car? And whut ure you dressed like a tramp for? And that straw In vour mouth? Aro you going crazy? Mr. T. I lay (reproachfully) Maria, whore's your wits? Don't you know them summer boarders nro coming on tho next train? American Legion Weekly. Letting Him Down Easy. 'A rich man, lying on his death bed, cnlletl bis chuulTeur, who had been In bis service for years, nnd snld: "Ah, Sykes. I nm going on a long mi rugged Journey, worse ffiun oer you drovo me." "Well, sir," consoled the chauffeur, -There's ono comfort. It's down hill." American Legion Weekly. j JiS IS IN FAVOR OF SALARIES James Wicker, Jr., Director American Legion Tour of Europe, Urges Pay for Commanders. Jntnoa J. Wicker, Jr., director of the Amerlcnn Legion tour of Europe, thinks depart ment commnnders of tho Legion should be pnld nlnrles. Just before sailing from New York on the S. S. l'resl d o n t Roosevelt, which enrried the party to the bnt 1 1 e f 1 e 1 d s of France. Wicker Kent a message to ills comrades In Virginia, refusing to permit his nume to be mentioned us department com inunder In the election by the stnte convention. Ills letter follows: "The department commander should devote his principal time to the Legion Its work, Ha growth, Its welfare hhotild commnnd Ids mind, his heart und soul, und should always be upper most In his dully life. The position of department commander Is u very high ofllce and it Is worthy of the very best men In the Legion, it Is a man-size Job, requiring the very best efforts and the hardest work to handle It with the greatest success. "Given a commander who would pructlcally surrender himself to the Legion, and who could make Its prog ress and success his chief aim und objective during his term of olllce, we would see this Legion of ours expund und grow In membership, Influence und heulthy uetlvlty almost beyond con ception. I nm of the sincere convic tion thnt If the Legion called a mnn to serve ns lender usklng him to give pructlcnlly his whole time und provid ing for his support he would, If of proper onllber, consider that cull us lending him to a wonderful service, Just us serious, us noble nnd us patri otic ns that which brought him Into uniform against the enemy." The question is one which has been much discussed over ull the country by Legionnaires, und probably will come before the national convention ut New Orleans. CHEERS FOR FORMER SOLDIER J. N. Hoffman, Disabled Ex-Service Man, Rescues Woman From Death in Lake Michigan. J. N. Hoffiiinn, former service mnn, didn't stop to consider the fnct thnt he wus only nn in different swimmer und that a dis ability Incurred In his nrnif serv ice made swim ming even more difficult for him, when he saw n womnn flounder ing in Lake Mich igan, off Ardmoro bench In Chicago. Fully clothed, he rushed Into the wnter, his sole thought thnt of rescue. Spectntors stood on the bench nnd watched the heroic struggle. For many minutes they feared both Horfinau.nnd the womnn would be drowned. It was nlgllt, nnd only by the lights of the bench could tl' crowd watch the two dark forms bobbins up nnd down on the wnter. And there were cheers uiieii Hoffman, exhausted, towed his limp burden onto the beach. The woman declined to divulge hep name. She snld she had gone out for n drive in her limousine and decided on Impulse to go swimming before she returned home. She swam beyond the sandbar und, finding herself in deep wnter, bectime punle-strlcken nnd shouted for help. She declared she would hnve drowned In u few moments more hud not her rescuer reached her. WILL CHANGE STREET NAMES New Orleans Thoroughfares to Be Re. christened During Legion National Convention. Illuinlnnted by 2S000 electric lights nnd decorated with flags, banners and strenmers. the downtown streets of New Orleans will be In holiday re galia during the American Legion nn tlonnl convention next October. For five days the conventional names of business streets will he thrown Into the discard nnd they will he reiinisteiied with designations more appropriate to the Legion gath ering. A court of honor of the nations wilt be established In ten blocks, each block being set aside for one of the principal allied powers with corre sponding flags and decorations. Signs Indicating tho names of the states, with their contributions in numbers of World war fighters, will feature the court of honor of tho states, to be held on the principal residential street. Amerlcnn Legion nvenue will he dewated with Legion banners nnd emblems. Visiting doughboys In search of their buddies will be assisted In the establishment of the streets of tho divisions. Suspended across the streets utilized for this purpose will be the Inslgntus of ull divisions In tho World wur army. Impromptu re unions of men who served In the sumo division will be held near tho banners Inscribed with their division al Insignia. Red, white nnd blue electric bulbs will Illuminate Canal street, the main thoroughfare, and all principal side streets. aF3s mfm JasJmI Rheumatism and Dyspepsia Are Soon Ended Victims of stomnch trouble and rheumatism often find that when their stomuch is set In order, tho rheuma tism disappears. Thousands of peopla everywhere hnve testified thnt Tnnlnfl -has freed them of both troubles slmul tuneously. Mr. Robert Trotter, 148 Stnto St., St. Paul, Minn., says: "About a yenr ago I began to go down bill. Sour stomnch nnd rheuma tism in my nrms nnd shoulders kept mo in misery nil the time. Since tnlc lng Tnnlnc nil my itches nnd pnlns have gone, nnd my stomach is In flno shnpo. 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Hughes, Greenville, Delaware Mothers and oftentimes grandmothers have taken and havo learned the value of Lydia E. Pinkham's Vegetable Com pound. So they recommend the medi cine to others. The best test of any medicine Is what it has done for others. For nearly fifty years we have published letters from mothers, daughters, and women, young and old, recommending the Vegetable Compound. They know what it did for them and are glad to tell others. In your own neighborhood aro women who know of its great value. Mothers daughters, why not try it ? DONT DESPAIR If you are troubled with pain tn aches; feel tired; have headache, indigestion, insomnia; painful pas sage of urine, you will find relief to COLD MEDAL The world's standard1 remedy for kidney liver, bladder and uric add troubles and National Remedy, of Holland cince 1690. Three sizes, all druggists. Look for tho name Gold Medal on oyer box and accept no imitation Oppooite Views. Ills "Gud! 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