faces do as they agree. I am the big chief of the Kiowa tribes, but I am only one man, and I want my young chiefs and warriors to say something. Lone Wolf and Kickingbird are the chief warriors in the Kiowa tribes, and I want them to make their own talk. They can talkee all they please.
Lone Wolf. I have but little to say. I am a poor red-man, with nothing but my squaw and papoose and my three ponies. The pale-faced men have-a-bijg-heap-of-everything. The red-man can never learn as much as the white knows. I would like to have our people settle down here where the water runs clear and the timber grows tall. I think our women, would raise corn and potatoes and we would have our children go to school.
Agent That is just what we want to have them do, and we will do all we can to assist them.
Lone Wdf. If your white people will do what is right and have good hearts for us, I think our tribes will do well for you. I have been on the war-path for thirty years and am tired of it. The white people have got more soldiers than we have, and I know it. We must give up the war-path sooner or later, but we must have good treatment and the pale-faces must stay away from our hunting-grounds and let our buffalo and antelope grow as they always did.
Agent. If your people will settle on a reservation they will have plenty of cattle and will not need any buffalo.
Lone Wolf. The buffalo and antelope were put on the grass for the red-man, and we must have them. If the great father at Washington will keep his pale-face soldiers away from us, I will try and have our people settle on farms and raise corn, potatoes, oxen and sheep and a heap-o'-cows. I would like to hear what Kickingbird has to say. He is a brave young warrior and-a-heap-good-young-chief. He is a heap-big-fighter with the pale-faces when they come for our buffalo and antelope.
Agent. We would all like to hear from you, Kickingbird. .What have you to say ? I think you ought to have a good influence with your people.
Kickingbird. I am a brave young chief in the Kiowa tribes. I have nothing but my squaw and papoose and three ponies. I want to live with my people and look at them and see them do well. We have been fought by your big generals a heap-o'-times and are not dead yet, and we don't want to fight any more. We want the white soldiers to stay away from us, and we will take care of ourselves. I want to go to Washington and have a big talkee-a-heap- big-a-talkee with the great father. I want him to give me some cattle and sheep. I want to raise oxen, cows, and hogs and sheep, and hire our young men to make corn and potatoes.
Agent. That is just what we want to have you do, Kickingbird, and we will do all we can to help you along. I think you would make a good farmer.
Kickingbird. I think I can make a heap good farmer. My squaw can live like a white woman, and my papoose must go to school and learn to read and write and come home and learn the other children, like the white folks do. But we are never going to do all this while your pale-faces stay around us and kill our buffalo for fun. They must stay away and let our braves alone and stop killing the buffalo and antelope, and then we will believe the white man will do what is right and the Kiowas will all be good people.
Agent I will do the best I can to have you go to Washington, where you can talk with the great father. I will do all I can to help you get cattle and sheep and be a good farmer. We will build you good houses for your people to
live in, and school-houses for your children, and send you a good teacher. Our soldiers will not disturb you as long as you keep your young men at home and are a good law-abiding people.
Kickingbird. All is good. Heap good. Heap-o'-good-talkee. You-pale-face-talkee-a-heap-o'-good. All-time-heap- good. May-be-so-mee-yan-na-me-come-and-a-heap-o'-talkee-more-a-heap-o'-good. Good-bye. Good-bye.
All shake hands.
CHAPTEE II
GENERAL VAN COUVNOR. Galled upon to assist – An unexpected drama.
Quite different was the scene enacted on the following day At the military post in the vicinity. While Satanta and his associate chiefs were engaged in ' peace talk ' with the unsuspecting agent, the wily warriors of the tribe had felt it a befitting occasion to steal forth on a raiding expedition, in which they securely bagged the mules of the post quartermaster's department. At the same time news was received at the post that the same warriors, in a raid into Texas, had killed a worthy settler, and carried off his wife and children as prisoners, as is the custom of the Kiowas, expecting a liberal ransom for their surrender. The scene opens with the sentinels of the post, who proclaim the usual hourly 'AWs well' Agent Broadbrim, on hearing of the occurrence, repairs in haste to the military headquarters in the interests of peace.
The Indian attack, as is usual with them, was made at daybreak, as the herd was being driven out to grass. The herder, Squills, rushes to the post nearest the carrol, to give the alarm. The sentry is found asleep at his post, but awakes to the emergency of the case, in time to arouse the corporal of the relief guard.
Post No. 2, Sentinel. Twelve o'clock, and all is well. Post No. 1.
Post No. 2. Twelve o'clock, and all is well. Post No. 2.
Post No. 3. Twelve o'clock, and all is well. Post No. 3.
Herder [excited]. Corporal of the guard ! Corporal of the guard! Get out here! The Indians are running off the mules! Get out here ! All the mules are captured by the Indians!
Corporal. Hallo, Squills! what's the matter with the mules? Wha-wha-what's the matter, anyway ? Say ! See here, old pard; don't for heaven's sake report me for being asleep!
Squills. Oh, that's all right, old pard. You know I'm all O. K. on that score. We'll all keep mum. You know mum is the word with us old veterans.
Corporal. Yes, you know how it is yourself, old pard. I'll run up to headquarters and report Blast the dirty redskins, I wish they would make their steal on us in the day^ time, when we are awake. This hunting after Injuns at mid^ night is no good joke for soldiers. [Corporal of the guard hastens to the commandants quarters to give the alarm.
General. Hallo! Who is there ? What do you want ?
Corporal. General, the Indians have made a raid on the mule corral, and run off the herd, just as it was going out to graze.
General. How do you know they were Indians. Do you know certainly whether they were Indians or white men ? Ring that bell for my orderly.
Corporal. All I know, General, is what the herder said. He called the guard, and said the Indians had captured the herd.
General. Do you know, Corporal, whether the herder was awake or asleep when this happened ?
Corporal. He was certainly awake, General, when he called me.
General. Orderly! [Orderly appears.] Call the Drum-Major, and have him beat the long-roll, and get my field horse and orderly here quick. [Exit Orderly.] Corporal, go and call the Indian scouts, and have them mounted at once. [Exit Corporal.
Re-enter Orderly.
Orderly. General, your field horse and orderly are waiting at the door.
General. I will leave matters with you for a while, adjutant. [Exit General.
Enter Mr. Broadbrim.
Adjutant Good morning, Mr. Broadbrim. Be seated, sir. We had a little raid on our mules last night. I thought those Indians acted and talked like peace at your council yesterday.
Mr. B. I really thought so myself. Did thee think they would act in this manner on such short notice ?
Adjutant. Well, I will tell you, Mr. Broadbrim, we must expect more or less of this kind of trouble. Those wild, thieving fellows have never been punished very severely yet.
Mr. B. Don't thee think we can make peace without fighting? You know it is bad to bring war upon ourselves. Don't thee think so ?
Adjutant. Yes, I know war is bad : but we must give those fellows a good, sound thrashing, and teach them to behave themselves.
Mr. B. Dost thee think the General will have to fight them to-day ?
