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Show Wliy tho Slonx Talto Scalps. When asked why tho Sioux scalp those ' slain in battle Red Shirt gave tho follow- j ing reasons: In former times tho Sioux' cut off tho beads of their victims, but j when they began to fight the white men they took to scalping, tho same as thoy saw the white men do. The scalp is taken , as indisputablo evidence that a man has been killed, and whenever an Indian war- i rior recounts his bloody deeds he must produce tho scalp to prove that what ho j says is true. If ho fails to do this he is j not behoved. Tho scalps are usually kept I for a time and then thrown away. Somo! of the old men wear scalps on their shirts '. or leggings and have them buried with , their bodies when they die. hi conclud- i ing his remarks on scalps Red Shirt said. with a touch of sadness in his expression: : "I don't like to keep scalps or look at them, for they always make me think of fights in which some of my friends have been killed." In reply to the question, "Aro you sorry that you will have no op-portunity op-portunity to increase the number of your scalps?" he said: ".No; I am glad that war is at an end. Thero are too many white men. Tho Indian In-dian must do as they say. I do not want to seo any moro of my people killed. It is useless to shed their blood, for in the I end they must lose." "Why do yon have scalp dances?" was asked. "When wo come back from a big fight with many scalps we make a big feast-Each feast-Each man tells what ho has dono in tho war and wo rejoice. If wo take no scalps and have some of our people killed wo come back sad and have no dance." "In tho 'Omaha' or war dnnco what does each man say in his song?" "He says: 'I havo killed a man. lam very glad. I havo taken another scalp. I havo scalps now (mentioning the number), and I am going to got some more.' " "Does an Indian feol bad when ho kills a woman or child?" "No, not when ho docs it in war. Our enemies kill our wives and children and wo do tho sarao. If an IuJian kills one o. Ms. own dgodIo b ffcks very bad, because be-cause it is wrong. It is not wrong to kill an enemy." New York Worid. |