Show page on which are written in the fine handwriting of the elegant eighties borne such sentiment as in the present age boys ha grand opportunities may you improve yours that no regrets shall mar your manhood your teacher elizabeth or in a sprawling schoolgirl hand signed jennie or minnie or addle Is tire that my pen la my ink is pale sly lova for you shall never fall if auch were all that this autograph book contained it would be no different from the thousands of ers which were once cherished by our fa and mothers and which now and then come to light again as we en attic or dehe into an old trunk but this particular book contains an autograph or perhaps I 1 should sav an w alch makes it unique on one of its pages Is a pen ell sketch colored with bright pur pies and reds and blues and signed by the indian atho drew it brave bear and eo as american indian day september 28 this year draws near and as I 1 look at this little autograph with its unique portrait of the artist by himself I 1 aiu minded to tell aaen the story of beave bear a warrior of the sioux if be left any who once anew brave bear perhaps it may not seem quite appropriate to make american indian day which is observed in many states in recognition of the contribution of the american indian to our national tradition the occasion for retelling the story of an indian who was notorious rather than famous tor from the point of view of the white roan braie bear was a bad indian but there were in him some of those qualities characteristic of the american indian which no one whether be be or red can help admiring Wa paypay brave bear or the rear less bear was a member of the cut bead band of the Yank tribe of the sioux in dakota lie first appears in lil story as the boon companion of the famous warrior iraln in the face popularly and erroneously known as the slayer of general cuter at the bittle of little big horn in his declining ears rain in the fac toli the story of his life to dr charles A eastman an educated sioux and it Is in doctor eastman s book indian and great chieftains rub dished by little brown company that rain in the face tells bow he brave bear and the balne capthi of sitting bull made a daring attack on tort totten N D in the summer of here is the story as rain in the face told it Wa paypay the fearless bear who wa art erward banged at yankton was the bravest man arnolff us he dared bohay to make tha charee accepted the challenge and in turn dared tb other to ride with him through the agency and right under the walls of the tort which was well garrisoned and strong Wa paypay and I 1 tn those days called each other brother friend it was a life and death vow what one does the other must do and that meant that I 1 must be in the forefront of the charge and it he Is killed I 1 must fight until I 1 die also I 1 prepared for death I 1 painted as usual like an eclipse of the sun half black and half red now the signal for the charge was given I 1 started even with Wa paypay but his horse vaa faster than mine so he left me a little behind as we neared he fort this was bad tor me tor by that time the soldiers had somewhat recovered rom the surprise and were aiming better their big gun talked very loud but my Wa paypay was leading on leinung forward on his fleet pony like a flying squirrel on a smooth loga he held his rawhide shield on the right side a little to the front and so did I 1 our war whoop was like the coyotes singing 1 the evening when they smell bloode ahe soldiers guns talked fast but few wore hurt their big gun was like a toothless old dog who only makes him self hotter the more noise he makes how much harm we did I 1 do not know but we made things lively tor a time and the white men acted as people do when a swarm of bees get into camp we made a successful retreat but some of the reservation indians followed us yelling until told them that be ald not wish to fight with the captives of the white man tor then would be no honor in that there was blood down my leg and I 1 found that both my horse and I 1 were slightly wounded after that daredevil teat brave bear dimps out ot sight at laist so far as history records any of his doings ahe nest cord of him Is in the book my friend the indian published by houghton corn pany and written by the late maj james ln who as indian agent on the devils ake and bland ing rock reservations in borth dako ta bad occasion in both places to know brave bear in 1873 brave bear and a companion named the only one en the stable of a settler named delorme near pembina N D tor the purpose of stealing horses when two of the owners approached the stable the two indians shot and killed both and mortally wounded a third man then they entered the delonne house shot and seriously wounded two worn en there and after rifling the place and taking sev eral horses escaped into the missouri river country passing the devils lake reservation as they did so but keeping away from the agency As soon as major me laughlan ln who was then indian agent at devils lake heard of the crime he reported it to the civil authorities of dakota territory but they were un able to capture the murderers five years later in the winter of 1878 major ln learned that brave bear and the only one had returned to devils lake and were alv ing among theler people the cut heads in the western part of the res erv atlon accordingly he arranged to capture them in the early spring before their ponies were in condition to start out on their usual raids against white lie called a coun ell of their band feeling sure that they would not dare absent themselves from the council and asked capic james M cell who was stationed with two troops of the seventh cavalry at fort totten to be on hand for the council and make the arrest ills plan worked well for as soon as the two indians had entered the council room allcut herbert J slocum with a file of soldiers surrounded them As they passed out of the build ing under guard the only one made a desperate attempt to escape ue was shot by the soldiers as he bounded across the praline but when they approached he sprang up with a knife in his band and died fighting brave bear was taken to pembina for trial but escaped aiom the jail there and made his way to the pine reservation fearing arrest it he stayed there he stole a horse and started north isear I 1 ort sully he waylaid a settler named johnson killed him and taking the mans rifle escaped into canada where he joined sitting bull a band of fugitives in the summer of sitting bull returned to the united states and surrendered and brave bear had no choice but to return with him and tike his chances of escaping punish ment tor his crime sitting bulls band was settled on the standing rock reservation that fall major ln took charge at standing rock and brave bear knowing that the major would be sure to have him arrested again laid his plans to es cape but he delayed too long A white man who had agreed to help him escape betrayed him and brave bear was made a captive for the last time he was cent to yankton then the capital ot dakota territory placed on trial for the murder of johnson found guilty and sentenced to be hanged while he was in the jail at yankton awaiting execution he was the object of considerable interest for white vis igors who had heard much of the in dian one of them a rancher named pane took his small son whit pane with him to see brave bear and when the boy asked the indian to write his name in hid autograph book brave bear not only did that but also drew the picture which Is reproduced above the end of the story of brave bear Is told in major mcl s book as follows when brave bear was hanged for hl crime hla father an old indian of the cut head band ot sioux came and sought roe at the agency Is my son deady asked the father lie Is dead I 1 answered are you eure he ta deada persisted he old man 1 have a telegram saying that ho waa hanged yesterday bald I 1 it IB well rejoined the old man we are glad his mother and myself for he was a bad son and this frightful declaration was as near eul as was ever pronounced on brave bear |