Show PICNIC WITH THE CROW INDIANS 1 I saw one of the grandest sights I 1 ever saw in my life on the fourth 21 said gen brisbin EIris bia to a helena journal reporter as he was seated upon a veranda of the broad water hotel monday the crow crew I 1 indians ri diani celebrated the fourth and it is impossible to describe the scenes enacted they went wild with delight and entered into the sport in earnest there were of the crows altogether in the first place they made false faces of blue clay and pieces of canvas rendering their appearance pe arance perfectly frightful it is truly wonderful the way they got up the faces some had long nosed others long chins some had bad horns horna upon their heads and in fact they were made up in every conceivable shape they also decorated their persons in every imaginable style the ponies were covered with can vas gorgeously decorated with every thing they could get hold of the agent had arranged for their amusement upon that occasion but the details were left for them to fill 1111 up I 1 sent a battery over at their request and a continual roar was kept up all day they performed in a large circle and their chief delight deliga t vas as in sham battles the scenes were so realistic that it was difficult to realize that they were not in earnest they dashed about the ring upon their ponies fighting with wooden lances some of the indians indiana would pretend that teat they were killed or wounded when they would be carried from the battlefield and attended by those selected for that purpose the scalping scene was the great feature of the occasion they had taken pieces of flannel and fastened them on the heads beads of those who were to be pretended victims and when this was removed with the scalping knives the face was smeared besmeared be beam eared with red ink to give it the appearance of bleeding wounds it was a most hideous spectacle and the ladles ladies who had gone down 0 t witness the event were compelled to leave it was hoshock idaly terrible rife The indians indiana however enjoyed the sport hugely and at night had a bi bibb jo war dance slap it was impossible to get them to return home to their farms for three day days s the agent says this will be the last one as it excites the you young n 9 bucks too much and recalls old times to the warriors attracting them from their civilized pursuits it seems remarkable that none of the redskins red ledins skins were injured their horsemanship is superb and it is worth going thousands of miles to see the exhibitions of horsemanship given by that tribe altogether it was one of the grandest sights I 1 ever saw and I 1 never expect to see its equal |