Show The Reformation BY- BY Of Two Trails HENRY A. A THOMPSON J That Indian used to b be a bad ball In Indian In- In dian very dan very bad but bad but he was reformed t and curiously I enough the ame anie me incident inci mci- dent result resulted ell In his moral reformation reforma reforina- tion and his physical deformation We e w wore were re seated on the spacious ve veranda ye- ye randa rando of Henr Henry Carrs Carr's rc residence and some iome called attention to the exceedIngly exceedIngly exceedingly exceed exceed- gr grotesque que gall gait of un an Indian who was wa leaving the traIn trading store o of which our host was proprietor The TILe Ine in ILI had hall halt halted ell a a. I moment not f far r from the entrance to the store and ho stood still ho was as erect and stead steady as an any man mah When ho walked however his bod body and legs ex executed the tho drollest kind of contortions Ills His feet moved movell directly forward n C and his hl head and shoulders were ere ero carried norma normally II but between thc these o two extremes the trunk and limbs convolved spirally with every evory step The effect produced was wasso waso so 50 o Irresistibly ludicrous that for a moment It quite qUilt ob obscured our pit pity Corthe for Cor forthe the tho misshapen condition of the unfortunate unfortunate unfortunate r redskin As though h replying to the general laugh which rippled j I over the part party the trader made mad the I remark which opens this story bo So o you vou want the tho history of ot the conversion of or the Two Trails continued continued continued con con- Mr r. r Cur Carr In re response to an in- in It occurred a a. number of ot years ars ago o when I had a store tore on the theOld 2 Old Yellow reserve The Ile OJIbway and Sioux were nominally nom nom- at peace at that time not from any superabundance of affection poss possessed pos pos- s sed b by either for th the tha other but hut be- be can causo tho the United States troops had made it unpleasant for marauding parties to be he found oft off their thir reservations reserva reserva- lions without permits Friendly visitations lations wore however howe allowed and ono one da day twelve or OJIbway braves appeared at tho the camp of oC the Red fled Feather Felther contingent nt of the Ri eton fr Sioux which was pitched near the Black Coulee a 0 deep lep gash In the Coteaux Co- Co de dc Prairie This was vas about six miles from tram m my store which stood at atI atthe I the Junction of the stage road and a number of Indian trails but I was I. I near enough to be full fully informed of or oft t Wll what t was going on The visiting r ways vas va's were wera assigned a com comfortable forta ble lo location location lo- lo cation callan near Ilear a l. l small mall spring sprin stream p and where wood and crass tre abtin- abtin dant On the first evening after the t horses were tethered and tents lents set up In lit tho the customary semi circle tho the sol sal council without which no In- In djan celebration would bo be complete was ob observed l with all due ceremony The Sisseton warriors kind antI their gue guests ts seated In a a. circle and maintaining a dignified silence passed the pipe pip of ot friendship from one to another Then the great ones of oC both bolh sides vied with each other in recounting tho the wondrous wondrous wondrous won- won drous deeds oC ot their forefathers forefathers and and themselves Pledges of or undying friendship were exchanged and finally the council adjourned to the OJIbway tepees In front of ot which the Sioux warriors performed the stately I Welcome Wel- Wel el- el come p Dance c After that tho the days a and l nights were were spent in gambling g and In such carnivals of oC howling lancing dancing lii cing and gorging as only Indians C Cl l appreciate or endure JL uIn In all this Two TAVO Trails took a 3 m most st ad vc and pr prominent part As s J 1 have s said ld before he ho was as a bad Indian His j J words afforded no foundation upon which to baso a forecast of what he I 1 was likely to do If he expressed e an Intention of f f following a certain line of conduct It was perfectly reasonable IS expect to a l. l different action from the t lit I one suggested in advance If Ie he professed pro- pro V- V I a deep admiration It was the theart ther r part art of ot wisdom to keep a sharp lookout lookout lookout look look- out for COl some somo act of trickery or vandalism vandal vandal- ism ism- This habit of saying one ono thing and doing another gained for the rasI rascal ras- ras I cal the name of or Two Trails and he seldom disappointed tho the expectation r- r I Trails for wl what hIat it they regarded as a n. avery vcr very cute cuto prank However untenable in equity this P position po possessed sess tl a certain tain strength duo due ue to the fact of or which both parties were conscious that had tho the moccasin been on the other foot the visitors would have havo tal taken en the same prejudiced view Still the mo most moat t approved forms of Justice were ob oh- served ser A council connell was as called immediately immediately immedi immedi- atel and the remainder of tho the night was given up to deliberation Red fled Feather the ranking Sioux chief chIc present present pres pres- ent arose and called upon the ways to state their grievance ance which thc they did in a a. series of harangues dwelling upon the enormity of the offense offense of of- tense and a. a asserting the tho Identity of ot the culprit Two Trails in turn pointed out with great clearness and a mighty show of or virtuous indignation that beIng beIns being be be- ing Ins the tho owner of ot horses himself It was nothing remarkable for to to tobe bo f found nd entangled n in his 8 clothing 1 ari arid and that so o fat farat the defacement orthe of ot the color scheme heme of or his personal dec dec- decoration decoration oration was vms concerned every man present present pres pres- present ent was more or less in the same condition condition condition con con- as a result of or the preceding festivities festl This attempt to prove an alibi was received recel with runts grunts of or approval approval approval ap ap- ap- ap and when Red fled Feather rising declared his conviction of or Two Trails Trail's innocence and added the insinuation that the had shaved tho the tails of or their own ponies for a n casus belli belil the tho enthusiasm of or the tho expressed Itself in ejaculations of or de- de light Convinced that no satisfaction i F c iii kL T- T 4 r 7 r k E- E T. T j c r Jf 0 rJ r- r I j J J I j js 0 s J I 0 I L 1 r At J i w t r h I Aff A ON f-f f T N b l I t r 1 V. V 5 I. I r r 1 Z n o t 00 tg t- t f g f. f f. f I G Al PUI J 1 J Sl P TOWARDS iE aroused d b by tho the sobriquet Naturally then Two Tw Trails sh showed wed his hia character in his relations with the visitors None were so n assiduous 1 In attendance upon or so boisterously assertive o of affection for tho the Ojibwa OJIbway braves as ashe r he he an and and lt it may be bo added addel none profited profit profit- ed d by the exchange of or called jo-called gifts to such to-such such an extent and none fairly or unfairly won so man many stakes slakes at tho the Rambling gambling games and dances Tho Thu vis- vis Hop llop found to their cost that tho the loa road traveled b by Two Trails was sinuous and some of them expressed their dis- dis ls- ls aj APprobation probation by hy declining to engage In L gambling or sport in I which the wily t Sioux had part In a aji ai 1 other respects e the tho sojourn of or the wll's was ent en- en t tIr ly harmonious until ono one night lI a l I l l and guests were enjoying themselves in a big and final fea fel feast t at the Sl SI Sisseton camp some miscreant shaved th the tho tails and the manes of all th the OJIbway a ponies The Tho horse of or a Plains Plain Indian is more sacred to lo him than an another any other of ot hi his possessions anti and although the thc curry curn comb does doCs not contribute much to this result a proper pride 1 Is taken talon in the welfare and antI appearance of the steed which bears hears his dusky master maRtel in the chase or on the war path When the warriors of or the thC Mille lIlJe Lacs Reserve sate sated with dog soup and good feeling reached their tepees and discovered d tho the Iced deed done in their absence their wrath was great Hastily seeking the spot where the sleepy Sioux were reposing after tho tiLe festivities of or the night they jabbered jab jab- jabbered guttural imprecations Imprecation with such that tho the single Inter interpreter interpreter inter inter- preter became hopelessly entangled in Sn inthe the ma maxe c of an angry I charges g and rind lh The hosts were stout and nol noisy In their denials and no one was wac more conspicuous than rhan Two Trails In the gesticulated and shouted refutation Suddenly one of ot the visitors recalling the fact act that Two Trails had been heon absent absent ab ab- ab- ab sent for Cor a couple of hours during the sports of ot tho the night advanced upon this crat crafty gentleman and ancl pulled several se strands of at hot horsehair from rom tiLe tho beads of hl his gorgeous or vest at the same time pointing out a l number of places llac's where the paint on OH the th body hotly of the Sioux hall had be been heen n scraped off and smeared mearell with soil soli The These i were at once accepted b by bytho bythe tho the as conclusive proof that Two Trails had be boon been n guilty o of a most mos unpardonable breach of if hospitality 1 In offering deep CP and gratuitous g Insult Insul to guests But flut the while generally disliking their accused fellow tribesman tribesman tribes tribes- man whose character was well vell known to them were In no mood to lo look a athe at atthe th the trick from the same point of 01 view as their gU guests ts rhe They were not averse to dancing and feasting with their hereditary foes foes especially c especially so lon long as the overawing power of or the Great Gleat Father manifested in his coated blue-coated soldiers prevented war but war but delivering deliver deliver- log ing over o a n member of their thell tribe to their enemies was quite quito a different dir dif ferent thin thing and the they did not propose to allow the thi to Two would be given Iven them tho the visitors left I the tho council counell circle In iR bad spirits and left Immediately struck their tents They I had Intended calling at other villages of oC the Sisseton eton nation but now as they hey would be bo the laughing stock of I all further sojourn was out of or the tho 1 question They reached my store bound for Cor home borne about 10 o'clock of or that daYi day and stopped ell to t purchase I powder and shot There were no buffalo buffalo but but- tab falo or deer leCt left lert in the country and rind tho the sport was wa limited then as aM now y to lo small game g for which shot was the only suitable ammunition I noticed that most of them were armed with old fashioned smoothbore muskets I which would throw shot better beller than ball Tho They hung hung- about a couple of ot i iI I hours hour and one of oC their th number who spoke English related to me the events c of the unfortunate vl visit lt He lie was unsparing in iii his denunciation of or the thit whole Sioux family insisting at great length and In proving cate categorically to his hits own satisfaction that none nono of them front from tho the best who vho were Vero poor poo I enough to the worst who were dogs and beneath contempt respected th tho courtesies of friendship the rl rights o of I hospitality or 01 the decencies of nal nary existence He finished his tirado with a vehement assertion of Two Tw Trails Trail's guilt and an nn equally vehement declaration that If the a R ever eve caught th the culprit where they coul could have their way tay with him he would ru rue the Iho day ho lie hall hail disfigured f tho the ponies I At present he said they would woul get ou out of tho the countr country as fast as possible fo for If the Sioux treated guests in such a fashion what might they not hot do It to a small party port of i taken at a disadvantage e. e Finally they left Ift turnIng turn turn- lug Ing directly cast and disappearing In Ina Ina ina a large wooded ravine which cut the prairie about a halt half mile away About three hours after the departure depart depart- ure are of the Two Trails appeared ap ap- ap at my store an arid and with tho the In In- In Jle f characteristic of tho the In Indian In- In dma lian when dealing with any remedial a agent ent for fr bodily Illness said he want ant Mi etl medicine in re reply repay to m my in ques- ques hues hues- ions lons he ho Informed me that his squaw qua I had iad been kicked ed b by a horse I asked hint him why h be he did lit not call in in the at tho the agency ogency to which ho replied that the agency agene medicine was no g 00 good 1 I inferred that hH wife always s a good second in his villainy had assisted as assisted lS- lS In barbering the OJIbway horses and had b been cn 1 kicked during tho the operation operation operation oper oper- and I accordingly gave him a bottle hottle of liniment warranted harmless when applied externally or taken In Internally In- In InI I for tor the tho Indian an has an idea that medicine Is medicine Two Trails nl also o purchased some tion ion His Ills gun un was a 58 58 calibre Sharps Sharp's carbine the brass s shells of oC which he ho loaded with shot and used It as a a. loading breech shot shotgun un It was waR not tIll the equal of a high grade ham- ham merles to he hp sure ure but good enough for the Indian style of or Questioning failed to elicit any d definite finite Information retarding regarding tho the part which In my customer had played in In tho the prank that thai had broken off friendly relations with the tho vl visiting Two Trails inquired in iii turn whether the latter atter band had passed passel my way I replied In in tho the affirmative and gave him ilm some porno scraps of 01 my conversation with tho the interpreter which seemed to toUt put Ut the Sisseton rascal in hl high h hu- hu nor mar Horsehair rope plenty in TIed Red Feather leather camp ho he remarked d as he tool took hi his departure Beyond the ravine ra I have havo mentioned men- men antI and at the distance of or a mile or so from Cram my quarters there was a marshy lake lako frequented by hy large larg- Hocks s sot ot of f lucks ducks It was the bes best shooting ground within a a. radius of or several sc miles allies Toward this lake lale the tho Indian directed his Ills steps As I watched his lithe ithe straight form Corm and noted his lap lap- ap Id d. d springy strides it occurred to I me meth th that hat t If IC he were only as finely d cl In mind and n l character hara ter as I in 11 1 dr he 10 would be h it n. n magnificent man ne afternoon was beautiful the season being carl early autumn and I r sat Eat In front frunt of the store enjoying tho the prairie s scenery seen seen- ener en- en er cry ery and half hair consciously following ollo the he receding figure of Two Trails ashe as ashe asle he le wended his wa way across tho the level le sward and entered tho the ravine ra from the he cros crossing place of tho the whom I supposed to be now man many miles to tho the eastward 1 Suddenly Two Trails reappeared running at full tull speed toward me inc A minute or two lat r tho tito whole OJIbway Ojibwa Ojibway wa way contingent also emer emerged ed Into the open lashing lushing their tailed rat-tailed nags nag to full gallop in pursuit of oC tho Sisseton I understood the situation at a glance the ostensibly departing for Cor fo home had really camped romped down own In the ravine rapine to plan an and wait walt for Cor revenge and the very man thc they were looking for tor had b by chance stumbled almost into their grasp Two Trails was ono One of |