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Show J Qtoriesof 5 GREAT ! I INDIANSj I By ELMO SCOTT WATSON S I'oprrlibt, UJ. Wuttrn Ntwtptptr Union. SATANIC SHOWS HOW A KIOWA CHIEF CAN DIE etTvTOW I will show you how a chief can dlol" shouted Satank of the Klowus to the soldiers as lie tore off the shackles In which they were leading him away to prison. "I call upon Those-Above to witness that 1 dto like a man unafraid. But I do not go alone. I take with me one of thess white men upon the Long Trail." Ho drew a knife which lie hnd concealed con-cealed upon his. person and plunged the blade Into the side of one of his guards. The next moment lie fell to tho ground riddled with bullets. As he fell ho was singing Ms, death, song Ho gave one last defiant warwhoop then died. Satank (Sct-angya Sitting Bear), who was both a chief and medicine man, Was the lender of the Ka-ltscnko or "Real Dogs," tho highest military order In the tribe. This was a select body of ten of tho bravest warriors who were pledged to lead every desperate des-perate charge and to keep their place In the forefront of battle until- they won victory or death. Once In a fight with the Pawnccu, Eot-nngyn engaged nn snemy and was, about to stab him with a lance when Ids foot slipped on tho snow. The Kiowa chief fell and the Pawnee scut an arrow through Sntnnk's upper Up. This wound left a lifelong scar, although al-though It was not easily seen, for Satank Sa-tank -wore n mustache, a rare thing among the Indians. This incident showed the Importance of Satank In bis tribe, for the calendar history of tho Klowns, a plctographlc record of their great deeds, gives It as the leading lead-ing event of 1810-47 and that year Is known ns "the winter when they shot the mustache," In 1870 Sntnnk's son was killed while raiding In Texas. The old chief went down Into that state, gathered the bones In a bundle nnd brought them buck. Ever afterward he carried them about with him on a special horse, kept them on a special platform plat-form erected In his tepee and gave feasts In honor of Ids son, "My son li no: dead; he Is sleeping," he would explain to the old men who gnthercd about the fire with him. The next year. In company with Sn-tanta Sn-tanta and Big Tree, the Sitting Beat led a wan party Into Texas, attacked a wagon train and .killed seven whlt men. When he returned to Kort Bin ho boasted of the deed to General Sherman, who wns visiting there. Shcr. mnn ordered the arrest of tho three chiefs. On May '28, 187), whea the military started to take tiatnnk to Texas for trial ns a murderer, he showed them "how a chief can die." CAPTAIN JACK, THE MARTYR OP THEMODOCS THEY were preparing to hang Captain Cap-tain Jack (Klntpunsli), the Modoc chief. There wns a harsh clanking of Iron ns he rose to speuk for himself and Ills people. "Let me dls like a man, not like a dog," he said, "I am not afraid to die, but I am ashamed to go this way,, with my hands tied behind be-hind me," As he stood on the scaffold at Fort Klamath, Ore., a zeulous minister tried to comfort hlro. "You must not bo afraid to die," he said. ''You are going to a beautiful land where you will never want for anything." Trencher," replied Jack, "this country right here Is good enough for mo. You say the other is a fine. pluco aid I suppose you want to go there. I'll tflve you 25 ponies If you will take my pluce. I don't wrmt to go right mw." The minister detili.ed. Captain Jack's death marked the end of a war that had cost the United States more thuu half 11 million dollars and 100 lives, whlto und red. Who wns most rcwttonslble? No man cnu aiy, Captain Jack and hts warriors murdered mur-dered General Cuiiby and Doctor Thomas, peace commissioners, who bad come Into the Indian camp under a 'ling of truce. ' Twenty years before a Cullforulau named Ben Wright had massacred neurly W Modocs under a white flag and. had become a popular hero for the deed. Among these was Captain Jack's father. Captain Juck was hanged, but other Modocs with blucker records went free because they deserted hlu nnd Joined the soldiers In hunting him down. At first he hud protested a) the plot to murder tiie peace commissioners. Then some of his warriors placed n squaw's bat on his heud, a shawl about his shoulders and threw blm to the ground. "Coward! Squtiwl" they Jeered ut him. "You nre not 11 Modoc. You will ool die with u soldier's bullet, We will save the soldier that trouble. Spring-' Ing to his feet ho shouted : i'l will do your cowurd's work even though it cost me my life nnd tho lives of all my people." Tho wite man's history records Cuiititln'- Jutit only us n treucheroil murderer. Had he be,en a white mnn, perhaps It would have pronounced film a martyr. Forced Into an act which he abhorred; wugluVa wa which ho knew was hopeless; betrayed by hi own men; walking In chains to the Indian's most disgraceful death small wonder that lie kcrfed bitterly: "What chance for Justice docs tlioJndlun have with you white men and ynu' uhll man's law? None I" |
