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Show j TALES OF j THE OLD I 5 FRONTIER I j 5 ' By ELMO SCOTT WATSON J (, 1922, Weatern Newspaper Union.) A MODERN POCAHONTAS TF THE chronological order of Amer-" Amer-" lean history could be reversed and fame granted In proportion to the heroism he-roism which won it, then the Indian girl who saved the life of Capt. John Smith in colonial days might appropriately appro-priately be called the "Wlnema of Virginia." Vir-ginia." This is the story of Wlnema, the "Woman Chief of tire Modocs, In 1873 Wlnema, or Tobey Riddle, and her husband, Frank Riddle, an Oregon frontiersman, were Interpreters Interpret-ers for a peace commission which had been sent to treat with the Modocs who had gone on the warpath in the lava beds of southern Oregon. The commission was composed of Gen. E. R. S. Canby, Rev. Eleazer Thomas and Indian Agents L. S. Dyar and A. B. Meacham. The Indians had agreed to meet the commissioners under a flag of truce, but Tobey Riddle discovered that they Intended to come armed and murder the white men. She Immediately notified noti-fied the commissioners and beggged them, especially Meacham, who had been very kind to her, not to attend the council. But Canby and Thomas insisted that the meeting be held and the brave Indian woman, although she knew that the Modocs were aware of her betrayal of their plot and might kill her for It, went with them. As the council proceeded the Indians In-dians became more and more insolent. Finally, when General Canby refused to promise that the soldiers would be withdrawn from the Modoc country, Captain Jack, the Indian leader, sprang to his feet. "Ut wih kutt!" (All ready !) he exclaimed and Instantly Instant-ly the Modocs drew pistols hidden under un-der their coats and opened fire, killing Canby and Thomas and wounding Meacham. Frank Riddle and Dyar fled for their lives and escaped. As Chief Schonchin rushed in to finish Meacham, Tobey Riddle sprang in front of him and pleaded for her friend's life ; and when Shacknasty Jim, a warrior, joined in the attack she rushed from one savage to the other, trying to turn away the pistols which they aimed at Meacham. Final- ly the white man went down, shot through the head twice. Boston Charley ran in to scalp Meacham and when Tobey Interfered, Charley struck her a blow with his pistol which sent her reeling. But the quick wit of the Indian woman did not desert her. "Soldiers coming!" she exclaimed suddenly and, although there were no soldiers in sight, Boston Charley left his murderous mur-derous work to follow the other Modocs Mo-docs in precipitate flight into the fastnesses fast-nesses of the lava beds. When the desperately wounded Meacham wa3 carried back to the soldiers' camp It was Tobey Riddle who attended him i night and day and finally nursed him back to health and life. |