Captain Carey; or, Fighting the Indians at Pine RidgeLounsberry, Lionel
General
Captain Carey; or, Fighting the Indians at Pine Ridge
Lounsberry, Lionel
Indians of North America -- Wars -- Juvenile fiction; Soldiers -- Juvenile fiction
As a Brule medicine man he could glean information without appearing to
seek it, and he knew that his safety lay in not standing inspection in
the broad glare of day.
He had assumed the name of Moon Eyes, pretending that only by night
should he be seen and attend to his duties, and this gave him a chance
to lie hidden by day, or rather keep within the shadow of his medicine
tepee.
The Sun Gazer was equally anxious to be about only by day, and the
vindictive old wretch lost no time in trying to ferment trouble.
Just who Moon Eyes was he did not know, but the stranger flattered the
vanity of the old medicine chief to such an extent that he was willing
to swear by him to the end.
Having returned from dispatching his courier to the general, Moon Eyes
at once began to circulate all around the camps, still keeping up his
incantations to the moon, until that orb went down behind the horizon.
In doing this there was method in the seeming madness of the fake
medicine man, for he had discovered the position of the camps most
completely, and all that he cared to know about the strength of the
hostiles.
He found out just where the young captive was quartered, and he
overheard enough, among a council of chiefs, to know that they were
anxious to kill and scalp himself.
With the scalp of Kit Carey in their possession the chiefs thought that
it would bring them luck and teach their white foes the lesson that
they were in earnest.
In spite of his rank the Indians regarded Kit Carey as holding a most
important position in the army, for it was by his deeds that they knew
him, and the fact that he commanded the Indian soldiers clustered about
their lines.
So it was decided to send out a young Brule warrior, bearing the very
appropriate name of Not-Afraid-of-Death to kill the white captain, or
any other army officer that he might be able to lead into a trap.
Having made the discovery that Not-Afraid-of-Death was to take the
trail before dawn, Kit Carey returned to the medicine lodge, and told
the old chief that he was to "go into the shadows of sleep," and not
to be disturbed until he awoke after nightfall, for he was to see what
fortune the moon held for the Indians.
Then he slipped again out of camp, and went to a position some distance
from the retreat, where Not-Afraid-of-Death was to start upon his trail
for an officer's scalp, his fondest desire being to raise the hair of
Kit Carey.
Having secured a point of look-out, the white captain lay in wait for
future developments.
Along in the morning Not-Afraid-of-Death was visible scouting along a
ridge, as though he saw an enemy, for his every movement indicated as
much.
He was a Brule, and with him was an Ogallala warrior, and the two ran
in a crouching position to a certain point.
Who they were watching Kit Carey could not see, for the ridge shut
their intended victim from his sight.
But soon after there rode into view an officer accompanied by an Indian
scout.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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