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1860.]

LITTLE RAVEN LOSES A TREASURE.

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CHAPTER XXVI.

IN September the Government commissioner held a conference with the Arapahoes, Cheyennes, and Comanches at Bent's Fort. The leading chiefs were 'Little Raven,' 'Storm,' 'Big Mouth,' 'Left Hand,'' White Antelope,' 'Black Kettle,' 'Old Woman,' 'Black Bird,' and 'Strong Arm.' In studying Indian names and customs one is constantly reminded of the striking resemblance between all savage nations, ancient and modern, in their nomenclature, mode of subsistence, and utensils of peace and war. The Phenicians who first visited Great Britain found the islanders staining their faces and bodies with colored earths and juices of plants, wearing no clothing but skins, living in huts of straw and mud, subsisting upon their cattle, planting no corn, doing no manual labor, and each tribe commanded by its own chief.

The commissioner distributed medal likenesses of Buchanan then occupying the presidential chair, and of Douglas and Lincoln rival candidates for it. The warriors received them with infinite pride. Little Raven having lost his Buchanan offered ten horses for the recovery of the priceless treasure!

The Arapahoes illustrated their civilization by bringing in a Pawnee scalp and holding a war dance over it through the whole night. The trophy was nearly destitute of hair, and therefore of comparatively little worth; all tribes holding it a mark of cowardice to shave the head, leaving no scalp-lock for an enemy.

After receiving blankets, shirts, trousers, knives, camp-kettles, tobacco and provisions, the Indians, grotesquely painted, and decked with quills, buffalo heads, bear claws, and elk teeth, gratified the whites with another war dance, accompanied by the usual demoniac yells, whoops and dervish-like contortions.

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A DENTIST PRACTICES STRATEGY. [1860. In September two miners who had entered the diggings in May without a penny, returned to Denver with twenty-seven thousand dollars in gulch gold. I met another, an old acquaintance, who had spent two seasons in hard work without paying his board, but still remained hopefully venturing in the great lottery. Frequently of two equally promising claims, side by side, one would yield thousands of dollars, while the other proved utterly worthless. Transporting treasure to the Missouri involved the great risk of robbery; hence the express charges were very high. Often passengers eluded them by concealing gold bars to the value of thirty or forty thousand dollars upon their persons. When fairly on the plains they would transfer the heavy burden to their carpet sacks. The express company vainly endeavored to prevent this violation of their rules. During the rebellion they induced the Atchison military commandant to hold one passenger's baggage on his arrival, until he paid express charges upon his bullion. The logic of bayonets was so irresistible that he submitted to the gross outrage.

The absence of government inaugurated original modes of collecting debts. Possession being nine points of the law, it was only necessary for the revolver to establish the tenth. But a Denver dentist, wearied with vain attempts to obtain payment for a set of artificial teeth furnished to a feminine customer, fell back upon strategy. Calling upon the gentle debtor he suavely inquired how the plate was working, and asked permission to examine it. When it was handed to him he coolly pocketed it and walked away. This brought the money very promptly; for is not mastication as essential to dining as dining to existence?

'We may live without poetry, music, and art;

We may live without conscience, and live without heart;
We may live without friends, we may live without books;

But civilized man cannot live without cooks.

He may live without books-what is knowledge but grieving?

He may live without hope-what is hope but deceiving?

He may live without love-what is passion but pining?
But where is the man that can live without dining?'

One day an immigrant wagon on Blake street contained a young cinnamon bear with eyes like glowing coals and teeth like a razor. A loafer of inquiring mind asked carelessly:

1860.]

A HARD COUNTRY FOR EDITORS.

'He won't bite will he?'

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At the same moment he stroked caressingly the nose 'of the whelp. Young bruin responded by seizing the hand between his teeth. With air-piercing shrieks and oaths the victim snatched away the bleeding member, the flesh hanging in shreds from all the fingers. The bear, two months old, weighed three hundred pounds. His mother, just killed, weighed eleven hundred.

Almost every week witnessed gross outrages from desperadoes crazed by the poisonous whisky retailed at every bar. Frequently one drew his revolver upon some peaceful citizen, compelling him to fall upon his knees, submit to every vile epithet and beg piteously for his life. The ruffians who did this seemed for the time utterly insane. But fully half the citizens wore sixshooters, and however helpless for the moment would have resented the indignity afterward by killing its perpetrator at sight. And however crazed the desperado might be he never thus insulted a dangerous man! The ass knows in whose face he brays.'

It was a fascinating country for a journalist. Over his devoted head daily and nightly hung the sword of Damocles. Au indignant aspirant for Congress meeting the editor of the Denver Herald in the street spat in his face. Mr. Byers of the News, whose establishment after the first murderous assault was a well stocked armory, had his office fired and his dwelling burned, but by taking a bold stand verified the proverb that threatened men live long.

The Denver people, tired of improvising a vigilance committee. after every outrage, organized a city government and elected a full board of officers. The desperadoes-like most scoundrels, great sticklers for legality-refused to recognize its validity. The correspondent of the St. Louis Democrat excited the ire of one of Buchanan's shining appointees, the Denver postmaster, who was also chief justice of the embryo Commonwealth, under a movement for a State government. One evening this functionary lured the journalist into the post-office; then closing the doors, with a cocked revolver at the head of the luckless scribe, he compelled him to write and sign a statement that he knew his published allegations to be false and slanderous when he made them.

Under that influence which knows no law, the correspondent made this voluntary retraction. But the people took the matter

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A NIGHT AT APOLLO THEATER.

[1860.

in hand and after a fierce struggle, the postmaster, who was a man of wealth, and sustained by all the leading desperadoes, as

his only mode of escape from the gibbet, succumbed to the city government, and gave bonds to keep the peace. In the great war he turned up a quartermaster in the rebel service.

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Denver already boasted the Apollo Theater, neither ceiled nor plastered, illuminated by twelve candles, and containing rough benches for three hundred and fifty people. As it was the upper-story of a popular drinking saloon, clinking glasses, rattling rattling billiard balls, and uproarious songs interfered with the performances. The price of admission was one dollar; receipts about three hundred dollars per night. One evening I saw the leading characters of La Tour de Nesle performed not much worse than at our ordinary metropolitan theaters. But the auditors were the real attraction. The entrance fee was a very moderate price for the amusement they afforded. Gaultier agonizingly asked concerning his murdered relative: 'Where, O where is my brother?'

A VOLUNTARY RETRACTION.

A sepulchral voice from the midst of the house, answered: 'I am thy brother!'

The spectators supposed it a part of the play, but discovering that the response came from a favorite candidate for Congress greeted it with cheer after cheer.

Queen Marguerite with due horror gave the exclamation:

6 Then I am lost indeed!'

A miner, directly in front of the stage, responded emphatically: 'You bet.'

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