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No.
RULES
OF THE
Bennington Free Library
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THE CRAWFORD ARMS
' By patience I overcome difficulties "
KIOWA
The History of a Blanket Indian
Mission
By
ISABEL CRAWFORD
ILLUSTRATED
r^ h
,(
New York Chicago Toronto
Fleming H. Revell Company
London and Edinburgh
Copyright, 191 5, by
FLEMING H. REVELL COMPANY )
New York: 158 Fifth Avenue
Chicago: 17 North Wabash Ave.
London: 21 Paternoster Square
Edinburgh: 75 Princes Street
Introduction
I KNOW of no one better qualified by tem-
perament, acquaintance, and appreciation to
write concerning any phase of mission work
among the American Indians (the work that
during her entire mature years engaged my
sister's every faculty) than Miss Isabel Crawford.
I am more than glad to commend to the heart
and brain of every one interested in missions
among a poor, misused, and almost friendless
people, the book upon her experiences and ob-
servations in Indian missionary service, which
she . presents to the public. It is sure to be
earnest, intelligent and above all lovingly sym-
pathetic. The children of tepee and ranch and
range are happy at least in their chronicler. She
has lived and wrought and thought amid the
shadows, and God's sunshine has tempered
these shadows with tints as tender as the chang-
ing iris on the breast of the dove, the soft grays
that beautify the under-leaf of the olive, and
the joy of service, the happiness of duty sings
between the lines of her chronicles.
The relations between the author and my
sister Mary were always mutually affectionate,
5
6 INTRODUCTION
and intelligently appreciative. They were lov-
ing yoke-fellows, complementing each other's
qualities, each supplementing the other's strength
with her own tactful collaboration. Between the
missionary and the secretary there was a bond
of sisterly love that was never weakened by time
or circumstance. I am most cordial, then, in
my commendation of ** Belle Crawford's " book,
and my highest hope for it is that it will be as
widely read and as affectionately appreciated as
her name is pleasantly known, far and wide
amid the multitudes in our churches throughout
the country.
Robert J. Burdette.
"Sunny Crest y**
Pasadena, California,
Preface
THIS simple story of ten years, eight
months and three days of the best part
of my life was written at random during
exhaustive activities in tent, tepee and lodge and
condensed later to leave out all that was hardest
and most disagreeable.
I am indebted to Miss Harriet C. Rychen of
Wyoming, Ohio, and Mrs. Phebe Sawyer of
Spokane, Wash., for favors received during the
writing periods, to my brother for valuable as-
sistance rendered through the building oper-
ations and to the constituency of the Women's
American Baptist Home Mission Society, with-
out whose loyal and spiritual support the work
at Saddle Mountain could never have been under-
taken.
Splendid helpers, a cast-iron constitution,
Scotch determination, Irish nonsense, the Divine
call and the power of the Holy Spirit, are the
elements that made for success. Had any one
of them been lacking the results could not have
been the same.
The aim of the book is to contradict the state-
ment that "the only good Indian is a dead one."
7
8 PEEFACE
It^ is thoughtfully dedicated to the memory of
Miss Mary G. Burdette, the first person I ever
heard emphasize the fact that God called women
as well as men, not to go into all the world and
preach the Gospel, but to go into all the world
and teach it in a simple womanly way.
Contents
I. Beginnings — Story-Telling — Ghost Dance
— Pigs — Lucius and Mabel . . .13
II. Experiences — Church Building Fund —
Death — Ploughing — An Indian Function
— Camp-Meeting ..... 48
III. The Coming of Miss McLean — A Death-
Blow — The Gospel Tent — Four Scenes —
Organization of Missionary Society —
Big Eats — An Lmportant Message . . 74
IV. Giving the Land to Jesus — Oh, for a Man !
— The Den — Two Quarters . . .98
V. The Going of Miss McLean — An Indian
Reception — Testimonies — The Coming of
Miss Bare — Self-Support — Payment —
Confessing Their Faults — A Birthday
Party — The Association , . .112
VI. Miss Burdette's Visit — Robert Burdette
Spotted Horse — Incidents — Talks —
Thanksgiving — More Talks — Dead-
Broke at Christmas-Time — A Gift from
the Cheyennes and Arapahoes — Land
Chosen — Government Appreciations , 133
VII. Camping — Opening of Reservation — The
Moving — A Midnight Funeral — A Let-
ter OF Sympathy — The Hopi Mission —
The Rock Island Gift . . . ,157
9
10 CONTENTS
VIII. Giving the Gospel to the Whites — Wood
OR Stone ? — The Hauling — Election
Day — The Laying of the Corner-Stone
— The First Wedding — Christmas 1902
— An Important Camping Trip , .186
IX. The Opening Day — Organization and Dedi-
cation— The First Lord's Supper — Mind-
ing Their Own Business — Carrying the
Gospel to the Ghost-Dance Camp — Miss
Bare's Departure — The Divine Call —
The Vote for a White Pastor to Train
Lucius — A Non-Voter — The End . .211
List of Illustrations
Page
The Crawford Arms. * ' By patience I overcome
difficulties " . . . . Frontispiece
Lucius and ]\Iabel Aitsan. Lucius Ordained
June 24, 1 9 13. Pastor of the Church . 46
Rev. J. S. Murson, D. D. . . . . 68
Red Buck ....... 96
Miss K. E. Bare . . . . . .116
Robert Burdette Spotted Horse . . •136
Rev. Robert J. Burdette, D.D. . . . 148
Col. J. F. Randlett, U. S. Indian Agent . .182
The Church . . . . . .212
The Mission House . . . . .216
Kokom the Sexton and Wife Pope-bah . . 222
Deacon Spotted Horse, Deacon Gal-bein and Son,
in Native Dress . . . . .230
Deacon Tone-moh, Deacon A Come-to. The
Deacons All Wear Citizens' Clothing . 236
I
Begin nmgs — Story- Telling — Ghost Dance —
Pigs — Lucius and Mabel
*' Guide me, O Thou great Jehovah,
Pilgrim through this barren land ;
I am weak, but Thou art mighty,
Hold me with Thy powerful hand :
Bread of Heaven,
Feed me till I want no more."
APRIL 9, 1896. We were singing it with
might and main, lying on our backs on
the top of the load, when suddenly the
wagon stopped and Zotom, the Indian driver,
alighted and unhitched the unequally-yoked to-
gether horse and mule.
A new white canvas tepee apart from the rest,
facing the road over which we came instead of
the east, bade us silent welcome.
As if by magic dogs sprang from the ground
everywhere barking an alarm that brought from
tepee and tent Indian men, women and chil-
dren, decked in their brightest and best.
Shading their eyes they looked up — backed
off a bit — and looked again. There we sat,
" Stand -in -the -middle -of- the -road " (Zotom's
wife) and I, on a bed tick, on the summit of a
13
U KIOWA
high rickety road, " chuckling " with the hens in
a coop that shared our exahed position.
Making sure they were not seeing visions they
signed :
" Is it true that the leetle Jesus woman from
Elk Creek has come ? "
"It is true," signed Zotom and Stand-in-the-
middle-of-the-road together.
"Tell her I am so glad I can't say it," said
Little Robe, and turning led the triumphant pro-
cession up from the creek towards one of the
two small houses in the vicinity. Great prepara-
tions had been made.
The walls were hung with bunches of beaded
eagle feathers, buckskin dresses, bows, arrows,
guns and revolvers, while the bed was covered
with a blanket rivaling in brilliancy Joseph's coat
of many colors.
In the other room close to the walls, tepee-
fashion, were stacked saddles, saddle-blankets,
bridles, harnesses, biscuit-boxes, pails, tin cans,
"feed" and innumerable fiour sacks stuffed full
of things.
Quilts and blankets were quickly brought,
folded and placed upon the floor in front of
these lines of goods, and then I was escorted
with great decorum to the best seat, the rest
taking their places on either side.
A long piece of old tepee canvas was next pulled
in from outside and spread for a table-cloth (or
BEGINNINGS 15
floor cloth), cups and plates were passed, and a
large handful of knives, forks and spoons were
deposited at my place.
A coffee-pot and a big tin pail containing raw
beef completed the preliminaries and the *' Five
o'clock tea " was ready.
A dead pause followed. Little Robe pointing
to me said : " You, you go ahead," and every
head was bowed.
Did I ask a blessing or did I return thanks ?
I do not know, but I do know that the words,
" Feed me till I want no more," kept ringing
through my unmissionary head that night till
sleep closed my weary eyes.
April nth. How it rained as mounted on the
load again we went dashing, splashing, swaying
down into Sugar Creek.
Cowbo3^s with a thousand cattle were on ahead
and an Indian was off in hot pursuit with a
" white man's talking paper," demanding a beef
for the grass eaten.
Beef ! Beef ! Beef ! and from every direction
poured Indians on horseback with guns, followed
by women and children in wagons, with axes and
knives. A skinny old cow was turned over, the
aim taken, the trigger pulled.
Suddenly a wagon dashed up out of the creek
and there was a change in the order of busi-
ness.
16 KIOWA
Red Eagle, wheeling his pony, dismounted.
Reaching up the side of the load with one hand
and holding his cocked gun at arm's length, with
the other he shook hands so vigorously that I
nearly came down head first.
" You all alone and no skeered ? " he signed.
** Maybe so we scalp you ! "
The rest, in and out through the timber, stood
solemnly erect, with hands clapped over their
mouths (the sign for great surprise).
Only the cow with drooping head and pant-
ing sides remained unmoved.
A few minutes later there was a loud report
and her miseries were over. Women in bare
feet chopped and cut up the beef, a long warm
dripping piece was placed beside us on the load
and after farewells that left our hands dyed with
gore, we started on our rainy way.
Saddle Mountain Creek is a little winding
stream that gets its source not from one, but
from many soft-water springs that rise in the
foot-hills of the Wichita Mountains.
Mount Scott, Mount Sheridan, and Saddle
Mountain (not yet on the map) are the three
highest peaks, the latter receiving its name be-
cause of its similarity in outline to that of a
Mexican saddle.
It was on Saddle Mountain Creek, soaked to
the skin, that we pitched our tent, with a camp
of Indians that owned three pigs.
BEGINNINGS 17
April 1 2th, Sunday. It rained all night and
all day.
Fortunately there was a little two-roomed
house on the hill and men, women, children,
dogs and missionary all crowded into it.
A roaring fire was made in the cook-stove and
steam rose and fell like wreaths of smoke from
an engine.
A few who had heard the news came in haste
through the storm, and squeezing themselves
into the mass of living, moving, damp humanity
stood before me with hands raised to their
mouths.
When they had recovered sufficiently from their
surprise these were some of the things they signed :
" We like this. You, one woman all alone
among Indians and no skeered."
** No White Jesus man ever sat down with us.
One Jesus woman all alone and no skeered.
This is good."
"We Hke you for coming this way. You
trust us."
** We have no one to tell us about Jesus over
here. The Great Father has brought you to us."
** We thank you for coming, but the thank you
to Jesus is away ahead."
All day long a simple service continued and
when darkness closed in I was glad to drop to
sleep on any kind of a bed, in any kind of a
corner.
18 KIOWA
April ijth. Rain ! Rain ! Rain ! Rain \
April 14th, Yesterday and to-day brought
many Indians in on horseback to see if the re-
port was really true that a white woman was all
alone among them.
A heavy wagon drawn by spotted horses, and
followed by three yellow dogs and a big black
one stopped at the camp.
After the woman had wrapped the baby closer
to her and made the other little girl's position
safe, the man handed her the lines and dis-
mounted.
Taking my hand and shaking it vigorously he
said in good plain English :
" I am very glad you have come. Our horses
are poor and we cannot go seventeen miles to
Rainy Mountain to church. Many Indians live
over here. We want you to stay with us and we
will help you all we can."
At night in a tepee round a blazing fire of
logs, after the " Jesus talk," this story was told,
mostly in the sign language :
" A long time ago there was an old woman
who had no husband and lived all alone in a
tepee, at the foot of a high rock. The bufialo
used to fall over this rock, breaking their legs,
so she had plenty to eat. One night a lot of
Pawnee Indians came and told her to hurry
up and get them something to eat. She read
STORY-TELLING 19
their minds and knew they wanted to kill her.
Fastening the light on her head she went out to
look for the meat, and coming back put a large
piece of thin fat over the coals to cook. When
it was 'jumping hot' she threw it in their faces
and ran.
After they had wiped the hot grease from
their burned skins, they tried to catch her by
following the light on her head. Hearing them
coming she took the light off, put it on the edge
of the rock and as they came near, threw it
straight out as far as she could throw it.
They were running very fast and all fell over
the rock and were killed.
This woman was a chief. You are the same.
All alone and no skeered 1 "
April i6th. While out fishing to-day, Stand-
in-the-middle-of-the-road ate the bait and at night
told this story :
"A long time ago, when I was a little girl,
my father went with a raiding party into Texas.
They broke into a house one night, killed the
white man, stole the woman and drove off all
the stock. They tied the woman on a horse be-
hind one of the men, but she screamed and
slipped from side to side so that they stopped,
after riding a long time, to hold a council about
what to do with her.
They killed her and ate her with bacon I "
20 KIOWA
"She fool you," interrupted Zotom. "They
made medicine."
" They cut out her heart, chopped it into little
pieces and everybody swallowed one piece, with-
out chewing it. They thought it would make
them powerful like the white people."
It wasn't easy to give a fitting gospel-talk after
this recital but we gave one without a fit and
then went to bed.
April 2jd. A " crazy white man " came to
the camp late this afternoon and Zotom invited
him into the tepee after supper to hear the " Jesus
talk." Three Indians sat with loaded guns across
their knees.
At the close Zotom turned to him and said :
" How is it that you are so bad when you can
read the Bible for yourself ? The Great Father
is ashamed of you. If you had acted right we
would have given you food and let you stay all
night, but your heart is bad, and you must go
away. It is eighteen miles to the white settle-
ment and as you go ask the Great Father to for-
give you." He rode off, a black sinner, into God's
beautiful moonlight.
The lesson had been on life as a conflict with
heaven as its goal and after the excitement died
down this story was told :
" A long time ago a man, his wife and two
children, a boy and a girl, lived in a tepee near
STORY-TELLING 21
a mountain. There were other Indians camping
near. Soon the deer and buffalo were all gone
and everybody was * chuck-away-hungry.'
This man and his family moved off by them-
selves, and for a while found plenty of * chuck/
but soon there was nothing to shoot and they
were all hungry again.
One day the man said to his wife : * We must
both go out to hunt to-day or the children will
die ; you go one way and I will go the other.'
Watching till she reached the river, he picked
up his gun, aimed and fired.
Then he made a fire, cut the head off the
body (throwing it over into the bushes), roasted
some of the nicest pieces of the flesh, called the
children to eat, saying he had killed a deer, and
taking his gun hurried away. The children saw
the smoke, found the meat and ate heartily.
All at once they heard a strange gurgling
sound from behind the bushes and their mother's
voice calling, * Children ! Children I What is
the matter ? Don't you know you have been
eating your mother? Now I'm mad and I'm
going to kill you.' The children were afraid and
ran and ran, but when they looked back they
saw their mother's head rolling after them. The
faster they ran the faster the head rolled and they
didn't know what to do. They kept on running
as fast as they could and after a while they met
a buffalo who asked them what was the matter.
22 KIOWA
When they had told him he took something
out of his inside and gave it to them saying :
'Whenever the head gets too near throw this
at it/
The children ran on and when the head was
nearly up to them, they threw what the buffalo
had given them at it.
A whole forest sprang from the ground, so
that the head couldn't get through for a long
time and the children got away ahead.
Then they came to a narrow deep stream on
the other side of which sat an old old Indian man
making a bow.
They called and told him their trouble. He
put the bow across the water and they walked
over on it safely.
Then the head came rolling up and said :
* Old man, I am looking for my children. Will
you help me over?'
When it had rolled half-way across, the old
man gave the bow a quick jerk, and it sank into
the water with a gurgling sound.
The children kept on running and after a
while came to a tepee and went in. Their father
w^as there with staring eyes. He scolded them
for eating their mother and took them out and
tied them to two trees. Then they knew that he
was crazy. Their old dog with no teeth, that
had followed their father, saw them and came
and chewxd the rope that tied the boy to the
STORY-TELLING 23
tree. As soon as he was free, he let his sister
loose, and, followed by the dog, they ran and
ran and ran.
Then they stopped and prayed, * Oh, Great
Spirit, save us ! '
After walking a long long way they came
to a beautiful tepee, on the bank of a river.
Strips of buffalo meat hung under an arbor, and
inside they found plenty of the nicest parts cooked
and ready.
They had had a hard time but they were
saved at last and their hearts laughed."
** This is a leetle the same as the Jesus-story
you have been telling us," signed the narrator.
April 26 thy Sunday . The sun shone, dogs
barked, pigs grunted, birds sang and all nature
seemed out for a frolic. The rain was past.
Two wagon sheets were tied on the top of six
poles and at about eleven by the sun the service
began.
Bleached bones lay about in every direction,
and here and there the white skeleton head of an
ancient cow loomed up, staring, staring, staring
with great eyeless sockets.
A white woman had called a council and
twenty-five responded.
With needle and thread in hand, I slowly
picked up pieces of dead leaves, weeds, chips,
etc., strung them and laid them on my lap.
24 KIOWA
"Enter ye in at the straight gate" was the
subject. " You can't do this alone. God's Holy
Spirit, who guided me in my heart to come to
you, must guide you. If you pass through this
gate into the new life your old religions, your
dances, your cards, your mescal, etc., must all
drop off and you will begin a spiritual fight that
will last as long as you live." ^
As the thread was drawn through the needle
and the accumulation of dead fragments fell to
the ground, every face indicated that the mes-
sage had been understood.
*' Are there any Christians here ? "
Not a hand went up but every head went
down.
*' Are there any who would like to give up the
old roads and let the Holy Spirit teach the
new ? "
Two men put up their hands at once.
The younger spoke :
" I am sorry there are no Christians over here.
Sometimes we all sit around to eat but there is
nobody to thank Jesus, so we wait a while and
think. Some Indians say when they are baptized
that they bury all their bad roads and then they
pick them up again and go off with them. I
don't want to be that kind. I want to be a
white-man Christian."
He was a man of about thirty years of age,
short, stout, dark, with coal black hair and
GHOST DANCE 25
eyes, white teeth and straight legs. His wife,
two children, three yellow dogs and a big black
one were with him.
White people called him Lucius but the
Indians clung to the old name ** Aitsan," which
means, ** Killed-him-on-the-sly.'*
In the afternoon in the bottom of a wagon we
drove seven miles to Sugar Creek, where a
number of Indians, in holiday attire, sat under
an arbor made of branches of trees. We talked
to them about Jesus and at the close four men,
wrapped from their heads to their feet in white
sheets, emerged from a big white tepee close to
the arbor. One behind the other they came
towards me and in turn took my hand and prayed
with eyes very shut.
** Oh, Great Spirit of Jesus, come to our hearts
to-day. White people think we pray to another
god but we do not. We heard the talk of this
white woman while we sat worshipping in our
council tepee, and we have come out to pray for
her=
Who made the sun? Who made these
mountains ? Who made this creek ? Who
made these trees and who brought the ' leetle
woman ' over here ?
The Great God, our Father, that He may
teach us more. She is your child. We are
your children. We will call her no more white
woman but sister.
26 KIOWA
How can we show that we believe you sent
her?
By saying thank you, thank you, thank you
to Jesus ! We have spoken."
The prayers ended, the leader took me by the
hand and followed by the other white robed
figures, led me into the Ghost-Dance tepee and
to the chief's seat.
The interior was exquisitely artistic and scru-
pulously clean.
The three beds, or sitting places, spread with
brilliant blankets, were kept in place by thick
ropes of tall grass twisted and tied with strips of
gay calico.
The large square place in the middle of the
tepee was as hard and as even as a cement
floor.
The twenty-two tepee poles, clearly visible
against the white canvas, were tied at the top
with a lariat of braided buffalo hide and fastened
to the ground near one of the beds with a strong
crotched peg.
Hanging from one of these poles was a great
bunch of eagle feathers, with quills elaborately
beaded.
Gourds with beaded handles and primitive
tom-toms lay here and there upon the beds, in
front of which were carefully fashioned little wells
for cuspidors about two inches deep and two
wide.
GHOST DANCE 27
There was no camp-fire, but in the exact centre
of the tepee under the opening at the top a small
piece of charcoal lay smouldering. A sprig of
cedar was thrown upon it and when the place
was filled with the aroma, tom-toms and gourds
were brought into action, weird singing was en-
gaged in and the pipe of peace passed. With
the sign addressed to me : *' You pray," all heads
were bowed.
*' Our Father in heaven, I don't know what it
all means but I do know that I am not * all alone
and no scared ' for Thou art with me. Teach
me how to tell these poor people about Jesus and
as they have walked in white with me to-day, so
may they walk with Thee some day in the streets
of the Beautiful City."
Four Indian prayers followed mingled with
excessive weeping, and then I was led forth into
the clear sunshine.
The man who acted as escort all the way
through w^as the Mexican captive, Mokeen, be-
loved father of Lucius called Aitsan.
April 2gth. At about nine o'clock to-night all
who could, crowded into the large new Ghost-
Dance tepee lately set up across Saddle Moun-
tain Creek.
Praying and singing, beating the tom-toms,
shaking the gourds and smoking to the Great
Spirit continued for about two hours.
28 KIOWA
Then the blind medicine-man stood up and
talked. When he was through a large woman,
brilliantly painted and dressed, with quantities
of black hair unbound, and rings and bracelets
without number, arose and walking up to him,
turned her back. Placing a hand on each shoul-
der he began gently swaying her from side to
side, the motion increasing to such terrible
rapidity that I thought the poor creature would
surely break off at the waist.
With hair and arms flopping and eyes bulging
out of her head, she finally fell, was lifted aside,
and another victim took her place. Squirm-
ing, twisting men and women jumped up sud-
denly and sat down again. Beating of tom-
toms, shaking of gourds and the minor wailing
of song increased in discord as each new en-
quirer went forward.
All night this performance lasted, and in the
morning after recovering their senses, each told
of wonderful things seen, their dead children,
the buffalo, Jesus, etc.
** The Great Father talked to us Himself," they
said, " and told us He gave the Book to the White
People and taught them to read it, but He gave
to the Indians the dance road and told us to hold
on to it tight till He came back to earth with our
dead and our buffalo."
May ist. They gave me an Indian name to-
PIGS 29
day: Gee-ah-hoan-go-mah, which means **She
gave us the Jesus way."
May it prove prophetic.
May loth. In the middle of the night I woke
with a start.
Thunder rolled, lightning flashed, the tepee
shook and the cot and myself were soaked
through. Springing up I tried to find a place
where the water was not pouring in but to none
effect. Seizing the wet bedding I clapped it
about me and, barefooted, sped up the hill to the
house, where I mounted the kitchen table and
steamed till morning.
At sunup, shivering and sneezing, I got back
to the tepee before the Indians were about. Such
a sight !
The pigs had been in and there wasn't a single
thing except my Bible and Shakespeare that
they had not upset, smashed, torn or eaten.
The dishes, pots and pans, etc., were scattered
far and near. Five bars of soap, a package
of tacks and a cake of stove polish were gone.
The trunk that contained the provisions was
ransacked and everything in it dragged out,
scattered and destroyed. One bag of flour
had been torn open under the cot, the other
tramped into slush, with canned fruit, syrup,
coal-oil and broken gem jars in front of it.
The oil-stove, with one leg off and three on,
30 KIOWA
had taken a header into the mess and on my
appearance seemed to extend a cripple's wel-
come.
Scooping up enough clean flour and mixing it
with water, I made up some kind of a dose to do
for breakfast till we reached the store.
At about eleven o'clock the eighteen miles were
covered and after filling up on canned stufi we
started back with twenty-five dollars' worth of
provisions.
May nth. The pigs came in again in the
night. Sawbeen, hearing them, came and waked
me to give me a long pole she had made so that
I could hammer them without getting up. I
signed and told her I was too sick to fight
pigs so she brought a quilt, spread it near the
opening of the tepee, hung up a lantern and
with the stick beside her, lay down to watch till
morning.
May 1 2th. About midnight I was awakened
again and told to hurry to the house for rain was
coming. Lying on the table I made myself com-
fortable thinking of the man who got '* bed and
board for three dollars a week " but couldn't tell
which was bed and which was board. At sunup
I went back to the tepee.
History repeats itself. The pigs had been in
of course and if they had done their best before
PIGS 31
they certainly did their worst this time. Even
the trunk with the food, which had been locked
and placed on top of the cot, was smashed and
the cover lay under the bed bitten into kindling
wood. Every pick of food was gone, except
three cans of peas and they were bitten into
squashed shapes with here and there teeth marks
which let out the liquid. The cot was indescri-
bable. Pigl Fig! Pig!
May ijth. The tepee was moved this morn-
ing to a nice clean place up near the house. At
about ten o'clock I went out into the sunshine to
mix up bread batter on a biscuit box. Up
marched the three brutes in solemn procession
and made a regular charge at the pan. While
they pushed and squealed and grunted, I kicked
and shoved and tried to protect the stuff with my
arms, head and chest
At an unguarded point the black pig stuck his
nose clear down into the bottom of the pan with
a whack. He got the whole mixture over the
back and ran ofT squealing and dripping. The
rest followed assisting with the music and inci-
dentally acted as breadwinners.
Five minutes later they were all back wear-
ing the most innocent determined Scotch ex-
pressions !
In the afternoon I went into my nice clean
tepee to try to get a little rest.
32 KIOWA
On a rope swung the mottoes :
*' What would Jesus do ? "
and
" Ask God to give thee skill
For comfort's art,
That thou mayest consecrated be,
And set apart unto a life of sympathy,
For heavy is the weight of ill in every heart —
And comforters are needed much
Of Christhke touch."
Closing my eyes and asking for the right kind of
sympathy I fell into a gentle doze. Suddenly
there was a bump-bump-bumping against the
cot.
Jumping up, I grabbed something, saw the
words: "What would Jesus do?" and "Of
Christlike touch," and didn't hit them. I missed
them ail three I
May 1 8th. The home of Lucius Aitsan was a
little two-roomed cottage with a large family bed
on the floor in one room and a cot and a cook-
stove in the other. There were two tepees and
an arbor in the yard.
Leading me into the house and standing by
the stove Lucius said :
" You have had a hard time with pigs." (They
had taken the notion to sleep beside my cot every
night after pushing themselves under it innumer-
able times to scratch their backs.) " This room
LUCIUS AND MABEL 33
is yours. My wife cooks outside under the arbor
in the summer time."
Coughing a big cough and sneaking a few tears
down into my handkerchief I said : " The Great
Father is kind. He prepares places in heaven
and on earth for His children. This is good. Now
let us go out and say thank you to your wife."
(It was her brother Domot who had come to Elk
Creek and invited me to Saddle Mountain.)
She was a little bit of a creature neat and clean,
with an ** honest Indian " face but so bashful she
scarcely lifted her eyes from her screaming baby
and the barking dogs.
In the evening by the light of a lantern hung
amid the foliage of the arbor Lucius interpreted
the Gospel to his people and afterwards told me
the story of his life.
** When the elm trees turned red, near the In-
dian's New Year (spring) I was born.
The Kiowas and Utes were on the war-path
camped at the head of the Canadian River, In-
dian Territory, and the Utes had'burned To-haw-
san's tepee. To-haw-san was government chief
at the time.
My father, Mokeen, was a Mexican captive.
He and an older brother were out looking for
the milk cows when the Kiowas came upon them
and carried him off. He was seven winters old
and there were other captives. My mother was
one of Santana's four wives. She had one son,
34 KIOWA
Odlepaugh. When her husband was killed she
married my father
The night I was born it was very cold. The
buffalo tepee was in the timber on the river near
a big red hill. Everybody was glad to see me
and because I was a boy they painted my head
and face yellow. If I had been a girl they would
have painted me red.
'Heap of Bears/ the Indian they called my
grandfather, was very much pleased with me
and when an old Cheyenne Indian picked me up
in his arms and kissed me he gave him a good
black horse. I was a big brown baby with not
much * funny.'
A Blackfoot Indian on his way to visit his
friends, the Cheyennes, fell in with the two war
parties and was hiding along the river till he
could get past. One night my grandfather saw
him and called to him in the Cheyenne talk.
Thinking he was a Cheyenne he came to him
and when he was close enough my grandfather
shot him. The Kiowas all thought this was very
smart and they called me Aitsan, which means
* Killed-him-on-the-sly.'
My father and mother belonged to the Sun-
Dance religion. Every summer * Big Medicine '
councils were held and no water was drunk for
three days and three nights.
When I was three years old my father took
me in for half a day and gave me no water
LUCIUS AND MABEL 35
After that every summer I went to the Sun-
Dance meetings and my father prayed that I
might be a great man on the war-path, steal
horses, kill and scalp people.
My mother loved me very much and took
good care of me. I didn't run into other tepees
a lot and she never let me stay away all day
long. She made me a little buffalo skin tepee
and I had a little donkey and a white dog with a
red spot on top. When the camp moved the
donkey carried my tepee and the little white dog.
I began to learn to shoot at four winters old.
When I was six my father brought home a buffalo
calf and tied it to a tree. He showed me where
to shoot and I hit it right on the heart and we all
had a * Big Eat.'
When I was nine Mr. Thomas Beaty came to
start a school on Cache Creek and brought a big
tent. One day I went in and was so surprised to
see big pictures of all kinds of animals and fish.
Mr. Beaty said the names in English and
pointed to them and we tried to say the words
after him. One da}'' a woman ran in and carried
her son out and my mother took me out too.
They said we would die like the Caddos if we
looked at those pictures.
Up to this time the Kiowas had never done
any work except hunt. Government tried to
make them but they wouldn't and when sheep
were issued to them they ate them. At last the
36 KIOWA
agent got some of the men to plough a field and
plant it, but most of the Kiowas stood round
watching and giving funny talk.
When the corn and melons came up and be-
gan to grow everybody was so surprised. Be-
fore the things were ripe they ate a lot and
many took sick and died. My mother was one
of them and after that I was very lonesome.
My father loved me just the same but a man
can't take good care of a child. I was fourteen
when my mother died. There was a school at
Fort Sill then and I saw the children had such a
good time that I wanted to go but my father
wouldn't let me. I was big and would not mind,
so after a while he got discouraged and let me
go, October lo, 1878.
The first night I slept in a white man's house
I was so happy I couldn't hardly sleep, because
I had a chance to go to school. I learned to
spell ' cat ' the first day before noon. In the
afternoon I could spell * dog.' The second day
I could spell * a-b-c ' and the next day * d-e-f.'
At the end of two weeks I knew cat, dog, cow,
boy, pig, cup, and cap and the teacher said I was
very ' smeart.' When the dinner bell rang I was
so anxious to eat with a knife and fork.
In one moon my father came and asked me if
I was lonesome and I said * No, I am having a
good time.' I was so proud of myself when I
could say * a-b-c ' without the teacher.
LUCIUS AND MABEL 37
The first Christmas tree surprised me very
much and my heart hit very fast when they
called my name on a red handkerchief and a
monkey. When school was out in June lots of
the boys and girls tore up their books and threw
them away but I kept mine and read it.
That summer the agent wanted names to go
away to Carlisle to school and Joshua Given and
I gave ours when my father was out hunting
horses. We both went to Fort Sill on one horse
to give our names and I was awful skeered we
would meet my father. When he heard he
said : * If you go I v^ill kill myself.' But I said :
* Fm going anyhow.' He didn't think I would.
When I gave my name to Agent Hunt he
said : * I will take good care of your father,' so I
knew it was all right. While we were in the
office Hunting Horse came in with his little sister
and said : ' I love my little sister but I want to
send her to school,' and the tears fell on their
cheeks. I looked at her and said : * No use to
send her away to school for she is such a little bit
of a girl.' I felt sorry for her but I did not think
to marry her then. Her mother was sitting out-
side crying. There were eleven of us wanted to
go to school. The agent sent my father to
Anadarko for freight and he went because he did
not think I would go.
When we got started and were coming near
Cache Creek I saw the freight wagons and the
38 KIOWA
men staking their horses and I was awful skeered
and wanted to hide but Joshua Given told me to
sit still. My father saw me as he was bringing
the horses up from the water and he dropped the
rope and ran and took me in his arms and cried,
and cried, and cried, and I cried too and nearly
gave out. When he stopped crying he prayed
to the sun and said, * Oh, Sun ! look upon my
boy and let me see his face again ! * Next
morning he kissed me good-bye and when the
wagons passed us I heard him crying — crying —
awful hard.
At Anadarko the agent gave us letters to the
chief clerk at Darlington and plenty of * chuck.'
When we got there Hunting Horse and Gue-
chat went back and we were sent to Arkansas
City to the railroad with some men who were
freighting for the school.
When Soonday kissed her brother good-bye she
cried and I thought : * No use to send that poor
little girl away to school.' Poor little Mabel — I
never thought then that she would be my wife I
We were seven days on the road and it was
awful cold. I wore a blanket but when 1 got up
in the morning I was stifi. It was a cold, cold
night when we got to Arkansas City. We
camped across the bridge and made a fire out of
sunflower weeds and slept out-of-doors.
In the morning the men took us to the station
and a lot of white men ran calling, * Here's the
LUCIUS AND MABEL 39
Injins ! Here's the Injins ! ' and we was 'shamed
for them. We heard the train coming a mile
from the station and we were so anxious to see
it, for we had never seen one. Captain Pratt
had telegraphed that he would be on the train
so w^e waited and when the track shook and the
engine ran past us we were all skeered. When
he got off we felt all right and looked at it all
over. After we were all in and the train began
to move I was 'fraid. The world went round
and my dinner got skeered and came up. At
Wichita Captain Pratt took us to an hotel, the
first one I was ever in. The table was so beauti-
ful I was so proud of myself.
We waited three or four days for some
Cheyenne and Arapahoe boys and girls and I
got my hair cut. At Fort Sill they only cut it
on our shoulders but this time I had it cut like
the white men.
Then they took us into a room and brought in
a doctor and said if anv of us were sick we would
have to go back. I was the first to stand before
the doctor and I was so skeered. He said :
* Pull off your shirt,' and then he hit me all over
and put his ear on me and heard that I was a
good healthy boy. Then Captain Pratt put
down my name and I w^as awful glad. There
w^ere two who were sick and they begged awful
hard to go even if they died. Captain Pratt
gave them each five dollars and when we went
40 KIOWA
to the station with them we all cried, we felt so
sorry for them.
We were three days on the train and were
just like drunk.
After three years my time was up at Carlisle
and I had to come back but I wanted to stay
longer and learn more. They called me Lucius
Ben Aitsan.
It was on the train coming back that I found
out that I loved Mabel.
Mr. Weeks was an Episcopal minister at
Anadarko and I went forward and had water
put on my head and afterwards Mabel and I were
married before him and Zotom.
After being assistant farmer at Anadarko one
year I came to Saddle Mountain and located my
farm and then went to Fort Sill and enlisted as
a soldier. I was second sargeant and drank
beer but did not gamble. I drank an awful lot
of beer at first and was sick in bed. After, I
only drank a little at a time. When I was in
Anadarko Boton said to me : * Come to the Cat-
lick Church and see wonderful things in all the
world.' They asked me to interpret and I got
up to do it but the man talked so fast in some
talk I did not understand that I asked to be
excused and sat down. They had candles and
images and when they passed before Jesus they
went as if they were going to sit down.
After that I interpreted the Gospel for Dr.
LUCIUS AND MABEL 41
Murrow and the other missionaries and hid all
their wise talks in my heart.
I never told anybody but I have been asking
Jesus on the sly to send a Jesus woman to our
district and to my home that I might learn more.
There was a man just like me in the Bible. He
believed the best way he knew how and Jesus
knew it and sent a man to ride with him who
explained everything so plainly that he under-
stood and was baptized. There are no Chris-
tians here. The Indians all live in camps scat-
tered along the different creeks. We have no
* Jesus day ' and nothing special to live for but
ourselves. I have spoken."
May 24th, Sunday. It was the same " old
story" that was told and the same questions that
were asked :
** Are there any Christians present ? "
" Are there any who would like to be ? "
Indian politeness made an answer necessary
and a dignified, thoughtful reply was given.
** There are no Christians here. We worship
a different way. The news you have brought is
very wonderful, but Indians do not hurry to pick
up new roads. We must take time to think it
over carefully and then we w^ill give you our
answer."
After dinner a second meeting was held and
a second time the invitation was given.
42 KIOWA
** Are there not some of you who would like to
have this great loving Saviour for your Friend ? "
Immediately there arose from the ground an
old, old, old woman, very stooped and so brown
and wrinkled that the human visage was almost
obliterated. Over the top of her dilapidated
Indian clothing she had put on a dress from a
missionary barrel that had belonged to a child
about ten years of age.
Her scrawny arms were poked through the
sleeves and the garment was partly drawn up on
the shoulders. The skirt did not reach to the
knees and the feet were covered with one white
and one black stocking.
Never in all my life had I seen a more ludi-
crous object.
As she scrambled from the ground rigged in
this awful combination, not a smile nor a leer
was visible on a single face and Lucius inter-
preted as though she had been a chiefs wife in
gorgeous apparel.
This is what she said :
*' I am the oldest woman here and I will make
a talk.
I never heard anything like it before and I
can't tell you to-day whether I believe it or not
but we thank you. I have lived many winters
and have seen much trouble. My husband is
dead and my daughters who are living have
many children. My work is to carry their
LUCIUS AND MABEL 43
papooses on my back every day, when they are
sick and when they are well.
I am often tired and hungry for rest.
When you told us this morning about that
Beautiful Home with water and fruit and no
more * hungry and crying,' and the Kind Chief
who w^anted to divide up with everybody, I
thought, that is the kind of a place that would
suit me. I didn't get up in the meeting for I
wanted to think about it some more.
I understand if we pick up this new road we
must dress like white people so I have put on
this dress to let everybody know that if I can
have this Jesus as my Friend and go to live with
Him after I get through with this life, I am will-
ing to go round like this the few winters that are
left, even if all my people think that I am crazy.
It is a wonderful road. I have spoken."
Elk Creek is about forty miles from Saddle
* Mountain. It was to this point that the Society
sent me with Miss Everts in the fall of ninety-
three. It v/as here also that we enjoyed many
unusual experiences.
Experience No. i :
While holding a meeting in camp one day a
white man arrived with a load of turkeys. They
were seventy-five cents a piece, but as he too was
a Baptist he said he would give us ours for fifty
cents.
44 KIOWA
" Can you change a dollar ? " I asked, and
receiving an affirmative answer, skipped up to
the house while he went to the wagon for the
turkey.
After it was tethered I handed over the dollar.
Pulling a quarter from his pocket the man ex-
claimed, " Well ! I sure thought it was a fifty
cent piece. The turkey is big though and worth
seventy-five cents.*'
That night he camped on the other side of the
creek. Before sunrise I was up, waded across,
handed back the quarter and said :
*' I sure am a Baptist and have decided to
take two turkeys instead of one," He laughed
uproariously as he handed over the second bird.
Experience No. 2 :
We had run out of wood and it was bitter
cold. With a rope slung round my neck I
crossed the creek at the same place and was re-
turning with a fine load of fallen timber on my
back when something happened. In scrambling
up the bank, briars tangled in my skirts and over
went every stick into the creek and floated ofi.
Experie7ice No. j :
Miss Everts was nearly starved and when I
teased her about it big round tears appeared.
Flying out of the door she said : " If you were
as hungry as I am you would cry too."
For penance I decided to take some of the
Lord's time next day and go a-fishing.
LUCIUS AND MABEL 45
In the same creek at the same crossing I fished
from eleven to twelve, from twelve to one, from
one to two and from two to three and never got
a bite:
Jime 24th. We had all come over from Saddle
Mountain to Elk Creek to the camp-meeting and
Lucius was doing part of the interpreting.
There are always converts ready for baptism
before the meetings begin, so the first thing that
the ministers do after the opening services, is to
invite these to the front.
As Lucius gave the invitation he stepped for-
ward and turning his back to the audience
joined in the singing.
A little woman at the far end of the arbor arose
with a baby on her back and came slowly forward.
He did not see her till she stood beside him
and then bursting into tears he sobbed : " She is
my wife," and could interpret no more.
Jiuie 28th. It was Sunday afternoon and a
long brilliant procession moved slowly towards
the illustrious spot on Elk Creek.
Children gaily attired climbed up into the trees,
men on horseback wrapped in blankets of all
hues leaned forward, and women, some with
babies on their backs, stood and sat in their
graceful draperies with faces livid with joyful
anticipations.
46 KIOWA
Then there echoed up and down the waterside,
in English, broken English and Kiowa gutturals :
" O happy day that fixed my choice
On Thee, my Saviour and my God."
How they sang it and how the tears in many
eyes showed they felt it I
" He taught me how to wash and pray,
And live rejoicing every day."
And their clean clothing and happy faces told
the same story.
Some one prayed and then Rev. H. H. Clouse's
voice was heard above the singing of the birds
and the ripple of the water :
** On profession of your faith and in obedience
to our Lord's command, I baptize thee, Lucius
Aitsan, into the name of the Father, Son and
Holy Ghost."
*' Happy day, happy day
When Jesus washed my sins away."
" On profession of your faith, and in obedience
to our Lord's command, I baptize thee, Mabel
Aitsan, into the name of the Father, Son and
Holy Ghost."
Hand in hand they came up out of the water
with ** Happy day, happy day " trembling upon
their lips.
Lucius and Mabel Aitsan
(Lucius was ordained June 24th, 1913 and is now pastor of the Church)
LUCIUS AND MABEL 47
Reaching down to help them up the sHppery
bank of the historic creek, past experiences be-
came obUterated, and I felt that it paid to endure
hardness even as 2Lpoor soldier of Jesus Christ.
July 8th. *' Dear Miss Crawford : I write
briefly to say that at the meeting of the Execu-
tive Board held yesterday the ladies voted to
allow you to remain at Saddle Mountain as long
as it is safe and prudent and also to allow you
12.50 per month for an interpreter.
" Mary G. Burdette.'*
August I St. Vacation.
II
Experiences — Church Building Fund — Death —
Ploughi7ig — An Indian Function — Camp-
meeting
NOVEMBER 27, 1896. Chickasha I
In a few minutes I was standing on
the platform.
Such a greeting !
The three yellow dogs didn't know me and
barked. Carlo did know me and growled. The
baby shrieked. Jessie clung to her mother's
blanket. Mabel smiled and looked down.
Only Lucius was brave enough to take me by
the hand and shake it. He was the chief I
While busy ** loading up " six cows tore open
the tent at the edge of the town eating the hay
in the beds, so it was a sorry looking place they
took me to but it could not be helped.
Scraping up what there was left and producing
from a bag two new sheets and a pillow-case,
Lucius proceeded to make a " white-man's bed '*
for me. Then he made a big wide one at the
other side of the tent for himself and family and
pulling up two pegs slept with his head outside.
November ^oth. We reached Saddle Moun-
tain chilled to the marrow bones to start out
48
EXPERIENCES 49
again for a g-overnment payment at Rainy Moun-
tain.
December ijih. Haven't had my clothes off
since coming into camp two weeks ago.
Forty children from the Government School
were baptized to-day in Rainy Mountain Creek,
among them Amos Aitsan and a little Indian
maiden named Kaun-todle, the daughter of a
white woman captured in infancy and married
into the tribe.
Dece^nber i^th. Home again.
December i^th. Company — company — com-
pany pouring in from every direction. There
isn't standing room in the house, morning, noon
or night — cold.
December i6th. More company. It is a con-
tinuous reception, hard on the constitution but
full of opportunities.
December lyth. It was so cold last night in
the kitchen that I couldn't sleep, and this morn-
ing Lucius and Mabel moved my bed into their
room and put it across a window (the only place
there was for it), and I put up a curtain allowing
one foot for dressing room.
December i8th. Helping with the dishes this
morning I noticed that the guests were leaving,
so scooping the greasy dish-water from my arms
60 KIO\YA
I said : " Lucius I It won't do to let all these peo-
ple go home without any spiritual food," and for
one hour we told them about Jesus with arms
akimbo as the grease dried in.
Fm a believer in a consecration that goes in at
prayer and comes out at dish-v/ater and suds, a
consecration that will tackle the meanest kind of
work for His sake and not shove it ofl on some-
body else or sneak out of it altogether.
Digging into downright disagreeable work
often has more real worship in it than hours of
secret prayer.
December 2^thf Christmas. Everybody away.
Observed Lent and kept mum.
January i, i8gy. Gave the camp a grand
New Year dinner to-day, making everybody help
with the work. They were greatly interested in
the cleanings washing and picking over of the
things for the plum pudding, but when every-
thing was stirred together in a pan, tied up in a
cloth and plumped into a pot of boiling water
their faces went blank I
The thing had been drowned — and in hot
water !
Some of them signing ** It-is-a-heap-crazy-
road " marched out the door and held a council
about it in the yard.
The menu consisted of roast chicken, rabbit
potpie, beans, dried apples, cranberries, bread,
EXPEEIENCES 51
currant buns, tapioca pudding, plum pudding,
pop-corn, candy, tea and coffee.
How I was tempted to put ** some strong
medicine " or coal-oil on the pudding and set it
afire I
At first they tasted it as if afraid of being
burned or poisoned but it wasn't long before they
were shovelling it down in great spoonfuls, call-
ing it ** Sweet-chuck-in-a-rag."
After the feast the thirty-one guests crowded
into the other room and listened reverently to the
story of the man who went to a wedding without
a clean blanket on. At night when I crept to
sleep, the floors covered with mud and Indians,
my mind ran from a cup of cold water to a plum
pudding given in His name.
Ja7iuary 6th. Sick-a-bed with a cold or cold-
a-bed with a sick. The wind fairly whistles about
my head.
January 8th. Got up at noon and made an
invention. Pulling the cot out from the wall I
opened an umbrella on it, threw a big blanket
over the whole thing, pushed the bed back tight
against the window, crawled back into place, held
on to the handle and Eureka ! The canopy top
worked like a charm !
From Greenland's icy mountain to India's
coral strand, waft, waft, ye winds, but you don't
52 KIOWA
waft on me any more ! (Unless the thing blows
overboard in the night.)
The family went down to the camp on the
creek and I got up. The stove was so dirty I
cleaned it, the sink was so greasy I scoured it,
the floor was dusty I swept it. Then I cooked
something I thought I could eat and three In-
dians came in to dinner.
January ioth-i8th. Company I company I
company !
January ipth,
" Give me a calm, a thankful heart, from every murmur
free,
The blessing of Thy grace impart and let me live for
Thee."
January 20th, Cold and company.
" Give me a calm, a thankful heart, from every murmur
free,
The blessing of Thy grace impart and let me live for
Thee."
January 21st. Company and cold.
*' Give me a calm, a thankful heart, from every murmur
free,
The blessing of Thy grace impart and let me live for
Thee."
I was hungry and thought when I saw the
EXPERIENCES 53
nice fresh beef the Indians brought that I would
make a little Irish stew for myself in my own
granite pot.
It smelled so good as it simmered all morning
on the back of the stove.
I worked at letters till the rest were all through
dinner and then went out to get mine. The cover
was ofT the pot and it was swilling over with ref-
use from the plates I
I didn't want a *' calm and thankful heart '*
just then — I wanted Irish stew I There were
twenty-seven to dinner.
January 26th. At noon to-day as soon as the
wagon stopped I bounded out with my biscuit-
box suit-case and made for the woods.
Undressing I donned a missionary barrel tea-
gown with a ''Wateau back," hung my cloth-
ing on a tree, grabbed the biscuit box, the wash-
board and a bar of soap and escaped to the
creek, in drapery outrivaling the Goddess of
Liberty in New York harbor.
Planting the biscuit box bottom side up in the
water, I sat down fast on it and the bundle of
soiled clothes.
Holding the washboard between my knees,
piece by piece I pulled the things from under me
and after the rubbing and scrubbing let each drift
down-stream to do its own rinsing. Washboard,
soap and box were then thrown to the bank and
54 KIOWA
seizing myself by the *' Wateau back " I rescued
the garments and strung them all out on the
bushes to dry. They were ironed while I quietly
5at on them giving the *' Jesus talk" after the
camp dinner.
Domot made this talk :
" When I was a young man we had plenty of
buffalo. We made our tepees, our clothing and
Dur bedding out of the skin. We got our bow-
strings out of the sinew. We made medicine
out of the fat and had plenty to eat and the dogs
were never hungry.
Thirty years ago the white soldiers came and
they shot and shot and shot and killed and killed
and killed big and little, leaving the bodies and
skins to rot.
In seven years our buffalo were all gone and
to-day we are poor and hungry.
White men are kill-crazy. The buffalo they
kill, kill, kill. Indians they kill, kill, kill. Jesus
they killed. What's the matter ? Why? Why?
Why ? "
Taboodle is perhaps ninety years old. I was
giving him a long, earnest talk when he put up
his hands and signed :
" Wait ! A question I want to ask. Why is it
that some white men have no-hair-on-top and
others have a-heap-on-their-chins ? "
January 28th, Although Lucius and Mabel
CHURCH BUILDING FUND 55
do not know when they were born they have
kept track of their children's birthdays.
Wee Sarah is two years old to-day and besides
a ** Big Eat," she received a dime for candy and
an envelope containing a gold dollar and a Cana-
dian ten-cent piece to be put by, as a starter, for
a church at Saddle Mountain.
The gold dollar was given me at the end of my
first year in the Training School by Miss Hen-
rietta Wright of Chicacole, India. The Canadian
ten-cent piece was presented at my graduation
by Miss Burdette with the remark : " It belongs
to the Queen. I have no use for it. Take it
back and spend it."
When ** Liberty " and " The Queen " put their
heads together something is sure to happen.
February ist. Ah-to-mah, hearing about the
gold dollar and dime, sent ten cents for the
building fund, making it $1.20. ** We must keep
quiet about this," said Lucius, '* or the Kiowas
will all kick."
Excitement ran high when the news got out,
for it had been decided long ago that no church
or anything else '* white " should be built in the
vicinity. When men brought lumber to Sugar
Creek to build a Government School Papedone
and others got on their horses with guns and
drove them back. The school was afterwards
built at Rainy Mountain.
66 KIOWA
Ah-to-mah's husband sent word if lumber for
a church was brought in he would get up in the
night and throw it in a ditch.
February 4th, A big prairie schooner halted
at our door and an Indian man and woman got
out. The man was tall and slightly built, his
gorgeous blanket falling in graceful folds giving
him a strikingly picturesque appearance.
The woman was tall and thin also, with such a
sad face. From her right hand one finger had
been chopped, the silent witness of the death of a
near and dear one. Tightly held on her back by
a brilliant blanket of yellow, green, blue and black
was the emaciated form of a little girl about five
years of age in the last stage of consumption.
They had heard of the arrival of a Jesus
woman at Aitsan's camp and after everything else
had failed, came with their sick and their broken
hearts.
The horses were hobbled and turned loose, a
tepee was set up in the yard and life went on
apparently as usual.
In another tepee down on the creek all was
joy and rejoicing, for to a father and mother with
but one son and five daughters a little boy baby
was born. He was given the name Clark Pres-
ton, for one whose locks, character and soul were
as white as the driven snow.
On the afternoon of February i6th, as the sun
DEATH 5Y
was sinking behind the hills, I entered the tepee
to see this little one take three breaths and die.
The sting of death is the same the world over,
and these stricken parents after placing the life-
less body in my arms gave themselves over to
uncontrollable weeping. Mingling my tears with
theirs I signed : ** Jesus has taken your child to
sit down with Him. He does not want you to
cut ofi your fingers. He wants you to give your
hearts to Him."
The only box that would make a coffin was
full of chips. Emptying it I made a lid, lined
and covered the whole with white, and printed
across the top : ** Not dead, but living with
Jesus."
The interpreter was away but the wonderful
resurrection story was signed into the hearts,
bringing for the moment a holy calm.
After prayer I took up the hammer. '
The wailing broke out afresh to such an extent
that I put it down and in my helplessness prayed
again — this time for myself — that strength might
be given.
The sobbing ceased, the cover was replaced,
the nails were driven and soon a wagon contain-
ing the coffin, an Indian man and woman, three
hoes and myself, drove rapidly out of the camp.
Under a lone tree at the foot of the mountain
the little grave was fashioned. When all was
ready, the coffin resting on the mother's orange
58 KIOWA
and green blanket, heads were bowed and a
prayer offered to Him who once stood beside an
open grave and wept.
The casket was lowered on the blanket, the
Indian holding two corners and the woman and
myself the other two. The little one's belongings
were all dropped in. A pause followed.
Gathering up a handful of the soil and signing
to the others to do the same, together, on our
knees, we sprinkled in the finest of the earth till
the last bright folds of the blanket were lost to
sight and then we worked with the hoes.
The sun had sunk to rest, bathed in a living
glory and the sad moon had climbed the neigh-
boring hills ere our mournful task was ended. In
neither light could there be seen, north, south,
east or west, a church spire pointing to Him who
said : " I am the resurrection and the life.'*
I was sitting lost in study the following Mon-
day evening when softly the door opened and
the Indian in the yard whose little daughter lay
sick of a fever stood before me and signed : " My
child will die to-morrow. The Great Father is
kind. There are too many in my tepee. May
some come and sleep in the house ? "
The interpreter and his family were gone to the
agency but I signed, ** Yes," and then hastened
to make up beds on the floor.
At daylight I hurried to the tepee and found
the mother bending over her child with face as
DEATH 69
motionless as death. The father was staining a
little buckskin dress the brightest shade of yel-
low.
When he came in to breakfast his nostrils di-
lated rapidly, his eyes were vacant and his lips
protruded.
** Let the Lord do what seemeth good in His
sight," was the morning lesson.
When he understood it he signed : ** The Great
Father knows what is best. I do not. My heart
is sore." And covering his head all over he
bowed for prayer.
Five minutes later a woman rushed in and
signed : '* The child is dead. Hurry and make
the coffin."
Entering the tepee I found it was true. The
Spirit had flown, leaving the warm clay in the
arms of the distracted mother.
Another box was emptied and made strong
but there were no boards long enough for a
cover, so short ones had to be joined and made
into correct proportions.
Why didn't the Indians do the work ?
Death, to those who have never or lately heard
the Gospel, is terrifying. Superstition makes
them want to fly from every semblance of it.
In a panic it is not easy to get control. The
child had to be buried. I made the coflfin and
went to the tepee.
Was it life or was it death that I beheld ?
60 KIOWA
On a cream colored shawl, with a border of
scarlet roses, in the buckskin dress of yellow, the
body lay. Around the neck were numberless
strings of beads, bracelets encircled the wrists,
rings the fingers, and clasped in the arms was a
brightly attired rubber doll. The face — could it
be death ?
Where were the ashy pallor, the closed eyes,
the compressed lips? Gone — not a semblance
of death was there. The hair and face were
tinted " like the yellow leaves in autumn," the
cheeks, ears, division of hair and lips were bril-
liant red, the eyes were wide open and the lips
parted.
The parents' lips were colored also 1
At the funeral there were no demonstrations
of grief, save now and then a tear would fall and
the parents' heads sink nearer the coffin.
A wagon stood at the door. Helping the
mother in I sat beside her on the precious box.
Two men and eight women (all who were in
camp) followed with a long piece of canvas and
several hoes.
Within a short distance of the lone tree the
mother gave a wild shriek and threw herself over
the cofBn. Her keen eye had discovered that
wolves and coyotes had scraped down into the
other little grave and had it not been for the
rude coffin the body would have been dragged
out and eaten.
DEATH 61
Making the grave was a long, hard process,
for below the surface we struck a stratum of clay-
that had to be chopped into chunks and lifted
out in the piece of canvas.
Everybody worked except the mother and
there were times when all were so exhausted
that we sank on the heap of soil, with backs to
the bitter wind, and waited till our strength re-
turned.
At last the sad task was ended (the father
placing two wagon loads of rock upon the grave
to keep the wolves out).
The sun was high in the heavens, his bright
rays falling upon the cold stone pile, but nowhere,
though he penetrated mountain top and valley,
could he find a monument reared to Him who
said : " I am the resurrection and the life."
Returning, the parents cut their hair, laid aside
their bright wrappings, burned the tepee, cov-
ered the camp-fire and one behind the other dis-
appeared up the mountainside.
At sunrise I found the mother sitting beside
the covered camp-fire in the yard, the picture of
desolation, wailing, wailing, wailing with her
face turned towards the lone tree.
If the loss of a child can bring such terrible
anguish what of the loss of a soul ?
April 6th. Ploughing is the order of the day.
Six of the nearest of kin have clubbed and are
62 KIOWA
ploughing one field at a time. They finish here
to-day.
When they came in to dinner all were " heap
tired" and then they were " heap mad " because
I hid the cake till dessert time.
" All white people have the * hide-road,' " they
signed, and then sat so long at the table discuss-
ing the point that I produced the baking-powder
can and heaping up a teaspoonful, told one of
them to open his mouth.
He signed: ''Why? What for?"
I signed :
** It will help you rise."
The pouts departed and the ploughing went
on. During the day a company of soldiers
guarding the money wagons galloped past, wav-
ing '* Old Glory " over their heads, and at night
this question was asked :
" Why didn't the government tell us about the
other life in heaven?"
** We didn't know it was Jesus who wanted us
to plough. We thought it was the white men
and we wouldn't do it."
April 8th. Couldn't stand it any longer so
went out and signed to an Indian : '' The Great
Father has v/atched you sit under this arbor
three days doing nothing but eat and talk. If
He had made the road for you to do just these
two things He would have made you all mouth
PLOUGHING 63
and stomach, no hands, no legs, no feet, just one
big * chuck bag/ He put hands and feet on you
so that you could take hold of a plough and walk
after it." He signed : *' When I plough my heart
hurts me. My hands and feet are strong but my
heart hits fast." I replied, " You would be dead
if it did not hit." He went to work.
In the evening I gave this talk to the camp :
** The Great Father wants us to work with
Him. He made the seed and put life in it.
White men could make something that would
look like corn but they couldn't put life in it and
it wouldn't come up. When you plant the Great
Father's seed He sends the sun and the rain to
encourage you and makes it grow. He does the
hardest part. If you love Him you will try to
please Him and do yours. He could have sent
* women-with-wings' (angels) to plough for you
and carry the Gospel to others but He did not.
What would we do to show Him that we
love Him if angels did everything? He wants
you to plough and to plant and give the spiritual
seed to others and He promises to take good
care of you all the way along. Those who
ploughed to-day have made His heart glad."
" The Great Father didn't give the work road,"
called out Mokeen.
" Long time ago God gave a garden to a white
man and woman and they didn't have to work,
they just had to look after things. Then these
64: KIOWA
white people went crazy in their hearts and be-
gan to steal, and the Great Father turned them
off and told them to work till the water ran down
their backs. They went on the war-path and
killed everybody till they were taken captives.
Long time ago God gave Indians land and
they didn't steal. Their hearts were good every
day, every day, every day. They didn't have to
work either, but just hunt buffalo. After awhile
crazy white men came and stole all the buffalo
and gave them the work road. Then they went
on the war-path and killed everybody till they
were beaten. White people are heap crazy.
The Great Father didn't give the work road."
*' When me and Jesus was out ploughing,"
said Poor Buffalo, ** the devil got mad and put a
piece of barbed wire before us. It cut my hand.
The blood came but I did not get mad. I sat
right down and told the Great Father about it.
Then I tore a piece off my shirt, tied up my hand
and me and Jesus went on with the work."
"I don't beg all the time," said another. "I
ask once and wait. I am too old to plough.
The Great Father understands. Sometimes He
gives me a coat or a pant, but when He does not
I go ahead just the same. If I die with no coat
or pant on Jesus will take me to live with Him
and I won't need anything to put on there.'^
Heenkey had a question to ask : '' One thing I
want to know. Does the Jesus Book say any
PLOUGHING 65
place that the Kiowa Indians are to have one
hundred and sixty acres of land apiece ? Jesus
never told us this. It is the white men. The
Great Father made the land and put us on it and
we love the land our Great Father gave us.
It makes my heart sick when we hear that
white men want to come in here. The mission-
aries must help us to keep them out. Many of
them are very wicked and they will give us bad
roads. Pray for us that we may keep our land.
I have spoken."
" Plough 1 Heenkey, plough I Plough ! Every-
body plough !
The Great Father gave you the land to work^
and He will supply the seed and the sunshine and
the rain and make things grow.
If you don't do it others will get your land.
Work I work ! work ! everybody work I It is the
best way to keep the white people ofr."
Copied from the Chikasha Express :
" These full-bloods should be given the oppor-
tunity to go to some other country if they want
to. Almost any country would welcome them
with open arms. They are first-class citizens at a
shooting-match or at a game of monte or make
a full hand at loafing, but as a benefactor in
making two spears of grass grow where one grew
before they are a failure.
Let them go. Let the government buy their
land it gave them and then drive them to some
GQ KIOWA
other country if any other country will take them
They have been pests and scabs long enough."
April i^th. We were all invited to Lucius'
brother's tepee to supper to-night.
Ananthy sat at the end of the bed nearest the
entrance with everything beside her. When all
were seated three narrow lengths of white oil-
cloth .were passed, followed quickly by granite
plates and cups, some knives, forks and spoons,
the cofiee-pot, a can of fruit and two white wash
basins of beef.
When the meal was over, each stacked his and
her own dishes and with the oilcloths and refuse
sent them back to Ananthy. Water, soap and
flour-sack towels were next sent up the line, and
after I had used them passed on down to the
others.
While the finger-bowl was going the rounds
our hostess was busy washing the dishes and put-
ting things away. In an incredibly short time
she was all through with hands and face washed
and hair smoothed.
Bravo 1 She had served that whole meal from
beginning to end without taking one single step !
Fresh logs were added to the camp-fire, the pipe
of peace was passed from mouth to mouth and then
Montgomery Ward's catalogue was produced tri-
umphantly. Something was com.ing I Opening
it at the underwear department our host signed ;
AN INDIAN FUNCTION 67
"Why? Why? Why aren't those white
women 'shamed to stand up and have their pic-
tures took that way ? Kiowa women wouldn't
do it."
When this puzzHng question was explained to
the satisfaction of all he proceeded :
" Before white people came we were happy all
the time and seldom got mad.
The Great Father gave us the buffalo and we
had plenty to eat. We don't like the white man's
pork and now when we are hungry we get mad
quick and want to fight.
Old Odlepaugh was a war chief. My father
gave me his name. When he got mad he bit
the noses ofi his wives. He bit them off three
and turned them loose. Nobody wanted to
marry * women- with-noses-got-none/ and the
chief's heart was full (satisfied).
When we went on the war-path we rode till
the food gave out and then ate our horses.
We were looking for just one thing — white
men, and when we found them we fought them
hard. We were kind to the women and children.
When we captured Mokeen he cried and
cried and cried.'*
" Stop ! stop 1 wait ! " signed Mokeen from
across the fire. ** He gives you lies. I was
brave. Some of the Indians w^ere bad, their
hearts were like stones, they took white papooses
by the legs and threw them up in the air as far
68 KIOWA
as they could, and then rubbed dirt into their
faces.
" They had no sense. I have spoken." Odle-
paugh continued :
" Once a war party returned with three white
women captives. Old Tassat stood with them,
and while we danced in a circle round them she
hit them with sticks to make them jump. They
cried and cried and cried, louder and louder and
louder and fell down. They tried to get away
but Tassat wouldn't * cut off.' White men had
killed her son ; she would pay them back.
We sold these women afterwards to the
Mexicans for corn bread. They would not cook
for us.
It is time now for you to go to bed. We
have told you these * long-time-ago-roads ' to
make you see in your sleep " (dream).
I signed : " Wait till I tell you a story I want
you to see in your sleep too," and fresh logs
were piled upon the fire.
Sinner that I was, I sat by that blazing camp-
fire till long after midnight telling the awful
story of **Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves."
And I did it, knowing that Miss Burdette was
raising my poor little salary by telling the people
how dear Miss Crawford was carrying the Gos-
pel to the poor Indians from tepee to tepee amid
great privations and hardships !
When the story was finished there was a dead
Rev. J. S. Murson, D. D.
AN INDIAN FUNCTION 69
pause, for they had been under a sort of spell
clear through.
I am not sure but that they will mix the forty
thieves with the twelve apostles and seventy
elders, and swallow the whole absurd story as
part of the Gospel, but if they do they won't be
any farther off the track than some preachers I
know and they will be a great deal easier to get
back on again.
May jd^ Sunday. Doybi gave fifty cents to
the church and Barking Wolf fifty in handiwork.
Building fund, $2.20.
May ^th. The white visitors have gone.
Dr. Murrow is the first Baptist Jesus-man to
preach a sermon in this district.
There was so much cleaning and cooking get-
ting ready for the company that the pleasure of
it was somewhat marred by ** tired."
Last night after all were in bed I sneaked to
the chicken house and helped to pick two hens.
Before going to sleep I remembered that the lard
pail was empty and we were twenty miles from
a store. Sunrise found me down among the
tepees looking for grease and grace.
We had fried chicken for breakfast, followed
by prayers, hand-shaking and good-byes.
I wonder when I really prayed last ? We have
had from nine to thirty-nine every meal the win-
70 KIOWA
ter through. It seems a long time since I prayed
prayerfully but Fm sure Fve worked prayerfully
and I don't honestly believe the prayer from the
company this morning would have come so
straight from the heart if there hadn't been fried
chicken in the stomach I
May 6th. Teams started for lumber for a new
room and food.
May gth. Awful rains. Lucius not back,
nothing to eat but salt and flour.
May loth. This afternoon I heard thump-
thump-thump-bumpety-bump under the house
and awful dog barking and pup yelping. Go-
ing out I found Mabel with a long board poking
for all she was worth.
Asking her what was the matter she signed :
" Lucius comes not, all are hungry, the pups I
will kill and eat.'*
I said, ** Mabel ! You are not going to eat
those pretty little yellow pups, are you ? "
She signed : '* Yes," and I went in.
When the barking ceased I went out again
and signed : *' Mabel, if you will cut of[ two of
the hind legs of one of the pups, skin them so
there won't be a hair left, wash them and put
them on a clean plate, I believe I am hungry
enough to eat them."
It was done as requested and I helped to eat
CAMP-MEETING 71
the beautiful yellow pups, the heart-broken
mother barking and whining the whole time.
Jtme igth. A wagon came this morning to
take me down the creek about two miles where
an arbor has been built for the camp-meeting.
As we drove up four men and four women
knelt in prayer with torn clothing and blistered
and bleeding hands.
When they had finished they signed : " It is
done. We have told Jesus about it in our poor
way. We have sent for you to come and tell
Him good that He may thoroughly understand
that we did all this work for Him because we
want more souls saved."
June 2jth-Jidy ist. Camp-meeting.
*' Hark ! hark, the dogs do bark I
The tinkers are coming to town ! **
Returned missionaries look bad enough in
pulpits, but if the congregations could only see us
now 1 Mother Hubbards, Father Hubbards,
overalls and rompers I Red beards, white
beards, blue beards and stubble ! Sunbonnets,
rain coats, goggles and tan ! Black ties, white
ties and " blest-be-the-ties ! " Hark I hark, the
dogs do bark ! and I don't blame them.
A few years ago the Arapahoe Sitting Bull
gave the '* Ghost-Dance-road " to the Indians
and the Kiowa tribe sent Ahpeatone to make in-
72 KIOWA
vestigations. He took with him many gifts from
the tribe and reaching the encampment enquired
the way to Jesus' tepee. Six men accompanied
him and entering found " Jesus " lying on an In-
dian bed, wrapped in a white sheet with his bare
feet exposed.
Expressing sorrow that some of the women
had not made him a] pair of pretty moccasins,
Ahpeatone explained the object of his coming :
The Kiowa tribe had heard that Jesus had re-
turned to earth and after He had visited all the
tribes was going to give back their dead and
their buffalo. Was it true ?
When " Jack Wilson," the half-breed Jesus,
sat up and threw his sheet back, Ahpeatone
left the tepee and returning to the tribe reported
the whole Ghost-Dance movement *' one big
lie."
Finding his younger brother he said :
" Tonemoh, I have tried all the religions of the
tribe ; they are short ; none of them lead through.
The Jesus road is the true road ; look for it till
you find it and pick it up. I havetwo wives
and cannot put my feet on it."
At the close of the camp-meeting eighteen
professing Christians were baptized in Saddle
Mountain Creek, Tonemoh among the number,
(a future deacon).
" I have nothing to give you to make your heart
happy," said Popebah as I was leaving for vaca-
CAMP-MEETING 73
tion, " but I send my best love to your mother
because she did not keep you at home."
Poor Indians ! Surely any " creature " capa-
ble of understanding a mother's love in giving
a daughter can comprehend a Father's love in
giving a Son.
Augtcst ist. Vacation.
Building fund, $2.20. (Treasurer, Mrs. H.
Stevens, Dayton, Ohio.)
Ill
The Coming of Miss McLean — A Death-Blow —
The Gospel Tent — Four Scenes — Orga^iiza-
tion of Missionary Society — Big Eats — An
Important Message
1897, ^
I WAS sitting in the Presbyterian Church in
Ionia, Michigan, one Sunday evening in the
summer of '92, when I saw the face of a
woman I had not seen for years.
We had known each other in North Dakota,
she had moved away, and long after we had re-
turned to Canada.
Next day I sat quietly nearly half an hour in
her company, while a friend kept up a conversa-
tion, before making myself known.
I told her I felt sure that God had brought us
together again that she might hear about the
Training School and go to it.
She went, and from the very first wrote of her
desire to come and help me after graduation.
" I cannot do the missionary part of the work,"
she wrote, '* but I'm sure I can take some of the
responsibilities off your shoulders."
When there was a room to live in I wrote to
the Board asking that Miss Mary McLean be sent
to Saddle Mountain.
74
THE COMING OF MISS McLEAN 75
The Rock Island train was unexpectedly
switched off into ''Siding No. i," one station
above Chickasha and five masked men got on
board, lined the passengers up along a barbed
wire fence and ordered : " Hands up I "
The men were all robbed except Father Isadora
of Anadarko, the safe blown open and the des-
perados escaped to the mountains.
(The conductor lost his watch and chain, but
advertising for the return of the locket, as it
contained the picture of his mother, he got it.)
Reward notices for the capture of these rob-
bers were posted all along the line as Miss
McLean and I were carried past " Siding No. i "
into Chickasha the morning of October 7, 1897.
October 24th. The Sunday service under the
arbor was a sort of reception. How glad the
Indians were to see two of us. But some hearts
were sad. Saing-poh, who had said under the
same arbor in the spring: ** If the Great Father
brings you back again we will see each other
with no trouble," was present with empty arms.
Her only little one was gone.
October 2^th. Domot, the father, called with
hair all cut and lips quivering.
Dropping his head gently upon my shoulder
he wept silently for some time and then signed :
** My little girl is dead. Jesus has carried her up.
76 KIOWA
I have lost many children and have always been
afraid when they died. This time I'm not
afraid. You have told me the true road. I
know now that my little ones are with Jesus.
He knows what is best. I am not afraid but my
heart cries."
November loth. Rainy Mountain Mission.
Camp-meeting.
Miss Reeside was cleaning the stove, Miss Bal-
lew doctoring the sick, Miss McLean making an
Indian dress and I was cleaning the windows
when word was brought in that Chailinone was
dying. (The pastor was off to the railroad for
the guests but he had left the rough wooden
casket ready in the barn.) Hastening to the
tepee we found it full of waiting relatives and
friends. Miss Reeside prayed. There were a few
short gasps and all was over.
If ** wonderful " can be used in describing a
funeral it certainly is the word to be used here.
After Miss Reeside and Miss Ballew had made
their talks Big Tree shambled up to the coffin and
picking up the dead man's hand bowed over the
face and sobbed : " Oh my friend I This is the
last time I shall hold your hand till you hold it
out to me in the Home above. You and I played
together as children, as young men we went on
the war-path, together we found the Jesus road
and together we have worked to save our people.
A DEATH-BLOW 77
My beloved friend, tell Jesus I will not grow tired
of His way. I will "
He could speak no further and standing by the
coffin with face turned to heaven, his great form
shook with sobs. Challinone had requested that
his "medicine-bag" should be buried with him
as he did not wish to hand down the '' old relig-
ion " to his children.
It was Sainco who said : ** Let us put a Bible
under his head with the * medicine-bag ' under
his feet. It was the * good medicine ' that cured
his heart."
Novefnber ijth, I had had no mail for weeks.
An Indian brought a flour sack full. There were
two letters from home.
My mother died October 25th !
Her last poem :
I read that trees have tongues,
That a voice is granted them
To cheer and give instructions
To us foolish mortal men.
I walked alone through the forest
In December chill and cold,
When the lovely form of nature
Was wrapped in a snowy fold.
As I stood 'neath the naked branches
Sad were the tears I shed,
For I thought when I saw them leafless
That the forest trees were dead.
78 KIOWA
Above the wild storm a sharp shrill sound
Rose sad on the bitter breeze,
And I heard these words of wisdom pass
From the quaking forest trees :
** We are living, dear friend, we are living,
Though the semblance of death we bear,
We but wait for a brighter season
To resume our foliage fair. ^
And birds shall sing 'neath our branches
And violets 'neath us bloom
When our verdure burst with gladness
Cold winter's icy tomb.
Oh, be like us and remember
In the solemn hour of death
That a glorious resurrection
Shall follow a life of faith."
November 14th. Coming sadly out of my tent
this morning I was surrounded by a number of
old Indian men wrapped in faded blankets.
They had laid aside their bright colors to show
sympathy in their own way.
Placing a brown arm about me and pressing
my aching head upon his shoulder {as he had
placed his own on mine the very day fny mother
died) Domot prayed while the others cried aloud.
" O Great Spirit ! Our leetle Jesus woman has
lost her mother and her heart is all broken to
pieces. Gather it together again and put it back
strong. You have given her to us now and we
THE GOSPEL TENT 79
will take the best care of her we know how.
That is all. I have spoken."
How I cried !
The brown arm and nasty blanket were repul-
sive to me. The whole life was horrid. I hadn't
a taste in common with it. I couldn't love the
Indians and I wouldn't give up because I be-
lieved God had called me to give them the Gospel.
The only blow that could crush the spirit
within me had fallen ! I was entirely bereft.
Sob followed sob and the climax of misery was
reached when I felt Domot's warm tears falling
down on my cheek and neck.
A convulsion seized me. Then wonder of
wonders ! Into my heart there crept gently,
silently, sweetly, a perfect calm.
Tears ceased, a big sigh escaped and love was
born. A love for the Indians not my own.
*' Were the whole realm of nature mine
That were a present far too small.
Love so amazing, so divine
Demands my soul, my life, my all."
November i6th. Saddle Mountain. The big
gospel tent (i6x 30 feet, bought with the surplus
money from the camp-meeting, June 27th-July
ist, plus pelt money, plus bead work money,
$46.63) went up to-day.
November 20th. Fire ! Fire ! Fire ! Great
clouds of smoke rolling overhead all day.
80 KIOWA
November 21st. Fire I Fire I Fire 1 The
prairie and mountains are all ablaze. We were
out all night fighting the flames.
November 22d, The danger is past and the
whole landscape a charred scene of desolation.
December jd. Last night I had a very vivid
dream. I thought I was wakened from sleep by
the most terrific explosion.
The whole earth seemed to be breaking up.
Saddle Mountain and all the little hills were
thrown over and over and the creek was hurled
into the sky.
Crash followed crash and thunder and light-
ning added horror to the scene.
I held my breath in terrible afTright, expecting
the earth under me to upheave at any moment.
I tried to recall some promise to which I might
cling when the end came, but the confusion and
turmoil drove everything from my mind.
The shame that filled my heart upon not be-
ing able to recall a single promise was almost
insufferable.
At last a fearful explosion took place and I
felt myself sinking, sinking, sinking. My senses
dulled, the commotion subsided, the tumbling
mountains vanished and Jesus Himself stood be-
side me saying, ** Daughter, be of good cheer, I
have overcome the world." Then it was that I
realized more fully than ever before that I was
FOUR SCENES 81
trusting in Jesus Himself rather than in His
promises.
I woke with a mind full of perfect peace, glad
that I was still in the house of the interpreter
with work to do on my way to the Celestial City.
Four Scenes
I
In an upper room, in a Canadian city, a tired
mother lies down to rest surrounded by every
luxury earth could bestow. For more than
threescore years and ten she has fought the
battles of life, and now the battle with death is
drawing near. Her strength is well-nigh spent,
and when the final conflict comes, makes no re-
sistance, but goes an easy prey, and the king of
terrors smiles as he stoops to claim his own.
But his own is only the cold and lifeless form,
for the spirit has escaped his iron clutch. Death
swallowed up in victory /
II
An Indian sat listening to an earnest talk on
the necessity of Christians making all haste to
rescue their friends from the eternal burning.
His heart was stirred, and next evening said to
the missionary : " Last night your talk made me
afraid, and I thought a long time after I laid
down to sleep. My father and mother never
82 KIOWA
heard about the Jesus road. They were good
Indians, kind to everybody and never got mad
and fought. Every day, every day, every day
they were the same. If they had heard about
the Jesus road they would have caught it in a
hurry, for they were wise. They are lost now
but I have been praying the Great Father to
look for them and save them, for they were too
good to be burned up. My heart cried when I
prayed, so maybe He will hear me."
Victory swallowed up in death I
III
All day clouds of smoke from distant prairie
fires had been driven hither and thither by the
wind.
The Indians camping along Saddle Mountain
Creek were undisturbed and as the shadows fell,
crept into their tepees to wrap the draperies
of their couches about them and lie down to
pleasant dreams.
Darkness in full maturity had settled on the
earth and the voices of nature were stilled.
Night was far advanced, when fitful flashes of
light began to streak the sky, and soon the
mountains round about were a solid wall of fire.
Flames leaped higher and higher as the
breezes blew, trees crackled and fell, the grass
became a living wall of red ! Saddle Mountain
is burning ! Saddle Mountain is burning I And
FOUR SCENES 83
the flames tossed and twisted and rolled about
each other as they flew upward, and then curled
and tumbled down over the valley.
Horses fled as if crazed as the fire singed their
legs, cows galloped past, gophers darted here
and there in terrible affright, dogs barked.
Wreaths of hot smoke rose higher and higher
and whirlwinds of cinders were scattered to the
gale.
Daylight had come but with it no decrease
in the threatening element. Fire ! fire ! fire I
Smoke ! smoke ! smoke 1 And the roaring of it
was heard afar off, even at Rainy Mountain.
Where are the missionaries ? Are they safe in
the house of the interpreter, or have they es-
caped to the storm cellar to pray to the God of
Heaven to send rain or a fire-engine to save the
poor Indians from destruction ?
Long before the first ray of sunlight vied with
the surrounding blaze they were up and dressed,
pushing their way through the standing corn-
stalks, underbrush and shrubs, armed with gar-
ments snatched from the missionary barrels and
plunged in w^ater.
On they went till something attracted their at-
tention. Then they paused and wondered. An
Indian with a firebrand in his hand raced from
place to place starting a whole row of little fires
half a mile beyond. Lucius, their interpreter, is
at work. A?id the wind is in his favor I
84 ZIOWA
The fires unite as they are carried rapidly
towards the great conflagration and the mission-
aries clap down the flames at the outer edge
while the interpreter is busy at the front.
Eyes are blinded by the smoke, throats are
parched, hair, eyebrows and eyelashes are
scorched, yet there is no thought of either failure
or retreat. On comes the roaring, raging, flam-
ing fiend with power and might, threatening
destruction to everybody and everything in its
path. But the winds are contrary.
On comes the little fire kindled by the Indian,
lacking in strength and magnitude. And the
winds are favorable.
The two enemies draw nearer and nearer.
The space between them grows smaller and
smaller till with one wild leap the mighty volume
bears down upon the weaker and ** Clouds began
to darken all the hill and smoke to roll in dusty
wreaths ! "
The battle's ended, and death is swallowed up
in victory !
IV
The earth was full of wickedness. Sin was
triumphing on every side. The chosen people
were in captivity, and man was a failure from
first to last.
Jesus of Nazareth came and went, " despised
and rejected of men." Others followed in His
footsteps, leaving behind a few struggling Chris-
FOUR SCENES 85
tians formed into a church to combat against a
world wholly given over to idolatry and vileness
in every form.
With the Holy Spirit's influence on through
the centuries they have come gathering new
strength along the way, Peter and Paul along
the lines in the front, and Mary and Martha be-
hind.
To meet them Satan has brought forth monster
evils, enough to close the conflict in one speedy
onset could he but bring about the hour. But
this is not permitted. The Holy Spirit breathes
against. Nearer and nearer the opposing forces
are drawing, and in God's own time the dreaded
moment will come when earth and hell and all
the powers of darkness shall be vanquished be-
fore the army of the Lord. And death shall be
forever swallowed up ift victory! Soldiers of
Jesus Christ, in the army of the Lord 1 In God's
name wake up !
The battle is raging. The war is on, and
millions are already lost who might have been
saved.
One mother calls back to earth : " O grave,
where is thy victory ?" Another wails out : '' O
death, here is thy sting ! " and the message of
peace was sent to both.
To see the mountains, trees and plains one
wild hurricane of fire is terrible in the extreme,
but what must it be when not only the outside of
86 KIOWA
the earth but the earth itself shall melt with
fervid heat ?
Awake ! awake ! put on thy strength, O Zion !
Move forward ! move forward all along the
line ! And fight till the last sun sinks and *' Vic-
tory ! Victory ! Victory ! The Lord God
Omnipotent reigneth ! " vibrates from pole to
pole. " A7td there shall be no 7nore deaths
March 7j, i8g8. Poor old Soldate died to-day.
The ropes had been arranged under her and as
soon as the breath was out of the body they
corded the quilts around her, and sagging till
it scraped the ground, the human bundle was
hurried from the tepee and galloped to the
grave.
In her hands she clasped a roll of " Jesus
patchwork " that had carried a message of love
from a white sister. Who shall say that it did
not carry the message of life ?
May loth. While the air is full of ** wars and
rumors of wars " and letters are pouring in ask-
ing : *' Are the missionaries safe ? " '* Don't you
think you had better come home ? " *' You are
dear brave girls not to be afraid," etc., etc., an
organization was formed to-day that breathes of
peace. It isn't a church and it isn't a woman's
mission circle exactly.
Our nearest Baptist church is seventeen miles
ORGANIZING MISSIONARY SOCIETY 87
away. It is into this church that all converts in
our district are baptized.
After prayerful and careful consideration we
decided that it would be better to retain our
membership at Rainy Mountain instead of form-
ing a new organization.
Therefore we wrote to Chicago and asked if
the Woman's Baptist Home Mission Society
would recognize a mission circle composed of
men as well as women.
The matter was brought before the Board and
we were informed that there was no reason in the
world why men as well as women might not be-
long to the circles especially if they paid their
dues.
All morning we sewed on quilt-tops and after
dinner the new road was explained.
" Before Jesus went away He asked all who
loved Him to spread the good news every-
where.
Little churches were formed and many meet-
ings were held on the sly. The devil was mad
and killed many of the first Christians. Men
went out two by two to carry the news and walked
till they were tired. The women did what they
could and all prayed and prayed and prayed.
Men work at big things and when they stop
they sit down. Women v\rork at many little
things. Their work is never done.
Their work for Jesus is different also. Men
88 KIOWA
organize churches and become pastors. Women
organize little mission circles in these churches
and meet to pray, study, pack barrels, give and
push. They do all this to obey Jesus' last com-
mand. Once a beautiful young woman came to
the Training School and said : * I feel that Jesus
wants me to go to the poor Indians, the kind
that wear blankets, feathers and paint.'
Her name was Miss Reeside.
The Woman's Baptist Home Mission Society
is the name of the organization composed of all
the little mission circles in our churches that sent
her to the Kiowas.
To-day we are going to stand with those
praying women, organize a circle and give money
to send the Gospel to another tribe.
We will give money also for a church but
giving the Gospel to others is away ahead."
The climax was reached when Miss McLean
told of *' Baby-Band." Could it be possible that
their babies could give money to Jesus too?
• Before the talks were finished Boton in gor-
geous apparel and face outrivaling the ** yel-
low leaves in autumn " signed : '' Give me a
money barrel. I want to put fifty cents in right
now."
Kokom arose, Popebah arose, Montahahty
arose, with a baby on her back and coming to
the front, followed by all their children and grand-
children, halted. Money barrels for each were
ORGANIZING MISSIONARY SOCIETY 89
taken and then the man facing the sea of earnest
upturned faces said :
*' We never heard anything like this before.
We thought we just gave our hearts to Jesus, cut
ofi our bad roads and walked as straight as we
could up, up, up to the Beautiful Home.
We never knew before that we could give
money to Jesus. We have heard great news to-
day. Now I am ready to be baptized and I will
give money to Jesus for my children and grand-
children as long as I live. I have spoken."
Turning and looking down into our faces he
signed :
" Isn't it kind of Jesus to let the poor hidia^ts
give to se7id His Gospel to somebody else / "
The organization was formed in New Testa-
ment and Indian fashion. " With one consent "
and by a showing of hearts, rather than of a
showing of hands.
May jist. The officers of the society were not
chosen May loth. Their hearts were too full that
day with thoughts of Jesus' kindness in letting
them give money to send His Gospel to others
to bring them down to thinking about them-
selves.
To-day they were selected with a care that was
astonishing. No one was elected who danced,
played cards or walked the least bit crooked.
They were men and women of recognized spiri'
90 KIOWA
tuality who walked " like on a hill '* where all
saw that they had no crazy roads.
President, - - - Popebah.
Vice- Pre side7ttf - - Big Red.
Treasurer, - - - Ananthy.
Secretary, - - _ Lucius.
Each was called upon to make a talk. Pope-
bah with the perspiration standing out on her
face in great beads said :
** Because this is my first president I don't
know what to say — I don't know what to do —
but I will say what I think.
I am the head officer and I want you to do
what I tell you. We are a little branch of a big
tree (W. B. H. M. S.), and we must all try to stay
on, grow and get strong. I want you all to work
together for Jesus and then we can do something.
That's all."
Lucius, the secretary : ^
" When Indians kill a beef and spend ten or
fifteen dollars for groceries and pray to Jesus He
doesn't like it for He doesn't get anything. If
any of you Christians want to have a prayer-
meeting in your houses tell us and we will all
come and bring our own food and then you can
give five cents or one dollar to the society to send
the Gospel to somebody else.
Jesus will like this better than if you eat it
all up yourselves."
ORGANIZING MISSIONARY SOCIETY 91
*• What shall we call our missionary so-
ciety ? What name shall we give it?" After
much discussion the decision was given as fol-
lows :
" Because we are Kiowa Indians and live near
Saddle Mountain and a lot of us have found the
Jesus road and want the other tribes to find it
we would like to be like God's light upon the
mountain — Daw-kee-boom-gee-k'oop."
July nth. Returning on Friday from a food
trip to Fort Sill we found that great preparations
had been made about a mile away for a ** Mis-
sionary Big Eat" on Simday, We told them
Jesus would have liked it better if they had
planned it for another day, but as they had
** made-the-road " and invited the people we
would go and give the Jesus talk.
The beef was killed on Saturday and tables
and chairs gathered up from every place.
After the regular Sunday morning " Jesus
talk " Ananthy came forw^ard and said : " When
I was sick last winter I told Jesus if He would
make me well I would kill a beef and call in all
the Christians. The missionaries think it is like
the Ghost-Dance road, but it is not. Jesus made
me better and I had the meeting here to-day to
thank Him and to give ten cents apiece for each
of my children, for my husband, my son-in-law
and my grandchildren. I want the money sent
92 KIOWA
to the society that sends the Gospel to other
tribes."
The husband arose, his face in dead earnest,
and said : *' My wife is a Christian and some of
my children but I have been waiting for my
eldest daughter. I wait no longer. I believe
the Holy Spirit has touched my heart and I am
converted straight. I have spoken."
July igth. *' Dan-kee-boom-gee-k'oop " had
its first full fledged missionary meeting to-day.
The arbor was crowded and little red money
barrels were in evidence everywhere.
The talk was on the great Commission. ** Jesus
commanded us to spread the good news. He
said nothing about building churches. He put
heads on all people and brains (or sense) in some
of them and knew we would think that out for
ourselves. He just said, * Go into all the world
and preach the Gospel to every creature and I
will be with you.'
He wants us to hurry too, for He did not say
one — two — three — go. He just said ' Go ! ' and
that means that we are to start right off as soon
as we are converted.
To-day we are going to put money in two
china barrels, one for our church and the other
to send the Gospel. The gospel barrel is * away
ahead.' "
Up they came with faces beaming, babies
BIG EATS 93
crowing and dogs barking. Such a crush I
Cheerful givers ? Why, I never saw any cheer-
ful givers before. Laughing and crying they
poured their money into both barrels.
Ananthy, the treasurer, broke them open with
a big stone and there were $17.26 to send the
Gospel to others, and $17.34 ^^^ the church —
eight cents too much on the wrong side, but it
was a glorious showing — $34.60. (Total build-
ing fund, $i9-54-)
Boton arose : " I am going to give a Big-mis-
sionary-thank-you-to-Jesus-eat at my camp next
Sunday. I invite you all to come."
"Boton, are you giving this 'Big Eat' to
please Jesus or yourself, which ? " I asked.
** To please Jesus."
** Then He would like you to have it on an-
other day."
A pause followed.
** I will have it on Saturday, the nearest day
to Jesus day," he said.
/lily 2j}.th. One hundred and seventy re-
sponded to the invitation. No race on earth
can compete with the North American Indian
in the artistic splendor of his native costume.
Boton greeted us in magnificent array, yellow
beaded buckskins, hair wrapped in strips of
beaver and his face painted the brightest tints of
red and yellow.
94 KIOWA
His two wives dressed in their worst, sat on a
cow skin with piles and piles of raw beef, cook-
ing as fast as the fire could cook it.
The table, spread with canvas, oilcloth and
gay blankets, was surrounded by tents, tepees,
covered wagons, saddle horses and dogs.
A gospel talk, in which the '' two-money-
roads " were explained, was given just as if it
had been Sunday. The dinner followed. At
the close of the afternoon service Boton arose in
his gorgeous attire and said :
'' The Great Father loves everybody. I have
called you all to this * Big Eat ' that you may be
pleased with Him. A son and a daughter will
give money to Jesus to-day to send the Gospel
to another tribe. When they grow up I do not
want them to walk away from this good road."
Was it a vision or was it a dream ? There
arose from the ground and came bashfully for-
ward a little Indian maiden about six years of
age. She was gowned in yellow buckskin with
moccasins exquisitely beaded, and on each cheek
a round red spot w^as painted. Her coal black
hair fell in soft waves about her shoulders, giv-
ing to her face an artistic finish that brought out
the perfection of its outline.
Standing a moment as if conscious of her
beauty she lifted one hand and from between its
ring-covered fingers there dropped into the
treasury of the Lord a fifty cent piece.
BIG EATS 95
The baby boy was then carried up and from
his chubby hand there fell another fifty cent
piece. The giving to the Jesus road was theirs.
The ceremony was over.
At the back end of the arbor a sick man lay
on a cot. When the children were through giv-
ing he staggered to his feet and managed to get
up to the front. He would not sit down, but
leaning over the back of a chair said : " It is
hard for Indians to get money. I am a great
sufferer but I don't say anything. You are a
woman and can read the Bible. If you had no
Bible we would not listen to you.
It is no use to collect this money. There
isn't going to be a church at Saddle Mountain.
We don't want one. That is what we all say. I
don't want to have anything to do with that mis-
sionary society. They want to steal our money
from us. I have fifty cents here. If I could put
it in Jesus' own hand I would be glad, but I can-
not, so I put in the barrel for the church. If it is
built we will see it v/ith our two eyes."
(Total building fund, $20.04.)
July jist, Sunday. After Ananthy, treasurer
of Daw-kee-boom-gee-k'oop, had handed in the
missionary money ($17.26) in a beautiful beaded
bag to be taken to Chicago, Lucius arose and
said :
*^ Yesterday I went to the school to see my
96 KIOWA
children and I got them all over into the farmer's
house. I opened the Bible and read to them
about that big feller who came to Jesus at night
and couldn't understand how he could be babied
again.
Jesus explained to him very plain that it was
the spirit that had to be babied.
After I had read the Bible I made a talk to
my children and told them they were like big
stones pressing on my heart till they found Jesus
and then they fell off. There was no stone on for
Amos because he was saved. If I could save
them myself I would do it fast but only Jesus
could do that through His Holy Spirit and I
wanted them all to kneel down and I would ask
Jesus to send the Holy Spirit into their hearts
just as soon as they had sense enough to believe.
Then I knelt down with my little family and
prayed till the tears dropped on the floor. When
we got up my little Jessie walked half-way to her
seat and then turned around and came back and
stood by my chair. * Father,' she said, * I believe
I have given my heart to Jesus. I believe He has
saved me and as soon as I have an opportunity
I want to be baptized.'
When I heard my little daughter say these
words the stone fell off my heart and tears came
out on my face, for I knew the Great Father had
answered my prayer.
Take this dollar with you to the Jesus woman's
Red Buck
AN IMPORTANT MESSAGE 97
society as a thank-you to Jesus and tell them to
hurry and send the Gospel to another tribe.
Tell the white people if they talk and pray
with their children they will give their hearts to
Jesus as soon as they have sense enough to be-
lieve and then when they grow up they won't go
into crazy-swopping-houses (saloons) and pick
up bad roads.
I believe my other children will find Jesus as
soon as they get sense enough to understand."
August ist. Vacation.
The calamity of the year has been the retire-
ment of Miss Marietta J. Reeside from the work
at Rainy Mountain. As long as the Kiowa tribe
survives, her name and Miss Ballew's will live in
the hearts of the people.
August nth. Such a time as I have had get-
ting to the railroad. It rained and all the creeks
and rivers were up.
One town we passed through was in an ex-
citement over the capture of Red Buck, a noted
outlaw. He was brought in shot, roped to a
board and photographed.
Building fund, $18.94 (^^^ original $1.10 re-
tained).
IV
Giving the La7id to Jesus — Oh, for a Man ! — =
The De7i — Two Quarters
SEPTEMBER 28, 1898. For over a year
Miss McLean and I had been closely re-
lated in the work. Almost as closely as
the Siamese Twins. Our one room was just
large enough for the bed, the cook-stove, a little
table and three chairs. In it we washed, ironed,
cooked, mopped, cleaned and wrote from twenty-
five to two hundred letters a month, with the In-
dians constantly coming into ** heap see."
On the wall at one side of the stove Miss Mc-
Lean made such a pretty little medicine cabinet.
On the other side I had my book-shelf and spool
cabinet desk. Then there was a closet in which
we could hang up everything except ourselves,
and there were times when we wished we could
do that.
While working at Elk Creek I had received a
letter from Mrs. H. Stevens of Dayton, Ohio,
stating that ''she felt called of God to invest $300
towards making me more comfortable, that my
life might be prolonged to do more and better
work for the Master."
She wrote : " If you build a house I would like
98
GIVING THE LAND TO JESUS 99
you to own the land it is on ; let it be yours en-
tirely to be disposed of any time you think best
and the money reinvested to make yourself com-
fortable in any way and in any place you choose.
You are to use the money for your covifort and
your comfort o?tly until you are worth $10,000 or
until death.
I solemnly enjoin upon you to use the money
in the best way you know how to add to your
comfort. You will certainly break my last will
and testament if you do not."
Talking the matter over with Lucius it was de-
cided that I might build a small one-roomed
house on his land.
October 41/1. Just as Miss McLean and I were
going to pile into a lumber w^agon to go off to
fix an Indian house some one came out and
signed to me : "You better cut ofl going."
Numbers of Indians were gathering under the
arbor and it suddenly flashed across my mind
that they were going to formally forbid the
building of the den, for I knew there had been a
lot of kicking and talking going on about the
building all over the reservation.
Some Indians had said : ** Yes, we understand.
First the Jesus woman come and sit down in In-
dian houses, then they build houses for them-
selves and churches and pretty soon a Jesus man
comes and puts up a fence and Indians are cut
100 KIOWA
off. Miss Crawford was sent to Elk Creek.
Why didn't she stay there ?
What did she go to Saddle Mountain for?
She is getting ahead, getting ahead, getting
ahead and after a while a Jesus man will come
and put up a fence. Tell her to go back to Elk
Creek and sit down in the house that was built
for her."
Trying to smile and look cheerful I went to the
arbor and seated myself beside the interpreter as
usual. " You can't sit there," they signed.
** You are to sit out in the middle and you are
not to laugh for it is to be a very wonderful
council."
A thing like a butcher's block was wheeled
into the centre and I meekly walked over and sat
on it.
" Tell us what you want," came next and turn-
ing to Lucius I said, " Oh, Lucius, we must talk
to Jesus first."
Down upon our knees we went and I think I
dictated to the Almighty for I remember telling
Him if He didn't give me the room I'd have to
go home.
The prayer over I made my talk :
" Five years ago I came to the Kiowa Indians
to tell you about Jesus. First I went to Elk
Creek but there were so few Indians there that
the Holy Spirit told me to go out and hunt for
more.
GIVING THE LAND TO JESUS 101
Domot, the oldest man in this council, came
to Elk Creek and invited me to come to Saddle
Mountain. I came and you all know how I have
lived among you, asking for nothing except your
protection. I lived in a tent and in a tepee till
Lucius asked me to his home. Then he bought
the lumber and I paid the carpenter and we built
another room. It belongs to Lucius and not to
me.
The gospel tent also belongs to the Kiowas
and if I go away I cannot take it with me. It
is yours. You all know, for I have told you,
that I will never ask for any land for Jesus.
That is your business, not mine.
It may be a long long time before a Jesus
House can be built and what I want you to let
me do is to build a small house on Lucius' land
to be moved off when the church is up. My
head is tired all the time and at night I jump and
turn like a fish when it is pulled out of the water.
I did not mean to hide anything when I
spoke only to Lucius. That is the white man's
road, but the Kiowa road is different.
To-day I ask you all to make a wise road
for me."
For two solid hours I sat on that old butcher's
block and only once did I get any information.
"The road is dangerous; it is like coming
against rocks," one man signed.
Domot's cigarette papers blew away and I
102 KIOWA
ran after them to get a chance to cry for I was
horribly unstrung.
" My child, do take care of yourself. You
know your father shortened his usefulness by
overwork and you owe it to your Maker to take
care of the wonderful health He has given to
you." These words were in one of my mother's
last letters and I could not help thinking of them
then at this time.
At last the council was over and I was asked
to listen to talks from the representative men of
Saddle Mountain.
Domot : ** I am the oldest man here and I
will make my talk first (mark the etiquette —
oldest man first). The Indians who are not
walking in the Jesus road are very mad, but I
am not afraid of them. You left Elk Creek and
came here and you have been kind to us and to
our children.
I am not a Christian but I have been think-
ing wisely. You have helped us and white
friends have helped us, sending us dresses,
patchwork, some coat and some pant. The
Ghost-Dance chiefs who are making all the
trouble do not help anybody, for they try to
pull us all back. This is true.
Now we have talked it all over very care-
fully and this is what we think :
You may build your house on Lucius' land.
After a while white men are going to come in
GIVING THE LAND TO JESUS 103
here and cut up the land and take all that is
over. They are dangerous.
We must hurry up and look for land for
Jesus and put His brand on it and when He
comes and finds His brand He will know that
we did not forget Him.
Then when the Jesus House is built you can
move yours over to it with no trouble. This is
what we think and it is a wise road. I have
spoken."
" There is just one thing that gives us
trouble," said another. " The Ghost-Dance
people are kicking and abusing Lucius very
strongly because he is willing to let this house
be built on his land. This is what we think.
We will let their talk hit us like the wind. We
don't fight the wind or look at it ; it hits us and
passes over and pretty soon it is gone and we
are not hurt."
When the talks were all over Domot again
spoke :
" White men are dangerous ; they are smart
and sly. Maybe so after us old men pass away
they will come in here and drive our children
out of the Jesus House and worship the Great
Spirit in it themselves. We want you to get
paper and ink and draw up a road that will make
this an Indian church forever."
" ril make it tighter than that," I replied.
" ril make it an Indian ' Big- water ' Church
104 KIOWA
forever and if your children pick up the * Little-
water-road * they will not be able to carry the
church off with them." a
Some kind of a paper was then drawn up and
one by one these " mighty men of valor " came
forward and taking the pen, held it up to Jesus
asking Him with tears streaming down their
faces to accept their land and hold it tight from
the white men, for their children, that they might
have a Jesus House to worship in when they
themselves had passed away.
Their talks, the dignity of the whole proceed-
ings, the simplicity and directness of the cere-
mony, the perfect order and decorum and the
honest desire to do something to please Jesus
and do it right so overwhelmed me that all I
could do at the end was to sign to Lucius :
" Pray and thank Jesus for putting this won-
derful road in your heart."
Before the council broke up my scattered
senses returned and I made one more talk.
*' There are two things I want to say. First :
If you give Jesus land with no water on it it will
look as if the * Little-water-road ' was yours.
Look for land with water on it.
Second : We are tw^o Jesus women and we
cannot sit down away off on the prairie alone.
Look for land near you. I have spoken."
** All right good. Now you can tell the white
friends we are ready for the church."
GIVING THE LAND TO JESUS 105
** Why should we ask the white friends to work
from sunrise to sunset to build a church for you
while you sit waiting?" I signed. "It is a
crazy road. I will not walk on it. We will teach
you how to build a Jesus House for yourselves."
Consternation was written on every face and
the council broke up.
If we are taught '* to give till it pinches " surely
the Lord means us to pinch these people till they
give and I mean to, good and hard. It is my
private opinion gleaned from bitter experience
in the wild and woolly West that it would be a
great deal better if fewer churches were built and
more money spent in making the heroic pastors
and their families at least comfortable.
Jesus died to save sinners and sometimes I am
tempted to believe that some sinners think the
missionaries should do about everything else for
them.
The great Commission does not say that we
are to teach the people to observe us do all
things, but we are to teach them to do all things
themselves.
October jth. Domot appeared early.
'* I want to give you a wise talk," he signed.
*' We have all talked it over and we think
your road is not good.
Indians are poor. They cannot build their
own small houses. Government helps us.
106 KIOWA
We cannot build a Jesus House. When we
are hungry and tired we won't try."
I replied :
** All the men and women over here who are
truly converted will try and Jesus will help them.
If any will not try they must look for the Jesus
road again, for they have missed it. Jesus makes
His spiritual children willing to do hard things
for Him.
I cannot ask for money for your church."
October 6th, Two of the council men called.
'' Last night we had another council," they
signed, *' and this is what we think. Two Jesus
women to sit down with us is good ; we will look
for land near."
November i6th. For several days an old yel-
low abandoned sick dog had been hanging
around the house and yesterday before the In-
dians started to issue v/e asked Lucius to give it
a military funeral. He went to the creek, fired
and drove away.
This morning the dog came to the door with
part of his head blown off, one eye gone and the
other red and blood-shot.
What was to be done ?
Neither of us could kill him. Oh, for a man !
(It was the first time in all my life that that in-
tense yearning had entered my heart !)
Acting as a substitute we mixed up a box ol
OH, FOR A MAN ! 107
" rough-on-rats " with all the scraps we could
find. The poor creature fairly gobbled every-
thing and then went off on a joyful trot.
About noon my conscience began to work. I
found him lying behind the wood-pile shivering
and shaking all over.
He knew me at once and began wagging his
tail in thankfulness for the " Big Eat." Going
back to the house for a pan of water and a kin-
dergarten chair I sat beside him till the end
came. All that loving hands could do was done
for him and he knew me till the last. Fastening
his one eye upon me the tail wagged slower and
slower and slower, the eye got setter and setter
and setter and when the tail went down to rise
no more I knew " the poor doggie was dead."
Did I cry ? Didn't I ? Hypocrites ought to and
repent before it is too late.
Dece^nber ijth. Have just returned from a
trip for food and we had a picnic.
It rained and blew and stormed but the horse
and mule and lumber wagon are back with
twenty-four pounds of fresh ham, fifteen dozen
eggs, twenty-five pounds of corn-meal, thirty
pounds of butter, a stick of sausage, thirty-five
live quails, a pig's liver and some condensed
missionary.
December 28th. Christmas with its whirl of
preparations is over. Jesus got the best present
108 KIOWA
on the tree, $31.18. (To sending the Gospel to
others, $11.93. To building fund, $19.25.)
December 2pth. Just as the sun peeped above
the eastern horizon poor old Stumbling Bear
hobbled from his tepee and with hands held
towards the sun and the heavens (the attitude of
worship) called so all the sleeping camp could
hear :
** Thank you, Jesus ! Thank you, Jesus I
Thank you, Jesus ! The Jesus women have been
kind to us ; we are poor and sick and they have
made our hearts glad I Thank you, Jesus, for
all the Jesus women everywhere.'^
Then he crept back and seated himself be-
tween his blind wife and dying son.
January 6, i8gg. Early this morning they came
for us to see Gah-yi-day die. For several days
we had been carrying him food, etc., and up to
the last he said Jesus was in his heart. His two
wives sat beside him on the bed. When the end
came they rivaled each other in screaming and
in demonstrations of affection.
" I loved him I I loved him ! I loved him I"
signed one. " My heart burns me like fire. My
husband is dead, my husband ! The other
woman loved him not."
Lifting the lifeless hand to her lips and slipping
the limp arm about her neck the wife contented
herself in holding possession.
THE DEN 109
The rude coffin was brought in, the body
was placed in it wrapped in a brilliant blanket of
red, Miss McLean nailed down the cover and in
less than two hours from the death the poor man
was buried beneath the sod. It was he who once
wanted to put fifty cents in Jesus' own hand.
January ipih. As I struck the first match in
the little den the door swung silently open and
an Indian stood before me.
*' I cannot sit down," he signed. " I must
hurry back. I came to tell you that on Saturday
Jesus came into my heart. I will be baptized
when the grass grows."
How my heart throbbed as the door closed !
February 20th^ Sunday, ** Come here," said
Paudlekeah, as we entered the tent. Taking me
by the hand he led me to the picture roll and
pointing to a horrible idol signed : *' Why ?
Why ? Why do the people across the big water
put such ugly faces on the gods they prayed to ?
Why don't they make good faces?"
Turning the picture over till he found " The
Triumphal Entry " he signed again :
*'Why? Why? Why did the white men
give Jesus that nasty little mule to ride on ?
Why didn't they give Him a big war-horse ? "
When he learned that the little mule had never
been broken and did not throw Jesus he signed :
110 KIOWA
** The little mule had more sense than the white
men chiefs."
February 24.th. ** Come with me," said Kokom.
** A woman hen is sick in bed and won't get up.
When I give her ' chuck ' she bites and turns her
head away."
It was Miss McLean who diagnosed the case.
Mrs. Hen simply wanted to set.
March 24th. Little Annie Kokom was buried
to-day with all her belongings and the bedstead
was placed on her grave.
March 2ph. It snowed in the night and
turned bitter cold. Thinking of the stricken
family I took two warm quilts and went off in
search of it.
There was consternation in the camp when I
arrived. "You have walked on a dangerous
road," they signed. ** We have put all our cat-
tle in the corral. The wolves are hungry and
chased some of us on horseback. They have
eaten our calves. They would have catched you
if they had seen you.
You cannot hear. They are howling up on
Saddle Mountain and all around. We will take
you back with our horses. We will not let you
walk."
I found Popebah lying on a mattress on the
floor in the house. She signed : ** I have been
TWO QUARTERS 111
sick and weak since my trouble. I am glad you
came to see me before you go away.
My little daughter owned this purse and after
Jesus took her I opened it and found these two
quarters.
Since I have been lying here I have studied
in my heart to find out how Jesus would like the
money spent. I thought very truly and I would
like you to take it with you and give it to the
Jesus Woman Society and tell them to hurry and
send the good news to others."
April ijth. Vacation.
Building fund, $38.19,
V
The Going of Miss McLean — A71 Indian Recep-
tion— Testimonies — The CoTniftg of Miss Bare
— Self-Support — Payment — Confessing Their
Faults — A Birthday Party — The Association
AUGUST 22, 1899. Back to work! (with
thirty dollars' worth of calico at two and
a half cents a yard for the quilts, checked
on my ticket).
Some changes have taken place. Miss Mc-
Lean has been transferred to Rainy Mountain
and Lucius has given up his position as govern-
ment farmer to come back home and interpret
for Jesus for about half the pay.
September ist. It was Papadone who gave the
welcome " Big Eat." There were one hundred
and twenty-five guests without counting the dogs,
cows, horses and dead-heads that surrounded the
arbor.
I think a whole cow was demolished besides
no end of canned stufT, candies and fruit, and
then the host led in the speech-making.
" I am a Christian man and I wanted to do
something to please Jesus for bringing her back
so I asked you all here to-day.
When Jesus gives me any money I always
112
AN INDIAN RECEPTION 113
put by five cents for Him. I understand He
likes the money we work for best so I have kept
some for Him. My wife and I have saved $4.50.
We want half of it to go to the church and half
to send the Gospel to another tribe.
Jesus is the man who gives us all our money.
We ought to give some cents to Him."
A tall woman with a sad, beautiful face arose.
She was dressed in faded garments and wore the
Indian mourning overdress. In her hand she
held a little red money barrel and opening it
said : " I am a poor woman but Jesus is my
Saviour. My brothers and sisters, I stand before
you not to surprise you by coming to a Big
Eat so soon after my husband's death, but be-
cause I feel my heart true to Jesus.
He gave us these money barrels and I have
come with twenty cents in mine, because I do
not want to keep it back or open it empty before
Him."
A little girl came up with seventy cents, a man
with one dollar and then they were ready for the
Jesus talk.
Lucius made this statement at the close :
** You all know I used to be government
farmer and whatever the agent told me to do I
did it. I am farmer for Jesus now and I am go-
ing to sow His seed all over you. If you open
your hearts the seed will go in and grow.
I am going to give Jesus all my time. Don't
114 KIOWA
kick or abuse us when we come to see you but
listen to what we say for we want to help you.
When any trouble comes to us let us think
it over carefully, ask Jesus for help and then
pull through with all our strength.'*
Prayers followed. Earnest prayers for the
children returning to school in the morning that
they might learn to read and come back to read
the Jesus-Book to them.
September jd^ Sunday. Gave an earnest talk
on the work of the Holy Spirit to-day. " In
order to have Him work through us we must
clean everything that hinders out of the way
and then let Him use us. We are like water
pails. The Great Father keeps filling us with
living water and the Holy Spirit tells us where
to carry it.
Bad roads not cut ofi are like mud in the
bottom of the pail and the unconverted won't
drink."
Mokeen was on his feet as soon as the lesson
was over.
" It is all true what she says," he said. ** Some
of you carry the old roads in the bottom of your
pails and we all know it.
Empty out the mud and let Jesus pour in
clean fresh waters and the sinners will drink."
Some one called out :
** Mokeen ! Why don't you drink the living
TESTIMONIES 115
water yourself ? It is true some of us put mud
in it, but you know where the good water is.
Why don't you drink ?
The tears run down your son Lucius' face when
he talks about you. You should come to Jesus
and let Him save you."
''The devil tempted Jesus after He was
baptized," said Kokom. " He did not fall down
because He was the Son of God. I am only a
human man.
I have just been to church four times in four
months. I am like a bird up in the sky that
comes down to drink.
To-day I have come to the Jesus House and
have taken a good long drink of sweet living
water and feel better."
Ah-mot-ah-ah : " I am forty-five years old and
have followed every crossroad I came to.
First I heard about Sunday, then about the
Bible and now I have found out that the Great
Father loves me. When I heard that He gave
His Son to save me I was ashamed of myself
and said : ' Here, take me as I am and save me.'
I have come here glad to-day."
Keapetate : " Sometimes I get mad and my
friends say : * You are half devil and half
Christian,' but I understand if we go wrong
and ask Jesus to forgive us He will do it. My
husband says mean things to me sometimes.
Once he said. * The devil is your husband.' I
116 KIOWA
said to him : * If the devil is my husband who
are you ? I am a Christian and only want one
husband/ Once I got up to talk for Jesus at
another place and the Jesus man sang to make
me stop talking. It was the devil that told him
to sing so I talked on for Jesus and beat them
both."
Dangerous Bear : " What I know I will confess.
Sometimes I quarrel with my wife but I don't
want it to last all day. I always forgive in
about an hour. My wife is kind and don't want
to quarrel with me but I always start it. Re-
member me in your prayers. This fifty-five
cents is my little daughter's last Jesus money.
She sits down with Jesus now."
" This earth belongs to Jesus," said Heenkey,
" and we are here to work it for Him. He gives
us everything to work with and if we don't go
ahead we are lazy. If a man not a Christian
goes past my place and sees it not growing he
will go round and say : * Look at Heenkey. He
is a Christian. He don't do nothing and all the
Great Father has given him is wasted.'
We must do something for Jesus. If a cow
has a calf and keeps on having one every year,
after a while she will have a whole lot. It is the
same with us. If we do a little for Jesus every
year after a while we will have something to give
to Him. Every morning I think out my work
for the day. After I know it I tell Jesus about it
Miss K. E. Bare
THE COMING OF MISS BARE 117
and then ask Him to plan my spiritual work for
me for I can't do that. Then I go ahead the
best way I know how. If Jesus sends spiritual
work I quit my own right off and do His first."
October nth. She hopped off the train like a
robin and we all knew that the new missionary,
Miss K. E. Bare, would fill the bill to a T. After
camping round holding meetings every day and
night till the 17th we returned to Saddle Moun-
tain soused to the skin.
October 22d. The meetings were held in the
den all day. It is only 13 x 13 feet yet forty
Indians packed themselves in like sardines in a
box with rain and mud for liquid. The " Bear-
woman " had room enough to open her two
eyes.
December jd. Reports have reached us that
the Reservation is to be opened soon and the
Indians are running everywhere gathering up
the bones of their dead and bringing them to
the different missions. Living or dead it seems
as if they must ** move on."
Kokom came in to-day with the bones of his
two sons. " How nice it will be," said the
mother, '' to have my boys over here and when
my turn comes I will lie down beside them. My
heart is glad."
118 KIOWA
December lyih. It was midnight. The yard
was full of screaming and Miss Bare came over
and wakened me. Spotted Horse had gal-
loped his team twenty-five miles while his wife
held in her arms the lifeless body of their first
and only child. A missionary box was pre-
pared. The little one was placed in it and car-
ried into the den. After much persuasion the
mother finally laid down in my cot and the father
threw himself wrapped in a blanket on the floor.
Leaving them alone with their dead I slipped
over to the other room and got into bed with
Miss Bare. We were up early. The baby was
safe but the father and mother were gone.
On the mountains on one side of the grave-
yard we distinguished the father. On the moun-
tains on the other side the mother. One screamed
and the other responded till the whole valley
echoed and reechoed with grief. It was noon
before the grave was finished, the freezing cold
adding to the painiulness of the situation. De-
scending from the mountains the father and
mother crept nearer and nearer. Reaching the
fence lines they threw themselves down on their
faces and shriek followed shriek. Running to
the help of the mother she thrust a photograph
of herself and babe into my hand, clinging to
something else under her blanket. It was a
little Mexican puppy, the playmate of her child,
and when it was killed and put in the grave, fol-
SELF-SUPPORT 119
lowed by the screaming father, we took the poor
mother back to the house.
December 2^th. It was the saddest of Christ-
mases. Everybody cried and shrieked. No
sooner would one outburst subside than another
wagon would drive up and demonstrations burst
out afresh.
After dinner four money barrels were placed
on a piece of rag carpet on the ground. We
had only had three before ; one for sending the
Gospel to others, one for the church and one for
the Baby Band. It was now time to introduce
self-stipport. The fourth barrel was for the In-
terpreter's salary. When it was explained
Lucius said : ** I don't like the road. I would
sooner earn my living another way. It makes
me feel 'shamed."
Replying I said, *' Some white women take in
washing to help pay our salaries, Lucius. It is
not my way or your way but His. He w^ants us
to take care of ourselves over here, as soon as
ever we can, that the money that now comes
may be used in sending other missionaries to
other tribes."
One by one they came forward, some brown
hands parting with their last coin. " Because
this tent is getting old and will soon tear down
I am going to give all the cents I have to the
church," said a poor modern Christian. Yet
120 KIOWA
three years ago this same man was white with
rage because it was hinted that some time there
might be a Jesus House at Saddle Mountain.
Every hand in the tent was raised for prayers,
saved and unsaved, and with bowed heads we
again gave to Jesus the best present on the tree.
To sending the Gospel, $10.15. Church build-
ing, $18.46. Baby Band, $10.10. Interpreter's
salary, $9,700 Total, $48.41.
February 14, igoo. Payment ! On for Rainy
Mountain ! Our Indians camp by themselves
and a big fiag marks the soldiers-for-Jesus-camp.
All day long they tie quilts (having made the
tops at their homes), buy and sell. Every night
they talk and sing for Jesus. *' We work and pray
to beat the devil," as they say.
Domot found us at the school and after shak-
ing hands signed : '* I have sold a horse and
want to give Jesus three dollars for His church."
Bowing his head he prayed, adjusted his blanket
and was gone. Dignity, reverence, generosity
and businesslike manliness with honesty. What
glorious possibilities are wrapped up in these
brown skins !
Lucius made a stirring talk one night. " A
long time ago when the Gospel first began across
the Big-water the devil was ver}^ mad. He
tried to kill it like a prairie fire but he could not
work fast enough, for it burst out in different
PAYMENT 121
places. It spread across the Big-water and
came to the Kiowas. It kept coming, coming,
coming, making a big bright light.
The devil was scared and ran on ahead like
a coyote. He turned and looked back and then
ran one way and another, giving out bad roads.
He gave the whiskey road, the dance road, the
card road, and the mescal road. To-day he is
studying in his big bad heart what to do next.
It is the devil that tells the Ghost-Dance
people just when Jesus is coming back. Jesus
don't know Himself. When the right time
comes the Great Father will call Jesus and say
to Him : * My son, it is time for you to go now,'
and He will come back to this earth to finish up
the business. We should all try to get our
hearts ready for this.'*
Banked for building fund, $93.84.
March loth. There are eight new puppies
down in the dugout, all as black as coals.
March i8th, Sunday. We have taught the
Indians that at all meetings the Holy Spirit is
the Leader-Chief. He never comes late and
when only two or three get in He is ready to
help them if they listen in their hearts. He will
call on different ones to speak or sing or pray
and if they do what He asks them they will get
a blessing. The missionaries are God's agents.
They only read His orders, make them plain and
122 KIOWA
then sit with the rest in the Holy Spirit's class to
learn the spiritual truths.
We had given the ten commandments over
and over again till many could count them off
on their fingers. " What more does Jesus want
us to do ? " was then asked. They expected an-
other long list and were glad to know that they
were to learn one thing thoroughly at a time,
next.
We gave a talk on ** Confess your faults
one to another." Paudlekeah arose and with
thoughtful face said : *' It is a wise road. Weak
Christians fall. They should not hide it. They
should come to the Jesus tent and tell their
brothers and sisters. Then we will pray and
get up and try all over again. I have spoken."
Long Horn didn't rise. He was sick and spoke
lying on his back. " Some of you Christians
don't talk straight. You come in here and give
good talks to make the missionaries' hearts glad
and then give your brothers and sisters bad talk.
You better cut it ofT. If you are weak don't
hide it. It is not straight to stand up in here
and give sugar-talk."
Queototi : '' I am a very quiet old man and
don't talk much but I want to encourage the
young men all I can, and confess. I have made
two mistakes since I came to be a Christian and
I want to tell it. One time we were out of
matches and I went down to a white man's to
CONFESSING THEIR FAULTS 123
ask for some. The door was open and nobody
was around. I looked in and saw some matches
and took three. I stealed them. That was one
thing. When I was going to the 'sociation my
wagon broke and I had no nails to fix it with so
I went to the blacksmith's shop to get it mended.
He was not there but I saw the nails and pi;ayed
and told Jesus I was going to take them because
I was going to His 'sociation. These are the
two mistakes I have made since I gave my heart
to Jesus."
Ananthy : " When I heard the Gospel first I
did not think it was for me, because I knew I
was mean and cranky. I did not think Jesus
was looking for that kind of people."
Popebah : ** The Great Father made the man
first and the woman last and that is why the
women are away behind."
Dawtobi : '' If anybody points a pistol at your
head you must shut your eyes and pray for him
like I did for Poor Buffalo. I just look into my
own heart and try to be careful."
Tone-gah-gah : " I can remember away back.
Our grandfathers were very wicked, fighting
white people and other tribes. When I was a
young man I never heard one word about the
Gospel. After I was discharged as a soldier I
came to Lucius to see if the report about a white
Jesus woman being here was true. I was sur-
prised that Miss Crawford was so leetle. She
124 KIOWA
went down to the dugout and brought up some
patchwork and handed it to me. I asked Lucius
how much it was and he explained that white
women who loved Jesus and wanted us to love
Him made it and sent it with their prayers.
That was the first time I ever heard about Jesus
and I came often to hear, because it was a kind
road. After a while the Holy Spirit showed me
the way to believe and I gave my heart to Jesus.
Some of my people are mean and say : * Why
don't you camp round with us like you used to?'
I point to that mountain and say : * The Great
Father has given me a home over there and I
stay at it and work. I am one of the Lord's
children and His Holy Spirit will lead me as
long as I live.' Then they laugh at me. I am
really anxious about this other life in heaven. I
will sing a new song for Jesus now.
*' God in Heaven
You are leading us,
In a safe way,
We want to be safe in your Home."
March 2^ thy Sunday. A wagon filled with a
whole family drove furiously up to the gospel
tent and as soon as the singing and prayer were
over Doybi arose and said : ** May I talk first
this morning? The devil has beaten me awful
bad and I told him I was going to come right
over to the gospel tent to tell on him. Three
CONFESSING THEIR FAULTS 125
weeks ago he knocked me down. You all know
how hard I have tried since I became a Chris-
tian. It was after payment and they were gam-
bling in my tent. All night they gambled and I
laid down with the blanket over my head and
asked Jesus to help me not to get up and gamble.
That time I beat the devil. I didn't gamble.
Next day I said to my wife : * Now we must go
home to-day, for I want to get away from the
temptations.' She said : * The Bible says we are
to obey our parents and they say we are going
to stay here and gamble some more, so if you
want to go to Saddle Mountain you can go by
yourself for I won't go with you.' This made
me awful mad and I took hold of my wife and
shook her and knocked her down. I stood there
for a while and began to think of Jesus, and how
sorry I was, for I love my poor wife very much.
Then I remembered some of Jesus' words and I
prayed and asked Him to forgive me and help
me not to do such a bad thing again. The devil
is mean. If he can't catch you on one road he
will catch you on another. I was watching the
gamble-road and he caught me another way. I
have come to-day to tell all my brothers and sis-
ters about it. I am not discouraged. Let us all
keep close to Jesus and follow Him all the way
through."
Papedone was on his feet at once. " We have
all heard about this before and we felt 'shamed
126 KIOWA
for Doybi. When I heard it first my heart felt
just like sick. Now if he had not been truly con-
verted he wouldn't have come here this morning
to tell on himself and the devil. It is because he
is a Christian that he has come here and asked
us to wipe it out. We are all one family and our
brother has done wrong. He has asked Jesus to
forgive him and he has asked us to pray for
him. He can't do no more. I will kneel down
now and thank Jesus because Doybi has got the
real Jesus road in his heart. If he had not he
would not have come here to talk."
Queototi arose. ** I'm an old man," he said,
" and have done a lot of work for the devil. He
gave me bullets for it and I carry them in my
body yet. I am thankful that Jesus has saved me.
My dear wife has gone on to live with Him and I
have brought her last Jesus money. I am afraid I
have made a mistake on the Jesus road a.nd I
want to tell you about it. I try to stay home for
Jesus' sake, but I have no one to cook for me now
and I often get very hungry. A while back I was
so hungry I did not know what to do so I went
over to Hunting Horse's to get something to eat.
He was not home and I w^as so hungry. I prayed
and asked Jesus what to do and then I went
back home and met the pigs running all over. I
was very hungry so I prayed to Jesus again and
said : * Jesus, I am hungry and these pigs belong
to my cousin. He is not at home or I would ask
CONFESSING THEIR FAULTS 127
him for one. I am going to catch one and kill it
and eat it, but I don't want to steal, so I ask you
to look at me.' Then I watched the pigs go by
and I catched the littlest one and killed it and
ate it. Now I am afraid those not Christians
will point at me and say : * Queototi is a Chris-
tian and he stole a pig,' and then all my brothers
and sisters will feel 'shamed. I tell you about it
so you won't let the news spread. I was hungry
and took the pig but I did not steal it. I asked
Jesus to look at me. What do you think ? Was
it wrong for me to kill that pig and eat it ? "
Before I could reply Heenkey sprang up : " If
this spreads the others will say he stole the pig.
The deacons should pay for it." Queototi's gray
head sank on his breast, his eyes suffused with
tears and his whole frame shook. I went over
to him and said : ''You dear old man, no, it was
not wrong for you to take that pig. You did not
steal it. Jesus knows all about it. Hunting
Horse would have given it to you gladly if he
had been at home. We all love you and know
you are trying to follow Jesus with all your heart.
You must not feel badly any more. I will pay
for the pig just to make you feel happy again."
Gahbein : " We all must feel that Queototi
did right. Don't let us speak it out. We all
must feel that he tried to be honest in the Jesus
road."
Poor old man ! How his drooping head lifted
128 KIOWA
itself up after these kind talks and at dinner every
one brought him the best they had. " Confess-
ing your faults one to another " is the very best
way to strengthen " the tie that binds."
May 26th. It is said that of all fowls the hen
is the most religious because so many of them
enter the ministry. Sometimes, however, they
miss their calling.
This is my birthday and Miss Bare planned a
" surprise" but had to let the cat out of the bag
before time, because we were house cleaning.
Having lived on scraps about a week we kept
our courage up by thinking of the Big Eat ahead.
Two chickens were killed, dressed and roasted in
the oven in the shed. Every bit of the work was
done and all was in readiness for the guests.
" Cheer up little Bear-woman ! I know you
are nearly starved but we are in for a good
square meal now. Good-bye to bacon, dried
apples and beans ! Chick ! Chick i Chick ! —
Chuck ! Chuck ! Chuck !
House cleaning is over. Company is com-
ing. Hurrah for a Big Eat ! "
Miss Reeside and Miss Ballew arrived, Lucius
and family were invited in and the meal served.
There was no chicken I Into the shed a dog had
entered followed by eight coal black pups. Per-
ceiving that the oven door was slightly ajar she
scented the game. Not only was the pan licked
A BIRTHDAY PARTY 129
perfectly clean but the corners gave no evidence
of foul play. Miss Reeside returned thanks.
Once in a while one who is expected to enter
the ministry goes to the dogs but it is the excep-
tion.
Jiuie 6th, The bill to open the Reservation
has passed the Senate. Now for the tug of war !
It was midnight in the tepee ; the camp-fire
smouldered and waiting relatives crouched with
their feet in the ashes. Suddenly there was a
wild shriek from the bed and the whole encamp-
ment was filled with screaming. In the dim light
a man, stripped to the waist, could be distin-
guished seated on the rude bed. A woman sat
beside him clasping something in her arms.
Tenderly he took it from her. ** My Way-behind-
little-one ! My Way-behind-little-one ! My Way-
behind-little-one ! " he wailed. *' She is gone.
My heart has burst I " Lifting both tiny arms he
placed them about his neck and clasping the
body to his naked bosom rocked back and forth
kissing, and kissing, and kissing the lifeless face.
At intervals he stopped and raising his head
towards the heavens poured forth lamentations
of woe.
Through the rain the body was borne to the
den. At sunrise the parents appeared at the
door forlorn and trembling.
Kneeling beside the missionary-box-coflin I
130 KIOWA
left them and hastened to prepare breakfast.
There was no one at home. All had gone to
town.
In the pelting rain the grave was dug and the
funeral conducted in signs. Returning with the
distracted parents, shivering and shaking from
cold and exhaustion, I made them as comfortable
as I could in Miss Bare's room and then went
over to the den. I scraped the mud out first
with a hoe then flooded it out with water and a
broom and finally went over the floor on hands
and knees with a cloth, twice. It was hard but
not as hard as the sight of the stricken ones stag-
gering down the bank of the creek towards their
lonely tepee wailing, ** My Way-behind-little-one !
My Way-behind-little-one 1 My Way-behind-
little one ! "
June 2ist-2^th. The camp-meeting or Asso-
ciation is over. It was a big undertaking out on
the bald prairie. The Indians worked hard, ate
hard and prayed hard while building the great
arbor and the missionaries worked like Turks
clear through. We used quilt tops and linings
basted together and filled with dried grass for
bedticks, converted biscuit boxes into wash-
stands, tea towels into towels, flour sacks into
pillow-cases, bottles into candlesticks and the
gospel tent into kitchen and men's dormitory.
Three tepees were elegantly fitted up for Dr. and
THE ASSOCIATION 131
Mrs. Murrow, Dr. and Mrs. Chivers, Miss Bur-
dette and party. How they enjoyed them !
Mrs. Captain Parker and Mrs. Dr. Bonnell
were the first to arrive from Chicago, followed
quickly by missionaries, visitors and Indians from
many tribes. Dr. Wm. Justin Harsha, a writer
of Indian stories, from New York City, was also
an honored guest.
A mountain climb was planned and on the
highest peak a rock pile was reared. Sur-
rounded by the kneeling company Dr. Chivers
stood beside it and with bared head prayed —
prayed that physical strength might be given —
prayed that the church might be built — prayed
for the Indians.
The meetings were an inspiration from first to
last. After one of Dr. Chivers' soul-stirring
talks Mrs. Hicks threw her arms about me say-
ing: *' Oh ! We can never thank you enough
for getting him here. His talks are just what
we needed. Oh ! I never have been so happy in
all my life!"
Poor missionaries ! Giving out, giving out,
giving out the whole time. No wonder we feel
spiritually starved at times! Nineteen happy
converts were baptized in the natural baptistry
in the mountainside on Sunday afternoon.
The farewells were said in the evening and in
the morning the whole encampment melted away
as if touched by a fairy wand.
132 KIOWA
Wrapped in his shabbiest blanket Domot
visited the camp but once. '* Tell the chiefs," he
signed, with head erect and sorrow stamped on
every feature of his face, " that my Way-behind-
little-one has gone to sit down with Jesus. My
heart is too sore to come to this happy place."
Camp-meeting receipts from Indian and
white friends ^280.10
Expenditures 201.35
Balance on hand ^^78.75
Quilts sold on the ground 19.00
Pelts sold 15-50
Gifts from visitors (unsolicited) 14-52
Grand total , $12'].']']
When the Indians heard this financial state-
ment they were fairly astonished and voted to
divide the money as follows :
To Baby Band ;^i5.58
To Lucius' salary i5-90
To sending the Gospel to others... 15.88
To building fund 80.11
Then giving burst out afresh; $1.10 was
brought forward for Baby Band, $2.85 for Send-
ing the Gospel and $8.00 swelled the Building
fund. I do not think there was a cent left in a
pocket. They had given their all and were
happy, although almost in a panic over the
opening of their Reservation.
August igth. Vacation.
Building fund, $238.60.
VI
Miss Burdett^ s Visit — Robert Biirdette Spotted
Horse — Incidents — Talks — Tha7iksgiving —
More Talks — Dead-broke at Christmas-Time
— A Gift from the Cheyennes and Arapahoes
— Land Choseji — Govern^nent Appreciations
Saddle Mountain^ September 7^, igoo.
Miss Crawford :
Dear Sister : — It is a very hard time for
us now. Everything- is turned upside down and
I don't know what to do for my people. There
is a lot of kick going on and some day you will
hear something bad about us. This is not funny
talk. It is not quiet here like it used to be. We
are all troubled about our land. The Christian
brothers and sisters are very weak and they told
me to tell you this : " You say you work hard
and are tired. You tell us not to ask you for
what you got and to go to work and build our
own church." They tell me to tell you this : " If
you work till you are too tired to work you
ought not to be a missionary. Stay where you
are and take it easy." They say they will never,
never, never ask you for what you got.
They are not feeling good and do not care
for anything now. I'm sorry but I cannot help
it. I only pray to Jesus to help me to be strong.
Your brother,
Lucius Aitsan.
133
134: KIOWA
September i6th. How glad they were to wel-
come us both back. We told them about the
people who wanted to shove Jesus over a hill
and kill Him because their hearts were blind
and they did not know that He was the best
friend they had. No application was necessary.
Indians don't like applications. They say they
have sense enough to think that part out for
themselves.
After dinner Lucius was the first to make a
talk : " We were so happy after the camp-meet-
ing but when the missionaries both left us the
devil came along with a gun and shooted at us
and some of us got nearly killed. When a man
shoots into a bunch of quails some are killed
and some fly off and hide in the long grass.
When the man is gone the live ones call to each
other and soon they get together in a bunch
again. We are the same. To-day you have
come back and called us together again and we
are coming out of the long grass. I have been
feeling so bad but His words have made me
strong again and the * heavy ' has got off my
heart. Yesterday after I raked up under this
arbor I sat down and prayed to Jesus and said :
* When I gave my heart to you, Jesus, I put my-
self on your hand and told you to use me any
way you wanted and you made me your inter-
preter. We must not be discouraged but get
closer and keep trying, trying, trying and you
MISS BURDETTE^S VISIT 135
will give us our Jesus House and lead us on to
everlasting life.'
My brothers and sisters, if we stay near to
Jesus the devil will leave us alone. If we think
we are strong enough to go around by our-
selves the devil will steal us. Let us keep close
to Jesus.'*
*' I can see your faces from where I stand,"
said Heenkey, *' but I cannot see your hearts or
read your * thinks.' Only Jesus can do that. It
is a hard time for us now but I have been pray-
ing every day asking Jesus not to let us hurt
anybody. You all knov/ my wife. (She was
present.) She is mean. She has an awful-big-
mad but I ask Jesus to help me not to talk back
and I remember my prayer. The Great Father
knows our hearts. We must not stop to fight
but push right on thinking of Jesus' own words.
I have nothing to give you to make your hearts
glad but I pray for you every night. This is my
work for Jesus' sake. I have spoken."
September ijtJi. How glorious it was to wel-
come Miss Burdette to Saddle Mountain, even
though she arrived tired and sick. As usual we
had eaten scraps for some time preparatory to a
company Big Eat. We prepared two chickens
and had a nice civilized meal all ready when a
white man from the camps all togged up in a
clean shirt appeared smiling at the door and
136 KIOWA
said : " I knowed you was going to have good-
chuck to-night so I thought I would come up
and eat supper with you." And he did.
On account of Miss Burdette's condition we
just had one meeting and took her to one camp
to name a three-day-old baby boy. The minute
she took the young cherub in her arms and
began to pray he began to howl. It was fun to
watch the two faces. (I can't hear and have to
look out to see when the ** amen " comes.) The
longer she prayed the more he yelled and the
more terrific faces he made, for he was nearly
frightened into fits. When the prayer was ended
and the young sinner soothed the name was
announced : *' Robert Burdette Spotted Horse."
Then an Indian signed : ** They ran a race
and the papoose came out ahead. He's the
chief."
October 8th. Indians all ofT. It isn't many
days we get all to ourselves and when we do get
one we make good use of it. We got up early
and after breakfast Miss Bare pitched into the
industrial preparations while I went at a variety
of things. First I mixed down the bread, then
patched a window pane, covered a box, cleaned
the dugout, sorted supplies, made a cover for a
barrel and chopped up a good big pile of kin-
dling out of broken boxes. In emptying and
refilling two candy buckets (in which we keep
Robert Burdette Spotted Hop «.
INCIDENTS 137
the flour), a mouse's nest was discovered, and
everything in the room was turned inside out
and bottom side up before the floor was mopped.
When dinner was over the bread was put in the
oven and nine and a half dozen eggs were
greased to keep them fresh.
In Hfting them to a shelf the box slipped and
seven dozen of them floated their wdiite and
yellow insides all over the clean floor. Miss
Bare didn't stand around with her eyes open and
her hands up saying : " My ! The very idea !
I never heard of such a thing in all my life 1 "
and then sneak off and leave me with the
problem. She rolled up her sleeves and to-
gether we chased the golden sunbeams across
the floor and up the wall.
There are people who go to the Bible in every
time of trouble. I don't. After supper I took
the cook book and hunted till I found a receipt
for cookies without eggs and then went to bed
comforted.
October i6th. Beathoma took me by the hand
and leading me through two dirty rooms into a
clean one, lifted a piece of purple velvet oii a
Bible and signed : " When a horse is tired and
weak we turn him loose and soon he is all right
again. I am the same way. This is my house
and I try to keep it clean for Jesus' sake and
teach my children to keep it clean also. Some
138 KIOWA
days I am weak and tired and give up but in a
few days I clean out every place again. I can-
not read the Book but I keep this room clean
always and oftentimes I come in and look at it
and ask the Great Father to let the Holy Spirit
teach my heart the same that is written in it and
make His road plain to me."
October 20th. Lucius made a talk to-day that
was unique. *' This is Jesus* tent and we come
in here to worship. Some of you talk and laugh
and say funny things and it makes Jesus' heart
hot. When you come in you should put all
your * funny ' behind you and not look back, and
try to think Jesus all the time. We should take
our ' funny ' off at the door, face the Jesus Book
and listen good to what Jesus tells us. Then
when we go out we can pick our 'funny' up
again and go off with it, but 'tain't right to
bring it into this Jesus tent."
Said another, ''Every time I see this tent I
think how poor we are with only a tent for Jesus
and it is getting old. I am glad to hear Jesus'
words in it though for that is what makes me
strong. When I do wrong I will come and
tell it."
*' Cheer up, cheer up ! Jesus doesn't notice
the old tent. It is your new hearts He is in-
terested in. When He sees you doing without
a Jesus House to send the Gospel to others His
TALKS 139
heart laughs. Cheer up ! cheer up I Everybody
laugh with Jesus."
Heenkey : *' One question I want to ask. Does
the Jesus Book say that Christians should carry
revolvers? Many of the Christians are buying
them and carrying them round. White people
are coming. I want to know what the Jesus
Book says."
*' It is not right for Christians to carry re-
volvers."
November i8th, Sunday. Splendid attendance,
attention and testimonies. Here are some of the
talks :
(i) ''The Great Father has forgiven my sins
and given me a house to sit down in. When we
come over the lonesome road and see other
houses with nobody in them we feel sorry be-
cause all the Great Father's * kind ' is losted.
Once I got up to talk for Jesus at another place
and the Jesus man sang to make me stop talk-
ing. It was the devil that told him to sing so I
talked on for Jesus and beat them both."
(2) "The Ghost-Dance Indians think that
Jesus is coming back here to live and will give
them back their dead and their buffalo. It is not
true. Jesus will never sit down here again
When He comes next time He will come to
judge everything. He will put the sheep Chris-
tians on one side and the goat Christians on the
140 KIOWA
other and then burn up this whole business and
take the Christians and little children up to
heaven."
(3) '* The old roads are passing away. How
glad I am that I was not born a long time ago.
I remember the war-path and the buffalo. The
Indians went all round fighting and taking
scalps. Once they brought a black man's scalp
home and put it up in a tree. I was so skeered
I could hardly sleep and dreamed about it. Now
how different it is. How thankful I am that
Jesus sent the missionaries to tell us the Gospel.
The old roads are passing away and how happy
the Jesus road is."
(4) " No matter how far the devil chases me
I will come back to Jesus. He drove me to
gamble this payment but I held tight four dollars
for Jesus. I don't know why I am so wicked.
Sometimes I get awful mad at my husband and
scold him and kick him and abuse him but after
my heart gets quiet I always forgive him."
(5) " When you told us Jesus wanted us to
forgive our enemies I thought of Paudlekeah
right off. My heart is turned against him and I
cannot turn it back myself. I tried but when I
went up to him I felt so mad I couldn't speak so
I shook hands. After a while I think that I will
be able to go and pray with him and then the
bad will all go out of my heart, but 'tain't gone
yet."
TALKS 141
(6) ** I am surprised to hear all these good
words about being kind to everybody and not to
lie or steal or give bad talk I been thinking all
that before I heard the Jesus road. I believe
also the Great Father wants us to work and earn
our living."
(7) ''When Sunday comes we all know it
now. We are learning something new right
along. I have found out this : If anybody is
against us we should shut up our mouths be-
cause we are Christians. A while back I made
a mistake and want to tell my brothers and sis-
ters about it. A calf died and my wife and I
went to see if we could cut some meat off it.
When we got back home the key was lost and
my wife and I began to abuse each other. She
packed up and said she was going to leave me.
I stood looking at her, burning in my heart and
I said to her, * The devil is leading you all right.'
The tears ran down my cheeks but she started
and I was left alone. When she got as far as
Sugar Creek the Holy Spirit came into her heart
and told her to go back to her husband so she
turned back. We did not feel good for several
days, but one day when we were eating a water-
melon we got all right. It was the devil that
got in between us and tried to pull us apart, but
Jesus is stronger than the devil. This is how I
have been serving Jesus."
(8) The wife : " I have a bad temper and the
142 KIOWA
devil chases me all the time. Before we built our
house we kept happy going round. The way I
got mad was this : He is the man and he lost the
key and I told him he done it. Then he said
something and I said something back and we
kept on talking at each other. Then I said,
* Now I'm mad and I ain't going to get over it.
I'm going to leave you.* I started but when I
remembered my talks over here I knew it was
the devil and I pulled my horses away from him
and came back. I know I done wrong and I felt
I should come to tell it. I said to the devil :
* You knocked me down all right and beat me
but you ain't going to keep me down. I'm go-
ing to get up and tell on you.' This is what we
done last week for Jesus.
Once I got up to talk for Jesus at another
place and the Jesus man sang to make me stop
talking. It was the devil that told him to sing
and I talked on for Jesus and beat them both."
November 2pth. Our first Thanksgiving.
(We are careful to make it understood that Sun-
day is ahead of all other days.) I made my talk
first, thanking Jesus especially for my two noble
yoke-fellows, Miss Bare and Lucius. " Every
time I look at either of them my heart gets big
with thanksgiving."
All had something to be thankful for but this
is the talk that interested me most. ** I have
THANKSGIVING 143
four cousins and none of them are saved. I
thank Jesus for giving me this special work to
do for Him."
The thank offering was $11.65 ^^^ Robert
Burdette Spotted Horse held the audience spell-
bound with his music when his money barrel was
handed back and wouldn't rattle. The mother
looked so embarrassed I signed : " It is all right.
He must catch the giving-to-Jesus-road when he
is little or he will make a bigger fuss than that if
he catches it when he is big." She was twice
thankful.
November joth. Early this morning we started
for Cache Creek fifteen miles away and before
dinner one quilt v/as set up in the yard. While
the women were washing the dishes the men
worked on it and then taking their guns rode off.
Three quilts were finished before the hunters re-
turned with two large wild ducks and numbers
of quail. After sundown, by the light of the lan-
tern, set on the bottom side of a lard pail, we
gathered in the tent for a Big Eat.
We girls fairly gorged ourselves for we seldom
have the chance to fill up on things we like.
There weren't knives, forks or spoons enough
but we borrowed from our neighbors, loaned and
used fingers and thumbs, enjoying the civilizing
effect of being Primitive Methodists for once.
How our faces shone with the pure oil of glad-
lU KIOWA
ness ! (and of duck). No one could have distin-
guished us from real Indians. Every pick was
demolished except the bones, which lay in
higgeldy piggeldy piles with dishes, pots and
pans as if the result of a volcanic eruption. Un-
der these conditions Miss Bare gave a splendid
talk and the host responded :
" Once you gave my wife bread medicine
(yeast). She mixed it up at night and cooked it
in the morning. It made our teeth tired. It is
all true what you tell us about Jesus. I am lost
unless the Holy Spirit leads me to the light."
December jd, Sunday. Some of to-day's testi-
monies :
(i) ** All Jesus' days I get up early and wash
myself all over. I comb my hair and clean my-
self from my head to my feet. When I am
through I ask Jesus to look at me. Then I sit
down and think Jesus till it is time to get the
horses for serviced
(2) ** The devil is like my own brother and
stays with me all the time. When I am ready
to talk about Jesus I take him out of my heart
and lay him down. After I have prayed he
comes back in again."
(3) '* I am a poor losted sheep but I like to
come here to listen. It is hard for me because I
have two wives but I can't help it and try the
best I can."
MORE TALKS 145
(4) ** Sometimes on the Fourth of July some
horses look so nice that everybody says : ' Yes,
that horse will come out ahead,' but some old
ugly horse beats him. Christians are the same.
Some of you dress up so fine, maybe you think
you look good, but in your hearts you are away
behind and some ugly Christian with poor clothes
will come out ahead."
(5) *' You all know me. I am so weak. You
are God's sheep and I am like a poor losted
one. I have strayed away from Jesus and I don't
want you to scold me. If you help me I may
come back. A worm on a tree feels round for
something to take hold of and then he jumps
over. I am the same way."
(6) **A11 the time since I started to follow
Jesus I have tried to get close to Him but some-
how I got stuck and went back. The Great
Father punished me and sent a cyclone to des-
troy my house. I cannot talk to others now be-
cause they will say : ' Look at yourself. The devil
knocked you over all right.* I cannot talk but I
can pray for them." (One hundred dollars was
raised for him to rebuild.)
(7) Jimmy Foxtail came forward with one cent.
Holding it aloft he said : " I put more money than
this away for Jesus but the devil made me spend
it. I want you, my brothers and sisters, to know
that if I had not held on to this tight the devil
would have had it too. He's awful mean."
146 KIOWA
(8) " My little boy has gone to live with
Jesus. This twenty-five cents is his last Jesus
money to Baby Band."
December i6th. In sending our October sala-
ries Miss Burdette wrote : " Be careful of your
money for I don't know when you will get any
more. The churches and circles are slow in
sending their offerings and the bank has shut
down on us.'* As Christmas drew near we
watched the irregular mails anxiously. Finally
we could wait no longer and drove the twenty
miles to town. On the way in we ate our dinners
from a lard pail (as we hadn't a cent among us)
and then drove direct to the post-office.
The biscuit box mission-mail-box was full.
Sorting the letters we tore them open one by
one, just glancing at the contents. Some told
of boxes and barrels sent for Christmas, others
told of personal interest in the missionaries, etc.,
but the majority were requests for special letters
for Christmas and New Year's celebrations.
When we were through we looked at each other,
gathered up our belongings, got into the hack and
were taken to our hotel. It was quarantined with
smallpox ! " Yes, we have room for two more,"
said the proprietor of another hotel ; ** fifty cents
for the bed and fifty cents for the meals and you
can't have the bed if you don't take the meals."
That settled it. Lucius drove to the camps and
DEAD-BROKE AT CHKISTMAS-TIME 147
we sneaked out and sat on a box at the door
till the last mail for the night was distributed.
It got dark but we had been recently vacci-
nated and carried firearms so were not afraid.
The corner saloon suddenly burst into light.
Seizing the Bear-woman I said " Hurrah I
Free lunch I Here's our chance. Come on."
There was no money in the mail. We went
to a friend's. Her face literally burst into smiles
when she opened the door and saw us. She
and her husband had repeatedly asked us to
make their home our stopping place when we
came to town and this was the first time we had
accepted the kind invitation. ** Come in ! Come
in I Come in ! " she said. " Welcome a hun-
dred times ! " and then she hustled around and
prepared the most delicious city supper. It
took a little time of course but never once did
either of us say, " Don't go to any extra trouble
for us. We can eat anything." For we w^ere cold,
hungry and penniless. We couldn't talk, but how
we laughed after we were tucked in the comfort-
able folding bed in the parlor. The springs
heaved as if the pigs were running under them.
First one would laugh, then the other, then both.
In the morning we went to the bank and
borrowed ten dollars. When the man handed
it out I asked: "What do we do next?" **Noth-
ing. Just pay it back when you can." " Don't
we sign any papers or mortgage our clothes or
148 KIOWA
anything ? " " That is all right," and the banker
laughed a good big laugh.
The freight bills were twelve dollars, and Christ-
mas candy six.
December 2jthy Christmas. Kneeling beside
the tree and emptying his pockets on the money
table Lucius prayed : '' When I gave my heart
to you, Jesus, I gave you myself altogether and
I asked you to use me any way you liked. To-
day I can say thank you, to you, Jesus, because
you have used me right and brought all these
people into your road. As long as I live this
life, Jesus, use me right. Don't use me for any-
thing wrong. And, Jesus, you know I never
say to you : * Give me this good thing or give
me another good thing.' I just follow you as
my Leader and trust you to take care of me.
Whenever I get some little money I always lay
some beside me for you, Jesus. I never forget you.
And now, Jesus, I want you to do one thing for
me. When I get into any temptation and I call
your name * Jesus ! Jesus ! help me ! ' you must
help me right off. You know my heart and all
about me. If my heart faces away from you I
want you to pull it round. You have been kind
to me, Jesus, bringing the missionaries right to
my house, so I will do all I can for you as long
as I live."
He gave five dollars to send the Gospel to
Rev. Robert J. Burdette. D. D.
DEAD-BROKE AT CHRISTMAS-TIME 149
others saying, '* If we build the church first it
will be too late for the old people."
Robert Burdette Spotted Horse dropped in his
coin without a groan and when the giving ceased
the treasurer broke open the barrels. In the
hush that followed a woman's voice was heard
in prayer.
** Jesus, save the unsaved givers. Jesus, help
us with our church ; the tent is getting old.
Jesus, I am not a strong Christian, I am weak,
so weak." The money was then counted.
Baby Band, $11.40. Sending the Gospel,
$17.45. Lucius' salary, $17.90. Church, $54.10.
Total, $100.85.
The days following Christmas were like the
days preceding it — full of labors oft, with medi-
cine, m.eals and meetings all mixed together in
hurricane style.
January ig, igoi. Gahbein found me in the
dugout and leading me to the light signed :
** The Great Father has been kind to me and
given me a boy." Then in broken English and
signs he said, ** In the Book an old man had a
son. I savy the big name Abe-ham. I call my
boy Abe-ham."
Febricary 14th. We left on the third and are
just back from payment. It rained and snowed,
gamblers were thick and a smallpox scare broke
up the camp.
150 KIOWA
"When you are through eating,'' said two
white men pushing themselves into Lucius' tent,
" we have brought whiskey and want to gamble
with you to-night.'*
" You must go some place else," was the re-
ply, " for none of us in this tent do those bad
things."
All worked hard on the quilts. We tied ofi
and sold eighteen, dividing the money evenly
between sending the Gospel to others and the
building fund. Includmg the Christmas and
Thanksgiving monies we sent $75 to the Jesus
Women Society and banked $93.77 for the
Church. ($12.50 of this last amount was a free-
will offering from Chinese of San Francisco and
Oakland.)
February i6th. Gahbein is back with the
smallpox and my sister and her husband from
Toronto have come on a visit. We have quar-
antined the gospel tent.
February 24th. To-day we had the regular
services in the tent and listened to very interest-
ing talks.
(i) *' Last Sunday I saddled my horse to
come to service when I heard we were cut off
and I felt pretty bad. Then I heard there was
to be no services again to-day but I couldn't
stay away any longer, for I have not heard any
A GIFT 151
•
of Jesus' words for four weeks. When Washing-
ton orders the soldiers to fight they expect to be
killed but have to obey. The Great Father is
our Washington. He orders Christians to go
everywhere with the Gospel and be * skeered ' of
nothing. It is not right to be skeered of sniall-
fox. Jesus does not tell us to ever shut up His
tent or His Book."
(2) " If I was Miss Crawford and could read
I would not be afraid of small/^;?;. She should
go and read and pray with Gahbein."
(3) "A long time ago when a chief was
afraid of anything we put a rope around his
neck, cut ofif his ears, and never let him be chief
again. It is all true what the others have said.
Jesus sent you here to help us and now you are
skeered of the small/^ji;."
When they had all talked themselves out we
repHed ; "■ Jesus expects us to use the sense He
has given us. Suppose we went to see Gahbein
and got the smallpox and gave it to you and all
your children, what then ? Bring the rope. You
can have the ears. Jesus never asks His chil-
dren to be foolish."
They all saw the funny reference to the ears
and good nature was restored.
March. Hip ! Hip ! Hip ! Hurrah ! We cer^
tainly have had a big surprise to-day. Our good
friend Dr. Roe of the Dutch Reformed Church
152 KIOWA
Colony, Oklahoma, read our Christmas letter to
his Cheyenne and Arapahoe Indians and they
wanted to help with the building fund. A day
was set for an offering and so eager were they
that one man and his wife stood by to see the
money counted. When they heard it lacked a
little of being twenty dollars the woman gave
forty cents more and the man pledged the bal-
ance. Another man gave one dollar and still
another, unable to be present, sent seventy-five
cents. With the Sunday-school offering the total
amounted to thirty dollars.
Hip I Hip ! Hip ! Hurrah again I
Dr. Murrow also sent ten dollars for the church.
Greatly to the Indians' consternation we spent
every cent of it in quilt material instead of putting
it in the bank.
With the money Dr. Murrow wrote : " I would
gladly have our Indians send you something but
I am so heartily in sympathy with your ideas
about teaching them to work for what they need
that I prefer hands off. I have seen so much
sit-down-and-do-nothing among the Indians
and wait-for-somebody-else-to-do-for-them that I
glory in your spunk to inspire them with the
necessity of per-spring. The truest and best
friends of the Indians are those who will per-
sistently, and perhaps contrary to their will, train
them to the habit of work and self-reliance.
Keep your course firmly, lovingly, laughingly.
LAND CHOSEN 153
Be not the least bit disturbed. The Indians can-
not understand your course. Do not expect it."
April 2d, To-day Lucius was out all day se-
lecting the allotments for his family. Every
man, woman and child is to get one hundred
and sixty acres of land. Riding up on a hill he
got of! the horse, knelt down and prayed : " I
can do nothing without you, Jesus. Choose the
land for me and don't let me make any mistakes.
All that I have is yours, Jesus, and you know I
never forget you. I want my cows to have
calves and when I get money I will give you
some. Choose the land for me and then I will
go ahead."
May 1 2th, The council is over and the land
for the church given. The business was not
ours so we only made a little talk, urging the un-
saved to give their hearts to Jesus, as He would
sooner have them than the land.
Domot, representing the unsaved in the vicin-
ity, spoke first. ** I am a poor sinner with two
wives but I want my children and grandchildren
to walk in the Jesus road. Jesus is getting the
good place ready for us and we must give Him
good land. I am not good to plough but I am
good to think in my head and in my heart. We
are crowded for land over here but we will give
Jesus one hundred and sixty acres of land, eighty
154 KIOWA
near the graveyard and eighty somewhere near.
I have spoken."
Lucius spoke for the Christians, and made the
official prayer, which in the Indians' eyes com-
pleted the transaction. All shook hands — the
great council was over.
May 1 2th. The land for the mission was se-
lected. Eighty acres in one fairy spot and
eighty in another, half a mile apart.
The law prescribed that '* all missions already
occupying land " should be granted titles to a
specified number of acres. We were occupying
no land at Saddle Mountain. It was through the
untiring and determined efforts of our masterful
agent, Col. J. F. Randlett, at one end and Com-
missioner Jones at the other that our allotment
was secured.
The kindness of the government officials has
been marked all the way along. Every courtesy
that could be lawfully granted has been extended
not only willingly but gladly. Besides the land
for the m.ission, the agent and Inspector Nesler
put their heads and hearts together and located
one of the four Kiowa cemeteries next to our
mission property (including the lone tree).
In his annual report to Washington Colonel
Randlett had this to say under the head of " Mis-
sions " : ** All have done well, but the mission
conducted by Miss Isabel Crawford under the
GOVERNMENT APPRECIATIONS 155
patronage of the Women's Baptist Home Mis-
sion Society of Chicago deserves special mention.
Miss Crawford has spent nine years at her
isolated station (including three years at Elk
Creek), surrounded by no other inhabitants than
these Indians and with the single young lady as-
sociate in her work for companionship. The
theme she instructs upon is that the Master
worked and that those who would follow Him
must work also, and that able-bodied Indians
should be producers of the necessaries of life,
thereby attaining self-support and ability to help
those who cannot help themselves.
Early in the commencement of her mission
work she announced that her worship of God
while with them would be in open air or tents
until the time should come when from their own
contributions and labors a house could be built
for that purpose. Her following nov/ has about
$400 deposited in the bank for that purpose, her
Indians following well her example and pre-
cepts. Her efforts are appreciated and praised
by all who have known her and it is gratifying
to everybody to know that she has recently been
recognized by the Department and established
with a conditional missionary title to land for her
mission."
I copy most of this report not so much to ex-
hibit the feathers in our own caps as to dem-
onstrate the fact that much to the contrary there
166 KIOWA
are Indian agents who are thorough gentlemen
and appreciative of the work of others.
Commissioner Jones wrote : " I want to con-
gratulate you heartily on the outcome of the as-
signment of land at Saddle Mountain, but it was
a close call. . . . If it had not been for the
fact that 1 had visited you and knew personally
the conditions surrounding the mission the mat-
ter would have failed. But knowing as I did the
good work that you have been doing among the
Indians the secretary finally consented to ap-
prove the allotment."
May jist. Vacation.
Building fund, $362.37.
VII
Campi?ig — Opening of Reservation — The Moving
— A Midnight Funeral — A Letter of Sym-
pathy— The Hopi Mission — The Rock Island
Gift
JULY I, 1901. To your tents, O Israeli
One, two, three and away we go to Rainy
Mountain school for the grass-money.
Such a procession ! No circus could compare
with it. Wagons, hacks and buggies were filled
with men, women and children, bedecked in
brilliancy, rivaling sun, moon and stars. Boys
on horseback, shirted in pink, purple, red, green
and yellow with gay feathers in their hats and
girdles elaborate, dashed in and out and round
about herding the loose horses attached to the
procession, to remove temptation from the incom-
ing whites.
An old woman astride a spotted pony rode
here, there and everywhere trying to protect us
with her " medicine-bag" from all the evil spirits
in existence and out of it.
Down we went, "not close by" or "near to"
Saddle Mountain Creek, but right into it, pell-
mell and out again with the same lightning speed.
157
168 KIOWA
What's the matter now? All the rigs turned
aside and waited.
Lucius, their leader, remaining behind to clean
up the yard, drove to his place at the head of
the procession. The rest fell in line and the
boys scattered over the prairie to round up the
herd. The wild horses snorted as they were
driven in, slashed their tails and almost stood on
their heads. The others caught the spirit and
away we went bumping from side to side, laugh-
ing and signing as if fairly intoxicated with life
itself.
'* How the wild crowd went swaying along.
Hailing each other with humor and song."
How the gay schoolboys like meteors flashed by
Bright for a moment then lost to the eye !
Suddenly the trail was left, every wagon tak-
ing a different direction and the prairie was
dotted over with men, women and children gath-
ering wood.
Ropes were thrown over dead branches and
pulled crashing to the ground, axes were swung
high in the air bringing down limbs that only
leaned earthward, and in an incredibly short time
every wagon had a wood-pile extension on behind
and was speeding back to the mountain trail.
Two hours for dinner by a spring under an
Indian arbor and away we went followed by
barking dogs and crazy horses. When almost
CAMPING 159
in sight of the school the procession scattered
again, this time to hoe down tall grass for the
beds. Huge bundles were hoisted on top of
the wood-piles and then down came the rain.
Next day ** God's-Light-Upon-the-Mountain "
burst forth in splendor. All day long the women
worked at the quilts tying oil nine and selling
them for thirty-seven dollars, a day's record un-
surpassed in the annals of the tribe.
Every night gospel meetings were held and
ever}^ day rain or shine quilts w^ere tied oil and
sold. In all thirty-one comfortables were fin-
ished and eighty-six dollars taken in from the
sales. The climax was reached when the report
was given of Dr. Murrow's ten dollar gift to the
church. It had been invested in batting and
linings. Thirteen crazy quilt tops had been
pieced out of odds and ends from the missionary
barrels and when tied off, twelve of them sold for
five dollars apiece and one for two dollars and
fifty cents. Total amount, $62.50.
Fifty-two dollars and fifty cents was banked
for the church and ten dollars reinvested.
An Indian arose : " I have a dollar to give
to the church," he said. ** Don't put it in the
bank, for it will sit still there. Spend it and let
us work and it will grow bigger and bigger."
Lucius gave eight dollars, another man one
dollar and Wee Colonel Randlett gave one hun-
dred cents before he was twentv-four hours old.
160 KIOWA
The total cash receipts from the trip were $169.50
($81.30 for the church).
A camp-meeting followed the payment at
Rainy Mountain Mission eight miles from the
school. Spotted Horse (a future deacon), father
of Robert Burdette, was baptized and Lucius
made the following remarkable talk : " I want
to make two talks. In the first place to the new
Christians and the second place to the old ones.
I understand Jesus has a book and He has writ-
ten your names down in it who were baptized
to-day. When a white man wants to send a
message to Washington he sends a telegram.
You must send a message to Jesus often to help
you. Every day send Him a message very often
and to-night before you go to sleep thank Him
for writing your names in His everlasting book.
It is a long way up high but He will hear you.
Now I will say a few words to the old Chris-
tians. Some of you are very near asleep but I
want you to rub open your eyes and listen.
The devil puts you to sleep so you can't hear
God's words. You been hearing a lot about
Ghost-Dance and mescal but I will tell you
some more. We all ought to be honest Chris-
tians but we are not. Some of you hide your
money and do not pay your store bills. You
been stealing from the traders when you don't
pay up and I am 'shamed of you. Some of you
keep away from your store bills and buy things
CAMPING 161
for your body, so when others see you they will
say : ' How-look-pretty-you-are ! ' This is not
right. The devil makes you do it but Jesus
wants you to pay up.
When you get your grass money you should
first lay by some for Jesus, then go and pay up
your store bills and spend what is over on your-
selves. When you don't pay up the traders are
mad and I feel awful 'shamed when I hear them
talk about you. Another thing, I want you to
remember that you have a new road altogether.
You have houses and homes and you must live
in them and keep them clean. You should
clean up the yard every day and the house
and keep at it, keep at it, keep at it and never
get tired.
Another thing, when my shirt has a little
hole in it I ask my wife to put a patch on it. It
is not right to buy new things all the time. We
all have some old clothes and we don't throw
them away. We keep washing, washing, wash-
ing twice a week. Jesus gives us water free and
soap and you men ought to help your wives to
wash and keep the children clean. I wash for
Mabel often and it isn't hard work. We don't
buy new things all the time. We keep washing,
washing, washing and mending till the things get
too old and then we don't throw them away;
we make dish rags and try all the time.
Some of you wear your shirts till they get
162 KIOWA
dirty and then you throw them away and get
new ones, and that is why your store bills are so
large. I v/ant you to have one good suit of
clothes for all your children for Sunday and for
yourselves and when you come home put them
away. I've had this suit three years but I take
care of it.
Another thing, I want you men and women
to be kind to each other. Some of you get mad
and talk back. When your husband is mad and
talks cross to you make your hearts strong and
don't say anything, and pretty soon he will be
sorry and say to you : * My dear wife, I did
wrong when I gave you bad-talk ; will you for-
give me ? ' and how happy you will be ; but if
you talk back you will both get mad and it will
get worse and worse.
My brothers and my sisters, let us try hard
to be clean on the Jesus road. Let us keep our
hearts clean, and then our clothes and our chil-
dren, for the Jesus road is a clean road and we
have to keep at it all the time or the devil will
make us dirty again.
The old road has passed away and we have
a new road altogether."
On the way back to Saddle Mountain we noted
a sign-board set up on a fresh crossroad bearing
a black hand pointing to the one word *' Cooper."
It was the first evidence of the beginning of a
new life. Miss Bare saw it first.
OPENING OF THE RESERVATION 163
The border towns were filled with land seekers
years before the Reservation opened and tent
villages sprang up suddenly as the time drew
near. The claims estimated to be thrown open
for settlement were not half enough to go round
but all applicants were allowed to register and
received numbers.
At the end of a specified time these numbers
were placed in a box, a little boy turned a crank
and as they dropped out the corresponding
names were published. August 6, 1901, the
Reservation opened and the "lucky-numbers'*
poured over the prairie like burning oil set afloat
on an open sea. On horseback, on muleback,
on shank's mares, in wagons, in buggies, in gigs
on they swept, lashing and slashing and urging
their beasts, with faces burning and perspiration
and hair flowing.
There was no ordinary " Onward Christian
Soldier " attitude about them. They meant
business. Fires v/ere started in every direction
to find the corner stones, flames shot into
the sky and swept whirling across the plains,
smoke darkened the sun. Only the trails were
safe and they were cut into such deep ruts and
pitch holes that life was not safe driving faster
than a walk over them.
As seventeen carloads of liquor had been
shipped to the new towns, whiskey bottles,
broken and empty, were in evidence everywhere
164: KIOWA
and with dust, ashes, cinders, smoke, fire and
the mad rush it was not hard for the Indians to
imagine that the day of doom had surely come.
Before reaching Saddle Mountain most of the
excited multitude had scattered north, south, east
and west, up, down and all over. The sites for
three county seats had been selected before the
opening and these were the objective points for
most. Lawton, thirty miles away, was the one
nearest to us. Such a place ! No one could
imagine it. The lonely prairie over which the
missionaries had travelled so many times, be-
came a city in a night. There were four hun-
dred places of business and fifteen hundred tents
before a lot could be sold, a daily paper the first
day and over ten thousand inhabitants before
the city was two months old.
The Presbyterians were the first to organize a
church. Our wagon had scarcely stopped when
a man pushed up with a basket of doughnuts
for sale. A basket of doughnuts ! Think of it —
for sale on our desolate prairie ! Peanut stands,
lemonade stands, jewelry stands and saloons (one
swinging a sign : " Welcome to all nations but
Carry ") were everywhere.
A group of men surrounded an old white nag
that was being auctioned. Some one bought him
for $4.50, and as he was led off the mob hooted
till the sky nearly split.
There were cripples and deformities, beggars
OPENING OF THE RESERVATION 165
and bootblacks and a circus wagon advertising
**A flying woman" (as if that was anything
new). " Lawton Laundry," '' Oil and gas,"
*' Pabst Beer " blazed forth on up-to-date busi-
ness wagons. Streets were named and stores
were numbered, yet there was not a building in
sight. Tents, tents, tents, nothing but tents as
far as the eye could see.
The two land offices of course were the centres
of attraction. At El Reno a man made $480 in
three weeks with five tubs in a tent, charging
twenty-five cents a bath.
Great crowds surrounded the office at Fort
Sill. Only a limited number were allowed to
enter at a time and the police were kept busy
holding the rest in check.
Fruit sellers passed in and out through the
crowds but men seemed too busy to eat. Apart
from the multitude little groups formed round
men w^ho stooped down and marked oft claims
on the ground with sticks.
Tobacco in all forms was a common com-
modity. Hardly a man or boy was to be seen
without a pipe, a cigar, a cigarette or a quid.
Razors and soap did not seem to have struck the
country yet.
Sixty days w^ere allowed for the ** lucky-
numbers " to choose their claims. After that
the " unlucky-numbers " were allowed to come
in and seize upon any odd acre overlooked or
166 KIOWA
ignored, and then the general public was ad-
mitted. Hundreds gathered at Owl Creek Oc-
tober 5th to await the appointed hour of mid-
night. There were clean men and dirty men,
shaven men and unshaven men, exhausted men
and fresh men, men in white shirts, men in black
shirts, collared men and uncoUared men, cuffed
men and uncuffed men, men with gold watches
and diamond rings and men with revolvers and
spurs.
There were big women and little women, navy
blue calico women and red calico women, women
in white and women in black, women in sunbon-
nets and women in hats, and children from tiny
infants up. In and out among the people stood
saddled horses and vehicles of every description.
A woman made a camp-fire and cooked bacon
in a long-handled frying-pan filling the air with
appetizing aroma and presenting a picture fit for
an artist's brush.
A man who had evidently called at ** Welcome
to all nations but Carry " took a long drink out
of a bottle, rolled himself up in a quilt and lay
down under a tree.
Late comers brought last reports from the
land offices, causing fluctuations in interest in
certain circles. The marvelous part of it all
was that there was no disorder, no roughness, no
rowdyism, no unpleasantness of any kind. That
great excited multitude handled itself without
OPENING OF THE RESERVATION 1C7
the aid of a single policeman. About ten o'clock
the '' sooners " began to move off quietly to be
near the land they had ''spotted." The moon
was due at 11:29 but rain threatened and the
night was pitch dark. Men in ambush, striking
matches to see the time, made the creeks look
as if they were alive with fire bugs. At the
exact hour of twelve the grand rush for claims
began. Stakes were driven, names and dates
were deposited, hats were waved in the air and
away the crazy crowd dashed for Fort Sill, run-
ning, jumping, climbing on horses two or three
at a time and springing unbidden into fast pass-
ing conveyances or hanging on behind.
Hours before the land office opened there was
a long line of waiting, anxious, tired-out, frisky
people. First comers took first places. All
were supposed to have registered.
" How much will you take to change places
with me ? " a man asked the one ahead of him.
"Five dollars?" ''Not much! Nothing less
than fifty dollars." Exchanging places on down
the line Mr. Sharper went, simply raking in the
cash, and when he got to the end had enough to
buy a farm. And he belonged to the last class
of " unlucky-numbers " without the right to file.
We reached home at half-past two in the
morning. Opening my satchel I was confronted
with an empty whiskey bottle, labeled: " Rich
and mellow. America's finest production."
168 KIOWA
America's finest production is the Indian, not
alas rich and mellow, but poor and despised 1
It is time now to ask how he is taking this on-
ward march of civilization with its fresh evidence
of Christianity. Proud, haughty and determined
he stands, trusting for the most part in this fine
agent, his missionaries, the Great Spirit and his
shotgun. Ready at a moment's notice to fight
for ** the land where his fathers died," and fight
to a finish — the finish of himself.
Domot expressed it exactly when with trem-
bling hand he signed : " We are afraid of every-
thing that is coming except the Jesus House.'*
The next exercise on the programme was the
moving of the den to the church property. It
was hoisted on two long skids attached to eight
wagon wheels and moved the mile free of charge
by professional house movers assisted by Indians.
The chimney fell off and the doors and windows
were wrenched but nothing more serious hap-
pened. I followed on the last load of our be-
longings.
Miss Bare was ofT visiting churches but the
mover's family occupied the tenant's house at
the foot of the hill so that I was not alone. The
first night I slept on ** a heap " surrounded by
other heaps. In the morning I lifted up mine
eyes to the hills. Oh, glorious vision ! Myriads
of mountain peaks pointed upward to Him and
THE MOVING 169
the blue of the sky and gold of the sunrise vied
with each other in casting a fairy mantle over all.
It was strengthening to stand in the midst of
chaos and confusion, knowing how long it would
take poor human efforts to bring about order,
and think of Him v/ho spoke and it was done !
They were short a man for bringing over the
shed and the mover's wife and I offered our
services, which were accepted. It took the whole
morning prying the thing up and getting the
wheels under it. Finally the four horses were
hitched on and followed by a flock of Indian
children, barking dogs and grunting pigs we
drove full-sail out of the yard. All went well
till we got to the creek. It was thought that the
speed gained going down one bank would carry
half-way up the other, and I was stationed on a
log spanning the water to block the wheels when
they began to back. Down the others came
with their mighty load. The skids struck the
opposite bank full force ! There was grand scat-
teration ! The four horses almost turned somer-
saults backwards. The shed balanced in the air
a moment and then came down whack on the
woman's skirts. The man jumped into the creek
and I fell into mud and slime over my elbows up
to my nose. No one was hurt, so after laughing
till we couldn't laugh any more and chopping
and tearing the woman free we went to work
again and succeeded in getting out of the bog.
lYO KIOWA
The second crossing was easy and after it was
passed I scampered on home to see about the
bread which had been worked down before we
started in the morning. As I opened the door
the moonlight fell on fold-on-fold of the fluffy
dough draping itself all over the table. None of
it had quite reached the floor, so making a charge
at it I wisped it all up, worked it down and put
it in the pans. Then I lit the lamp. What I
saw was nobody's business.
We were all so stiff and full of bumps, lumps
and splinters in the morning that we were glad
to eat any kind of bread even if the *' Gulf Stream "
could be traced in every slice.
The days following were full of ** labors oft"
that Paul didn't know^anything about because he
was a man. I was glad Miss Bare was out of the
mess and yet I needed her.
First I emptied the den into the shed. Then
I swept the ceiling and walls, cleaned the win-
dows, washed the woodwork and book shelves,
scrubbed and oiled the floor and ate beans.
La Junta, Colo., had taken my measure and
instead of packing a missionary barrel packed a
missionary box that looked like a coffin for
Goliath. It took half a day to make the cover
for it and adjust the hinges and another half day
to pad the top and cover all with pretty cretonne.
A hook in the under side of the cover and an
eye in the window frame completed the job. A
THE MOVING 171
little tick was made for the bottom, a feather bed,
soft blankets, white sheets, pale pink comfortable,
pillows with lace trimming and Eureka ! I was
the owner of my first real bed in Oklahoma !
The books were next unpacked. Poor books !
I confess there was rebellion in mv heart as one
by one they were tenderly lifted to their respect-
ive places. Once I thought I couldn't live with-
out reading and at graduation promised myself
that I would spend fifty dollars for books every
year of my life. I did it once. Freight bills on
missionary boxes and barrels and absolutely no
time for self-culture prevented the repetition.
The bath-room (13x5 feet) was a sort of com-
bination pantry, grocery store, clothing estab-
lishment and apothecary shop. In close prox-
imity might be found lard and liniment, pickles
and paregoric, sugar and salts, corn-meal and
corn plasters, bottles and beans, dishes and dis-
infectants, dried apples and dry-goods, pills and
potatoes.
The cutest little china cupboard was made out
of a biscuit box, a piece of white oilcloth and a
dark green silk throw. The extension table un-
derwent repairs and cleaning and when it was
placed across the front window with a pretty
cover on it, and Miss Bare's white enamel bed
with white counterpane arranged, I felt as if I
had been transplanted from a jungle to the palace
some people sing about in connection with a tent.
1Y2 KIOWA
During the operation of getting settled I had
worn one and the same dress and towards the
end there was more trimming on it than the
style required.
The first morning after the shedding the
tenant's dog failed to recognize me and ran
growling and barking down the hill as if he had
been scalded. I bore him no ill will, for he only
emphasized the fact I had heard over and over
before, that returned missionaries even in their
best looked like frights {to other frights).
Miss Reeside and Miss Ballew came to spend
a Sunday. How glad we all were to welcome
these heroines of the chase, and how proud I
was of our new quarters — till supper time came.
While the rain danced on the shed roof and the
wind blew through the sixty-four big cracks like
a hurricane I tried to cook.
The mover's wife hoed a furrow round the
stove to let the puddles run off and then held a
lantern while I stood on a board, fork in hand.
The contents in the frying-pan sizzled and sput-
tered wickedly as water dropped in from above
and steam rose from some place below as if a
boiler had burst. At last the meal was prepared
and as I passed out of the shed with both hands
full the great door gave me a parting bang on
the back and held on to my skirts till the wind
nearly carried the food down over the hills.
How fortunate it is that company never knows
THE MOVING 173
what goes on behind the screens and how glad
I was when I got to bed with both head and feet
aching, that I didn't have to make those two
ends meet.
Next in order was the twisting of the den
straight. Although the land was all surveyed
there were no roads or fences to guide us so it
was an interesting operation. Every man in the
country knew exactly how it should be done and
volumes might be filled with instructions received.
An old-timer called and told me of a new
settler over near him who wanted to make a
dugout. A man from Nebraska told him how
to dig it, a man from Kansas told him how to
wall it, a man from Indiana told him how to roof
it and a man from Texas told him how to fix the
door. He follov/ed every direction exactly and,
as the cattle man said, " had a Jim Dandy of a
place with everything off."
At twelve o'clock the shadows of the sun are
supposed to fall exactly straight. All morning
we pried and pushed on the building and about
noon waited. Every watch was difierent 1 Argu-
ments followed and when the men were too tired
to argue longer, all agreed that the sun was
" about right " and with one gigantic effort the
house was swung into position.
The tenant sank a missionary barrel in the
spring for a well and I sank a biscuit box beside
it for a larder. How proud I felt as I placed a
1Y4 KIOWA
heavy stone on the plate on top of a big earthen-
ware crock full of lard, butter, eggs, etc., in the
ice cold water. In the evening, going out to
bring in the washing — hung on the bushes near
the spring — I found that a Mrs. Pig had been
there before me apparently suffering from a very
bad cold in her head and feet ! A few days later
I heard tramp, tramp, tramp on the veranda and
opening the door was confronted by a whole
regiment of little black pigs. All that saved the
mother as she splattered the cat's milk right and
left was the fact that she was a poor grass widow
with a large family and no visible means of sup-
port.
It was Saturday once more and cold. Break-
fast was just over when word was brought in
that a white child had died in a tent seven
miles down the creek. Driving down we found
a woman surrounded by a lot of crying children,
ragged bedding, pots and pans and on a board
resting on two logs the body of a little girl about
six years of age. The father was away hunting
for land, but was expected back any minute
and the mother did not want the child buried
till his return. Assuring her that it would be all
right and that the Indians would be glad to let
the little one rest in their cemetery, I offered what
sympathy and help I could and then went back
to the usual Saturday scrub work and cooking.
About sundown the door burst open and in
A MIDNIGHT FUNERAL 175
swarmed the whole bereaved family, clothed in
tatters and screaming at the tops of their voices.
The child had died of smallpox and they had
been ordered to bury it at once. The body was
in the wagon outside. Disinfectant was freely
used, missionary barrels were ransacked for warm
clothing and the Sunday dinner was placed on
the table. Without the aid of knife, fork or
spoon the meal was ravenously devoured and
then all drove up to the church in the dark in
the wagon with the box.
Two white men dug the grave. The children
and mother cried and cried and cried the whole
time. The cold was intense.
Finally the men climbed out of the grave, took
ofT their hats and leaned on their shovels. Try-
ing to m.aster my feelings I opened my mouth to
speak but my teeth chattered so that I had to
stop. Then I cried and when I got home at
twelve thirty cried again. There was no stove
and no fire. Next morning was Sunday. Mon-
tahahty was dying and the services were held
about her death-bed under Kokom's arbor. I
came home weak all over and after eating some
cold scraps dropped into the sleeping box on my
back too tired to turn over. Suddenly there was
a great rattling noise outside. I started up but
was not afraid for I remembered that Miss Bare's
bed springs had been placed against the house
on the veranda. The wind was rattling them,
176 KIOWA
that was all. Louder and louder, harder and
harder the banging became, every thud striking
a nerve. Finally I dragged myself up and go-
ing out held on to a veranda post with one hand
while I laid the springs down flat with the other.
The wind was terrific but by holding on to the
post till I got a grip on the window frame I
finally succeeded in reaching the door. It banged
shut in my face with the latch-key on the inside I
I couldn't go down the hill to the tenant's house
barefooted in the dark, and I couldn't lie down
on the springs. What was I to do? After
stubbing all my toes and skinning both shins I
finally succeeded in reaching the shed with its
sixty-four ventilators, opened the big doors that
had no hook on the inside, found a cot and a
quilt and laid down to wait till morning. First
I lay with my face to the wind, but the half of the
quilt that wasn't under me suddenly unfurled like
a flag in a stiff sea breeze. Then I lay with my
back to the wind and a corner of the quilt nearly
picked out an eye. Finally I arose, wheeled a
missionary barrel to the side of the cot, stacked
the contents on top of the quilt to hold it down,
and slid down into place. Every garment was
lifted in the air and sent whizzing against the
wall. The next move was successful. I made a
barrel organ of myself and put on everything ;
men's clothing, women's clothing, boys' clothing,
aprons, hoods, handkerchiefs, throws, flour sacks,
A LETTER OF SYMPATHY 177
pen-wipers, iron holders, rags, batting, patch-
work and socks. What would not go on I filled
in. Then I laid down and held possession. At
daylight a man was to call for the mail, but before
he came I had smashed a window pane and
reached my clothing.
November nth. The chimney was repaired
and the stove was moved in.
November 2jd. Miss Bare returned and we
decided to '' grin and bear it" to the end (she of
course to do the latter). Thus endeth the chap-
ter on how the missionaries at Saddle Mountain
were greatly moved.
Dear Colonel Randlett :
We are in great trouble in our neigh-
borhood because the Great Father has taken
from us our dear sister Kokom's daughter, Mon-
tahahty. She has been sick a long time with
consumption and Friday night at six o'clock
Jesus came for her and left all our hearts crying.
To-day we have heard that a great sorrow
has come into your life because your boy whom
you loved so dearly has had to suffer again.
We are only poor Indians and cannot help you
any but we feel that we can tell you we are sorry
for you and for him.
When a big storm comes up our horses often
bunch together between the mountains and stand
with their heads down trying to keep each other
warm. A great storm of trouble has come upon
you and upon us lately. Let us put our hearts to-
178 KIOWA
gether and with our heads bowed down try to
comfort each other under the shadow of our
mighty rock, Jesus.
We are poor Indians and cannot help you
any but we can promise you that we will try to
be good citizens and not give you any trouble.
If one or two of our Saddle Mountain Indians do
wrong do not think we are all in it, for we are
not, and we are ashamed of them. We try to do
right for Jesus' sake and when we make a mis^
take we are all sorry.
We put our hearts beside yours in your
trouble and we pray that both you and your boy
may meet us some day in the home Jesus is pre-
paring for us all.
Written on behalf of Daw -kee- boom- gee-
k'oop Missionary Society, Saddle Mountain,
Oklahoma.
Lucius Aitsan,
Secretary,
November 24thy Sunday. After speaking from
the words, ** Go ye into all the world and preach
the Gospel to every creature," we told of Miss
Burdette's wonderful trip to Arizona in search of
the other tribe to which they wished the Gospel
sent before building their church. With eyes
bulging out of their heads they listened, and the
moment the talk was finished prayers of thanks-
giving, songs of praise and testimonies burst
forth.
(i) "God's -Light -Upon -the -Mountain has
horned a papoose I Miss Burdette had named it
THE HOPI MISSION 179
Sunlight-Mission. God's-light and Sun-light
Good I "
(2) '' We have had great news to-day. Now
the old people will hear the Gospel and be saved.
If we had built our church first they would have
died and been lost and it would have been our
fault."
(3) " It was the Holy Spirit who told us to
send the Gospel to the other Xxihe first and we
are glad we listened. Jesus' sheep at Saddle
Mountain have been scattered lately but this
good news will bring us together again. A
white settlement has come in among us but we
must not mind it for Jesus will stand with us."
(4) ** I believe this working for Jesus is the
biggest work in all the world. We must pray
for our missionaries every day and ask the Holy
Spirit to teach them what our poor hearts need
most."
(5) ** The Hopis are like our own children be-
cause we sent them a missionary. We hear that
their hearts are like stones and they are deaf in
their two ears, but we must not get discouraged.
We must keep on praying for them because we
are trying to spread the Gospel. They worship
snakes. The snake is the devil's friend. He
tempted Eve and Adam and the Great Father
punished him and made him crawl on the ground.
Kiowas hate snakes and kill them every time
they get a chance. The Hopis are poor but if
180 KIOWA
they find Jesus He will help them. The first
thing they must do is to open their hearts and let
the Holy Spirit in, and then go to work for
Jesus."
(6) " I am thankful to Jesus for taking care of
Miss Burdette. She had a hard time but He
brought her through all right. It is in Odle-
paugh's home that we heard the news. We
must all pray earnestly for his grandchild, Rob-
ert Burdette."
(7) " My heart is so happy to hear the great
news. I've been working with my hands and
have brought forty-five cents to Jesus for His
church."
(8) ** We are hungry for a Jesus house. The
gospel tent is all wore out. We sent the Gospel
to the others first, now we must pull hard on our
church."
** No 1 no ! Wait ! Wait a minute I " I inter-
rupted. *' There are other tribes still and many
people across the Big-water who have never
heard. We must never put ourselves first. We
must push just as hard as ever to send the Gos-
pel to others."
Heenkey arose. Poor Heenkey ! " When I
come over here on horseback since the gospel
tent tore down I don't know where to go. What
are we to do ?
Dr. Murrow knows about us and so do
others. Why don't they talk it over and help
THE ROCK ISLAND GIFT 181
us ? I want you to take down my words and
send them to Dr. Murrow."
An answer came back immediately. *' Miss
Crawford sent me your letter and I am glad to
get it. I am always glad to get a letter from
any of the Kiowas. You want a church-house ;
that is right. You and your people deserve a
church-house. God will give you one but you
must be patient. God's time has not come yet.
Your missionaries are wise women. They love
the Kiowas. They will work hard for Saddle
Mountain. Be patient. Good things grow
slowly. When God's time comes He will direct
His servants to arise and build a house for His
service. My heart is with your heart but let us
wait on God."
One week later we met again in an Indian
house. They listened as Indians always do
listen, to a talk about the bad spirit that pulls us
down and the good spirit that helps us up.
The work of the bad spirit was illustrated this
way : A man was walking down the road, fol-
lowed everywhere he turned by a lot of pigs.
He carried a bag of beans and dropping them as
he vrent the pigs followed blindly after him.
The devil throws out here and there along the
journey of life enjoyments which coax his fol-
lowers on to destruction.
The work of the good spirit was illustrated
thus : Away across the Big-water mothers,
182 KIOWA
anxious that their children shall not waste time,
give them knitting to do and wind in throughout
the balls shining coins and little pretty things
so that when the fingers might grow weary and
throw down the work,
<' From out the ball will drop the hidden gift.
To please and urge them on to search for more."
"Jesus knows we are like little children, need-
ing encouragement along the way while trying
so hard to build a church for Him and to-day He
has sent us a great present.'* Breathlessly they
listened to the reading of the following letter :
My dear Miss Crawford : I am just writ-
ing to tell you a pretty little story about a ride I
took yesterday with the president and directors
of the Rock Island Railway Company.
The vice-president, Mr. Parker, wired me
that the train would pass here at 12 130 and in-
vited me to join them on a trip to Lawton. I
closed my desk and went with them — was just
away three hours. On the way up from Lawton
Mr. Parker kindly inquired for you and the pros-
pects of your mission. I told him you were
prospering in your labors but under trials and
tribulations that were enormous, but that you
were not disheartened. Those of the gentlemen
who listened to Mr. Parker's praises of you and
your young lady associate became much inter-
ested when he remarked that you ought to be
helped with funds to enable you to commence
the construction of your little church building.
Col. J. F. Randlett — U. S. Indian Agent
THE ROCK ISLAND GIFT 183
This resulted in one of the party taking out a
twenty dollar bill and saying : " Here is a starter ;
let us raise the two hundred dollars she needs."
One of the young gentlemen went out into
the other car and in a few minutes returned with
the cash in his hands and handed it to me to de-
liver it to you. When he counted it into my
hand it was found to amount to $240. A Mr.
Cabel then pulled out a ten dollar bill and made
it $250. By this time I began to feel my pig
nature aroused and said to myself : " I wish I
could have told them she needed S400 instead of
$200, for I know those kind-hearted fellows
would have handed it out cheerfully."
As I w^as leaving the car Mr. Parker said :
** Now tell Miss Crawford that we raised the two
hundred dollars to go towards the completion of
the church building but the fifty dollars in excess
she must keep and devote to comforts for herself
and her assistant."
Now my happy story ends. What say to the
Doxology ?
With congratulations, I remain,
James F. Randlett,
U. S. Indian Agent.
Heenkey was on his feet at once with conster-
nation written all over his face. " You all re-
member," he said, ** that I asked Miss Crawford
to write to Dr. Murrow and tell him how hungry
we were for our Jesus House. He sent words
back telling us not to be in a hurry, to wait on
God and He would give us our church in His
own time. We prayed to Jesus till we were all
184 KIOWA
wore out telling Him to talk to the Big-water
people (Baptists). He has talked to new hearts
altogether. The people with the little-water-road
spread on their heads have helped us. We send
thanks to these kind friends and from now on
we will ask help from Jesus only."
The treasurer got right up as soon as Heenkey
sat down. " I take charge of the Jesus money,"
she said, " and every time I get any I ask Jesus
to look at it. I am happy to-day."
All Lucius could say was, " We feel jumped
(surprised) and say thank you to Jesus first
thing."
It was the turning point in the history of the
church building fund. There was no more beg-
ging or groaning.
Ah-mot-ah-ah had a question : " Why did the
Great Father give out so many Jesus roads,
Catholic, Methodist, Presbyterian, Baptist ? Why
did He scatter us like that ? Why didn't He
make one strong Jesus road ? " The matter was
explained according to history and great excite-
ment followed the statement of facts. When
quiet was restored Ah-mot-ah-ah again arose :
*' In the middle of the summer let us call a big
council and get in all the Methodists, Presbyte-
rians, Episcopalians, Catholics, and their mission-
aries and you talk to them from the Book and
look into their two eyes and don't give up till
you beat them. Then we will make one big
THE EOCK ISLAND GIFT 185
strong Jesus road and all the Kiowa Christians
will walk on it, for we want to please Jesus only.
While you talk we will pray and Jesus will help
us." I replied : *' It is not a wise road."
With a crestfallen look that nearly upset my
equilibrium Ah-mot-ah-ah again got on his feet.
Looking at me as if I had been suddenly proved
guilty of murder in the first degree he turned to
the people and said and signed : '* She's skeered 1 "
and sat down. Some one else signed : " It is true ;
she w^as skeered of smallfox." Dinner followed.
Christmas, igoi. An Indian in an old faded
garment came up to the front and said, ** You all
know my sister Montahahty is dead and the In-
dian road would not lead me to this happy place
to-day. I came for just one thing : to tell the
unsaved about Jesus. If I do not do this when
Jesus comes He will say to me : * You are my
servant ; why didn't you tell those people about
the true road ? ' Then what will I say ? "
One hand was raised for prayer.
The birthday present was as follows :
To sending the Gospel to others, - $ 43-o8
To Baby Band, .... 1502
To Lucius' salary, - - - 16.90
To church building fund, - - 104.20
Total, - - - • - ^179.20
April 6th. Vacation.
Building fund, $747.87.
VIII
Givmg the Gospel to the WJiites — Wood or Stone ?
— The Hauling — Electio7i Day — The Laying
of the Corner-St07te — The First Wedding —
Christmas igo2 — A7i Important Ca7nping
Trip.
A
UGUST 24, 1902. The day began with
a carnal conflict and ended with a spiri-
tual victory. At sunrise a wagon drove
up to the house of the Interpreter and the driver
said :
** Good -morning, Lucius. I understand you
have big meetings over here every Sunday and
last night I killed a beef. It is nice and fresh
and I thought you would like to buy some for
your dinners."
** You must excuse us," said Lucius. ** We are
Christian Indians and don't do any trading on
Jesus day. You will have to sell to the white
people."
At eleven o'clock we had our regular service.
A bunch of cattle worried by numberless church-
going dogs came in on the gallop and surrounded
the arbor while the Indians were singing. As if
by common consent every animal wheeled on
the dogs, shook her horns and stood listening
186
GIVING THE GOSPEL TO THE WHITES 187
with head erect. The music ceased, the cattle
walked slowly away, the dogs crept under the
seats and the service continued. At the close an
invitation was given to all who felt strong enough
to come to the arbor at night and give the Gospel
to the new settlers to do so. It almost created a
panic.
** White people are dangerous," they said,
*' they laugh at us and will come with sticks and
revolvers and act crazy. The road is too hard."
The night was dark, lanterns were hung in the
arbor and about forty white people gathered in
neat clothing and with faces full of kindly interest.
The lesson was from Acts ix. 1-23.
At the close of the prayer Lucius arose. His
face was set and his breathing short. After a few
nervous twitches about the mouth and arms he
said : *' You all know we are Indians. We lived
in the darkness for many years but our Great
Father was kind to us and sent us the light. To-
night when you were coming you were in the dark-
ness till you saw the lanterns over here and then
you turned and followed until you got under this
arbor. We were the same way. We saw just a
little light at first but we hunted and hunted and
now I am glad to say we are in the light. We
are weak yet. The devil beats us many times
but we try all we can to follow Jesus. I am not
ashamed to stand before your faces to tell you
that I am saved, because I know it. I know I
188 KIOWA
am a Christian for God's Holy Spirit has come
into my heart and He makes me know that I am
saved. You white people know everything.
You can read the Bible for yourselves but some
of you are in the darkness yet.
The Great Father sent the only son He ever
had to die for you. Why don't you love Him and
give Him your hearts ? Jesus came to this world
to seek poor sinners. He did not come for only
Indians or only black men or white people. He
did not come to look for skins. He came to look
for your hearts and mine and everybody's. We
will pray for you that the Holy Spirit may show
you the way."
Kokom spoke next. " I am a Christian Indian
but I don't know much. When the country
opened for settlement a lot of white people came
in here. Some of you are Christians and some
are very bad people. We don't know yet which
are the good and which are the bad but we hope
to know soon and then the Christian Indians
and Christian white people must stand together
and try very hard to find the poor sinners and
bring them to Jesus to be saved.
If you make fun of me I'm not ashamed, for
the Holy Spirit tells me to stand before your
faces and make this talk. If you laugh I can't
help it, but I will pray for you and ask Jesus to
forgive you and give you new hearts."
Not a person laughed or behaved himself uu'
WOOD OR STONE? 189
seemly from the beginning of the service to the
close, only the wolves kept up a blood-curdling
howling from the hills that seemed uncomfortably
near. Next day one of the neighbors came in
and said, '* When Lucius was talking last night
Joe B.'s eyes were busted in his head."
I said : ** What was the matter with you,
why didn't you help us sing?" ** I didn't
want to spoil the music," he replied. " You
can't hear but as soon as you began the wolves
began. When you stopped to jaw us, they
stopped and when you sang, they howled too."
Later in the day Joe B. called and said : '* I
always thought before that the Indians were very
ignorant, but last night I got my eyes open.
Lucius' talk surprised me very much. That
fellow knows what he is talking about and so
do the others. The white people in here don't
understand the Indians, they know more than
they think they do."
September 2d. Banked $40.80 for the build-
ing fund.
September 2gth, Sunday. The lesson was on
the building of the temple. For the first time in
my life I could see nothing wonderful about Solo-
mon's prayer. Under such circumstances, what
else in all the world could he have prayed for but
wisdom? We are asking for the very same
190 KIOWA
thing but it certainly is not because we are so
good or so unselfish but simply because we need
the wisdom and know where to get it.
" We have studied over all the business," we
told the Indians, ** and we have found out that
if the Kiowas will get the rock out of the hills
we can build a beautiful stone Jesus House."
Buffalo Pants sprang to his feet. *' You — you
— you two white Jesus women," he hissed, ** have
made the stone-road all on the sly and now you
want the Kiowas to vote for it. The hide-road
is yours and you can walk on it yourselves, for
we will not walk on it with you." Nevertheless
the majority voted for stone. The minority were
not expected to help in any way and they were
expected to stand oS. and criticize. It is an
Indian road.
Asking for additional wisdom we brought the
matter up again. " If the Indians will all pull
together for a frame building the missionaries
will pull with them."
"What? what? what? You no catch 'um
stone, you push 'um lumber? You no get mad
and pull away ? It is a new road."
" Jesus wants no bosses in His church," we
replied. ** Some of you voted for stone because
you thought the missionaries would not push for
lumber. You let us boss you and you were
wrong. The business is yours and we have only
two votes. Remember that the strongest Chris'
WOOD OR STONE? 191
tians are those who can give up their own way
and walk on a road they do not like in order to
keep the weak ones in the bunch." All voted for
the frame building.
October jd. It rained fearfully and the roads
were terrible but Lucius is an expert driver and
we reached Apache, twenty-five miles off, in
safety. Finding the lumber office we handed
in the specifications, asking that the estimates
be sent by mail.
Just as we were about to leave town I remem-
bered that we needed a new dust pan, so de-
positing a sack of apples and another of eggs on
the back seat of the hack, I hopped out and made
the purchases. Returning I beheld Lucius, Ma-
bel, Leslie and Richard all eating the apples.
Climbing in again I sat down good and solid on
the eggs. The dogs barked, the horses slashed
their tails and away we went over the muddy
road scattering golden sunbeams all along our
way.
October ^th, Sii7iday. The discussions were
most interesting. All eyes were screwed into
interrogation marks when it was announced that
we must visit other towns and ask for estimates
on lumber. '' The other churches were all built
for the Indians," we explained. " You are to
build this one yourselves and look after every
192 KIOWA
bit of the business. When the different lumber-
men tell us what they will charge then you must
choose the one who will give you the lumber
cheapest and best."
All were in arms at once. " It is a crazy road
to go running all over as if we had no sense.
The chiefs we go to and do not buy from will
all be mad at us and at the chief who gets the
order and it will be our fault."
" It is not being a Christian to make these
men fight." These were only some of the splen-
did Christian unbusinesslike things that were said.
Gotebo, a little town twenty-five miles away,
got the order.
Two good contractors were secured. Tonemoh
was appointed " Hauling Chief " and Odlepaugh
** Wake-um-up-in-the-morning Chief."
Excitement surged like the waves of the sea.
Odlepaugh said he couldn't sleep because his
heart kept hitting him so hard and turning him
over and over and over again and he had to
start one day ahead of the rest.
October lyth. Bright and early at a given
signal wagon load after wagon load poured out
of Lucius' gate like shots out of a gun, followed
by big dogs, little dogs, black dogs and yellow
dogs all barking and bounding into the air as if
they too understood the importance of the mis-
sion. Away the procession went into the creek
THE HAULING 193
and out of it, up-hill, down-hill, around the moun-
tain and out of sight. Every man, woman and
child of the Indian population went ; all had
given and all had the right to haul their own
lumber.
A dozen of the Rainy Mountain Christians
helped and Tah-noity let the camp be made on
her allotment.
" Mv throat is busted,'* said one returned
hauler as the rain poured ofi his hat. Cough
medicine was given him.
" My back is busted," said another with water
swishing out of his shoes. Liniment was handed
him.
'' I'm all busted," said number three, dripping
from hair, ears, nose, chin, coat sleeves and coat
tails. A bottle of patent medicine, warranted to
cure every ailment under the shining sun, was
presented and the happy soused company started
oE again signing :
" The devil is trying to beat us with rain, but
we won't give up." And they did not till all the
hauling was done for both church and mission
house, seventy-nine loads in all.
Aycompto (a future deacon), Doymah, and
Tonacho were baptized on the trip and a baby
girl was born. We called her Church-Bell but
the Indians signed : '' She is the litde-wise-pa-
poose - who - got - here - in - time - to - help- with-the-
hauling."
194
KIOWA
Names of Haulers
Lucius, Mabel, Leslie and Richard.
Odlepaugh, Ananthy and Grace.
Tonemoh and Guestomah.
Spotted Horse, Hattie and Robert
Eurdette.
Heenkey and Gahyad.
Dawtobi.
Doybi and Keza.
Frank Doybi and Johannah.
Herman Bah-lah.
Hunting Horse and Beathomah.
Tonacho and Katie.
Akometo, Doymah, Malcolm, Philip
and Church Bell.
Samuel Ahtone.
Long Horn and Willie.
Queototi and Robert Onko.
Amos Aitsan and Kaun-todle.
Big Tree.
Sainco.
Toybo and wife.
Mr. Wind and wife.
Jimmy Foxtail and
wife No. 2.
Moses and wife.
Kiowa George.
Gahbein.
Little Robe.
Ahtonah and son.
Ahmahaha.
Tonegah-gah and
Keapetate.
Papedone and Sap-
mah.
Ah-horn.
Henry Long Horn.
Tahnoity.
Andrew Stumbling
Bear.
November 4th. (Election day.) The Indians
dressed in their best swarmed the poles at Sugar
Creek. They were tepee poles, for the other
*' pole " and the three beeves that had been
promised did not materialize.
After dinner I made my maiden political
speech. ''The Great Father has given you
men votes to use as soon as you know how.
Indians have lost their lands and brought
trouble on themselves by hurrying up to touch
the white men's pen. It is not right to sell your
votes for beef or anything else. The white men
who told you to come here to-day have the
ELECTION DAY 195
devil's brand on them and were afraid to come
to this meeting.
It is right for you to vote for good men and
good laws but not till you know who the good
men are and what the good laws are. Keep
your votes as a present from Jesus. Never sell
them and use them only when you know they
will make this great world better."
Sore over getting no beef and glad to hear
that the white-men-liar-chiefs belonged to the
devil, the crowd slowly scattered and we re-
turned to Saddle Mountain satisfied with our
day's work.
November p, igo2. (The laying of the corner^
stone, ^
Singing, ** The Mission of Jesus," Gotobo.
Prayer, Queototi :
" Jesus, we thank Thee that we have come to-
gether for the corner on this church. We don't
understand what it means to put our names in
this tin box but you are the Chief and you have
brought us together on this road. I am an old
man but I stand with these young men. I want
you to send the Holy Spirit among us to guide
us. To-day we are gathered around our new
church to get it started. I have been very
wicked and a great sinner but to-day I am
saved. I have spoken."
Scripture reading. Psalm loo, Amos Aitsan.
196 KIOWA
After the opening services the Indians with
faces keen with excitement climbed over the
piles of lumber and pressed as near to the foun-
dation as they could get. Lucius Aitsan, secre-
tary of Daw-kee-boom-gee-k'oop (God's-light-
on-the-mountain), read the history of the work
at Saddle Mountain, outlined as follows :
April 12, 1896. Work began.
June 19, 1897. First arbor built for Jesus.
November 16, 1897. The gospel tent set up.
May 10, 1898. Daw-kee-boom-gee-k'oop or-
ganized.
July 19, 1898. First money given to Jesus
($17.26 towards sending the Gospel to another
tribe and $17.34 towards the church building
fund).
October 4, 1898. One hundred and sixty acres
of land promised to Jesus.
June 21-24, 1900. The Association met at
Saddle Mountain.
May 12, 1901. Land for Jesus selected.
August 6, 1 901. Reservation opened.
November 17, 1902. Sunlight Mission born.
November 9, 1902. Corner-stone of church
building laid.
When the reading of the history was com-
pleted the manuscript was placed in a tin box
and the Indians passed up dropping in their
names and the names of all who had contrib-
uted towards the building whether living or dead,
THE LAYING OF THE CORNER-STONE 197
present or absent. Mrs. Tonemoh, President of
the Missionary Society, put in a block of patch-
work and some buckskin and beads. Mr. Heen-
key, the Vice-President, another block of patch-
work, a piece of china painting and small pictures
of Paul sewing on a tent, of men chopping down
trees for the temple, and of men, women and
children giving money to Jesus. The Treasurer,
Mrs. Dawtobi, dropped in the original gold dol-
lar and ten cent piece. Mrs. Aitsan put in a
Bible, Mr. Doybi a Kiowa hymn book, Mr.
Queototi a *' Sunlight Mission " pamphlet, Hester
a Church manual, and Minnie a copy of Tidings
containing the names of all the Head Officers of
the Women's Baptist Home Mission Society.
A flock of little Brownies then came up and
put in the names of Commissioner Jones, In-
spector Nesler, Colonel J. F. Randlett, Brigadier-
General F. D. Baldwin, Dr. Robert Burdette,
Rev. and Mrs. Clouse, Misses Reeside, Ballew,
McLean, Williams, Jensen, Mrs. Stevens, Mr.
and Mrs. Dunn, Grand Forks Baptists, Buffalo
Baptists, Chinese of San Francisco and Oakland,
Cheyenne and Arapahoe Indians, of Colony,
Okla., the Rock Island Railroad, and last but not
least Mr. Papedone lovingly placed the names of
Dr. and Wis. Murrow with the rest. On the top of
all was laid a colored photograph of little Stella
Stumbling Bear who passed to be with Jesus the
day the foundation of the church was begun.
198 KIOWA
The box was closed and placed in the cavity
prepared for it. The contractor filled in small
stones and mortar till all was covered and then
Miss Bare, placing the large stone on the top and
tapping it with the trowel, said : " I pronounce
this stone well and properly laid."
Kneeling with uncovered heads on the grass,
on the gravel and on the lumber piles, the voice
of the interpreter was heard in prayer : " We
thank you, Jesus, to-day, because you have been
kind to help us get started on this our church.
It is the first day we meet here for worship. We
want you to forgive the mistakes we have made,
pass them back behind you and help us to get
stronger, so all the Indians will see the light get
brighter and brighter. Keep your eye on our
names so the devil will not scratch any of them
out. I have spoken."
Mr. and Mrs. Aycompto and Mr. Tonacho, the
Indians who had been baptized when off for the
lumber, were asked to come forward and there
beside the unfinished building they were given
the heart's-right-hand-of-welcome, some weep-
ing, some praying as they took them by the hands
and others making a more joyful noise unto the
Lord.
Thus ended the service connected with the lay-
ing of the corner-stone of the long-dreamed-of
church, but no pen can describe the effect upon
the Indians. Their natural love of ceremony
THE FIRST WEDDING 199
reached its spiritual climax and when all was
over they scattered like the breeze filled and
thrilled with religious enthusiasm.
Thanksgiving day dawned clear, cold and
frosty. The wagon came for us early and the
load was made up of bread, pies, dishes, fruit,
contractors, missionaries, Indians, wedding cake
and a preacher. The building was floorless, win-
dowless and almost everything-else-less, but
boards were laid across the joists from vestibule
to the front, and a piece of carpet spread so that
the bride and groom might walk in style and
safety.
The bride was gorgeously attired in pink,
green, orange, yellow, red, purple and blue and
waited modestly and sweetly while I skirmished
for the bridegroom among a crowd of giggling
boys. They told him if he was going to be
married the white-way he would have to take
Kaun-to-dle by the arm and march her in. As
Minnie (or Kaun-to-dle) wore a blanket, to take
her arm meant to take all of her, so Amos, son
of Lucius, hung back.
Three times I got him to the door only to
have him break loose and run, while the minister
and friends waited inside. Stepping up to Lu-
cius I signed : ** Sing and stand where I can see
when your mouth shuts." He shifted his position
and began to sing and I went out and collared
200 KIOWA
the youth. Standing behind him, holding both
of his arms tight, I said, '* Amos Aitsan, you are
going in this time if you go in head first."
He giggled, looked from side to side and
stood helpless a minute. Before he had time to
make another break Lucius' mouth shut with a
snap and with my head on his back he was car-
ried clear through the vestibule into the church.
By the time he gained his equilibrium Kaun-to-
dle was beside him and the ceremony proceeded
with becoming solemnity.
There were just eighteen wagon loads of
Christmas barrels and boxes hauled out by the
Indians and freight bills amounting to $io6 paid
by the missionaries out of their own pockets.
(Refunded through the courtesy of Captain A. H.
Parker later.) The station agent said if there
was any place on God's earth that there wasn't
a missionary barrel from he'd like to know it.
The old gospel tent had been put up over the
house lumber so that we had a little extra room in
it in which to unpack and repack. (We put by
enough things for next Christmas.)
Armful by armful we carried the contributions
into the den to be near the fire and stacked the
little place almost to the ceiling. (Indians are
not the only people who " heap-sit-down." Sev-
eral of the pairs of pants sent in were ** away
behind.")
CHRISTMAS 1902 201
There were many personal remembrances.
Just why one missionary should be remembered
more than another is a question. I counted it
all up and figured this out : If the Bear-woman
had had twelve noses in a row down her spine I
could have hung upon each a calendar, a blotter,
a sofa pillow, a pen-wiper, an apron and an iron
holder, to say nothing of handkerchiefs.
Before we were through ticketing we were
cold, hungry, cross and cranky. It is not the
actual gospel work that uses the missionaries
up, but combinations of unlooked-for experiences
and aggravations. Our swill pail is kept in a
space between the house and the shed, the tenant
emptying it every evening. In the midst of the
rush a pig escaped from his pen and upset it
right across our path. We removed it to the
shed, putting it on the top of an old stove and
next day a dog found it and brought its v/hole
contents down over the Christmas things. Some-
thing else upset the ash pail and something else
tore open a sack of corn-meal. We had no time
to clean up messes, eat, sleep, mend tears or rub
on liniment. We got like hornets. The devil
beat us all right but we kept right on with the
work.
The " strained conditions " between us finally
came to a climax one night after midnight. I
had not been able to sleep and as usual spent
the time counting over money I didn't have.
202 KIOWA
Ten cents of the building money could not be
accounted for. Suddenly I remembered that it
had been spent for extra shingle nails. Getting
up cautiously I lit the lamp, arranged the shade
so the light would not strike the Bear-woman's
face, put on shoes, stockings, and a warm wrap
and with the books and a pile of unanswered
letters went to work. I wrote on a long, long
time and then turned round for something.
There sat the Bear-woman clothed, if not in
her right mind, scribbling away like a steam
engine ! I was flaring mad and said, ** That is
a nasty mean trick. I'm going to get myself
out of this room as fast as I know how, and
sleep in the bath room, so you won't be dis-
turbed again ! Sneaky mean I "
Dragging the bedding out of the box by the
roots I got half-way through the door when the
Bear-woman quietly said : " You don't need to
move. I'm going to the gospel tent for the rest
of the night." With one bound I cleared the
feather bed, got out the door first and was off
for the tent as fast as my legs could carry me.
A tick full of rolls of batting from the different
barrels and boxes and a few blankets and quilts
had been thrown on the top of the lumber pile,
so it was not long before the change of atmos-
phere caused me to fall into a gentle doze. Sud-
denly the lumber shook. A bright light struck
my face and fumes of sulphur entered my nos-
CHRISTMAS 1902 203
trils ! Goodness ! Where was I ? Was the
Bear-woman going to burn the lumber to
smudge me out ? The match died and another
was struck. Hanging on to the lumber with
one hand and holding the lighted match to her
mouth with the other, the Bear-woman enunciated
very distinctly : ** Do-you-want-me-to-go-home-
to-morrow ? "
The match went out.
** No, I don't." Another match was struck
and held in position.
" Then -you - get-right-up-and-come-back-into-
the-house."
" I won't do it. I can't sleep in that old stuffy
place. I'm all tired out and I was just going to
sleep when you — bo-hoo, bo-hoo "
Half an hour later I paddled back to the house,
made a good face at my sleeping partner, and
putting the bedding back, crawled into my box
and slept like a top till morning.
The church was unfinished. Ceilings and
windows were absent but not forgotten. Burlap
bags and old quilts were nailed over the open-
ings and the heat from the one small stove was
hardly perceptible. One of the talks almost up-
set us.
*' The devil pulls people this way and that way
but Jesus pulls us one way, straight ahead. The
Christians are going ahead all right. Look at
Lucius. He has a Christian home and how glad
204 KIOWA
we are always to come and see him. See ouf
white sisters. They are just like men and ajtgels.
They have good sense and are very smart."
Heenkey : " When I was a young man I never
heard a word about Jesus or the Book. It was
after the missionaries came that our ears were
open and we began to locate our farms and build
fences. This is how we heard about Sunday.
We were cutting poles and Mokeen called out,
* Stop ! stop ! We must not work to-day.'
When I went for my horses another man said,
* Don't work to-day ; just cry to the Lord.' He
was against Christians and this was funny talk.
This man stands very high to-day in the Jesus
road. He used to be strong for the devil but
now he is strong for Jesus. I will call out his
name : Kokom. About the same time there war
a mescal eat near Saddle Mountain and I was
there. After I became a Christian I went again
to talk to the young men about JesuSo One of
them said to me : * We don't want any of your
talk and we don't want you to come here. We eat
mescal and gamble and dance and we don't
want your advice. Our hearts are our own and
we can do what we please.' One day after
that I saw that young man in here and he said :
* I used to walk on all the bad roads but I have
given them all up.' I will call out his name :
Dangerous Bear. I used to be the same as these
men I have been talking about. I want the mis-
CHRISTMAS 1902 205
sionaries to know that I tried to stay away from
Jesus but I couldn't do it. He brought me in.
Jesus is stronger than the devil. There are just
two things I like ahead of everything else — com-
ing to church and working on my farm. These
are the only two roads I walk on now. I love
it ! I love it ! I love it ! I cannot stay away.
I tell you I love this church and I try to walk
straight for Jesus' sake. I have spoken."
At the foot of the tree crouching on the cold
bare floor beside the missionaries and interpreter
an Indian woman and three young men pro-
fessed heartfelt conversion through the power of
the Holy Spirit. Kneeling beside them Oueototi
gave to Jesus His usual birthday gift.
Sunlight Mission, $15.30; Baby Band, $13.80;
Interpreter's salary, $13.55 ; Church, $66.35.
(Total building fund, $855.02.)
But the joy in the presence of the angels of
God was over the four sinners repenting more
than over the $108.99.
February 2, igoj. It was impossible for both
of us to leave so the Bear-woman made the road
to stay at home (with a neighbor) while I went
into camp for payment.
First I visited the school, made my bow to the
Agent and stafi and then chatted and giggled
a while with Mrs. Dunn, the Superintendent.
My ! my ! my ! How often during these long
206 KIOWA
years of *' hard labor '^ have this splendid woman
and her husband taken me in, hungry, dirty,
muddy, half drowned and looking like a tramp
to brush me, and shake me, and soothe me, and
feed me, and laugh with me, and then push me
into a nice clean room where there was always a
roaring fire, a big pail of soft water, soap, and a
bed covered with plenty of good warm '* I D '*
blankets. Never, never, never shall I forget
their kindness !
February gth. Returning from the afternoon
meeting in the pelting rain I tied up my tent
early, lit the oil-stove and attacked the Christmas
letters. I had not written half an hour before
the tent began to flap vigorously, water sifted in
from above and poured in under the canvas.
Stacking things up as well as I could I waddled
to the cot on my heels, spread the raincoat over
it and took off shoes and skirt and stowed them
under the pillows. Then I donned a thick flan-
nel kimono, a hood, bedroom slippers and a pair
of warm wristlets. Turning back the bedding I
got in, wound my skirts well down about me,
wrapped my feet in a shawl, tucked everything
up out of the water, laid down, pulled the quilts
up over my head, adjusted my Conversation tube
so I could pipe in air, wiggled a little, and then
said to myself : " Now let the wild world wag as
it will, ril be gay and happy still." Forgot my
AN IMPORTANT CAMPING TRIP 207
prayers, ironed the damp sheet with my cast-
iron constitution and slept like a log.
February loth. Before I was up Indian faces
peeped in to see how I had weathered the storm.
The rain, striking the long hump in the bed
caused by the anatomy of the missionar^^, had
splashed to the ground on both sides, and I lay
in state, the proud possessor of an island home.
It rained all day and seated on the cot with my
feet on the dish-pan, turned bottom side up, I
wrote fifteen letters, my head covered with one
layer of raincoat and my back and bed with the
other. The dogs were a botheration. No sooner
would I clear the tent and get back to my exalted
position than long rows of noses and paws would
begin to appear under the canvas. Finally I
struck on a plan that worked like a charm. Mak-
ing a pile beside me, on the cot, of various ar-
ticles I wrote on till a quarter of a dog was in the
tent. Sometimes it was a frying-pan that struck
it, sometimes a pot cover, a butcher knife, scis-
sors, a can opener, quilt pegs, a whisk, soap, The
Standard^ The Ca7tadian Baptist^ The Saturday
Evening Post, Tidings, etc. It made no differ-
ence what was sent after him, the result was al-
ways the same ; a shrill bark, a quick turn, a
scramble and a swish of the vanishing point.
About five o'clock I bundled up and waded
over to see Abe-ham. The father signed, '* I
208 KIOWA
just do one thing. I sit all day and pray for
Abe-ham. To-morrow I will give you his last
Jesus money."
It was dark when I returned, too wet for a
meeting and too cold to write so I went to bed
immediately after supper. It was so cold the
water froze the cot to the ground. There was
nothing to do but shiver and shake till morning.
There are people who would have gotten up
and knelt in prayer but I wanted to fight to keep
up circulation. It is ** Believe on the Lord Jesus
Christ '^ that saves, and giving the Gospel to
every creature that proves the sincerity of the
belief. Then why should I feel condemned be-
cause I didn't want to pray with the cold chills
running up and down my spine ?
February nth. Late in the afternoon Gahbein
appeared and with bowed head and trembling
hand prayed and handed in Abe-ham's last Jesus
money (five dollars for Baby Band and five dol-
lars for the church). All hope was abandoned.
February 12th. A dog darted out of my tent
almost throwing me on my back as I came in
after the evening meeting. I chased him from
under every wagon, hack and buggy but with
none effect. The cot was wet and sloppy — dog-
on-it I It was so cold, I got up and put rolls of
batting down my back in the middle of the night
There was a goose to pick in the morning
AN IMPORTANT CAMPING TRIP 209
February i^th. Snow, wind, sleet and frost.
In North Dakota it would be called a blizzard.
Don't talk to me about " a strenuous life." I
don't call it strenuous to hunt lions and bears on
a dandy horse in jolly company, in good health,
in good clothes and in good spirits. And I don't
call it strenuous to chop wood and carry water
when you have both handy and donH have to do
either. And I don't call it strenuous to do lots
of other things when you are full of the best food
in all lands with an occasional 'possom thrown in I
February ijth, Simday, The camp-call rang
out:
** Come ! come ! hurry and come !
The storm is bad.
The wood is low.
Everybody bring one stick.
Come ! come ! hurry and come ! "
Wood arrived with every worshipper and as
the ice melted on the top of the tent great sheets
of water poured down upon the heads, backs and
laps of the listeners. Nobody dodged or smiled.
It is not the Indian's road to be surprised.
One testimony was interesting : ** You all know
me. Me and my wife get all stirred up some-
times. After it is over I try all I can. I take
her on the neck and kiss her."
February rgth. Saddle Mountain at last !
Lucius unloaded the stuff in the yard and hur-
210 KIOWA
ried on home. The Bear-woman beamed from
the door. Seizing the tent poles I ran to the
shed and fairly fired them up on their high shelf.
Both bounded back. One struck me across the
forehead and the other square on the nose.
Clapping my handkerchief up to catch the blood
I sat down to cry. There wasn't a drop. The
Bear-woman took me on the neck and kissed
me. There was a bag about that neck contain-
ing $i66.8i. ($131.15 of the amount was quilt-
earned money and $144.98 of the total was for
the church.)
Hurrah ! Hurrah I Hurrah I The one thou-
send dollar mark for the building fund had
been reached in the storm ! Hurrah ! Hurrah !
Hurrah I
Total Receipts :
Indian contributions $ 355.98
Missionaries 65.69
Unsolicited :
" Rock Island Officials 200.00
" Dutch Reformed Indians... 30.00
" Chinese, San Francisco and
Oakland 12.50
" White friends 7.50
Curios sold 8.50
Pelts 8.20
Quilt money 311-63
Total » ^1,000.00
Hurrah again I
IX
The Opening Day — Organization a7id Dedication
— The Fii'st Lord' s Supper — Minding their
own Biisi7iess — Carrying the Gospel to the
Giwst-Dajice Cajnp — Aliss Bare' s Departure
— The Divine Call — The V^ote for a White
Pastor to Train Lucius — A Noii- Voter — The
End
APRIL 12, 1903. Seven years ago to-day
we held our first gospel service on Saddle
Mountain Creek with the rain pouring
down and " every creature " crowded into a
small two-room house. As Easter Sunday fell
upon the same date as the anniversary it was
unanimously decided that we celebrate both days
by the formal opening of the new church.
Owing to the tremendous strain of the winter's
work, the limited quarters and the near approach
of the organization and dedication, we did not
plan an elaborate service. No special invitations
were issued. There were no big guns from a
distance, no opening sermons and no closing
benedictions but the glory of the Lord filled the
place and His name was exalted among the
people.
As we were about to close the morning meet-
211
212 KIOWA
ing an Indian jumped up. " I know it 'tain't my
turn to talk/* he said, " but I can't keep still any
longer for the tears is coming out on my skin all
over. Now you fellers — now — to-day — in this
new Jesus House we want you to give your
hearts to Him. You have been making fun of
us all these years, saying : * The Saddle Moun-
tain Kiowas are crazy for they can never build
a church.' We did not build it. We pushed
hard to send the Gospel to the Hopis and Jesus
pushed hard for us. He done it and He will do
more wonderful things for you in your heart to-
day if you open and let Him in. We are pray-
ing for a Kiowa young man to be our pastor
now and when He answers this, our hearts will
be full up."
Boton had passed away and it was Ah-mah-
hah, wife No. 2, who arose. Wrapping the
blanket more tightly about her she said with
quivering lips : ** Many times the Holy Spirit
has spoken to my heart but I have held back.
They would not take me in when my husband
lived. . . . To-day when my little son stood
up in this new Jesus House and read from the
Book, the Holy Spirit touched me again and I
get up to tell you I have given my heart to Jesus
and am ready to be baptized as soon as I have
a chance."
Mrs. Dunn kindly postponed the Easter Exer-
cises at the Government School in order to let
THE OPENING DAY 213
the children in our district, about thirty in
number, come home for the celebration. Many
of them had been prayed for before they were
born, and had given to send the Gospel to others,
and to the building fund since before they could
remember. Some were saved and some were
unsaved.
In two long rows they stood dressed in their
pretty school uniforms, and the parents were in-
vited forward to bid them welcome. It was a
thrilling moment. In the twinkling of an eye
the whole congregation scrambled up off the
floor and made a rush to the front. Parents
clasped children, children clasped parents, pray-
ing and crying, laughing and singing. Aside
from the rest with eyes filled with tears Gahbein
stood. " Oh 1 Abe-ham, my son ! my son ! "
he sobbed.
May. We, the undersigned, have inspected
the work of the contractors and are more than
satisfied with the way in which they have filled
the contract in every particular.
Akometo. Doybi. Dawtobi.
As these Inspectors marched proudly to the
front "to touch the pen" every heart accom-
panied them and when they turned to go back
every face burst into smiles and pent-up feelings
escaped in song.
214: KIOWA
We had planned for a simple building in order
to send the Gospel to others. True, we had
dreamed of artistic beauty but our ambitions
only included a stone foundation, four walls, a
floor, a "ling, a chimney, two doors and windows
of plain glass.
Living beauty cannot be transferred to canvas.
Nature did not express all that was in the loving
heart of God. A Living Sacrifice made moun-
tains, hills and valleys speak. The Great Spirit,
the Creator, saw the mission in Hopiland, knew
the living burning sacrifice it represented and
breathed upon the poor little plans for our
church. Instead of four walls He gave us six,
instead of plain ceilings He gave us panels, in-
stead of cheap windows He gave us stained
glass and instead of an empty belfry He gave us
a bell and a clock. It was truly the beauty of
the Lord that filled the place.
Atcgtist 28-jOy ipoj. It was no fun getting
ready for the great event. The contractors
began work on the house the same day that
they finished the church. As the den (taken
over by the Society) was to be dining-room and
kitchen for the new house, a door was cut
through as soon as the framework of the new
building was up. By securing extra help we got
possession as the last sun sank. How we
worked ! Shavings, lathes, sawdust, split nails
OEGANIZATION AND DEDICATION 215
and general debris were sent skiting out the up-
stairs door, down over the veranda, and mops,
sapolio, clean rags and water were handled
vigorously.
A little door had been cut through np-stairs
into the space above the den and in tlub" we had
been storing various supplies for weeks. As we
had every single thing in readiness it did not
take long to settle.
Cots were the main articles of furniture and
we made them up with the whitest of sheets and
pillow-cases and dainty pink comforts. Biscuit
boxes covered neatly with white oilcloth served
as wash-stands and smaller boxes covered with
cretonne for seats. Humble furnishings, per-
haps, but they brought 7nahogany feelings to us
two girls. There was not the slightest danger
of either of us threatening ** to go home to-mor-
row," now.
Miss Bare was in her room making her toilet.
Let me say that over again ; in her room making
her toilet. How civilized it sounds. I was ar-
ranging my beloved books in my room, before
making my toilet. Think of it. Suddenly the
door burst open and in bounded Mrs. Parker,
Captain Parker, Miss Parker, Mr. Rowley and
Dr. Williams, all from Chicago. Captain Parker,
as Vice-President of the Rock Island Railroad,
had brought the party to Mountain View in his
private car and knowing that we would be
216 KIOWA
crowded brought tents which were soon set up
in the yard.
Dr. and Mrs. Murrow and Miss Burdette were
the other guests from a distance. How sorry
we were not to be able to entertain in the new
house all the tired missionaries, but the thing
was out of the question.
They were Rev. and Mrs. Clouse, the faithful,
from the Kiowas at Rainy Mountain, Rev. and
Mrs. Deyo, the plodders from the Comanches at
Fort Sill and poor sick Mr. Hamilton and Miss
Jayne from the Cheyennes and Arapahoes at
Watonga. Rev. and Mrs. Hicks from Elk Creek
were absent but not forgotten.
Escorting Miss Burdette to my bed I said :
"During my employ by the Women's Baptist
Home Mission Society you have had me in
many a tight place. It affords me inexpressible
pleasure at this time to be able in a measure to
return the compliment. This is my famous box-
bed. In it I sleep in the winter time and on it
in the summer. During this celebration you are
to sleep in it and if necessity arise I will shut
down the cover and sleep on it as usual." How
the laughter went up through the lathing ! Miss
Bare and I, though aching in every joint, were
supremely happy.
It was interesting to watch the visitors all give
little starts as they entered the church. '* Well !
well ! well I " said Captain Parker, rubbing his
OEGAXIZATION AND DEDICATION 217
hands and glancing all round from floor to ceil-
ing. " Well ! my ! You certainly have built a
pretty little church away out here."
*' How much is it worth ? " I ventured to ask.
" Twenty-five hundred at the very least."
(The Indians paid one thousand and the
Women's Baptist Home Mission Society four
hundred for the industrial rooms.)
Colonel Randlett marched to the middle of the
building with military step, took in everything
with one sweep of his quick eye and swallowing
hard said : *' Why 1 We haven't anything like
this at Anadarko."
Mrs. Parker hugged us all up tight in her arms
and said : " Why didn't you tell us you were go-
ing to be so grand ? "
But Miss Burdette was the proudest of all.
Every time I caught her eye during the eventful
days that followed it seemed to say : " My dear
Isabel, you have not been a model missionary.
You have given us many a merry chase, but this
church certainly is a model. It goes beyond my
highest expectations."
Sunday was the big day. The Indians' much
beloved and '* long-time-ago-friend," Dr. J. S.
Murrow, was naturallv master of ceremonies.
The first two days had been given over to
hearing testimonies from the sixty-four members
who had been dismissed from Rainy Mountain
to form the new church. Now the great cere-
218 KIOWA
mony was to take place. The interpreter re-
sponded to all questions. Poor Lucius 1 His
heart hit him so hard he could hardly speak.
" Is it your desire to give this house to God ? "
asked Dr. Murrow. ** Yes, yes, sir," came the
answer, with the emphasis on the sir.
" Is there any debt on the building ? " Debt ?
debt ? debt ? That sounded familiar. With per-
haps one or two exceptions all were in debt and
ever had been, but debt on the Jesus House ?
That was a different thing. ** No sir ! " came
the answer triumphantly. A big Bible and the
keys of the church were then handed over and
that finished Lucius. He couldn't have said,
** Yes sir," or '' No sir " again without medical
assistance.
Rev. H. H. Clouse gave the Articles of Faith,
Rev. R. Hamilton, Church Covenant, Rev. C. E.
Deyo, Words of Recognition, and Miss Burdette
offered the dedicatory prayer. ** God's-Light-
upon-the-Mountain " Mission Circle had been pur-
posely let die that, Phoenix-like, ** God's-Light-
upon-the-Mountain Baptist Church " might rise
from its ashes. Miss Bare was chosen clerk
and treasurer and the following nominated as
deacons : Gahbein, Akometo, Tonemoh and
Spotted Horse.
" I trust you have prayed earnestly," said Dr.
Murrow, '' and selected men full of the love of
Jesus. Are you ready to vote ? "
OEGANIZATION AND DEDICATION 219
With a face as sober as a judge Odlepaugh
arose and said : ** I am first motion.'* "And I am
second motion," said Mon-cha-cha, with equal
gravity.
Six candidates were received for baptism and
then all scattered for dinner, "crazy with happy"
as the Indians expressed it.
The afternoon service was given over to the
visitors, Dr. Murrow presiding.
Commissioner Leupp had been expected but
at the last minute hastened on to Washington,
sending a contribution to the plate (which was
put in the pew fund).
Colonel Randlett was introduced first. ** This
is not the agent's day," he said. " It is the
preacher's day. This is not a council room, but
the House of God. I am sorry I am not a
preacher instead of an agent. I would rather
be an honest, sincere preacher who has led a
single one of you on the Jesus road to stay, than
to have all the glory that has come to me as a
soldier or an Indian agent. You may lose your
faith in agents and maybe in preachers but have
faith in God. I am glad your missionaries have
taught you that it is a part of religion to work.
I have seen Indians of many tribes but I never
saw any who built for themselves such a church
as this. I may not be with you again but I hope
some day to meet you in the Beautiful Home
where we shall know one another better than we
220 KIOWA
have here. I shall certainly remember this day
to the close of my life."
Captain Parker, carrying a splendid big "Stars
and Stripes," came handsomely forward next.
" I suggest," he said, " that when Colonel Rand-
lett ceases to be your agent you secure him as
your pastor. I am glad to be here to-day.
Some years ago I saw this magnificent valley
and mountain for the first time but I did not
know much about the people. Later I heard
that you wanted to build a church and I was
privileged to help a little. To-day I have seen
its dedication. You have worked hard but you
will be better for it. I have brought to your
church the flag of our country and yours.
Washington wishes its Indian children well.
Law rules the universe. By obeying the laws of
the Great Spirit you become strong in body and
strong in soul and best honor your flag, your
country and your God. When you see this flag
think on these things."
It was Miss Burdette's turn next. Eee I but
she was happy and her heart hit her hard too.
" My heart is big with joy to-day," she said.
** Jesus has been my Leader for nearly fifty years
and I stand here to tell you He has been a Good
Leader. Your church is beautiful ! beautiful I
beautiful I " Then she told how she had been
interested in the Indians since before the Jesus
Women's Society was organized when her Sun-
ORGANIZATION AND DEDICATION 221
day-school class sent Dr. Murrow twelve dollars
to help with the work.
At the close of her talk she, Dr. IMurrow,
Captain Parker, and Colonel Randlett were all
led to the front by Indian escorts. Popebah pre-
sented Miss Burdette with five dollars for the
new Training School. Sape-mah presented Dr.
Murrow with five dollars for his Indian Orphan-
age. Mabel presented Captain Parker with
five dollars for his new church in Chicago and
Akometo presented the agent with bow and
arrows to add to his splendid Indian collec-
tion.
Of course there were responses and then away
we all went like the breeze to a natural bap-
tistry in the foot-hills of the mountains where
the six happy converts were buried beneath the
wave.
Dr. Williams preached in the evening, the
deacons were ordained, the right hand of fellow-
ship was extended to " the first borned " and
then with singing, crying, laughing, praying and
hand-shaking the celebration closed.
An Indian woman summed up the feelings of
the whole Kiowa settlement in these words :
** When I seen our Jesus House going up with
my two eyes my heart began to grow and as the
church got bigger my heart got bigger and
bigger and bigger. To-day it is all busted to
pieces."
222
KIOWA
Charter Members
1. Lucius Aitsan
2. Mabel Aitsan
3. Amos Aitsan
4. Minnie Aitsan
5. Jessie Aitsan
6. Akometo
7. Doymah Akometo
8. Tonacho
9. Odlepaugh, son of San-
tanta
10. Ananthy Odlepaugh
11. Spotted Horse
12. Hattie Spotted Horse
13. Kokom
14. Popebah Kokom
15. Tonemoh
16. Tone-gah-gah
1 7. Keapetate -Tone - gah -
gah
18. Papedone
19. Sapemah Papedone
20. Dawtobi
21. Gee - ah -ga -hood le
Dawtobi
22. Mon-cha-cha
23. Mrs. Mon-cha-cha
24. Ate-umbah Domot
25. Mahyan
26. Longhorn
27. Ba-ah-tate-Longhorn
28. Gahbein
29. Heenkey
30. Satezadlebe
31. Hoke-do-dah
32. Queototi
33. Agoptah
34. Addletape Satezadlebe
35. Guonemah
36. Agomah
37. Stella
38. Ruth Odlepaugh
39. Bettie Odlepaugh
40. Fanny Kokom
41. Bessie Kokom
42. Wesley Kokom
43. George A-he-ah
44. Herman Bahlah
45. Mrs. H. Bahlah
46. Julia Hunt
47. Taryule
48. George Hunt
49. Blanche Kokom
50. Mrs. Tonemoh
51. Robert Onko
52. Felix Thompson
53. Dick Boton
54. Mrs. Queototi
55. Mrs. Apole
56. Mina Domot
57. Whitefeather
58. Chaino
59. Mrs. Chaino
60. Eddie Longhorn
61. Ah-to-mah
62. Captain Hall
63. Mrs. Hall
64. Isabel Crawford
Julia, Ahtomah, Mahyan and Sapemah were members
of the church before the work began at Saddle Mountain,
and with very few exceptions all had heard the Gospel b^
Kokom the Sexton and wife Pope-bah
J"J
THE FIRST LORD^S SUPPER 223
fore from faithful missionaries of various denominations,
especially Revs. Methvin (Methodist), Fait (Presbyterian),
Carithers (Cumberland Presbyterian), Hicks and Clouse.
September 12th, The Indians had asked re-
peatedly: ''When we build our Jesus House
may we have the ' Jesus Eat ' (the Lord's Sup-
per) and mind our own business?"
To-day the Ordinance was explained care-
fully. " It is a simple service, so simple that any
church can observe it whether it is rich or poor,
large or small. It is a Church Ordijiance and
should not be carried into associations, conven-
tions or any other place. It belongs to the
Church and the Church only. Jesus wanted to
give His children some simple things to do in
remembrance of Him. His Gospel was simple,
most of His talks were simple. His life was
simple, the Holy Spirit's work was simple and
everything Jesus did was plain and simple and
full of heart.
After He had eaten His las' 'upper with
His disciples He just leaned o\ r, picked up
a piece of bread and breaking it said : ' This
is my body broken for you ; eat it and
remember me.' They did not understand but
they did what He told them. Then He poured
out a cup of red grape juice saying : ' This
is my blood shed for you.' They did not
understand yet but they drank it and won-
dered. He only said : * Do this often for my
224 KIOWA
sake/ and after singing a hymn they all went
out.
Not till after Jesus was crucified did they un-
derstand what it meant and then they remem-
bered. Ever since, all over the world, big
churches and little churches, with pastors and
without pastors, observe this simple ordinance,
not because the members love one another so
much but because they love Jesus more and want
to obey His exact commands."
Lucius was the unanimous choice of the
church as administrator. (They voted on it first
Indian way, and then white way without a dis-
senting voice.)
September 2jth. The account of the first
Lord's Supper was read. Lucius and the dea-
cons took their places. Prayers were offered.
The elements were handed by Lucius to the
deacons and from the deacons to the people, in-
cluding the missionaries.
A thank offering of $10.25 was given. They
sang an hymn and went out.
It was Gahbein who spoke : " All you young
men look at me. I am half blind but when I
passed the bread and wine I was not ashamed,
for I remembered Jesus. I have a son, a little
son and I love him very much. He is with
Jesus now but when I look at his picture on my
coat I remember him. It is kind of Jesus to ask
MINDING THEIR OWN BUSINESS 225
us to look at the bread and wine and remember
Him the same way. Oh Abe-ham I my son, my
son 1 '*
December 2^thy Saturday. Christmas, 1903,
was one never to be forgotten. When the giv.
ing-to-Jesus time came the congregation went
wild. They rushed to the table in crowds and
the money tumbled into the four baskets at such
a rate that no correct accounts could be kept.
There were $102.70 in cash, and $100 in pledges
for a church at Hog Creek. It was touching to
see fathers with little children in their arms,
mothers with babies in theirs and other children
clinging to both, giving money by families into
the treasury of the Lord. One woman elbowed
her way to the table holding a handkerchief by
one corner with money knotted in the other
three. Some of the members who could not be
present sent money from ten to fifty miles.
A china pig was brought in with this letter :
I want you to know that I send this pig with
some money in it for Baby Band for my little
son Judson. I remember the very night the
Lord gave him to me. It was August loth, in
the morning before day came. The first thing I
thought of was this, when my mother told me he
was a boy : '' Oh, Father in Heaven I I am so
thankful that Thou hast been watching over me
and my son. And now wilt Thou be with me
226 KIOWA
while I raise him. Teach me how to keep him
well." I am sorry I cannot be with you. Be sure
and pray for my little son Judson.
Blanche Kokom.
A beautiful silver communion service, the gift
of our kindly agent, was cause for special enthu-
siasm but " Thank you, Jesus ! Thank you, Jesus !
Thank you, Jesus ! You have been kind to us
and saved six of our poor lost souls ! " were the
way-ahead signs made, as one after another
blanketed form passed out into the starlight after
the first Christmas tree in the completed church.
On Christmas (Sunday) morning the happy
converts w^ere examined after making their talks.
Botallee : " Before I was converted I came
twice to this church. I was so surprised, for I
heard something very new. Before I came I
never hunted for Jesus anywhere. Now I be-
lieve Jesus has changed my heart and the Holy
Spirit has made me come forth."
Chaino (in tears) : ** He is my brother. I have
been praying for him very earnestly and now I
am so glad I don't know what to do. I try to
take care of myself in the bad places and you
must do the same."
Questions :
" Botallee, do you believe you are truly con-
verted ? Has the Holy Spirit shown you the way
and not yourself ? If you take the Jesus road are
MINDING THEIR OWN BUSINESS 227
you going to let the old roads go ? Are you
willing to work for Jesus and for yourself? "
Answer :
" There is just one bad thing I like. Cards.
Since I began to get ready to follow Jesus I never
go near where they are. I believe Jesus will
help me to cut off this bad road. I believe I am
truly converted, for Jesus has saved me."
Onko : '' I am a very quiet man. When I
heard the Gospel I was so anxious to be saved
that I went to all the camp-meetings hunting for
Jesus. I heard that * the little water-road ' was
not true so I stood, stopped and prayed very
earnestly to the Great Father to show me the
way. The Holy vSpirit has brought me here. I
believe * the big water-road ' is right."
Question:
" My cousin, I know your heart and I am much
pleased with you. Are you willing to work for
Jesus and help with the work over here ; and are
you going to plow more ? "
Answer : ** Yes."
Nancy : ** My heart is my own. Nobody can
boss it but myself. I have given it to Jesus. It
is full of * happy ' because I have started on the
Jesus road."
Question :
" You live a long way ofF, where no churches
are. It will be hard for you to stand fast. Are
you going to teach your children right ? "
228 KIOWA
Answer : " Yes I am."
Sophie Akometo : " Because both my parents
are Christians I " overcome with tears.
Questions :
'* Are you sure you really love Jesus in your
heart? Do you want to be baptized to please
Him and not your parents ? Does the Holy
Spirit make you know you are saved ? "
Answer : *' Yes."
Saudle : " I give myself to Jesus with all my
heart and I believe He has forgiven me all my
sins. My husband has been praying for me so
long. I am glad I have found the way."
Question :
" If you are really converted are you going to
cut ofiE the cards and the dance ? "
Answer : " Yes."
Domdadle : " I was just like sick for Jesus
last night. I did not look for Him right before.
He is the only One who can save me. I have
given Him my heart and I believe He has saved
me and forgiven my sins. I am only a woman
but I will lead my children right."
Long Horn made the talk to the converts :
*' When a man has a chill he shakes. I am so
happy to-day because so m.any have been saved
that I shake for joy all over. I am an old man
and I know all about the old Indian religions.
There is no power in any of them. Jesus' road
has the power. Your souls are saved now and
MIXDIXG THEIR OWX BUSINESS 229
Ti^'hen you finish this life your body will drop off
and be put into the grave but your souls will go
up to Jesus. He will put new flesh and new
skins on them and then you will never die."
Heenkey arose : " Who will baptize these peo-
ple? We have had the 'Jesus Eat,' but there is
no one to do the baptizing. We ought to have
an Indian pastor. Once I raced on the Fourth
of July. They did not think my horse was very
good but it came out ahead and the people
clapped their hands and hollered. The mission*
aries have trained us and we are going faster and
faster. Lucius is in the lead. We want him to
be our pastor that our hearts may laugh."
The candidates were baptized as usual at Rainy
Mountain by Pastor Clouse. After the Christmas
rush was over I sent for the interpreter and said :
" Now, Lucius, listen. We must take time for a
little talk. You know your people are constantly
asking if you can be their pastor and I want to
explain everything very carefully to you again.
The church is a spiritual organization. God's
plan is that the pastors shall be spiritual leaders,
and all the members spiritual also, because the
work to be done can only be accomplished through
spiritual power. Men can go to school and study
to be anythi72g they choose — doctors, lawyers,
teachers, etc., anything except ministers. God
chooses the men for the ministry. He called
Samuel three times before he knew what it meant.
230 KIOWA
He called Paul just once, suddenly. Both men
knew in their hearts that they were called. 1/
God wants you He will call you. The voice of
your people is 7zot the voice of God, Now let us
pray."
Thoughtfully the reply came later: *'I have
prayed a whole lot about it since I understood
about the spiritual call business. I told Jesus I
was willing if He wanted me, but I would not
put myself in. He has said nothing back to my
heart yet. I think myself I can do better work
for Him interpreting. Every time you talk I ask
Jesus to just let me say what He tells you and
not put in no words of my own. I think this is
what Jesus wants me to do, but I will keep look-
ing to Him for orders right along, I have
spoken,"
February 2y, igo^. A committee had been
appointed at Christmas time to visit three " stray-
ing mem.bers " and to-day it reported. Spotted
Horse said : ** I invited my cousin to eat dinner
with me to make her heart glad first and then
I said to her : * You are a Christian. You have
joined the Ghost-Dance. The Christians are all
sorry and have sent me to ask you what is in
your heart and bring them back words,'
She replied : * It it true. I used to go to
church and I wanted my eldest son to pick up
the Jesus road and I talked to him about it. He
Deacon Spotted Horse Deacon Gal-bein and Son
(In native dress)
MINDING THEIR OWN BUSINESS 231
loves mescal and the missionaries kick it, so he
joined the Ghost-Dance and took the feather and
I joined with him. Jesus is coming July 15th at
twelve o'clock.'
I said : * Are you going to throw away the
Jesus road and stay with the Ghost-Dance ? Do
you want time to think about it ? You know if
Christians pick up another road we scratch out
their names. Shall we wait for you ? '
She did not answer but put down her head."
Gahbein gave in his report next. **You 'pointed
me to see my aunt. I was sorry to do it but I
went for Jesus' sake. I said to her this : * You
have walked on the Jesus road for a long time
and now you have walked off it with your feet
(danced). Why have you done it ? Think
about it and tell me so I can tell the others.'
She said back to me this : ' You are like my
own son and I am always sorry for you. You
got no children. They come and go. I know
you trust in Jesus with all your heart then why
won't He let you keep your children ? He loves
you not. That is why I joined the dance road.'
It was like fire in my heart and I said : ' Are you
going to stay on that bad road and do you want
your name cut ofT ? Answer me that.' She said :
* Cut my name ofT. I am going to stay with it.' "
The other weak one said : " I have no bad
feelings against the church. My brother led me
ofi and I have missed the Jesus road. I must
232 KIOWA
follow on now and if my brother goes to hell I
must go with him. I know the missionaries love
me but I can't help it. Jesus is coming July 15th
at twelve o'clock."
The joint committee made the following recom-
mendation : " We have talked it all over very
carefully. Jesus wants us to keep clean His spir-
itual church and we have to do it. Two have
cut themselves off but one did not answer and
put down her head. We think we should wait
for her till she answers after July 15th at twelve
o'clock."
The report was accepted and acted upon and
then poor sick Domdadle arose and said : *' I
was glad to hear the Gospel to-day. I am sick
but Jesus is a wonderful helper. I have a little
money I don't want to keep back from Him."
Advancing to the table she took the cover off her
Jesus-money-barrel and taking out of it a piece
of purple velvet produced from its folds two
cents and said : *' This is the first money I saved
for Jesus after I was converted." Then in order
came a five-cent piece, a ten, a quarter, another
quarter and a fifty-cent piece, in all $1.17. " Jesus
has helped me right along and my Jesus money
has grown bigger and bigger day by day. I am
a happy woman giving it all to Him to-day, for
He has done so much for me. I want all my
brothers and sisters to pray for me."
"I want to tell ycj Christians something,"
MINDI^'G THEIR OWN BUSINESS 233
said Pie-gad. *' All the tribe calls me a very
wicked man and I know it. The Christians are
against me but the great Father and Jesus want
to save me. I belonged to the Rainy Mountain
Church and tried hard, but they cut me off and
then I got mad and tried to hurt them. The
Holy Spirit told me a great many times to stop
it but the devil held me fast. I want to start
again on the Jesus road and join this church if
the Christians will help me."
I replied, "We are all glad you feel that you
have sinned, for you have. That is true. Jesus
and your brothers and sisters will forgive if you
ask them and show that you are sorry. If I
should steal something from Lucius I would not
go to Kokom and ask him to forgive me. You
must go back to the Rainy Mountain Church and
ask for forgiveness. If it takes you back and you
walk straight for a while it will give you a letter
to join with us. Then you must come back to
your farm and go to work."
Lucius : " Miss Crawford, he is a very wicked
man and very weak but we all want to help him.
We better 'point two strong Christians to go
with him to help him through for he may not go
alone."
The committee was appointed but the repent-
ance was not unto good works.
March 12, 190 j, SuncJiy. " We have had an
2S4 KIOWA
awful fire,'' said Lucius. ** It came over the
hills so fast that we had to burn out to meet it to
save the church. It made me think of the judg-
ment and I was sorry for those not saved.
Some of you have brothers and sisters lost
and you ought to try hard to get them back
from the fire. We ought to go to the Ghost-
Dance camp regularly for if they are not saved
when Jesus comes they will be all burned up.
Let us work together strong, not lazy on the
Jesus road ; let us be lively teams ; let us be good
workers. There is no other Friend like Jesus and
no other Saviour.''
Odlepaugh, Ananthy, Spotted Horse, Hattie
and myself were appointed to go to the Ghost-
Dance camp the next Sunday although this ob-
jection was raised : ** The men are all right but
the devil will beat the w^omen and make them
talk about something else."
March 20th. The Indian men, with Tonemoh
added, went. All the women but myself stayed
at home. With eyes and mouths firmly set
and limbs somewhat trembley they entered the
crowded medicine tepee. The meeting was in
session but Indian courtesy turned it over to us.
I said a few kind things, talked a while about
" The altar to an unknown God," and then called
upon Lucius. Ke was nervous but decided and
among other things said : *' If you could make
CAERYING THE GOSPEL 235
my two eyes see Jesus in this tepee and you said
to Him : ' This is Lucius, Jesus,' I would not be-
lieve it. I would say : ' Jesus, you told us in
your Book what to believe and I believe it and I
won't believe anything else.' "
Odlepaugh spoke with heaving breast :
" Amon, you and I were boys together. We
parted when I picked up the Jesus road. You
know me very well. I had a very bad temper
and hurried up to get mad always. You see I
am getting over it. I go to the Jesus House and
listen, and listen, and listen, and I try, and try,
and try and it is Jesus and His Holy Spirit who
are helping me.
We have not come over here to talk about
ourselves but to bring you God's message. We
are hungry to have you give your hearts to
Jesus."
Tonemoh was the coolest of all. He said :
*' You all know me also. I used to eat mescal
every time I got a chance. You don't see me
there any more. I keep going, going, going to
the Jesus House, getting spiritual food from the
Book and now^ the devil does not temptation me.
We have come here to-day to try and help you
find the Jesus road."
Poor Spotted Horse was almost overwhelmed
but after a terrible struggle managed to speak.
*' You all know^ what a 'shamed (bashful) man I
am. I'm 'shamed about everything. When I
^36 KIOWA
was growing up I was so ^shamed I hided myself
and never went where the crowds were. After I
gave my heart to Jesus I was changed altogether
but it is hard for me to talk yet.
In my heart I am not 'shamed of Jesus. He
has done wonderful things for me and I love
Him very much. I am not ashamed to stand
before Jesus and tell you I'm saved. I want you
to open your hearts to Him and let the Holy
Spirit show you the way to be saved. You all
know my father and mother stand with you on
the Ghost-Dance road. I have talked to them a
little about finding Jesus but I was so 'shamed it
was hard. After to-day I won't be so 'shamed
and I will talk to them plainly Jesus has saved
me and that is why I am not 'shamed to come
here to-day and ask you to look for Jesus. If I
do not shake hands and laugh and talk with you
you must not mind. In my heart I shake hands
with you and want you to be saved."
Amon thanked us for the visit, invited us to
come again and said they were all ready to be
saved as soon as the Holy Spirit showed them
the way.
One by one we filed out of the tepee. Silently
we got into our carriages and with faces turned
to the Jesus House followed the new roads back
to our homes.
Going into all the world and preaching the
Gospel to every creature is a very difTerent thing
Deacon Tone-moh Deacon A come-to
(The deacons all wear citizens' clothing now)
LIISS BARE'S DEPARTURE 237
from giving it to your relations and friends at
home.
September isL Miss Bare ** is going home to-
morrow " all right, to be married to a man
named Cooper/ It is a piece of black hand
work. (See page 162.) What shall I do without
her?
ASSOCIATIOxNAL REPORT, 1905
Gospel meetings, loi. Missionary and in-
dustrial meetings, 43. Funerals, 6. Letters
written, 914. Miles travelled (not railroad), 687.
Money raised, $549.95 (including $270 quilt
money). Received by baptism, 25. By expe-
rience, 2. By letter, i. Total 7nembershipy 100.
Lord's Supper administered by pastors, 7. By
Lucius, 2. Omitted, 3.
December. The agent has written congratu-
lating our Indians on having the best crops this
year of all the tribes of the agency. The gov-
ernment reports are all in. Hurrah I
June i2y igo6. The Association met at Saddle
Mountain. How proud we were of the church,
the dining hall (costing $1,003.79 — over $700 of
the amount quilt money), the beautiful baptistry,
Mrs. Topping (the house mother), the windmill
and our $724.79 Jesus money for the year I Miss
Burdette and Mrs. Donnalley from " away back
238 KIOWA
East " and Miss McLean and her two Hopis
(our spiritual papooses) were the special guests.
It was fitting that little Sarah Aitsan, who
gave the first dime and dollar to the building
fund, should be among the forty-nine candidates
baptized in the new baptistry.
; But another event of great importance took
place.
In response to a special call the church as-
sembled and Lucius made the following state-
ment :
'* Ever since this church was organized many
of you have wanted me to be the pastor. I've
only been to school four years so I told you that
I did not want you to push me in. I knew that
Jesus would talk to my heart if He wanted me to
do this work and that is why I held myself back.
I wanted to hear His voice first and I kept think-
ing— thinking — thinking and praying a whole
lot. It was at Watonga I heard the whisper
first. I had been thinking very carefully and I
thought this : ' If I am pastor all the boys who
went to school and are smart will laugh at me
and the Ghost-Dance people too.' But my
heart said : * Never mind if they do ; you will
be a great help to your people.' When I felt
this I said : * No use for me to be afraid to work
for Jesus and my people.' Then Jesus spoke to
my heart and this is what He said : * Lucius,
you have worked for Me many years and picked
THE VOTE FOR A WHITE PASTOR 239
up My words right along. I want you to do
this work for Me.' When I heard this my heart
just Uke shook. It moved and hit very fast and
then I knew that God had called me. Look at
me. How poor I am to serve the Lord. I am
not fit to be the pastor of this church but if
jesus wants me to be I'm willing. I have
spoken."
The deacons responded and with one consent
all began to say : "We have had another great
blessing from the Lord."
** After long agony
Rapture of bliss
Strange was the pathway
Leading to this."
Dear Miss Burdette :
On Sunday, August 19, 1906, thirty-one
of the thirty-four members present of the Saddle
Mountain Church voted to ask for a pastor for
one year to teach Lucius. We write to inform
you of the fact and to ask that you attend to the
correspondence relative to the matter.
IVritteii on behalf of the churchy
Isabel Crawford.
P. S. I beg leave to state that the coming of
a pastor to Saddle Mountain will be in accordance
with my most earnest endeavor for nine long
years. I have worked for it, talked for it and
prayed for it and at last when the end seems
almost in sight I find my heart straining itself
to keep back the glad shout of victory. Not
240 KIOWA
because it is my way but because it is His way
that a New Testament Church should have as
its head a vtaii called of God and set apart by
his brethren to perform the duties of pastor.
I. C.
August 2^th, Odlepaugh called. After sit-
ting in a brow7i study for a long time he finally
signed : ** When anybody else gets mad I al-
ways get madder. I did not vote. I drove to
Elk Creek (forty miles) and went to church there.
I have come here to-day to make a talk to you.
A long time ago when the white people took my
father to jail he got mad, jumped out the win-
dow and was killed. It is the Indian road when
anybody is captured or killed like that for the
nearest relative to go on the war-path and get a
scalp. Big George's brother, Comahty, Kiowa-
Bill, Honeyme-a-daw, "White Buffalo, Apole»
Paudlekeah, Papedone and others now dead
went with me a long way of?, to where the v/hite
people lived. We hid along the river till we saw
three men coming and then we sprang out and
our arrows killed two. The other got away.
We scalped the two we killed and left their
bodies in the middle of the road to skeer other
white people coming along. When we got home
we put the scalps on a long pole and danced
round it. M3/ heart was happy then for I had
got even about my father.
Another time we went ofi[ on the war-path. I
A NON-VOTER 241
was about twenty. We hid along a river in
Texas and soon a white man in a little buggy
driving a mule came along. We jumped out at
him and took off his hair. He had a leather bag
and we cut it all to pieces wdth our knives and
scattered the letters everywhere. We did not
know what money was then and some of the
young men brought the bills home with them and
rolled them into cigarettes and smoked them.
Old Odlepaugh gathered a big ball of them
and put them in his shield which was buried with
him.
Another time Long Horn, Ahtape, Mon-cha-
cha, Red Eagle and others now dead went on
the war-path. They saw a wagon with four
mules coming with two soldiers and the pay chief.
They sprang out of the timber, killed and scalped
the chief, tore up the money bags and got away.
The two soldiers jumped into the river and swam
across. We shot at them but did not hit them.
When the white Jesus man comes I will tell
Him these dangerous stories and He will get
* skeered ' and run and I will be glad. I want
Him not. I stand with the Jesus women. I have
spoken."
Chicago, 4026 Grand Boulevard.
My dear Miss Crawford :
It w^as such a disappointment that you
could not have arrived yesterday in time for the
Board meeting that we might have seen you and
242 KIOWA
assured you of our love and tenderest sympathy.
It was my privilege to read to the members of
our finance committee your wonderfully beautiful
letter to the Saddle Mountain Church. I say
yours — yet it seemed more like the Master's
message to His loved ones and surely His spirit
dictated that letter.
We, ourselves, could not keep the tears back
and our hearts go out with a great loving tender-
ness to you and the band of noble Christians at
Saddle Mountain.
I cannot but hope that in time Lucius will be
the ordained pastor and you will be back to help
guide and instruct as in all these faithful years
past. We are praying that God will guide and
make known His will in this matter and that He
will tenderly care for His Indian children until
His will is accomplished.
That He will sweetly rest and comfort you as
He alone can — and through it all know you have
our love.
With tenderest love,
(Mrs. John) IDA S. NUVEEN.
December ^y igo6.
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