MOONEV ] 



MONEY CAPTURED, 1832-33 



255 



is that of ii mail with tlie picture of a black wolf over his head and 

 joined to it by a line. The breecbcloth shows the figure to be that of 

 a man, the black wolf connected by a line expresses his name, while 

 the red spot with blood gushing from it between the shoulders shows 

 that he was shot through the body. Beside it is a very good picture 

 of a silver dollar to indicate the money captured. This last docs not 

 appear on the l)oh;is;in calendar, although the capture gives name to 

 the winter. 



According to the Kiowa story, a war party led by Tonp'odiil kyii'to, 

 "Lameold-man," met a small train in charge of a few Americans close 

 to South Canadian river [Gundal Ph(, " Eed river"), a short distance 

 below the entrance of a southern creek, which they call Tli'npeii' P^a, 

 "Skunkberry-bush river," about opposite the present town of Lathrop, 

 in the panhandle of Texas. They 

 call Americans Udiipoko^ " Trap- 

 pers," for the reason that the first 

 Americans known to the tribe were 

 trappers. Texans are considered 

 as of a different nation, and are 

 distinguished as TehlVneho from the 

 Spanish Tejano. In this instance 

 the Americans were traveling east- 

 ward, and as the place was remote 

 from any regular trail the Indians 

 were at a loss to know why the 

 whites were there. The Kiowa 

 attacked the train, killed several 

 of the party, and captured the 

 money, with the loss to them- 

 selves of but one man, Guikongya. 

 They found a few coins upon the 

 ground, but this being the first 

 money they had ever seen, they did not know its proper use, and so 

 beat the coins into disks to be fastened to straps worn attached to 

 the scalp lock, and hanging down behind (hence the name for money, 

 (V(lal-hitii'(/i/a, literally " hair metal"). After leaving the place they met 

 some Comanche, who already knew the use of money, and on hearing 

 the story told them the value of tlie silver pieces, ujioii which the Kiowa 

 returned and searched until they succeeded in finding a large quantity. 

 From this it appears that whatever trade the Kiowa had previously 

 carried on with the Spanish settlements had been by barter in kind, as 

 was usual along the Indian frontier in the early days. This was some 

 time before the beginning of regular intercourse with Americans. 



Gregg, the author of a most valuable account of the early Santa F6 

 trade, ])assed over tlie same gnmnd a few years later and gives full 

 details of the aflair with its tragic sequel. His description of the loca- 



Fig. 62— Winter 1832-.'i3— Money captured 



