MooxEY] BOYS FROZEN P ODALA NTE KILLED 361 



111 liis official report, Captain Scott says : 



It was learned that three Kiowa boys had ruu away from the Kiowa school on the 

 9r]i [of .lauiiary, 1891], on account of a whipping the eldest one had received frcni 

 one of the teachers, Mr AVherrit. They had been overtaken by a snowstorm, the 

 most severe this country has seen for years, and had been frozen to death. The 

 body of the eldest, "Sailor" [from Setiif], about 14 years old, had been found, and 

 they were still searching for the other two. They had been trying to reach tlio 

 Kiowa camp on Stinlcing creek. The talk about the threatening attitude of the 

 Kiawas being in<iuired into, it was resolved into this, that some of the scliool cliildn-n 

 had s.'iid that "Mother Goodeye," a one-eyed Kiowa woman, related to one of the 

 dead children, had said that if slie caught Mr Wherrit she would stick a knife into 

 him. This, coupled with the fact that the woman afterwards denied having said it, 

 would not seem to demand the presence of two troops of cavalry. It was said that 

 Mr Wherrit had hid himself the day before, and had fled the agency during tlio 

 niglit to escape the coming wrath (From report- of Cnptain H. L. Scott to Post Adju- 

 tant, Janvary IS, ISOI; copy in Indian Office, 5070-lSOl). 



On the same subject the agent says : 



The loss of the three boys who ran away from the Kiowa school aud were frozen 

 to death in the snow, was an occurrence which might have been productive of most 

 serious results. It speaks well for the Kiowa Indians that it not 

 only was passed without such consequences, but seems to have left 

 no prejudice against the school. It has been most gratifying to 

 me on several occasions during the year to note the growing spirit 

 of self-control among these people, and their desire to stand by 

 lawful authority {Report, 114). 



SUMMER 1891 



There was no sun dance, and consequently, instead of 

 the medicine lodge, the Set-t'an calendar has the square 

 iuclosure to show that he stayed at home. fiq. igo-Summer 



The event of the summer was the killing of P'odalii'nte isai-pvuiaiafl. 

 (abbreviated P'o^t'>7te), "Ooming-snake," in Greer county, cheveuiie. 

 Oklahoma. He was shot by a young white man in self 

 defense, as it was claimed, while endeavoring to recover a horse which 

 he said had been stolen from him: he had .sent a boy after tiie animal, 

 but the holders had refused to give it up except to the owner. 

 P'odalii'nte himself then went after it and a dispute followed, resulting 

 in his death. It is said he was shot as he was loosening his gun from 

 its scabbard at the saddle. The Kiowa claim not to know the par- 

 ticulars, as no other Indian was with him at the time, but say that he 

 was notoriously quarrelsome and rough in his manner. The shoot- 

 ing occurred opposite the mouth of Elk creek. It is indicated on the 

 Sett'an calendar by means of a human figure, with blood flowing from 

 a wound in the side, standing above the square iuclosure, with a 

 snake behind it to show the name. Anko records it for the following 

 winter, q. v. 



The Anko calendar records for this summer a visit made by the Kiowa 

 to the Cheyenne, indicated in the usual place for the medicine lodge by 



17 ETH 37 



