INDIAN JUSTICE. 185 
most valuable, made their escape. This occurred within ten 
miles of Fort Belknap. 
The punishment of these murderers is an instance of the 
manner in which justice is done among these barbarous people. 
From information given by a boy who was with the Indians 
at the time the murders were committed, the commanding 
officer at Fort Arbuckle sent for the Kickapoo chiefs, and 
told them the murderers must be given up, at the same time 
a large reward was offered for their apprehension. 
The chiefs told him that they had been in council all night 
upon the matter; that they knew the murders were committed 
by two of their band, who were absent on assembling the men 
of the tribe, and that they had sent their people out by threes 
in search, so that any person meeting one Kickapoo alone, or 
two in company, might immediately arrest him or them. In 
a short time one of the murderers was arrested by his own 
people, firmly bound, and placed on horseback to be taken 
into the fort. A short distance from that place, he managed 
to free himself from his bonds, and throwing himself from the 
horse attempted to escape, but was immediately shot down 
and his dead body carried in and delivered to the officer in 
command. ‘The other made his escape, but after eluding 
pursuit for a time made his way to a village where his 
brother lived. Entering this, he commenced exclaiming in a 
loud voice, “I am the murderer of Colonel Stem, will no one 
take me and deliver me up for punishment?” In this way he 
reached his brother’s lodge, entering which, he said, “My 
