4 8 4 



RECREATION 



yf^- 



A STRANGE CHIEF 



told the interpreter to tell him that they 

 locked up the store at night and went 

 home. 



"Yes, I know," said the Indian, "but 

 let us sleep here on the floor." 



John Davenport walked around the 

 Indian until he could see his eyes to bet- 

 ter effect. Then he looked at them in- 

 tently for a moment, smiled that smile 

 that the Indians knew so well, and gave 

 the white beard a peculiar toss, and 

 said, "Tell your Indians to get their 

 blankets and come ahead." 



While they were preparing their beds 

 the storekeeper tried to pacify the ex- 

 cited clerks and at the same time 

 counted out some change and left it 

 scattered on the counter, here and there. 

 Also took some small rolls of red rib- 

 bon from the shelves and left them at 

 intervals on the counter; put out the 

 lights, left the store door open for ven- 

 tilation and went home, wondering 

 whether he would still be doing a gen- 

 eral merchandise business the next day 

 or not. He did not know the Indians ; 



never had seen one of them before. 

 Did not know where they lived; all he 

 knew was that the Chief came and had a 

 small slip of greasy paper, on which was 

 written, "John Davenport, Colfax." 

 The merchant did not sleep much, al- 

 though it rained on the roof till day- 

 light, at which time he got up, and 

 without waiting for breakfast, went 

 down and peeped around the corner. 

 He saw dust coming from the open 

 door, and found that the Indians were 

 trying to sweep out. All greeted him 

 with a pleasant grunt and smile, and 

 as he walked lazily around to look at 

 his "traps," as it were, the money 

 and the red ribbons all were there. Not 

 even a finger print in the sugar barrel 

 was to be detected. 



By noon the Indians bought more 

 than their furs came to, and had es- 

 tablished a credit system that eventu- 

 ally meant much to the Indians of that 

 country, each Indian being numbered 

 and a small tag with a corresponding- 

 number kept by the merchant, the 

 number alone being charged on the 

 books with the amount of his purchase. 

 This news spread like prairie fires 

 which run over the bunch grass 

 of that district. Indians came from 

 greater distances and bought on the 

 credit system. Within two years there 

 were over one hundred thousand dol- 

 lars of Indian debts on John Daven- 

 port's books, and he did not know a 

 name. Indians came in great droves 

 and sold him all sorts of skins and 

 bought in return farming implements, 

 which their cayuse ponies would some- 

 times tear to pieces in the streets of 

 Colfax. The Indians and squaws would 

 shed tears at such reckless loss of 

 money, and come to the merchant to 

 find out what to do. Whereupon he 

 would laugh, with the peculiar toss of 

 his head, and give them more reapers 

 and loan them gentle horses till they 

 broke their Indian ponies to work with 

 safety. Indians came from miles to see 

 the man with the "white chinned beard," 

 as they called him. They seemed happy 



