Aug. 13, 1904.] 
FOREST AND STREAM 
133 
Osage River, and on the next day turned up the stream, 
heading for the Osage villages, where they were to leave 
a part of their Indians, and were to impress on the Osages 
the power and importance of the United States Govern- 
ment. Game was quite abundant, and deer and turkeys 
were killed daily; two, three,' five, and on one day even 
nine deer having been taken, for the large body of men 
required considerable food. 
There was trouble with the Indians from time to time. 
Some became jealous of their wives, and quarreled with 
other men ; and on one occasion there was some pilfering. 
But, on the whole, Pike managed the Indians extremely 
well. On the 14th of August a canoe was met coming 
down the river, manned by engagees of Mr. Chouteau, of 
St.. Louis, by whom Pike sent letters to General Wilkin- 
son. Relatives of the returned Osage prisoners came out 
to receive them. The meeting was very tender and affec- 
tionate, "wives throwing themselves into the arms of 
their husbands, parents embracing their children, and 
children their parents; brothers and sisters meeting, one 
from captivity, the other from the towns; they at the 
same time returning thanks to the good God for having 
brought them once more together; in short, the tout en- 
semble was such as to make polished society blush when 
compared with those savages, in whom the passions of- the 
mind, whether joy, grief, fear, anger, or revenge, have 
their full scope." 
Sans Oreille (one of the Osages) made them a speech : 
"Osage, you now see your wives, your brothers, your 
daughters, your sons, redeemed from captivity. Who did 
this? Was it the Spaniards? No. The French? No. 
Had either of those people been governors of the country, 
your relatives might have rotted in captivity, and you 
never would have seen them ; but the Americans stretched 
forth their hands and they are returned to you ! What 
can you do in return for all this goodness ? Nothing ; all 
your lives would not suffice to repay their goodness." 
This man had children in captivity, not one of whom the 
party had been able to obtain for him. 
In the Osage village Pike was well received, but a few 
days in the town and its neighborhood showed him some 
of the uncertainties of attempting to deal with a strange 
people. He had great difficulty in purchasing horses for 
his intended trip to the Pawnees, and ' where he had 
secured horses, some of them were stolen from him. 
However, after considerable difficulty, he got started, 
taking with him a number of Osages, warriors and chiefs, 
whom he wished to have make peace with the Pawnees, 
and also some of the redeemed Pawnee captives. From 
the very start, however, the Osages were a trouble to him, 
for they were constantly leaving him to return to their 
village, urged to do so by dreams or by laziness, or perhaps 
by fear of what their reception might be among the 
Pawnees. From the Osage village Pike traveled nearly 
south along the Osage River for several days ; and then 
turning west, crossed Grand River, a tributary of the 
Arkansas, and going nearly due west to the head of this 
stream, crossed over the divide to the Smoky-Hill fork 
of the Kansas River. Along Grand River game was very 
abundant, and here we have a glimpse of a quality in 
Pike which we must admire. "On the march," he tells us, 
"we were continually passing through large herds of buf- 
falo, elk, and cabrie [antelope], and I have no doubt that 
- one hunter could support two hundred men. I prevented 
the men shooting at the game, not merely because of the 
scarcity of ammunition, but,' as I conceived, the laws of 
morality forbid it also." 
On September 22 they began to meet Pawnees ; and two 
days later others joined them, who possessed mules, 
horses, bridles, and blankets, which they, had obtained of 
the Spaniards. Only a few of these Pawnees wore breech 
cloths, most of them being clad only in buffalo robes. 
On September 25 Pike had come close to the Pawnee 
village, which was situated on the Republican fork of 
the Kansas River, quite a long way above the mouth of 
the Solomon. Preparations to receive them, and to smoke 
with the Osages, were made by the Pawnees. The visit- 
ing Indians sat down on the prairie, and the whites were 
a short distance in advance of them. The Pawnees came 
out from their village, halted about a mile from the 
strangers, and then, dividing into two troops, charged 
down upon them, singing their war song, shouting the 
war cry, rattling their lances and bows against their 
shields, and in all respects simulating the character of 
genuine warfare. The two bodies of Pawnees passed 
around the strangers and halted, and the chief of the 
Pawnees advanced to the center of the circle and shook 
hands. One of the Osages offered the chief a pipe, and 
he smoked. The whole party then advanced to the 
village, and when near to it again halted. Again the 
Osages sat down in a row, facing the village, and now 
some of the Pawnees' came to them with pipes and in- 
vited one and another to smoke; the Osages did so, and 
each received from the man whose pipe he smoked a stick, 
which represented a horse. These Pawnees no doubt be- 
longed to the Republican ^ Pawnees, or Kitkahahk tribe, 
the second in importance of the three Pawnee tribes. 
Four days later a council was held, at which not less 
than 400 warriors were present.' Pike's notes of this inter- 
esting occasion were seized by the Spanish authorities 
later, and he never recovered them. He gives, however, 
this interesting flag incident: "The Spaniards had left 
several of their flags in. this village, one of which was 
unfurled at the chief's door the day of the grand council-; 
and among various demands and charges I gave them was 
that the said flag should be delivered to me, and one of 
the United States' flags received and hoisted in its place. 
This., probably, was carrying the pride of nations a little 
too far, as there had so lately been a large , force of 
Spanish cavalry at the village, which had made a great 
impression on the minds of the young men, as to their 
power, consequence, etc., which my appearance with 
twenty infantry was by no means calculated to remove. 
"After the chiefs had replied to" various parts of my 
discourse, but were silent as to the flag, I again reiterated 
the demand for the flag, adding 'that it was impossible for 
the nation to have two fathers ; that they must either be 
the children of the Spaniards or acknowledge their 
American father.' After a silence of some time an old 
man rose, went to the door, took down the Spanish flag, 
brought it and laid it at my feet; he then received the 
American flag, and elevated it on the staff which had 
lately borne the standard of his Catholic Majesty. This 
gave great satisfaction to the Osage and Kans, both of 
whom decidedly avow themselves to be under American 
protection. Perceiving that every face in the council was 
clouded with sorrow, as if some great national calamity 
were about to befall them, I took up the contested colors, 
and told them 'that as they had shown themselves dutiful 
children in acknowledging their great American father, 
I did not wish to embarrass them with the Spaniards, 
for it was the wish of the Americans that their red 
brethren should remain peaceably around their own fires, 
and not embroil themselves in any disputes between the 
white people ; and that for fear the Spaniards_ might re- 
turn there in force again, I returned them their flag, but 
with an injunction that it should never be hoisted again 
during our stay.' At this there was a general shout of 
applause, and the charge was particularly attended to." 
The raising of the American flag by Pike in the village 
of the Pawnee Republicans on September 29, 1806, marks 
perhaps the first formal display of that flag by a soldier 
in the territory west of the immediate banks of the Mis- 
sissippi River. This has properly been regarded as an 
occasion of very great importance, and one well worthy of 
commemoration. The Historical Society of Kansas on 
September 30, 1901, unveiled with appropriate ceremonies 
a monument to Pike at Cortland, Kansas, a point which 
has been identified as the site of the ancient Kitkahahk 
village at which he stopped, when he held his council with 
the Indians, and took down the Spanish flag and raised 
that of his own country. 
For some days Pike remained with the Pawnees, and 
these must have been days of more or less anxiety. The 
Indians had no sentiments of attachment for either Amer- 
icans or Spaniards, but they had undoubtedly been much 
impressed by the greater power of the Spaniards, as evi- 
denced by the expedition which had but just left them, 
and they were not without fear that wars might occur be- 
tween the representatives of the different nations, from 
which wars they would gain nothing, and might lose 
much. The Pawnee chief endeavored to turn Pike back, 
saying that he had persuaded the Spaniards to forego 
their intention of proceeding further to the east, and that 
he had promised the Spaniards that he would turn back 
the Americans. He told Pike that he must give up his 
expedition and return, and that if he were unwilling to do 
this the Pawnees would oppose him by force of arms. 
Pike, of course, declined to turn back, and intimated that 
an effort to stop him would be resisted. 
For some days now he was trading with the Indians for 
horses, but they were unwilling to sell them, and some of 
those newly purchased disappeared. However, on the 7th 
of October he marched from the village, moving a little 
west of south. The lost horses had by this time been 
returned. On the second day out he was overtaken by about 
one-third of the Pawnees, who remained with them only a 
short time. A little later Pike's party discovered some elk, 
which they pursued; and those running back in sight 
of the Pawnees were chased by them. "Then, for the 
first time in my life," said Pike, "I saw animals slaugh- 
tered by the true savages with their original weapons, 
bows and arrows; they buried the arrow up to the plume 
in the animal." 
They met Pawnees from time to time for a few days ; 
and on the 15th, Pike and Dr. Robinson left the party, 
and lost them, not finding them until the 18th. Their 
camp was on the Arkansas River, where Pike built 
boats, to send Lieut. Wilkinson and some men down the 
river, and so back to the settlements. On the 28th, 
Lieut. Wilkinson, in a skin canoe, made of four buffalo 
and two- elk hides, and one wooden canoe, proceeded 
down the river. The party consisted of Lieut. Wilkin- 
son, five white men, and two Osage Indians. 
From here for a long distance Pike's route lay up 
the Arkansas River. Soon they came into a country 
abounding in buffalo, antelope and wild horses. The 
antelope were so curious that they came up among 
the horses to satisfy their curiosity, and the men could 
not resist the temptation of killing two, although they 
had plenty of meat. At the report of the gun the 
game "appeared astonished, and stood still until we 
hallowed at them, to drive them away." Herds of 
horses were seen, which came up very close to the 
command. An effort was made to rope some of the 
wild horses, but as the animals ridden by the men 
were slow, and the ropers were without experience, 
the attempt was unsuccessful; and of this Pike says: 
"I have since laughed at our folly, for taking wild 
horses in that manner is scarcely ever attempted, even 
with the fleetest horses and most expert ropers." The 
method pursued by the Spanish in Texas to capture 
wild horses, was not unlike the old Indian fashion of 
taking buffalo: "They take a few fleet horses and pro- 
ceed into the country where the wild horses are numer- 
ous. They then build a large strong inclosure, with a 
door which enters a smaller inclosure; from the en- 
trance of the large pen they project wings out into the 
prairie a great distance, and then set up bushes, to in- 
duce the horses, when pursued, to enter into these 
wings. After these preparations are made they keep 
a lookout for a small drove, for, if they unfortunately 
should start too large a one, they either burst open the 
pen or fill it up with dead bodies, and the others run 
over them and escape; in which case the party are 
obliged to leave the place, as the stench arising from 
the putrid carcasses would be insupportable; and, in 
addition to this, the pen would not receive others. 
Should they, however, succeed in driving in a few, say 
two or three hundred, they select the handsomest and 
youngest, noose them, take them into the small ill- 
closures, and then turn out the remainder; after which, 
by starving, preventing them taking any repose, and 
continually keeping them in motion, they make them 
gentle by degrees, and finally break them to submit to 
the saddle and bridle. For this business I presume 
there is no nation in the world superior to the Span- 
iards of Texas." 
As they proceeded westward they found the prairie 
covered with buffalo, most of them cows and calves. 
Pike dilates on their numbers, and speaks of the ex- 
cellence of the flesh of the buffalo, which he says was, 
"equal to any meat I ever saw, and we feasted sumptu- 
ously on the choice morsels." From time to time they 
came upon the trail of the Spaniards, returning to their 
mountain homes, and counted the fires about which 
these people had encamped. Now their horses were 
beginning to grow poor and weak, owing to the scanty 
pasturage; and now, too, November 12, Pike passed 
beyond the borders of the present Kansas, and into 
what is now the State of Colorado. 
On November 15, "at 2 o'clock in the afternoon I 
thought I could distinguish a mountain to our right, 
which appeared like a small blue cloud; viewed it with 
the spy-glass, and was still more confirmed in my con- 
jecture, yet only communicated it to Dr. Robinson, 
who was in front with me; but in half an hour they ap- 
peared in full view before us. When our small party 
arrived on the hill they with one accord gave three 
cheers to the Mexican mountains. Their appearence 
can easily be imagined by those who have crossed the 
Alleghanies; but their sides were whiter, as if covered 
with snow, or a white stone. Those were a spur of 
the grand western chain of mountains which divide the 
waters of the Pacific from those of the Atlantic Ocean; 
and the spur divides the waters which empty into the 
Bay of the Holy Spirit from those of the Mississippi, 
as the Allegh anies do those which discharge themselves 
into the latter river and the Atlantic. They appear 
to present a natural boundary between the province 
Of Louisiana and New Mexico, and would be a defined 
and natural boundary." On the same , day they came 
to the Purgatory River, or River of Souls. Here the 
Arkansas appeared to carry much more water than be- 
low, and was apparently navigable. 
George Bird Grinnell. 
[to be continued.] 
— « — 
A Knowing Rooster. 
"Cooney," a bantam rooster, is the most prominent 
figure in Seth Worth's boat shop in the shipbuilding 
village of Port Jefferson, N. Y. As a rule, the more 
pugnacious a man or beast is, the fewer friends he has; 
but Cooney's pugnacity and gameness is a. large element 
in rendering him the popular favorite he is. It is so 
funny to see a little fowl barely six inches high accepting 
a challenge from a six-foot man, and fighting him to a 
finish, that the visitor first laughs and then takes the 
courageous little biped to his heart. 
Cooney was hatched on Tuttle street, in February, 1897, 
and is now therefore seven years old. While still a mere 
chick his owner moved into the building next to Worth's 
shop, and Cooney at once made his headquarters in the 
shop, and refused to be ousted. This was the more 
singular as sawing and hammering were going on there 
all day, and there were many visitors. After ineffectual 
efforts to keep him at home, his master at last gave it up, 
and Cooney became a fixture of the shop. 
Then he enticed his mate, a sober, brown-hued hen, 
there. Presently the hen made a nest on a pile of shav- 
ings in a corner under a work bench, laid a litter of eggs, 
and in due time hatched three chicks, the other eggs hav- 
ing been addled, no doubt, by the pounding above the 
nest. 
While his mate was setting, Cooney held the fort, and 
offered the red gage of battle to all who entered. He 
had a most ungallant and unaccountable antipathy to any- 
thing feminine, and many a sedate miss and matron has 
been forced to beat a hasty retreat with Cooney hanging 
on to the hem of her gown, sometimes until dragged 
quite across the street. 
One of the chicks died, but two — a cock and a hen — 
lived. The cock soon showed himself a chip of the old 
block, and tried to whip his own father. Cooney bore his 
buffeting and strutting about with exemplary patience 
for a long time, but at last forbearance ceased to be a 
virtue, and there was a battle royal. At about the sixth 
round the young uostart was seen to gasp and beat a re- 
treat with drooping wings to a corner in which some 
leaning sticks promised protection, and there lay gasp- 
ing a long time, with a cruel wound from Cooney's spurs 
in his neck. Nor did he ever recover from the blow. 
Cooney is getting to be old now, as birds count age. 
Last March his mate died, and he was inconsolable. So 
much did he pine that his master feared he would die, 
and at an expenditure of thirtv-five cents procured an- 
other mate for him. She was very much like the first 
one, and Cooney accepted her as one raised from the dead. 
His eye brightened, his raiment assumed a livelier hue, 
and once more his defiant crow resounded through the 
environs. 
The little mate is now sitting on a nest full of eggs, 
and Cooney is again on guard. He considers it his duty 
to remain in the shop with her over night; but on this 
point Mr. Worth is inexorable. Toward sunset he will 
say, "Cooney, it's time to go to bed," and the bird will 
inarch out of the rear door, around the shop, and into the 
woodshed in the next building, where his roost is. 
Several times he has tried to induce Mr. Worth to let him 
occupy the dark loft overhead for the night. Toward 
nightfall he will approach the stairway leading to it, 
mount a step and crow, then wait to see if there is ob- 
jection. If not, he mounts another step and crows and 
waits; then another. Usually by the time the third step 
is reached he hears the stern command, "Cooney, come 
down! Go to bed!" and marches back and off to his 
roost. 
"That fowl knows as much as some humans," said Mr. 
Worth, recently. "He knows what is said to him, and I 
think he reasons. The other night, on going to roost, he 
found the wood-house door closed against him, and at 
once came back. I was sitting here as I am now, and he 
began picking at my feet and taking hold of my pants and 
pulling as if he wanted me to go with him. 'Well,' says 
I, 'something's wrong,' and I went with him and found 
the door shut." Chas. Burr Todd. 
A Florida farmer put out paris green to kill the birds 
which were ruining his oat crop. It killed the birds, also 
a $300 gray mare and two $200 mules. 
