The Project Gutenberg EBook of How The Raven Died, by Alfred Henry Lewis

This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or
re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org

Title: How The Raven Died
1902, From "Wolfville Nights"

Author: Alfred Henry Lewis

Release Date: October 24, 2007 [EBook #23173]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK HOW THE RAVEN DIED ***

Produced by David Widger

HOW THE RAVEN DIED

By Alfred Henry Lewis

From "Wolfville Nights," copyright, 1902, by Frederick A. Stokes Company

"Which 'f you-all is out to hear of Injuns, son," observed the Old
Cattleman, doubtfully, "the best I can do is shet my eyes an' push along
regyardless, like a cayouse in a storm of snow. But I don't guarantee
no facts; none whatever; I never does bend myse'f to severe study of
savages, an' what notions I packs concernin' 'em is the casual frootes
of what I accidental hears an' what I sees. It's only now an' then, as
I observes former, that Injuns invades Wolfville; an' when they does,
we-all scowls 'em outen camp-sort o' makes a sour front, so as to break
'em early of habits of visitin' us. We shore don't hone none to have 'em
hankerin' 'round.

"Nacherally, I makes no doubt that if you goes clost to Injuns an'
studies their little game you finds some of 'em good an' some bad, some
gaudy an' some sedate, some cur'ous an' some indifferent, same as
you finds among shore-enough folks. It's so with mules an' broncos;
wherefore, then, may not these differences exist among Injuns? Come
squar' to the turn, you-all finds white folks separated the same. Some
gents follows off one wagon track an' some another; some even makes a
new trail.

"Speakin' of what's opposite in folks, I one time an' ag'in sees two
white chiefs of scouts who frequent comes pirootin' into Wolfville from
the Fort. Each has mebby a score of Injuns at his heels who pertains to
him personal. One of these scout chiefs is all buckskins, fringes, beads
an' feathers from y'ears to hocks, while t'other goes garbed in a stiff
hat with a little jim-crow rim--one of them kind you deenom'nates as a
darby--an' a diag'nal overcoat; one chief looks like a dime novel on a
spree an' t'other as much like the far East as he save