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30 chapters
OUTDOOR LIFE and INDIAN STORIES
OUTDOOR LIFE and INDIAN STORIES
MAKING OPEN AIR LIFE ATTRACTIVE TO YOUNG AMERICANS BY TELLING THEM ALL ABOUT WOODCRAFT, SIGNS AND SIGNALING, THE STARS, FISHING, CAMPING, CAMP COOKING, HOW TO TIE KNOTS AND HOW TO MAKE FIRE WITHOUT MATCHES, AND MANY OTHER FASCINATING OPEN AIR PURSUITS ——ALSO—— STORIES OF NOTED HUNTERS AND SCOUTS GREAT INDIANS AND WARRIORS, INCLUDING DANIEL BOONE, KIT CARSON, GENERAL CUSTER, PONTIAC, TECUMSEH, KING PHILIP, BLACK HAWK, BRANDT, SITTING BULL, AND A HOST OF OTHERS WHOSE NAMES ARE FAMOUS ALL OF THEM T
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OUTDOOR LIFE FOR YOUNG AMERICANS
OUTDOOR LIFE FOR YOUNG AMERICANS
What boy can resist the call of the woods, the desire to know the forest and its furred and feathered inhabitants, the fish, the insects, the plants? But to gather this knowledge in safety the boy must first learn the ways of the woods, the life of the camper, how to cook and find his way by the stars, how to tie knots and what to do in case of accident, the language of signs and the secrets of the trail. There is no better way to do this than to study the methods of the Indians, the most expert
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Making a Camp
Making a Camp
METHOD OF THATCHING A LEAN-TO The first thing to be considered on going into the forest is the camp where the night is to be spent. In choosing a place for this see that there is fresh water, wood for the fire and brush-wood for building a "lean-to," or hut, at hand. It is well to build on a dry, level place, with just enough slope to the ground to insure the water running away in case of rain. The Indians used to live in huts thatched with brush-wood, and these are best made by building what is
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How to Make Fire Without Matches
How to Make Fire Without Matches
In olden times, before the Indians had matches, and even before they had the flint and steel that our grandfathers used for making fire, they used rubbing-sticks. Many people have tried to make fire in this manner, but few have succeeded. As a matter of fact, it is not a very difficult thing to do if you know how, as the Indians did. In fact, they grew so expert that they could make fire almost as quickly as we can strike a match. The easiest and surest method of doing this is to use the bow-dri
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How to Get Pure Water
How to Get Pure Water
A very necessary item for the camp is pure water. If this cannot be obtained from a nearby spring which has good, clear water, or from a clean stream, it is possible to filter it in the same way that the Indians did. They had a way of purifying water from a pond or swamp by digging a hole about one foot across and down about six inches below the water level, a few feet from the pond. After it was filled with water they baled it out quickly, repeating the baling process about three times. After t
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How to Cook in Camp
How to Cook in Camp
The problems of the camp cook are not nearly so great as they seem at first glance. The essential thing is to select your cooking equipment and supplies wisely and learn a few simple recipes in advance. An excellent cooking kit for a long outing is composed of the following utensils: One 12-inch frying pan, one coffee pot, one 6-quart pail, one can opener, six air-tight canisters for coffee, tea, sugar, salt, etc., a knife, fork, teaspoon, tablespoon, plate, bowl and cup for each person in the p
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How to Make a Bow and Arrow
How to Make a Bow and Arrow
HOW TO MAKE A BOW AND ARROW In early days the Indian did not have the modern hunting rifle, and was compelled to use bow and arrow in the chase. It is well for the modern boy to understand this weapon, for it can be made with ease and much good fun can be had with it. The Indian bow was short, because, though less efficient, it was easier to carry than a long one, yet it did not lack power. We hear that many times Indians shot so hard that their arrows appeared on the far side of the animal, but
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How to Read Signs and Signals
How to Read Signs and Signals
The Indians are very expert at using signs to give messages to one another. These signs are made in many ways and vary with the different tribes. Some of those best known are: Shaking a blanket, which means "I want to talk to you." Holding up a knife or other weapon means "war" or "I am ready to fight." Holding up a tree branch, "I want to make peace." Holding up a pole horizontally with both hands on it, "I have found something." Blazes or marks on trees are widely used to communicate messages.
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How to Tie Knots
How to Tie Knots
Every boy is familiar with rope and its uses, but not every one is able to handle it to the best advantage. In camping and fishing, and particularly in any sport that has to do with the water, a knowledge of how to tie knots is of the greatest value and interest. Often one's very life depends on a knot holding. A good knot has three qualities, it must be easy and quick to tie, it must hold fast when pulled tight and must be easy to untie. There are a number of knots which meet these requirements
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How to Find Your Way by the Stars
How to Find Your Way by the Stars
It is very important that those who frequent the forest should be sufficiently familiar with the stars to be able to tell their way by them. Often a compass is lost or damaged or there is not enough light to see the landmarks. At such a time a knowledge of how to find the Pole star is invaluable for, to the experienced woodsman, a glimpse of this star is equivalent to consulting a compass. It is really the most important of the stars we see, although not a very bright one, because it marks the N
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What to Do in Case of Accident
What to Do in Case of Accident
DROWNING 1. Loosen clothing, if any. 2. Empty lungs of water by laying body on its stomach and lifting it by the middle so that the head hangs down. Jerk the body a few times. 3. Pull tongue forward, using handkerchief, or pin with string, if necessary. 4. Imitate motion of respiration by alternately compressing and expanding the lower ribs, about twenty times a minute. Alternately raising and lowering the arms from the sides up above the head will stimulate the action of the lungs. Let it be do
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THE ORIGINAL AMERICANS
THE ORIGINAL AMERICANS
Indian always attracts attention. I have no doubt that all the boys and girls who read these pages have seen one or more Indians. You do not have to go to the mountains and prairies of the West to meet these "original Americans," for they live among us; many of them attend schools of their own in different parts of the country, and some of them are engaged in business. For years past the football club of the Indian School at Carlisle, Pennsylvania, has ranked among the best, as more than one of
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CHAPTER I
CHAPTER I
THE ORIGINAL EMPERORS OF VIRGINIA POWHATAN AND OPECANCANOUGH The first permanent settlement made in the original thirteen States was at Jamestown, Virginia, by the English in the spring of 1607. The settlers were at once brought in contact with two famous Indians, to whom we must now give attention. The London Company, formed for the planting of colonies in the New World, sent three ships across the ocean in the month of December, 1606. They carried one hundred and five men, but no women, and we
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CHAPTER II
CHAPTER II
THE GREAT CONSPIRACY A WILY CHIEFTAIN AND HIS SECRET The great emperor Opecancanough, of whom we have already told you, hated the whites even more than his brother Powhatan. He was a warrior of rare skill, much the superior in all respects to Opitchapan, the successor of Powhatan. Before the death of the latter, Opecancanough secured the title of king over the free tribe of the Chickahominy. This chief was never a friend of the whites. He had several quarrels with them, and had not been king lon
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CHAPTER III
CHAPTER III
ADVENTURES IN NEW ENGLAND THE INDIANS AND THE PILGRIMS OU have all heard of the hardy Pilgrim Fathers. The Pilgrims landed at Plymouth, Massachusetts, in 1620. Several wooden huts were built, ground marked off, and the company divided into nineteen families. Thus was made the first permanent settlement in New England, several former attempts having ended in failure. Those early pioneers, who were a sturdy, God-fearing people, had a rough time of it from the beginning, and before spring came, one
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CHAPTER IV
CHAPTER IV
THE UNCROWNING OF A KING PHILIP'S ADVENTURES AND DEATH MEDICINE MAN When Massasoit, the friend "tried and true," of the English, died, he left two sons,—possibly more, but only two figure on the pages of history. The oldest was Moanam, or Wamsutta, and the second Metacomet, the former being heir to the chieftaincy of the Wampanoags. Before the father died, he brought his two sons into the open court at Plymouth, and asked that each be given a Christian name, in token of his wish that the good un
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CHAPTER V
CHAPTER V
A MAN OF MARK AMONG THE DELAWARES STORY OF TAMMANY, WHITE EYES AND CAPTAIN PIPE AMMANY was the most famous of the Delaware Indian chiefs. He died toward the close of the eighteenth century. His reputation is that of a mighty warrior, a lofty patriot, and the greatest statesman ever born among his people. Such were his perfections that his countrymen believed he talked with the Great Spirit. In 1776, when Colonel George Morgan, of Princeton, New Jersey, was sent to the western Indians by Congress
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CHAPTER VI
CHAPTER VI
THE GREATEST OF INDIAN CONSPIRATORS PONTIAC, CHIEF OF THE OTTAWAS We are now to learn of another great American Indian,—one who ranks beside King Philip and Tecumseh, and whose career stamped itself upon the history of the frontier. This native leader was Pontiac, chief of the Ottawas. Down to the opening of the last half of the eighteenth century, England and France were the leading rivals in colonizing America. The English planted their settlements along the coast, while the vast territory to
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CHAPTER VII
CHAPTER VII
A BESIEGED GARRISON THE ATTACK ON DETROIT ET us now return to Detroit. Its experience is without a parallel in the history of our country. Never before was a town of importance held in a state of siege for more than a year by Indians. That such a remarkable thing took place was due to the genius of the master mind, who held the turbulent savages to their work, when the task of waiting is the most distasteful that can befall their race. Pontiac had to foresee the means of providing his forces wit
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CHAPTER VIII
CHAPTER VIII
A GOOD INDIAN LITTLE CARPENTER, THE CHEROKEE The great cavalry leader, General Sheridan, once said that the only good Indian was a dead one. It is unfortunate that the amicable relations of William Penn and the Indians could not have been more lasting and more widespread. Often the latter, with their savage instincts, were to blame for the feeling of hatred existing. But, on the other hand, many a red man has set a noble example to those who oppressed him. Such an Indian was Attakullakulla, a na
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CHAPTER IX
CHAPTER IX
A MIGHTY MINGO CHIEFTAIN LOGAN, THE ORATOR AND WARRIOR HE Mingo chieftain known as Logan, had a fame which reached the other side of the Atlantic; he was the author of perhaps the best known speech ever delivered by one of his race, and his life was marked by a pathos that must touch every heart. Logan was a chief like his father, but lived most of his life in the West, probably at Sandusky, or on a branch of the Scioto. A number of his warriors made their homes at these places. Why, if this chi
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CHAPTER X
CHAPTER X
AN INDIAN DEMOSTHENES RED JACKET, THE SENECA A SENECA WARRIOR RED JACKET was the greatest orator ever born to the American race. President Jefferson said of the words quoted at the close of the preceding chapter: "I may challenge the whole orations of Demosthenes and Cicero, and of any more eminent orator, if Europe has furnished more eminent, to produce a single passage superior to the speech of Logan." Yet that speech is the only notable one which, so far as we know, was ever made by the famou
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CHAPTER XI
CHAPTER XI
LITTLE TURTLE FIRST AN ENEMY, THEN A FRIEND T the close of the Revolution, the boundaries of the United States were the Mississippi River on the west, the St. Lawrence and Great Lakes on the north, and the thirty-first parallel on the south. But for the famous expedition of Captain George Rogers Clark in 1778, the western boundary would have been the Allegheny Mountains. Clark was an elder brother of Captain William Clark, who, with Captain Merriwether Lewis, made his memorable journey across th
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CHAPTER XII
CHAPTER XII
WARRIOR AND KNIGHT BUCKONGAHELAS, THE DELAWARE CHIEF MONG the leading chiefs who took part in the decisive battle at Maumee Rapids, when General Wayne smashed the Indian confederacy, was Buckongahelas, a sachem of the Delaware tribe. He was an orator of ability and a military leader of skill, with a humanity not often shown by one of his race. He took the side of the British until his attitude was changed by a certain incident, soon to be related. No missionaries toiled more faithfully among the
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A FAMOUS MOHAWK CHIEF
A FAMOUS MOHAWK CHIEF
ADVENTURES OF BRANDT, THE HALF-BREED OLONEL JOSEPH BRANDT, whose Indian name was Thayendenaga, was a chieftain of the Mohawk tribe. He was in fact a half-breed, who lived and acted so like the red men that few are aware of his mongrel blood. He was born about 1745, and was placed by Sir William Johnson in a school at Lebanon, Connecticut, where he received a fair education. On the eve of the Revolution, he went to England, was presented to King George III. and attracted much notice. A peculiar t
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A CHIEFTAIN ON THE WARPATH
A CHIEFTAIN ON THE WARPATH
ADVENTURES OF TECUMSEH, THE SHAWANOE ECUMSEH was an eloquent orator and a brilliant military leader. He was appointed a brigadier-general in the British army, and few or none of the English officers were his equal in all that goes to make a successful leader of men. He was a knightly foe, who never, so far as known, permitted the abuse of prisoners. Whilst yet in his teens and on the war path, he fought against the cruel practice and more than once forcibly prevented it. No man kept a promise mo
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ADVENTURES OF WEATHERFORD
ADVENTURES OF WEATHERFORD
CHIEF OF THE CREEK CONFEDERACY LIVING at the time of Tecumseh, was a chief of strong ability, though inferior to the great Shawanoe in the nobler qualities. He was Weatherford, the Creek leader, whose name recalls one of the most terrible incidents in the history of the frontier. It will be remembered that Tecumseh visited the Creeks, and when his burning appeals failed to rouse his listeners as he expected, he declared in his impatience that when he got home he would stamp the ground and it sho
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CHAPTER XIII
CHAPTER XIII
FIGHTING AGAINST FATE BLACK HAWK AND HIS WAR LACK HAWK was born on Rock River, in Illinois, about the year 1767. When only fifteen years old he took the scalp of an enemy and soon gained so much fame on the war path, that he became one of the foremost of leaders, and often headed parties of his people against other tribes. It was claimed by the majority of the chiefs and sachems of the Sacs and Foxes that the treaty made with Governor Harrison in 1804, by which their lands east of the Mississipp
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CHAPTER XIV
CHAPTER XIV
THE HERO OF THE EVERGLADES OSCEOLA AND THE SEMINOLE WAR HE first treaty of Payne's Landing, which was signed in May, 1832, required the Seminoles to give up all their lands in Florida and to go west of the Mississippi. Only seven chiefs signed the treaty for their people, nearly all of whom were bitterly opposed to it. In their rage they killed two signers, and replaced them with a bitter enemy of the project. One of the indignant chiefs, when asked to give his views of the Treaty of Payne's Lan
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CHAPTER XV
CHAPTER XV
SITTING BULL, THE MEDICINE MAN THE LAST GREAT INDIAN UPRISING N a slight elevation in a western town across which the gusty wind was sweeping, sat a stolid, glum-looking Indian, slowly writing his autograph on slips of paper and handing them out to the amused persons in front of him. The thrifty red man charged a dollar and a half for each signature, and was doing a thriving business. Not the ghost of a smile lit up the wrinkled, iron countenance, though now and then he grunted, which might have
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