after supper, stafford, feeling clamorously the need of a cigar, strolled back into the smoking compartment. it was already well filled, among the occupants being a colonel livingstone, a genial character with whom stafford had already become acquainted. he was greeted warmly and seated himself to engage idly in the desultory conversation which was going on.
"i wonder what breed of indians once inhabited this region?" queried one of the smokers. "they must have had poor picking."
"i don't know," said the colonel, "apaches, i imagine."
a drawling voice broke in, the owner of which was a young man, a person of such self-confidence, nerve and general up-to-dateness, that stafford whimsically christened him "the gallus youth."
"i know an indian story which is true," said the gallus youth. "do you want me to tell it?"
there was a general assent, the smokers subsided[20] comfortably in their seats, and from clouds of smoke the voice proceeded, the whole group listening, or at least, if not listening, keeping silence:
john lipsky's sign
probably nothing more strange and puzzling has ever happened, either in a great city or in the country, than what is to be told of here, and which relates to both.
when john lipsky bought the small barber shop on south clark street it occurred to him that he might increase his receipts a trifle by putting in a modest show-case containing cigars and cigarettes and tobacco; for lipsky, while a man with no vices, has a large family to support and is compelled not only to economize but to devise all means for adding to the defenses against the wolf at the door. when he bought the barber shop, which contained only two chairs, he was forced to make the investment on credit, as was also the case with the cigar and tobacco outfit. he was forced also to make certain repairs inside the shop, and found himself then without money and with a business not yet established, while the little lipskys kept on eating and wearing out clothes. he could not afford a[21] barber's pole, though the stripes painted on the door jamb had practically disappeared under the influence of wind and weather, and, at the same time, put out a sign to make it known to passers-by that he had cigars for sale. he might afford one of the signs, but, assuredly, not both. then to thrifty john lipsky came a sudden inspiration. why not combine the signs in one?
and here comes in what seems a key and yet may not be a key to happenings too remarkable for belief.
oswald shornstein is a sculptor working in a great establishment on the west side. his specialty in the sculptor's art is the making of wooden indians. shornstein's vacation last summer was spent in wisconsin, where he spent much of his idling time in the vicinity of an indian settlement near green bay. he formed the acquaintance of a prominent member of the dwindling tribe, a tough old hunter known as keeshamok—which, translated, means "bounding bear"—and they were often together, fishing and smoking and loafing throughout the pleasant summer days. when shornstein returned to town he entertained a feeling of decided friendship for the lazy but interesting winnebago.[22]
the sculptor's vacation had done him good, and he plunged with vigor into his work again, the more so because the supply of wooden indians at the time was hardly equal to the demand, and within a week he had produced a masterpiece.
shornstein had genius, but, in this case, genius had an inspiration. ordinarily shornstein made just an indian, but now it was different. it was a particular indian which came forth from the wood in response to his practised handiwork. fresh in the mind of the artist were the face and figure of the swarthy keeshamok, and, almost unconsciously, he reproduced them. the work was done. there upon his pedestal stood keeshamok of the winnebagos!
meanwhile what of lipsky? he had resolved to advertise shop and cigars at one fell swoop; he would buy a wooden indian and have him painted gloriously in colored spiral stripes from head to heel! he carried out his idea promptly and fate ordained it that the wooden indian bought by lipsky was the image of the winnebago, keeshamok. it was painted according to the barber's wildest design, and never was seen such a sign before! holy moses! it would have scared a wolverine! lipsky had been wiser than[23] he knew. from failure he had plucked success. the terrifying sign brought curious customers in scores; cigars sold rapidly and the business of the barber shop required at once another chair.
meanwhile had come november and hunting was good in the wisconsin woods. the indians were alert. keeshamok and a companion one day killed a deer and dragged it to the nearest village, where they made a sale. they staggered forth at dusk each whooping gutturally but joyously, and each carrying a mighty jug. they took the forest path for camp and pursued it weavingly but far, until, at last, keeshamok, somewhat the drunker, proposed a camp upon the spot and consumption of firewater all through the deepening night. his companion refused and left him to his own devices.
obtruding almost into the roadway projected the end of a mighty hollow log lying beneath a mountain of smaller logs and brush, and to keeshamok came, as he stood there undecided, a novel vision of beatitude. there were warmth and shelter. he would creep into the log, and there, with his jug to comfort him, pass such a night as indian never passed before! he acted on the glorious impulse.
he crawled far in and stretched himself out[24] upon the soft, dry flakes of rotten wood and took deep draughts of whisky and defied the outside world! it was a solitary but a grand debauch. the hours passed and the indian became almost torpid. he slept a little. the cold intensified and he awoke and drank again, but was still cold. he comprehended but dimly, yet another idea came to him. he would build a little fire and that would warm him! he scraped together a mound of the dry debris beyond him, and, after many efforts, got a match alight and applied it to the heap, which blazed at once. it warmed him. he took another drink and lay down again and slept.
there appeared next morning beside the wood road a vast gray patch of surface upon which could be seen no object larger than a hand. the ashes of the great hollow tree and of the dead trees upon it were sifting through the forest with every wind, and with them were blown the ashes of the indian keeshamok. he had no body!
that night something happened in south clark street in chicago, something so inexplicable and startling as to pass beyond the realm of credibility. at precisely midnight, the striped indian in front of lipsky's barber-shop stepped from his pedestal and fled northward, without a[25] sound. so silent and so swift his flight that those whom he met or passed felt, rather than saw, a flitting thing. the city was left behind and still northward across the frozen fields and through the woods he went. the medicine moccasins of hiawatha never carried one more wondrously. the farms and forests of far wisconsin were reached at last and faded by, and at last before the runner's eyes appeared the cabins of his kinsmen. what life came to him now! he bounded upward in exaltation! he burst in among the clustered habitations with the wild piercing whoop of the returning warrior!
"owannox! wah quah-quah! kinniwa! wow, wow, wanny-wanny-yook! ek-ek! laroo!"
cabin doors burst open, dogs rushed forth, men and squaws dashed out and all was wild commotion. the voice of keeshamok had been recognized on the instant. he leaped in among his people joyfully.
then arose such yells and shrieks as made the very woodland quiver! there was a rush for cabins whose doors were closed and barred within a minute's space. the very dogs, yelping with every leap, fled to the forest. even they were appalled and recognized but as a spectre[26] the missing keeshamok. within the indian village all was frightful silence.
with bowed head stood the striped wooden indian in the midst of the cabins. then he turned his face toward the south and the silent run began again. in the morning he stood once more upon his pedestal in front of lipsky's barber shop.
how can it be accounted for? what psychologist or scientist can explain it? the spirit of keeshamok lacks, of course, the usual form in which to reappear and do any haunting anywhere, for good or evil, since his body was consumed entirely. does it seek the marvelous imitation made by shornstein as the only substitute? who, indeed, shall say? there are many things unknown to us.
and still, each night, the striped indian runs his futile race and makes his sad return.
