INDIAN HONOR. THE story of a man who, on being con victed of a crime and sentenced to im prisonment, was permitted to visit his family in a distant town unattended by a guard, upon his promise to report in person to the prison-keeper on a certain day, and who, like Pythias, faithfully kept his pledge, used to be printed in the school readers a generation ago as an example of integrity and an inspira tion to manly conduct. But all that has been surpassed in a story from real life, the final incident of which was but recently enacted. And the hero of this story was not a product of Caucasian or Christian civilization, but a Creek Indian, a member of one of the five tribes which call themselves " nations " and reside in the Indian Territory. Shreds and patches of this strange narra tive have appeared from time to time in the press dispatches, but it seems to us well worthy of more prominent mention. The American public has been thoroughly in structed as to all that is bad in the character and habits of the red men, and it is only com mon fairness to see what is on the other side of the picture. The story opens early in the summer of 1897, when two young Creek braves, Watka and Deer, met at a dance. It happened that both of these gallants were suitors for the hand of the same maiden, and she being at the dance, trouble arose be tween them. There was a short fight, re sulting in the death of Deer. For this homi cide Watka was tried under the laws of his tribe, was found guilty of murder, and sen tenced to be shot at a date early in August. In almost any of our state courts the plea of self-defence would be successfully urged in such a case, but Indian justice is the sternest article of the kind that we have in the United States. Immediately on conviction the con demned man was released on parole, as others under the same circumstances had been.
No bond, no surety of any kind, nothing but his pledge to report for execution was required. How many Americans are there who would keep such a promise? "All that a man has will he give for his life," that is the rule. But the Creek Indians show exceptions. To them life is less valu able than honor. Watka could kill his rival in love in the heat of passion, but he would not violate his promise to save his life. He married the girl on whose account he had fought and killed Deer, and when the day of execution approached, he made preparations to die. In other words, he made every possible provision for the support of his widow. But he was not to die at the time first ap pointed. He was a member of the famous base-ball team, and a number of games in which he was needed had been scheduled. For this reason, and for this alone, strange as it may appear in the light of our higher civilization, he was reprieved till the last day of October in order that he might fill his base-ball engagements. At last the games ended, and Watka promptly reported to the Creek authorities to pay his debt. A press dispatch thus describes what followed : — "Watka set out alone to the public exe cution grounds. In due time he arrived. The crowd was waiting. The prisoner as sumed his position on bended knees, with arms tied behind and a blindfold over his eyes. The rifle was in the hands of a good marksman; there was a sharp crack and the white spot marked for the heart was dis colored with the spurting blood caused by the deadly bullet." An eloquent writer, predicting the early disappearance of the Indians, says " They will live only in the songs and chronicles of their exterminators; let these be faithful to their rude virtues."
