Straight Arrow 52
Straight Arrow-The Rival Rascals
Characters
Straight arrow: Steve Adams
Leaping wolf: adopted Osage young
Tioga: young Comanche
Spotted eagle: Comanche chief
Tioga was a great warrior and everybody was impressed by him. One day he hunted a deer and brought to village. Everybody was surprised by his bravery. Leaping wolf decided to hunt twice as big deer as the one Tioga had hunted. He went to hunt and found angry grizzly bear, who was about to attack him. Fortunately straight arrow reached in time and killed it. Suddenly some crow warriors saw them and captured straight arrow. They took some of his clothes, tied him to the tree and took leaping wolf with them to disguise the Comanche chief. One of the crows changed his appearance to look like straight arrow and warned leaping wolf to act friendly. When they both reached village, leaping wolf spoke in a very friendly manner to tioga. Tioga was surprised and became alert that something is wrong as leaping wolf had never talked so friendly to him. Hence sensing what is wrong both Tioga and leaping wolf made a stunt and captured the crow. Soon the chief arrived. Leaping wolf told him everything and informed about the incoming crows for raiding the village. Chief prepared all the warriors for war. On the other hand Straight arrow was set free by fury and he raced to fight the crows. Straight arrow and all Comanche warriors bravely fought with crows and outnumbered them. Later chief awarded tioga and leaping wolf with coup sticks for their bravery and warning. Now leaping wolf was also honored be people in village.
Straight Arrow-The Spirit in the Bag
Characters
Straight arrow: Steve Adams
Crazy bear: young Comanche
Soft moccasin: Comanche maiden
Crazy bear was a coward. He always prayed to get courage as other warriors have. One day he was attacked by some apache. His only weapon shattered and he was worried what he would do now. Suddenly straight arrow arrived and the apache ran away. Straight arrow gave crazy bear a medicine bag which would give him the courage to fight enemies. Crash bear was so happy to have it and from then onwards he fought bravely with the enemies and was honored by everyone in the village especially the soft moccasin whom he loved alot and wanted to court. Soon crazy bear became as famous as straight arrow because of his bravery. One day when crazy bear was with soft moccasin, he saw some apache approaching. He told soft moccasin to run swiftly to village and tell them about it. Soft moccasin did the same. Until the warriors arrived, crazy bear bravely fought with the apache. He didn’t notice his medicine bag had fallen. Soon the Comanche warriors arrived and gave him a hand in fighting. Crazy bear noticed his lost medicine bag when straight arrow appreciated him for fighting without it. Seeing this crazy bear became frightened that he would lose his courage now. Suddenly he saw an apache taking soft moccasin with him. Crazy bear forgot everything and fought with him to save soft moccasin. Later on straight arrow showed him he had put a piece of crazy bear’s shattered weapon in medicine bag just to show courage lies in one’s belief and confidence in self. These words affected crazy bear alot.
Smoke Signals
Indian Pipes
Indians were the first ones to grow and smoke tobaccos. Woodland Indians used long straight pipes while the plains Indians used a more conventional form of pipe with bowl attached to the shaft. These pipes were very beautifully decorated. The peace pipe was called calumet by Indians. They smoked this pipe together as a sign of peace. They also used them for personal pleasure.
Osceola
Osceola, son of a white man and Seminole princess, was a chief of Seminole tribe who stood against US army when is wife was captured and sold into slavery. He called on for a war with white men which stayed for nine years and ended when Osceola was captured carrying a truce flag. He died in prison and the Seminole war ended.
Indian Music
Indians used drums, rattles, flutes, whistles, crude violins for creating rhythm for their great dances such as face dance and the great feather dance. They had thirty different types of dances. Their drums were made up of wood and hide and were beautifully decorated. They also used a water drum. Indians rattles were made up of bark, rawhide or wood and were filled with pebbles or woods to create noise when shaken. Dancers also wore small rattles. Flutes were made up of cane, wood or clay. Whistles were made up of bone, reed and wood. The whistles were often used when the Indians court. Two string violins were invented by apache.
Coup Sticks
Coup sticks were an honorable thing for Indian warriors. It carried feather showing the stories of their bravery. Different brave acts counted different number of feathers on a coup stick. These coup sticks were beautifully decorated and held with a ceremonial lance. Eagle stuff was also carried the achievements of warriors. Great chief carried these as symbols of their office work.
Indian Trails
Mohawk trails were used by Indians of five nations when they wore war paints. The second great trail used by the five nations was the Great Iroquois Trail, used by warriors to send news of war or peace. Nemacolin’s path was another path used by Indians. The warriors path was the longest and largest path used by Indians to travel north, south, east and west. The lake shore trail was another famous trail. Since the plains were open so people didn’t needed any trail necessarily. Old North Trail was used to travel between mountains.
Straight Arrow-Doom of the North Wind
Characters
Straight arrow: Steve Adams
Red dog, falling spear: Comanche warriors
Larsen: white man
Don Cristofordo Hispaliano was the man who gave the land given by Spain leader to Larsen. Larsen brought a land grant to colonel according to which he owned the Comanche land. Seeing the grant colonel went to the Comanche village and asked them to leave the land and shift to reservation. This made Comanche furious, red dog and some other warriors raised their voice for war rather than leaving their land. Straight arrow calmed them down and asked colonel for the grant to show it to his friend. Larsen tried to stop colonel from giving the grant to him but colonel trusted straight arrow and gave it to him. Straight arrow suspected the grant to be forgery so he took it to the professor who confirmed that this real grant has been cleverly changed, instead of giving a land in New Mexico it is giving a land in old Mexico. Now straight arrow was sure it’s a forgery so he took the grant to tell everything to colonel. He didn’t know Larsen listened it all and was waiting for straight arrow to be entrapped. Straight arrow fell down the ledge due to Larsen’s trap. He fell into the water. He managed to come out and saw the smoke signals of his people about red dog leading Comanche warriors at war path. Straight arrow used the old raft placed nearby and reached the place on time. He spotted Larsen who was going to shoot colonel and blame red skins afterwards. Straight arrow caught him and told everything to colonel. Colonel took Larsen with him to punish him and Comanche went back to the lands of their forefathers with honor.