e one I am now describing was sent with the rest of his
companions to the bottom of the mines. He remained there during the
first day. A short time after he went down on the following morning
he became sick. He began to cry. The officer in charge sent him to the
surface. He was conducted to the cell-house officer, Mr. Elliott. I was
on duty that day in the cell house, and Mr. Elliott, on the arrival of
the Indian, ordered me to show him to the hospital. After we had started
on our journey from the cell house to the hospital building to see
the doctor, and had got out of hearing of the officer, I said, "Injun,
what's the matter with you?" This question being asked, he began to
"boo-hoo" worse than ever, and, rubbing his breast and sides with his
hands, said, between his sobs, "Me got pecce ecce." I was not Indian
enough to know what "pecce ecce" meant. In a few moments we reached the
hospital building, and I conducted my charge into the nicely furnished
room of the prison physician, and into the immediate presence of that
medical gentleman. Removing my cap, and making a low bow, as required,
I said, "Dr. Nealley, permit me to introduce a representative of the
Oklahoma district, who needs medical attention."

While I was relieving myself of this little declamation the young Indian
was standing at my side sobbing as if he had recently buried his mother.

"Reynolds, what is the matter with him?" asked the doctor.

I then turned to my charge and said, "Injun, tell the doctor what ails
you."

Mister Indian then began rubbing his sides and front, with tears rolling
down his face, and sobbing like a whipped school-boy, he exclaimed, "Me
got pecce ecce."

"There, doctor," said I, "you have it. This Indian has got that dreadful
disease known as 'pecce ecce. '"

The physician, somewhat astonished, frankly informed me that he never
had heard of such a disease before. I was in a similar boat, for I had
never heard of such words prior to this. The sick Indian was unable to
talk the language of the white man. The doctor then sent down into the
mines for another of the Indians who could speak English and had acted
as an interpreter. On entering the office, the doctor said to him,
"Elihu," for that was his name, "this Indian says he has an attack of
pecce ecce. Now what does he mean by that?"

During all this time the sick Indian kept rubbing his body and sobbing.
What was our great astonishment and amusement when the interpreter