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divide the land, adopt White customs, and prepare for citizenship, rallied round Stand Watie and Adair.
All braves and hunters who preferred to roam and thieve, and keep their ancient order, rallied round Ross.
These factions were now divided, not by opinions only, but by cries for blood.
Ross formed his chief adherents into a secret brotherhood, called the Pin League.
The members ,of this secret league are known to each other by a pin fastened in their hunting shirts.
They have their signs and grips, their rules and oaths.
They :swear to put down radical opinion, and support the customs of their tribes, as well as to avenge their slaughtered partisans.
A branch of the Pin League, with functions very much like those of the Danite band, is known as Light Horse.
Well-armed, and mounted on swift ponies, the captains of these Light Horse scoured the country, firing lonely ranches, and murdering helpless enemies, on a secret sign from Ross.
Except Stand Watie, every man among the radical party was afraid of this Pin League and these Light Horse.
The Cherokee Ironside was never molested; but their hands lay heavy on less
1875.
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