RAIN-IN-THE-FACE
ThenotedSiouxwarrior,Rain-in-the-Face,whosenameoncecarriedterrortoeverypartofthefrontier,diedathishomeontheStandingRockreserveinNorthDakotaonSeptember14,1905。AbouttwomonthsbeforehisdeathIwenttoseehimforthelasttime,wherehelayuponthebedofsicknessfromwhichheneverroseagain,anddrewfromhimhislife-history。
IthadbeenmyexperiencethatyoucannotinduceanIndiantotellastory,orevenhisownname,byaskinghimdirectly。
\"Friend,\"Isaid,\"evenifamanisonahottrail,hestopsforasmoke!Inthegoodolddays,beforethechargetherewasasmoke。Athome,bythefireside,whentheoldmenwereaskedtotelltheirbravedeeds,againthepipewaspassed。Socome,letussmokenowtothememoryoftheolddays!\"
Hetookofmytobaccoandfilledhislongpipe,andwesmoked。
ThenItoldanoldmirthfulstorytogethiminthehumorofrelatinghisownhistory。
Theoldmanlayuponanironbedstead,coveredbyaredblanket,inacornerofthelittlelogcabin。Hewasallalonethatday;onlyanolddoglaysilentandwatchfulathismaster’sfeet。
Finallyhelookedupandsaidwithapleasantsmile:
\"True,friend;itistheoldcustomtoretraceone’strailbeforeleavingitforever!IknowthatIamatthedoorofthespirithome。
\"IwasbornneartheforksoftheCheyenneRiver,aboutseventyyearsago。Myfatherwasnotachief;mygrandfatherwasnotachief,butagoodhunterandafeast-maker。Onmymother’ssideIhadsomenotedancestors,buttheyleftmenochieftainship。
Ihadtoworkformyreputation。
\"WhenIwasaboy,Ilovedtofight,\"hecontinued。\"InallourboyishgamesIhadthenameofbeinghardtohandle,andItookmuchprideinthefact。
\"IwasabouttenyearsoldwhenweencounteredabandofCheyennes。Theywereonfriendlytermswithus,butweboysalwaysindulgedinshamfightsonsuchoccasions,andthistimeI
gotinanhonestfightwithaCheyenneboyolderthanI。Igotthebestoftheboy,buthehitmehardinthefaceseveraltimes,andmyfacewasallspatteredwithbloodandstreakedwherethepainthadbeenwashedaway。TheSiouxboyswhoopedandyelled:
\"’Hisenemyisdown,andhisfaceisspatteredasifwithrain!Rain-in-the-Face!HisnameshallbeRain-in-the-Face!’
\"Afterwards,whenIwasayoungman,wewentonawarpathagainsttheGrosVentres。Westolesomeoftheirhorses,butwereovertakenandhadtoabandonthehorsesandfightforourlives。
Ihadwishedmyfacetorepresentthesunwhenpartlycoveredwithdarkness,soIpaintedithalfblack,halfred。Wefoughtalldayintherain,andmyfacewaspartlywashedandstreakedwithredandblack:soagainIwaschristenedRain-in-the-Face。Weconsidereditanhonorablename。
\"Ihadbeenonmanywarpaths,butwasnotespeciallysuccessfuluntilaboutthetimetheSiouxbegantofightwiththewhiteman。OneofthemostdaringattacksthatweevermadewasatFortTotten,NorthDakota,inthesummerof1866。
\"Hohay,theAssiniboinecaptiveofSittingBull,wastheleaderinthisraid。Wapaypay,theFearlessBear,whowasafterwardhangedatYankton,wasthebravestmanamongus。HedaredHohaytomakethecharge。Hohayacceptedthechallenge,andinturndaredtheothertoridewithhimthroughtheagencyandrightunderthewallsofthefort,whichwaswellgarrisonedandstrong。
\"WapaypayandIinthosedayscalledeachother’brother-friend。’Itwasalife-and-deathvow。Whatonedoestheothermustdo;andthatmeantthatImustbeintheforefrontofthecharge,andifheiskilled,ImustfightuntilIdiealso!
\"Ipreparedfordeath。Ipaintedasusuallikeaneclipseofthesun,halfblackandhalfred。\"
Hiseyesgleamedandhisfacelightedupremarkablyashetalked,pushinghisblackhairbackfromhisforeheadwithanervousgesture。
\"Nowthesignalforthechargewasgiven!IstartedevenwithWapaypay,buthishorsewasfasterthanmine,soheleftmealittlebehindaswenearedthefort。Thiswasbadforme,forbythattimethesoldiershadsomewhatrecoveredfromthesurpriseandwereaimingbetter。
\"Theirbigguntalkedveryloud,butmyWapaypaywasleadingon,leaningforwardonhisfleetponylikeaflyingsquirrelonasmoothlog!Heheldhisrawhideshieldontherightside,alittletothefront,andsodidI。Ourwarwhoopwaslikethecoyotessingingintheevening,whentheysmellblood!
\"Thesoldiers’gunstalkedfast,butfewwerehurt。Theirbiggunwaslikeatoothlessolddog,whoonlymakeshimselfhotterthemorenoisehemakes,\"heremarkedwithsomehumor。
\"HowmuchharmwedidIdonotknow,butwemadethingslivelyforatime;andthewhitemenactedaspeopledowhenaswarmofangrybeesgetintocamp。Wemadeasuccessfulretreat,butsomeofthereservationIndiansfollowedusyelling,untilHohaytoldthemthathedidnotwishtofightwiththecaptivesofthewhiteman,fortherewouldbenohonorinthat。Therewasbloodrunningdownmyleg,andIfoundthatbothmyhorseandIwereslightlywounded。
\"SometwoyearslaterweattackedafortwestoftheBlackHills[FortPhilKearny,Wyoming]。Itwastherewekilledonehundredsoldiers。\"[Themilitaryreportssayeightymen,underthecommandofCaptainFetterman——notoneleftalivetotellthetale!]\"NearlyeverybandoftheSiouxnationwasrepresentedinthatfight——RedCloud,SpottedTail,CrazyHorse,SittingBull,BigFoot,andallourgreatchiefswerethere。OfcoursesuchmenasIwerethencomparativelyunknown。However,thereweremanynotedyoungwarriors,amongthemSword,theyoungerYoung-Man-Afraid,AmericanHorse[afterwardchief],CrowKing,andothers。
\"Thiswastheplandecideduponaftermanycouncils。Themainwarpartylayinambush,andafewofthebravestyoungmenwereappointedtoattackthewoodchopperswhowerecuttinglogstocompletethebuildingofthefort。Weweretoldnottokillthesemen,buttochasethemintothefortandretreatslowly,defyingthewhitemen;andifthesoldiersshouldfollow,weweretoleadthemintotheambush。Theytookourbaitexactlyaswehadhoped!
Itwasamatterofaveryfewminutes,foreverysoldierlaydeadinashortertimethanittakestoannihilateasmallherdofbuffalo。
\"ThisattackwashastenedbecausemostoftheSiouxontheMissouriRiverandeastwardhadbeguntotalkofsuingforpeace。
Buteventhisdidnotstopthepeacemovement。TheverynextyearatreatywassignedatFortRice,DakotaTerritory,bynearlyalltheSiouxchiefs,inwhichitwasagreedonthepartoftheGreatFatherinWashingtonthatallthecountrynorthoftheRepublicanRiverinNebraska,includingtheBlackHillsandtheBigHornMountains,wastobealwaysSiouxcountry,andnowhitemanshouldintrudeuponitwithoutourpermission。EvenwiththisagreementSittingBullandCrazyHorsewerenotsatisfied,andtheywouldnotsign。
\"UptothistimeIhadfoughtinsomeimportantbattles,buthadachievednogreatdeed。Iwasambitioustomakeanameformyself。IjoinedwarpartiesagainsttheCrows,Mandans,GrosVentres,andPawnees,andgainedsomelittledistinction。
\"Itwaswhenthewhitemenfoundtheyellowmetalinourcountry,andcameingreatnumbers,drivingawayourgame,thatwetookuparmsagainstthemforthelasttime。Imustsayherethatthechiefswhowereloudestforwarwereamongthefirsttosubmitandacceptreservationlife。SpottedTailwasagreatwarrior,yethewasoneofthefirsttoyield,becausehewaspromisedbytheChiefSoldiersthattheywouldmakehimchiefofalltheSioux。Ugh!hewouldhavestayedwithSittingBulltothelasthaditnotbeenforhisambition。
\"AboutthistimeweyoungwarriorsbegantowatchthetrailsofthewhitemenintotheBlackHills,andwhenwesawawagoncomingwewouldhideatthecrossingandkillthemallwithoutmuchtrouble。Wedidthistodiscouragethewhitesfromcomingintoourcountrywithoutourpermission。ItwasthedutyofourGreatFatheratWashington,bytheagreementof1868,tokeephiswhitechildrenaway。
\"Duringthetroublesometimeafterthistreaty,whichnooneseemedtorespect,eitherwhiteorIndian[butthewhitesbrokeitfirst],Iwaslikemanyotheryoungmen——muchonthewarpath,butwithlittlehonor。Ihadnotyetbecomenotedforanygreatdeed。
Finally,WapaypayandIwaylaidandkilledawhitesoldieronhiswayfromtheforttohishomeintheeast。
\"TherewereafewIndianswhowereliars,andneveronthewarpath,playing’goodIndian’withtheIndianagentsandthewarchiefsattheforts。Someofthisfaithlesssetbetrayedme,andtoldmorethanIeverdid。IwasseizedandtakentothefortnearBismarck,NorthDakota[FortAbrahamLincoln],byabrother[TomCuster]oftheLong-HairedWarChief,andimprisonedthere。ThesesamelyingIndians,whoweresellingtheirservicesasscoutstothewhiteman,toldmethatIwastobeshottodeath,orelsehangeduponatree。IansweredthatIwasnotafraidtodie。
\"However,therewasanoldsoldierwhousedtobringmyfoodandstandguardoverme——hewasawhiteman,itistrue,buthehadanIndianheart!Hecametomeonedayandunfastenedtheironchainandballwithwhichtheyhadlockedmyleg,sayingbysignsandwhatlittleSiouxhecouldmuster:
\"’Go,friend!takethechainandballwithyou。Ishallshoot,butthevoiceofthegunwilllie。’
\"Whenhehadmademeunderstand,youmayguessthatIranmybest!Iwasalmostoverthebankwhenhefiredhispieceatmeseveraltimes,butIhadalreadygainedcoverandwassafe。Ihavenevertoldthisbefore,andwouldnot,lestitshoulddohimaninjury,buthewasanoldmanthen,andIamsurehemustbedeadlongsince。Thatoldsoldiertaughtmethatsomeofthewhitepeoplehavehearts,\"headded,quiteseriously。
\"IwentbacktoStandingRockinthenight,andIhadtohideforseveraldaysinthewoods,wherefoodwasbroughttomebymyrelatives。TheIndianpolicewereorderedtoretakeme,andtheypretendedtohuntforme,butreallytheydidnot,foriftheyhadfoundmeIwouldhavediedwithoneortwoofthem,andtheyknewit!InafewdaysIdepartedwithseveralothers,andwerejoinedthehostilecamponthePowderRiverandmadesometroubleforthemenwhowerebuildingthegreatirontracknorthofus[NorthernPacific]。
\"InthespringthehostileSiouxgottogetheragainupontheTongueRiver。ItwasoneofthegreatestcampsoftheSiouxthatIeversaw。ThereweresomeNorthernCheyenneswithus,underTwoMoon,andafewSanteeSioux,renegadesfromCanada,underInkpaduta,whohadkilledwhitepeopleinIowalongbefore。Wehaddecidedtofightthewhitesoldiersuntilnowarriorshouldbeleft。\"
AtthispointRain-in-the-Facetookuphistobaccopouchandbeganagaintofillhispipe。
\"Ofcoursetheyoungerwarriorsweredelightedwiththeprospectofagreatfight!OurscoutshaddiscoveredpilesofoatsforhorsesandothersuppliesneartheMissouriRiver。Theyhadbeenbroughtbythewhiteman’sfire-boats。Presentlytheyreportedagreatarmyaboutaday’straveltothesouth,withShoshoneandCrowscouts。
\"Therewasexcitementamongthepeople,andagreatcouncilwasheld。Manyspoke。IwasaskedtheconditionofthoseIndianswhohadgoneuponthereservation,andItoldthemtrulythattheywerenothingmorethanprisoners。ItwasdecidedtogooutandmeetThreeStars[GeneralCrook]atasafedistancefromourcamp。
\"WemethimontheLittleRosebud。Ibelievethatifwehadwaitedandallowedhimtomaketheattack,hewouldhavefarednobetterthanCuster。Hewastoostronglyfortifiedwherehewas,andIthink,too,thathewassavedpartlybyhisIndianallies,forthescoutsdiscoveredusfirstandfoughtusfirst,thusgivinghimtimetomakehispreparations。Ithinkhewasmorewisethanbrave!AfterwehadleftthatneighborhoodhemighthavepushedonandconnectedwiththeLong-HairedChief。ThatwouldhavesavedCusterandperhapswontheday。
\"WhenwecrossedfromTongueRivertotheLittleBigHorn,onaccountofthescarcityofgame,wedidnotanticipateanymoretrouble。OurrunnershaddiscoveredthatCrookhadretracedhistrailtoGooseCreek,andwedidnotsupposethatthewhitemenwouldcaretofollowusfartherintotheroughcountry。
\"SuddenlytheLong-HairedChiefappearedwithhismen!Itwasasurprise。\"
\"Whatpartofthecampwereyouinwhenthesoldiersattackedthelowerend?\"Iasked。
\"Ihadbeeninvitedtoafeastatoneoftheyoungmen’slodges[asortofclub]。TherewasacertainwarriorwhowasmakingpreparationstogoagainsttheCrows,andIhaddecidedtogoalso,\"hesaid。
\"WhileIwaseatingmymeatweheardthewarcry!Weallrushedout,andsawawarriorridingattopspeedfromthelowercamp,givingthewarningashecame。Thenweheardthereportsofthesoldiers’guns,whichsoundeddifferentlyfromthegunsfiredbyourpeopleinbattle。
\"Irantomyteepeeandseizedmygun,abow,andaquiverfullofarrows。Ialreadyhadmystonewarclub,foryouknowweusuallycarrythosebywayofornament。JustasIwasabouttosetouttomeetReno,abodyofsoldiersappearednearlyoppositeus,attheedgeofalonglineofcliffsacrosstheriver。
\"Allofuswhoweremountedandreadyimmediatelystarteddownthestreamtowardtheford。TherewereOgallalas,Minneconjous,Cheyennes,andsomeUnkpapas,andthosearoundmeseemedtobenearlyallveryyoungmen。
\"’Behold,thereisamongusayoungwoman!’Ishouted。’Letnoyoungmanhidebehindhergarment!’Iknewthatwouldmakethoseyoungmenbrave。
\"ThewomanwasTashenamani,orMovingRobe,whosebrotherhadjustbeenkilledinthefightwithThreeStars。Holdingherbrother’swarstaffoverherhead,andleaningforwarduponhercharger,shelookedasprettyasabird。Alwayswhenthereisawomaninthecharge,itcausesthewarriorstoviewithoneanotherindisplayingtheirvalor,\"headded。
\"Theforemostwarriorshadalmostsurroundedthewhitemen,andmorewerecontinuallycrossingthestream。Thesoldiershaddismounted,andwerefiringintothecampfromthetopofthecliff。\"
\"Myfriend,wasSittingBullinthisfight?\"Iinquired。
\"Ididnotseehimthere,butIlearnedafterwardthathewasamongthosewhometReno,andthatwasthreeorfourofthewhiteman’smilesfromCuster’sposition。LaterhejoinedtheattackuponCuster,butwasnotamongtheforemost。
\"Whenthetroopsweresurroundedontwosides,withtheriveronthethird,theordercametocharge!Thereweremanyveryyoungmen,someofwhomhadonlyawarstafforastonewarclubinhand,whoplungedintothecolumn,knockingthemenoverandstampedingtheirhorses。
\"Thesoldiershadmountedandstartedback,butwhentheonsetcametheydismountedagainandseparatedintoseveraldivisions,facingdifferentways。Theyfiredasfastastheycouldloadtheirguns,whileweusedchieflyarrowsandwarclubs。ThereseemedtobetwodistinctmovementsamongtheIndians。Onebodymovedcontinuallyinacircle,whiletheotherrodedirectlyintoandthroughthetroops。
\"PresentlysomeofthesoldiersremountedandfledalongtheridgetowardReno’sposition;buttheywerefollowedbyourwarriors,likehundredsofblackbirdsafterahawk。Alargerbodyremainedtogetherattheupperendofalittleravine,andfoughtbravelyuntiltheywerecuttopieces。Ihadalwaysthoughtthatwhitemenwerecowards,butIhadagreatrespectforthemafterthisday。
\"Itisgenerallysaidthatayoungmanwithnothingbutawarstaffinhishandbrokethroughthecolumnandknockeddowntheleaderveryearlyinthefight。Wesupposedhimtobetheleader,becausehestoodupinfullview,swinginghisbigknife[sword]
overhishead,andtalkingloud。Someoneunknownafterwardsshotthechief,andhewasprobablykilledalso;forifnot,hewouldhavetoldofthedeed,andcalledotherstowitnessit。SoitisthatnooneknowswhokilledtheLong-HairedChief[GeneralCuster]。
\"Afterthefirstrushwasover,coupswerecountedasusualonthebodiesoftheslain。Youknowfourcoups[orblows]canbecountedonthebodyofanenemy,andwhoevercountsthefirstone[touchesitforthefirsttime]isentitledtothe’firstfeather。’
\"TherewasanIndianherecalledAppearingElk,whodiedashorttimeago。Hewasslightlywoundedinthecharge。HehadsomeoftheweaponsoftheLong-HairedChief,andtheIndiansusedtosayjokinglyafterwecameuponthereservationthatAppearingElkmusthavekilledtheChief,becausehehadhissword!However,thescrambleforplunderdidnotbeginuntilallweredead。IdonotthinkhekilledCuster,andifhehad,thetimetoclaimthehonorwasimmediatelyafterthefight。
\"Manylieshavebeentoldofme。SomesaythatIkilledtheChief,andothersthatIcutouttheheartofhisbrother[TomCuster],becausehehadcausedmetobeimprisoned。Why,inthatfighttheexcitementwassogreatthatwescarcelyrecognizedournearestfriends!Everythingwasdonelikelightning。Afterthebattleweyoungmenwerechasinghorsesallovertheprairie,whiletheoldmenandwomenplunderedthebodies;andifanymutilatingwasdone,itwasbytheoldmen。
\"Ihavelivedpeaceablyeversincewecameuponthereservation。NoonecansaythatRain-in-the-FacehasbrokentherulesoftheGreatFather。Ifoughtformypeopleandmycountry。
WhenwewereconqueredIremainedsilent,asawarriorshould。
Rain-in-the-FacewaskilledwhenheputdownhisweaponsbeforetheGreatFather。Hisspiritwasgonethen;onlyhispoorbodylivedon,butnowitisalmostreadytoliedownforthelasttime。Ho,hechetu![Itiswell。]\"
TWOSTRIKE
Itisapitythatsomanyinterestingnamesofwell-knownIndianshavebeenmistranslated,sothattheirmeaningbecomesveryvagueifitisnotwhollylost。Insomecasesanoppositemeaningisconveyed。Forinstancethereisthename,\"Young-Man-Afraid-of-
His-Horses。\"Itdoesnotmeanthattheownerofthenameisafraidofhisownhorse——farfromit!Tashunkekokipapisignifies\"Theyoungmen[oftheenemy]fearhishorses。\"Wheneverthatmanattacks,theenemyknowstherewillbeadeterminedcharge。
ThenameTashunkewitko,orCrazyHorse,isapoeticsimile。
Thisleaderwaslikenedtoanuntrainedoruntouchedhorse,wild,ignorantofdomesticuses,splendidinaction,andunconsciousofdanger。
ThenameofTwoStrikeisadeedname。InabattlewiththeUtesthismanknockedtwoenemiesfromthebackofawarhorse。
ThetruerenderingofthenameNomkahpawouldbe,\"Heknockedofftwo。\"
IwaswellacquaintedwithTwoStrikeandspentmanypleasanthourswithhim,bothatWashington,D。C。,andinhishomeontheRosebudreservation。WhatIhavewrittenisnotalltakenfromhisownmouth,becausehewasmodestintalkingabouthimself,butI
hadhimvouchforthetruthofthestories。HesaidthathewasbornneartheRepublicanRiverabout1832。HisearliestrecollectionwasofanattackbytheShoshonesupontheircampontheLittlePiney。Thefirstwhitemenheevermetweretraderswhovisitedhispeoplewhenhewasveryyoung。Theincidentwasstillvividlywithhim,because,hesaid,\"Theymademyfathercrazy,\"
[drunk]。Thismadeadeepimpressionuponhim,hetoldme,sothatfromthatdayhewasalwaysafraidofthewhiteman’s\"mysteriouswater。\"
TwoStrikewasnotalargeman,buthewasverysuppleandalertinmotion,asagileasanantelope。Hisfacewasmobileandintelligent。AlthoughhehadtheusualsombervisageofanIndian,hisexpressionbrightenedupwonderfullywhenhetalked。Insomewayswilyandshrewdinintellect,hewasnotdeceitfulnormean。
Hehadahighsenseofdutyandhonor。Patriotismwashisidealandgoaloflife。
Asayoungmanhewasmodestandevenshy,althoughbothhisfatherandgrandfatherwerewell-knownchiefs。Icouldfindfewnoteworthyincidentsinhisearlylife,savethathewasanexpertriderofwildhorses。AtonetimeIwaspressinghimtogivemesomeinterestingincidentofhisboyhood。Herepliedtotheeffectthattherewasplentyofexcitementbut\"notmuchinit。\"TherewasadelegationofSiouxchiefsvisitingWashington,andwewerespendinganeveningtogetherintheirhotel。HollowHornBearspokeupandsaid:
\"Whydon’tyoutellhimhowyouandabuffalocowtogetherheldyourpoorfatherupandfrozehimalmosttodeath?\"
Everybodylaughed,andanothermanremarked:\"Ithinkhehadbettertellthemedicineman(meaningmyself)howhelostthepowerofspeechwhenhefirsttriedtocourtagirl。\"TwoStrike,althoughhewasthenclosetoeightyyearsofage,wasvisiblyembarrassedbytheirchaff。
\"Anyway,Istucktothetrail。IkeptontillIgotwhatI
wanted,\"hemuttered。Andthencamethestory。
Theoldchief,hisfather,wasveryfondofthebuffalohunt;
andbeingaccomplishedinhorsemanshipandafineshot,althoughnotverypowerfullybuilt,youngTwoStrikewasalreadyfollowinghardinhisfootsteps。Likeeveryproudfather,hiswasgivinghimeveryincentivetoperfecthisskill,andonedaychallengedhissixteen-year-oldsontothefeatof\"onearrowtokill\"attheverynextchase。
Itwasmidwinter。Alargeherdofbuffalowasreportedbythegamescout。Thehuntersgatheredatdaybreakpreparedforthecharge。Theoldchiefhadhistriedchargerequippedwithasoft,pillow-likeIndiansaddleandalariat。Hisoldsinew-backedhickorybowwasexaminedandstrung,andafinestraightarrowwithasteelheadcarefullyselectedforthetest。Headjustedakeenbutcherknifeoverhisleatherbelt,whichheldawarmbuffalorobesecurelyabouthisbody。Heworeneithershirtnorcoat,althoughapiercingwindwasblowingfromthenorthwest。TheyouthfulTwoStrikehadhisfavoritebowandhisswiftpony,whichwasperhapsdearertohimthanhisclosestboycomrade。
Nowthehunterscrouchedupontheirhorses’neckslikeanarmyinlineofbattle,whilebehindthemwaitedtheboysandoldmenwithpackponiestocarrythemeat。\"Hukahey!\"shoutedtheleaderasawarning。\"Yekiyawo!\"(Go)andinaninstantalltheponiesleapedforwardagainstthecuttingwind,asifitwerethestartinahorserace。Everyriderleanedforward,tightlywrappedinhisrobe,watchingtheflyingherdforanopeninginthemassofbuffalo,achancetocutoutsomeofthefattestcows。Thiswastheobjectoftherace。
Thechiefhadafairstart;hishorsewaswelltrainedandneedednourgingnorguidance。Withouttheslightestpullonthelariathedashedintothethickestoftheherd。Theyouth’sponyhadbeenprancingandrearingimpatiently;hestartedalittlebehind,yetbeingswiftpassedmany。Hisriderhadoneclearglimpseofhisfatheraheadofhim,thenthesnowaroseinblindingcloudsonthetrailofthebison。Thewhoopsofthehunters,thelowingofthecows,andthemenacingglancesofthebullsastheyplungedalong,ornowandthenstoodatbay,wereenoughtounnerveaboylesswelltried。Hewasunabletoselecthisvictim。Hehadbeencarrieddeeplyintothemidstoftheherdandfoundhimselfhelplesstomaketheonesureshot,thereforeheheldhisonearrowinhismouthandmerelystrovetoseparatethemsoastogethischance。
Atlasttheherdparted,andhecutouttwofatcows,andwasmaneuveringforpositionwhenariderappearedoutofthesnowcloudontheirotherside。Thisarousedhimtomakehastelesthisrivalsecurebothcows;hesawhischance,andinatwinklinghisarrowspedclearthroughoneoftheanimalssothatshefellheadlong。
Inthisinstantheobservedthatthemanwhohadjoinedhimwashisownfather,whohadmetwiththesamedifficultiesashimself。Whentheyoungmanhadshothisonlyarrow,theoldchiefwithawhoopwentafterthecowthatwasleft,butashegainedherbroadside,hishorsesteppedinabadgerholeandfell,throwinghimheadlong。Themaddenedbuffalo,assometimeshappensinsuchcases,turnedupontheponyandgoredhimtodeath。Hisriderlaymotionless,whileTwoStrikerushedforwardtodrawherattention,butshemerelytossedherheadathim,whilepersistentlystandingguardoverthedeadhorseandtheallbutfrozenIndian。
Alasforthegameof\"onearrowtokill!\"Theboymustthinkfast,forhisfather’srobehadslippedoff,andhewasplayingdead,lyingalmostnakedinthebitterairuponthetrampledsnow。
Hisbluffwouldnotserve,soheflewbacktopullouthissolitaryarrowfromthebodyofthedeadcow。Quicklywheelingagain,hesentitintohersideandshefell。Theonearrowtokillhadbecomeonearrowtokilltwobuffalo!AtthecouncillodgethateveningTwoStrikewasthehero。
Thefollowingstoryisequallycharacteristicofhim,andinexplanationitshouldbesaidthatinthegoodolddaysamongtheSioux,ayoungmanisnotsupposedtoassociatewithgirlsuntilheisreadytotakeawife。Itwasarulewithouryoungmen,especiallythehonorableandwell-born,togainsomereputationinthehuntandinwar,——themoredifficultthefeatsachievedthebetter,——beforeevenspeakingtoayoungwoman。Manyalifewasriskedintheefforttoestablishareputationalongtheselines。
Courtshipwasnosecret,butratherasocialevent,oftencelebratedbytheproudparentswithfeastsandpresentstothepoor,andthisetiquettewassometimesfeltbyashyorsensitiveyouthasaninsurmountableobstacletothefulfilmentofhisdesires。
TwoStrikewasthesonandgrandsonofachief,buthecouldnotclaimanycreditforthedeedsofhisforbears。Hehadnotonlytoguardtheirgoodnamebutachieveoneforhimself。Thishehadsetouttodo,andhedidwell。Hewasnowofmarriageableagewithawarrecord,andadmittedtothecouncil,yethedidnotseemtotroublehimselfatallaboutawife。Hiswasstrictlyabachelorcareer。Meanwhile,asisapttobethecase,hisparentshadthoughtmuchaboutapossibledaughter-in-law,andhadevencollectedponies,finerobes,andotheracceptablegoodstobegivenawayinhonoroftheevent,wheneveritshouldtakeplace。
Nowandthentheywoulddropaslyhint,butwithnoperceptibleeffect。
Theydidnotandcouldnotknowoftheinwardstrugglethatrackedhismindatthisperiodofhislife。Theshyandmodestyoungmanwasdyingforawife,yetcouldnotbeareventothinkofspeakingtoayoungwoman!Thefearlesshunterofbuffaloes,mountainlions,andgrizzlies,theyouthwhohadwonhiseaglefeathersinabattlewiththeUtes,couldnotbringhimselftotakethistremendousstep。
Atlasthisfatherappealedtohimdirectly。\"Myson,\"hedeclared,\"itisyourdutytotakeuntoyourselfawife,inorderthatthehonorswonbyyourancestorsandbyyourselfmaybehandeddowninthedirectline。Thereareseveraleligibleyoungwomeninourbandwhoseparentshaveintimatedawishtohaveyoufortheirson-in-law。\"
TwoStrikemadenoreply,buthewasgreatlydisturbed。Hehadnowishtohavetheoldfolksselecthisbride,forifthetruthweretold,hischoicewasalreadymade。Hehadsimplylackedthecouragetogoa-courting!
Thenextmorning,aftermakinganunusuallycarefultoilet,hetookhisbesthorseandrodetoapointoverlookingthepathbywhichthegirlswentforwater。Heretheyoungmenwerewonttotaketheirstand,and,iffortunate,interceptthegirloftheirheartforabriefbutfatefulinterview。TwoStrikehaddeterminedtospeakstraighttothepoint,andassoonashesawtheprettymaidhecameforwardboldlyandplacedhimselfinherway。Alongmomentpassed。Sheglancedupathimshylybutnotwithoutencouragement。Histeethfairlychatteredwithfright,andhecouldnotsayaword。Shelookedagain,notedhisstrangelooks,andbelievedhimsuddenlytakenill。Heappearedtobesuffering。
Atlasthefeeblymadesignsforhertogoonandleavehimalone。
Themaidenwassympathetic,butasshedidnotknowwhatelsetodosheobeyedhisrequest。
Thepooryouthwassoashamedofhiscowardicethatheafterwardadmittedhisfirstthoughtwastotakehisownlife。Hebelievedhehaddisgracedhimselfforeverintheeyesoftheonlygirlhehadeverloved。However,hedeterminedtoconquerhisweaknessandwinher,whichhedid。Thestorycameoutmanyyearsafterandwastoldwithmuchenjoymentbytheoldmen。
TwoStrikewasbetterknownbyhisownpeoplethanbythewhites,forhewasindividuallyaterrorinbattleratherthanaleader。HeachievedhishonorablenameinaskirmishwiththeUtesinColorado。TheSiouxregardedthesepeopleastheirbravestenemies,andtheoutcomeofthefightwasforsometimeuncertain。
FirsttheSiouxwereforcedtoretreatandthentheiropponents,andatthelatterpointthehorseofacertainUtewasshotunderhim。Afriendcametohisrescueandtookhimupbehindhim。Ourheroovertooktheminflight,raisedhiswarclub,andknockedbothmenoffwithoneblow。
Hewasaveryoldmanwhenhedied,onlytwoorthreeyearsago,ontheRosebudreservation。
AMERICANHORSE
OneofthewittiestandshrewdestoftheSiouxchiefswasAmericanHorse,whosucceededtothenameandpositionofanuncle,killedinthebattleofSlimButtesin1876。TheyoungerAmericanHorsewasbornalittlebeforetheencroachmentsofthewhitesupontheSiouxcountrybecameseriousandtheirmethodsaggressive,andhisearlymanhoodbroughthimintothatmosttryingandcriticalperiodofourhistory。Hehadbeentutoredbyhisuncle,sincehisownfatherwaskilledinbattlewhilehewasstillveryyoung。TheAmericanHorsebandwascloselyattachedtoatradingpost,anditsmembersinconsequencewereinclinedtobefriendlywiththewhites,apolicycloselyadheredtobytheirleader。
Whenhewasborn,hisoldgrandfathersaid:\"Puthimoutinthesun!Lethimaskhisgreat-grandfather,theSun,forthewarmbloodofawarrior!\"Andhehadwarmblood。Hewasagenialman,likingnotorietyandexcitement。Healwaysseizedanopportunitytoleapintothecenterofthearena。
Inearlylifehewasaclownishsortofboyamongtheboys——
anexpertmimicandimpersonator。Thistalentmadehimpopularandinhiswayaleader。Hewasanaturalactor,andearlyshowedmarkedabilityasaspeaker。
AmericanHorsewasabouttenyearsoldwhenhewasattackedbythreeCrowwarriors,whiledrivingaherdofponiestowater。Herehedisplayednativecunningandinitiative。Itseemedhehadscarcelyachancetoescape,fortheenemywasnear。Heyelledfranticallyattheponiestostartthemtowardhome,whilehedroppedoffintoathicketofwillowsandhidthere。Apartoftheherdwascaughtinsightofthecampandtherewasacounterchase,buttheCrowsgotawaywiththeponies。Ofcoursehismotherwasfrantic,believingherboyhadbeenkilledorcaptured;butaftertheexcitementwasover,heappearedincampunhurt。Whenquestionedabouthisescape,heremarked:\"Iknewtheywouldnottakethetimetohuntforsmallgamewhentherewassomuchbiggercloseby。\"
Whenhewasquiteabigboy,hejoinedinabuffalohunt,andonthewaybackwiththerestofthehuntershismulebecameunmanageable。AmericanHorsehadinsistedonridinghiminadditiontoaheavyloadofmeatandskins,andtheanimalevidentlyresentedthis,forhesuddenlybegantorunandkick,scatteringfreshmeatalongtheroad,tothemerrimentofthecrowd。Buttheboyturnedactor,andmadeitappearthatitwasathiswishthemulehadgiventhisdivertingperformance。Heclungtothebackofhisplungingandbrayingmountlikeacircusrider,singingaBraveHeartsong,andfinallybroughtupamidthelaughterandcheersofhiscompanions。Farfromadmittingdefeat,heboastedofhishorsemanshipanddeclaredthathis\"brother\"thedonkeywouldputanyenemytoflight,andthattheyshouldbecalledupontoleadacharge。
Itwasseveralyearslaterthathewenttosleepearlyonenightandsleptsoundly,havingbeenscoutingfortwonightsprevious。IthappenedthattherewasaraidbytheCrows,andwhenheawokeinthemidstoftheyellingandconfusion,hesprangupandattemptedtojoininthefighting。Everybodyknewhisvoiceinallthedin,sowhenhefiredhisgunandannouncedacoup,aswasthecustom,othersrushedtothespot,tofindthathehadshotahobbledponybelongingtotheirowncamp。Thelaughwasonhim,andheneverrecoveredfromhischagrinatthismistake。Infact,althoughhewasundoubtedlyfearlessandtriedhardtodistinguishhimselfinwarfare,hedidnotsucceed。
ItistoldofhimthatheoncewentwithawarpartyofyoungmentotheWindRivercountryagainsttheShoshones。Atlasttheydiscoveredalargecamp,buttherewereonlyadozenorsooftheSioux,thereforetheyhidthemselvesandwatchedfortheiropportunitytoattackanisolatedpartyofhunters。Whilewaitingthus,theyranshortoffood。OnedayasmallpartyofShoshoneswasseennearathand,andinthemidstoftheexcitementandpreparationsfortheattack,youngAmericanHorsecaughtsightofafatblack-taildeercloseby。Unabletoresistthetemptation,hepulledanarrowfromhisquiverandsentitthroughthedeer’sheart,thenwithseveralofhishalf-starvedcompanionssprangupontheyetquiveringbodyoftheanimaltocutouttheliver,whichwassometimeseatenraw。Oneofthemenwasknockeddown,itissaid,bythelastkickofthedyingbuck,buthavingswallowedafewmouthfulsthewarriorsrusheduponandroutedtheirenemies。
ItisstilltoldofAmericanHorsehowhekilledgameandfeastedbetweentheambushandtheattack。
Atanothertimehewasdryinghissacredwarbonnetandothergearoverasmallfire。ThesearticleswereheldingreatvenerationbytheIndiansandhandledaccordingly。Suddenlythefireblazedup,andourherosofarforgothimselfastobeginenergeticallybeatingouttheflameswiththewarbonnet,breakingoffoneofthesacredbuffalohornsintheact。Onecouldalmostfillabookwithhismishapsandexploits。IwillgiveoneoftheminhisownwordsaswellasIcanrememberthem。
\"Wewereaspromisingapartyofyoungwarriorsasourtribeeversentagainstanyofitsancestralenemies。Itwasmidsummer,andaftergoingtwodays’journeyfromhomewebegantosendtwoscoutsaheaddailywhilethemainbodykeptahalfdaybehind。Thescoutssetouteveryeveningandtraveledallnight。OnenightthegreatwarpipewasheldouttomeandtoYoung-Man-Afraid-of-
His-Horses。Atdaybreak,havingmetnoone,wehidourhorsesandclimbedtothetopofthenearestbuttetotakeanobservation。Itwasaveryhotday。Welayflatonourblankets,facingthewestwheretheclifffelloffinasheerdescent,andwithourbackstowardthemoregradualslopedottedwithscrubpinesandcedars。
Westucksometallgrassonourheadsandproceededtostudythelandscapespreadbeforeusforanysignofman。
\"Thesweepingvalleysweredottedwithherds,bothlargeandsmall,ofbuffaloandelk,andnowandthenwecaughtaglimpseofacoyoteslinkingintothegulches,returningfromnighthuntingtosleep。Whileintentlywatchingsomemovingbodyatadistance,wecouldnotyettellwhetherofmenoranimals,Iheardafaintnoisebehindmeandslowlyturnedmyhead。Behold!agrizzlybearsneakinguponallfoursandalmostreadytospring!
\"’Run!’Iyelledintotheearofmycompanion,andwebothleapedtoourfeetinasecond。’Separate!separate!’heshouted,andaswedidso,thebearchosemeforhismeat。IrandownhillasfastasIcould,buthewasgaining。’Dodgearoundatree!’
screamedYoung-Man-Afraid。Itookadeepbreathandmadealastspurt,desperatelycirclingthefirsttreeIcameto。Asthegroundwassteepjustthere,Iturnedasomersaultonewayandthebeartheother。Ipickedmyselfupintimetoclimbthetree,andwasfairlyoutofreachwhenhegatheredhimselftogetherandcameatmemorefuriouslythanever,holdinginonepawtheshredsofmybreechcloth,forinthefallhehadjustscratchedmybackandcutmybeltintwo,andcarriedoffmyonlygarmentforatrophy!
\"Myfriendwaswellupanothertreeandlaughingheartilyatmypredicament,andwhenthebearsawthathecouldnotgetateitherofushereluctantlydeparted,afterIhadpolitelyaddressedhimandpromisedtomakeanofferingtohisspiritonmysafereturn。Idon’tthinkIeverhadanarrowerescape,\"heconcluded。
Duringthetroubloustimesfrom1865to1877,AmericanHorseadvocatedyieldingtothegovernmentatanycost,beingnodoubtconvincedoftheuselessnessofresistance。Hewasnotarecognizedleaderuntil1876,whenhetookthenameandplaceofhisuncle。UptothistimeheborethenicknameofManishnee(Cannotwalk,orPlayedout。)
WhenthegreaterpartoftheOgallalas,towhichbandhebelonged,cameintothereservation,heatoncealliedhimselfwiththepeaceelementattheRedCloudagency,nearFortRobinson,Nebraska,andtooknosmallpartinkeepingtheyoungbravesquiet。
Sincetheolderandbetter-knownchiefs,withtheexceptionofSpottedTail,werebelievedtobehostileatheart,themilitarymademuchuseofhim。Manyofhisyoungmenenlistedasscoutsbyhisadvice,andevenhehimselfenteredtheservice。
Intheearlypartoftheyear1876,therewasarumorthatcertainbandswereindangerofbreakingaway。TheirleaderwasoneSiouxJim,sonicknamedbythesoldiers。AmericanHorsewenttohimaspeacemaker,butwastoldhewasawomanandnobrave。HereturnedtohisowncampandtoldhismenthatSiouxJimmeantmischief,andinordertopreventanothercalamitytothetribe,hemustbechastised。HeagainapproachedthewarlikeJimwithseveralwarriorsathisback。Therecalcitrantcameout,guninhand,butthewilychiefwastooquickforhim。Heshotandwoundedtherebel,whereupononeofhismencameforwardandkilledhim。
ThisquelledthepeopleforthetimebeinganduptothekillingofCrazyHorse。Inthecrisisprecipitatedbythisevent,AmericanHorsewasagaininfluentialandenergeticinthecauseofthegovernment。FromthistimeonhebecameanactiveparticipantintheaffairsoftheTetonSioux。Hewasnotedforhiseloquence,whichwasnearlyalwaysconciliatory,yethecouldsayverysharpthingsoftheduplicityofthewhites。Hehadmucheaseofmannerandwasamasterofrepartee。Irecallhissayingthatifyouhavegottoweargoldenslipperstoenterthewhiteman’sheavennoIndianwillevergetthere,asthewhiteshavegottheBlackHillsandwiththemallthegold。
Itwasduringthelaststruggleofhispeople,atthetimeoftheMessiahcrazein1890-1891thathedemonstratedasneverbeforetherealgreatnessoftheman。Whilemanyofhisfriendswerecarriedawaybythenewthought,heheldalooffromitandcautionedhisbandtodothesame。Whenitdevelopedintoanextensiveupheavalamongthenationshetookhispositivestandagainstit。
PresentlyallIndianswhodidnotdancetheGhostDancewereorderedtocomeintocampatPineRidgeagency。AmericanHorsewasthefirsttobringinhispeople。Iwasthereatthetimeandtalkedwithhimdaily。WhenLittlewasarrested,ithadbeenagreedamongthedisaffectedtohavehimresist,whichmeantthathewouldberoughlyhandled。ThiswastobetheirexcusetoattacktheIndianpolice,whichwouldprobablyleadtoageneralmassacreoroutbreak。IknowthatthisdesperatemovewasopposedfromthebeginningbyAmericanHorse,anditwasbelievedthathislifewasthreatened。
Onthedayofthe\"BigIssue\",whenthousandsofIndiansweregatheredattheagency,thismanLittle,whohadbeeninhiding,walkedboldlyamongthem。Ofcoursethepolicewouldarresthimatsight,andhewasledtowardtheguardhouse。Hestruggledwiththem,butwasoverpowered。Acrowdofwarriorsrushedtohisrescue,andtherewasconfusionandageneralshoutof\"Hurryupwiththem!Killthemall!\"IsawAmericanHorsewalkoutoftheagent’sofficeandcalmlyfacetheexcitedmob。
\"Whatareyougoingtodo?\"heasked。\"Stop,men,stopandthinkbeforeyouact!Willyoumurderyourchildren,yourwomen,yes,destroyyournationto-day?\"Hestoodbeforethemlikeastatueandthemenwhoheldthetwopolicemenhelplesspausedforaninstant。Hewenton:\"Youarebraveto-daybecauseyououtnumberthewhitemen,butwhatwillyoudoto-morrow?Therearerailroadsonallsidesofyou。Thesoldierswillpourinfromeverydirectionbythousandsandsurroundyou。Youhavelittlefoodorammunition。Itwillbetheendofyourpeople。Stop,I
say,stopnow!\"
JackRedCloud,sonoftheoldchiefrusheduptohimandthrustarevolveralmostinhisface。\"Itisyouandmenlikeyou,\"heshouted,\"whohavereducedourracetoslaveryandstarvation!\"AmericanHorsedidnotflinchbutdeliberatelyreenteredtheoffice,followedbyJackstillflourishingthepistol。Buthistimelyappearanceandeloquencehadsavedtheday。
Othersofthepoliceforcehadtimetoreachthespot,andwithalargecrowdoffriendlyIndianshadtakencommandofthesituation。
WhenIwentintotheofficeIfoundhimalonebutapparentlyquitecalm。\"Wherearetheagentandtheclerks?\"Iasked。\"Theyfledbythebackdoor,\"hereplied,smiling。\"Ithinktheyareinthecellar。Thesefoolsoutsidehadalmostcaughtusasleep,butIthinkitisovernow。\"
AmericanHorsewasoneoftheearliestadvocatesofeducationfortheIndian,andhissonSamuelandnephewRobertwereamongthefirststudentsatCarlisle。IthinkoneortwoofhisdaughterswerethehandsomestIndiangirlsoffullbloodthatIeversaw。
Hisrecordasacouncilorofhispeopleandhispolicyinthenewsituationthatconfrontedthemwasmanlyandconsistent。
DULLKNIFE
ThelifeofDullKnife,theCheyenne,isatrueherotale。Simple,child-likeyetmanful,anddevoidofselfishaims,orloveofgain,heisapatternforheroesofanyrace。
DullKnifewasachiefoftheoldschool。AmongalltheIndiansoftheplains,nothingcountssaveprovenworth。Aman’scaliberismeasuredbyhiscourage,unselfishnessandintelligence。
Manywritersconfusehistorywithfiction,butinIndianhistorytheirwomenandoldmenandevenchildrenwitnessthemainevents,andnotbeingabsorbedindailypapersandmagazines,theseeventsarerehearsedoverandoverwithfewvariations。Thoughorallypreserved,theiraccountsarethereforeaccurate。Buttheyhaveseldombeenwillingtogivereliableinformationtostrangers,especiallywhenaskedandpaidfor。
Racialprejudicenaturallyentersintotheaccountofaman’slifebyenemywriters,whileoneislikelytofavorhisownrace。
IamconsciousthatmanyreadersmaythinkthatIhaveidealizedtheIndian。ThereforeIwillconfessnowthatwehavetoomanyweakandunprincipledmenamongus。WhenIspeakoftheIndianhero,Idonotforgetthemongrelinspirit,falsetotheidealsofhispeople。Ourtrustfulnesshasbeenourweakness,andwhenthevicesofcivilizationwereaddedtoourown,wefellheavily。
ItissaidthatDullKnifeasaboywasresourcefulandself-reliant。Hewasonlynineyearsoldwhenhisfamilywasseparatedfromtherestofthetribewhileonabuffalohunt。Hisfatherwasawayandhismotherbusy,andhewasplayingwithhislittlesisteronthebanksofastream,whenalargeherdofbuffalosweptdownuponthemonastampedeforwater。Hismotherclimbedatree,butthelittleboyledhissisterintoanoldbeaverhousewhoseentrancewasabovewater,andheretheyremainedinshelteruntilthebuffalopassedandtheywerefoundbytheirdistractedparents。
DullKnifewasquiteayouthwhenhistribewascaughtonewinterinaregiondevoidofgame,andthreatenedwithstarvation。
Thesituationwasmadeworsebyheavystorms,buthesecuredhelpandledareliefpartyahundredandfiftymiles,carryingbalesofdriedbuffalomeatonpackhorses。
Anotherexploitthatmadehimdeartohispeopleoccurredinbattle,whenhisbrother-in-lawwasseverelywoundedandleftlyingwherenooneoneithersidedaredtoapproachhim。AssoonasDullKnifeheardofithegotonafreshhorse,andmadesodaringachargethatothersjoinedhim;thusundercoveroftheirfireherescuedhisbrother-in-law,andinsodoingwaswoundedtwice。
TheSiouxknewhimasamanofhightype,perhapsnotsobrilliantasRomanNoseandTwoMoon,butsurpassingbothinhonestyandsimplicity,aswellasinhiswarrecord。(TwoMoon,infact,wasneveraleaderofhispeople,andbecamedistinguishedonlyinwarswiththewhitesduringtheperiodofrevolt。)Astoryistoldofanancestorofthesamenamethatillustrateswellthespiritoftheage。
Itwasthecustominthosedaysfortheoldermentowalkaheadofthemovingcaravananddecideuponallhaltsandcampingplaces。Onedaythecouncilorscametoagroveofwildcherriescoveredwithripefruit,andtheystoppedatonce。Suddenlyagrizzlychargedfromthethicket。Themenyelpedandhooted,butthebearwasnottobebluffed。Heknockeddownthefirstwarriorwhodaredtofacehimanddraggedhisvictimintothebushes。
Thewholecaravanwasinthewildestexcitement。Severaloftheswiftest-footedwarriorschargedthebear,tobringhimoutintotheopen,whilethewomenanddogsmadeallthenoisetheycould。Thebearacceptedthechallenge,andashedidso,themanwhomtheyhadsupposeddeadcamerunningfromtheoppositeendofthethicket。TheIndiansweredelighted,andespeciallysowheninthemidstoftheircheers,themanstoppedrunningforhislifeandbegantosingaBraveHeartsongasheapproachedthegrovewithhisbutcherknifeinhishand。Hewoulddarehisenemyagain!
Thegrizzlymethimwithatremendousrush,andtheywentdowntogether。Instantlythebearbegantouttercriesofdistress,andatthesametimetheknifeflashed,andherolledoverdead。Thewarriorwastooquickfortheanimal;hefirstbithissensitivenosetodistracthisattention,andthenusedtheknifetostabhimtotheheart。Hefoughtmanybattleswithknivesthereafterandclaimedthatthespiritofthebeargavehimsuccess。Ononeoccasion,however,theenemyhadastrongbuffalo-hideshieldwhichtheCheyennebearfightercouldnotpiercethrough,andhewaswounded;neverthelesshemanagedtodispatchhisfoe。ItwasfromthisincidentthathereceivedthenameofDullKnife,whichwashandeddowntohisdescendant。
Asiswellknown,theNorthernCheyennesuncompromisinglysupportedtheSiouxintheirdesperatedefenseoftheBlackHillsandBigHorncountry。Whynot?Itwastheirlastbuffaloregion——theirsubsistence。Itwaswhatourwheatfieldsaretoacivilizednation。
Abouttheyear1875,apropagandawasstartedforconfiningalltheIndiansuponreservations,wheretheywouldbepracticallyinternedorimprisoned,regardlessoftheirpossessionsandrights。
ThemenwhowerethestrongestadvocatesoftheschemegenerallywantedtheIndians’property——theonemaincausebackofallIndianwars。FromthewarlikeApachestothepeacefulNezPerces,allthetribesoftheplainswerehuntedfromplacetoplace;thenthegovernmentresortedtopeacenegotiations,butalwayswithanarmyathandtocoerce。Oncedisarmedandhelpless,theyweretobetakenundermilitaryguardtotheIndianTerritory。
Afewresisted,anddeclaredtheywouldfighttothedeathratherthango。AmongtheseweretheSioux,butnearlyallthesmallertribesweredeportedagainsttheirwishes。OfcoursethoseIndianswhocamefromamountainousandcoldcountrysufferedseverely。Themoistheatandmalariadecimatedtheexiles。ChiefJosephoftheNezPercesandChiefStandingBearofthePoncasappealedtothepeopleoftheUnitedStates,andfinallysucceededinhavingtheirbandsortheremnantofthemreturnedtotheirownpartofthecountry。DullKnifewasnotsuccessfulinhisplea,andthestoryofhisflightisoneofpoignantinterest。
Hewasregardedbytheauthoritiesasadangerousman,andwithhisdepletedbandwastakentotheIndianTerritorywithouthisconsentin1876。Whenherealizedthathispeopleweredyinglikesheep,hewasdeeplymoved。Hecalledthemtogether。Everymanandwomandeclaredthattheywouldratherdieintheirowncountrythanstaytherelonger,andtheyresolvedtofleetotheirnorthernhomes。
Hereagainwasdisplayedthegeniusofthesepeople。FromtheIndianTerritorytoDakotaisnoshortdashforfreedom。Theyknewwhattheywerefacing。Theirlineofflightlaythroughasettledcountryandtheywouldbecloselypursuedbythearmy。Nosoonerhadtheystartedthanthetelegraphwiressangonesong:\"ThepantheroftheCheyennesisatlarge。NotachildorawomaninKansasorNebraskaissafe。\"Yettheyevadedallthepursuingandinterceptingtroopsandreachedtheirnativesoil。Thestrainwasterrible,thehardshipgreat,andDullKnife,likeJoseph,wasremarkableforhisself-restraintinsparingthosewhocamewithinhispowerontheway。
Butfatewasagainsthim,fortherewerethoselookingforbloodmoneywhobetrayedhimwhenhethoughthewasamongfriends。
HispeopleweretiredoutandfamishedwhentheyweresurroundedandtakentoFortRobinson。Therethemenwereputinprison,andtheirwivesguardedincamp。Theywereallowedtovisittheirmenoncertaindays。Manyofthemhadlosteverything;therewerebutafewwhohadevenonechildleft。Theywereheartbroken。
Thesedespairingwomenappealedtotheirhusbandstodiefighting:theirlibertywasgone,theirhomesbrokenup,andonlyslaveryandgradualextinctioninsight。AtlastDullKnifelistened。Hesaid:\"Ihavelivedmylife。Iamready。\"Theothersagreed。\"Ifourwomenarewillingtodiewithus,whoistheretosayno?Ifwearetodothedeedsofmen,itrestswithyouwomentobringusourweapons。
Astheyhadbeenallowedtocarrymoccasinsandotherthingstothemen,sotheycontrivedtotakeinsomegunsandknivesunderthisdisguise。Theplanwastokillthesentinelsandruntothenearestnaturaltrench,theretomaketheirlaststand。Thewomenandchildrenweretojointhem。Thisarrangementwascarriedout。
Noteverybravehadagun,butallhadagreedtodietogether。
Theyfoughttilltheirsmallstoreofammunitionwasexhausted,thenexposedtheirbroadchestsforatarget,andthemothersevenhelduptheirlittleonestobeshot。ThusdiedthefightingCheyennesandtheirdauntlessleader。
ROMANNOSE
ThisCheyennewarchiefwasacontemporaryofDullKnife。Hewasnotsostrongacharacterastheother,andwasinclinedtobepompousandboastful;butwithallthishewasatruetypeofnativeAmericaninspiritandbravery。
WhileDullKnifewasnotedinwarfareamongIndians,RomanNosemadehisrecordagainstthewhites,indefenseofterritoryembracingtheRepublicanandArickareerivers。Hewaskilledonthelatterriverin1868,inthecelebratedbattlewithGeneralForsythe。
SaveChiefGallandWashakieintheprimeoftheirmanhood,thischiefhadnopeerinbodilyperfectionandmasterfulpersonality。NoGreekorRomangymnastwaseverafinermodelofphysicalbeautyandpower。Hethrilledhismentofrenziedactionwhenhecameuponthefield。Itwassaidofhimthathesacrificedmoreyouthsbyhispersonalinfluenceinbattlethananyotherleader,beingveryrecklesshimselfingrand-standcharges。Hewaskilledneedlesslyinthismanner。
RomanNosealwaysrodeanuncommonlyfine,spiritedhorse,andwithhiswarbonnetandotherparaphernaliagaveawonderfulexhibition。TheIndiansusedtosaythatthesoldiersmustgazeathimratherthanaimathim,astheysoseldomhithimevenwhenrunningthegantletbeforeafiringline。
Hedidaremarkablethingoncewhenonaone-arrow-to-killbuffalohuntwithhisbrother-in-law。Hiscompanionhadselectedhisanimalanddrewsopowerfullyonhissinewbowstringthatitbroke。RomanNosehadkilledhisowncowandwaswhippingupclosetotheotherwhenthemisfortuneoccurred。Bothhorsesweregoingatfullspeedandthearrowjerkedupintheair。RomanNosecaughtitandshotthecowforhim。
AnothercuriousstorytoldofhimistotheeffectthathehadanintimateSiouxfriendwhowascourtingaCheyennegirl,butwithoutsuccess。AsthewooingofbothSiouxandCheyenneswasprettymuchalleffectedinthenighttime,RomanNosetoldhisfriendtolethimdothecourtingforhim。HearrangedwiththeyoungwomantoelopethenextnightandtospendthehoneymoonamonghisSiouxfriends。Hethentoldhisfriendwhattodo。TheSiouxfollowedinstructionsandcarriedofftheCheyennemaid,andnotuntilmorningdidshediscoverhermistake。Itissaidsheneveradmittedit,andthatthetwolivedhappilytogethertoagoodoldage,soperhapstherewasnomistakeafterall。