第3章

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。