hunting the grisly and other sketches-第37节

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to　white　settlement。　Since　1879；　there　has　been　but　little　regular
Indian　fighting　in　the　North；　though　there　have　been　one　or　two　very
tedious　and　wearisome　campaigns　waged　against　the　Apaches　in　the
South。　Even　in　the　North；　however；　there　have　been　occasional
uprisings　which　had　to　be　quelled　by　the　regular　troops。

After　my　elk　hunt　in　September；　1891；　I　came　out　through　the
Yellowstone　Park；　as　I　have　elsewhere　related；　riding　in　company　with
a　surveyor　of　the　Burlington　and　Quincy　railroad；　who　was　just　coming
in　from　his　summer's　work。　It　was　the　first　of　October。　There　had　been
a　heavy　snow…storm　and　the　snow　was　still　falling。　Riding　a　stout　pony
each；　and　leading　another　packed　with　our　bedding；　etc。；　we　broke　our
way　from　the　upper　to　the　middle　geyser　basin。　Here　we　found　a　troop
of　the　1st　Cavalry　camped；　under　the　command　of　old　friends　of　mine；
Captain　Frank　Edwards　and　Lieutenant　（now　Captain）　John　Pitcher。　They
gave　us　hay　for　our　horses　and　insisted　upon　our　stopping　to　lunch；
with　the　ready　hospitality　always　shown　by　army　officers。　After　lunch
we　began　exchanging　stories。　My　travelling　companion；　the　surveyor；
had　that　spring　performed　a　feat　of　note；　going　through　one　of　the
canyons　of　the　Big　Horn　for　the　first　time。　He　went　with　an　old　mining
inspector；　the　two　of　them　dragging　a　cottonwood　sledge　over　the　ice。
The　walls　of　the　canyon　are　so　sheer　and　the　water　so　rough　that　it
can　be　descended　only　when　the　stream　is　frozen。　However；　after　six
days'　labor　and　hardship　the　descent　was　accomplished；　and　the
surveyor；　in　concluding；　described　his　experience　in　going　through　the
Crow　Reservation。

This　turned　the　conversation　upon　Indians；　and　it　appeared　that　both
of　our　hosts　had　been　actors　in　Indian　scrapes　which　had　attracted　my
attention　at　the　time　they　occurred；　as　they　took　place　among　tribes
that　I　knew　and　in　a　country　which　I　had　sometime　visited；　either　when
hunting　or　when　purchasing　horses　for　the　ranch。　The　first；　which
occurred　to　Captain　Edwards；　happened　late　in　1886；　at　the　time　when
the　crow　Medicine　Chief；　Sword…Bearer；　announced　himself　as　the
Messiah　of　the　Indian　race；　during　one　of　the　usual　epidemics　of　ghost
dancing。　Sword…Bearer　derived　his　name　from　always　wearing　a　medicine
swordthat　is；　a　sabre　painted　red。　He　claimed　to　possess　magic
power；　and；　thanks　to　the　performance　of　many　dexterous　feats　of
juggling；　and　the　lucky　outcome　of　certain　prophecies；　he　deeply
stirred　the　Indians；　arousing　the　young　warriors　in　particular　to　the
highest　pitch　of　excitement。　They　became　sullen；　began　to　paint　and
armed　themselves；　and　the　agent　and　the　settlers　nearby　grew　so
apprehensive　that　the　troops　were　ordered　to　go　to　the　reservation。　A
body　of　cavalry；　including　Captain　Edwards'　troop；　was　accordingly
marched　thither；　and　found　the　Crow　warriors；　mounted　on　their　war
ponies　and　dressed　in　their　striking　battle…garb；　waiting　on　a　hill。

The　position　of　troops　at　the　beginning　of　such　an　affair　is　always
peculiarly　difficult。　The　settlers　round…about　are　sure　to　clamor
bitterly　against　them；　no　matter　what　they　do；　on　the　ground　that　they
are　not　thorough　enough　and　are　showing　favor　to　the　savages；　while　on
the　other　hand；　even　if　they　fight　purely　in　self…defence；　a　large
number　of　worthy　but　weak…minded　sentimentalists　in　the　East　are　sure
to　shriek　about　their　having　brutally　attacked　the　Indians。　The　war
authorities　always　insist　that　they　must　not　fire　the　first　shot　under
any　circumstances；　and　such　were　the　orders　at　this　time。　The　Crows　on
the　hill…top　showed　a　sullen　and　threatening　front；　and　the　troops
advanced　slowly　towards　them　and　then　halted　for　a　parley。　Meanwhile　a
mass　of　black　thunderclouds　gathering　on　the　horizon　threatened　one　of
those　cloudbursts　of　extreme　severity　and　suddenness　so　characteristic
of　the　plains　country。　While　still　trying　to　make　arrangements　for　a
parley；　a　horseman　started　out　of　the　Crow　ranks　and　galloped　headlong
down　towards　the　troops。　It　was　the　medicine　chief；　Sword…Bearer。　He
was　painted　and　in　his　battle…dress；　wearing　his　war…bonnet　of
floating；　trailing　eagle　feathers；　while　the　plumes　of　the　same　bird
were　braided　in　the　mane　and　tail　of　his　fiery　little　horse。　On　he
came　at　a　gallop　almost　up　to　the　troops　and　then　began　to　circle
around　them；　calling　and　singing　and　throwing　his　crimson　sword　into
the　air；　catching　it　by　the　hilt　as　it　fell。　Twice　he　rode　completely
around　the　soldiers；　who　stood　in　uncertainty；　not　knowing　what　to
make　of　his　performance；　and　expressly　forbidden　to　shoot　at　him。　Then
paying　no　further　heed　to　them　he　rode　back　towards　the　Crows。　It
appears　that　he　had　told　them　that　he　would　ride　twice　around　the
hostile　force；　and　by　his　incantations　would　call　down　rain　from
heaven；　which　would　make　the　hearts　of　the　white　men　like　water；　so
that　they　should　go　back　to　their　homes。　Sure　enough；　while　the
arrangements　for　the　parley　were　still　going　forward；　down　came　the
cloudburst　drenching　the　command　and　making　the　ground　on　the　hills　in
front　nearly　impassable；　and　before　it　dried　a　courier　arrived　with
orders　to　the　troops　to　go　back　to　camp。

This　fulfilment　of　Sword…Bearer's　prophecy　of　course　raised　his
reputation　to　the　zenith　and　the　young　men　of　the　tribe　prepared　for
war；　while　the　older　chiefs；　who　more　fully　realized　the　power　of　the
whites；　still　hung　back。　When　the　troops　next　appeared　they　came　upon
the　entire　Crow　force；　the　women　and　children　with　their　tepees　being
off　to　one　side　beyond　a　little　stream　while　almost　all　the　warriors
of　the　tribe　were　gathered　in　front。　Sword…Bearer　started　to　repeat
his　former　ride；　to　the　intense　irritation　of　the　soldiers。　Luckily；
however；　this　time　some　of　his　young　men　could　not　be　restrained。　They
too　began　to　ride　near　the　troops；　and　one　of　them　was　unable　to
refrain　from　firing　on　Captain　Edwards'　troop；　which　was　in　the　van。
This　gave　the　soldiers　their　chance。　They　instantly　responded　with　a
volley；　and　Captain　Edwards'　troop　charged。　The　fight　lasted　but　a
minute　or　two；　for　Sword…Bearer　was　struck　by　a　bullet　and　fell；　and
as　he　had　boasted　himself　invulnerable；　and　promised　that　his　warriors
should　be　invulnerable　also　if　they　would　follow　him；　the　hearts　of
the　latter　became　as　water　and　they　broke　in　every　direction。　One　of
the　amusing；　though　irritating；　incidents　of　the　affair　was　to　see　the
plumed　and　painted　warriors　race　headlong　for　the　camp；　plunge　into
the　stream；　wash　off　their　war　paint；　and　remove　their　feathers；　in
another　moment　they　would　be　stolidly　sitting　on　the　ground；　with
their　blankets　over　their　shoulders；　rising　to　greet　the　pursuing
cavalry　with　unmoved　composure　and　calm　assurance　that　they　had　always
been　friendly　and　had　much　disapproved　the　conduct　of　the　young　bucks
who　had　just　been　scattered　on　the　field　outside。　It　was　much　to　the
credit　of　the　discipline　of　the　army　that　no　bloodshed　followed　the
fight　proper。　The　loss　to　the　whites　was　small。

The　other　incident；　related　by　Lieutenant　Pitcher；　took　place　in　1890；
near　Tongue　River；　in　northern　Wyoming。　The　command　with　which　he　was
serving　was　camped　near　the　Cheyenne　Reservation。　One　day　two　young
Cheyenne　bucks；　met　one　of　the　government　herders；　and　promptly　killed
himin　a　sudden　fit；　half　of　ungovernable　blood　lust；　half　of　mere
ferocious　lightheartedness。　They　then　dragged　his　body　into　the　brush
and　left　it。　The　disappearance　of　the　herder　of　course　attracted
attention；　and　a　search　was　organized　by　the　cavalry。　At　first　the
Indians　stoutly　denied　all　knowledge　of　the　missing　man；　but　when　it
became　evident　that　the　search　party　would　shortly　find　him；　two　or
three　of　the　chiefs　joined　them；　and　piloted　them　to　where　the　body
lay；　and　acknowledged　that　he　had　been　murdered　by　two　of　their　band；
though　at　first　they　refused　to　give　their　names。　The　commander　of　the
post　demanded　that　the　murderers　be　given　up。　The　chiefs　said　that
they　were　very　sorry；　that　this　could　not　be　done；　but　that　they　were
willing　to　pay　over　any　reasonable　number　of　ponies　to　make　amends　for
the　death。　This　offer　was　of　course　promptly　refused；　and　the
commander　notified　them　that　if　they　did　not　surrender　the　murderers
by　a　certain　time　he　would　hold　the　whole　tribe　responsible　and　would
promptly　move　out　and　attack　them。　Upon　this　the　chiefs；　after　holding
full　counsel　with　the　tribe；　told　the　commander　that　they　had　no　power
to　surrender　the　murderers；　but　that　the　latter　had　said　that　sooner
than　see　their　tribe　involved　in　a　hopeless　struggle　they　would　of
their　own　accord　come　in　and　meet　the　troops　anywhere　the　latter　chose
to　appoint；　and　die　fighting。　To　this　the　commander　responded：　〃All
right；　let　them　come　into　the　agency　in　half　an　hour。〃　The　chiefs
acquiesced；　and　withdrew。

Immediately　the　Indians　sent　mounted　messengers　at　speed　from　camp　to
camp；　summoning　all　their　people　to　witness　the　act　of　fierce　self…
doom；　and　soon　the　entire　tribe　of　Cheyennes；　many　of　them　having
their　faces　blackened　in　token　of　mourning；　moved　down　and　took　up　a
position　on　the　hill…side　close　to　the　agency。　At　the　appointed　hour
both　young　men　appear