indian heroes & great chieftains-第13节

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man　killed　unarmed。　　I　will　strike　him　again　with　my　coup…staff　to

count　the　first　feather；　who　will　count　the　second？〃



Again　he　led　the　charge；　and　this　time　they　all　followed　him。　

Sitting　Bull　was　severely　wounded　by　his　own　gun　in　the　hands　of

the　enemy；　who　was　killed　by　those　that　came　after　him。　　This　is　a

record　that　so　far　as　I　know　was　never　made　by　any　other　warrior。



The　second　incident　that　made　him　well　known　was　his　taking　of

a　boy　captive　in　battle　with　the　Assiniboines。　　He　saved　this　boy's

life　and　adopted　him　as　his　brother。　　Hohay；　as　he　was　called；　was

devoted　to　Sitting　Bull　and　helped　much　in　later　years　to　spread

his　fame。　　Sitting　Bull　was　a　born　diplomat；　a　ready　speaker；　and

in　middle　life　he　ceased　to　go　upon　the　warpath；　to　become　the

councilor　of　his　people。　　From　this　time　on；　this　man　represented

him　in　all　important　battles；　and　upon　every　brave　deed　done　was

wont　to　exclaim　aloud：



〃I；　Sitting　Bull's　boy；　do　this　in　his　name！〃



He　had　a　nephew；　now　living；　who　resembles　him　strongly；　and

who　also　represented　him　personally　upon　the　field；　and　so　far　as

there　is　any　remnant　left　of　his　immediate　band；　they　look　upon

this　man　One　Bull　as　their　chief。



When　Sitting　Bull　was　a　boy；　there　was　no　thought　of　trouble

with　the　whites。　　He　was　acquainted　with　many　of　the　early　traders；

Picotte；　Choteau；　Primeau；　Larpenteur；　and　others；　and　liked　them；

as　did　most　of　his　people　in　those　days。　　All　the　early　records

show　this　friendly　attitude　of　the　Sioux；　and　the　great　fur

companies　for　a　century　and　a　half　depended　upon　them　for　the　bulk

of　their　trade。　　It　was　not　until　the　middle　of　the　last　century

that　they　woke　up　all　of　a　sudden　to　the　danger　threatening　their

very　existence。　　Yet　at　that　time　many　of　the　old　chiefs　had　been

already　depraved　by　the　whisky　and　other　vices　of　the　whites；　and

in　the　vicinity　of　the　forts　and　trading　posts　at　Sioux　City；　Saint

Paul；　and　Cheyenne；　there　was　general　demoralization。　　The

drunkards　and　hangers…on　were　ready　to　sell　almost　anything　they

had　for　the　favor　of　the　trader。　　The　better　and　stronger　element

held　aloof。　　They　would　not　have　anything　of　the　white　man　except

his　hatchet；　gun；　and　knife。　　They　utterly　refused　to　cede　their

lands；　and　as　for　the　rest；　they　were　willing　to　let　him　alone　as

long　as　he　did　not　interfere　with　their　life　and　customs；　which　was

not　long。



It　was　not；　however；　the　Unkpapa　band　of　Sioux；　Sitting　Bull's

band；　which　first　took　up　arms　against　the　whites；　and　this　was　not

because　they　had　come　less　in　contact　with　them；　for　they　dwelt　on

the　Missouri　River；　the　natural　highway　of　trade。　　As　early　as

1854；　the　Ogallalas　and　Brules　had　trouble　with　the　soldiers　near

Fort　Laramie；　and　again　in　1857　Inkpaduta　massacred　several

families　of　settlers　at　Spirit　Lake；　Iowa。　　Finally；　in　1869；　the

Minnesota　Sioux；　goaded　by　many　wrongs；　arose　and　murdered　many　of

the　settlers；　afterward　fleeing　into　the　country　of　the　Unkpapas

and　appealing　to　them　for　help；　urging　that　all　Indians　should　make

common　cause　against　the　invader。　　This　brought　Sitting　Bull　face

to　face　with　a　question　which　was　not　yet　fully　matured　in　his　own

mind；　but　having　satisfied　himself　of　the　justice　of　their　cause；

he　joined　forces　with　the　renegades　during　the　summer　of　1863；　and

from　this　time　on　he　was　an　acknowledged　leader。



In　1865　and　1866　he　met　the　Canadian　half…breed；　Louis　Riel；

instigator　of　two　rebellions；　who　had　come　across　the　line　for

safety；　and　in　fact　at　this　time　he　harbored　a　number　of　outlaws

and　fugitives　from　justice。　　His　conversations　with　these；

especially　with　the　French　mixed…bloods；　who　inflamed　his

prejudices　against　the　Americans；　all　had　their　influence　in　making

of　the　wily　Sioux　a　determined　enemy　to　the　white　man。　　While　among

his　own　people　he　was　always　affable　and　genial；　he　became　boastful

and　domineering　in　his　dealings　with　the　hated　race。　　He　once

remarked　that　〃if　we　wish　to　make　any　impression　upon　the　pale…face；

it　is　necessary　to　put　on　his　mask。〃



Sitting　Bull　joined　in　the　attack　on　Fort　Phil　Kearny　and　in

the　subsequent　hostilities；　but　he　accepted　in　good　faith　the

treaty　of　1868；　and　soon　after　it　was　signed　he　visited　Washington

with　Red　Cloud　and　Spotted　Tail；　on　which　occasion　the　three

distinguished　chiefs　attracted　much　attention　and　were　entertained

at　dinner　by　President　Grant　and　other　notables。　　He　considered

that　the　life　of　the　white　man　as　he　saw　it　was　no　life　for　his

people；　but　hoped　by　close　adherence　to　the　terms　of　this　treaty　to

preserve　the　Big　Horn　and　Black　Hills　country　for　a　permanent

hunting　ground。　　When　gold　was　discovered　and　the　irrepressible

gold　seekers　made　their　historic　dash　across　the　plains　into　this

forbidden　paradise；　then　his　faith　in　the　white　man's　honor　was

gone　forever；　and　he　took　his　final　and　most　persistent　stand　in

defense　of　his　nation　and　home。　　His　bitter　and　at　the　same　time

well…grounded　and　philosophical　dislike　of　the　conquering　race　is

well　expressed　in　a　speech　made　before　the　purely　Indian　council

before　referred　to；　upon　the　Powder　River。　　I　will　give　it　in　brief

as　it　has　been　several　times　repeated　to　me　by　men　who　were

present。



〃Behold；　my　friends；　the　spring　is　come；　the　earth　has　gladly

received　the　embraces　of　the　sun；　and　we　shall　soon　see　the　results

of　their　love！　　Every　seed　is　awakened；　and　all　animal　life。　　It　is

through　this　mysterious　power　that　we　too　have　our　being；　and　we

therefore　yield　to　our　neighbors；　even　to　our　animal　neighbors；　the

same　right　as　ourselves　to　inhabit　this　vast　land。



〃Yet　hear　me；　friends！　we　have　now　to　deal　with　another

people；　small　and　feeble　when　our　forefathers　first　met　with　them；

but　now　great　and　overbearing。　　Strangely　enough；　they　have　a　mind

to　till　the　soil；　and　the　love　of　possessions　is　a　disease　in　them。　

These　people　have　made　many　rules　that　the　rich　may　break；　but　the

poor　may　not！　　They　have　a　religion　in　which　the　poor　worship；　but

the　rich　will　not！　　They　even　take　tithes　of　the　poor　and　weak　to

support　the　rich　and　those　who　rule。　　They　claim　this　mother　of

ours；　the　Earth；　for　their　own　use；　and　fence　their　neighbors　away

from　her；　and　deface　her　with　their　buildings　and　their　refuse。　

They　compel　her　to　produce　out　of　season；　and　when　sterile　she　is

made　to　take　medicine　in　order　to　produce　again。　　All　this　is

sacrilege。



〃This　nation　is　like　a　spring　freshet；　it　overruns　its　banks

and　destroys　all　who　are　in　its　path。　　We　cannot　dwell　side　by

side。　　Only　seven　years　ago　we　made　a　treaty　by　which　we　were

assured　that　the　buffalo　country　should　be　left　to　us　forever。　　Now

they　threaten　to　take　that　from　us　also。　　My　brothers；　shall　we

submit？　or　shall　we　say　to　them：　'First　kill　me；　before　you　can

take　possession　of　my　fatherland！'〃



As　Sitting　Bull　spoke；　so　he　felt；　and　he　had　the　courage　to

stand　by　his　words。　　Crazy　Horse　led　his　forces　in　the　field；　as

for　him；　he　applied　his　energies　to　state　affairs；　and　by　his

strong　and　aggressive　personality　contributed　much　to　holding　the

hostiles　together。



It　may　be　said　without　fear　of　contradiction　that　Sitting　Bull

never　killed　any　women　or　children。　　He　was　a　fair　fighter；　and

while　not　prominent　in　battle　after　his　young　manhood；　he　was　the

brains　of　the　Sioux　resistance。　　He　has　been　called　a　〃medicine

man〃　and　a　〃dreamer。〃　　Strictly　speaking；　he　was　neither　of　these；

and　the　white　historians　are　prone　to　confuse　the　two。　　A　medicine

man　is　a　doctor　or　healer；　a　dreamer　is　an　active　war　prophet　who

leads　his　war　party　according　to　his　dream　or　prophecy。　　What　is

called　by　whites　〃making　medicine〃　in　war　time　is　again　a　wrong

conception。　　Every　warrior　carries　a　bag　of　sacred　or　lucky　charms；

supposed　to　protect　the　wearer　alone；　but　it　has　nothing　to　do　with

the　success　or　safety　of　the　party　as　a　whole。　　No　one　can　make　any

〃medicine〃　to　affect　the　result　of　a　battle；　although　it　has　been

said　that　Sitting　Bull　did　this　at　the　battle　of　the　Little　Big

Horn。



When　Custer　and　Reno　attacked　the　camp　at　both　ends；　the　chief

was　caught　napping。　　The　village　was　in　danger　of　surprise；　and　the

women　and　children　must　be　placed　in　safety。　　Like　other　men　of　his

age；　Sitting　Bull　got　his　family　together　for　flight；　and　then

joined　the　warriors　on　the　Reno　side　of　the　attack。　　Thus　he　was

not　in　the　famous　charge　against　Custer；　nevertheless；　his　voice

was　heard　exhorting　the　warriors　throughout　that　day。



During　the　autumn　of　1876；　after　the　fall　of　Custer；　Sitting

Bull　was　hunted　all　through　the　Yellowstone　region　by　the　military。　

The　following　characteristic　letter；　doubtless　written　at　his

dictation　by　a　half…breed　interpreter；　was　sent　to　Colonel　Otis

immediately　after　a　daring　attack　upon　his　wagon　train。



〃I　want　to　know　what　you　are　doing；　traveling　on　this　road。　

You　scare　all