indian heroes & great chieftains-第15节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



smoke。　　At　home；　by　the　fireside；　when　the　old　men　were　asked　to

tell　their　brave　deeds；　again　the　pipe　was　passed。　　So　come；　let　us

smoke　now　to　the　memory　of　the　old　days！〃



He　took　of　my　tobacco　and　filled　his　long　pipe；　and　we　smoked。　

Then　I　told　an　old　mirthful　story　to　get　him　in　the　humor　of

relating　his　own　history。



The　old　man　lay　upon　an　iron　bedstead；　covered　by　a　red

blanket；　in　a　corner　of　the　little　log　cabin。　　He　was　all　alone

that　day；　only　an　old　dog　lay　silent　and　watchful　at　his　master's

feet。



Finally　he　looked　up　and　said　with　a　pleasant　smile：



〃True；　friend；　it　is　the　old　custom　to　retrace　one's　trail

before　leaving　it　forever！　　I　know　that　I　am　at　the　door　of　the

spirit　home。



〃I　was　born　near　the　forks　of　the　Cheyenne　River；　about

seventy　years　ago。　　My　father　was　not　a　chief；　my　grandfather　was

not　a　chief；　but　a　good　hunter　and　a　feast…maker。　　On　my　mother's

side　I　had　some　noted　ancestors；　but　they　left　me　no　chieftainship。　

I　had　to　work　for　my　reputation。



〃When　I　was　a　boy；　I　loved　to　fight；〃　he　continued。　　〃In　all

our　boyish　games　I　had　the　name　of　being　hard　to　handle；　and　I　took

much　pride　in　the　fact。



〃I　was　about　ten　years　old　when　we　encountered　a　band　of

Cheyennes。　　They　were　on　friendly　terms　with　us；　but　we　boys

always　indulged　in　sham　fights　on　such　occasions；　and　this　time　I

got　in　an　honest　fight　with　a　Cheyenne　boy　older　than　I。　I　got　the

best　of　the　boy；　but　he　hit　me　hard　in　the　face　several　times；　and

my　face　was　all　spattered　with　blood　and　streaked　where　the　paint

had　been　washed　away。　　The　Sioux　boys　whooped　and　yelled：



〃'His　enemy　is　down；　and　his　face　is　spattered　as　if　with

rain！　　Rain…in…the…Face！　　His　name　shall　be　Rain…in…the…Face！'



〃Afterwards；　when　I　was　a　young　man；　we　went　on　a　warpath

against　the　Gros　Ventres。　　We　stole　some　of　their　horses；　but　were

overtaken　and　had　to　abandon　the　horses　and　fight　for　our　lives。　

I　had　wished　my　face　to　represent　the　sun　when　partly　covered　with

darkness；　so　I　painted　it　half　black；　half　red。　　We　fought　all　day

in　the　rain；　and　my　face　was　partly　washed　and　streaked　with　red

and　black：　so　again　I　was　christened　Rain…in…the…Face。　　We

considered　it　an　honorable　name。



〃I　had　been　on　many　warpaths；　but　was　not　especially

successful　until　about　the　time　the　Sioux　began　to　fight　with　the

white　man。　　One　of　the　most　daring　attacks　that　we　ever　made　was　at

Fort　Totten；　North　Dakota；　in　the　summer　of　1866。



〃Hohay；　the　Assiniboine　captive　of　Sitting　Bull；　was　the

leader　in　this　raid。　　Wapaypay；　the　Fearless　Bear；　who　was

afterward　hanged　at　Yankton；　was　the　bravest　man　among　us。　　He

dared　Hohay　to　make　the　charge。　　Hohay　accepted　the　challenge；　and

in　turn　dared　the　other　to　ride　with　him　through　the　agency　and

right　under　the　walls　of　the　fort；　which　was　well　garrisoned　and

strong。



〃Wapaypay　and　I　in　those　days　called　each　other

'brother…friend。'　It　was　a　life…and…death　vow。　　What　one　does　the

other　must　do；　and　that　meant　that　I　must　be　in　the　forefront　of

the　charge；　and　if　he　is　killed；　I　must　fight　until　I　die　also！



〃I　prepared　for　death。　　I　painted　as　usual　like　an　eclipse　of

the　sun；　half　black　and　half　red。〃



His　eyes　gleamed　and　his　face　lighted　up　remarkably　as　he

talked；　pushing　his　black　hair　back　from　his　forehead　with　a

nervous　gesture。



〃Now　the　signal　for　the　charge　was　given！　　I　started　even　with

Wapaypay；　but　his　horse　was　faster　than　mine；　so　he　left　me　a

little　behind　as　we　neared　the　fort。　　This　was　bad　for　me；　for　by

that　time　the　soldiers　had　somewhat　recovered　from　the　surprise

and　were　aiming　better。



〃Their　big　gun　talked　very　loud；　but　my　Wapaypay　was　leading

on；　leaning　forward　on　his　fleet　pony　like　a　flying　squirrel　on　a

smooth　log！　　He　held　his　rawhide　shield　on　the　right　side；　a　little

to　the　front；　and　so　did　I。　Our　warwhoop　was　like　the　coyotes

singing　in　the　evening；　when　they　smell　blood！



〃The　soldiers'　guns　talked　fast；　but　few　were　hurt。　　Their　big

gun　was　like　a　toothless　old　dog；　who　only　makes　himself　hotter　the

more　noise　he　makes；〃　he　remarked　with　some　humor。



〃How　much　harm　we　did　I　do　not　know；　but　we　made　things　lively

for　a　time；　and　the　white　men　acted　as　people　do　when　a　swarm　of

angry　bees　get　into　camp。　　We　made　a　successful　retreat；　but　some

of　the　reservation　Indians　followed　us　yelling；　until　Hohay　told

them　that　he　did　not　wish　to　fight　with　the　captives　of　the　white

man；　for　there　would　be　no　honor　in　that。　　There　was　blood　running

down　my　leg；　and　I　found　that　both　my　horse　and　I　were　slightly

wounded。



〃Some　two　years　later　we　attacked　a　fort　west　of　the　Black

Hills　＇Fort　Phil　Kearny；　Wyoming＇。　　It　was　there　we　killed　one

hundred　soldiers。〃　　＇The　military　reports　say　eighty　men；　under　the

command　of　Captain　Fetterman　　not　one　left　alive　to　tell　the

tale！＇　　〃Nearly　every　band　of　the　Sioux　nation　was　represented　in

that　fight　　Red　Cloud；　Spotted　Tail；　Crazy　Horse；　Sitting　Bull；

Big　Foot；　and　all　our　great　chiefs　were　there。　　Of　course　such　men

as　I　were　then　comparatively　unknown。　　However；　there　were　many

noted　young　warriors；　among　them　Sword；　the　younger

Young…Man…Afraid；　American　Horse　＇afterward　chief＇；　Crow　King；　and

others。



〃This　was　the　plan　decided　upon　after　many　councils。　　The　main

war　party　lay　in　ambush；　and　a　few　of　the　bravest　young　men　were

appointed　to　attack　the　woodchoppers　who　were　cutting　logs　to

complete　the　building　of　the　fort。　　We　were　told　not　to　kill　these

men；　but　to　chase　them　into　the　fort　and　retreat　slowly；　defying

the　white　men；　and　if　the　soldiers　should　follow；　we　were　to　lead

them　into　the　ambush。　　They　took　our　bait　exactly　as　we　had　hoped！

It　was　a　matter　of　a　very　few　minutes；　for　every　soldier　lay　dead

in　a　shorter　time　than　it　takes　to　annihilate　a　small　herd　of

buffalo。



〃This　attack　was　hastened　because　most　of　the　Sioux　on　the

Missouri　River　and　eastward　had　begun　to　talk　of　suing　for　peace。　

But　even　this　did　not　stop　the　peace　movement。　　The　very　next　year

a　treaty　was　signed　at　Fort　Rice；　Dakota　Territory；　by　nearly　all

the　Sioux　chiefs；　in　which　it　was　agreed　on　the　part　of　the　Great

Father　in　Washington　that　all　the　country　north　of　the　Republican

River　in　Nebraska；　including　the　Black　Hills　and　the　Big　Horn

Mountains；　was　to　be　always　Sioux　country；　and　no　white　man　should

intrude　upon　it　without　our　permission。　　Even　with　this　agreement

Sitting　Bull　and　Crazy　Horse　were　not　satisfied；　and　they　would　not

sign。



〃Up　to　this　time　I　had　fought　in　some　important　battles；　but

had　achieved　no　great　deed。　　I　was　ambitious　to　make　a　name　for

myself。　　I　joined　war　parties　against　the　Crows；　Mandans；　Gros

Ventres；　and　Pawnees；　and　gained　some　little　distinction。



〃It　was　when　the　white　men　found　the　yellow　metal　in　our

country；　and　came　in　great　numbers；　driving　away　our　game；　that

we　took　up　arms　against　them　for　the　last　time。　　I　must　say　here

that　the　chiefs　who　were　loudest　for　war　were　among　the　first　to

submit　and　accept　reservation　life。　　Spotted　Tail　was　a　great

warrior；　yet　he　was　one　of　the　first　to　yield；　because　he　was

promised　by　the　Chief　Soldiers　that　they　would　make　him　chief　of

all　the　Sioux。　　Ugh！　he　would　have　stayed　with　Sitting　Bull　to　the

last　had　it　not　been　for　his　ambition。



〃About　this　time　we　young　warriors　began　to　watch　the　trails

of　the　white　men　into　the　Black　Hills；　and　when　we　saw　a　wagon

coming　we　would　hide　at　the　crossing　and　kill　them　all　without　much

trouble。　　We　did　this　to　discourage　the　whites　from　coming　into　our

country　without　our　permission。　　It　was　the　duty　of　our　Great

Father　at　Washington；　by　the　agreement　of　1868；　to　keep　his　white

children　away。



〃During　the　troublesome　time　after　this　treaty；　which　no　one

seemed　to　respect；　either　white　or　Indian　＇but　the　whites　broke　it

first＇；　I　was　like　many　other　young　men　　much　on　the　warpath；　but

with　little　honor。　　I　had　not　yet　become　noted　for　any　great　deed。　

Finally；　Wapaypay　and　I　waylaid　and　killed　a　white　soldier　on　his

way　from　the　fort　to　his　home　in　the　east。



〃There　were　a　few　Indians　who　were　liars；　and　never　on　the

warpath；　playing　'good　Indian'　with　the　Indian　agents　and　the　war

chiefs　at　the　forts。　　Some　of　this　faithless　set　betrayed　me；　and

told　more　than　I　ever　did。　　I　was　seized　and　taken　to　the　fort　near

Bismarck；　North　Dakota　＇Fort　Abraham　Lincoln＇；　by　a　brother　＇Tom

Custer＇　of　the　Long…Haired　War　Chief；　and　imprisoned　there。　　These

same　lying　Indians；　who　were　selling　their　services　as　scouts　to

the　white　man；　told　me　that　I　was　to　be　shot　to　death；　or　else

hanged　upon　a　tree。　　I　answered　that　I　was　not　afraid　to　die。



〃However；　there　was　an　old　soldier　who　used　to　bring　my　food

and　stand　guard　over　me　　he　was　a　white　man；　it　is　true；　but　he

had　an　Indian　heart！　　He　came　to　me　one　day　and　unfastened　the　iron

chai