indian heroes & great chieftains-第16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！



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

chain　and　ball　with　which　they　had　locked　my　leg；　saying　by　signs

and　what　little　Sioux　he　could　muster：



〃'Go；　friend！　take　the　chain　and　ball　with　you。　　I　shall

shoot；　but　the　voice　of　the　gun　will　lie。'



〃When　he　had　made　me　understand；　you　may　guess　that　I　ran　my

best！　　I　was　almost　over　the　bank　when　he　fired　his　piece　at　me

several　times；　but　I　had　already　gained　cover　and　was　safe。　　I　have

never　told　this　before；　and　would　not；　lest　it　should　do　him　an

injury；　but　he　was　an　old　man　then；　and　I　am　sure　he　must　be　dead

long　since。　　That　old　soldier　taught　me　that　some　of　the　white

people　have　hearts；〃　he　added；　quite　seriously。



〃I　went　back　to　Standing　Rock　in　the　night；　and　I　had　to　hide

for　several　days　in　the　woods；　where　food　was　brought　to　me　by　my

relatives。　　The　Indian　police　were　ordered　to　retake　me；　and　they

pretended　to　hunt　for　me；　but　really　they　did　not；　for　if　they　had

found　me　I　would　have　died　with　one　or　two　of　them；　and　they　knew

it！　　In　a　few　days　I　departed　with　several　others；　and　we　rejoined

the　hostile　camp　on　the　Powder　River　and　made　some　trouble　for　the

men　who　were　building　the　great　iron　track　north　of　us　＇Northern

Pacific＇。



〃In　the　spring　the　hostile　Sioux　got　together　again　upon　the

Tongue　River。　　It　was　one　of　the　greatest　camps　of　the　Sioux　that

I　ever　saw。　　There　were　some　Northern　Cheyennes　with　us；　under　Two

Moon；　and　a　few　Santee　Sioux；　renegades　from　Canada；　under

Inkpaduta；　who　had　killed　white　people　in　Iowa　long　before。　　We　had

decided　to　fight　the　white　soldiers　until　no　warrior　should　be

left。〃



At　this　point　Rain…in…the…Face　took　up　his　tobacco　pouch　and

began　again　to　fill　his　pipe。



〃Of　course　the　younger　warriors　were　delighted　with　the

prospect　of　a　great　fight！　　Our　scouts　had　discovered　piles　of　oats

for　horses　and　other　supplies　near　the　Missouri　River。　　They　had

been　brought　by　the　white　man's　fire…boats。　　Presently　they

reported　a　great　army　about　a　day's　travel　to　the　south；　with

Shoshone　and　Crow　scouts。



〃There　was　excitement　among　the　people；　and　a　great　council

was　held。　　Many　spoke。　　I　was　asked　the　condition　of　those　Indians

who　had　gone　upon　the　reservation；　and　I　told　them　truly　that　they

were　nothing　more　than　prisoners。　　It　was　decided　to　go　out　and

meet　Three　Stars　＇General　Crook＇　at　a　safe　distance　from　our　camp。



〃We　met　him　on　the　Little　Rosebud。　　I　believe　that　if　we　had

waited　and　allowed　him　to　make　the　attack；　he　would　have　fared　no

better　than　Custer。　　He　was　too　strongly　fortified　where　he　was；

and　I　think；　too；　that　he　was　saved　partly　by　his　Indian　allies；

for　the　scouts　discovered　us　first　and　fought　us　first；　thus　giving

him　time　to　make　his　preparations。　　I　think　he　was　more　wise　than

brave！　　After　we　had　left　that　neighborhood　he　might　have　pushed　on

and　connected　with　the　Long…Haired　Chief。　　That　would　have　saved

Custer　and　perhaps　won　the　day。



〃When　we　crossed　from　Tongue　River　to　the　Little　Big　Horn；　on

account　of　the　scarcity　of　game；　we　did　not　anticipate　any　more

trouble。　　Our　runners　had　discovered　that　Crook　had　retraced　his

trail　to　Goose　Creek；　and　we　did　not　suppose　that　the　white　men

would　care　to　follow　us　farther　into　the　rough　country。



〃Suddenly　the　Long…Haired　Chief　appeared　with　his　men！　　It　was

a　surprise。〃



〃What　part　of　the　camp　were　you　in　when　the　soldiers　attacked

the　lower　end？〃　I　asked。



〃I　had　been　invited　to　a　feast　at　one　of　the　young　men's

lodges　＇a　sort　of　club＇。　　There　was　a　certain　warrior　who　was

making　preparations　to　go　against　the　Crows；　and　I　had　decided　to

go　also；〃　he　said。



〃While　I　was　eating　my　meat　we　heard　the　war　cry！　　We　all

rushed　out；　and　saw　a　warrior　riding　at　top　speed　from　the　lower

camp；　giving　the　warning　as　he　came。　　Then　we　heard　the　reports　of

the　soldiers'　guns；　which　sounded　differently　from　the　guns　fired

by　our　people　in　battle。



〃I　ran　to　my　teepee　and　seized　my　gun；　a　bow；　and　a　quiver

full　of　arrows。　　I　already　had　my　stone　war　club；　for　you　know　we

usually　carry　those　by　way　of　ornament。　　Just　as　I　was　about　to　set

out　to　meet　Reno；　a　body　of　soldiers　appeared　nearly　opposite　us；

at　the　edge　of　a　long　line　of　cliffs　across　the　river。



〃All　of　us　who　were　mounted　and　ready　immediately　started　down

the　stream　toward　the　ford。　　There　were　Ogallalas；　Minneconjous；

Cheyennes；　and　some　Unkpapas；　and　those　around　me　seemed　to　be

nearly　all　very　young　men。



〃'Behold；　there　is　among　us　a　young　woman！'　I　shouted。　　'Let

no　young　man　hide　behind　her　garment！'　　I　knew　that　would　make

those　young　men　brave。



〃The　woman　was　Tashenamani；　or　Moving　Robe；　whose　brother　had

just　been　killed　in　the　fight　with　Three　Stars。　　Holding　her

brother's　war　staff　over　her　head；　and　leaning　forward　upon　her

charger；　she　looked　as　pretty　as　a　bird。　　Always　when　there　is　a

woman　in　the　charge；　it　causes　the　warriors　to　vie　with　one　another

in　displaying　their　valor；〃　he　added。



〃The　foremost　warriors　had　almost　surrounded　the　white　men；

and　more　were　continually　crossing　the　stream。　　The　soldiers　had

dismounted；　and　were　firing　into　the　camp　from　the　top　of　the

cliff。〃



〃My　friend；　was　Sitting　Bull　in　this　fight？〃　I　inquired。



〃I　did　not　see　him　there；　but　I　learned　afterward　that　he　was

among　those　who　met　Reno；　and　that　was　three　or　four　of　the　white

man's　miles　from　Custer's　position。　　Later　he　joined　the　attack

upon　Custer；　but　was　not　among　the　foremost。



〃When　the　troops　were　surrounded　on　two　sides；　with　the　river

on　the　third；　the　order　came　to　charge！　　There　were　many　very　young

men；　some　of　whom　had　only　a　war　staff　or　a　stone　war　club　in　hand；

who　plunged　into　the　column；　knocking　the　men　over　and　stampeding

their　horses。



〃The　soldiers　had　mounted　and　started　back；　but　when　the　onset

came　they　dismounted　again　and　separated　into　several　divisions；

facing　different　ways。　　They　fired　as　fast　as　they　could　load　their

guns；　while　we　used　chiefly　arrows　and　war　clubs。　　There　seemed　to

be　two　distinct　movements　among　the　Indians。　　One　body　moved

continually　in　a　circle；　while　the　other　rode　directly　into　and

through　the　troops。



〃Presently　some　of　the　soldiers　remounted　and　fled　along　the

ridge　toward　Reno's　position；　but　they　were　followed　by　our

warriors；　like　hundreds　of　blackbirds　after　a　hawk。　　A　larger　body

remained　together　at　the　upper　end　of　a　little　ravine；　and　fought

bravely　until　they　were　cut　to　pieces。　　I　had　always　thought　that

white　men　were　cowards；　but　I　had　a　great　respect　for　them　after

this　day。



〃It　is　generally　said　that　a　young　man　with　nothing　but　a　war

staff　in　his　hand　broke　through　the　column　and　knocked　down　the

leader　very　early　in　the　fight。　　We　supposed　him　to　be　the　leader；

because　he　stood　up　in　full　view；　swinging　his　big　knife　＇sword＇

over　his　head；　and　talking　loud。　　Some　one　unknown　afterwards　shot

the　chief；　and　he　was　probably　killed　also；　for　if　not；　he　would

have　told　of　the　deed；　and　called　others　to　witness　it。　　So　it　is

that　no　one　knows　who　killed　the　Long…Haired　Chief　＇General

Custer＇。



〃After　the　first　rush　was　over；　coups　were　counted　as　usual　on

the　bodies　of　the　slain。　　You　know　four　coups　＇or　blows＇　can　be

counted　on　the　body　of　an　enemy；　and　whoever　counts　the　first　one

＇touches　it　for　the　first　time＇　is　entitled　to　the　'first　feather。'



〃There　was　an　Indian　here　called　Appearing　Elk；　who　died　a

short　time　ago。　　He　was　slightly　wounded　in　the　charge。　　He　had

some　of　the　weapons　of　the　Long…Haired　Chief；　and　the　Indians　used

to　say　jokingly　after　we　came　upon　the　reservation　that　Appearing

Elk　must　have　killed　the　Chief；　because　he　had　his　sword！　　However；

the　scramble　for　plunder　did　not　begin　until　all　were　dead。　　I　do

not　think　he　killed　Custer；　and　if　he　had；　the　time　to　claim　the

honor　was　immediately　after　the　fight。



〃Many　lies　have　been　told　of　me。　　Some　say　that　I　killed　the

Chief；　and　others　that　I　cut　out　the　heart　of　his　brother　＇Tom

Custer＇；　because　he　had　caused　me　to　be　imprisoned。　　Why；　in　that

fight　the　excitement　was　so　great　that　we　scarcely　recognized　our

nearest　friends！　　Everything　was　done　like　lightning。　　After　the

battle　we　young　men　were　chasing　horses　all　over　the　prairie；　while

the　old　men　and　women　plundered　the　bodies；　and　if　any　mutilating

was　done；　it　was　by　the　old　men。



〃I　have　lived　peaceably　ever　since　we　came　upon　the

reservation。　　No　one　can　say　that　Rain…in…the…Face　has　broken　the

rules　of　the　Great　Father。　　I　fought　for　my　people　and　my　country。　

When　we　were　conquered　I　remained　silent；　as　a　warrior　should。　

Rain…in…the…Face　was　killed　when　he　put　down　his　weapons　before　the

Great　Father。　　His　spirit　was　gone　then；　only　his　poor　body　lived

on；　but　now　it　is　almost　ready　to　lie　down　for　the　last　time。　　Ho；

hechetu！　　＇It　is　well。＇〃