indian heroes & great chieftains-第21节

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running　the　gantlet　before　a　firing　line。



He　did　a　remarkable　thing　once　when　on　a　one…arrow…to…kill

buffalo　hunt　with　his　brother…in…law。　　His　companion　had　selected

his　animal　and　drew　so　powerfully　on　his　sinew　bowstring　that　it

broke。　　Roman　Nose　had　killed　his　own　cow　and　was　whipping　up　close

to　the　other　when　the　misfortune　occurred。　　Both　horses　were　going

at　full　speed　and　the　arrow　jerked　up　in　the　air。　　Roman　Nose

caught　it　and　shot　the　cow　for　him。



Another　curious　story　told　of　him　is　to　the　effect　that　he　had

an　intimate　Sioux　friend　who　was　courting　a　Cheyenne　girl；　but

without　success。　　As　the　wooing　of　both　Sioux　and　Cheyennes　was

pretty　much　all　effected　in　the　night　time；　Roman　Nose　told　his

friend　to　let　him　do　the　courting　for　him。　　He　arranged　with　the

young　woman　to　elope　the　next　night　and　to　spend　the　honeymoon

among　his　Sioux　friends。　　He　then　told　his　friend　what　to　do。　The

Sioux　followed　instructions　and　carried　off　the　Cheyenne　maid；　and

not　until　morning　did　she　discover　her　mistake。　　It　is　said　she

never　admitted　it；　and　that　the　two　lived　happily　together　to　a

good　old　age；　so　perhaps　there　was　no　mistake　after　all。



Perhaps　no　other　chief　attacked　more　emigrants　going　west　on

the　Oregon　Trail　between　1860　and　1868。　　He　once　made　an　attack　on

a　large　party　of　Mormons；　and　in　this　instance　the　Mormons　had　time

to　form　a　corral　with　their　wagons　and　shelter　their　women；

children；　and　horses。　　The　men　stood　outside　and　met　the　Indians

with　well…aimed　volleys；　but　they　circled　the　wagons　with　whirlwind

speed；　and　whenever　a　white　man　fell；　it　was　the　signal　for　Roman

Nose　to　charge　and　count　the　〃coup。〃　　The　hat　of　one　of　the　dead

men　was　off；　and　although　he　had　heavy　hair　and　beard；　the　top　of

his　head　was　bald　from　the　forehead　up。　　As　custom　required　such　a

deed　to　be　announced　on　the　spot；　the　chief　yelled　at　the　top　of

his　voice：



〃Your　Roman　Nose　has　counted　the　first　coup　on　the

longest…faced　white　man　who　was　ever　killed！〃



When　the　Northern　Cheyennes　under　this　daring　leader　attacked

a　body　of　scouting　troops　under　the　brilliant　officer　General

Forsythe；　Roman　Nose　thought　that　he　had　a　comparatively　easy　task。　

The　first　onset　failed；　and　the　command　entrenched　itself　on　a

little　island。　　The　wily　chief　thought　he　could　stampede　them　and

urged　on　his　braves　with　the　declaration　that　the　first　to　reach

the　island　should　be　entitled　to　wear　a　trailing　war　bonnet。　

Nevertheless　he　was　disappointed；　and　his　men　received　such　a　warm

reception　that　none　succeeded　in　reaching　it。　In　order　to　inspire

them　to　desperate　deeds　he　had　led　them　in　person；　and　with　him

that　meant　victory　or　death。　　According　to　the　army　accounts；　it

was　a　thrilling　moment；　and　might　well　have　proved　disastrous　to

the　Forsythe　command；　whose　leader　was　wounded　and　helpless。　　The

danger　was　acute　until　Roman　Nose　fell；　and　even　then　his

lieutenants　were　bent　upon　crossing　at　any　cost；　but　some　of　the

older　chiefs　prevailed　upon　them　to　withdraw。



Thus　the　brilliant　war　chief　of　the　Cheyennes　came　to　his

death。　　If　he　had　lived　until　1876；　Sitting　Bull　would　have　had

another　bold　ally。









CHIEF　JOSEPH





The　Nez　Perce　tribe　of　Indians；　like　other　tribes　too　large　to　be

united　under　one　chief；　was　composed　of　several　bands；　each

distinct　in　sovereignty。　　It　was　a　loose　confederacy。　　Joseph　and

his　people　occupied　the　Imnaha　or　Grande　Ronde　valley　in　Oregon；

which　was　considered　perhaps　the　finest　land　in　that　part　of　the

country。



When　the　last　treaty　was　entered　into　by　some　of　the　bands　of

the　Nez　Perce；　Joseph's　band　was　at　Lapwai；　Idaho；　and　had　nothing

to　do　with　the　agreement。　　The　elder　chief　in　dying　had　counseled

his　son；　then　not　more　than　twenty…two　or　twenty…three　years　of

age；　never　to　part　with　their　home；　assuring　him　that　he　had　signed

no　papers。　　These　peaceful　non…treaty　Indians　did　not　even　know

what　land　had　been　ceded　until　the　agent　read　them　the　government

order　to　leave。　　Of　course　they　refused。　　You　and　I　would　have　done

the　same。



When　the　agent　failed　to　move　them；　he　and　the　would…be

settlers　called　upon　the　army　to　force　them　to　be　good；　namely；

without　a　murmur　to　leave　their　pleasant　inheritance　in　the　hands

of　a　crowd　of　greedy　grafters。　　General　O。　O。　Howard；　the　Christian

soldier；　was　sent　to　do　the　work。



He　had　a　long　council　with　Joseph　and　his　leading　men；　telling

them　they　must　obey　the　order　or　be　driven　out　by　force。　　We　may　be

sure　that　he　presented　this　hard　alternative　reluctantly。　　Joseph

was　a　mere　youth　without　experience　in　war　or　public　affairs。　　He

had　been　well　brought　up　in　obedience　to　parental　wisdom　and　with

his　brother　Ollicut　had　attended　Missionary　Spaulding's　school

where　they　had　listened　to　the　story　of　Christ　and　his　religion　of

brotherhood。　　He　now　replied　in　his　simple　way　that　neither　he　nor

his　father　had　ever　made　any　treaty　disposing　of　their　country；

that　no　other　band　of　the　Nez　Perces　was　authorized　to　speak　for

them；　and　it　would　seem　a　mighty　injustice　and　unkindness　to

dispossess　a　friendly　band。



General　Howard　told　them　in　effect　that　they　had　no　rights；　no

voice　in　the　matter：　they　had　only　to　obey。　　Although　some　of　the

lesser　chiefs　counseled　revolt　then　and　there；　Joseph　maintained

his　self…control；　seeking　to　calm　his　people；　and　still　groping　for

a　peaceful　settlement　of　their　difficulties。　　He　finally　asked　for

thirty　days'　time　in　which　to　find　and　dispose　of　their　stock；　and

this　was　granted。



Joseph　steadfastly　held　his　immediate　followers　to　their

promise；　but　the　land…grabbers　were　impatient；　and　did　everything

in　their　power　to　bring　about　an　immediate　crisis　so　as　to　hasten

the　eviction　of　the　Indians。　　Depredations　were　committed；　and

finally　the　Indians；　or　some　of　them；　retaliated；　which　was　just

what　their　enemies　had　been　looking　for。　　There　might　be　a　score　of

white　men　murdered　among　themselves　on　the　frontier　and　no　outsider

would　ever　hear　about　it；　but　if　one　were　injured　by　an　Indian　

〃Down　with　the　bloodthirsty　savages！〃　was　the　cry。



Joseph　told　me　himself　that　during　all　of　those　thirty　days　a

tremendous　pressure　was　brought　upon　him　by　his　own　people　to

resist　the　government　order。　　〃The　worst　of　it　was；〃　said　he；　〃that

everything　they　said　was　true；　besides〃　　he　paused　for　a　moment

　〃it　seemed　very　soon　for　me　to　forget　my　father's　dying　words；

'Do　not　give　up　our　home！'〃　　Knowing　as　I　do　just　what　this　would

mean　to　an　Indian；　I　felt　for　him　deeply。



Among　the　opposition　leaders　were　Too…hul…hul…sote；　White

Bird；　and　Looking　Glass；　all　of　them　strong　men　and　respected　by

the　Indians；　while　on　the　other　side　were　men　built　up　by

emissaries　of　the　government　for　their　own　purposes　and　advertised

as　〃great　friendly　chiefs。〃　　As　a　rule　such　men　are　unworthy；　and

this　is　so　well　known　to　the　Indians　that　it　makes　them　distrustful

of　the　government's　sincerity　at　the　start。　　Moreover；　while

Indians　unqualifiedly　say　what　they　mean；　the　whites　have　a　hundred

ways　of　saying　what　they　do　not　mean。



The　center　of　the　storm　was　this　simple　young　man；　who　so　far

as　I　can　learn　had　never　been　upon　the　warpath；　and　he　stood　firm

for　peace　and　obedience。　　As　for　his　father's　sacred　dying　charge；

he　told　himself　that　he　would　not　sign　any　papers；　he　would　not　go

of　his　free　will　but　from　compulsion；　and　this　was　his　excuse。



However；　the　whites　were　unduly　impatient　to　clear　the　coveted

valley；　and　by　their　insolence　they　aggravated　to　the　danger　point

an　already　strained　situation。　　The　murder　of　an　Indian　was　the

climax　and　this　happened　in　the　absence　of　the　young　chief。　　He

returned　to　find　the　leaders　determined　to　die　fighting。　　The

nature　of　the　country　was　in　their　favor　and　at　least　they　could

give　the　army　a　chase；　but　how　long　they　could　hold　out　they　did

not　know。　　Even　Joseph's　younger　brother　Ollicut　was　won　over。　

There　was　nothing　for　him　to　do　but　fight；　and　then　and　there　began

the　peaceful　Joseph's　career　as　a　general　of　unsurpassed　strategy

in　conducting　one　of　the　most　masterly　retreats　in　history。



This　is　not　my　judgment；　but　the　unbiased　opinion　of　men　whose

knowledge　and　experience　fit　them　to　render　it。　　Bear　in　mind　that

these　people　were　not　scalp　hunters　like　the　Sioux；　Cheyennes；　and

Utes；　but　peaceful　hunters　and　fishermen。　　The　first　council　of　war

was　a　strange　business　to　Joseph。　　He　had　only　this　to　say　to　his

people：



〃I　have　tried　to　save　you　from　suffering　and　sorrow。　

Resistance　means　all　of　that。　　We　are　few。　　They　are　many。　　You　can

see　all　we　have　at　a　glance。　　They　have　food　and　ammunition　in

abundance。　　We　must　suffer　great　hardship　and　loss。〃　　After　this

speech；　he　quietly　began　his　plans　for　the　defense。



The　main　plan　of　campaign　was　to　engineer　a　successful　retreat

into　Montana　and　there　form　a　jun