indian heroes & great chieftains-第25节

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his　son；　only　to　find　that　the　little　fellow　had　caught　a　fish　so

large　that　it　was　pulling　his　canoe　all　over　the　lake。　　〃Ugh；〃

exclaimed　the　father；　〃if　a　mere　fish　scares　you　so　badly；　I　fear

you　will　never　make　a　warrior！



It　is　told　of　him　that　when　he　was　very　small；　the　father　once

brought　home　two　bear　cubs　and　gave　them　to　him　for　pets。　　The　Boy

was　feeding　and　getting　acquainted　with　them　outside　his　mother's

birch…bark　teepee；　when　suddenly　he　was　heard　to　yell　for　help。　

The　two　little　bears　had　treed　The　Boy　and　were　waltzing　around　the

tree。　　His　mother　scared　them　off；　but　again　the　father　laughed　at

him　for　thinking　that　he　could　climb　trees　better　than　a　bear。



The　elder　Hole…in…the…Day　was　a　daring　warrior　and　once

attacked　and　scalped　a　Sioux　who　was　carrying　his　pelts　to　the

trading　post；　in　full　sight　of　his　friends。　　Of　course　he　was

instantly　pursued；　and　he　leaped　into　a　canoe　which　was　lying　near

by　and　crossed　to　an　island　in　the　Mississippi　River　near　Fort

Snelling。　　When　almost　surrounded　by　Sioux　warriors；　he　left　the

canoe　and　swam　along　the　shore　with　only　his　nose　above　water；　but

as　they　were　about　to　head　him　off　he　landed　and　hid　behind　the

falling　sheet　of　water　known　as　Minnehaha　Falls；　thus　saving　his

life。



It　often　happens　that　one　who　offers　his　life　freely　will

after　all　die　a　natural　death。　　The　elder　Hole…in…the…Day　so　died

when　The　Boy　was　still　a　youth。　　Like　Philip　of　Massachusetts；

Chief　Joseph　the　younger；　and　the　brilliant　Osceola；　the　mantle

fell　gracefully　upon　his　shoulders；　and　he　wore　it　during　a　short

but　eventful　term　of　chieftainship。　　It　was　his　to　see　the　end　of

the　original　democracy　on　this　continent。　　The　clouds　were　fast

thickening　on　the　eastern　horizon。　　The　day　of　individualism　and

equity　between　man　and　man　must　yield　to　the　terrific　forces　of

civilization；　the　mass　play　of　materialism；　the　cupidity　of

commerce　with　its　twin　brother　politics。　　Under　such　conditions　the

younger　Hole…in…the…Day　undertook　to　guide　his　tribesmen。　　At　first

they　were　inclined　to　doubt　the　wisdom　of　so　young　a　leader；　but　he

soon　proved　a　ready　student　of　his　people's　traditions；　and　yet；

like　Spotted　Tail　and　Little　Crow；　he　adopted　too　willingly　the

white　man's　politics。　　He　maintained　the　territory　won　from　the

Sioux　by　his　predecessors。　　He　negotiated　treaties　with　the　ability

of　a　born　diplomat；　with　one　exception；　and　that　exception　cost　him

his　life。



Like　other　able　Indians　who　foresaw　the　inevitable　downfall　of

their　race；　he　favored　a　gradual　change　of　customs　leading　to

complete　adoption　of　the　white　man's　ways。　　In　order　to　accustom

the　people　to　a　new　standard；　he　held　that　the　chiefs　must　have

authority　and　must　be　given　compensation　for　their　services。　　This

was　a　serious　departure　from　the　old　rule　but　was　tacitly　accepted；

and　in　every　treaty　he　made　there　was　provision　for　himself　in　the

way　of　a　land　grant　or　a　cash　payment。　　He　early　departed　from　the

old　idea　of　joint　ownership　with　the　Lake　Superior　Ojibways；

because　he　foresaw　that　it　would　cause　no　end　of　trouble　for　the

Mississippi　River　branch　of　which　he　was　then　the　recognized　head。　

But　there　were　difficulties　to　come　with　the　Leech　Lake　and　Red

Lake　bands；　who　held　aloof　from　his　policy；　and　the　question　of

boundaries　began　to　arise。



In　the　first　treaty　negotiated　with　the　government　by　young

Hole…in…the…Day　in　1855；　a　〃surplus〃　was　provided　for　the　chiefs

aside　from　the　regular　per　capita　payment；　and　this　surplus　was　to

be　distributed　in　proportion　to　the　number　of　Indians　under　each。　

Hole…in…the…Day　had　by　far　the　largest　enrollment；　therefore　he　got

the　lion's　share　of　this　fund。　　Furthermore　he　received　another　sum

set　apart　for　the　use　of　the　〃head　chief〃；　and　these　things　did　not

look　right　to　the　tribe。　　In　the　very　next　treaty　he　provided

himself　with　an　annuity　of　one　thousand　dollars　for　twenty　years；

beside　a　section　of　land　near　the　village　of　Crow　Wing；　and　the

government　was　induced　to　build　him　a　good　house　upon　this　land。　

In　his　home　he　had　many　white　servants　and　henchmen　and　really

lived　like　a　lord。　　He　dressed　well　in　native　style　with　a　touch

of　civilized　elegance；　wearing　coat　and　leggings　of　fine

broadcloth；　linen　shirt　with　collar；　and；　topping　all；　a　handsome

black　or　blue　blanket。　　His　moccasins　were　of　the　finest　deerskin

and　beautifully　worked。　　His　long　beautiful　hair　added　much　to　his

personal　appearance。　　He　was　fond　of　entertaining　and　being

entertained　and　was　a　favorite　both　among　army　officers　and

civilians。　　He　was　especially　popular　with　the　ladies；　and　this

fact　will　appear　later　in　the　story。



At　about　this　time；　the　United　States　government　took　it　upon

itself　to　put　an　end　to　warfare　between　the　Sioux　and　Ojibways。　　A

peace　meeting　was　arranged　at　Fort　Snelling；　with　the　United　States

as　mediator。　　When　the　representatives　of　the　two　nations　met　at

this　grand　council；　Hole…in…the…Day　came　as　the　head　chief　of　his

people；　and　with　the　other　chiefs　appeared　in　considerable　pomp　and

dignity。　　The　wives　of　the　government　officials　were　eager　for

admission　to　this　unusual　gathering；　but　when　they　arrived　there

was　hardly　any　space　left　except　next　to　the　Sioux　chiefs；　and　the

white　ladies　soon　crowded　this　space　to　overflowing。　　One　of　the

Sioux　remarked：　〃I　thought　this　was　to　be　a　council　of　chiefs　and

braves；　but　I　see　many　women　among　us。〃　　Thereupon　the　Ojibway

arose　and　spoke　in　his　courtliest　manner。　　〃The　Ojibway　chiefs　will

feel　highly　honored；〃　said　he；　〃if　the　ladies　will　consent　to　sit

on　our　side。〃



Another　sign　of　his　alertness　to　gain　favor　among　the　whites

was　seen　in　the　fact　that　he　took　part　in　the　territorial

campaigns；　a　most　unusual　thing　for　an　Indian　of　that　day。　　Being

a　man　of　means　and　influence；　he　was　listened　to　with　respect　by

the　scattered　white　settlers　in　his　vicinity。　　He　would　make　a

political　speech　through　an　interpreter；　but　would　occasionally

break　loose　in　his　broken　English；　and　wind　up　with　an　invitation

to　drink　in　the　following　words：　〃Chentimen；　you　Pemicans

（Republicans）；　come　out　and　drink！〃



From　1855　to　1864　Hole…in…the…Day　was　a　well…known　figure　in

Minnesota；　and　scarcely　less　so　in　Washington；　for　he　visited　the

capital　quite　often　on　tribal　affairs。　　As　I　have　said　before；　he

was　an　unusually　handsome　man；　and　was　not　unresponsive　to　flattery

and　the　attentions　of　women。　　At　the　time　of　this　incident　he　was

perhaps　thirty…five　years　old；　but　looked　younger。　　He　had　called

upon　the　President　and　was　on　his　way　back　to　his　hotel；　when　he

happened　to　pass　the　Treasury　building　just　as　the　clerks　were

leaving　for　the　day。　　He　was　immediately　surrounded　by　an

inquisitive　throng。　　Among　them　was　a　handsome　young　woman　who

asked　through　the　interpreter　if　the　chief　would　consent　to　an

interview　about　his　people；　to　aid　her　in　a　paper　she　had　promised

to　prepare。



Hole…in…the…Day　replied：　〃If　the　beautiful　lady　is　willing　to

risk　calling　on　the　chief　at　his　hotel；　her　request　will　be

granted。〃　　The　lady　went；　and　the　result　was　so　sudden　and　strong

an　attachment　that　both　forgot　all　racial　biases　and　differences　of

language　and　custom。　　She　followed　him　as　far　as　Minneapolis；　and

there　the　chief　advised　her　to　remain；　for　he　feared　the　jealousy

of　some　of　his　many　wives。　　She　died　there；　soon　after　giving　birth

to　a　son；　who　was　brought　up　by　a　family　named　Woodbury；　and　some

fifteen　years　ago　I　met　the　young　man　in　Washington　and　was　taken

by　him　to　call　upon　certain　of　his　mother's　relatives。



The　ascendancy　of　Hole…in…the…Day　was　not　gained　entirely

through　the　consent　of　his　people；　but　largely　by　government　favor；

therefore　there　was　strong　suppressed　resentment　among　his

associate　chiefs；　and　the　Red　Lake　and　Leech　Lake　bands　in　fact

never　acknowledged　him　as　their　head；　while　they　suspected　him　of

making　treaties　which　involved　some　of　their　land。　　He　was　in

personal　danger　from　this　source；　and　his　life　was　twice　attempted；

but；　though　wounded；　in　each　case　he　recovered。　　His　popularity

with　Indian　agents　and　officers　lasted　till　the　Republicans　came

into　power　in　the　sixties　and　there　was　a　new　deal。　　The　chief　no

longer　received　the　favors　and　tips　to　which　he　was　accustomed；　in

fact　he　was　in　want　of　luxuries；　and　worse　still；　his　pride　was

hurt　by　neglect。　　The　new　party　had　promised　Christian　treatment　to

the　Indians；　but　it　appeared　that　they　were　greater　grafters　than

their　predecessors；　and　unlike　them　kept　everything　for　themselves；

allowing　no　perquisites　to　any　Indian　chief。



In　his　indignation　at　this　treatment；　Hole…in…the…Day　began

exposing　the　frauds　on　his　people；　and　so　at　a　late　day　was

converted　to　their　defense。　　Perhaps　he　had　not　fully　understood

the　nature　of　graft　until　he　was　in　a　position　to　view　it　from　the

outside。　　After　all；　he　was　excusable