indian heroes & great chieftains-第4节

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this　time；　the　presence　of　many　Mormon　emigrants　on　their　way　to

the　settlements　in　Utah　and　Wyoming　added　to　the　perils　of　the

situation；　as　they　constantly　maneuvered　for　purposes　of　their　own

to　bring　about　a　clash　between　the　soldiers　and　the　Indians。　　Every

summer　there　were　storm…clouds　blowing　between　these　two　　clouds

usually　taking　their　rise　in　some　affair　of　the　travelers　along　the

trail。



In　1854　an　event　occurred　which　has　already　been　described　and

which　snapped　the　last　link　of　friendship　between　the　races。



By　this　time　Spotted　Tail　had　proved　his　courage　both　abroad

and　at　home。　　He　had　fought　a　duel　with　one　of　the　lesser　chiefs；

by　whom　he　was　attacked。　　He　killed　his　opponent　with　an　arrow；　but

himself　received　upon　his　head　a　blow　from　a　battle…axe　which

brought　him　senseless　to　the　ground。　　He　was　left　for　dead；　but　

fortunately　revived　just　as　the　men　were　preparing　his　body　for

burial。



The　Brules　sustained　him　in　this　quarrel；　as　he　had　acted　in

self…defense；　and　for　a　few　years　he　led　them　in　bloody　raids

against　the　whites　along　the　historic　trail。　　He　ambushed　many

stagecoaches　and　emigrant　trains；　and　was　responsible　for　waylaying

the　Kincaid　coach　with　twenty　thousand　dollars。　　This　relentless

harrying　of　travelers　soon　brought　General　Harney　to　the　Brule

Sioux　to　demand　explanations　and　reparation。



The　old　chiefs　of　the　Brules　now　appealed　to　Spotted　Tail　and

his　young　warriors　not　to　bring　any　general　calamity　upon　the

tribe。　　To　the　surprise　of　all；　Spotted　Tail　declared　that　he　would

give　himself　up。　　He　said　that　he　had　defended　the　rights　of　his

people　to　the　best　of　his　ability；　that　he　had　avenged　the　blood　of

their　chief；　Conquering　Bear；　and　that　he　was　not　afraid　to　accept

the　consequences。　　He　therefore　voluntarily　surrendered　to　General

Harney；　and　two　of　his　lieutenants；　Red　Leaf　and　Old　Woman；

followed　his　example。



Thus　Spotted　Tail　played　an　important　part　at　the　very　outset

of　those　events　which　were　soon　to　overthrow　the　free　life　of　his

people。　　I　do　not　know　how　far　he　foresaw　what　was　to　follow；　but

whether　so　conceived　or　not；　his　surrender　was　a　master　stroke；

winning　for　him　not　only　the　admiration　of　his　own　people　but　the

confidence　and　respect　of　the　military。



Thus　suddenly　he　found　himself　in　prison；　a　hostage　for　the

good　behavior　of　his　followers。　　There　were　many　rumors　as　to　the

punishment　reserved　for　him；　but　luckily　for　Spotted　Tail；　the

promises　of　General　Harney　to　the　Brule　chiefs　in　respect　to　him

were　faithfully　kept。　　One　of　his　fellow…prisoners　committed

suicide；　but　the　other　held　out　bravely　for　the　two…year　term　of

his　imprisonment。　　During　the　second　year；　it　was　well　understood

that　neither　of　the　men　sought　to　escape；　and　they　were　given

much　freedom。　　It　was　fine　schooling　for　Spotted　Tail；　that

tireless　observer　of　the　ways　of　the　white　man！　　It　is　a　fact　that

his　engaging　personal　qualities　won　for　him　kindness　and　sympathy

at　the　fort　before　the　time　came　for　his　release。



One　day　some　Indian　horse　thieves　of　another　tribe　stampeded

the　horses　and　mules　belonging　to　the　garrison。　　Spotted　Tail　asked

permission　of　the　commanding　officer　to　accompany　the　pursuers。　

That　officer；　trusting　in　the　honor　of　a　Sioux　brave；　gave　him　a

fast　horse　and　a　good　carbine；　and　said　to　him：　〃I　depend　upon　you

to　guide　my　soldiers　so　that　they　may　overtake　the　thieves　and

recapture　the　horses！〃



The　soldiers　recaptured　the　horses　without　any　loss；　but

Spotted　Tail　still　followed　the　Indians。　　When　they　returned　to　the

fort　without　him；　everybody　agreed　that　he　would　never　turn　up。　

However；　next　day　he　did　〃turn　up〃；　with　the　scalp　of　one　of　the

marauders！



Soon　after　this　he　was　returned　to　his　own　people；　who　honored

him　by　making　him　the　successor　of　the　old　chief；　Conquering　Bear；

whose　blood　he　had　avenged；　for　which　act　he　had　taken　upon　himself

the　full　responsibility。　　He　had　made　good　use　of　his　two　years　at

the　fort；　and　completed　his　studies　of　civilization　to　his　own

satisfaction。　　From　this　time　on　he　was　desirous　of　reconciling　the

Indian　and　the　white　man；　thoroughly　understanding　the　uselessness

of　opposition。　　He　was　accordingly　in　constant　communication　with

the　military；　but　the　other　chiefs　did　not　understand　his　views　and

seem　to　have　been　suspicious　of　his　motives。



In　1860…1864　the　Southern　Cheyennes　and　Comanches　were　at　war

with　the　whites；　and　some　of　the　Brules　and　Ogallalas；　who　were

their　neighbors　and　intimates；　were　suspected　of　complicity　with

the　hostiles。　　Doubtless　a　few　of　their　young　men　may　have　been

involved；　at　any　rate；　Thunder　Bear　and　Two　Face；　together　with　a

few　others　who　were　roving　with　the　warring　tribes；　purchased　two

captive　white　women　and　brought　them　to　Fort　Laramie。　　It　was；

however；　reported　at　the　post　that　these　two　men　had　maltreated　the

women　while　under　their　care。



Of　course；　the　commander　demanded　of　Spotted　Tail；　then　head

chief；　that　he　give　up　the　guilty　ones；　and　accordingly　he　had　the

two　men　arrested　and　delivered　at　the　fort。　　At　this　there　was　an

outcry　among　his　own　people；　but　he　argued　that　if　the　charges　were

true；　the　men　deserved　punishment；　and　if　false；　they　should　be

tried　and　cleared　by　process　of　law。　　The　Indians　never　quite　knew

what　evidence　was　produced　at　the　court…martial；　but　at　all　events

the　two　men　were　hanged；　and　as　they　had　many　influential

connections；　their　relatives　lost　no　time　in　fomenting　trouble。　

The　Sioux　were　then　camping　close　by　the　fort　and　it　was　midwinter；

which　facts　held　them　in　check　for　a　month　or　two；　but　as　soon　as

spring　came；　they　removed　their　camp　across　the　river　and　rose　in

rebellion。　　A　pitched　battle　was　fought；　in　which　the　soldiers　got

the　worst　of　it。　　Even　the　associate　chief；　Big　Mouth；　was　against

Spotted　Tail；　who　was　practically　forced　against　his　will　and

judgment　to　take　up　arms　once　more。



At　this　juncture　came　the　sudden　and　bloody　uprising　in　the

east　among　the　Minnesota　Sioux；　and　Sitting　Bull's　campaign　in　the

north　had　begun　in　earnest；　while　to　the　south　the　Southern

Cheyennes；　Comanches；　and　Kiowas　were　all　upon　the　warpath。　

Spotted　Tail　at　about　this　time　seems　to　have　conceived　the　idea　of

uniting　all　the　Rocky　Mountain　Indians　in　a　great　confederacy。　　He

once　said：　〃Our　cause　is　as　a　child's　cause；　in　comparison　with　the

power　of　the　white　man；　unless　we　can　stop　quarreling　among

ourselves　and　unite　our　energies　for　the　common　good。〃　　But　old…

time　antagonisms　were　too　strong；　and　he　was　probably　held　back

also　by　his　consciousness　of　the　fact　that　the　Indians　called　him

〃the　white　man's　friend〃；　while　the　military　still　had　some　faith

in　him　which　he　did　not　care　to　lose。　　He　was　undoubtedly　one　of

the　brainiest　and　most　brilliant　Sioux　who　ever　lived；　and　while　he

could　not　help　being　to　a　large　extent　in　sympathy　with　the　feeling

of　his　race　against　the　invader；　yet　he　alone　foresaw　the

inevitable　outcome；　and　the　problem　as　it　presented　itself　to　him

was　simply　this：　〃What　is　the　best　policy　to　pursue　in　the　existing

situation？〃



Here　is　his　speech　as　it　has　been　given　to　me；　delivered　at

the　great　council　on　the　Powder　River；　just　before　the　attack　on

Fort　Phil　Kearny。　　We　can　imagine　that　he　threw　all　his　wonderful

tact　and　personal　magnetism　into　this　last　effort　at　conciliation。



〃'Hay；　hay；　hay！　　Alas；　alas！'　　Thus　speaks　the　old　man；　when

he　knows　that　his　former　vigor　and　freedom　is　gone　from　him

forever。　　So　we　may　exclaim　to…day；　Alas！　　There　is　a　time

appointed　to　all　things。　　Think　for　a　moment　how　many　multitudes　of

the　animal　tribes　we　ourselves　have　destroyed！　　Look　upon　the　snow

that　appears　to…day　　to…morrow　it　is　water！　　Listen　to　the　dirge

of　the　dry　leaves；　that　were　green　and　vigorous　but　a　few　moons

before！　　We　are　a　part　of　this　life　and　it　seems　that　our　time　is

come。



〃Yet　note　how　the　decay　of　one　nation　invigorates　another。　

This　strange　white　man　　consider　him；　his　gifts　are　manifold！　

His　tireless　brain；　his　busy　hand　do　wonders　for　his　race。　　Those

things　which　we　despise　he　holds　as　treasures；　yet　he　is　so　great

and　so　flourishing　that　there　must　be　some　virtue　and　truth　in　his

philosophy。　　I　wish　to　say　to　you；　my　friends：　Be　not　moved　alone

by　heated　arguments　and　thoughts　of　revenge！　　These　are　for　the

young。　　We　are　young　no　longer；　let　us　think　well；　and　give　counsel

as　old　men！〃



These　words　were　greeted　with　an　ominous　silence。　　Not　even

the　customary　〃How！〃　of　assent　followed　the　speech；　and　Sitting

Bull　immediately　got　up　and　replied　in　the　celebrated　harangue

which　will　be　introduced　under　his　own　name　in　another　chapter。　

The　situation　was　critical　for　Spotted　Tail　　the　only　man　present

to　advocate　submission　to　the　stronger　race　whose　ultimate

supremacy　he　recognized　as　certain。　　The　decision　to　attack　Fort

P