indian heroes & great chieftains-第14章

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whisky。　　Yet　it　was　still　regarded　largely　as　a　　sort　of　game；

undertaken　in　order　to　develop　the　manly　qualities　of　their　youth。　

It　was　the　degree　of　risk　which　brought　honor；　rather　than　the

number　slain；　and　a　brave　must　mourn　thirty　days；　with　blackened

face　and　loosened　hair；　for　the　enemy　whose　life　he　had　taken。　

While　the　spoils　of　war　were　allowed；　this　did　not　extend　to

territorial　aggrandizement；　nor　was　there　any　wish　to　overthrow

another　nation　and　enslave　its　people。　　It　was　a　point　of　honor

in　the　old　days　to　treat　a　captive　with　kindness。　　The　common

impression　that　the　Indian　is　naturally　cruel　and　revengeful　is

entirely　opposed　to　his　philosophy　and　training。　　The　revengeful

tendency　of　the　Indian　was　aroused　by　the　white　man。　　It　is　not　the

natural　Indian　who　is　mean　and　tricky；　not　Massasoit　but　King

Philip；　not　Attackullakulla　but　Weatherford；　not　Wabashaw　but

Little　Crow；　not　Jumping　Buffalo　but　Sitting　Bull！　　These　men

lifted　their　hands　against　the　white　man；　while　their　fathers　held

theirs　out　to　him　with　gifts。



Remember　that　there　were　councils　which　gave　their　decisions

in　accordance　with　the　highest　ideal　of　human　justice　before　there

were　any　cities　on　this　continent；　before　there　were　bridges　to

span　the　Mississippi；　before　this　network　of　railroads　was　dreamed

of！　　There　were　primitive　communities　upon　the　very　spot　where

Chicago　or　New　York　City　now　stands；　where　men　were　as　children；

innocent　of　all　the　crimes　now　committed　there　daily　and　nightly。　

True　morality　is　more　easily　maintained　in　connection　with　the

simple　life。　　You　must　accept　the　truth　that　you　demoralize　any

race　whom　you　have　subjugated。



From　this　point　of　view　we　shall　consider　Sitting　Bull's

career。　　We　say　he　is　an　untutored　man：　that　is　true　so　far　as

learning　of　a　literary　type　is　concerned；　but　he　was　not　an

untutored　man　when　you　view　him　from　the　standpoint　of　his　nation。　

To　be　sure；　he　did　not　learn　his　lessons　from　books。　　This　is

second…hand　information　at　best。　　All　that　he　learned　he　verified

for　himself　and　put　into　daily　practice。　　In　personal　appearance　he

was　rather　commonplace　and　made　no　immediate　impression；　but　as　he

talked　he　seemed　to　take　hold　of　his　hearers　more　and　more。　　He　was

bull…headed；　quick　to　grasp　a　situation；　and　not　readily　induced　to

change　his　mind。　　He　was　not　suspicious　until　he　was　forced　to　be

so。　　All　his　meaner　traits　were　inevitably　developed　by　the　events

of　his　later　career。



Sitting　Bull's　history　has　been　written　many　times　by

newspaper　men　and　army　officers；　but　I　find　no　account　of　him　which

is　entirely　correct。　　I　met　him　personally　in　1884；　and　since　his

death　I　have　gone　thoroughly　into　the　details　of　his　life　with　his

relatives　and　contemporaries。　　It　has　often　been　said　that　he　was

a　physical　coward　and　not　a　warrior。　　Judge　of　this　for　yourselves

from　the　deed　which　first　gave　him　fame　in　his　own　tribe；　when　he

was　about　twenty…eight　years　old。



In　an　attack　upon　a　band　of　Crow　Indians；　one　of　the　enemy

took　his　stand；　after　the　rest　had　fled；　in　a　deep　ditch　from　

which　it　seemed　impossible　to　dislodge　him。　　The　situation　had

already　cost　the　lives　of　several　warriors；　but　they　could　not　let

him　go　to　repeat　such　a　boast　over　the　Sioux！



〃Follow　me！〃　said　Sitting　Bull；　and　charged。　　He　raced　his

horse　to　the　brim　of　the　ditch　and　struck　at　the　enemy　with　his

coup…staff；　thus　compelling　him　to　expose　himself　to　the　fire　of

the　others　while　shooting　his　assailant。　　But　the　Crow　merely　poked

his　empty　gun　into　his　face　and　dodged　back　under　cover。　　Then

Sitting　Bull　stopped；　he　saw　that　no　one　had　followed　him；　and　he

also　perceived　that　the　enemy　had　no　more　ammunition　left。　　He　rode

deliberately　up　to　the　barrier　and　threw　his　loaded　gun　over　it；

then　he　went　back　to　his　party　and　told　them　what　he　thought　of

them。



〃Now；〃　said　he；　〃I　have　armed　him；　for　I　will　not　see　a　brave

man　killed　unarmed。　　I　will　strike　him　again　with　my　coup…staff　to

count　the　first　feather；　who　will　count　the　second？〃



Again　he　led　the　charge；　and　this　time　they　all　followed　him。　

Sitting　Bull　was　severely　wounded　by　his　own　gun　in　the　hands　of

the　enemy；　who　was　killed　by　those　that　came　after　him。　　This　is　a

record　that　so　far　as　I　know　was　never　made　by　any　other　warrior。



The　second　incident　that　made　him　well　known　was　his　taking　of

a　boy　captive　in　battle　with　the　Assiniboines。　　He　saved　this　boy's

life　and　adopted　him　as　his　brother。　　Hohay；　as　he　was　called；　was

devoted　to　Sitting　Bull　and　helped　much　in　later　years　to　spread

his　fame。　　Sitting　Bull　was　a　born　diplomat；　a　ready　speaker；　and

in　middle　life　he　ceased　to　go　upon　the　warpath；　to　become　the

councilor　of　his　people。　　From　this　time　on；　this　man　represented

him　in　all　important　battles；　and　upon　every　brave　deed　done　was

wont　to　exclaim　aloud：



〃I；　Sitting　Bull's　boy；　do　this　in　his　name！〃



He　had　a　nephew；　now　living；　who　resembles　him　strongly；　and

who　also　represented　him　personally　upon　the　field；　and　so　far　as

there　is　any　remnant　left　of　his　immediate　band；　they　look　upon

this　man　One　Bull　as　their　chief。



When　Sitting　Bull　was　a　boy；　there　was　no　thought　of　trouble

with　the　whites。　　He　was　acquainted　with　many　of　the　early　traders；

Picotte；　Choteau；　Primeau；　Larpenteur；　and　others；　and　liked　them；

as　did　most　of　his　people　in　those　days。　　All　the　early　records

show　this　friendly　attitude　of　the　Sioux；　and　the　great　fur

companies　for　a　century　and　a　half　depended　upon　them　for　the　bulk

of　their　trade。　　It　was　not　until　the　middle　of　the　last　century

that　they　woke　up　all　of　a　sudden　to　the　danger　threatening　their

very　existence。　　Yet　at　that　time　many　of　the　old　chiefs　had　been

already　depraved　by　the　whisky　and　other　vices　of　the　whites；　and

in　the　vicinity　of　the　forts　and　trading　posts　at　Sioux　City；　Saint

Paul；　and　Cheyenne；　there　was　general　demoralization。　　The

drunkards　and　hangers…on　were　ready　to　sell　almost　anything　they

had　for　the　favor　of　the　trader。　　The　better　and　stronger　element

held　aloof。　　They　would　not　have　anything　of　the　white　man　except

his　hatchet；　gun；　and　knife。　　They　utterly　refused　to　cede　their

lands；　and　as　for　the　rest；　they　were　willing　to　let　him　alone　as

long　as　he　did　not　interfere　with　their　life　and　customs；　which　was

not　long。



It　was　not；　however；　the　Unkpapa　band　of　Sioux；　Sitting　Bull's

band；　which　first　took　up　arms　against　the　whites；　and　this　was　not

because　they　had　come　less　in　contact　with　them；　for　they　dwelt　on

the　Missouri　River；　the　natural　highway　of　trade。　　As　early　as

1854；　the　Ogallalas　and　Brules　had　trouble　with　the　soldiers　near

Fort　Laramie；　and　again　in　1857　Inkpaduta　massacred　several

families　of　settlers　at　Spirit　Lake；　Iowa。　　Finally；　in　1869；　the

Minnesota　Sioux；　goaded　by　many　wrongs；　arose　and　murdered　many　of

the　settlers；　afterward　fleeing　into　the　country　of　the　Unkpapas

and　appealing　to　them　for　help；　urging　that　all　Indians　should　make

common　cause　against　the　invader。　　This　brought　Sitting　Bull　face

to　face　with　a　question　which　was　not　yet　fully　matured　in　his　own

mind；　but　having　satisfied　himself　of　the　justice　of　their　cause；

he　joined　forces　with　the　renegades　during　the　summer　of　1863；　and

from　this　time　on　he　was　an　acknowledged　leader。



In　1865　and　1866　he　met　the　Canadian　half…breed；　Louis　Riel；

instigator　of　two　rebellions；　who　had　come　across　the　line　for

safety；　and　in　fact　at　this　time　he　harbored　a　number　of　outlaws

and　fugitives　from　justice。　　His　conversations　with　these；

especially　with　the　French　mixed…bloods；　who　inflamed　his

prejudices　against　the　Americans；　all　had　their　influence　in　making

of　the　wily　Sioux　a　determined　enemy　to　the　white　man。　　While　among

his　own　people　he　was　always　affable　and　genial；　he　became　boastful

and　domineering　in　his　dealings　with　the　hated　race。　　He　once

remarked　that　〃if　we　wish　to　make