indian heroes & great chieftains-第19章

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

hechetu！　　＇It　is　well。＇〃









TWO　STRIKE





It　is　a　pity　that　so　many　interesting　names　of　well…known　Indians

have　been　mistranslated；　so　that　their　meaning　becomes　very　vague

if　it　is　not　wholly　lost。　　In　some　cases　an　opposite　meaning　is

conveyed。　　For　instance　there　is　the　name；　〃Young…Man…Afraid…of…

His…Horses。〃　　It　does　not　mean　that　the　owner　of　the　name　is　afraid

of　his　own　horse　　far　from　it！　　Tashunkekokipapi　signifies　〃The

young　men　＇of　the　enemy＇　fear　his　horses。〃　　Whenever　that　man

attacks；　the　enemy　knows　there　will　be　a　determined　charge。



The　name　Tashunkewitko；　or　Crazy　Horse；　is　a　poetic　simile。　

This　leader　was　likened　to　an　untrained　or　untouched　horse；　wild；

ignorant　of　domestic　uses；　splendid　in　action；　and　unconscious　of

danger。



The　name　of　Two　Strike　is　a　deed　name。　　In　a　battle　with　the

Utes　this　man　knocked　two　enemies　from　the　back　of　a　war　horse。　　

The　true　rendering　of　the　name　Nomkahpa　would　be；　〃He　knocked　off

two。〃



I　was　well　acquainted　with　Two　Strike　and　spent　many　pleasant

hours　with　him；　both　at　Washington；　D。　C。；　and　in　his　home　on　the

Rosebud　reservation。　　What　I　have　written　is　not　all　taken　from　his

own　mouth；　because　he　was　modest　in　talking　about　himself；　but　I

had　him　vouch　for　the　truth　of　the　stories。　　He　said　that　he　was

born　near　the　Republican　River　about　1832。　　His　earliest

recollection　was　of　an　attack　by　the　Shoshones　upon　their　camp　on

the　Little　Piney。　　The　first　white　men　he　ever　met　were　traders　who

visited　his　people　when　he　was　very　young。　　The　incident　was　still

vividly　with　him；　because；　he　said；　〃They　made　my　father　crazy；〃

＇drunk＇。　　This　made　a　deep　impression　upon　him；　he　told　me；　so　that

from　that　day　he　was　always　afraid　of　the　white　man's　〃mysterious

water。〃



Two　Strike　was　not　a　large　man；　but　he　was　very　supple　and

alert　in　motion；　as　agile　as　an　antelope。　　His　face　was　mobile　and

intelligent。　　Although　he　had　the　usual　somber　visage　of　an　Indian；

his　expression　brightened　up　wonderfully　when　he　talked。　　In　some

ways　wily　and　shrewd　in　intellect；　he　was　not　deceitful　nor　mean。　

He　had　a　high　sense　of　duty　and　honor。　　Patriotism　was　his　ideal

and　goal　of　life。



As　a　young　man　he　was　modest　and　even　shy；　although　both　his

father　and　grandfather　were　well…known　chiefs。　　I　could　find　few

noteworthy　incidents　in　his　early　life；　save　that　he　was　an　expert

rider　of　wild　horses。　　At　one　time　I　was　pressing　him　to　give　me

some　interesting　incident　of　his　boyhood。　　He　replied　to　the　effect

that　there　was　plenty　of　excitement　but　〃not　much　in　it。〃　　There

was　a　delegation　of　Sioux　chiefs　visiting　Washington；　and　we　were

spending　an　evening　together　in　their　hotel。　　Hollow　Horn　Bear

spoke　up　and　said：



〃Why　don't　you　tell　him　how　you　and　a　buffalo　cow　together

held　your　poor　father　up　and　froze　him　almost　to　death？〃



Everybody　laughed；　and　another　man　remarked：　〃I　think　he　had

better　tell　the　medicine　man　（meaning　myself）　how　he　lost　the　power

of　speech　when　he　first　tried　to　court　a　girl。〃　　Two　Strike；

although　he　was　then　close　to　eighty　years　of　age；　was　visibly

embarrassed　by　their　chaff。



〃Anyway；　I　stuck　to　the　trail。　　I　kept　on　till　I　got　what　I

wanted；〃　he　muttered。　　And　then　came　the　story。



The　old　chief；　his　father；　was　very　fond　of　the　buffalo　hunt；

and　being　accomplished　in　horsemanship　and　a　fine　shot；　although

not　very　powerfully　built；　young　Two　Strike　was　already　following

hard　in　his　footsteps。　　Like　every　proud　father；　his　was　giving　him

every　incentive　to　perfect　his　skill；　and　one　day　challenged　his

sixteen…year…old　son　to　the　feat　of　〃one　arrow　to　kill〃　at　the　very

next　chase。



It　was　midwinter。　　A　large　herd　of　buffalo　was　reported　by　the

game　scout。　　The　hunters　gathered　at　daybreak　prepared　for　the

charge。　　The　old　chief　had　his　tried　charger　equipped　with　a　soft；

pillow…like　Indian　saddle　and　a　lariat。　　His　old　sinew…backed

hickory　bow　was　examined　and　strung；　and　a　fine　straight　arrow　with

a　steel　head　carefully　selected　for　the　test。　　He　adjusted　a　keen

butcher　knife　over　his　leather　belt；　which　held　a　warm　buffalo　robe

securely　about　his　body。　　He　wore　neither　shirt　nor　coat；　although

a　piercing　wind　was　blowing　from　the　northwest。　　The　youthful　Two

Strike　had　his　favorite　bow　and　his　swift　pony；　which　was　perhaps

dearer　to　him　than　his　closest　boy　comrade。



Now　the　hunters　crouched　upon　their　horses'　necks　like　an　army

in　line　of　battle；　while　behind　them　waited　the　boys　and　old　men

with　pack　ponies　to　carry　the　meat。　　〃Hukahey！〃　shouted　the　leader

as　a　warning。　　〃Yekiya　wo！〃　（Go）　and　in　an　instant　all　the　ponies

leaped　forward　against　the　cutting　wind；　as　if　it　were　the　start　in

a　horse　race。　　Every　rider　leaned　forward；　tightly　wrapped　in　his

robe；　watching　the　flying　herd　for　an　opening　in　the　mass　of

buffalo；　a　chance　to　cut　out　some　of　the　fattest　cows。　　This　was

the　object　of　the　race。



The　chief　had　a　fair　start；　his　horse　was　well　trained　and

needed　no　urging　nor　guidance。　　Without　the　slightest　pull　on　the

lariat　he　dashed　into　the　thickest　of　the　herd。　　The　youth's　pony

had　been　prancing　and　rearing　impatiently；　he　started　a　little

behind；　yet　being　swift　passed　many。　　His　rider　had　one　clear

glimpse　of　his　father　ahead　of　him；　then　the　snow　arose　in　blinding

clouds　on　the　trail　of　the　bison。　　The　whoops　of　the　hunters；　the

lowing　of　the　cows；　and　the　menacing　glances　of　the　bulls　as　they

plunged　along；　or　now　and　then　stood　at　bay；　were　enough　to　unnerve

a　boy　less　well　tried。　　He　was　unable　to　select　his　victim。　　He　had

been　carried　deeply　into　the　midst　of　the　herd　and　found　himself

helpless　to　make　the　one　sure　shot；　therefore　he　held　his　one　arrow

in　his　mouth　and　merely　strove　to　separate　them　so　as　to　get　his

chance。



At　last　the　herd　parted；　and　he　cut　out　two　fat　cows；　and　was

maneuvering　for　position　when　a　rider　appeared　out　of　the　snow

cloud　on　their　other　side。　　This　aroused　him　to　make　haste　lest　his

rival　secure　both　cows；　he　saw　his　chance；　and　in　a　twinkling　his

arrow　sped　clear　through　one　of　the　animals　so　that　she　fell

headlong。



In　this　instant　he　observed　that　the　man　who　had　joined　him

was　his　own　father；　who　had　met　with　the　same　difficulties　as

himself。　　When　the　young　man　had　shot　his　only　arrow；　the　old　chief

with　a　whoop　went　after　the　cow　that　was　left；　but　as　he　gained　her

broadside；　his　horse　stepped　in　a　badger　hole　and　fell；　throwing

him　headlong。　　The　maddened　buffalo；　as　sometimes　happens　in　such

cases；　turned　upon　the　pony　and　gored　him　to　death。　　His　rider　lay

motionless；　while　Two　Strike　rushed　forward　to　draw　her　attention；

but　she　merely　tossed　her　head　at　him；　while　persistently　standing

guard　over　the　dead　horse　and　the　all　but　frozen　Indian。



Alas　for　the　game　of　〃one　arrow　to　kill！〃　　The　boy　must　think

fast；　for　his　father's　robe　had　slipped　off；　and　he　was　playing

dead；　lying　almost　naked　in　the　bitter　air　upon　the　trampled　snow。　

His　bluff　would　not　serve；　so　he　flew　back　to　pull　out　his　solitary

arrow　from　the　body　of　the　dead　cow。　　Quickly　wheeling　again；　he

sent　it　into　her　side　and　she　fell。　　The　one　arrow　to　kill　had

become　one　arrow　to　kill　two　buffalo！　　At　the　council　lodge　that

evening　Two　Strike　was　the　hero。



The　following　story　is　equally　characteristic　of　him；　and　in

explanation　it　should　be　said　that　in　the　good　old　days　among　the

Sioux；　a　young　man　is　not　supposed　to　associate　with　girls　until　he

is　ready　to　take　a　wife。　　It　was　a　rule　with　our　young　men；

especially　the　honorable　and　well…born；　to　gain　some　reputation　in

the　hunt　and　in　war；　　the　more　difficult　the　feats　achieved　the

better；　　before　even　speaking　to　a　young　woman。　　Many　a　life　was

risked　in　the　effort　to　establish　a　reputation　along　these　lines。　

Courtship　was　no　secret；　but　rather　a　social　event；　often