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第19章

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

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