indian heroes & great chieftains-第2章

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scarcely　breathing；　his　hand　upon　his　knife。　　Hour　after　hour　he

lay　broad　awake；　while　many　thoughts　passed　through　his　brain。　

Suddenly；　without　warning；　he　sneezed；　and　instantly　a　strong　man

sprang　to　a　sitting　posture　opposite。　　The　first　gray　of　morning

was　creeping　into　their　rocky　den；　and　behold！　a　Ute　hunter　sat

before　him。



Desperate　as　the　situation　appeared；　it　was　not　without　a　grim

humor。　　Neither　could　afford　to　take　his　eyes　from　the　other's；　the

tension　was　great；　till　at　last　a　smile　wavered　over　the

expressionless　face　of　the　Ute。　　Red　Cloud　answered　the　smile；　and

in　that　instant　a　treaty　of　peace　was　born　between　them。



〃Put　your　knife　in　its　sheath。　　I　shall　do　so　also；　and　we

will　smoke　together；〃　signed　Red　Cloud。　　The　other　assented　gladly；

and　they　ratified　thus　the　truce　which　assured　to　each　a　safe

return　to　his　friends。　　Having　finished　their　smoke；　they　shook

hands　and　separated。　　Neither　had　given　the　other　any　information。　

Red　Cloud　returned　to　his　party　and　told　his　story；　adding　that　he

had　divulged　nothing　and　had　nothing　to　report。　　Some　were　inclined

to　censure　him　for　not　fighting；　but　he　was　sustained　by　a　majority

of　the　warriors；　who　commended　his　self…restraint。　　In　a　day　or　two

they　discovered　the　main　camp　of　the　enemy　and　fought　a　remarkable

battle；　in　which　Red　Cloud　especially　distinguished　himself



The　Sioux　were　now　entering　upon　the　most　stormy　period　of

their　history。　　The　old　things　were　fast　giving　place　to　new。　　The

young　men；　for　the　first　time　engaging　in　serious　and　destructive

warfare　with　the　neighboring　tribes；　armed　with　the　deadly　weapons

furnished　by　the　white　man；　began　to　realize　that　they　must　soon

enter　upon　a　desperate　struggle　for　their　ancestral　hunting

grounds。　　The　old　men　had　been　innocently　cultivating　the

friendship　of　the　stranger；　saying　among　themselves；　〃Surely　there

is　land　enough　for　all！〃



Red　Cloud　was　a　modest　and　little　known　man　of　about

twenty…eight　years；　when　General　Harney　called　all　the　western

bands　of　Sioux　together　at　Fort　Laramie；　Wyoming；　for　the　purpose

of　securing　an　agreement　and　right　of　way　through　their　territory。　

The　Ogallalas　held　aloof　from　this　proposal；　but　Bear　Bull；　an

Ogallala　chief；　after　having　been　plied　with　whisky；　undertook　to

dictate　submission　to　the　rest　of　the　clan。　　Enraged　by　failure；　he

fired　upon　a　group　of　his　own　tribesmen；　and　Red　Cloud's　father　and

brother　fell　dead。　　According　to　Indian　custom；　it　fell　to　him　to

avenge　the　deed。　　Calmly；　without　uttering　a　word；　he　faced　old

Bear　Bull　and　his　son；　who　attempted　to　defend　his　father；　and　shot

them　both。　　He　did　what　he　believed　to　be　his　duty；　and　the　whole

band　sustained　him。　　Indeed；　the　tragedy　gave　the　young　man　at　once

a　certain　standing；　as　one　who　not　only　defended　his　people　against

enemies　from　without；　but　against　injustice　and　aggression　within

the　tribe。　　From　this　time　on　he　was　a　recognized　leader。



Man…Afraid…of…His…Horse；　then　head　chief　of　the　Ogallalas；

took　council　with　Red　Cloud　in　all　important　matters；　and　the　young

warrior　rapidly　advanced　in　authority　and　influence。　　In　1854；　when

he　was　barely　thirty…five　years　old；　the　various　bands　were　again

encamped　near　Fort　Laramie。　　A　Mormon　emigrant　train；　moving

westward；　left　a　footsore　cow　behind；　and　the　young　men　killed　her

for　food。　　The　next　day；　to　their　astonishment；　an　officer　with

thirty　men　appeared　at　the　Indian　camp　and　demanded　of　old

Conquering　Bear　that　they　be　given　up。　　The　chief　in　vain　protested

that　it　was　all　a　mistake　and　offered　to　make　reparation。　　It　would

seem　that　either　the　officer　was　under　the　influence　of　liquor；　or

else　had　a　mind　to　bully　the　Indians；　for　he　would　accept　neither

explanation　nor　payment；　but　demanded　point…blank　that　the　young

men　who　had　killed　the　cow　be　delivered　up　to　summary　punishment。　

The　old　chief　refused　to　be　intimidated　and　was　shot　dead　on　the

spot。　　Not　one　soldier　ever　reached　the　gate　of　Fort　Laramie！　　Here

Red　Cloud　led　the　young　Ogallalas；　and　so　intense　was　the　feeling

that　they　even　killed　the　half…breed　interpreter。



Curiously　enough；　there　was　no　attempt　at　retaliation　on　the

part　of　the　army；　and　no　serious　break　until　1860；　when　the　Sioux

were　involved　in　troubles　with　the　Cheyennes　and　Arapahoes。　　In

1862；　a　grave　outbreak　was　precipitated　by　the　eastern　Sioux　in

Minnesota　under　Little　Crow；　in　which　the　western　bands　took　no

part。　　Yet　this　event　ushered　in　a　new　period　for　their　race。　　The

surveyors　of　the　Union　Pacific　were　laying　out　the　proposed　road

through　the　heart　of　the　southern　buffalo　country；　the　rendezvous

of　Ogallalas；　Brules；　Arapahoes；　Comanches；　and　Pawnees；　who

followed　the　buffalo　as　a　means　of　livelihood。　　To　be　sure；　most　of

these　tribes　were　at　war　with　one　another；　yet　during　the　summer

months　they　met　often　to　proclaim　a　truce　and　hold　joint　councils

and　festivities；　which　were　now　largely　turned　into　discussions　of

the　common　enemy。　　It　became　evident；　however；　that　some　of　the

smaller　and　weaker　tribes　were　inclined　to　welcome　the　new　order　of

things；　recognizing　that　it　was　the　policy　of　the　government　to　put

an　end　to　tribal　warfare。



Red　Cloud's　position　was　uncompromisingly　against　submission。　

He　made　some　noted　speeches　in　this　line；　one　of　which　was　repeated

to　me　by　an　old　man　who　had　heard　and　remembered　it　with　the

remarkable　verbal　memory　of　an　Indian。



〃Friends；〃　said　Red　Cloud；　〃it　has　been　our　misfortune　to

welcome　the　white　man。　　We　have　been　deceived。　　He　brought　with　him

some　shining　things　that　pleased　our　eyes；　he　brought　weapons　more

effective　than　our　own：　above　all；　he　brought　the　spirit　water　that

makes　one　forget　for　a　time　old　age；　weakness；　and　sorrow。　　But　I

wish　to　say　to　you　that　if　you　would　possess　these　things　for

yourselves；　you　must　begin　anew　and　put　away　the　wisdom　of　your

fathers。　　You　must　lay　up　food；　and　forget　the　hungry。　　When　your

house　is　built；　your　storeroom　filled；　then　look　around　for　a

neighbor　whom　you　can　take　at　a　disadvantage；　and　seize　all　that　he

has！　　Give　away　only　what　you　do　not　want；　or　rather；　do　not　part

with　any　of　your　possessions　unless　in　exchange　for　another's。



〃My　countrymen；　shall　the　glittering　trinkets　of　this　rich

man；　his　deceitful　drink　that　overcomes　the　mind；　shall　these

things　tempt　us　to　give　up　our　homes；　our　hunting　grounds；　and　the

honorable　teaching　of　our　old　men？　　Shall　we　permit　ourselves　to　be

driven　to　and　fro　　to　be　herded　like　the　cattle　of　the　white　man？〃



His　next　speech　that　has　been　remembered　was　made　in　1866；

just　before　the　attack　on　Fort　Phil　Kearny。　　The　tension　of　feeling

against　the　invaders　had　now　reached　its　height。　　There　was　no

dissenting　voice　in　the　council　upon　the　Powder　River；　when　it　was

decided　to　oppose　to　the　uttermost　the　evident　purpose　of　the

government。　　Red　Cloud　was　not　altogether　ignorant　of　the　numerical

strength　and　the　resourcefulness　of　the　white　man；　but　he　was

determined　to　face　any　odds　rather　than　submit。



〃Hear　ye；　Dakotas！〃　he　exclaimed。　　〃When　the　Great　Father　at

Washington　sent　us　his　chief　soldier　＇General　Harney＇　to　ask　for　a

path　through　our　hunting　grounds；　a　way　for　his　iron　road　to　the

mountains　and　the　western　sea；　we　were　told　that　they　wished　merely

to　pass　through　our　country；　not　to　tarry　among　us；　but　to　seek　for

gold　in　the　far　west。　　Our　old　chiefs　thought　to　show　their

friendship　and　good　will；　when　they　allowed　this　dangerous　snake　in

our　midst。　　They　promised　to　protect　the　wayfarers。



〃Yet　before　the　ashes　of　the　council　fire　are　cold；　the　Great

Father　is　building　his　forts　among　us。　　You　have　heard　the　sound　of

the　white　soldier's　ax　upon　the　Little　Piney。　　His　presence　here　is

an　insult　and　a　threat。　　It　is　an　insult　to　the　spirits　of　our

ancestors。　　Are　we　then　to　give　up　their　sacred　graves　to　be　plowed

for　corn？　　Dakotas；　I　am　for　wa