indian heroes & great chieftains-第7章

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them；　at　five　per　cent　interest；　the　interest　to　be　paid　annually

per　capita。　　They　had　signed　the　treaty　under　pressure；　believing

in　these　promises　on　the　faith　of　a　great　nation。



However；　on　entering　the　new　life；　the　resources　so　rosily

described　to　them　failed　to　materialize。　　Many　families　faced

starvation　every　winter；　their　only　support　the　store　of　the　Indian

trader；　who　was　baiting　his　trap　for　their　destruction。　　Very

gradually　they　awoke　to　the　facts。　　At　last　it　was　planned　to

secure　from　them　the　north　half　of　their　reservation　for

ninety…eight　thousand　dollars；　but　it　was　not　explained　to　the

Indians　that　the　traders　were　to　receive　all　the　money。　　Little

Crow　made　the　greatest　mistake　of　his　life　when　he　signed　this

agreement。



Meanwhile；　to　make　matters　worse；　the　cash　annuities　were　not

paid　for　nearly　two　years。　　Civil　War　had　begun。　　When　it　was

learned　that　the　traders　had　taken　all　of　the　ninety…eight　thousand

dollars　〃on　account〃；　there　was　very　bitter　feeling。　　In　fact；　the

heads　of　the　leading　stores　were　afraid　to　go　about　as　usual；　and

most　of　them　stayed　in　St。　Paul。　　Little　Crow　was　justly　held　in

part　responsible　for　the　deceit；　and　his　life　was　not　safe。



The　murder　of　a　white　family　near　Acton；　Minnesota；　by　a　party

of　Indian　duck　hunters　in　August；　1862；　precipitated　the　break。　

Messengers　were　sent　to　every　village　with　the　news；　and　at　the

villages　of　Little　Crow　and　Little　Six　the　war　council　was　red…hot。　

It　was　proposed　to　take　advantage　of　the　fact　that　north　and　south

were　at　war　to　wipe　out　the　white　settlers　and　to　regain　their

freedom。　　A　few　men　stood　out　against　such　a　desperate　step；　but

the　conflagration　had　gone　beyond　their　control。



There　were　many　mixed　bloods　among　these　Sioux；　and　some　of

the　Indians　held　that　these　were　accomplices　of　the　white　people　in

robbing　them　of　their　possessions；　therefore　their　lives　should　not

be　spared。　　My　father；　Many　Lightnings；　who　was　practically　the

leader　of　the　Mankato　band　（for　Mankato；　the　chief；　was　a　weak

man）；　fought　desperately　for　the　lives　of　the　half…breeds　and　the

missionaries。　　The　chiefs　had　great　confidence　in　my　father；　yet

they　would　not　commit　themselves；　since　their　braves　were　clamoring

for　blood。　　Little　Crow　had　been　accused　of　all　the　misfortunes　of

his　tribe；　and　he　now　hoped　by　leading　them　against　the　whites　to

regain　his　prestige　with　his　people；　and　a　part　at　least　of　their

lost　domain。



There　were　moments　when　the　pacifists　were　in　grave　peril。　　It

was　almost　daybreak　when　my　father　saw　that　the　approaching

calamity　could　not　be　prevented。　　He　and　two　others　said　to　Little

Crow：　〃If　you　want　war；　you　must　personally　lead　your　men

to…morrow。　　We　will　not　murder　women　and　children；　but　we　will

fight　the　soldiers　when　they　come。〃　　They　then　left　the　council　and

hastened　to　warn　my　brother…in…law；　Faribault；　and　others　who　were

in　danger。



Little　Crow　declared　he　would　be　seen　in　the　front　of　every

battle；　and　it　is　true　that　he　was　foremost　in　all　the　succeeding

bloodshed；　urging　his　warriors　to　spare　none。　　He　ordered　his　war

leader；　Many　Hail；　to　fire　the　first　shot；　killing　the　trader　James

Lynd；　in　the　door　of　his　store。



After　a　year　of　fighting　in　which　he　had　met　with　defeat；　the

discredited　chief　retreated　to　Fort　Garry；　now　Winnipeg；　Manitoba；

where；　together　with　Standing　Buffalo；　he　undertook　secret

negotiations　with　his　old　friends　the　Indian　traders。　　There　was

now　a　price　upon　his　head；　but　he　planned　to　reach　St。　Paul

undetected　and　there　surrender　himself　to　his　friends；　who　he　hoped

would　protect　him　in　return　for　past　favors。　　It　is　true　that　he

had　helped　them　to　secure　perhaps　the　finest　country　held　by　any

Indian　nation　for　a　mere　song。



He　left　Canada　with　a　few　trusted　friends；　including　his

youngest　and　favorite　son。　　When　within　two　or　three　days'　journey

of　St。　Paul；　he　told　the　others　to　return；　keeping　with　him　only

his　son；　Wowinape；　who　was　but　fifteen　years　of　age。　　He　meant　to

steal　into　the　city　by　night　and　go　straight　to　Governor　Ramsey；

who　was　his　personal　friend。　　He　was　very　hungry　and　was　obliged　to

keep　to　the　shelter　of　the　deep　woods。　　The　next　morning；　as　he　was

picking　and　eating　wild　raspberries；　he　was　seen　by　a　wood…chopper

named　Lamson。　　The　man　did　not　know　who　he　was。　　He　only　knew　that

he　was　an　Indian；　and　that　was　enough　for　him；　so　he　lifted　his

rifle　to　his　shoulder　and　fired；　then　ran　at　his　best　pace。　　The

brilliant　but　misguided　chief；　who　had　made　that　part　of　the

country　unsafe　for　any　white　man　to　live　in；　sank　to　the　ground　and

died　without　a　struggle。　　The　boy　took　his　father's　gun　and　made

some　effort　to　find　the　assassin；　but　as　he　did　not　even　know　in

which　direction　to　look　for　him；　he　soon　gave　up　the　attempt　and

went　back　to　his　friends。



Meanwhile　Lamson　reached　home　breathless　and　made　his　report。　

The　body　of　the　chief　was　found　and　identified；　in　part　by　the

twice　broken　arm；　and　this　arm　and　his　scalp　may　be　seen　to…day　in

the　collection　of　the　Minnesota　Historical　Society。









TAMAHAY





There　was　once　a　Sioux　brave　who　declared　that　he　would　die　young；

yet　not　by　his　own　hand。　　Tamahay　was　of　heroic　proportions；

herculean　in　strength；　a　superb　runner；　in　fact；　he　had　all　the

physical　qualities　of　an　athlete　or　a　typical　Indian。　　In　his

scanty　dress；　he　was　beautiful　as　an　antique　statue　in　living

bronze。　　When　a　mere　youth；　seventeen　years　of　age；　he　met　with　an

accident　which　determined　his　career。　　It　was　the　loss　of　an　eye；

a　fatal　injury　to　the　sensitive　and　high…spirited　Indian。　　He

announced　his　purpose　in　these　words：



〃The　'Great　Mystery'　has　decreed　that　I　must　be　disgraced。　

There　will　be　no　pleasure　for　me　now；　and　I　shall　be　ridiculed

even　by　my　enemies。　　It　will　be　well　for　me　to　enter　soon　into

Paradise；　for　I　shall　be　happy　in　spending　my　youth　there。　　But

I　will　sell　my　life　dearly。　　Hereafter　my　name　shall　be　spoken　in

the　traditions　of　our　race。〃　　With　this　speech　Tamahay　began　his

career。



He　now　sought　glory　and　defied　danger　with　even　more　than　the

ordinary　Indian　recklessness。　　He　accepted　a　personal　friend；　which

was　a　custom　among　the　Sioux；　where　each　man　chose　a　companion　for

life　and　death。　　The　tie　was　stronger　than　one　of　blood

relationship；　a　friendship　sealed　by　solemn　vow　and　covenant。　

Tamahay's　intimate　was　fortunately　almost　his　equal　in　physical

powers；　and　the　pair　became　the　terror　of　neighboring　tribes；　with

whom　the　Dakotas　were　continually　at　war。　　They　made　frequent　raids

upon　their　enemies　and　were　usually　successful；　although　not

without　thrilling　experiences　and　almost　miraculous　escapes。



Upon　one　of　these　occasions　the　two　friends　went　north　into

the　country　of　the　Ojibways。　　After　many　days'　journey；　they

discovered　a　small　village　of　the　foe。　　The　wicked　Tamahay　proposed

to　his　associate　that　they　should　arrange　their　toilets　after　the

fashion　of　the　Ojibways；　and　go　among　them；　〃and　perhaps；〃　he

added；　〃we　will　indulge　in　a　little　flirtation　with　their　pretty

maids；　and　when　we　have　had　enough　of　the　fun　we　can　take　the　scalp

of　a　brave　or　two　and　retreat！〃　　His　friend　construed　his　daring

proposition　to　be　a　test　of　courage；　which　it　would　not　become　him；

as　a　brave；　to　decline；　therefore　he　assented　with　a　show　of

cheerfulness。



The　handsome　strangers　were　well　received　by　the　Ojibway

girls；　but　their　perilous　amusement　was　brought　to　an　untimely

close。　　A　young　maiden　prematurely　discovered　their　true

characters；　and　her　cry　of　alarm　brought　instantly　to　her　side　a

jealous　youth；　who　had　been　watching　them　from　his　place　of

concealment。　　With　him　Tamahay　had　a　single…handed　contest；　and

before　a　general　alarm　was　given　he　had　dispatched　the　foe　and　fled

with　his　scalp。



The　unfortunate　brave　had　been　a　favorite　and　a　leader　among

the　tribe；　therefore