hunting the grisly and other sketches-第41章

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their　men　in　the　charge；　they　could　of　course　have　eaten　up　the　three
hunters　in　a　minute；　but　such　a　charge　is　rarely　practised　by　Indians；
who；　although　they　are　admirable　in　defensive　warfare；　and　even　in
certain　kinds　of　offensive　movements；　and　although　from　their　skill　in
hiding　they　usually　inflict　much　more　loss　than　they　suffer　when
matched　against　white　troops；　are　yet　very　reluctant　to　make　any
movement　where　the　advantage　gained　must　be　offset　by　considerable
loss　of　life。　The　three　men　thought　they　were　surely　doomed；　but　being
veteran　frontiersmen　and　long　inured　to　every　kind　of　hardship　and
danger；　they　set　to　work　with　cool　resolution　to　make　as　effective　a
defence　as　possible；　to　beat　off　their　antagonists　if　they　might；　and
if　this　proved　impracticable；　to　sell　their　lives　as　dearly　as　they
could。　Having　tethered　the　horses　in　a　slight　hollow；　the　only　one
which　offered　any　protection；　each　man　crept　out　to　a　point　of　the
triangular　brush　patch　and　lay　down　to　await　events。

In　a　very　short　while　the　Indians　began　closing　in　on　them；　taking
every　advantage　of　cover；　and　then；　both　from　their　side　of　the　river
and　from　the　opposite　bank；　opened　a　perfect　fusillade；　wasting　their
cartridges　with　a　recklessness　which　Indians　are　apt　to　show　when
excited。　The　hunters　could　hear　the　hoarse　commands　of　the　chiefs；　the
war…whoops　and　the　taunts　in　broken　English　which　some　of　the　warriors
hurled　at　them。　Very　soon　all　of　their　horses　were　killed；　and　the
brush　was　fairly　riddled　by　the　incessant　volleys；　but　the　three　men
themselves；　lying　flat　on　the　ground　and　well　concealed；　were　not
harmed。　The　more　daring　young　warriors　then　began　to　creep　toward　the
hunters；　going　stealthily　from　one　piece　of　cover　to　the　next；　and　now
the　whites　in　turn　opened　fire。　They　did　not　shoot　recklessly；　as　did
their　foes；　but　coolly　and　quietly；　endeavoring　to　make　each　shot
tell。　Said　Woody：　〃I　only　fired　seven　times　all　day；　I　reckoned　on
getting　meat　every　time　I　pulled　trigger。〃　They　had　an　immense
advantage　over　their　enemies；　in　that　whereas　they　lay　still　and
entirely　concealed；　the　Indians　of　course　had　to　move　from　cover　to
cover　in　order　to　approach；　and　so　had　at　times　to　expose　themselves。
When　the　whites　fired　at　all　they　fired　at　a　man；　whether　moving；　or
motionless；　whom　they　could　clearly　see；　while　the　Indians　could　only
shoot　at　the　smoke；　which　imperfectly　marked　the　position　of　their
unseen　foes。　In　consequence　the　assailants　speedily　found　that　it　was
a　task　of　hopeless　danger　to　try　in　such　a　manner　to　close　in　on　three
plains　veterans；　men　of　iron　nerve　and　skilled　in　the　use　of　the
rifle。　Yet　some　of　the　more　daring　crept　up　very　close　to　the　patch　of
brush；　and　one　actually　got　inside　it；　and　was　killed　among　the
bedding　that　lay　by　the　smouldering　camp…fire。　The　wounded　and　such　of
the　dead　as　did　not　lie　in　too　exposed　positions　were　promptly　taken
away　by　their　comrades；　but　seven　bodies　fell　into　the　hands　of　the
three　hunters。　I　asked　Woody　how　many　he　himself　had　killed。　He　said
he　could　only　be　sure　of　two　that　he　got；　one　he　shot　in　the　head　as
he　peeped　over　a　bush；　and　the　other　he　shot　through　the　smoke　as　he
attempted　to　rush　in。　〃My；　how　that　Indian　did　yell；〃　said　Woody；
retrospectively；　〃/he/　was　no　great　of　a　Stoic。〃　After　two　or　three
hours　of　this　deadly　skirmishing；　which　resulted　in　nothing　more
serious　to　the　whites　than　in　two　of　them　being　slightly　wounded；　the
Sioux　became　disheartened　by　the　loss　they　were　suffering　and
withdrew；　confining　themselves　thereafter　to　a　long　range　and　harmless
fusillade。　When　it　was　dark　the　three　men　crept　out　to　the　river　bed；
and　taking　advantage　of　the　pitchy　night　broke　through　the　circle　of
their　foes；　they　managed　to　reach　the　settlements　without　further
molestation；　having　lost　everything　except　their　rifles。

For　many　years　one　of　the　most　important　of　the　wilderness　dwellers
was　the　West　Point　officer；　and　no　man　has　played　a　greater　part　than
he　in　the　wild　warfare　which　opened　the　regions　beyond　the　Mississippi
to　white　settlement。　Since　1879；　there　has　been　but　little　regular
Indian　fighting　in　the　North；　though　there　have　been　one　or　two　very
tedious　and　wearisome　campaigns　waged　against　the　Apaches　in　the
South。　Even　in　the　North；　however；　there　have　been　occasional
uprisings　which　had　to　be　quelled　by　the　regular　troops。

After　my　elk　hunt　in　September；　1891；　I　came　out　through　the
Yellowstone　Park；　as　I　have　elsewhere　related；　riding　in　company　with
a　surveyor　of　the　Burlington　and　Quincy　railroad；　who　was　just　coming
in　from　his　summer's　work。　It　was　the　first　of　October。　There　had　been
a　heavy　snow…storm　and　the　snow　was　still　falling。　Riding　a　stout　pony
each；　and　leading　another　packed　with　our　bedding；　etc。；　we　broke　our
way　from　the　upper　to　the　middle　geyser　basin。　Here　we　found　a　troop
of　the　1st　Cavalry　camped；　under　the　command　of　old　friends　of　mine；
Captain　Frank　Edwards　and　Lieutenant　（now　Captain）　John　Pitcher。　They
gave　us　hay　for　our　horses　and　insisted　upon　our　stopping　to　lunch；
with　the　ready　hospitality　always　shown　by　army　officers。　After　lunch
we　began　exchanging　stories。　My　travelling　companion；　the　surveyor；
had　that　spring　performed　a　feat　of　note；　going　through　one　of　the
canyons　of　the　Big　Horn　for　the　first　time。　He　went　with　an　old　mining
inspector；　the　two　of　them　dragging　a　cottonwood　sledge　over　the　ice。
The　walls　of　the　canyon　are　so　sheer　and　the　water　so　rough　that　it
can　be　descended　only　when　the　stream　is　frozen。　However；　after　six
days'　labor　and　hardship　the　descent　was　accomplished；　and　the
surveyor；　in　concluding；　described　his　experience　in　going　through　the
Crow　Reservation。

This　turned　the　conversation　upon　Indians；　and　it　appeared　that　both
of　our　hosts　had　been　actors　in　Indian　scrapes　which　had　attracted　my
attention　at　the　time　they　occurred；　as　they　took　place　among　tribes
that　I　knew　and　in　a　country　which　I　had　sometime　visited；　either　when
hunting　or　when　purchasing　horses　for　the　ranch。　The　first；　which
occurred　to　Captain　Edwards；　happened　late　in　1886；　at　the　time　when
the　crow　Medicine　Chief；　Sword…Bearer；　announced　himself　as　the
Messiah　of　the　Indian　race；　during　one　of　the　usual　epidemics　of　ghost
dancing。　Sword…Bearer　derived　his　name　from　always　wearing　a　medicine
swordthat　is；　a　sabre　painted　red。　He　claimed　to　possess　magic
power；　and；　thanks　to　the　performance　of　many　dexterous　feats　of
juggling；　and　the　lucky　outcome　of　certain　prophecies；　he　deeply
stirred　the　Indians；　arousing　the　young　warriors　in　particular　to　the
highest　pitch　of　excitement。　They　became　sullen；　began　to　paint　and
armed　themselves；　and　the　agent　and　the　settlers　nearby　grew　so
apprehensive　that　the　troops　were　ordered　to　go　to　the　reservation。　A
body　of　cavalry；　including　Captain　Edwards'　troop；　was　accordingly
marched　thither；　and　found　the　Crow　warriors；　mounted　on　their　war
ponies　and　dressed　in　their　striking　battle…garb；　waiting　on　a　hill。

The　position　of　troops　at　the　beginning　of　such　an　affair　is　always
peculiarly　difficult。　The　settlers　round…about　are　sure　to　clamor
bitterly　against　them；　no　matter　what　they　do；　on　the　ground　that　they
are　not　thorough　enough　and　are　showing　favor　to　the　savages；　while　on
the　other　hand；　even　if　they　fight　purely　in　self…defence；　a　large
number　of　worthy　but　weak…minded　sentimentalists　in　the　East　are　sure
to　shriek　about　their　having　brutally　attacked　the　Indians。　The　war
authorities　always　insist　that　they　must　not　fire　the　first　shot　under
any　circumstances；　and　such　were　the　orders　at　this　time。　The　Crows　on
the　hill…top　showed　a　sullen　and　threatening　front；　and　the　troops
advanced　slowly　towards　them　and　then　halted　for　a　parley。　Meanwhile　a
mass　of　black　thunderclouds　gathering　on　the　horizon　threatened　one　of
those　cloudbursts　of　extreme　severity　and　suddenness　so　characteristic
of　the　plains　country。　While　still　trying　to　make　arrangements　for　a
parley；　a　horseman　started　out　of　the　Crow　ranks　and　galloped　headlong
down　towards　the　troops。　It　was　the　medicine　chief；　Sword…Bearer。　He
was　painted　and　in　his　battle…dress；　wearing　his　w