INDIAN HEROES AND GREAT CHIEFTAINS

By Charles A. Eastman (Ohiyesa)

 CONTENTS

 1. RED CLOUD 2. SPOTTED TAIL 3. LITTLE CROW 4. TAMAHAY 5. GALL 6. CRAZY HORSE 7. SITTING BULL 8. RAIN-IN-THE-FACE 9. TWO STRIKE 10. AMERICAN HORSE 11. DULL KNIFE 12. ROMAN NOSE 13. CHIEF JOSEPH 14. LITTLE WOLF 15. HOLE-IN-THE-DAY

INDIAN HEROES AND GREAT CHIEFTAINS

RED CLOUD

EVERY age, every race, has its leaders and heroes. There were over sixtydistinct tribes of Indians on this continent, each of which boastedits notable men. The names and deeds of some of these men will livein American history, yet in the true sense they are unknown, becausemisunderstood. I should like to present some of the greatest chiefs ofmodern times in the light of the native character and ideals, believingthat the American people will gladly do them tardy justice. 

It is matter of history that the Sioux nation, to which I belong, was originally friendly to the Caucasian peoples which it met insuccession-first, to the south the Spaniards; then the French, on theMississippi River and along the Great Lakes; later the English, andfinally the Americans. This powerful tribe then roamed over the wholeextent of the Mississippi valley, between that river and the Rockies. Their usages and government united the various bands more closely thanwas the case with many of the neighboring tribes. 

During the early part of the nineteenth century, chiefs such asWabashaw, Redwing, and Little Six among the eastern Sioux, ConqueringBear, Man-Afraid-of-His-Horse, and Hump of the western bands, were thelast of the old type. After these, we have a coterie of new leaders, products of the new conditions brought about by close contact with theconquering race. 

This distinction must be borne in mind--that while the early chiefswere spokesmen and leaders in the simplest sense, possessing no realauthority, those who headed their tribes during the transition periodwere more or less rulers and more or less politicians. It is a singularfact that many of the "chiefs", well known as such to the Americanpublic, were not chiefs at all according to the accepted usages oftheir tribesmen. Their prominence was simply the result of an abnormalsituation, in which representatives of the United States Government madeuse of them for a definite purpose. In a few cases, where a chief metwith a violent death, some ambitious man has taken advantage of theconfusion to thrust himself upon the tribe and, perhaps with outsidehelp, has succeeded in usurping the leadership. 

Red Cloud was born about 1820 near the forks of the Platte River. Hewas one of a family of nine children whose father, an able and respectedwarrior, reared his son under the old Spartan regime. The young RedCloud is said to have been a fine horseman, able to swim across theMissouri and Yellowstone rivers, of high bearing and unquestionablecourage, yet invariably gentle and courteous in everyday life. Thislast trait, together with a singularly musical and agreeable voice, hasalways been characteristic of the man. 

When he was about six years old, his father gave him a spirited colt, and said to him:

"My son, when you are able to sit quietly upon the back of this coltwithout saddle or bridle, I shall be glad, for the boy who can win awild creature and learn to use it will as a man be able to win and rulemen. "

The little fellow, instead of going for advice and help to hisgrandfather, as most Indian boys would have done, began quietly topractice throwing the lariat. In a little while he was able to lassothe colt. He was dragged off his feet at once, but hung on, and finallymanaged to picket him near the teepee. When the big boys drove the herdof ponies to water, he drove his colt with the rest. Presently the ponybecame used to him and allowed himself to be handled. The boy beganto ride him bareback; he was thrown many times, but persisted until hecould ride without even a lariat, sitting with arms folded and guidingthe animal by the movements of his body. From that time on he told methat he broke all his own ponies, and before long his father's as well. 

The old men, his contemporaries, have often related to me how RedCloud was always successful in the hunt because his horses were so wellbroken. At the age of nine, he began to ride his father's pack pony uponthe buffalo hunt. He was twelve years old, he told me, when he wasfirst permitted to take part in the chase, and found to his greatmortification that none of his arrows penetrated more than a fewinches. Excited to recklessness, he whipped his horse nearer the fleeingbuffalo, and before his father knew what he was about, he had seized oneof the protruding arrows and tried to push it deeper. The furious animaltossed his massive head sidewise, and boy and horse were whirled intothe air. Fortunately, the boy was thrown on the farther side of hispony, which received the full force of the second attack. The thunderinghoofs of the stampeded herd soon passed them by, but the wounded andmaddened buffalo refused to move, and some critical moments passedbefore Red Cloud's father succeeded in attracting its attention so thatthe boy might spring to his feet and run for his life. 

I once asked Red Cloud if he could recall having ever been afraid, andin reply he told me this story. He was about sixteen years old and hadalready been once or twice upon the warpath, when one fall his peoplewere hunting in the Big Horn country, where they might expect trouble atany moment with the hostile Crows or Shoshones. Red Cloud had followed asingle buffalo bull into the Bad Lands and was out of sight and hearingof his companions. When he had brought down his game, he noted carefullyevery feature of his surroundings so that he might at once detectanything unusual, and tied his horse with a long lariat to the horn ofthe dead bison, while skinning and cutting up the meat so as to packit to camp. Every few minutes he paused in his work to scrutinize thelandscape, for he had a feeling that danger was not far off. 

Suddenly, almost over his head, as it seemed, he heard a tremendouswar whoop, and glancing sidewise, thought he beheld the charge of anoverwhelming number of warriors. He tried desperately to give the usualundaunted war whoop in reply, but instead a yell of terror burst fromhis lips, his legs gave way under him, and he fell in a heap. When herealized, the next instant, that the war whoop was merely the suddenloud whinnying of his own horse, and the charging army a band of fleeingelk, he was so ashamed of himself that he never forgot the incident, although up to that time he had never mentioned it. His subsequentcareer would indicate that the lesson was well learned. 

The future leader was still a very young man when he joined a war partyagainst the Utes. Having pushed eagerly forward on the trail, he foundhimself far in advance of his companions as night came on, and at thesame time rain began to fall heavily. Among the scattered scrub pines, the lone warrior found a natural cave, and after a hasty examination, hedecided to shelter there for the night. 

Scarcely had he rolled himself in his blanket when he heard a slightrustling at the entrance, as if some creature were preparing to sharehis retreat. It was pitch dark. He could see nothing, but judged that itmust be either a man or a grizzly. There was not room to draw a bow. Itmust be between knife and knife, or between knife and claws, he said tohimself. 

The intruder made no search but quietly lay down in the opposite cornerof the cave. Red Cloud remained perfectly still, scarcely breathing, his hand upon his knife. Hour after hour he lay broad awake, whilemany thoughts passed through his brain. Suddenly, without warning, he sneezed, and instantly a strong man sprang to a sitting postureopposite. 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 wasgreat, till at last a smile wavered over the expressionless face of theUte. Red Cloud answered the smile, and in that instant a treaty of peacewas born between them. 

"Put your knife in its sheath. I shall do so also, and we will smoketogether, " signed Red Cloud. The other assented gladly, and theyratified thus the truce which assured to each a safe return to hisfriends. Having finished their smoke, they shook hands and separated. Neither had given the other any information. Red Cloud returned to hisparty and told his story, adding that he had divulged nothing and hadnothing to report. Some were inclined to censure him for not fighting, but he was sustained by a majority of the warriors, who commended hisself-restraint. In a day or two they discovered the main camp of theenemy and fought a remarkable battle, in which Red Cloud especiallydistinguished himself

The Sioux were now entering upon the most stormy period of theirhistory. The old things were fast giving place to new. The young men, for the first time engaging in serious and destructive warfare with theneighboring tribes, armed with the deadly weapons furnished by thewhite man, began to realize that they must soon enter upon a desperatestruggle for their ancestral hunting grounds. The old men had beeninnocently cultivating the friendship of the stranger, saying amongthemselves, "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 atFort Laramie, Wyoming, for the purpose of securing an agreement andright of way through their territory. The Ogallalas held aloof from thisproposal, but Bear Bull, an Ogallala chief, after having been plied withwhisky, undertook to dictate submission to the rest of the clan. Enragedby failure, he fired upon a group of his own tribesmen, and Red Cloud'sfather and brother fell dead. According to Indian custom, it fell to himto avenge the deed. Calmly, without uttering a word, he faced old BearBull and his son, who attempted to defend his father, and shot themboth. He did what he believed to be his duty, and the whole bandsustained him. Indeed, the tragedy gave the young man at once a certainstanding, as one who not only defended his people against enemies fromwithout, but against injustice and aggression within the tribe. Fromthis time on he was a recognized leader. 

Man-Afraid-of-His-Horse, then head chief of the Ogallalas, took councilwith Red Cloud in all important matters, and the young warrior rapidlyadvanced in authority and influence. In 1854, when he was barelythirty-five years old, the various bands were again encamped near FortLaramie. A Mormon emigrant train, moving westward, left a footsore cowbehind, and the young men killed her for food. The next day, to theirastonishment, an officer with thirty men appeared at the Indian camp anddemanded of old Conquering Bear that they be given up. The chief in vainprotested that it was all a mistake and offered to make reparation. Itwould seem that either the officer was under the influence of liquor, or else had a mind to bully the Indians, for he would accept neitherexplanation nor payment, but demanded point-blank that the young men whohad killed the cow be delivered up to summary punishment. The old chiefrefused to be intimidated and was shot dead on the spot. Not one soldierever reached the gate of Fort Laramie! Here Red Cloud led the youngOgallalas, and so intense was the feeling that they even killed thehalf-breed interpreter. 

Curiously enough, there was no attempt at retaliation on the part of thearmy, and no serious break until 1860, when the Sioux were involved introubles with the Cheyennes and Arapahoes. In 1862, a grave outbreakwas precipitated by the eastern Sioux in Minnesota under Little Crow, in which the western bands took no part. Yet this event ushered in a newperiod for their race. The surveyors of the Union Pacific were layingout 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 ofthese tribes were at war with one another, yet during the summermonths they met often to proclaim a truce and hold joint councils andfestivities, which were now largely turned into discussions of thecommon enemy. It became evident, however, that some of the smallerand weaker tribes were inclined to welcome the new order of things, recognizing that it was the policy of the government to put an end totribal warfare. 

Red Cloud's position was uncompromisingly against submission. He madesome noted speeches in this line, one of which was repeated to me byan old man who had heard and remembered it with the remarkable verbalmemory of an Indian. 

"Friends, " said Red Cloud, "it has been our misfortune to welcome thewhite man. We have been deceived. He brought with him some shiningthings that pleased our eyes; he brought weapons more effective than ourown: above all, he brought the spirit water that makes one forget for atime old age, weakness, and sorrow. But I wish to say to you that if youwould possess these things for yourselves, you must begin anew and putaway the wisdom of your fathers. You must lay up food, and forget thehungry. When your house is built, your storeroom filled, then lookaround for a neighbor whom you can take at a disadvantage, and seize allthat he has! Give away only what you do not want; or rather, do not partwith any of your possessions unless in exchange for another's. 

"My countrymen, shall the glittering trinkets of this rich man, hisdeceitful drink that overcomes the mind, shall these things tempt us togive up our homes, our hunting grounds, and the honorable teaching ofour old men? Shall we permit ourselves to be driven to and fro--to beherded like the cattle of the white man?"

His next speech that has been remembered was made in 1866, just beforethe attack on Fort Phil Kearny. The tension of feeling against theinvaders had now reached its height. There was no dissenting voice inthe council upon the Powder River, when it was decided to oppose tothe uttermost the evident purpose of the government. Red Cloud was notaltogether ignorant of the numerical strength and the resourcefulnessof the white man, but he was determined to face any odds rather thansubmit. 

"Hear ye, Dakotas!" he exclaimed. "When the Great Father at Washingtonsent us his chief soldier [General Harney] to ask for a path throughour hunting grounds, a way for his iron road to the mountains and thewestern sea, we were told that they wished merely to pass through ourcountry, 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 theyallowed this dangerous snake in our midst. They promised to protect thewayfarers. 

"Yet before the ashes of the council fire are cold, the Great Fatheris building his forts among us. You have heard the sound of the whitesoldier's ax upon the Little Piney. His presence here is an insult and athreat. It is an insult to the spirits of our ancestors. Are we thento give up their sacred graves to be plowed for corn? Dakotas, I am forwar!"

In less than a week after this speech, the Sioux advanced upon Fort PhilKearny, the new sentinel that had just taken her place upon the farthestfrontier, guarding the Oregon Trail. Every detail of the attack hadbeen planned with care, though not without heated discussion, andnearly every well-known Sioux chief had agreed in striking the blow. The brilliant young war leader, Crazy Horse, was appointed to lead thecharge. His lieutenants were Sword, Hump, and Dull Knife, with LittleChief of the Cheyennes, while the older men acted as councilors. Theirsuccess was instantaneous. In less than half an hour, they had cut downnearly a hundred men under Captain Fetterman, whom they drew out of thefort by a ruse and then annihilated. 

Instead of sending troops to punish, the government sent a commissionto treat with the Sioux. The result was the famous treaty of 1868, whichRed Cloud was the last to sign, having refused to do so until all of theforts within their territory should be vacated. All of his demands wereacceded to, the new road abandoned, the garrisons withdrawn, and in thenew treaty it was distinctly stated that the Black Hills and the BigHorn were Indian country, set apart for their perpetual occupancy, andthat no white man should enter that region without the consent of theSioux. 

Scarcely was this treaty signed, however, when gold was discovered inthe Black Hills, and the popular cry was: "Remove the Indians!" Thiswas easier said than done. That very territory had just been solemnlyguaranteed to them forever: yet how stem the irresistible rush for gold?The government, at first, entered some small protest, just enough to"save its face" as the saying is; but there was no serious attempt toprevent the wholesale violation of the treaty. It was this state ofaffairs that led to the last great speech made by Red Cloud, at agathering upon the Little Rosebud River. It is brief, and touches uponthe hopelessness of their future as a race. He seems at about thistime to have reached the conclusion that resistance could not last muchlonger; in fact, the greater part of the Sioux nation was already undergovernment control. 

"We are told, " said he, "that Spotted Tail has consented to be theBeggars' Chief. Those Indians who go over to the white man can benothing but beggars, for he respects only riches, and how can an Indianbe a rich man? He cannot without ceasing to be an Indian. As for me, I have listened patiently to the promises of the Great Father, but hismemory is short. I am now done with him. This is all I have to say. "

The wilder bands separated soon after this council, to follow the driftof the buffalo, some in the vicinity of the Black Hills and others inthe Big Horn region. Small war parties came down from time to time uponstray travelers, who received no mercy at their hands, or made dashesupon neighboring forts. Red Cloud claimed the right to guard and holdby force, if need be, all this territory which had been conceded to hispeople by the treaty of 1868. The land became a very nest of outlawry. Aside from organized parties of prospectors, there were bands of whitehorse thieves and desperadoes who took advantage of the situation toplunder immigrants and Indians alike. 

An attempt was made by means of military camps to establish control andforce all the Indians upon reservations, and another commission was sentto negotiate their removal to Indian Territory, but met with an absoluterefusal. After much guerrilla warfare, an important military campaignagainst the Sioux was set on foot in 1876, ending in Custer's signaldefeat upon the Little Big Horn. 

In this notable battle, Red Cloud did not participate in person, nor inthe earlier one with Crook upon the Little Rosebud, but he had a son inboth fights. He was now a councilor rather than a warrior, but his youngmen were constantly in the field, while Spotted Tail had definitelysurrendered and was in close touch with representatives of thegovernment. 

But the inevitable end was near. One morning in the fall of 1876 RedCloud was surrounded by United States troops under the command ofColonel McKenzie, who disarmed his people and brought them into FortRobinson, Nebraska. Thence they were removed to the Pine Ridge agency, where he lived for more than thirty years as a "reservation Indian. " Inorder to humiliate him further, government authorities proclaimed themore tractable Spotted Tail head chief of the Sioux. Of course, RedCloud's own people never recognized any other chief. 

In 1880 he appealed to Professor Marsh, of Yale, head of a scientificexpedition to the Bad Lands, charging certain frauds at the agencyand apparently proving his case; at any rate the matter was consideredworthy of official investigation. In 1890-1891, during the "Ghost Dancecraze" and the difficulties that followed, he was suspected of collusionwith the hostiles, but he did not join them openly, and nothing couldbe proved against him. He was already an old man, and became almostentirely blind before his death in 1909 in his ninetieth year. 

His private life was exemplary. He was faithful to one wife all hisdays, and was a devoted father to his children. He was ambitious for hisonly son, known as Jack Red Cloud, and much desired him to be a greatwarrior. He started him on the warpath at the age of fifteen, not thenrealizing that the days of Indian warfare were well-nigh at an end. 

Among latter-day chiefs, Red Cloud was notable as a quiet man, simpleand direct in speech, courageous in action, an ardent lover of hiscountry, and possessed in a marked degree of the manly qualitiescharacteristic of the American Indian in his best days. 

SPOTTED TAIL

Among the Sioux chiefs of the "transition period" only one was shrewdenough to read coming events in their true light. It is said of SpottedTail that he was rather a slow-moving boy, preferring in their variousgames and mimic battles to play the role of councilor, to plan andassign to the others their parts in the fray. This he did so cleverlythat he soon became a leader among his youthful contemporaries; andwithal he was apt at mimicry and impersonation, so that the other boyswere accustomed to say of him, "He has his grandfather's wit and thewisdom of his grandmother!"

Spotted Tail was an orphan, reared by his grandparents, and at anearly age compelled to shift for himself. Thus he was somewhat at adisadvantage among the other boys; yet even this fact may have helpedto develop in him courage and ingenuity. One little incident of his boylife, occurring at about his tenth year, is characteristic of the man. In the midst of a game, two boys became involved in a dispute whichpromised to be a serious one, as both drew knives. The young SpottedTail instantly began to cry, "The Shoshones are upon us! To arms! toarms!" and the other boys joined in the war whoop. This distracted theattention of the combatants and ended the affair. 

Upon the whole, his boyhood is not so well remembered as is that of mostof his leading contemporaries, probably because he had no parents tobring him frequently before the people, as was the custom with thewellborn, whose every step in their progress toward manhood was publiclyannounced at a feast given in their honor. It is known, however, thathe began at an early age to carve out a position for himself. It ispersonal qualities alone that tell among our people, and the youthfulSpotted Tail gained at every turn. At the age of seventeen, he hadbecome a sure shot and a clever hunter; but, above all, he had alreadyshown that he possessed a superior mind. He had come into contact withwhite people at the various trading posts, and according to his ownstory had made a careful study of the white man's habits and modes ofthought, especially of his peculiar trait of economy and intense desireto accumulate property. He was accustomed to watch closely and listenattentively whenever any of this strange race had dealings with hispeople. When a council was held, and the other young men stood at adistance with their robes over their faces so as to avoid recognition, Spotted Tail always put himself in a position to hear all that was saidon either side, and weighed all the arguments in his mind. 

When he first went upon the warpath, it appears that he was, ifanything, overzealous to establish himself in the eye of his people; andas a matter of fact, it was especially hard for him to gain an assuredposition among the Brules, with whom he lived, both because he was anorphan, and because his father had been of another band. Yet it was notlong before he had achieved his ambition, though in doing so he receivedseveral ugly wounds. It was in a battle with the Utes that he firstnotably served his people and their cause. 

The Utes were the attacking party and far outnumbered the Sioux on thisoccasion. Many of their bravest young men had fallen, and the Bruleswere face to face with utter annihilation, when Spotted Tail, with ahandful of daring horsemen, dodged around the enemy's flank and fellupon them from the rear with so much spirit that they supposed thatstrong reinforcements had arrived, and retreated in confusion. The Siouxpursued on horseback; and it was in this pursuit that the noted chiefTwo Strike gained his historical name. But the chief honors of the fightbelonged to Spotted Tail. The old chiefs, Conquering Bear and the rest, thanked him and at once made him a war chief. 

It had been the firm belief of Spotted Tail that it was unwise to allowthe white man so much freedom in our country, long before the olderchiefs saw any harm in it. After the opening of the Oregon Trail he, above all the others, was watchful of the conduct of the Americans asthey journeyed toward the setting sun, and more than once he remarked incouncil that these white men were not like the French and the Spanish, with whom our old chiefs had been used to deal. He was not fullysatisfied with the agreement with General Harney; but as a young warriorwho had only just gained his position in the council, he could not forcehis views upon the older men. 

No sooner had the Oregon Trail been secured from the Sioux than FortLaramie and other frontier posts were strengthened, and the soldiersbecame more insolent and overbearing than ever. It was soon discoveredthat the whites were prepared to violate most of the articles of theirtreaty as the Indians understood it. At this time, the presence of manyMormon emigrants on their way to the settlements in Utah and Wyomingadded to the perils of the situation, as they constantly maneuvered forpurposes of their own to bring about a clash between the soldiers andthe Indians. Every summer there were storm-clouds blowing between thesetwo--clouds usually taking their rise in some affair of the travelersalong the trail. 

In 1854 an event occurred which has already been described and whichsnapped the last link of friendship between the races. 

By this time Spotted Tail had proved his courage both abroad and athome. He had fought a duel with one of the lesser chiefs, by whom hewas attacked. He killed his opponent with an arrow, but himself receivedupon his head a blow from a battle-axe which brought him senseless tothe ground. He was left for dead, but fortunately revived just as themen were preparing his body for burial. 

The Brules sustained him in this quarrel, as he had acted inself-defense; and for a few years he led them in bloody raids againstthe whites along the historic trail. He ambushed many stagecoaches andemigrant trains, and was responsible for waylaying the Kincaid coachwith twenty thousand dollars. This relentless harrying of travelers soonbrought General Harney to the Brule Sioux to demand explanations andreparation. 

The old chiefs of the Brules now appealed to Spotted Tail and hisyoung warriors not to bring any general calamity upon the tribe. To thesurprise of all, Spotted Tail declared that he would give himself up. He said that he had defended the rights of his people to the best of hisability, that he had avenged the blood of their chief, Conquering Bear, and that he was not afraid to accept the consequences. He thereforevoluntarily surrendered to General Harney, and two of his lieutenants, Red Leaf and Old Woman, followed his example. 

Thus Spotted Tail played an important part at the very outset of thoseevents which were soon to overthrow the free life of his people. I donot know how far he foresaw what was to follow; but whether so conceivedor not, his surrender was a master stroke, winning for him not onlythe admiration of his own people but the confidence and respect of themilitary. 

Thus suddenly he found himself in prison, a hostage for the goodbehavior of his followers. There were many rumors as to the punishmentreserved for him; but luckily for Spotted Tail, the promises of GeneralHarney to the Brule chiefs in respect to him were faithfully kept. One of his fellow-prisoners committed suicide, but the other held outbravely for the two-year term of his imprisonment. During the secondyear, it was well understood that neither of the men sought to escape, and they were given much freedom. It was fine schooling for SpottedTail, that tireless observer of the ways of the white man! It is a factthat his engaging personal qualities won for him kindness and sympathyat the fort before the time came for his release. 

One day some Indian horse thieves of another tribe stampeded the horsesand mules belonging to the garrison. Spotted Tail asked permission ofthe commanding officer to accompany the pursuers. That officer, trustingin the honor of a Sioux brave, gave him a fast horse and a good carbine, and said to him: "I depend upon you to guide my soldiers so that theymay overtake the thieves and recapture the horses!"

The soldiers recaptured the horses without any loss, but Spotted Tailstill followed the Indians. When they returned to the fort without him, everybody agreed that he would never turn up. However, next day he did"turn up", with the scalp of one of the marauders!

Soon after this he was returned to his own people, who honored him bymaking him the successor of the old chief, Conquering Bear, whoseblood he had avenged, for which act he had taken upon himself the fullresponsibility. He had made good use of his two years at the fort, andcompleted his studies of civilization to his own satisfaction. From thistime on he was desirous of reconciling the Indian and the whiteman, thoroughly understanding the uselessness of opposition. He wasaccordingly in constant communication with the military; but the otherchiefs did not understand his views and seem to have been suspicious ofhis motives. 

In 1860-1864 the Southern Cheyennes and Comanches were at war with thewhites, and some of the Brules and Ogallalas, who were their neighborsand intimates, were suspected of complicity with the hostiles. Doubtlessa few of their young men may have been involved; at any rate, ThunderBear and Two Face, together with a few others who were roving with thewarring tribes, purchased two captive white women and brought them toFort Laramie. It was, however, reported at the post that these two menhad maltreated the women while under their care. 

Of course, the commander demanded of Spotted Tail, then head chief, thathe give up the guilty ones, and accordingly he had the two men arrestedand delivered at the fort. At this there was an outcry among his ownpeople; but he argued that if the charges were true, the men deservedpunishment, and if false, they should be tried and cleared by processof law. The Indians never quite knew what evidence was produced at thecourt-martial, but at all events the two men were hanged, and as theyhad many influential connections, their relatives lost no time infomenting trouble. The Sioux were then camping close by the fort and itwas midwinter, which facts held them in check for a month or two; but assoon as spring came, they removed their camp across the river and rosein rebellion. A pitched battle was fought, in which the soldiers got theworst of it. Even the associate chief, Big Mouth, was against SpottedTail, who was practically forced against his will and judgment to takeup arms once more. 

At this juncture came the sudden and bloody uprising in the east amongthe Minnesota Sioux, and Sitting Bull's campaign in the north had begunin earnest; while to the south the Southern Cheyennes, Comanches, andKiowas were all upon the warpath. Spotted Tail at about this time seemsto have conceived the idea of uniting all the Rocky Mountain Indians ina great confederacy. He once said: "Our cause is as a child's cause, in comparison with the power of the white man, unless we can stopquarreling among ourselves and unite our energies for the common good. "But old-time antagonisms were too strong; and he was probably held backalso by his consciousness of the fact that the Indians called him "thewhite man's friend", while the military still had some faith in himwhich he did not care to lose. He was undoubtedly one of the brainiestand most brilliant Sioux who ever lived; and while he could not helpbeing to a large extent in sympathy with the feeling of his race againstthe invader, yet he alone foresaw the inevitable outcome, and theproblem as it presented itself to him was simply this: "What is the bestpolicy to pursue in the existing situation?"

Here is his speech as it has been given to me, delivered at the greatcouncil on the Powder River, just before the attack on Fort PhilKearny. We can imagine that he threw all his wonderful tact and personalmagnetism into this last effort at conciliation. 

"'Hay, hay, hay! Alas, alas!' Thus speaks the old man, when he knowsthat his former vigor and freedom is gone from him forever. So we mayexclaim to-day, Alas! There is a time appointed to all things. Thinkfor a moment how many multitudes of the animal tribes we ourselveshave destroyed! Look upon the snow that appears to-day--to-morrow itis water! Listen to the dirge of the dry leaves, that were green andvigorous but a few moons before! We are a part of this life and it seemsthat our time is come. 

"Yet note how the decay of one nation invigorates another. This strangewhite man--consider him, his gifts are manifold! His tireless brain, his busy hand do wonders for his race. Those things which we despisehe holds as treasures; yet he is so great and so flourishing that theremust be some virtue and truth in his philosophy. I wish to say to you, my friends: Be not moved alone by heated arguments and thoughts ofrevenge! These are for the young. We are young no longer; let us thinkwell, and give counsel as old men!"

These words were greeted with an ominous silence. Not even the customary"How!" of assent followed the speech, and Sitting Bull immediately gotup and replied in the celebrated harangue which will be introduced underhis own name in another chapter. The situation was critical for SpottedTail--the only man present to advocate submission to the stronger racewhose ultimate supremacy he recognized as certain. The decision toattack Fort Phil Kearny was unanimous without him, and in order tohold his position among his tribesmen he joined in the charge. Severalbullets passed through his war bonnet, and he was slightly wounded. 

When the commission of 1867-1868 was sent out to negotiate with theSioux, Spotted Tail was ready to meet them, and eager to obtain forhis people the very best terms that he could. He often puzzled andembarrassed them by his remarkable speeches, the pointed questions thathe put, and his telling allusions to former negotiations. Meanwhile RedCloud would not come into the council until after several deputations ofIndians had been sent to him, and Sitting Bull did not come at all. 

The famous treaty was signed, and from this time on Spotted Tail neveragain took up arms against the whites. On the contrary, it was mainlyattributed to his influence that the hostiles were subdued much soonerthan might have been expected. He came into the reservation with hisband, urged his young men to enlist as government scouts, and assistedmaterially in all negotiations. The hostile chiefs no longer influencedhis action, and as soon as they had all been brought under militarycontrol, General Crook named Spotted Tail head chief of the Sioux, thushumiliating Red Cloud and arousing jealousy and ill-feeling among theOgallalas. In order to avoid trouble, he prudently separated himselffrom the other bands, and moved to the new agency on Beaver Creek (FortSheridan, Nebraska), which was called "Spotted Tail Agency. "

Just before the daring war leader, Crazy Horse, surrendered to themilitary, he went down to the agency and roundly rebuked Spotted Tailfor signing away the freedom of his people. From the point of view ofthe irreconcilables, the diplomatic chief was a "trimmer" and a traitor;and many of the Sioux have tried to implicate him in the conspiracyagainst Crazy Horse which led to his assassination, but I hold that thefacts do not bear out this charge. 

The name of Spotted Tail was prominently before the people during therest of his life. An obscure orphan, he had achieved distinction by hisbravery and sagacity; but he copied the white politician too closelyafter he entered the reservation. He became a good manipulator, and wasmade conceited and overbearing by the attentions of the military and ofthe general public. Furthermore, there was an old feud in his immediateband which affected him closely. Against him for many years were thefollowers of Big Mouth, whom he had killed in a duel; and also a partyled by a son and a nephew of the old chief, Conquering Bear, whomSpotted Tail had succeeded at his death. These two men had hoped thatone or the other of them might obtain the succession. 

Crow Dog, the nephew of Conquering Bear, more than once taunted SpottedTail with the fact that he was chief not by the will of the tribe, butby the help of the white soldiers, and told him that he would "keepa bullet for him" in case he ever disgraced his high position. Thusretribution lay in wait for him while at the height of his fame. Severalhigh-handed actions of his at this time, including his elopement withanother man's wife, increased his unpopularity with a large element ofhis own tribe. On the eve of the chief's departure for Washington, tonegotiate (or so they suspected) for the sale of more of their land, Crow Dog took up his gun and fulfilled his threat, regardinghimself, and regarded by his supporters, not as a murderer, but as anexecutioner. 

Such was the end of the man who may justly be called the Pontiac of thewest. He possessed a remarkable mind and extraordinary foresight foran untutored savage; and yet he is the only one of our great men to beremembered with more honor by the white man, perhaps, than by his ownpeople. 

LITTLE CROW

Chief Little Crow was the eldest son of Cetanwakuwa (Charging Hawk). It was on account of his father's name, mistranslated Crow, that he wascalled by the whites "Little Crow. " His real name was Taoyateduta, HisRed People. 

As far back as Minnesota history goes, a band of the Sioux calledKaposia (Light Weight, because they were said to travel light) inhabitedthe Mille Lacs region. Later they dwelt about St. Croix Falls, and stilllater near St. Paul. In 1840, Cetanwakuwa was still living in whatis now West St. Paul, but he was soon after killed by the accidentaldischarge of his gun. 

It was during a period of demoralization for the Kaposias that LittleCrow became the leader of his people. His father, a well-known chief, had three wives, all from different bands of the Sioux. He was the onlyson of the first wife, a Leaf Dweller. There were two sons of the secondand two of the third wife, and the second set of brothers conspiredto kill their half-brother in order to keep the chieftainship in thefamily. 

Two kegs of whisky were bought, and all the men of the tribe invitedto a feast. It was planned to pick some sort of quarrel when all weredrunk, and in the confusion Little Crow was to be murdered. The plotwent smoothly until the last instant, when a young brave saved theintended victim by knocking the gun aside with his hatchet, so that theshot went wild. However, it broke his right arm, which remained crookedall his life. The friends of the young chieftain hastily withdrew, avoiding a general fight; and later the council of the Kaposiascondemned the two brothers, both of whom were executed, leaving him inundisputed possession. 

Such was the opening of a stormy career. Little Crow's mother had beena chief's daughter, celebrated for her beauty and spirit, and it is saidthat she used to plunge him into the lake through a hole in the ice, rubbing him afterward with snow, to strengthen his nerves, and that shewould remain with him alone in the deep woods for days at a time, sothat he might know that solitude is good, and not fear to be alone withnature. 

"My son, " she would say, "if you are to be a leader of men, you mustlisten in silence to the mystery, the spirit. "

At a very early age she made a feast for her boy and announced that hewould fast two days. This is what might be called a formal presentationto the spirit or God. She greatly desired him to become a worthy leaderaccording to the ideas of her people. It appears that she left herhusband when he took a second wife, and lived with her own band till herdeath. She did not marry again. 

Little Crow was an intensely ambitious man and without physical fear. Hewas always in perfect training and early acquired the art of warfare ofthe Indian type. It is told of him that when he was about ten years old, he engaged with other boys in a sham battle on the shore of a lakenear St. Paul. Both sides were encamped at a little distance from oneanother, and the rule was that the enemy must be surprised, otherwisethe attack would be considered a failure. One must come within so manypaces undiscovered in order to be counted successful. Our hero had afavorite dog which, at his earnest request, was allowed to take part inthe game, and as a scout he entered the enemy camp unseen, by the helpof his dog. 

When he was twelve, he saved the life of a companion who had brokenthrough the ice by tying the end of a pack line to a log, then at greatrisk to himself carrying it to the edge of the hole where his comradewent down. It is said that he also broke in, but both boys savedthemselves by means of the line. 

As a young man, Little Crow was always ready to serve his people as amessenger to other tribes, a duty involving much danger and hardship. He was also known as one of the best hunters in his band. Although stillyoung, he had already a war record when he became chief of the Kaposias, at a time when the Sioux were facing the greatest and most far-reachingchanges that had ever come to them. 

At this juncture in the history of the northwest and its nativeinhabitants, the various fur companies had paramount influence. Theydid not hesitate to impress the Indians with the idea that they were theauthorized representatives of the white races or peoples, and they werequick to realize the desirability of controlling the natives throughtheir most influential chiefs. Little Crow became quite popular withpost traders and factors. He was an orator as well as a diplomat, and one of the first of his nation to indulge in politics and promoteunstable schemes to the detriment of his people. 

When the United States Government went into the business of acquiringterritory from the Indians so that the flood of western settlement mightnot be checked, commissions were sent out to negotiate treaties, and incase of failure it often happened that a delegation of leading men ofthe tribe were invited to Washington. At that period, these visitingchiefs, attired in all the splendor of their costumes of ceremony, weretreated like ambassadors from foreign countries. 

One winter in the late eighteen-fifties, a major general of the armygave a dinner to the Indian chiefs then in the city, and on thisoccasion Little Crow was appointed toastmaster. There were present anumber of Senators and members of Congress, as well as judges of theSupreme Court, cabinet officers, and other distinguished citizens. Whenall the guests were seated, the Sioux arose and addressed them with muchdignity as follows:

"Warriors and friends: I am informed that the great white war chief whoof his generosity and comradeship has given us this feast, has expressedthe wish that we may follow to-night the usages and customs of mypeople. In other words, this is a warriors' feast, a braves' meal. I call upon the Ojibway chief, the Hole-in-the-Day, to give the lonewolf's hunger call, after which we will join him in our usual manner. "

The tall and handsome Ojibway now rose and straightened his superb formto utter one of the clearest and longest wolf howls that was ever heardin Washington, and at its close came a tremendous burst of war whoopsthat fairly rent the air, and no doubt electrified the officials therepresent. 

On one occasion Little Crow was invited by the commander of FortRidgeley, Minnesota, to call at the fort. On his way back, in companywith a half-breed named Ross and the interpreter Mitchell, he wasambushed by a party of Ojibways, and again wounded in the same arm thathad been broken in his attempted assassination. His companion Ross waskilled, but he managed to hold the war party at bay until help came andthus saved his life. 

More and more as time passed, this naturally brave and ambitious manbecame a prey to the selfish interests of the traders and politicians. The immediate causes of the Sioux outbreak of 1862 came in quicksuccession to inflame to desperate action an outraged people. The twobands on the so-called "lower reservations" in Minnesota were Indiansfor whom nature had provided most abundantly in their free existence. After one hundred and fifty years of friendly intercourse first withthe French, then the English, and finally the Americans, they foundthemselves cut off from every natural resource, on a tract of landtwenty miles by thirty, which to them was virtual imprisonment. Bytreaty stipulation with the government, they were to be fed and clothed, houses were to be built for them, the men taught agriculture, andschools provided for the children. In addition to this, a trust fundof a million and a half was to be set aside for them, at five per centinterest, the interest to be paid annually per capita. They had signedthe treaty under pressure, believing in these promises on the faith of agreat nation. 

However, on entering the new life, the resources so rosily described tothem failed to materialize. Many families faced starvation every winter, their only support the store of the Indian trader, who was baiting histrap for their destruction. Very gradually they awoke to the facts. At last it was planned to secure from them the north half of theirreservation for ninety-eight thousand dollars, but it was not explainedto the Indians that the traders were to receive all the money. Little Crow made the greatest mistake of his life when he signed thisagreement. 

Meanwhile, to make matters worse, the cash annuities were not paid fornearly two years. Civil War had begun. When it was learned that thetraders had taken all of the ninety-eight thousand dollars "on account", there was very bitter feeling. In fact, the heads of the leading storeswere 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 hislife was not safe. 

The murder of a white family near Acton, Minnesota, by a party of Indianduck hunters in August, 1862, precipitated the break. Messengers weresent to every village with the news, and at the villages of Little Crowand Little Six the war council was red-hot. It was proposed to takeadvantage of the fact that north and south were at war to wipe out thewhite settlers and to regain their freedom. A few men stood out againstsuch a desperate step, but the conflagration had gone beyond theircontrol. 

There were many mixed bloods among these Sioux, and some of the Indiansheld that these were accomplices of the white people in robbing themof their possessions, therefore their lives should not be spared. Myfather, Many Lightnings, who was practically the leader of the Mankatoband (for Mankato, the chief, was a weak man), fought desperately forthe lives of the half-breeds and the missionaries. The chiefs had greatconfidence in my father, yet they would not commit themselves, sincetheir braves were clamoring for blood. Little Crow had been accusedof all the misfortunes of his tribe, and he now hoped by leading themagainst the whites to regain his prestige with his people, and a part atleast of their lost domain. 

There were moments when the pacifists were in grave peril. It was almostdaybreak when my father saw that the approaching calamity could not beprevented. He and two others said to Little Crow: "If you want war, youmust personally lead your men to-morrow. We will not murder women andchildren, but we will fight the soldiers when they come. " They thenleft the council and hastened to warn my brother-in-law, Faribault, andothers who were in danger. 

Little Crow declared he would be seen in the front of every battle, andit is true that he was foremost in all the succeeding bloodshed, urginghis warriors to spare none. He ordered his war leader, Many Hail, tofire the first shot, killing the trader James Lynd, in the door of hisstore. 

After a year of fighting in which he had met with defeat, thediscredited chief retreated to Fort Garry, now Winnipeg, Manitoba, where, together with Standing Buffalo, he undertook secret negotiationswith his old friends the Indian traders. There was now a price upon hishead, but he planned to reach St. Paul undetected and there surrenderhimself to his friends, who he hoped would protect him in return forpast favors. It is true that he had helped them to secure perhaps thefinest country held by any Indian nation for a mere song. 

He left Canada with a few trusted friends, including his youngest andfavorite son. When within two or three days' journey of St. Paul, hetold the others to return, keeping with him only his son, Wowinape, whowas but fifteen years of age. He meant to steal into the city by nightand go straight to Governor Ramsey, who was his personal friend. He wasvery 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 wasseen 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 helifted 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 countryunsafe for any white man to live in, sank to the ground and died withouta struggle. The boy took his father's gun and made some effort to findthe assassin, but as he did not even know in which direction to look forhim, he soon gave up the attempt and went back to his friends. 

Meanwhile Lamson reached home breathless and made his report. The bodyof 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 theMinnesota Historical Society. 

TAMAHAY

There was once a Sioux brave who declared that he would die young, yetnot by his own hand. Tamahay was of heroic proportions, herculean instrength, a superb runner; in fact, he had all the physical qualities ofan athlete or a typical Indian. In his scanty dress, he was beautiful asan antique statue in living bronze. When a mere youth, seventeen yearsof age, he met with an accident which determined his career. It wasthe loss of an eye, a fatal injury to the sensitive and high-spiritedIndian. He announced his purpose in these words:

"The 'Great Mystery' has decreed that I must be disgraced. There will beno pleasure for me now, and I shall be ridiculed even by my enemies. Itwill be well for me to enter soon into Paradise, for I shall be happyin spending my youth there. But I will sell my life dearly. Hereaftermy name shall be spoken in the traditions of our race. " With this speechTamahay began his career. 

He now sought glory and defied danger with even more than the ordinaryIndian recklessness. He accepted a personal friend, which was a customamong the Sioux, where each man chose a companion for life and death. The tie was stronger than one of blood relationship, a friendship sealedby solemn vow and covenant. Tamahay's intimate was fortunately almosthis equal in physical powers, and the pair became the terror ofneighboring tribes, with whom the Dakotas were continually at war. Theymade frequent raids upon their enemies and were usually successful, although not without thrilling experiences and almost miraculousescapes. 

Upon one of these occasions the two friends went north into the countryof the Ojibways. After many days' journey, they discovered a smallvillage of the foe. The wicked Tamahay proposed to his associate thatthey should arrange their toilets after the fashion of the Ojibways, and go among them; "and perhaps, " he added, "we will indulge in a littleflirtation with their pretty maids, and when we have had enough of thefun we can take the scalp of a brave or two and retreat!" His friendconstrued his daring proposition to be a test of courage, which it wouldnot become him, as a brave, to decline; therefore he assented with ashow of cheerfulness. 

The handsome strangers were well received by the Ojibway girls, buttheir perilous amusement was brought to an untimely close. A youngmaiden prematurely discovered their true characters, and her cry ofalarm brought instantly to her side a jealous youth, who had beenwatching them from his place of concealment. With him Tamahay had asingle-handed contest, and before a general alarm was given he haddispatched the foe and fled with his scalp. 

The unfortunate brave had been a favorite and a leader among the tribe;therefore the maddened Ojibways were soon in hot pursuit. The Siouxbraves were fine runners, yet they were finally driven out upon thepeninsula of a lake. As they became separated in their retreat, Tamahayshouted, "I'll meet you at the mouth of the St. Croix River, or in thespirit land!" Both managed to swim the lake, and so made good theirescape. 

The exploits of this man were not all of a warlike nature. He wasa great traveler and an expert scout, and he had some wonderfulexperiences with wild animals. He was once sent, with his intimatefriend, on a scout for game. They were on ponies. 

They located a herd of buffaloes, and on their return to the camp espieda lonely buffalo. Tamahay suggested that they should chase it in orderto take some fresh meat, as the law of the tribe allowed in the case ofa single animal. His pony stumbled and threw him, after they had woundedthe bison, and the latter attacked the dismounted man viciously. Buthe, as usual, was on the alert. He "took the bull by the horns", as thesaying is, and cleverly straddled him on the neck. The buffalo had nomeans of harming his enemy, but pawed the earth and struggled until hisstrength was exhausted, when the Indian used his knife on theanimal's throat. On account of this feat he received the name"Held-the-Bull-by-the-Horns. "

The origin of his name "Tamahay" is related as follows. When he wasa young man he accompanied the chief Wabashaw to Mackinaw, Michigan, together with some other warriors. He was out with his friend one day, viewing the wonderful sights in the "white man's country", when theycame upon a sow with her numerous pink little progeny. He was greatlyamused and picked up one of the young pigs, but as soon as it squealedthe mother ran furiously after them. He kept the pig and fled withit, still laughing; but his friend was soon compelled to run up theconveniently inclined trunk of a fallen tree, while our hero reached theshore of a lake near by, and plunged into the water. He swam and divedas long as he could, but the beast continued to threaten him with hersharp teeth, till, almost exhausted, he swam again to shore, where hisfriend came up and dispatched the vicious animal with a club. On accountof this watery adventure he was at once called Tamahay, meaning Pike. Heearned many other names, but preferred this one, because it was the nameborne by a great friend of his, Lieutenant Pike, the first officerof the United States Army who came to Minnesota for the purpose ofexploring the sources of the Mississippi River and of making peace withthe natives. Tamahay assisted this officer in obtaining land from theSioux upon which to build Fort Snelling. He appears in history under thename of "Tahamie" or the "One-Eyed Sioux. "

Always ready to brave danger and unpopularity, Tamahay was the onlySioux who sided with the United States in her struggle with GreatBritain in 1819. For having espoused the cause of the Americans, he wasill-treated by the British officers and free traders, who for a longtime controlled the northwest, even after peace had been effectedbetween the two nations. At one time he was confined in a fort calledMcKay, where now stands the town of Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin. He hadjust returned from St. Louis, and was suspected of exciting his peopleto rebel against British subjects. His life was even threatened, butto this Tamahay merely replied that he was ready to die. A few monthslater, this fort was restored to the United States, and upon leavingit the British set the buildings on fire, though the United States flagfloated above them. Some Indians who were present shouted to Tamahay, "Your friends', the Americans', fort is on fire!" He responded with awar whoop, rushed into the blazing fort, and brought out the flag. Forthis brave act he was rewarded with a present of a flag and medal. Hewas never tired of displaying this medal and his recommendation papers, and even preserved to the end of his life an old colonial stovepipe hat, which he wore upon state occasions. 

The Sioux long referred to the president of the United States as"Tamahay's father. "

The following story is told of him in his later days. He attempted oneday to cross the first bridge over the Mississippi River, but was notrecognized by the sentinel, who would not allow him to pass until hepaid the toll. Tamahay, who was a privileged character, explained asbest he could, with gestures and broken English, that he was alwayspermitted to pass free; but as the sentinel still refused, and eventhreatened him with his bayonet, the old Indian silently seized themusket, threw it down into the waters of the Mississippi and went home. Later in the day a company of soldiers appeared in the Indian village, and escorted our hero to a sort of court-martial at the fort. Whenhe was questioned by the Colonel, he simply replied: "If you werethreatened by any one with a weapon, you would, in self-defense, eitherdisable the man or get rid of the weapon. I did the latter, thinkingthat you would need the man more than the gun. "

Finally the officer said to them, "I see you are both partly wrong. Someone must be responsible for the loss of the gun; therefore, you twowill wrestle, and the man who is downed must dive for the weapon to thebottom of the river. "

Scarcely was this speech ended when Tamahay was upon the soldier, whowas surprised both by the order and by the unexpected readiness of thewily old Indian, so that he was not prepared, and the Sioux had thevantage hold. In a moment the bluecoat was down, amid shouts and pealsof laughter from his comrades. Having thrown his man, the other turnedand went home without a word. 

Sad to say, he acquired a great appetite for "minne-wakan", or"mysterious water", as the Sioux call it, which proved a source oftrouble to him in his old age. It is told of him that he was treatedone winter's day to a drink of whisky in a trader's store. He afterwardswent home; but even the severe blizzard which soon arose did not preventhim from returning in the night to the friendly trader. He awoke thatworthy from sleep about twelve o'clock by singing his death dirge uponthe roof of the log cabin. In another moment he had jumped down the mudchimney, and into the blazing embers of a fire. The trader had to pourout to him some whisky in a tin pail, after which he begged the oldman to "be good and go home. " On the eve of the so-called "MinnesotaMassacre" by the Sioux in 1862, Tamahay, although he was then very oldand had almost lost the use of his remaining eye, made a famous speechat the meeting of the conspirators. These are some of his words, asreported to me by persons who were present. 

"What! What! is this Little Crow? Is that Little Six? You, too, WhiteDog, are you here? I cannot see well now, but I can see with my mind'seye the stream of blood you are about to pour upon the bosom of thismother of ours" (meaning the earth). "I stand before you on three legs, but the third leg has brought me wisdom" [referring to the staff withwhich he supported himself]. "I have traveled much, I have visited amongthe people whom you think to defy. This means the total surrender of ourbeautiful land, the land of a thousand lakes and streams. Methinks youare about to commit an act like that of the porcupine, who climbs atree, balances himself upon a springy bough, and then gnaws off the verybough upon which he is sitting; hence, when it gives way, he falls uponthe sharp rocks below. Behold the great Pontiac, whose grave I saw nearSt. Louis; he was murdered while an exile from his country! Think of thebrave Black Hawk! Methinks his spirit is still wailing through Wisconsinand Illinois for his lost people! I do not say you have no cause tocomplain, but to resist is self-destruction. I am done. "

It is supposed that this speech was his last, and it was made, thoughvainly, in defense of the Americans whom he had loved. He died at FortPierre, South Dakota, in 1864. His people say that he died a naturaldeath, of old age. And yet his exploits are not forgotten. Thus livedand departed a most active and fearless Sioux, Tamahay, who desired todie young!

GALL

Chief Gall was one of the most aggressive leaders of the Sioux nation intheir last stand for freedom. 

The westward pressure of civilization during the past three centurieshas been tremendous. When our hemisphere was "discovered", it had beeninhabited by the natives for untold ages, but it was held undiscoveredbecause the original owners did not chart or advertise it. Yet some ofthem at least had developed ideals of life which included real libertyand equality to all men, and they did not recognize individual ownershipin land or other property beyond actual necessity. It was a souldevelopment leading to essential manhood. Under this system they broughtforth some striking characters. 

Gall was considered by both Indians and whites to be a most impressivetype of physical manhood. From his picture you can judge of this foryourself. 

Let us follow his trail. He was no tenderfoot. He never asked a softplace for himself. He always played the game according to the rules andto a finish. To be sure, like every other man, he made some mistakes, but he was an Indian and never acted the coward. 

The earliest stories told of his life and doings indicate the spirit ofthe man in that of the boy. 

When he was only about three years old, the Blackfoot band of Sioux wereon their usual roving hunt, following the buffalo while living theirnatural happy life upon the wonderful wide prairies of the Dakotas. 

It was the way of every Sioux mother to adjust her household effectson such dogs and pack ponies as she could muster from day to day, oftenlending one or two to accommodate some other woman whose horse or doghad died, or perhaps had been among those stampeded and carried away bya raiding band of Crow warriors. On this particular occasion, the motherof our young Sioux brave, Matohinshda, or Bear-Shedding-His-Hair(Gall's childhood name), intrusted her boy to an old Eskimo pack dog, experienced and reliable, except perhaps when unduly excited or verythirsty. 

On the day of removing camp the caravan made its morning march up thePowder River. Upon the wide table-land the women were busily diggingteepsinna (an edible sweetish root, much used by them) as the movingvillage slowly progressed. As usual at such times, the trail was wide. An old jack rabbit had waited too long in hiding. Now, finding himselfalmost surrounded by the mighty plains people, he sprang up suddenly, his feathery ears conspicuously erect, a dangerous challenge to the dogsand the people. 

A whoop went up. Every dog accepted the challenge. Forgotten were thebundles, the kits, even the babies they were drawing or carrying. Thechase was on, and the screams of the women reechoed from the oppositecliffs of the Powder, mingled with the yelps of dogs and the neighing ofhorses. The hand of every man was against the daring warrior, the loneJack, and the confusion was great. 

When the fleeing one cleared the mass of his enemies, he emerged with aswiftness that commanded respect and gave promise of a determined chase. Behind him, his pursuers stretched out in a thin line, first the speedy, unburdened dogs and then the travois dogs headed by the old Eskimowith his precious freight. The youthful Gall was in a travois, a basketmounted on trailing poles and harnessed to the sides of the animal. 

"Hey! hey! they are gaining on him!" a warrior shouted. At this juncturetwo of the canines had almost nabbed their furry prey by the back. Buthe was too cunning for them. He dropped instantly and sent both dogsover his head, rolling and spinning, then made another flight at rightangles to the first. This gave the Eskimo a chance to cut the triangle. He gained fifty yards, but being heavily handicapped, two unladen dogspassed him. The same trick was repeated by the Jack, and this time hesaved himself from instant death by a double loop and was now runningdirectly toward the crowd, followed by a dozen or more dogs. He waslosing speed, but likewise his pursuers were dropping off steadily. Onlythe sturdy Eskimo dog held to his even gait, and behind him in the frailtravois leaned forward the little Matohinshda, nude save a breech clout, his left hand holding fast the convenient tail of his dog, the rightgrasping firmly one of the poles of the travois. His black eyes werebulging almost out of their sockets; his long hair flowed out behindlike a stream of dark water. 

The Jack now ran directly toward the howling spectators, but hismarvelous speed and alertness were on the wane; while on the other handhis foremost pursuer, who had taken part in hundreds of similar events, had every confidence in his own endurance. Each leap brought him nearer, fiercer and more determined. The last effort of the Jack was to losehimself in the crowd, like a fish in muddy water; but the big dog madethe one needed leap with unerring aim and his teeth flashed as he caughtthe rabbit in viselike jaws and held him limp in air, a victor!

The people rushed up to him as he laid the victim down, and foremostamong them was the frantic mother of Matohinshda, or Gall. "Michinkshe!michinkshe!" (My son! my son!) she screamed as she drew near. The boyseemed to be none the worse for his experience. "Mother!" he cried, "mydog is brave: he got the rabbit!" She snatched him off the travois, but he struggled out of her arms to look upon his dog lovingly andadmiringly. Old men and boys crowded about the hero of the day, the dog, and the thoughtful grandmother of Matohinshda unharnessed him and pouredsome water from a parfleche water bag into a basin. "Here, my grandson, give your friend something to drink. "

"How, hechetu, " pronounced an old warrior no longer in active service. "This may be only an accident, an ordinary affair; but such thingssometimes indicate a career. The boy has had a wonderful ride. Iprophesy that he will one day hold the attention of all the people withhis doings. "

This is the first remembered story of the famous chief, but other boyishexploits foretold the man he was destined to be. He fought many shambattles, some successful and others not; but he was always a fiercefighter and a good loser. 

Once he was engaged in a battle with snowballs. There were probablynearly a hundred boys on each side, and the rule was that every fair hitmade the receiver officially dead. He must not participate further, butmust remain just where he was struck. 

Gall's side was fast losing, and the battle was growing hotter everyminute when the youthful warrior worked toward an old water hole andtook up his position there. His side was soon annihilated and there wereeleven men left to fight him. He was pressed close in the wash-out, andas he dodged under cover before a volley of snowballs, there suddenlyemerged in his stead a huge gray wolf. His opponents fled in everydirection in superstitious terror, for they thought he had beentransformed into the animal. To their astonishment he came out on thefarther side and ran to the line of safety, a winner!

It happened that the wolf's den had been partly covered with snow sothat no one had noticed it until the yells of the boys aroused theinmate, and he beat a hasty retreat. The boys always looked upon thisincident as an omen. 

Gall had an amiable disposition but was quick to resent insult orinjustice. This sometimes involved him in difficulties, but he seldomfought without good cause and was popular with his associates. One ofhis characteristics was his ability to organize, and this was a largefactor in his leadership when he became a man. He was tried in manyways, and never was known to hesitate when it was a question of physicalcourage and endurance. He entered the public service early in life, butnot until he had proved himself competent and passed all tests. 

When a mere boy, he was once scouting for game in midwinter, far fromcamp, and was overtaken by a three days' blizzard. He was forced toabandon his horse and lie under the snow for that length of time. He afterward said he was not particularly hungry; it was thirst andstiffness from which he suffered most. One reason the Indian so lovedhis horse or dog was that at such times the animal would stay by himlike a brother. On this occasion Gall's pony was not more than a stone'sthrow away when the storm subsided and the sun shone. There was aherd of buffalo in plain sight, and the young hunter was not long inprocuring a meal. 

This chief's contemporaries still recall his wrestling match with theequally powerful Cheyenne boy, Roman Nose, who afterward became a chiefwell known to American history. It was a custom of the northwesternIndians, when two friendly tribes camped together, to establish thephysical and athletic supremacy of the youth of the respective camps. 

The "Che-hoo-hoo" is a wrestling game in which there may be any numberon a side, but the numbers are equal. All the boys of each camp arecalled together by a leader chosen for the purpose and draw themselvesup in line of battle; then each at a given signal attacks his opponent. 

In this memorable contest, Matohinshda, or Gall, was placed oppositeRoman Nose. The whole people turned out as spectators of the struggle, and the battlefield was a plateau between the two camps, in the midstof picturesque Bad Lands. There were many athletic youths present, butthese two were really the Apollos of the two tribes. 

In this kind of sport it is not allowed to strike with the hand, norcatch around the neck, nor kick, nor pull by the hair. One may breakaway and run a few yards to get a fresh start, or clinch, or catch ascatch can. When a boy is thrown and held to the ground, he is countedout. If a boy has met his superior, he may drop to the ground to escaperough handling, but it is very seldom one gives up without a full trialof strength. 

It seemed almost like a real battle, so great was the enthusiasm, as theshouts of sympathizers on both sides went up in a mighty chorus. At lastall were either conquerors or subdued except Gall and Roman Nose. Thepair seemed equally matched. Both were stripped to the breech clout, nowtugging like two young buffalo or elk in mating time, again writhing andtwisting like serpents. At times they fought like two wild stallions, straining every muscle of arms, legs, and back in the struggle. Everynow and then one was lifted off his feet for a moment, but came downplanted like a tree, and after swaying to and fro soon became rigidagain. 

All eyes were upon the champions. Finally, either by trick or mainforce, Gall laid the other sprawling upon the ground and held him fastfor a minute, then released him and stood erect, panting, a masteryouth. Shout after shout went up on the Sioux side of the camp. Themother of Roman Nose came forward and threw a superbly worked buffalorobe over Gall, whose mother returned the compliment by covering theyoung Cheyenne with a handsome blanket. 

Undoubtedly these early contests had their influence upon our hero'scareer. It was his habit to appear most opportunely in a crisis, andin a striking and dramatic manner to take command of the situation. Thebest known example of this is his entrance on the scene of confusionwhen Reno surprised the Sioux on the Little Big Horn. Many of theexcitable youths, almost unarmed, rushed madly and blindly to meet theintruder, and the scene might have unnerved even an experienced warrior. It was Gall, with not a garment upon his superb body, who on his blackcharger dashed ahead of the boys and faced them. He stopped them on thedry creek, while the bullets of Reno's men whistled about their ears. 

"Hold hard, men! Steady, we are not ready yet! Wait for more guns, morehorses, and the day is yours!"

They obeyed, and in a few minutes the signal to charge was given, andReno retreated pell mell before the onset of the Sioux. 

Sitting Bull had confidence in his men so long as Gall planned anddirected the attack, whether against United States soldiers or thewarriors of another tribe. He was a strategist, and able in a twinklingto note and seize upon an advantage. He was really the mainstay ofSitting Bull's effective last stand. He consistently upheld his people'sright to their buffalo plains and believed that they should hold thegovernment strictly to its agreements with them. When the treaty of 1868was disregarded, he agreed with Sitting Bull in defending the last oftheir once vast domain, and after the Custer battle entered Canadawith his chief. They hoped to bring their lost cause before the Englishgovernment and were much disappointed when they were asked to return tothe United States. 

Gall finally reported at Fort Peck, Montana, in 1881, and brought halfof the Hunkpapa band with him, whereupon he was soon followed by SittingBull himself. Although they had been promised by the United Statescommission who went to Canada to treat with them that they would not bepunished if they returned, no sooner had Gall come down than a part ofhis people were attacked, and in the spring they were all brought toFort Randall and held as military prisoners. From this point they werereturned to Standing Rock agency. 

When "Buffalo Bill" successfully launched his first show, he made everyeffort to secure both Sitting Bull and Gall for his leading attractions. The military was in complete accord with him in this, for they still hadgrave suspicions of these two leaders. While Sitting Bull reluctantlyagreed, Gall haughtily said: "I am not an animal to be exhibited beforethe crowd, " and retired to his teepee. His spirit was much worn, and helost strength from that time on. That superb manhood dwindled, and ina few years he died. He was a real hero of a free and natural people, atype that is never to be seen again. 

CRAZY HORSE

Crazy Horse was born on the Republican River about 1845. He waskilled at Fort Robinson, Nebraska, in 1877, so that he lived barelythirty-three years. 

He was an uncommonly handsome man. While not the equal of Gall inmagnificence and imposing stature, he was physically perfect, an Apolloin symmetry. Furthermore he was a true type of Indian refinement andgrace. He was modest and courteous as Chief Joseph; the difference isthat he was a born warrior, while Joseph was not. However, he was agentle warrior, a true brave, who stood for the highest ideal of theSioux. Notwithstanding all that biased historians have said of him, itis only fair to judge a man by the estimate of his own people ratherthan that of his enemies. 

The boyhood of Crazy Horse was passed in the days when the westernSioux saw a white man but seldom, and then it was usually a trader or asoldier. He was carefully brought up according to the tribal customs. Atthat period the Sioux prided themselves on the training and developmentof their sons and daughters, and not a step in that development wasoverlooked as an excuse to bring the child before the public by givinga feast in its honor. At such times the parents often gave so generouslyto the needy that they almost impoverished themselves, thus setting anexample to the child of self-denial for the general good. His firststep alone, the first word spoken, first game killed, the attainment ofmanhood or womanhood, each was the occasion of a feast and dance inhis honor, at which the poor always benefited to the full extent of theparents' ability. 

Big-heartedness, generosity, courage, and self-denial are thequalifications of a public servant, and the average Indian was keento follow this ideal. As every one knows, these characteristic traitsbecome a weakness when he enters a life founded upon commerce and gain. Under such conditions the life of Crazy Horse began. His mother, likeother mothers, tender and watchful of her boy, would never once place anobstacle in the way of his father's severe physical training. They laidthe spiritual and patriotic foundations of his education in such a waythat he early became conscious of the demands of public service. 

He was perhaps four or five years old when the band was snowed inone severe winter. They were very short of food, but his father wasa tireless hunter. The buffalo, their main dependence, were not tobe found, but he was out in the storm and cold every day and finallybrought in two antelopes. The little boy got on his pet pony and rodethrough the camp, telling the old folks to come to his mother'steepee for meat. It turned out that neither his father nor mother hadauthorized him to do this. Before they knew it, old men and women werelined up before the teepee home, ready to receive the meat, in answer tohis invitation. As a result, the mother had to distribute nearly all ofit, keeping only enough for two meals. 

On the following day the child asked for food. His mother told him thatthe old folks had taken it all, and added: "Remember, my son, they wenthome singing praises in your name, not my name or your father's. Youmust be brave. You must live up to your reputation. "

Crazy Horse loved horses, and his father gave him a pony of his own whenhe was very young. He became a fine horseman and accompanied his fatheron buffalo hunts, holding the pack horses while the men chased thebuffalo and thus gradually learning the art. In those days the Sioux hadbut few guns, and the hunting was mostly done with bow and arrows. 

Another story told of his boyhood is that when he was about twelve hewent to look for the ponies with his little brother, whom he loved much, and took a great deal of pains to teach what he had already learned. They came to some wild cherry trees full of ripe fruit, and while theywere enjoying it, the brothers were startled by the growl and suddenrush of a bear. Young Crazy Horse pushed his brother up into the nearesttree and himself sprang upon the back of one of the horses, which wasfrightened and ran some distance before he could control him. As soonas he could, however, he turned him about and came back, yelling andswinging his lariat over his head. The bear at first showed fight butfinally turned and ran. The old man who told me this story added thatyoung as he was, he had some power, so that even a grizzly did notcare to tackle him. I believe it is a fact that a silver-tip will dareanything except a bell or a lasso line, so that accidentally the boy hadhit upon the very thing which would drive him off. 

It was usual for Sioux boys of his day to wait in the field after abuffalo hunt until sundown, when the young calves would come out in theopen, hungrily seeking their mothers. Then these wild children wouldenjoy a mimic hunt, and lasso the calves or drive them into camp. CrazyHorse was found to be a determined little fellow, and it was settledone day among the larger boys that they would "stump" him to ride agood-sized bull calf. He rode the calf, and stayed on its back while itran bawling over the hills, followed by the other boys on their ponies, until his strange mount stood trembling and exhausted. 

At the age of sixteen he joined a war party against the Gros Ventres. Hewas well in the front of the charge, and at once established his braveryby following closely one of the foremost Sioux warriors, by the name ofHump, drawing the enemy's fire and circling around their advance guard. Suddenly Hump's horse was shot from under him, and there was a rushof warriors to kill or capture him while down. But amidst a shower ofarrows the youth leaped from his pony, helped his friend into his ownsaddle, sprang up behind him, and carried him off in safety, althoughthey were hotly pursued by the enemy. Thus he associated himself in hismaiden battle with the wizard of Indian warfare, and Hump, who wasthen at the height of his own career, pronounced Crazy Horse the comingwarrior of the Teton Sioux. 

At this period of his life, as was customary with the best young men, hespent much time in prayer and solitude. Just what happened in these daysof his fasting in the wilderness and upon the crown of bald buttes, no one will ever know; for these things may only be known when one haslived through the battles of life to an honored old age. He was muchsought after by his youthful associates, but was noticeably reserved andmodest; yet in the moment of danger he at once rose above them all--anatural leader! Crazy Horse was a typical Sioux brave, and from thepoint of view of our race an ideal hero, living at the height of theepical progress of the American Indian and maintaining in his owncharacter all that was most subtle and ennobling of their spirituallife, and that has since been lost in the contact with a materialcivilization. 

He loved Hump, that peerless warrior, and the two became close friends, in spite of the difference in age. Men called them "the grizzly and hiscub. " Again and again the pair saved the day for the Sioux in a skirmishwith some neighboring tribe. But one day they undertook a losing battleagainst the Snakes. The Sioux were in full retreat and were fastbeing overwhelmed by superior numbers. The old warrior fell in a lastdesperate charge; but Crazy Horse and his younger brother, thoughdismounted, killed two of the enemy and thus made good their retreat. 

It was observed of him that when he pursued the enemy into theirstronghold, as he was wont to do, he often refrained from killing, andsimply struck them with a switch, showing that he did not fear theirweapons nor care to waste his upon them. In attempting this very feat, he lost this only brother of his, who emulated him closely. A party ofyoung warriors, led by Crazy Horse, had dashed upon a frontier post, killed one of the sentinels, stampeded the horses, and pursued theherder to the very gate of the stockade, thus drawing upon themselvesthe fire of the garrison. The leader escaped without a scratch, but hisyoung brother was brought down from his horse and killed. 

While he was still under twenty, there was a great winter buffalohunt, and he came back with ten buffaloes' tongues which he sent to thecouncil lodge for the councilors' feast. He had in one winter day killedten buffalo cows with his bow and arrows, and the unsuccessful huntersor those who had no swift ponies were made happy by his generosity. Whenthe hunters returned, these came chanting songs of thanks. He knew thathis father was an expert hunter and had a good horse, so he took no meathome, putting in practice the spirit of his early teaching. 

He attained his majority at the crisis of the difficulties between theUnited States and the Sioux. Even before that time, Crazy Horse hadalready proved his worth to his people in Indian warfare. He had riskedhis life again and again, and in some instances it was considered almosta miracle that he had saved others as well as himself. He was no oratornor was he the son of a chief. His success and influence was purely amatter of personality. He had never fought the whites up to this time, and indeed no "coup" was counted for killing or scalping a white man. 

Young Crazy Horse was twenty-one years old when all the Teton Siouxchiefs (the western or plains dwellers) met in council to determine upontheir future policy toward the invader. Their former agreements had beenby individual bands, each for itself, and every one was friendly. Theyreasoned that the country was wide, and that the white traders should bemade welcome. Up to this time they had anticipated no conflict. Theyhad permitted the Oregon Trail, but now to their astonishment forts werebuilt and garrisoned in their territory. 

Most of the chiefs advocated a strong resistance. There were a fewinfluential men who desired still to live in peace, and who were willingto make another treaty. Among these were White Bull, Two Kettle, FourBears, and Swift Bear. Even Spotted Tail, afterward the great peacechief, was at this time with the majority, who decided in the year 1866to defend their rights and territory by force. Attacks were to be madeupon the forts within their country and on every trespasser on the same. 

Crazy Horse took no part in the discussion, but he and all the youngwarriors were in accord with the decision of the council. Although soyoung, he was already a leader among them. Other prominent young braveswere Sword (brother of the man of that name who was long captain ofpolice at Pine Ridge), the younger Hump, Charging Bear, Spotted Elk, Crow King, No Water, Big Road, He Dog, the nephew of Red Cloud, andTouch-the-Cloud, intimate friend of Crazy Horse. 

The attack on Fort Phil Kearny was the first fruits of the new policy, and here Crazy Horse was chosen to lead the attack on the woodchoppers, designed to draw the soldiers out of the fort, while an army of sixhundred lay in wait for them. The success of this stratagem was furtherenhanced by his masterful handling of his men. From this time on ageneral war was inaugurated; Sitting Bull looked to him as a principalwar leader, and even the Cheyenne chiefs, allies of the Sioux, practically acknowledged his leadership. Yet during the following tenyears of defensive war he was never known to make a speech, though histeepee was the rendezvous of the young men. He was depended upon to putinto action the decisions of the council, and was frequently consultedby the older chiefs. 

Like Osceola, he rose suddenly; like Tecumseh he was always impatientfor battle; like Pontiac, he fought on while his allies were suing forpeace, and like Grant, the silent soldier, he was a man of deeds andnot of words. He won from Custer and Fetterman and Crook. He won everybattle that he undertook, with the exception of one or two occasionswhen he was surprised in the midst of his women and children, andeven then he managed to extricate himself in safety from a difficultposition. 

Early in the year 1876, his runners brought word from Sitting Bullthat all the roving bands would converge upon the upper Tongue River inMontana for summer feasts and conferences. There was conflicting newsfrom the reservation. It was rumored that the army would fight the Siouxto a finish; again, it was said that another commission would be sentout to treat with them. 

The Indians came together early in June, and formed a series ofencampments stretching out from three to four miles, each band keepingseparate camp. On June 17, scouts came in and reported the advance of alarge body of troops under General Crook. The council sent Crazy Horsewith seven hundred men to meet and attack him. These were nearly allyoung men, many of them under twenty, the flower of the hostile Sioux. They set out at night so as to steal a march upon the enemy, but withinthree or four miles of his camp they came unexpectedly upon some of hisCrow scouts. There was a hurried exchange of shots; the Crows fled backto Crook's camp, pursued by the Sioux. The soldiers had their warning, and it was impossible to enter the well-protected camp. Again and againCrazy Horse charged with his bravest men, in the attempt to bring thetroops into the open, but he succeeded only in drawing their fire. Toward afternoon he withdrew, and returned to camp disappointed. Hisscouts remained to watch Crook's movements, and later brought wordthat he had retreated to Goose Creek and seemed to have no furtherdisposition to disturb the Sioux. It is well known to us that it isCrook rather than Reno who is to be blamed for cowardice in connectionwith Custer's fate. The latter had no chance to do anything, he waslucky to save himself; but if Crook had kept on his way, as ordered, to meet Terry, with his one thousand regulars and two hundred Crow andShoshone scouts, he would inevitably have intercepted Custer in hisadvance and saved the day for him, and war with the Sioux would haveended right there. Instead of this, he fell back upon Fort Meade, eatinghis horses on the way, in a country swarming with game, for fear ofCrazy Horse and his braves!

The Indians now crossed the divide between the Tongue and the Little BigHorn, where they felt safe from immediate pursuit. Here, with all theirprecautions, they were caught unawares by General Custer, in the midstof their midday games and festivities, while many were out upon thedaily hunt. 

On this twenty-fifth of June, 1876, the great camp was scattered forthree miles or more along the level river bottom, back of the thin lineof cottonwoods--five circular rows of teepees, ranging from half a mileto a mile and a half in circumference. Here and there stood out a large, white, solitary teepee; these were the lodges or "clubs" of the youngmen. Crazy Horse was a member of the "Strong Hearts" and the "Tokala"or Fox lodge. He was watching a game of ring-toss when the warning camefrom the southern end of the camp of the approach of troops. 

The Sioux and the Cheyennes were "minute men", and although taken bysurprise, they instantly responded. Meanwhile, the women and childrenwere thrown into confusion. Dogs were howling, ponies running hither andthither, pursued by their owners, while many of the old men were singingtheir lodge songs to encourage the warriors, or praising the "strongheart" of Crazy Horse. 

That leader had quickly saddled his favorite war pony and was startingwith his young men for the south end of the camp, when a fresh alarmcame from the opposite direction, and looking up, he saw Custer's forceupon the top of the bluff directly across the river. As quick as aflash, he took in the situation--the enemy had planned to attack thecamp at both ends at once; and knowing that Custer could not ford theriver at that point, he instantly led his men northward to the ford tocut him off. The Cheyennes followed closely. Custer must have seenthat wonderful dash up the sage-bush plain, and one wonders whether herealized its meaning. In a very few minutes, this wild general of theplains had outwitted one of the most brilliant leaders of the Civil Warand ended at once his military career and his life. 

In this dashing charge, Crazy Horse snatched his most famous victory outof what seemed frightful peril, for the Sioux could not know how manywere behind Custer. He was caught in his own trap. To the soldiers itmust have seemed as if the Indians rose up from the earth to overwhelmthem. They closed in from three sides and fought until not a white manwas left alive. Then they went down to Reno's stand and found him sowell intrenched in a deep gully that it was impossible to dislodge him. Gall and his men held him there until the approach of General Terrycompelled the Sioux to break camp and scatter in different directions. 

While Sitting Bull was pursued into Canada, Crazy Horse and theCheyennes wandered about, comparatively undisturbed, during the rest ofthat year, until in the winter the army surprised the Cheyennes, but didnot do them much harm, possibly because they knew that Crazy Horse wasnot far off. His name was held in wholesome respect. From time to time, delegations of friendly Indians were sent to him, to urge him to come into the reservation, promising a full hearing and fair treatment. 

For some time he held out, but the rapid disappearance of the buffalo, their only means of support, probably weighed with him more than anyother influence. In July, 1877, he was finally prevailed upon to come into Fort Robinson, Nebraska, with several thousand Indians, most of themOgallala and Minneconwoju Sioux, on the distinct understanding that thegovernment would hear and adjust their grievances. 

At this juncture General Crook proclaimed Spotted Tail, who had renderedmuch valuable service to the army, head chief of the Sioux, whichwas resented by many. The attention paid Crazy Horse was offensive toSpotted Tail and the Indian scouts, who planned a conspiracy againsthim. They reported to General Crook that the young chief would murderhim at the next council, and stampede the Sioux into another war. He wasurged not to attend the council and did not, but sent another officer torepresent him. Meanwhile the friends of Crazy Horse discovered the plotand told him of it. His reply was, "Only cowards are murderers. "

His wife was critically ill at the time, and he decided to take her toher parents at Spotted Tail agency, whereupon his enemies circulated thestory that he had fled, and a party of scouts was sent after him. Theyovertook him riding with his wife and one other but did not undertake toarrest him, and after he had left the sick woman with her people he wentto call on Captain Lea, the agent for the Brules, accompanied by allthe warriors of the Minneconwoju band. This volunteer escort made animposing appearance on horseback, shouting and singing, and in the wordsof Captain Lea himself and the missionary, the Reverend Mr. Cleveland, the situation was extremely critical. Indeed, the scouts who hadfollowed Crazy Horse from Red Cloud agency were advised not to showthemselves, as some of the warriors had urged that they be taken out andhorsewhipped publicly. 

Under these circumstances Crazy Horse again showed his masterful spiritby holding these young men in check. He said to them in his quietway: "It is well to be brave in the field of battle; it is cowardlyto display bravery against one's own tribesmen. These scouts have beencompelled to do what they did; they are no better than servants of thewhite officers. I came here on a peaceful errand. "

The captain urged him to report at army headquarters to explain himselfand correct false rumors, and on his giving consent, furnished him witha wagon and escort. It has been said that he went back under arrest, butthis is untrue. Indians have boasted that they had a hand in bringinghim in, but their stories are without foundation. He went of his ownaccord, either suspecting no treachery or determined to defy it. 

When he reached the military camp, Little Big Man walked arm-in-arm withhim, and his cousin and friend, Touch-the-Cloud, was just in advance. After they passed the sentinel, an officer approached them and walkedon his other side. He was unarmed but for the knife which is carried forordinary uses by women as well as men. Unsuspectingly he walked towardthe guardhouse, when Touch-the-Cloud suddenly turned back exclaiming:"Cousin, they will put you in prison!"

"Another white man's trick! Let me go! Let me die fighting!" cried CrazyHorse. He stopped and tried to free himself and draw his knife, butboth arms were held fast by Little Big Man and the officer. While hestruggled thus, a soldier thrust him through with his bayonet frombehind. The wound was mortal, and he died in the course of that night, his old father singing the death song over him and afterward carryingaway the body, which they said must not be further polluted by the touchof a white man. They hid it somewhere in the Bad Lands, his restingplace to this day. 

Thus died one of the ablest and truest American Indians. His life wasideal; his record clean. He was never involved in any of the numerousmassacres on the trail, but was a leader in practically every openfight. Such characters as those of Crazy Horse and Chief Joseph are noteasily found among so-called civilized people. The reputation of greatmen is apt to be shadowed by questionable motives and policies, but hereare two pure patriots, as worthy of honor as any who ever breathed God'sair in the wide spaces of a new world. 

SITTING BULL

IT is not easy to characterize Sitting Bull, of all Sioux chiefs mostgenerally known to the American people. There are few to whom his nameis not familiar, and still fewer who have learned to connect it withanything more than the conventional notion of a bloodthirsty savage. Theman was an enigma at best. He was not impulsive, nor was he phlegmatic. He was most serious when he seemed to be jocose. He was gifted with thepower of sarcasm, and few have used it more artfully than he. 

His father was one of the best-known members of the Unkpapa band ofSioux. The manner of this man's death was characteristic. One day, whenthe Unkpapas were attacked by a large war party of Crows, he fell uponthe enemy's war leader with his knife. In a hand-to-hand combat ofthis sort, we count the victor as entitled to a war bonnet of trailingplumes. It means certain death to one or both. In this case, both mendealt a mortal stroke, and Jumping Buffalo, the father of Sitting Bull, fell from his saddle and died in a few minutes. The other died laterfrom the effects of the wound. 

Sitting Bull's boyhood must have been a happy one. It was long after theday of the dog-travaux, and his father owned many ponies of variegatedcolors. It was said of him in a joking way that his legs were bowed likethe ribs of the ponies that he rode constantly from childhood. He hadalso a common nickname that was much to the point. It was "Hunkeshnee", which means "Slow", referring to his inability to run fast, or moreprobably to the fact that he seldom appeared on foot. In their boyishgames he was wont to take the part of the "old man", but this does notmean that he was not active and brave. It is told that after a buffalohunt the boys were enjoying a mimic hunt with the calves that had beenleft behind. A large calf turned viciously on Sitting Bull, whose ponyhad thrown him, but the alert youth got hold of both ears and struggleduntil the calf was pushed back into a buffalo wallow in a sittingposture. The boys shouted: "He has subdued the buffalo calf! He madeit sit down!" And from this incident was derived his familiar name ofSitting Bull. 

It is a mistake to suppose that Sitting Bull, or any other Indianwarrior, was of a murderous disposition. It is true that savage warfarehad grown more and more harsh and cruel since the coming of whitetraders among them, bringing guns, knives, and whisky. Yet it was stillregarded largely as a sort of game, undertaken in order to develop themanly qualities of their youth. It was the degree of risk which broughthonor, rather than the number slain, and a brave must mourn thirty days, with blackened face and loosened hair, for the enemy whose life he hadtaken. While the spoils of war were allowed, this did not extend toterritorial aggrandizement, nor was there any wish to overthrow anothernation and enslave its people. It was a point of honor in the old daysto treat a captive with kindness. The common impression that the Indianis naturally cruel and revengeful is entirely opposed to his philosophyand training. The revengeful tendency of the Indian was aroused by thewhite man. It is not the natural Indian who is mean and tricky; notMassasoit but King Philip; not Attackullakulla but Weatherford; notWabashaw but Little Crow; not Jumping Buffalo but Sitting Bull! Thesemen lifted their hands against the white man, while their fathers heldtheirs out to him with gifts. 

Remember that there were councils which gave their decisions inaccordance with the highest ideal of human justice before there wereany cities on this continent; before there were bridges to span theMississippi; before this network of railroads was dreamed of! There wereprimitive communities upon the very spot where Chicago or New York Citynow stands, where men were as children, innocent of all the crimesnow committed there daily and nightly. True morality is more easilymaintained in connection with the simple life. You must accept the truththat you demoralize any race whom you have subjugated. 

From this point of view we shall consider Sitting Bull's career. We sayhe is an untutored man: that is true so far as learning of a literarytype is concerned; but he was not an untutored man when you view himfrom the standpoint of his nation. To be sure, he did not learn hislessons from books. This is second-hand information at best. All that helearned he verified for himself and put into daily practice. In personalappearance he was rather commonplace and made no immediate impression, but as he talked he seemed to take hold of his hearers more and more. Hewas bull-headed; quick to grasp a situation, and not readily induced tochange his mind. He was not suspicious until he was forced to be so. Allhis meaner traits were inevitably developed by the events of his latercareer. 

Sitting Bull's history has been written many times by newspaper men andarmy officers, but I find no account of him which is entirely correct. I met him personally in 1884, and since his death I have gone thoroughlyinto the details of his life with his relatives and contemporaries. Ithas often been said that he was a physical coward and not a warrior. Judge of this for yourselves from the deed which first gave him fame inhis own tribe, when he was about twenty-eight years old. 

In an attack upon a band of Crow Indians, one of the enemy took hisstand, after the rest had fled, in a deep ditch from which it seemedimpossible to dislodge him. The situation had already cost the lives ofseveral warriors, but they could not let him go to repeat such a boastover the Sioux!

"Follow me!" said Sitting Bull, and charged. He raced his horse to thebrim of the ditch and struck at the enemy with his coup-staff, thuscompelling him to expose himself to the fire of the others whileshooting his assailant. But the Crow merely poked his empty gun into hisface and dodged back under cover. Then Sitting Bull stopped; he saw thatno one had followed him, and he also perceived that the enemy had nomore ammunition left. He rode deliberately up to the barrier and threwhis loaded gun over it; then he went back to his party and told themwhat he thought of them. 

"Now, " said he, "I have armed him, for I will not see a brave man killedunarmed. I will strike him again with my coup-staff to count the firstfeather; who will count the second?"

Again he led the charge, and this time they all followed him. SittingBull was severely wounded by his own gun in the hands of the enemy, whowas killed by those that came after him. This is a record that so far asI know was never made by any other warrior. 

The second incident that made him well known was his taking of a boycaptive in battle with the Assiniboines. He saved this boy's life andadopted him as his brother. Hohay, as he was called, was devoted toSitting Bull and helped much in later years to spread his fame. SittingBull was a born diplomat, a ready speaker, and in middle life he ceasedto go upon the warpath, to become the councilor of his people. From thistime on, this man represented him in all important battles, and uponevery brave deed done was wont to exclaim aloud:

"I, Sitting Bull's boy, do this in his name!"

He had a nephew, now living, who resembles him strongly, and who alsorepresented him personally upon the field; and so far as there is anyremnant left of his immediate band, they look upon this man One Bull astheir chief. 

When Sitting Bull was a boy, there was no thought of trouble with thewhites. He was acquainted with many of the early traders, Picotte, Choteau, Primeau, Larpenteur, and others, and liked them, as did mostof his people in those days. All the early records show this friendlyattitude of the Sioux, and the great fur companies for a century and ahalf depended upon them for the bulk of their trade. It was not untilthe middle of the last century that they woke up all of a sudden to thedanger threatening their very existence. Yet at that time many of theold chiefs had been already depraved by the whisky and other vices ofthe whites, and in the vicinity of the forts and trading posts at SiouxCity, Saint Paul, and Cheyenne, there was general demoralization. Thedrunkards and hangers-on were ready to sell almost anything they hadfor the favor of the trader. The better and stronger element held aloof. They would not have anything of the white man except his hatchet, gun, and knife. They utterly refused to cede their lands; and as for therest, they were willing to let him alone as long as he did not interferewith their life and customs, which was not long. 

It was not, however, the Unkpapa band of Sioux, Sitting Bull's band, which first took up arms against the whites; and this was not becausethey had come less in contact with them, for they dwelt on the MissouriRiver, the natural highway of trade. As early as 1854, the Ogallalasand Brules had trouble with the soldiers near Fort Laramie; and againin 1857 Inkpaduta massacred several families of settlers at Spirit Lake, Iowa. Finally, in 1869, the Minnesota Sioux, goaded by many wrongs, arose and murdered many of the settlers, afterward fleeing into thecountry of the Unkpapas and appealing to them for help, urging thatall Indians should make common cause against the invader. This broughtSitting Bull face to face with a question which was not yet fullymatured in his own mind; but having satisfied himself of the justice oftheir cause, he joined forces with the renegades during the summer of1863, and from this time on he was an acknowledged leader. 

In 1865 and 1866 he met the Canadian half-breed, Louis Riel, instigatorof two rebellions, who had come across the line for safety; and in factat this time he harbored a number of outlaws and fugitives from justice. His conversations with these, especially with the French mixed-bloods, who inflamed his prejudices against the Americans, all had theirinfluence in making of the wily Sioux a determined enemy to the whiteman. While among his own people he was always affable and genial, hebecame boastful and domineering in his dealings with the hated race. He once remarked that "if we wish to make any impression upon thepale-face, it is necessary to put on his mask. "

Sitting Bull joined in the attack on Fort Phil Kearny and in thesubsequent hostilities; but he accepted in good faith the treaty of1868, and soon after it was signed he visited Washington with Red Cloudand Spotted Tail, on which occasion the three distinguished chiefsattracted much attention and were entertained at dinner by PresidentGrant and other notables. He considered that the life of the white manas he saw it was no life for his people, but hoped by close adherenceto the terms of this treaty to preserve the Big Horn and Black Hillscountry for a permanent hunting ground. When gold was discovered and theirrepressible gold seekers made their historic dash across the plainsinto this forbidden paradise, then his faith in the white man's honorwas gone forever, and he took his final and most persistent standin defense of his nation and home. His bitter and at the same timewell-grounded and philosophical dislike of the conquering race is wellexpressed in a speech made before the purely Indian council beforereferred to, upon the Powder River. I will give it in brief as it hasbeen several times repeated to me by men who were present. 

"Behold, my friends, the spring is come; the earth has gladly receivedthe embraces of the sun, and we shall soon see the results of theirlove! Every seed is awakened, and all animal life. It is through thismysterious power that we too have our being, and we therefore yield toour neighbors, even to our animal neighbors, the same right as ourselvesto inhabit this vast land. 

"Yet hear me, friends! we have now to deal with another people, smalland feeble when our forefathers first met with them, but now great andoverbearing. Strangely enough, they have a mind to till the soil, andthe love of possessions is a disease in them. These people have mademany rules that the rich may break, but the poor may not! They have areligion in which the poor worship, but the rich will not! They eventake tithes of the poor and weak to support the rich and those who rule. They claim this mother of ours, the Earth, for their own use, and fencetheir neighbors away from her, and deface her with their buildings andtheir refuse. They compel her to produce out of season, and when sterileshe is made to take medicine in order to produce again. All this issacrilege. 

"This nation is like a spring freshet; it overruns its banks anddestroys all who are in its path. We cannot dwell side by side. Onlyseven years ago we made a treaty by which we were assured that thebuffalo country should be left to us forever. Now they threaten to takethat from us also. My brothers, shall we submit? or shall we say tothem: 'First kill me, before you can take possession of my fatherland!'"

As Sitting Bull spoke, so he felt, and he had the courage to standby his words. Crazy Horse led his forces in the field; as for him, heapplied his energies to state affairs, and by his strong and aggressivepersonality contributed much to holding the hostiles together. 

It may be said without fear of contradiction that Sitting Bull neverkilled any women or children. He was a fair fighter, and while notprominent in battle after his young manhood, he was the brains of theSioux resistance. He has been called a "medicine man" and a "dreamer. "Strictly speaking, he was neither of these, and the white historiansare prone to confuse the two. A medicine man is a doctor or healer; adreamer is an active war prophet who leads his war party according tohis dream or prophecy. What is called by whites "making medicine" in wartime is again a wrong conception. Every warrior carries a bag of sacredor lucky charms, supposed to protect the wearer alone, but it hasnothing to do with the success or safety of the party as a whole. No onecan make any "medicine" to affect the result of a battle, although ithas been said that Sitting Bull did this at the battle of the Little BigHorn. 

When Custer and Reno attacked the camp at both ends, the chief wascaught napping. The village was in danger of surprise, and the women andchildren must be placed in safety. Like other men of his age, SittingBull got his family together for flight, and then joined the warriorson the Reno side of the attack. Thus he was not in the famous chargeagainst Custer; nevertheless, his voice was heard exhorting the warriorsthroughout that day. 

During the autumn of 1876, after the fall of Custer, Sitting Bull washunted all through the Yellowstone region by the military. Thefollowing characteristic letter, doubtless written at his dictation bya half-breed interpreter, was sent to Colonel Otis immediately after adaring attack upon his wagon train. 

 "I want to know what you are doing, traveling on this road. You scare all the buffalo away. I want to hunt in this place. I want you to turn back from here. If you don't, I will fight you again. I want you to leave what you have got here and turn back from here. 

 "I am your friend

 "Sitting Bull. "

 "I need all the rations you have got and some powder. Wish you would write me as soon as you can. "

Otis, however, kept on and joined Colonel Miles, who followed SittingBull with about four hundred soldiers. He overtook him at last on CedarCreek, near the Yellowstone, and the two met midway between the linesfor a parley. The army report says: "Sitting Bull wanted peace inhis own way. " The truth was that he wanted nothing more than had beenguaranteed to them by the treaty of 1868--the exclusive possession oftheir last hunting ground. This the government was not now prepared togrant, as it had been decided to place all the Indians under militarycontrol upon the various reservations. 

Since it was impossible to reconcile two such conflicting demands, thehostiles were driven about from pillar to post for several more years, and finally took refuge across the line in Canada, where Sitting Bullhad placed his last hope of justice and freedom for his race. Herehe was joined from time to time by parties of malcontents from thereservation, driven largely by starvation and ill-treatment toseek another home. Here, too, they were followed by United Statescommissioners, headed by General Terry, who endeavored to persuade himto return, promising abundance of food and fair treatment, despite thefact that the exiles were well aware of the miserable condition of the"good Indians" upon the reservations. He first refused to meet them atall, and only did so when advised to that effect by Major Walsh of theCanadian mounted police. This was his characteristic remark: "If youhave one honest man in Washington, send him here and I will talk tohim. "

Sitting Bull was not moved by fair words; but when he found that ifthey had liberty on that side, they had little else, that the Canadiangovernment would give them protection but no food; that the buffalo hadbeen all but exterminated and his starving people were already beginningto desert him, he was compelled at last, in 1881, to report at FortBuford, North Dakota, with his band of hungry, homeless, and discouragedrefugees. It was, after all, to hunger and not to the strong arm of themilitary that he surrendered in the end. 

In spite of the invitation that had been extended to him in the nameof the "Great Father" at Washington, he was immediately thrown into amilitary prison, and afterward handed over to Colonel Cody ("BuffaloBill") as an advertisement for his "Wild West Show. " After travelingabout for several years with the famous showman, thus increasing hisknowledge of the weaknesses as well as the strength of the white man, the deposed and humiliated chief settled down quietly with his peopleupon the Standing Rock agency in North Dakota, where his immediate bandoccupied the Grand River district and set to raising cattle andhorses. They made good progress; much better, in fact, than that of the"coffee-coolers" or "loafer" Indians, received the missionaries kindlyand were soon a church-going people. 

When the Commissions of 1888 and 1889 came to treat with the Sioux fora further cession of land and a reduction of their reservations, nearlyall were opposed to consent on any terms. Nevertheless, by hook or bycrook, enough signatures were finally obtained to carry the measurethrough, although it is said that many were those of women and theso-called "squaw-men", who had no rights in the land. At the sametime, rations were cut down, and there was general hardship anddissatisfaction. Crazy Horse was long since dead; Spotted Tail hadfallen at the hands of one of his own tribe; Red Cloud had become afeeble old man, and the disaffected among the Sioux began once more tolook to Sitting Bull for leadership. 

At this crisis a strange thing happened. A half-breed Indian in Nevadapromulgated the news that the Messiah had appeared to him upon a peak inthe Rockies, dressed in rabbit skins, and bringing a message to the redrace. The message was to the effect that since his first coming had beenin vain, since the white people had doubted and reviled him, had nailedhim to the cross, and trampled upon his doctrines, he had come again inpity to save the Indian. He declared that he would cause the earth toshake and to overthrow the cities of the whites and destroy them, thatthe buffalo would return, and the land belong to the red race forever!These events were to come to pass within two years; and meanwhile theywere to prepare for his coming by the ceremonies and dances which hecommanded. 

This curious story spread like wildfire and met with eager acceptanceamong the suffering and discontented people. The teachings of Christianmissionaries had prepared them to believe in a Messiah, and theprescribed ceremonial was much more in accord with their traditions thanthe conventional worship of the churches. Chiefs of many tribes sentdelegations to the Indian prophet; Short Bull, Kicking Bear, and otherswent from among the Sioux, and on their return all inaugurated thedances at once. There was an attempt at first to keep the matter secret, but it soon became generally known and seriously disconcerted the Indianagents and others, who were quick to suspect a hostile conspiracy underall this religious enthusiasm. As a matter of fact, there was no thoughtof an uprising; the dancing was innocent enough, and pathetic enoughtheir despairing hope in a pitiful Saviour who should overwhelm theiroppressors and bring back their golden age. 

When the Indians refused to give up the "Ghost Dance" at the bidding ofthe authorities, the growing suspicion and alarm focused upon SittingBull, who in spirit had never been any too submissive, and it wasdetermined to order his arrest. At the special request of MajorMcLaughlin, agent at Standing Rock, forty of his Indian police were sentout to Sitting Bull's home on Grand River to secure his person(followed at some little distance by a body of United States troops forreinforcement, in case of trouble). These police are enlisted fromamong the tribesmen at each agency, and have proved uniformly brave andfaithful. They entered the cabin at daybreak, aroused the chief froma sound slumber, helped him to dress, and led him unresisting from thehouse; but when he came out in the gray dawn of that December morning in1890, to find his cabin surrounded by armed men and himself led away tohe knew not what fate, he cried out loudly:

"They have taken me: what say you to it?"

Men poured out of the neighboring houses, and in a few minutes thepolice were themselves surrounded with an excited and rapidly increasingthrong. They harangued the crowd in vain; Sitting Bull's blood was up, and he again appealed to his men. His adopted brother, the Assiniboinecaptive whose life he had saved so many years before, was the first tofire. His shot killed Lieutenant Bull Head, who held Sitting Bull by thearm. Then there was a short but sharp conflict, in which Sitting Bulland six of his defenders and six of the Indian police were slain, withmany more wounded. The chief's young son, Crow Foot, and his devoted"brother" died with him. When all was over, and the terrified people hadfled precipitately across the river, the soldiers appeared upon the browof the long hill and fired their Hotchkiss guns into the deserted camp. 

Thus ended the life of a natural strategist of no mean courage andability. The great chief was buried without honors outside the cemeteryat the post, and for some years the grave was marked by a mere board atits head. Recently some women have built a cairn of rocks there in tokenof respect and remembrance. 

RAIN-IN-THE-FACE

The noted Sioux warrior, Rain-in-the-Face, whose name once carriedterror to every part of the frontier, died at his home on the StandingRock reserve in North Dakota on September 14, 1905. About two monthsbefore his death I went to see him for the last time, where he lay uponthe bed of sickness from which he never rose again, and drew from himhis life-history. 

It had been my experience that you cannot induce an Indian to tell astory, or even his own name, by asking him directly. 

"Friend, " I said, "even if a man is on a hot trail, he stops for asmoke! In the good old days, before the charge there was a smoke. Athome, by the fireside, when the old men were asked to tell their bravedeeds, again the pipe was passed. So come, let us smoke now to thememory of the old days!"

He took of my tobacco and filled his long pipe, and we smoked. Then Itold an old mirthful story to get him in the humor of relating his ownhistory. 

The old man lay upon an iron bedstead, covered by a red blanket, in acorner of the little log cabin. He was all alone that day; only an olddog lay silent and watchful at his master's feet. 

Finally he looked up and said with a pleasant smile:

"True, friend; it is the old custom to retrace one's trail beforeleaving it forever! I know that I am at the door of the spirit home. 

"I was born near the forks of the Cheyenne River, about seventy yearsago. My father was not a chief; my grandfather was not a chief, buta good hunter and a feast-maker. On my mother's side I had some notedancestors, but they left me no chieftainship. I had to work for myreputation. 

"When I was a boy, I loved to fight, " he continued. "In all our boyishgames I had the name of being hard to handle, and I took much pride inthe fact. 

"I was about ten years old when we encountered a band of Cheyennes. They were on friendly terms with us, but we boys always indulged in shamfights on such occasions, and this time I got in an honest fight with aCheyenne boy older than I. I got the best of the boy, but he hit me hardin the face several times, and my face was all spattered with blood andstreaked where the paint had been washed away. The Sioux boys whoopedand yelled:

"'His enemy is down, and his face is spattered as if with rain!Rain-in-the-Face! His name shall be Rain-in-the-Face!'

"Afterwards, when I was a young man, we went on a warpath against theGros Ventres. We stole some of their horses, but were overtaken and hadto abandon the horses and fight for our lives. I had wished my face torepresent the sun when partly covered with darkness, so I painted ithalf black, half red. We fought all day in the rain, and my face waspartly washed and streaked with red and black: so again I was christenedRain-in-the-Face. We considered it an honorable name. 

"I had been on many warpaths, but was not especially successful untilabout the time the Sioux began to fight with the white man. One of themost daring attacks that we ever made was at Fort Totten, North Dakota, in the summer of 1866. 

"Hohay, the Assiniboine captive of Sitting Bull, was the leader in thisraid. Wapaypay, the Fearless Bear, who was afterward hanged at Yankton, was the bravest man among us. He dared Hohay to make the charge. Hohayaccepted the challenge, and in turn dared the other to ride with himthrough the agency and right under the walls of the fort, which was wellgarrisoned and strong. 

"Wapaypay and I in those days called each other 'brother-friend. ' It wasa life-and-death vow. What one does the other must do; and that meantthat I must be in the forefront of the charge, and if he is killed, Imust fight until I die also!

"I prepared for death. I painted as usual like an eclipse of the sun, half black and half red. "

His eyes gleamed and his face lighted up remarkably as he talked, pushing his black hair back from his forehead with a nervous gesture. 

"Now the signal for the charge was given! I started even with Wapaypay, but his horse was faster than mine, so he left me a little behind as weneared the fort. This was bad for me, for by that time the soldiers hadsomewhat recovered from the surprise and were aiming better. 

"Their big gun talked very loud, but my Wapaypay was leading on, leaningforward on his fleet pony like a flying squirrel on a smooth log! Heheld his rawhide shield on the right side, a little to the front, andso did I. Our warwhoop was like the coyotes singing in the evening, whenthey smell blood!

"The soldiers' guns talked fast, but few were hurt. Their big gun waslike a toothless old dog, who only makes himself hotter the more noisehe makes, " he remarked with some humor. 

"How much harm we did I do not know, but we made things lively for atime; and the white men acted as people do when a swarm of angry beesget into camp. We made a successful retreat, but some of the reservationIndians followed us yelling, until Hohay told them that he did not wishto fight with the captives of the white man, for there would be no honorin that. There was blood running down my leg, and I found that both myhorse and I were slightly wounded. 

"Some two years later we attacked a fort west of the Black Hills [FortPhil Kearny, Wyoming]. It was there we killed one hundred soldiers. "[The military reports say eighty men, under the command of CaptainFetterman--not one left alive to tell the tale!] "Nearly every band ofthe Sioux nation was represented in that fight--Red Cloud, SpottedTail, Crazy Horse, Sitting Bull, Big Foot, and all our great chiefs werethere. Of course such men as I were then comparatively unknown. However, there were many noted young warriors, among them Sword, the youngerYoung-Man-Afraid, American Horse [afterward chief], Crow King, andothers. 

"This was the plan decided upon after many councils. The main war partylay in ambush, and a few of the bravest young men were appointed toattack the woodchoppers who were cutting logs to complete the buildingof the fort. We were told not to kill these men, but to chase them intothe fort and retreat slowly, defying the white men; and if the soldiersshould follow, we were to lead them into the ambush. They took our baitexactly as we had hoped! It was a matter of a very few minutes, forevery soldier lay dead in a shorter time than it takes to annihilate asmall herd of buffalo. 

"This attack was hastened because most of the Sioux on the MissouriRiver and eastward had begun to talk of suing for peace. But even thisdid not stop the peace movement. The very next year a treaty was signedat Fort Rice, Dakota Territory, by nearly all the Sioux chiefs, in whichit was agreed on the part of the Great Father in Washington that all thecountry north of the Republican River in Nebraska, including the BlackHills and the Big Horn Mountains, was to be always Sioux country, and nowhite man should intrude upon it without our permission. Even with thisagreement Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse were not satisfied, and theywould not sign. 

"Up to this time I had fought in some important battles, but hadachieved no great deed. I was ambitious to make a name for myself. I joined war parties against the Crows, Mandans, Gros Ventres, andPawnees, and gained some little distinction. 

"It was when the white men found the yellow metal in our country, andcame in great numbers, driving away our game, that we took up armsagainst them for the last time. I must say here that the chiefs who wereloudest for war were among the first to submit and accept reservationlife. Spotted Tail was a great warrior, yet he was one of the first toyield, because he was promised by the Chief Soldiers that they wouldmake him chief of all the Sioux. Ugh! he would have stayed with SittingBull to the last had it not been for his ambition. 

"About this time we young warriors began to watch the trails of thewhite men into the Black Hills, and when we saw a wagon coming we wouldhide at the crossing and kill them all without much trouble. We didthis to discourage the whites from coming into our country without ourpermission. It was the duty of our Great Father at Washington, by theagreement of 1868, to keep his white children away. 

"During the troublesome time after this treaty, which no one seemed torespect, either white or Indian [but the whites broke it first], I waslike many other young men--much on the warpath, but with little honor. I had not yet become noted for any great deed. Finally, Wapaypay and Iwaylaid and killed a white soldier on his way from the fort to his homein the east. 

"There were a few Indians who were liars, and never on the warpath, playing 'good Indian' with the Indian agents and the war chiefs at theforts. Some of this faithless set betrayed me, and told more than Iever did. I was seized and taken to the fort near Bismarck, North Dakota[Fort Abraham Lincoln], by a brother [Tom Custer] of the Long-Haired WarChief, and imprisoned there. These same lying Indians, who were sellingtheir services as scouts to the white man, told me that I was to be shotto death, or else hanged upon a tree. I answered that I was not afraidto die. 

"However, there was an old soldier who used to bring my food and standguard over me--he was a white man, it is true, but he had an Indianheart! He came to me one day and unfastened the iron chain and ball withwhich they had locked my leg, saying by signs and what little Sioux hecould muster:

"'Go, friend! take the chain and ball with you. I shall shoot, but thevoice of the gun will lie. '

"When he had made me understand, you may guess that I ran my best! I wasalmost over the bank when he fired his piece at me several times, butI had already gained cover and was safe. I have never told this before, and would not, lest it should do him an injury, but he was an old manthen, and I am sure he must be dead long since. That old soldiertaught me that some of the white people have hearts, " he added, quiteseriously. 

"I went back to Standing Rock in the night, and I had to hide forseveral days in the woods, where food was brought to me by my relatives. The Indian police were ordered to retake me, and they pretended to huntfor me, but really they did not, for if they had found me I would havedied with one or two of them, and they knew it! In a few days I departedwith several others, and we rejoined the hostile camp on the PowderRiver and made some trouble for the men who were building the great irontrack north of us [Northern Pacific]. 

"In the spring the hostile Sioux got together again upon the TongueRiver. It was one of the greatest camps of the Sioux that I ever saw. There were some Northern Cheyennes with us, under Two Moon, and a fewSantee Sioux, renegades from Canada, under Inkpaduta, who had killedwhite people in Iowa long before. We had decided to fight the whitesoldiers until no warrior should be left. "

At this point Rain-in-the-Face took up his tobacco pouch and began againto fill his pipe. 

"Of course the younger warriors were delighted with the prospect ofa great fight! Our scouts had discovered piles of oats for horses andother supplies near the Missouri River. They had been brought by thewhite man's fire-boats. Presently they reported a great army about aday's travel to the south, with Shoshone and Crow scouts. 

"There was excitement among the people, and a great council was held. Many spoke. I was asked the condition of those Indians who had gone uponthe reservation, and I told them truly that they were nothing more thanprisoners. It was decided to go out and meet Three Stars [General Crook]at a safe distance from our camp. 

"We met him on the Little Rosebud. I believe that if we had waitedand allowed him to make the attack, he would have fared no better thanCuster. He was too strongly fortified where he was, and I think, too, that he was saved partly by his Indian allies, for the scouts discoveredus first and fought us first, thus giving him time to make hispreparations. I think he was more wise than brave! After we had leftthat neighborhood he might have pushed on and connected with theLong-Haired Chief. That would have saved Custer and perhaps won the day. 

"When we crossed from Tongue River to the Little Big Horn, on accountof the scarcity of game, we did not anticipate any more trouble. Ourrunners had discovered that Crook had retraced his trail to GooseCreek, and we did not suppose that the white men would care to follow usfarther into the rough country. 

"Suddenly the Long-Haired Chief appeared with his men! It was asurprise. "

"What part of the camp were you in when the soldiers attacked the lowerend?" I asked. 

"I had been invited to a feast at one of the young men's lodges [a sortof club]. There was a certain warrior who was making preparations to goagainst the Crows, and I had decided to go also, " he said. 

"While I was eating my meat we heard the war cry! We all rushed out, and saw a warrior riding at top speed from the lower camp, giving thewarning as he came. Then we heard the reports of the soldiers' guns, which sounded differently from the guns fired by our people in battle. 

"I ran to my teepee and seized my gun, a bow, and a quiver full ofarrows. I already had my stone war club, for you know we usually carrythose by way of ornament. Just as I was about to set out to meet Reno, abody of soldiers appeared nearly opposite us, at the edge of a long lineof cliffs across the river. 

"All of us who were mounted and ready immediately started down thestream toward the ford. There were Ogallalas, Minneconjous, Cheyennes, and some Unkpapas, and those around me seemed to be nearly all veryyoung men. 

"'Behold, there is among us a young woman!' I shouted. 'Let no young manhide behind her garment!' I knew that would make those young men brave. 

"The woman was Tashenamani, or Moving Robe, whose brother had just beenkilled in the fight with Three Stars. Holding her brother's war staffover her head, and leaning forward upon her charger, she looked aspretty as a bird. Always when there is a woman in the charge, it causesthe warriors to vie with one another in displaying their valor, " headded. 

"The foremost warriors had almost surrounded the white men, and morewere continually crossing the stream. The soldiers had dismounted, andwere firing into the camp from the top of the cliff. "

"My friend, was Sitting Bull in this fight?" I inquired. 

"I did not see him there, but I learned afterward that he was amongthose who met Reno, and that was three or four of the white man's milesfrom Custer's position. Later he joined the attack upon Custer, but wasnot among the foremost. 

"When the troops were surrounded on two sides, with the river on thethird, the order came to charge! There were many very young men, some ofwhom had only a war staff or a stone war club in hand, who plunged intothe column, knocking the men over and stampeding their horses. 

"The soldiers had mounted and started back, but when the onset came theydismounted again and separated into several divisions, facing differentways. They fired as fast as they could load their guns, while we usedchiefly arrows and war clubs. There seemed to be two distinct movementsamong the Indians. One body moved continually in a circle, while theother rode directly into and through the troops. 

"Presently some of the soldiers remounted and fled along the ridgetoward Reno's position; but they were followed by our warriors, likehundreds of blackbirds after a hawk. A larger body remained together atthe upper end of a little ravine, and fought bravely until they were cutto pieces. I had always thought that white men were cowards, but I had agreat respect for them after this day. 

"It is generally said that a young man with nothing but a war staff inhis hand broke through the column and knocked down the leader very earlyin the fight. We supposed him to be the leader, because he stood up infull view, swinging his big knife [sword] over his head, and talkingloud. Some one unknown afterwards shot the chief, and he was probablykilled also; for if not, he would have told of the deed, and calledothers to witness it. So it is that no one knows who killed theLong-Haired Chief [General Custer]. 

"After the first rush was over, coups were counted as usual on thebodies of the slain. You know four coups [or blows] can be counted onthe body of an enemy, and whoever counts the first one [touches it forthe first time] is entitled to the 'first feather. '

"There was an Indian here called Appearing Elk, who died a short timeago. He was slightly wounded in the charge. He had some of the weaponsof the Long-Haired Chief, and the Indians used to say jokingly after wecame upon the reservation that Appearing Elk must have killed the Chief, because he had his sword! However, the scramble for plunder did notbegin until all were dead. I do not think he killed Custer, and if hehad, the time to claim the honor was immediately after the fight. 

"Many lies have been told of me. Some say that I killed the Chief, andothers that I cut out the heart of his brother [Tom Custer], because hehad caused me to be imprisoned. Why, in that fight the excitement wasso great that we scarcely recognized our nearest friends! Everything wasdone like lightning. After the battle we young men were chasing horsesall over the prairie, while the old men and women plundered the bodies;and if any mutilating was done, it was by the old men. 

"I have lived peaceably ever since we came upon the reservation. No onecan say that Rain-in-the-Face has broken the rules of the Great Father. I fought for my people and my country. When we were conquered I remainedsilent, as a warrior should. Rain-in-the-Face was killed when he putdown his weapons before the Great Father. His spirit was gone then; onlyhis poor body lived on, but now it is almost ready to lie down for thelast time. Ho, hechetu! [It is well. ]"

TWO STRIKE

It is a pity that so many interesting names of well-known Indians havebeen mistranslated, so that their meaning becomes very vague if it isnot wholly lost. In some cases an opposite meaning is conveyed. Forinstance there is the name, "Young-Man-Afraid-of-His-Horses. " It doesnot mean that the owner of the name is afraid of his own horse--far fromit! Tashunkekokipapi signifies "The young men [of the enemy] fear hishorses. " Whenever that man attacks, the enemy knows there will be adetermined charge. 

The name Tashunkewitko, or Crazy Horse, is a poetic simile. This leaderwas likened to an untrained or untouched horse, wild, ignorant ofdomestic uses, splendid in action, and unconscious of danger. 

The name of Two Strike is a deed name. In a battle with the Utes thisman knocked two enemies from the back of a war horse. The true renderingof the name Nomkahpa would be, "He knocked off two. "

I was well acquainted with Two Strike and spent many pleasant hourswith him, both at Washington, D. C. , and in his home on the Rosebudreservation. 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 forthe truth of the stories. He said that he was born near the RepublicanRiver about 1832. His earliest recollection was of an attack by theShoshones upon their camp on the Little Piney. The first white men heever met were traders who visited his people when he was very young. The incident was still vividly with him, because, he said, "They mademy father crazy, " [drunk]. This made a deep impression upon him, hetold 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 inmotion, as agile as an antelope. His face was mobile and intelligent. Although he had the usual somber visage of an Indian, his expressionbrightened up wonderfully when he talked. In some ways wily and shrewdin intellect, he was not deceitful nor mean. He had a high sense of dutyand honor. Patriotism was his ideal and goal of life. 

As a young man he was modest and even shy, although both his fatherand grandfather were well-known chiefs. I could find few noteworthyincidents in his early life, save that he was an expert rider of wildhorses. At one time I was pressing him to give me some interestingincident of his boyhood. He replied to the effect that there was plentyof excitement but "not much in it. " There was a delegation of Siouxchiefs visiting Washington, and we were spending an evening together intheir hotel. Hollow Horn Bear spoke up and said:

"Why don't you tell him how you and a buffalo cow together held yourpoor father up and froze him almost to death?"

Everybody laughed, and another man remarked: "I think he had better tellthe medicine man (meaning myself) how he lost the power of speech whenhe first tried to court a girl. " Two Strike, although he was then closeto 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, " hemuttered. And then came the story. 

The old chief, his father, was very fond of the buffalo hunt; andbeing accomplished in horsemanship and a fine shot, although not verypowerfully built, young Two Strike was already following hard in hisfootsteps. Like every proud father, his was giving him every incentiveto perfect his skill, and one day challenged his sixteen-year-old son tothe feat of "one arrow to kill" at the very next chase. 

It was midwinter. A large herd of buffalo was reported by the gamescout. The hunters gathered at daybreak prepared for the charge. Theold chief had his tried charger equipped with a soft, pillow-like Indiansaddle and a lariat. His old sinew-backed hickory bow was examined andstrung, and a fine straight arrow with a steel head carefully selectedfor the test. He adjusted a keen butcher knife over his leather belt, which held a warm buffalo robe securely about his body. He wore neithershirt nor coat, although a piercing wind was blowing from the northwest. The youthful Two Strike had his favorite bow and his swift pony, whichwas perhaps dearer to him than his closest boy comrade. 

Now the hunters crouched upon their horses' necks like an army in lineof battle, while behind them waited the boys and old men with packponies to carry the meat. "Hukahey!" shouted the leader as a warning. "Yekiya wo!" (Go) and in an instant all the ponies leaped forwardagainst the cutting wind, as if it were the start in a horse race. Everyrider leaned forward, tightly wrapped in his robe, watching the flyingherd for an opening in the mass of buffalo, a chance to cut out some ofthe fattest cows. This was the object of the race. 

The chief had a fair start; his horse was well trained and needed nourging nor guidance. Without the slightest pull on the lariat he dashedinto the thickest of the herd. The youth's pony had been prancing andrearing impatiently; he started a little behind, yet being swift passedmany. His rider had one clear glimpse of his father ahead of him, thenthe snow arose in blinding clouds on the trail of the bison. The whoopsof the hunters, the lowing of the cows, and the menacing glances of thebulls as they plunged along, or now and then stood at bay, were enoughto 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 himselfhelpless to make the one sure shot, therefore he held his one arrow inhis 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 wasmaneuvering for position when a rider appeared out of the snow cloud ontheir other side. This aroused him to make haste lest his rival secureboth cows; he saw his chance, and in a twinkling his arrow sped clearthrough one of the animals so that she fell headlong. 

In this instant he observed that the man who had joined him was hisown father, who had met with the same difficulties as himself. When theyoung man had shot his only arrow, the old chief with a whoop went afterthe cow that was left, but as he gained her broadside, his horse steppedin a badger hole and fell, throwing him headlong. The maddened buffalo, as sometimes happens in such cases, turned upon the pony and gored himto death. His rider lay motionless, while Two Strike rushed forwardto draw her attention, but she merely tossed her head at him, whilepersistently standing guard over the dead horse and the all but frozenIndian. 

Alas for the game of "one arrow to kill!" The boy must think fast, forhis father's robe had slipped off, and he was playing dead, lying almostnaked in the bitter air upon the trampled snow. His bluff would notserve, so he flew back to pull out his solitary arrow from the body ofthe dead cow. Quickly wheeling again, he sent it into her side and shefell. The one arrow to kill had become one arrow to kill two buffalo! Atthe council lodge that evening Two Strike was the hero. 

The following story is equally characteristic of him, and in explanationit should be said that in the good old days among the Sioux, a youngman is not supposed to associate with girls until he is ready to takea wife. It was a rule with our young men, especially the honorable andwell-born, to gain some reputation in the hunt and in war, --the moredifficult the feats achieved the better, --before even speaking toa young woman. Many a life was risked in the effort to establish areputation along these lines. Courtship was no secret, but rather asocial event, often celebrated by the proud parents with feasts andpresents to the poor, and this etiquette was sometimes felt by a shy orsensitive youth as an insurmountable obstacle to the fulfilment of hisdesires. 

Two Strike was the son and grandson of a chief, but he could not claimany credit for the deeds of his forbears. He had not only to guard theirgood name but achieve one for himself. This he had set out to do, and hedid well. He was now of marriageable age with a war record, and admittedto the council, yet he did not seem to trouble himself at all about awife. His was strictly a bachelor career. Meanwhile, as is apt to be thecase, his parents had thought much about a possible daughter-in-law, andhad even collected ponies, fine robes, and other acceptable goods to begiven away in honor of the event, whenever it should take place. Now andthen they would drop a sly hint, but with no perceptible effect. 

They did not and could not know of the inward struggle that racked hismind at this period of his life. The shy and modest young man was dyingfor a wife, yet could not bear even to think of speaking to a youngwoman! The fearless hunter of buffaloes, mountain lions, and grizzlies, the youth who had won his eagle feathers in a battle with the Utes, could not bring himself to take this tremendous step. 

At last his father appealed to him directly. "My son, " he declared, "itis your duty to take unto yourself a wife, in order that the honors wonby your ancestors and by yourself may be handed down in the direct line. There are several eligible young women in our band whose parents haveintimated a wish to have you for their son-in-law. "

Two Strike made no reply, but he was greatly disturbed. He had no wishto have the old folks select his bride, for if the truth were told, his choice was already made. He had simply lacked the courage to goa-courting!

The next morning, after making an unusually careful toilet, he took hisbest horse and rode to a point overlooking the path by which the girlswent for water. Here the young men were wont to take their stand, and, if fortunate, intercept the girl of their heart for a brief but fatefulinterview. Two Strike had determined to speak straight to the point, and as soon as he saw the pretty maid he came forward boldly and placedhimself in her way. A long moment passed. She glanced up at him shylybut not without encouragement. His teeth fairly chattered with fright, and he could not say a word. She looked again, noted his strange looks, and believed him suddenly taken ill. He appeared to be suffering. Atlast he feebly made signs for her to go on and leave him alone. Themaiden was sympathetic, but as she did not know what else to do sheobeyed his request. 

The poor youth was so ashamed of his cowardice that he afterwardadmitted his first thought was to take his own life. He believed hehad disgraced himself forever in the eyes of the only girl he had everloved. However, he determined to conquer his weakness and win her, which he did. The story came out many years after and was told with muchenjoyment by the old men. 

Two Strike was better known by his own people than by the whites, forhe was individually a terror in battle rather than a leader. He achievedhis honorable name in a skirmish with the Utes in Colorado. The Siouxregarded these people as their bravest enemies, and the outcome ofthe fight was for some time uncertain. First the Sioux were forced toretreat and then their opponents, and at the latter point the horse of acertain Ute was shot under him. A friend came to his rescue and took himup behind him. Our hero overtook them in flight, raised his war club, and knocked both men off with one blow. 

He was a very old man when he died, only two or three years ago, on theRosebud reservation. 

AMERICAN HORSE

One of the wittiest and shrewdest of the Sioux chiefs was AmericanHorse, who succeeded to the name and position of an uncle, killed inthe battle of Slim Buttes in 1876. The younger American Horse was borna little before the encroachments of the whites upon the Sioux countrybecame serious and their methods aggressive, and his early manhoodbrought him into that most trying and critical period of our history. Hehad been tutored by his uncle, since his own father was killed in battlewhile he was still very young. The American Horse band was closelyattached to a trading post, and its members in consequence were inclinedto be friendly with the whites, a policy closely adhered to by theirleader. 

When he was born, his old grandfather said: "Put him out in the sun!Let him ask his great-grandfather, the Sun, for the warm blood of awarrior!" And he had warm blood. He was a genial man, liking notorietyand excitement. He always seized an opportunity to leap into the centerof the arena. 

In early life he was a clownish sort of boy among the boys--an expertmimic and impersonator. This talent made him popular and in his way aleader. He was a natural actor, and early showed marked ability as aspeaker. 

American Horse was about ten years old when he was attacked by threeCrow warriors, while driving a herd of ponies to water. Here hedisplayed native cunning and initiative. It seemed he had scarcely achance to escape, for the enemy was near. He yelled frantically at theponies to start them toward home, while he dropped off into a thicketof willows and hid there. A part of the herd was caught in sight ofthe camp and there was a counter chase, but the Crows got away with theponies. Of course his mother was frantic, believing her boy had beenkilled or captured; but after the excitement was over, he appeared incamp unhurt. When questioned about his escape, he remarked: "I knew theywould not take the time to hunt for small game when there was so muchbigger close by. "

When he was quite a big boy, he joined in a buffalo hunt, and on the wayback with the rest of the hunters his mule became unmanageable. AmericanHorse had insisted on riding him in addition to a heavy load of meat andskins, and the animal evidently resented this, for he suddenly began torun and kick, scattering fresh meat along the road, to the merriment ofthe crowd. But the boy turned actor, and made it appear that it was athis wish the mule had given this diverting performance. He clung to theback of his plunging and braying mount like a circus rider, singing aBrave Heart song, and finally brought up amid the laughter and cheersof his companions. Far from admitting defeat, he boasted of hishorsemanship and declared that his "brother" the donkey would put anyenemy to flight, and that they should be called upon to lead a charge. 

It was several years later that he went to sleep early one night andslept soundly, having been scouting for two nights previous. It happenedthat there was a raid by the Crows, and when he awoke in the midst ofthe yelling and confusion, he sprang up and attempted to join in thefighting. Everybody knew his voice in all the din, so when he fired hisgun and announced a coup, as was the custom, others rushed to the spot, to find that he had shot a hobbled pony belonging to their own camp. The laugh was on him, and he never recovered from his chagrin at thismistake. In fact, although he was undoubtedly fearless and tried hard todistinguish himself in warfare, he did not succeed. 

It is told of him that he once went with a war party of young men tothe Wind River country against the Shoshones. At last they discovereda large camp, but there were only a dozen or so of the Sioux, thereforethey hid themselves and watched for their opportunity to attack anisolated party of hunters. While waiting thus, they ran short of food. One day a small party of Shoshones was seen near at hand, and in themidst of the excitement and preparations for the attack, young AmericanHorse caught sight of a fat black-tail deer close by. Unable to resistthe temptation, he pulled an arrow from his quiver and sent it throughthe deer's heart, then with several of his half-starved companionssprang upon the yet quivering body of the animal to cut out the liver, which was sometimes eaten raw. One of the men was knocked down, it issaid, by the last kick of the dying buck, but having swallowed a fewmouthfuls the warriors rushed upon and routed their enemies. It is stilltold of American Horse how he killed game and feasted between the ambushand the attack. 

At another time he was drying his sacred war bonnet and other gearover a small fire. These articles were held in great veneration by theIndians and handled accordingly. Suddenly the fire blazed up, and ourhero so far forgot himself as to begin energetically beating out theflames with the war bonnet, breaking off one of the sacred buffalo hornsin the act. One could almost fill a book with his mishaps and exploits. I will give one of them in his own words as well as I can remember them. 

"We were as promising a party of young warriors as our tribe ever sentagainst any of its ancestral enemies. It was midsummer, and after goingtwo days' journey from home we began to send two scouts ahead dailywhile the main body kept a half day behind. The scouts set out everyevening and traveled all night. One night the great war pipe was heldout to me and to Young-Man-Afraid-of-His-Horses. At daybreak, having metno one, we hid our horses and climbed to the top of the nearest butte totake an observation. It was a very hot day. We lay flat on our blankets, facing the west where the cliff fell off in a sheer descent, and withour backs toward the more gradual slope dotted with scrub pines andcedars. We stuck some tall grass on our heads and proceeded to study thelandscape spread before us for any sign of man. 

"The sweeping valleys were dotted with herds, both large and small, of buffalo and elk, and now and then we caught a glimpse of a coyoteslinking into the gulches, returning from night hunting to sleep. Whileintently watching some moving body at a distance, we could not yet tellwhether of men or animals, I heard a faint noise behind me and slowlyturned my head. Behold! a grizzly bear sneaking up on all fours andalmost ready to spring!

"'Run!' I yelled into the ear of my companion, and we both leaped to ourfeet in a second. 'Separate! separate!' he shouted, and as we did so, the bear chose me for his meat. I ran downhill as fast as I could, buthe was gaining. 'Dodge around a tree!' screamed Young-Man-Afraid. I tooka deep breath and made a last spurt, desperately circling the first treeI came to. As the ground was steep just there, I turned a somersaultone way and the bear the other. I picked myself up in time to climb thetree, and was fairly out of reach when he gathered himself together andcame at me more furiously than ever, holding in one paw the shreds ofmy breechcloth, for in the fall he had just scratched my back and cut mybelt in two, and carried off my only garment for a trophy!

"My friend was well up another tree and laughing heartily at mypredicament, and when the bear saw that he could not get at either of ushe reluctantly departed, after I had politely addressed him and promisedto make an offering to his spirit on my safe return. I don't think Iever had a narrower escape, " he concluded. 

During the troublous times from 1865 to 1877, American Horse advocatedyielding to the government at any cost, being no doubt convinced of theuselessness of resistance. He was not a recognized leader until 1876, when he took the name and place of his uncle. Up to this time he borethe nickname of Manishnee (Can not walk, or Played out. )

When the greater part of the Ogallalas, to which band he belonged, cameinto the reservation, he at once allied himself with the peace elementat the Red Cloud agency, near Fort Robinson, Nebraska, and took no smallpart in keeping the young braves quiet. Since the older and better-knownchiefs, with the exception of Spotted Tail, were believed to be hostileat heart, the military made much use of him. Many of his young menenlisted as scouts by his advice, and even he himself entered theservice. 

In the early part of the year 1876, there was a rumor that certain bandswere in danger of breaking away. Their leader was one Sioux Jim, sonicknamed by the soldiers. American Horse went to him as peacemaker, butwas told he was a woman and no brave. He returned to his own camp andtold his men that Sioux Jim meant mischief, and in order to preventanother calamity to the tribe, he must be chastised. He again approachedthe warlike Jim with several warriors at his back. The recalcitrant cameout, gun in hand, but the wily chief was too quick for him. He shot andwounded the rebel, whereupon one of his men came forward and killed him. 

This quelled the people for the time being and up to the killing ofCrazy Horse. In the crisis precipitated by this event, American Horsewas again influential and energetic in the cause of the government. Fromthis time on he became an active participant in the affairs of theTeton Sioux. He was noted for his eloquence, which was nearly alwaysconciliatory, yet he could say very sharp things of the duplicity ofthe whites. He had much ease of manner and was a master of repartee. Irecall his saying that if you have got to wear golden slippers to enterthe white man's heaven no Indian will ever get there, as the whites havegot the Black Hills and with them all the gold. 

It was during the last struggle of his people, at the time of theMessiah craze in 1890-1891 that he demonstrated as never before the realgreatness of the man. While many of his friends were carried away bythe new thought, he held aloof from it and cautioned his band to do thesame. When it developed into an extensive upheaval among the nations hetook his positive stand against it. 

Presently all Indians who did not dance the Ghost Dance were orderedto come into camp at Pine Ridge agency. American Horse was the first tobring in his people. I was there at the time and talked with him daily. When Little was arrested, it had been agreed among the disaffected tohave him resist, which meant that he would be roughly handled. This wasto be their excuse to attack the Indian police, which would probablylead to a general massacre or outbreak. I know that this desperate movewas opposed from the beginning by American Horse, and it was believedthat his life was threatened. 

On the day of the "Big Issue", when thousands of Indians were gatheredat the agency, this man Little, who had been in hiding, walked boldlyamong them. Of course the police would arrest him at sight, and he wasled toward the guardhouse. He struggled with them, but was overpowered. A crowd of warriors rushed to his rescue, and there was confusion anda general shout of "Hurry up with them! Kill them all!" I saw AmericanHorse walk out of the agent's office and calmly face the excited mob. 

"What are you going to do?" he asked. "Stop, men, stop and think beforeyou act! Will you murder your children, your women, yes, destroy yournation to-day?" He stood before them like a statue and the men who heldthe two policemen helpless paused for an instant. He went on: "You arebrave to-day because you outnumber the white men, but what will you doto-morrow? There are railroads on all sides of you. The soldiers willpour in from every direction by thousands and surround you. You havelittle food or ammunition. It will be the end of your people. Stop, Isay, stop now!"

Jack Red Cloud, son of the old chief rushed up to him and thrust arevolver almost in his face. "It is you and men like you, " he shouted, "who have reduced our race to slavery and starvation!" American Horsedid not flinch but deliberately reentered the office, followed by Jackstill flourishing the pistol. But his timely appearance and eloquencehad saved the day. Others of the police force had time to reach thespot, and with a large crowd of friendly Indians had taken command ofthe situation. 

When I went into the office I found him alone but apparently quite calm. "Where are the agent and the clerks?" I asked. "They fled by the backdoor, " he replied, smiling. "I think they are in the cellar. These foolsoutside had almost caught us asleep, but I think it is over now. "

American Horse was one of the earliest advocates of education forthe Indian, and his son Samuel and nephew Robert were among the firststudents at Carlisle. I think one or two of his daughters were thehandsomest Indian girls of full blood that I ever saw. His record asa councilor of his people and his policy in the new situation thatconfronted them was manly and consistent. 

DULL KNIFE

The life of Dull Knife, the Cheyenne, is a true hero tale. Simple, child-like yet manful, and devoid of selfish aims, or love of gain, heis a pattern for heroes of any race. 

Dull Knife was a chief of the old school. Among all the Indians of theplains, nothing counts save proven worth. A man's caliber is measuredby his courage, unselfishness and intelligence. Many writers confusehistory with fiction, but in Indian history their women and old men andeven children witness the main events, and not being absorbed in dailypapers and magazines, these events are rehearsed over and over withfew variations. Though orally preserved, their accounts are thereforeaccurate. But they have seldom been willing to give reliable informationto strangers, especially when asked and paid for. 

Racial prejudice naturally enters into the account of a man's life byenemy writers, while one is likely to favor his own race. I am consciousthat many readers may think that I have idealized the Indian. ThereforeI will confess now that we have too many weak and unprincipled men amongus. When I speak of the Indian hero, I do not forget the mongrel inspirit, false to the ideals of his people. Our trustfulness has been ourweakness, and when the vices of civilization were added to our own, wefell heavily. 

It is said that Dull Knife as a boy was resourceful and self-reliant. Hewas only nine years old when his family was separated from the rest ofthe tribe while on a buffalo hunt. His father was away and his motherbusy, and he was playing with his little sister on the banks of astream, when a large herd of buffalo swept down upon them on a stampedefor water. His mother climbed a tree, but the little boy led his sisterinto an old beaver house whose entrance was above water, and here theyremained in shelter until the buffalo passed and they were found bytheir distracted parents. 

Dull Knife was quite a youth when his tribe was caught one winter in aregion devoid of game, and threatened with starvation. The situation wasmade worse by heavy storms, but he secured help and led a relief partya hundred and fifty miles, carrying bales of dried buffalo meat on packhorses. 

Another exploit that made him dear to his people occurred in battle, when his brother-in-law was severely wounded and left lying where no oneon either side dared to approach him. As soon as Dull Knife heard of ithe got on a fresh horse, and made so daring a charge that others joinedhim; thus under cover of their fire he rescued his brother-in-law, andin so doing was wounded twice. 

The Sioux knew him as a man of high type, perhaps not so brilliant asRoman Nose and Two Moon, but surpassing both in honesty and simplicity, as well as in his war record. (Two Moon, in fact, was never a leader ofhis people, and became distinguished only in wars with the whites duringthe period of revolt. ) A story is told of an ancestor of the same namethat illustrates well the spirit of the age. 

It was the custom in those days for the older men to walk ahead of themoving caravan and decide upon all halts and camping places. One day thecouncilors came to a grove of wild cherries covered with ripe fruit, andthey stopped at once. Suddenly a grizzly charged from the thicket. Themen yelped and hooted, but the bear was not to be bluffed. He knockeddown the first warrior who dared to face him and dragged his victim intothe bushes. 

The whole caravan was in the wildest excitement. Several of theswiftest-footed warriors charged the bear, to bring him out into theopen, while the women and dogs made all the noise they could. The bearaccepted the challenge, and as he did so, the man whom they had supposeddead came running from the opposite end of the thicket. The Indians weredelighted, and especially so when in the midst of their cheers, the manstopped running for his life and began to sing a Brave Heart song as heapproached the grove with his butcher knife in his hand. He would darehis enemy again!

The grizzly met him with a tremendous rush, and they went down together. Instantly the bear began to utter cries of distress, and at the sametime the knife flashed, and he rolled over dead. The warrior was tooquick for the animal; he first bit his sensitive nose to distract hisattention, and then used the knife to stab him to the heart. He foughtmany battles with knives thereafter and claimed that the spirit of thebear gave him success. On one occasion, however, the enemy had a strongbuffalo-hide shield which the Cheyenne bear fighter could not piercethrough, and he was wounded; nevertheless he managed to dispatch hisfoe. It was from this incident that he received the name of Dull Knife, which was handed down to his descendant. 

As is well known, the Northern Cheyennes uncompromisingly supportedthe Sioux in their desperate defense of the Black Hills and Big Horncountry. Why not? It was their last buffalo region--their subsistence. It was what our wheat fields are to a civilized nation. 

About the year 1875, a propaganda was started for confining all theIndians upon reservations, where they would be practically interned orimprisoned, regardless of their possessions and rights. The men whowere the strongest advocates of the scheme generally wanted the Indians'property--the one main cause back of all Indian wars. From the warlikeApaches to the peaceful Nez Perces, all the tribes of the plains werehunted from place to place; then the government resorted to peacenegotiations, but always with an army at hand to coerce. Once disarmedand helpless, they were to be taken under military guard to the IndianTerritory. 

A few resisted, and declared they would fight to the death rather thango. Among these were the Sioux, but nearly all the smaller tribes weredeported against their wishes. Of course those Indians who came froma mountainous and cold country suffered severely. The moist heat andmalaria decimated the exiles. Chief Joseph of the Nez Perces and ChiefStanding Bear of the Poncas appealed to the people of the United States, and finally succeeded in having their bands or the remnant of themreturned to their own part of the country. Dull Knife was not successfulin his plea, and the story of his flight is one of poignant interest. 

He was regarded by the authorities as a dangerous man, and with hisdepleted band was taken to the Indian Territory without his consent in1876. When he realized that his people were dying like sheep, he wasdeeply moved. He called them together. Every man and woman declared thatthey would rather die in their own country than stay there longer, andthey resolved to flee to their northern homes. 

Here again was displayed the genius of these people. From the IndianTerritory to Dakota is no short dash for freedom. They knew what theywere facing. Their line of flight lay through a settled country and theywould be closely pursued by the army. No sooner had they started thanthe telegraph wires sang one song: "The panther of the Cheyennes is atlarge. Not a child or a woman in Kansas or Nebraska is safe. " Yet theyevaded all the pursuing and intercepting troops and reached their nativesoil. The strain was terrible, the hardship great, and Dull Knife, likeJoseph, was remarkable for his self-restraint in sparing those who camewithin his power on the way. 

But fate was against him, for there were those looking for blood moneywho betrayed him when he thought he was among friends. His people weretired out and famished when they were surrounded and taken to FortRobinson. There the men were put in prison, and their wives guarded incamp. They were allowed to visit their men on certain days. Many of themhad lost everything; there were but a few who had even one child left. They were heartbroken. 

These despairing women appealed to their husbands to die fighting: theirliberty was gone, their homes broken up, and only slavery and gradualextinction in sight. At last Dull Knife listened. He said: "I have livedmy life. I am ready. " The others agreed. "If our women are willing todie with us, who is there to say no? If we are to do the deeds of men, it rests with you women to bring us our weapons. "

As they had been allowed to carry moccasins and other things to the men, so they contrived to take in some guns and knives under this disguise. The plan was to kill the sentinels and run to the nearest naturaltrench, there to make their last stand. The women and children were tojoin them. This arrangement was carried out. Not every brave had a gun, but all had agreed to die together. They fought till their small storeof ammunition was exhausted, then exposed their broad chests for atarget, and the mothers even held up their little ones to be shot. Thusdied the fighting Cheyennes and their dauntless leader. 

ROMAN NOSE

This Cheyenne war chief was a contemporary of Dull Knife. He was notso strong a character as the other, and was inclined to be pompous andboastful; but with all this he was a true type of native American inspirit and bravery. 

While Dull Knife was noted in warfare among Indians, Roman Nose madehis record against the whites, in defense of territory embracing theRepublican and Arickaree rivers. He was killed on the latter river in1868, in the celebrated battle with General Forsythe. 

Save Chief Gall and Washakie in the prime of their manhood, this chiefhad no peer in bodily perfection and masterful personality. No Greek orRoman gymnast was ever a finer model of physical beauty and power. Hethrilled his men to frenzied action when he came upon the field. It wassaid of him that he sacrificed more youths by his personal influence inbattle than any other leader, being very reckless himself in grand-standcharges. He was killed needlessly in this manner. 

Roman Nose always rode an uncommonly fine, spirited horse, and withhis war bonnet and other paraphernalia gave a wonderful exhibition. TheIndians used to say that the soldiers must gaze at him rather than aimat him, as they so seldom hit him even when running the gantlet before afiring line. 

He did a remarkable thing once when on a one-arrow-to-kill buffalo huntwith his brother-in-law. His companion had selected his animal anddrew so powerfully on his sinew bowstring that it broke. Roman Nosehad killed his own cow and was whipping up close to the other when themisfortune occurred. Both horses were going at full speed and the arrowjerked up in the air. Roman Nose caught it and shot the cow for him. 

Another curious story told of him is to the effect that he had anintimate Sioux friend who was courting a Cheyenne girl, but withoutsuccess. As the wooing of both Sioux and Cheyennes was pretty much alleffected in the night time, Roman Nose told his friend to let him dothe courting for him. He arranged with the young woman to elope the nextnight and to spend the honeymoon among his Sioux friends. He then toldhis friend what to do. The Sioux followed instructions and carried offthe Cheyenne maid, and not until morning did she discover her mistake. It is said she never admitted it, and that the two lived happilytogether to a good old age, so perhaps there was no mistake after all. 

Perhaps no other chief attacked more emigrants going west on the OregonTrail between 1860 and 1868. He once made an attack on a large party ofMormons, and in this instance the Mormons had time to form a corralwith their wagons and shelter their women, children, and horses. Themen stood outside and met the Indians with well-aimed volleys, but theycircled the wagons with whirlwind speed, and whenever a white man fell, it was the signal for Roman Nose to charge and count the "coup. " Thehat of one of the dead men was off, and although he had heavy hair andbeard, the top of his head was bald from the forehead up. As customrequired such a deed to be announced on the spot, the chief yelled atthe top of his voice:

"Your Roman Nose has counted the first coup on the longest-faced whiteman who was ever killed!"

When the Northern Cheyennes under this daring leader attacked a body ofscouting troops under the brilliant officer General Forsythe, Roman Nosethought that he had a comparatively easy task. The first onset failed, and the command entrenched itself on a little island. The wily chiefthought he could stampede them and urged on his braves with thedeclaration that the first to reach the island should be entitled towear a trailing war bonnet. Nevertheless he was disappointed, and hismen received such a warm reception that none succeeded in reaching it. In order to inspire them to desperate deeds he had led them in person, and with him that meant victory or death. According to the armyaccounts, it was a thrilling moment, and might well have proveddisastrous to the Forsythe command, whose leader was wounded andhelpless. The danger was acute until Roman Nose fell, and even then hislieutenants were bent upon crossing at any cost, but some of the olderchiefs prevailed upon them to withdraw. 

Thus the brilliant war chief of the Cheyennes came to his death. If hehad lived until 1876, Sitting Bull would have had another bold ally. 

CHIEF JOSEPH

The Nez Perce tribe of Indians, like other tribes too large to beunited under one chief, was composed of several bands, each distinct insovereignty. It was a loose confederacy. Joseph and his people occupiedthe Imnaha or Grande Ronde valley in Oregon, which was consideredperhaps the finest land in that part of the country. 

When the last treaty was entered into by some of the bands of the NezPerce, Joseph's band was at Lapwai, Idaho, and had nothing to do withthe agreement. The elder chief in dying had counseled his son, then notmore than twenty-two or twenty-three years of age, never to part withtheir home, assuring him that he had signed no papers. These peacefulnon-treaty Indians did not even know what land had been ceded until theagent read them the government order to leave. Of course they refused. You and I would have done the same. 

When the agent failed to move them, he and the would-be settlers calledupon the army to force them to be good, namely, without a murmur toleave their pleasant inheritance in the hands of a crowd of greedygrafters. General O. O. Howard, the Christian soldier, was sent to dothe work. 

He had a long council with Joseph and his leading men, telling them theymust obey the order or be driven out by force. We may be sure that hepresented this hard alternative reluctantly. Joseph was a mere youthwithout experience in war or public affairs. He had been well broughtup in obedience to parental wisdom and with his brother Ollicut hadattended Missionary Spaulding's school where they had listened to thestory of Christ and his religion of brotherhood. He now replied inhis simple way that neither he nor his father had ever made any treatydisposing of their country, that no other band of the Nez Perces wasauthorized to speak for them, and it would seem a mighty injustice andunkindness to dispossess a friendly band. 

General Howard told them in effect that they had no rights, no voice inthe matter: they had only to obey. Although some of the lesser chiefscounseled revolt then and there, Joseph maintained his self-control, seeking to calm his people, and still groping for a peaceful settlementof their difficulties. He finally asked for thirty days' time in whichto find and dispose of their stock, and this was granted. 

Joseph steadfastly held his immediate followers to their promise, butthe land-grabbers were impatient, and did everything in their powerto bring about an immediate crisis so as to hasten the eviction of theIndians. Depredations were committed, and finally the Indians, or someof them, retaliated, which was just what their enemies had been lookingfor. There might be a score of white men murdered among themselves onthe frontier and no outsider would ever hear about it, but if one wereinjured by an Indian--"Down with the bloodthirsty savages!" was the cry. 

Joseph told me himself that during all of those thirty days a tremendouspressure was brought upon him by his own people to resist the governmentorder. "The worst of it was, " said he, "that everything they said wastrue; besides"--he paused for a moment--"it seemed very soon for me toforget my father's dying words, 'Do not give up our home!'" Knowing as Ido just what this would mean to an Indian, I felt for him deeply. 

Among the opposition leaders were Too-hul-hul-sote, White Bird, andLooking Glass, all of them strong men and respected by the Indians;while on the other side were men built up by emissaries of thegovernment for their own purposes and advertised as "great friendlychiefs. " As a rule such men are unworthy, and this is so well known tothe Indians that it makes them distrustful of the government's sincerityat the start. Moreover, while Indians unqualifiedly say what they mean, the whites have a hundred ways of saying what they do not mean. 

The center of the storm was this simple young man, who so far as I canlearn had never been upon the warpath, and he stood firm for peace andobedience. As for his father's sacred dying charge, he told himself thathe would not sign any papers, he would not go of his free will but fromcompulsion, and this was his excuse. 

However, the whites were unduly impatient to clear the coveted valley, and by their insolence they aggravated to the danger point an alreadystrained situation. The murder of an Indian was the climax and thishappened in the absence of the young chief. He returned to find theleaders determined to die fighting. The nature of the country was intheir favor and at least they could give the army a chase, but how longthey could hold out they did not know. Even Joseph's younger brotherOllicut was won over. There was nothing for him to do but fight; andthen and there began the peaceful Joseph's career as a general ofunsurpassed strategy in conducting one of the most masterly retreats inhistory. 

This is not my judgment, but the unbiased opinion of men whose knowledgeand experience fit them to render it. Bear in mind that these peoplewere not scalp hunters like the Sioux, Cheyennes, and Utes, but peacefulhunters and fishermen. The first council of war was a strange businessto Joseph. He had only this to say to his people:

"I have tried to save you from suffering and sorrow. Resistance meansall of that. We are few. They are many. You can see all we have at aglance. They have food and ammunition in abundance. We must suffer greathardship and loss. " After this speech, he quietly began his plans forthe defense. 

The main plan of campaign was to engineer a successful retreat intoMontana and there form a junction with the hostile Sioux and Cheyennesunder Sitting Bull. There was a relay scouting system, one set ofscouts leaving the main body at evening and the second a little beforedaybreak, passing the first set on some commanding hill top. There werealso decoy scouts set to trap Indian scouts of the army. I notice thatGeneral Howard charges his Crow scouts with being unfaithful. 

Their greatest difficulty was in meeting an unencumbered army, whilecarrying their women, children, and old men, with supplies and suchhousehold effects as were absolutely necessary. Joseph formed anauxiliary corps that was to effect a retreat at each engagement, upon adefinite plan and in definite order, while the unencumbered women weremade into an ambulance corps to take care of the wounded. 

It was decided that the main rear guard should meet General Howard'scommand in White Bird Canyon, and every detail was planned in advance, yet left flexible according to Indian custom, giving each leader freedomto act according to circumstances. Perhaps no better ambush was everplanned than the one Chief Joseph set for the shrewd and experiencedGeneral Howard. He expected to be hotly pursued, but he calculated thatthe pursuing force would consist of not more than two hundred and fiftysoldiers. He prepared false trails to mislead them into thinking thathe was about to cross or had crossed the Salmon River, which he had nothought of doing at that time. Some of the tents were pitched in plainsight, while the women and children were hidden on the inaccessibleridges, and the men concealed in the canyon ready to fire upon thesoldiers with deadly effect with scarcely any danger to themselves. Theycould even roll rocks upon them. 

In a very few minutes the troops had learned a lesson. The soldiersshowed some fight, but a large body of frontiersmen who accompaniedthem were soon in disorder. The warriors chased them nearly ten miles, securing rifles and much ammunition, and killing and wounding many. 

The Nez Perces next crossed the river, made a detour and recrossed itat another point, then took their way eastward. All this was by way ofdelaying pursuit. Joseph told me that he estimated it would take sixor seven days to get a sufficient force in the field to take up theirtrail, and the correctness of his reasoning is apparent from the factsas detailed in General Howard's book. He tells us that he waited sixdays for the arrival of men from various forts in his department, thenfollowed Joseph with six hundred soldiers, beside a large number ofcitizen volunteers and his Indian scouts. As it was evident they hada long chase over trackless wilderness in prospect, he discarded hissupply wagons and took pack mules instead. But by this time the Indianshad a good start. 

Meanwhile General Howard had sent a dispatch to Colonel Gibbons, withorders to head Joseph off, which he undertook to do at the Montana endof the Lolo Trail. The wily commander had no knowledge of this move, buthe was not to be surprised. He was too brainy for his pursuers, whom heconstantly outwitted, and only gave battle when he was ready. There atthe Big Hole Pass he met Colonel Gibbons' fresh troops and pressed themclose. He sent a party under his brother Ollicut to harass Gibbons' rearand rout the pack mules, thus throwing him on the defensive and causinghim to send for help, while Joseph continued his masterly retreat towardthe Yellowstone Park, then a wilderness. However, this was but littleadvantage to him, since he must necessarily leave a broad trail, and thearmy was augmenting its columns day by day with celebrated scouts, bothwhite and Indian. The two commands came together, and although GeneralHoward says their horses were by this time worn out, and by inferencethe men as well, they persisted on the trail of a party encumbered bywomen and children, the old, sick, and wounded. 

It was decided to send a detachment of cavalry under Bacon, to TashPass, the gateway of the National Park, which Joseph would have to pass, with orders to detain him there until the rest could come up with them. Here is what General Howard says of the affair. "Bacon got into positionsoon enough but he did not have the heart to fight the Indians onaccount of their number. " Meanwhile another incident had occurred. Rightunder the eyes of the chosen scouts and vigilant sentinels, Joseph'swarriors fired upon the army camp at night and ran off their mules. Hewent straight on toward the park, where Lieutenant Bacon let him get byand pass through the narrow gateway without firing a shot. 

Here again it was demonstrated that General Howard could not depend uponthe volunteers, many of whom had joined him in the chase, and were goingto show the soldiers how to fight Indians. In this night attack at CamasMeadow, they were demoralized, and while crossing the river next daymany lost their guns in the water, whereupon all packed up and wenthome, leaving the army to be guided by the Indian scouts. 

However, this succession of defeats did not discourage General Howard, who kept on with as many of his men as were able to carry a gun, meanwhile sending dispatches to all the frontier posts with orders tointercept Joseph if possible. Sturgis tried to stop him as the Indiansentered the Park, but they did not meet until he was about to come out, when there was another fight, with Joseph again victorious. GeneralHoward came upon the battle field soon afterward and saw that theIndians were off again, and from here he sent fresh messages to GeneralMiles, asking for reinforcements. 

Joseph had now turned northeastward toward the Upper Missouri. He toldme that when he got into that part of the country he knew he was verynear the Canadian line and could not be far from Sitting Bull, with whomhe desired to form an alliance. He also believed that he had cleared allthe forts. Therefore he went more slowly and tried to give his peoplesome rest. Some of their best men had been killed or wounded in battle, and the wounded were a great burden to him; nevertheless they werecarried and tended patiently all during this wonderful flight. Not onewas ever left behind. 

It is the general belief that Indians are cruel and revengeful, andsurely these people had reason to hate the race who had driven them fromtheir homes if any people ever had. Yet it is a fact that when Josephmet visitors and travelers in the Park, some of whom were women, heallowed them to pass unharmed, and in at least one instance let themhave horses. He told me that he gave strict orders to his men not tokill any women or children. He wished to meet his adversaries accordingto their own standards of warfare, but he afterward learned that inspite of professions of humanity, white soldiers have not seldom beenknown to kill women and children indiscriminately. 

Another remarkable thing about this noted retreat is that Joseph'speople stood behind him to a man, and even the women and little boys dideach his part. The latter were used as scouts in the immediate vicinityof the camp. 

The Bittersweet valley, which they had now entered, was full of game, and the Indians hunted for food, while resting their worn-out ponies. One morning they had a council to which Joseph rode over bareback, asthey had camped in two divisions a little apart. His fifteen-year-olddaughter went with him. They discussed sending runners to Sitting Bullto ascertain his exact whereabouts and whether it would be agreeable tohim to join forces with the Nez Perces. In the midst of the council, a force of United States cavalry charged down the hill between thetwo camps. This once Joseph was surprised. He had seen no trace of thesoldiers and had somewhat relaxed his vigilance. 

He told his little daughter to stay where she was, and himself cut rightthrough the cavalry and rode up to his own teepee, where his wife methim at the door with his rifle, crying: "Here is your gun, husband!" Thewarriors quickly gathered and pressed the soldiers so hard that theyhad to withdraw. Meanwhile one set of the people fled while Joseph's ownband entrenched themselves in a very favorable position from which theycould not easily be dislodged. 

General Miles had received and acted on General Howard's message, and henow sent one of his officers with some Indian scouts into Joseph's campto negotiate with the chief. Meantime Howard and Sturgis came up withthe encampment, and Howard had with him two friendly Nez Perce scoutswho were directed to talk to Joseph in his own language. He decided thatthere was nothing to do but surrender. 

He had believed that his escape was all but secure: then at the lastmoment he was surprised and caught at a disadvantage. His army wasshattered; he had lost most of the leaders in these various fights;his people, including children, women, and the wounded, had traveledthirteen hundred miles in about fifty days, and he himself a young manwho had never before taken any important responsibility! Even now he wasnot actually conquered. He was well entrenched; his people were willingto die fighting; but the army of the United States offered peace and heagreed, as he said, out of pity for his suffering people. Some of hiswarriors still refused to surrender and slipped out of the camp at nightand through the lines. Joseph had, as he told me, between three and fourhundred fighting men in the beginning, which means over one thousandpersons, and of these several hundred surrendered with him. 

His own story of the conditions he made was prepared by himself with myhelp in 1897, when he came to Washington to present his grievances. Isat up with him nearly all of one night; and I may add here that wetook the document to General Miles who was then stationed in Washington, before presenting it to the Department. The General said that every wordof it was true. 

In the first place, his people were to be kept at Fort Keogh, Montana, over the winter and then returned to their reservation. Instead theywere taken to Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, and placed between a lagoon andthe Missouri River, where the sanitary conditions made havoc with them. Those who did not die were then taken to the Indian Territory, where thehealth situation was even worse. Joseph appealed to the government againand again, and at last by the help of Bishops Whipple and Hare he wasmoved to the Colville reservation in Washington. Here the land was verypoor, unlike their own fertile valley. General Miles said to the chiefthat he had recommended and urged that their agreement be kept, but thepoliticians and the people who occupied the Indians' land declared theywere afraid if he returned he would break out again and murder innocentwhite settlers! What irony!

The great Chief Joseph died broken-spirited and broken-hearted. He didnot hate the whites, for there was nothing small about him, and when helaid down his weapons he would not fight on with his mind. But he wasprofoundly disappointed in the claims of a Christian civilization. Icall him great because he was simple and honest. Without education orspecial training he demonstrated his ability to lead and to fightwhen justice demanded. He outgeneraled the best and most experiencedcommanders in the army of the United States, although their troops werewell provisioned, well armed, and above all unencumbered. He was greatfinally, because he never boasted of his remarkable feat. I am proud ofhim, because he was a true American. 

LITTLE WOLF

If any people ever fought for liberty and justice, it was the Cheyennes. If any ever demonstrated their physical and moral courage beyond cavil, it was this race of purely American heroes, among whom Little Wolf was aleader. 

I knew the chief personally very well. As a young doctor, I was sent tothe Pine Ridge agency in 1890, as government physician to the Sioux andthe Northern Cheyennes. While I heard from his own lips of that gallantdash of his people from their southern exile to their northern home, Iprefer that Americans should read of it in Doctor George Bird Grinnell'sbook, "The Fighting Cheyennes. " No account could be clearer or simpler;and then too, the author cannot be charged with a bias in favor of hisown race. 

At the time that I knew him, Little Wolf was a handsome man, with thenative dignity and gentleness, musical voice, and pleasant address of somany brave leaders of his people. One day when he was dining with us atour home on the reservation, I asked him, as I had a habit of doing, forsome reminiscences of his early life. He was rather reluctant to speak, but a friend who was present contributed the following:

"Perhaps I can tell you why it is that he has been a lucky man all hislife. When quite a small boy, the tribe was one winter in want of food, and his good mother had saved a small piece of buffalo meat, which shesolemnly brought forth and placed before him with the remark: 'My sonmust be patient, for when he grows up he will know even harder timesthan this. '

"He had eaten nothing all day and was pretty hungry, but before he couldlay hands on the meat a starving dog snatched it and bolted fromthe teepee. The mother ran after the dog and brought him back forpunishment. She tied him to a post and was about to whip him when theboy interfered. 'Don't hurt him, mother!' he cried; 'he took the meatbecause he was hungrier than I am!'"

I was told of another kind act of his under trying circumstances. Whilestill a youth, he was caught out with a party of buffalo hunters in ablinding blizzard. They were compelled to lie down side by side in thesnowdrifts, and it was a day and a night before they could get out. Theweather turned very cold, and when the men arose they were in danger offreezing. Little Wolf pressed his fine buffalo robe upon an old man whowas shaking with a chill and himself took the other's thin blanket. 

As a full-grown young man, he was attracted by a maiden of his tribe, and according to the custom then in vogue the pair disappeared. Whenthey returned to the camp as man and wife, behold! there was greatexcitement over the affair. It seemed that a certain chief had givenmany presents and paid unmistakable court to the maid with the intentionof marrying her, and her parents had accepted the presents, which meantconsent so far as they were concerned. But the girl herself had notgiven consent. 

The resentment of the disappointed suitor was great. It was reported inthe village that he had openly declared that the young man who defiedand insulted him must expect to be punished. As soon as Little Wolfheard of the threats, he told his father and friends that he had doneonly what it is every man's privilege to do. 

"Tell the chief, " said he, "to come out with any weapon he pleases, andI will meet him within the circle of lodges. He shall either do thisor eat his words. The woman is not his. Her people accepted his giftsagainst her wishes. Her heart is mine. "

The chief apologized, and thus avoided the inevitable duel, which wouldhave been a fight to the death. 

The early life of Little Wolf offered many examples of the dashingbravery characteristic of the Cheyennes, and inspired the younger mento win laurels for themselves. He was still a young man, perhapsthirty-five, when the most trying crisis in the history of hispeople came upon them. As I know and as Doctor Grinnell's book amplycorroborates, he was the general who largely guided and defended them inthat tragic flight from the Indian Territory to their northern home. Iwill not discuss the justice of their cause: I prefer to quote DoctorGrinnell, lest it appear that I am in any way exaggerating the facts. 

"They had come, " he writes, "from the high, dry country of Montana andNorth Dakota to the hot and humid Indian Territory. They had come froma country where buffalo and other game were still plentiful to a landwhere the game had been exterminated. Immediately on their arrival theywere attacked by fever and ague, a disease wholly new to them. Food wasscanty, and they began to starve. The agent testified before a committeeof the Senate that he never received supplies to subsist the Indians formore than nine months in each year. These people were meat-eaters, butthe beef furnished them by the government inspectors was no more thanskin and bone. The agent in describing their sufferings said: 'They havelived and that is about all. '

"The Indians endured this for about a year, and then their patience gaveout. They left the agency to which they had been sent and started north. Though troops were camped close to them, they attempted no concealmentof their purpose. Instead, they openly announced that they intended toreturn to their own country. 

"We have heard much in past years of the march of the Nez Perces underChief Joseph, but little is remembered of the Dull Knife outbreak andthe march to the north led by Little Wolf. The story of the journey hasnot been told, but in the traditions of the old army this campaign wasnotable, and old men who were stationed on the plains forty years agoare apt to tell you, if you ask them, that there never was such anotherjourney since the Greeks marched to the sea. . . . 

"The fugitives pressed constantly northward undaunted, while orders wereflying over the wires, and special trains were carrying men and horsesto cut them off at all probable points on the different railway linesthey must cross. Of the three hundred Indians, sixty or seventy werefighting men--the rest old men, women, and children. An army officeronce told me that thirteen thousand troops were hurrying over thecountry to capture or kill these few poor people who had left thefever-stricken South, and in the face of every obstacle were steadilymarching northward. 

"The War Department set all its resources in operation against them, yet they kept on. If troops attacked them, they stopped and foughtuntil they had driven off the soldiers, and then started north again. Sometimes they did not even stop, but marched along, fighting as theymarched. For the most part they tried--and with success--to avoidconflicts, and had but four real hard fights, in which they lost half adozen men killed and about as many wounded. "

It must not be overlooked that the appeal to justice had first beentried before taking this desperate step. Little Wolf had gone to theagent about the middle of the summer and said to him: "This is not agood country for us, and we wish to return to our home in the mountainswhere we were always well. If you have not the power to give permission, let some of us go to Washington and tell them there how it is, or do youwrite to Washington and get permission for us to go back. "

"Stay one more year, " replied the agent, "and then we will see what wecan do for you. " "No, " said Little Wolf. "Before another year there willbe none left to travel north. We must go now. "

Soon after this it was found that three of the Indians had disappearedand the chief was ordered to surrender ten men as hostages for theirreturn. He refused. "Three men, " said he, "who are traveling over wildcountry can hide so that they cannot be found. You would never get backthese three, and you would keep my men prisoners always. "

The agent then threatened if the ten men were not given up to withholdtheir rations and starve the entire tribe into submission. He forgotthat he was addressing a Cheyenne. These people had not understood thatthey were prisoners when they agreed to friendly relations with thegovernment and came upon the reservation. Little Wolf stood up and shookhands with all present before making his final deliberate address. 

"Listen, my friends, I am a friend of the white people and have been sofor a long time. I do not want to see blood spilt about this agency. Iam going north to my own country. If you are going to send your soldiersafter me, I wish you would let us get a little distance away. Then ifyou want to fight, I will fight you, and we can make the ground bloodyat that place. "

The Cheyenne was not bluffing. He said just what he meant, and I presumethe agent took the hint, for although the military were there theydid not undertake to prevent the Indians' departure. Next morning theteepees were pulled down early and quickly. Toward evening of the secondday, the scouts signaled the approach of troops. Little Wolf called hismen together and advised them under no circumstances to fire untilfired upon. An Arapahoe scout was sent to them with a message. "If yousurrender now, you will get your rations and be well treated. " Afterwhat they had endured, it was impossible not to hear such a promise withcontempt. Said Little Wolf: "We are going back to our own country. We donot want to fight. " He was riding still nearer when the soldiers fired, and at a signal the Cheyennes made a charge. They succeeded in holdingoff the troops for two days, with only five men wounded and none killed, and when the military retreated the Indians continued northward carryingtheir wounded. 

This sort of thing was repeated again and again. Meanwhile LittleWolf held his men under perfect control. There were practically nodepredations. They secured some boxes of ammunition left behind byretreating troops, and at one point the young men were eager to followand destroy an entire command who were apparently at their mercy, buttheir leader withheld them. They had now reached the buffalo country, and he always kept his main object in sight. He was extraordinarilycalm. Doctor Grinnell was told by one of his men years afterward:"Little Wolf did not seem like a human being. He seemed like a bear. "It is true that a man of his type in a crisis becomes spirituallytransformed and moves as one in a dream. 

At the Running Water the band divided, Dull Knife going toward Red Cloudagency. He was near Fort Robinson when he surrendered and met his sadfate. Little Wolf remained all winter in the Sand Hills, where there wasplenty of game and no white men. Later he went to Montana and then toPine Ridge, where he and his people remained in peace until they wereremoved to Lame Deer, Montana, and there he spent the remainder of hisdays. There is a clear sky beyond the clouds of racial prejudice, andin that final Court of Honor a noble soul like that of Little Wolf has aplace. 

HOLE-IN-THE-DAY

[I wish to thank Reverend C. H. Beaulieu of Le Soeur, Minnesota, formuch of the material used in this chapter. ]

In the beginning of the nineteenth century, the Indian nations of theNorthwest first experienced the pressure of civilization. At this periodthere were among them some brilliant leaders unknown to history, for thecurious reason that they cordially received and welcomed the newcomersrather than opposed them. The only difficulties were those arising amongthe European nations themselves, and often involving the native tribes. Thus new environments brought new motives, and our temptations wereincreased manyfold with the new weapons, new goods, and above all thesubtly destructive "spirit water. "

Gradually it became known that the new race had a definite purpose, andthat purpose was to chart and possess the whole country, regardless ofthe rights of its earlier inhabitants. Still the old chiefs cautionedtheir people to be patient, for, said they, the land is vast, both racescan live on it, each in their own way. Let us therefore befriend themand trust to their friendship. While they reasoned thus, the temptationsof graft and self-aggrandizement overtook some of the leaders. 

Hole-in-the-Day (or Bug-o-nay-ki-shig) was born in the opening days ofthis era. The word "ki-shig" means either "day" or "sky", and the nameis perhaps more correctly translated Hole-in-the-Sky. This gifted maninherited his name and much of his ability from his father, who was awar chief among the Ojibways, a Napoleon of the common people, and whocarried on a relentless warfare against the Sioux. And yet, as was ourcustom at the time, peaceful meetings were held every summer, at whichrepresentatives of the two tribes would recount to one another all theevents that had come to pass during the preceding year. 

Hole-in-the-Day the younger was a handsome man, tall and symmetricallyformed, with much grace of manner and natural refinement. He was anastute student of diplomacy. The Ojibways allowed polygamy, and whetheror not he approved the principle, he made political use of it bymarrying the daughter of a chief in nearly every band. Through thesealliances he held a controlling influence over the whole Ojibway nation. Reverend Claude H. Beaulieu says of him:

"Hole-in-the-Day was a man of distinguished appearance and nativecourtliness of manner. His voice was musical and magnetic, and withthese qualities he had a subtle brain, a logical mind, and quite aremarkable gift of oratory. In speech he was not impassioned, but clearand convincing, and held fast the attention of his hearers. "

It is of interest to note that his everyday name among his tribesmen was"The Boy. " What a boy he must have been! I wonder if the name had thesame significance as with the Sioux, who applied it to any man whoperforms a difficult duty with alertness, dash, and natural courage. "The Man" applies to one who adds to these qualities wisdom and maturityof judgment. 

The Sioux tell many stories of both the elder and the youngerHole-in-the-Day. Once when The Boy was still under ten years of age, hewas fishing on Gull Lake in a leaky birch-bark canoe. Presently therecame such a burst of frantic warwhoops that his father was startled. Hecould not think of anything but an attack by the dreaded Sioux. Seizinghis weapons, he ran to the rescue of his son, only to find that thelittle fellow had caught a fish so large that it was pulling his canoeall over the lake. "Ugh, " exclaimed the father, "if a mere fish scaresyou so badly, I fear you will never make a warrior!"

It is told of him that when he was very small, the father once broughthome two bear cubs and gave them to him for pets. The Boy was feedingand getting acquainted with them outside his mother's birch-bark teepee, when suddenly he was heard to yell for help. The two little bears hadtreed The Boy and were waltzing around the tree. His mother scared themoff, but again the father laughed at him for thinking that he couldclimb trees better than a bear. 

The elder Hole-in-the-Day was a daring warrior and once attacked andscalped a Sioux who was carrying his pelts to the trading post, in fullsight of his friends. Of course he was instantly pursued, and he leapedinto a canoe which was lying near by and crossed to an island in theMississippi River near Fort Snelling. When almost surrounded by Siouxwarriors, he left the canoe and swam along the shore with only his noseabove water, but as they were about to head him off he landed and hidbehind the falling sheet of water known as Minnehaha Falls, thus savinghis life. 

It often happens that one who offers his life freely will after alldie a natural death. The elder Hole-in-the-Day so died when The Boy wasstill a youth. Like Philip of Massachusetts, Chief Joseph the younger, and the brilliant Osceola, the mantle fell gracefully upon hisshoulders, and he wore it during a short but eventful term ofchieftainship. It was his to see the end of the original democracy onthis continent. The clouds were fast thickening on the eastern horizon. The day of individualism and equity between man and man must yield tothe terrific forces of civilization, the mass play of materialism, the cupidity of commerce with its twin brother politics. Under suchconditions the younger Hole-in-the-Day undertook to guide his tribesmen. At first they were inclined to doubt the wisdom of so young a leader, but he soon proved a ready student of his people's traditions, and yet, like Spotted Tail and Little Crow, he adopted too willingly the whiteman's politics. He maintained the territory won from the Sioux byhis predecessors. He negotiated treaties with the ability of a borndiplomat, with one exception, and that exception cost him his life. 

Like other able Indians who foresaw the inevitable downfall of theirrace, he favored a gradual change of customs leading to completeadoption of the white man's ways. In order to accustom the people to anew standard, he held that the chiefs must have authority and must begiven compensation for their services. This was a serious departure fromthe old rule but was tacitly accepted, and in every treaty he made therewas provision for himself in the way of a land grant or a cash payment. He early departed from the old idea of joint ownership with the LakeSuperior Ojibways, because he foresaw that it would cause no end oftrouble for the Mississippi River branch of which he was then therecognized head. But there were difficulties to come with the Leech Lakeand Red Lake bands, who held aloof from his policy, and the question ofboundaries began to arise. 

In the first treaty negotiated with the government by youngHole-in-the-Day in 1855, a "surplus" was provided for the chiefsaside from the regular per capita payment, and this surplus was tobe distributed in proportion to the number of Indians under each. Hole-in-the-Day had by far the largest enrollment, therefore he got thelion's share of this fund. Furthermore he received another sum set apartfor the use of the "head chief", and these things did not look right tothe tribe. In the very next treaty he provided himself with an annuityof one thousand dollars for twenty years, beside a section of land nearthe village of Crow Wing, and the government was induced to build hima good house upon this land. In his home he had many white servants andhenchmen and really lived like a lord. He dressed well in native stylewith a touch of civilized elegance, wearing coat and leggings of finebroadcloth, linen shirt with collar, and, topping all, a handsomeblack or blue blanket. His moccasins were of the finest deerskin andbeautifully worked. His long beautiful hair added much to his personalappearance. He was fond of entertaining and being entertained and wasa favorite both among army officers and civilians. He was especiallypopular with the ladies, and this fact will appear later in the story. 

At about this time, the United States government took it upon itself toput an end to warfare between the Sioux and Ojibways. A peace meetingwas arranged at Fort Snelling, with the United States as mediator. When the representatives of the two nations met at this grand council, Hole-in-the-Day came as the head chief of his people, and with theother chiefs appeared in considerable pomp and dignity. The wives of thegovernment officials were eager for admission to this unusual gathering, but when they arrived there was hardly any space left except next tothe Sioux chiefs, and the white ladies soon crowded this space tooverflowing. One of the Sioux remarked: "I thought this was to be acouncil of chiefs and braves, but I see many women among us. " Thereuponthe Ojibway arose and spoke in his courtliest manner. "The Ojibwaychiefs will feel highly honored, " said he, "if the ladies will consentto sit on our side. "

Another sign of his alertness to gain favor among the whites was seen inthe fact that he took part in the territorial campaigns, a most unusualthing for an Indian of that day. Being a man of means and influence, he was listened to with respect by the scattered white settlers in hisvicinity. He would make a political speech through an interpreter, butwould occasionally break loose in his broken English, and wind up withan invitation to drink in the following words: "Chentimen, you Pemicans(Republicans), come out and drink!"

From 1855 to 1864 Hole-in-the-Day was a well-known figure in Minnesota, and scarcely less so in Washington, for he visited the capital quiteoften on tribal affairs. As I have said before, he was an unusuallyhandsome man, and was not unresponsive to flattery and the attentionsof women. At the time of this incident he was perhaps thirty-five yearsold, but looked younger. He had called upon the President and was on hisway back to his hotel, when he happened to pass the Treasury buildingjust as the clerks were leaving for the day. He was immediatelysurrounded by an inquisitive throng. Among them was a handsome youngwoman who asked through the interpreter if the chief would consent toan interview about his people, to aid her in a paper she had promised toprepare. 

Hole-in-the-Day replied: "If the beautiful lady is willing to riskcalling on the chief at his hotel, her request will be granted. " Thelady went, and the result was so sudden and strong an attachment thatboth forgot all racial biases and differences of language and custom. She followed him as far as Minneapolis, and there the chief advised herto remain, for he feared the jealousy of some of his many wives. Shedied there, soon after giving birth to a son, who was brought up by afamily named Woodbury; and some fifteen years ago I met the young manin Washington and was taken by him to call upon certain of his mother'srelatives. 

The ascendancy of Hole-in-the-Day was not gained entirely through theconsent of his people, but largely by government favor, therefore therewas strong suppressed resentment among his associate chiefs, and the RedLake and Leech Lake bands in fact never acknowledged him as their head, while they suspected him of making treaties which involved some of theirland. He was in personal danger from this source, and his life wastwice attempted, but, though wounded, in each case he recovered. Hispopularity with Indian agents and officers lasted till the Republicanscame into power in the sixties and there was a new deal. The chief nolonger received the favors and tips to which he was accustomed; infact he was in want of luxuries, and worse still, his pride was hurt byneglect. The new party had promised Christian treatment to the Indians, but it appeared that they were greater grafters than their predecessors, and unlike them kept everything for themselves, allowing no perquisitesto any Indian chief. 

In his indignation at this treatment, Hole-in-the-Day began exposingthe frauds on his people, and so at a late day was converted to theirdefense. Perhaps he had not fully understood the nature of graft untilhe was in a position to view it from the outside. After all, he wasexcusable in seeking to maintain the dignity of his office, but he haddeparted from one of the fundamental rules of the race, namely: "Let nomaterial gain be the motive or reward of public duty. " He had woundedthe ideals of his people beyond forgiveness, and he suffered thepenalty; yet his courage was not diminished by the mistakes of his past. Like the Sioux chief Little Crow, he was called "the betrayer ofhis people", and like him he made a desperate effort to regain lostprestige, and turned savagely against the original betrayers of hisconfidence, the agents and Indian traders. 

When the Sioux finally broke out in 1862, the first thought of thelocal politicians was to humiliate Hole-in-the-Day by arresting himand proclaiming some other "head chief" in his stead. In so doing theyalmost forced the Ojibways to fight under his leadership. The chief hadno thought of alliance with the Sioux, and was wholly unaware of theproposed action of the military on pretense of such a conspiracy on hispart. He was on his way to the agency in his own carriage when a runnerwarned him of his danger. He thereupon jumped down and instructed thedriver to proceed. His coachman was arrested by a file of soldiers, whowhen they discovered their mistake went to his residence in search ofhim, but meanwhile he had sent runners in every direction to notifyhis warriors, and had moved his family across the Mississippi. Whenthe military reached the river bank he was still in sight, and thelieutenant called upon him to surrender. When he refused, the soldierswere ordered to fire upon him, but he replied with his own rifle, andwith a whoop disappeared among the pine groves. 

It was remarkable how the whole tribe now rallied to the call ofHole-in-the-Day. He allowed no depredations to the young men underhis leadership, but camped openly near the agency and awaited anexplanation. Presently Judge Cooper of St. Paul, a personal friendof the chief, appeared, and later on the Assistant Secretary of theInterior, accompanied by Mr. Nicolay, private secretary of PresidentLincoln. Apparently that great humanitarian President saw the wholeinjustice of the proceeding against a loyal nation, and the difficultywas at an end. 

Through the treaties of 1864, 1867, and 1868 was accomplished the finaldestiny of the Mississippi River Ojibways. Hole-in-the-Day was againsttheir removal to what is now White Earth reservation, but he wasdefeated in this and realized that the new turn of events meant thedownfall of his race. He declared that he would never go on the newreservation, and he kept his word. He remained on one of his land grantsnear Crow Wing. As the other chiefs assumed more power, the old feelingof suspicion and hatred became stronger, especially among the Pillagerand Red Lake bands. One day he was waylaid and shot by a party of thesedisaffected Indians. He uttered a whoop and fell dead from his buggy. 

Thus died one of the most brilliant chiefs of the Northwest, who neverdefended his birthright by force of arms, although almost compelled todo so. He succeeded in diplomacy so long as he was the recognized headof his people. Since we have not passed over his weaknesses, he shouldbe given credit for much insight in causing the article prohibiting theintroduction of liquor into the Indian country to be inserted into thetreaty of 1858. I think it was in 1910 that this forgotten provision wasdiscovered and again enforced over a large expanse of territory occupiedby whites, it being found that the provision had never been repealed. 

Although he left many children, none seem to have made their mark, yetit may be that in one of his descendants that undaunted spirit will riseagain.