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indian heroes & great chieftains-第13章

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man killed unarmed。  I will strike him again with my coup…staff to

count the first feather; who will count the second?〃



Again he led the charge; and this time they all followed him。 

Sitting Bull was severely wounded by his own gun in the hands of

the enemy; who was killed by those that came after him。  This is a

record that so far as I know was never made by any other warrior。



The second incident that made him well known was his taking of

a boy captive in battle with the Assiniboines。  He saved this boy's

life and adopted him as his brother。  Hohay; as he was called; was

devoted to Sitting Bull and helped much in later years to spread

his fame。  Sitting Bull was a born diplomat; a ready speaker; and

in middle life he ceased to go upon the warpath; to become the

councilor of his people。  From this time on; this man represented

him in all important battles; and upon every 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 also represented him personally upon the field; and so far as

there is any remnant left of his immediate band; they look upon

this man One Bull as their chief。



When Sitting Bull was a boy; there was no thought of trouble

with the whites。  He was acquainted with many of the early traders;

Picotte; Choteau; Primeau; Larpenteur; and others; and liked them;

as did most of his people in those days。  All the early records

show this friendly attitude of the Sioux; and the great fur

companies for a century and a half depended upon them for the bulk

of their trade。  It was not until the middle of the last century

that they woke up all of a sudden to the danger threatening their

very existence。  Yet at that time many of the old chiefs had been

already depraved by the whisky and other vices of the whites; and

in the vicinity of the forts and trading posts at Sioux City; Saint

Paul; and Cheyenne; there was general demoralization。  The

drunkards and hangers…on were ready to sell almost anything they

had for 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 the rest; they were willing to let him alone as

long as he did not interfere with 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

because they had come less in contact with them; for they dwelt on

the Missouri River; the natural highway of trade。  As early as

1854; the Ogallalas and Brules had trouble with the soldiers near

Fort Laramie; and again in 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 the country of the Unkpapas

and appealing to them for help; urging that all Indians should make

common cause against the invader。  This brought Sitting Bull face

to face with a question which was not yet fully matured in his own

mind; but having satisfied himself of the justice of their cause;

he joined forces with the renegades during the summer of 1863; and

from this time on he was an acknowledged leader。



In 1865 and 1866 he met the Canadian half…breed; Louis Riel;

instigator of two rebellions; who had come across the line for

safety; and in fact at 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 their influence in making

of the wily Sioux a determined enemy to the white man。  While among

his own people he was always affable and genial; he became boastful

and domineering in his dealings with the hated race。  He once

remarked that 〃if we wish to make any impression upon the pale…face;

it is necessary to put on his mask。〃



Sitting Bull joined in the attack on Fort Phil Kearny and in

the subsequent hostilities; but he accepted in good faith the

treaty of 1868; and soon after it was signed he visited Washington

with Red Cloud and Spotted Tail; on which occasion the three

distinguished chiefs attracted much attention and were entertained

at dinner by President Grant and other notables。  He considered

that the life of the white man as he saw it was no life for his

people; but hoped by close adherence to the terms of this treaty to

preserve the Big Horn and Black Hills country for a permanent

hunting ground。  When gold was discovered and the irrepressible

gold seekers made their historic dash across the plains into this

forbidden paradise; then his faith in the white man's honor was

gone forever; and he took his final and most persistent stand in

defense of his nation and home。  His bitter and at the same time

well…grounded and philosophical dislike of the conquering race is

well expressed in a speech made before the purely Indian council

before referred to; upon the Powder River。  I will give it in brief

as it has been several times repeated to me by men who were

present。



〃Behold; my friends; the spring is come; the earth has gladly

received the embraces of the sun; and we shall soon see the results

of their love!  Every seed is awakened; and all animal life。  It is

through this mysterious power that we too have our being; and we

therefore yield to our neighbors; even to our animal neighbors; the

same right as ourselves to inhabit this vast land。



〃Yet hear me; friends! we have now to deal with another

people; small and feeble when our forefathers first met with them;

but now great and overbearing。  Strangely enough; they have a mind

to till the soil; and the love of possessions is a disease in them。 

These people have made many rules that the rich may break; but the

poor may not!  They have a religion in which the poor worship; but

the rich will not!  They even take 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 fence their neighbors away

from her; and deface her with their buildings and their refuse。 

They compel her to produce out of season; and when sterile she is

made to take medicine in order to produce again。  All this is

sacrilege。



〃This nation is like a spring freshet; it overruns its banks

and destroys all who are in its path。  We cannot dwell side by

side。  Only seven years ago we made a treaty by which we were

assured that the buffalo country should be left to us forever。  Now

they threaten to take that from us also。  My brothers; shall we

submit? or shall we say to them: 'First kill me; before you can

take possession of my fatherland!'〃



As Sitting Bull spoke; so he felt; and he had the courage to

stand by his words。  Crazy Horse led his forces in the field; as

for him; he applied his energies to state affairs; and by his

strong and aggressive personality contributed much to holding the

hostiles together。



It may be said without fear of contradiction that Sitting Bull

never killed any women or children。  He was a fair fighter; and

while not prominent in battle after his young manhood; he was the

brains of the Sioux resistance。  He has been called a 〃medicine

man〃 and a 〃dreamer。〃  Strictly speaking; he was neither of these;

and the white historians are prone to confuse the two。  A medicine

man is a doctor or healer; a dreamer is an active war prophet who

leads his war party according to his dream or prophecy。  What is

called by whites 〃making medicine〃 in war time is again a wrong

conception。  Every warrior carries a bag of sacred or lucky charms;

supposed to protect the wearer alone; but it has nothing to do with

the success or safety of the party as a whole。  No one can make any

〃medicine〃 to affect the result of a battle; although it has been

said that Sitting Bull did this at the battle of the Little Big

Horn。



When Custer and Reno attacked the camp at both ends; the chief

was caught napping。  The village was in danger of surprise; and the

women and children must be placed in safety。  Like other men of his

age; Sitting Bull got his family together for flight; and then

joined the warriors on the Reno side of the attack。  Thus he was

not in the famous charge against Custer; nevertheless; his voice

was heard exhorting the warriors throughout that day。



During the autumn of 1876; after the fall of Custer; Sitting

Bull was hunted all through the Yellowstone region by the military。 

The following characteristic letter; doubtless written at his

dictation by a half…breed interpreter; was sent to Colonel Otis

immediately after a daring attack upon his wagon train。



〃I want to know what you are doing; traveling on this road。 

You scare all 
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