第 17 节
作者:闲来一看      更新:2024-01-16 22:40      字数:9322
  on; but now it is almost ready to lie down for the last time。  Ho;
  hechetu!  'It is well。'〃
  TWO STRIKE
  It is a pity that so many interesting names of well…known Indians
  have been mistranslated; so that their meaning becomes very vague
  if it is not wholly lost。  In some cases an opposite meaning is
  conveyed。  For instance there is the name; 〃Young…Man…Afraid…of…
  His…Horses。〃  It does not mean that the owner of the name is afraid
  of his own horse  far from it!  Tashunkekokipapi signifies 〃The
  young men 'of the enemy' fear his horses。〃  Whenever that man
  attacks; the enemy knows there will be a determined charge。
  The name Tashunkewitko; or Crazy Horse; is a poetic simile。
  This leader was likened to an untrained or untouched horse; wild;
  ignorant of domestic uses; splendid in action; and unconscious of
  danger。
  The name of Two Strike is a deed name。  In a battle with the
  Utes this man knocked two enemies from the back of a war horse。
  The true rendering of the name Nomkahpa would be; 〃He knocked off
  two。〃
  I was well acquainted with Two Strike and spent many pleasant
  hours with him; both at Washington; D。 C。; and in his home on the
  Rosebud reservation。  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 for the truth of the stories。  He said that he was
  born near the Republican River about 1832。  His earliest
  recollection was of an attack by the Shoshones upon their camp on
  the Little Piney。  The first white men he ever met were traders who
  visited his people when he was very young。  The incident was still
  vividly with him; because; he said; 〃They made my father crazy;〃
  'drunk'。  This made a deep impression upon him; he told 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 in motion; as agile as an antelope。  His face was mobile and
  intelligent。  Although he had the usual somber visage of an Indian;
  his expression brightened up wonderfully when he talked。  In some
  ways wily and shrewd in intellect; he was not deceitful nor mean。
  He had a high sense of duty and honor。  Patriotism was his ideal
  and goal of life。
  As a young man he was modest and even shy; although both his
  father and grandfather were well…known chiefs。  I could find few
  noteworthy incidents in his early life; save that he was an expert
  rider of wild horses。  At one time I was pressing him to give me
  some interesting incident of his boyhood。  He replied to the effect
  that there was plenty of excitement but 〃not much in it。〃  There
  was a delegation of Sioux chiefs visiting Washington; and we were
  spending an evening together in their hotel。  Hollow Horn Bear
  spoke up and said:
  〃Why don't you tell him how you and a buffalo cow together
  held your poor father up and froze him almost to death?〃
  Everybody laughed; and another man remarked: 〃I think he had
  better tell the medicine man (meaning myself) how he lost the power
  of speech when he first tried to court a girl。〃  Two Strike;
  although he was then close to 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;〃 he muttered。  And then came the story。
  The old chief; his father; was very fond of the buffalo hunt;
  and being accomplished in horsemanship and a fine shot; although
  not very powerfully built; young Two Strike was already following
  hard in his footsteps。  Like every proud father; his was giving him
  every incentive to perfect his skill; and one day challenged his
  sixteen…year…old son to the feat of 〃one arrow to kill〃 at the very
  next chase。
  It was midwinter。  A large herd of buffalo was reported by the
  game scout。  The hunters gathered at daybreak prepared for the
  charge。  The old chief had his tried charger equipped with a soft;
  pillow…like Indian saddle and a lariat。  His old sinew…backed
  hickory bow was examined and strung; and a fine straight arrow with
  a steel head carefully selected for the test。  He adjusted a keen
  butcher knife over his leather belt; which held a warm buffalo robe
  securely about his body。  He wore neither shirt nor coat; although
  a piercing wind was blowing from the northwest。  The youthful Two
  Strike had his favorite bow and his swift pony; which was perhaps
  dearer to him than his closest boy comrade。
  Now the hunters crouched upon their horses' necks like an army
  in line of battle; while behind them waited the boys and old men
  with pack ponies to carry the meat。  〃Hukahey!〃 shouted the leader
  as a warning。  〃Yekiya wo!〃 (Go) and in an instant all the ponies
  leaped forward against the cutting wind; as if it were the start in
  a horse race。  Every rider leaned forward; tightly wrapped in his
  robe; watching the flying herd for an opening in the mass of
  buffalo; a chance to cut out some of the fattest cows。  This was
  the object of the race。
  The chief had a fair start; his horse was well trained and
  needed no urging nor guidance。  Without the slightest pull on the
  lariat he dashed into the thickest of the herd。  The youth's pony
  had been prancing and rearing impatiently; he started a little
  behind; yet being swift passed many。  His rider had one clear
  glimpse of his father ahead of him; then the snow arose in blinding
  clouds on the trail of the bison。  The whoops of the hunters; the
  lowing of the cows; and the menacing glances of the bulls as they
  plunged along; or now and then stood at bay; were enough to 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 himself
  helpless to make the one sure shot; therefore he held his one arrow
  in his 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 was
  maneuvering for position when a rider appeared out of the snow
  cloud on their other side。  This aroused him to make haste lest his
  rival secure both cows; he saw his chance; and in a twinkling his
  arrow sped clear through one of the animals so that she fell
  headlong。
  In this instant he observed that the man who had joined him
  was his own father; who had met with the same difficulties as
  himself。  When the young man had shot his only arrow; the old chief
  with a whoop went after the cow that was left; but as he gained her
  broadside; his horse stepped in a badger hole and fell; throwing
  him headlong。  The maddened buffalo; as sometimes happens in such
  cases; turned upon the pony and gored him to death。  His rider lay
  motionless; while Two Strike rushed forward to draw her attention;
  but she merely tossed her head at him; while persistently standing
  guard over the dead horse and the all but frozen Indian。
  Alas for the game of 〃one arrow to kill!〃  The boy must think
  fast; for his father's robe had slipped off; and he was playing
  dead; lying almost naked in the bitter air upon the trampled snow。
  His bluff would not serve; so he flew back to pull out his solitary
  arrow from the body of the dead cow。  Quickly wheeling again; he
  sent it into her side and she fell。  The one arrow to kill had
  become one arrow to kill two buffalo!  At the council lodge that
  evening Two Strike was the hero。
  The following story is equally characteristic of him; and in
  explanation it should be said that in the good old days among the
  Sioux; a young man is not supposed to associate with girls until he
  is ready to take a wife。  It was a rule with our young men;
  especially the honorable and well…born; to gain some reputation in
  the hunt and in war;  the more difficult the feats achieved the
  better;  before even speaking to a young woman。  Many a life was
  risked in the effort to establish a reputation along these lines。
  Courtship was no secret; but rather a social event; often
  celebrated by the proud parents with feasts and presents to the
  poor; and this etiquette was sometimes felt by a shy or sensitive
  youth as an insurmountable obstacle to the fulfilment of his
  desires。
  Two Strike was the son and grandson of a chief; but he could
  not claim any credit for the deeds of his forbears。  He had not
  only to guard their good name but achieve one for himself。  This he
  had set out to do; and he did well。  He was now of marriageable age
  with a war record; and admitted to the council; yet he did not seem
  to trouble himself at all about a wife。  His was strictly a
  bachelor career。  Meanwhile; as is apt to be the case; his parents
  had thought much about a possible daughter…in…law; and had even
  collected ponies; fine robes; and other acceptable goods to be
  given away in honor of the event; whenever it should take place。
  Now and then they would drop a sly hint; but with no perceptible
  effect。
  They did not and could not know of the in