第 14 节
作者:竹水冷      更新:2021-02-19 00:59      字数:7096
  predicted   attack。      Five    years   later;   he   repeated  the   service;   and   again
  saved     his  people     from   awful    slaughter。     There     was   no   confusion     of
  figures or omens; as with lesser medicine…men; but in every incident that is
  told    of  him    his   interpretation    of   the   sign;   whatever     it  was;   proved
  singularly correct。
  The father of Little Crow; the chief who led the 〃Minnesota massacre〃
  of   1862;   was   another   prophet   of   some   note。      One   of   his   characteristic
  prophecies   was       made    only   a  few   years   before    he   died;  when     he  had
  declared that; although already an old man; he would go once more upon
  the war…path。       At the final war…feast; he declared that three of the enemy
  would be slain; but he showed great distress and reluctance in foretelling
  that   he   would   lose   two   of   his   own   men。   Three   of   the   Ojibways   were
  indeed slain as he had said; but in the battle the old war prophet lost both
  of his two sons。
  There are many trustworthy men; and men of Christian faith; to vouch
  for   these   and   similar   events   occurring   as   foretold。    I   cannot   pretend   to
  explain them; but I know that our people possessed remarkable powers of
  concentration and abstraction; and I sometimes fancy that such nearness to
  nature   as   I   have   described   keeps   the   spirit   sensitive   to   impressions   not
  commonly felt; and in touch with the unseen powers。                   Some of us seemed
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  to   have    a  peculiar    intuition   for  the   locality   of  a  grave;   which     they
  explained   by   saying   that   they   had   received   a   communication   from   the
  spirit of the departed。       My own grandmother was one of these; and as far
  back as I can remember; when camping in a strange country; my brother
  and I would search for and find human bones at the spot she had indicated
  to us as an ancient burial…place or the spot where a lone warrior had fallen。
  Of course; the outward signs of burial had been long since obliterated。
  The   Scotch   would   certainly   have   declared   that   she   had   the   〃second
  sight;〃 for she had other remarkable premonitions or intuitions within my
  own recollection。        I have heard her speak of a peculiar sensation in   the
  breast; by which; as she said; she was advised of anything of importance
  concerning      her   absent   children。    Other   native   women       have   claimed     a
  similar monitor; but I never heard of one who could interpret it with such
  accuracy。      We were once camping on Lake Manitoba when we received
  news   that   my   uncle   and   his   family   had   been   murdered   several   weeks
  before; at a fort some two hundred miles distant。              While all our clan were
  wailing and mourning their loss; my grandmother calmly bade them cease;
  saying that her son was approaching; and that they would see him shortly。
  Although we had no other reason to doubt the ill tidings; it is a fact that
  my uncle came into camp two days after his reported death。
  At another time; when I was fourteen years old; we had just left Fort
  Ellis on the Assiniboine River; and my youngest uncle had selected a fine
  spot    for   our   night   camp。      It   was    already    after  sundown;      but   my
  grandmother   became   unaccountably   nervous;   and   positively   refused   to
  pitch   her   tent。  So   we   reluctantly   went   on   down   the   river;   and   camped
  after dark at a secluded place。         The next day we learned that a family who
  were following close behind had stopped at the place first selected by my
  uncle;    but   were    surprised    in   the  night    by   a  roving    war…party;    and
  massacred   to   a   man。     This   incident   made   a   great   impression   upon   our
  people。
  Many of the Indians believed that one may be born more than once;
  and   there   were   some   who   claimed   to   have   full   knowledge   of   a   former
  incarnation。      There     were   also   those   who    held   converse    with   a  〃twin
  spirit;〃 who had been born into another tribe or race。               There was a well…
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  known Sioux war…prophet who lived in the middle of the last century; so
  that   he   is   still   remembered   by   the   old   men   of   his   band。 After   he   had
  reached   middle   age;   he   declared   that   he   had   a   spirit   brother   among   the
  Ojibways; the ancestral enemies of the Sioux。                 He even named the band
  to   which   his   brother   belonged;   and   said   that   he   also   was   a   war…prophet
  among his people。
  Upon one of their hunts along the border between the two tribes; the
  Sioux     leader    one   evening     called   his  warriors     together;   and    solemnly
  declared   to   them   that   they   were   about   to   meet   a   like   band   of   Ojibway
  hunters;   led   by   his   spirit   twin。 Since   this   was   to   be   their   first   meeting
  since they were born as strangers; he earnestly begged the young men to
  resist the temptation to join battle with their tribal foes。
  〃You will know him at once;〃 the prophet said to them; 〃for he will not
  only look like me in face and form; but he will display the same totem;
  and even sing my war songs!〃
  They sent out scouts; who soon returned with news of the approaching
  party。     Then     the   leading    men    started    with   their   peace…pipe     for   the
  Ojibway camp; and when they were near at hand they fired three distinct
  volleys; a signal of their desire for a peaceful meeting。
  The response came in like manner; and they entered the camp; with the
  peace…pipe in the hands of the prophet。
  Lo; the stranger prophet advanced to meet them; and the people were
  greatly struck with the resemblance between the two men; who met   and
  embraced one another with unusual fervor。
  It was quickly agreed by both parties that they should camp together
  for   several   days;   and   one   evening   the   Sioux   made   a   〃warriors'   feast〃   to
  which they  invited many  of the   Ojibways。              The   prophet asked   his twin
  brother to sing one of his sacred songs; and behold! it was the very song
  that   he   himself   was   wont   to   sing。  This   proved   to   the   warriors   beyond
  doubt or cavil the claims of their seer。
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