第 8 节
作者:恐龙王      更新:2021-02-21 14:13      字数:9321
  INDIAN HEROES AND GREAT CHIEFTAINS
  friends; who he hoped would protect him in return for past favors。                    It is
  true that he had helped them to secure perhaps the finest country held by
  any Indian nation for a mere song。
  He left Canada with a few trusted friends; including his youngest and
  favorite son。     When within two or three days' journey of St。 Paul; he told
  the others to return; keeping with him only his son; Wowinape; who was
  but fifteen years of age。        He meant to steal into the city by night and go
  straight to Governor Ramsey; who was his personal friend。                   He was very
  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 was seen
  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 he
  lifted 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 country unsafe
  for   any   white   man   to   live   in;   sank   to   the   ground   and   died   without   a
  struggle。     The boy took his father's gun and made some effort to find the
  assassin; but as he did not even know in which direction to look for him;
  he soon gave up the attempt and went back to his friends。
  Meanwhile   Lamson   reached   home           breathless   and   made   his    report。
  The   body   of   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 the Minnesota Historical Society。
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  INDIAN HEROES AND GREAT CHIEFTAINS
  TAMAHAY
  There was once a Sioux brave who declared that he would die young;
  yet not by his own hand。          Tamahay was of heroic proportions; herculean
  in strength; a superb runner; in fact; he had all the physical qualities of an
  athlete   or   a   typical   Indian。 In   his   scanty   dress;   he   was   beautiful   as   an
  antique statue in living bronze。          When a mere youth; seventeen years of
  age; he met with an accident which determined his career。                 It was the loss
  of   an   eye;   a   fatal   injury   to   the   sensitive   and   high…spirited   Indian。 He
  announced his purpose in these words:              〃The 'Great Mystery' has decreed
  that I must   be disgraced。        There  will be no   pleasure for me   now; and   I
  shall be   ridiculed even by  my  enemies。           It   will   be   well   for   me   to   enter
  soon into Paradise; for I shall be happy in spending my youth there。                    But
  I   will   sell   my   life   dearly。 Hereafter   my   name   shall   be   spoken   in   the
  traditions of our race。〃       With this speech Tamahay began his career。
  He   now   sought   glory   and   defied   danger   with   even      more   than   the
  ordinary Indian recklessness。          He accepted a personal friend; which was a
  custom among the Sioux; where each man chose a companion for life and
  death。     The tie was stronger than one of blood relationship; a friendship
  sealed by solemn vow and covenant。              Tamahay's intimate was fortunately
  almost   his   equal   in   physical   powers;   and   the   pair   became   the   terror   of
  neighboring       tribes;  with   whom     the   Dakotas     were   continually     at  war。
  They made frequent raids upon their enemies and were usually successful;
  although not without thrilling experiences and almost miraculous escapes。
  Upon     one   of  these   occasions     the  two   friends   went    north   into  the
  country   of   the   Ojibways。     After   many   days'   journey;   they   discovered   a
  small village of the foe。        The wicked Tamahay proposed to his associate
  that they should arrange their toilets after the fashion of the Ojibways; and
  go   among   them;   〃and   perhaps;〃   he   added;   〃we   will   indulge   in   a   little
  flirtation with their pretty maids; and when we have had enough of the fun
  we can take the scalp of a brave or two and retreat!〃              His friend construed
  his daring proposition to be a test of courage; which it would not become
  him;    as   a  brave;   to   decline;   therefore    he   assented    with    a  show    of
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  INDIAN HEROES AND GREAT CHIEFTAINS
  cheerfulness。
  The handsome strangers were well received by the Ojibway girls; but
  their   perilous   amusement   was   brought   to   an   untimely   close。      A  young
  maiden prematurely discovered their true characters; and her cry of alarm
  brought instantly to her side a jealous youth; who had been watching them
  from his place of concealment。            With him Tamahay had a single…handed
  contest; and before a general alarm was given he had dispatched 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 Sioux
  braves     were   fine   runners;   yet   they   were   finally   driven   out   upon    the
  peninsula of a lake。       As they became separated in their retreat; Tamahay
  shouted; 〃I'll meet you at the mouth of the St。 Croix River; or in the spirit
  land!〃     Both managed to swim the lake; and so made good their escape。
  The exploits of this man were not all of a warlike nature。                 He was a
  great traveler and an expert scout; and he had some wonderful experiences
  with wild animals。        He was once sent; with his intimate friend; on a scout
  for game。      They were on ponies。
  They   located   a   herd   of   buffaloes;   and   on   their   return   to   the   camp
  espied a lonely buffalo。         Tamahay suggested that they should chase it in
  order to take some fresh meat; as the law of the tribe allowed in the case of
  a   single   animal。    His    pony    stumbled     and   threw    him;   after  they   had
  wounded the bison; and the latter attacked the dismounted man viciously。
  But he; as usual; was on the alert。         He 〃took the bull by the horns〃; as the
  saying is;   and   cleverly  straddled   him  on   the   neck。     The   buffalo   had   no
  means of harming his enemy; but pawed the earth and struggled until his
  strength   was   exhausted;   when   the   Indian   used   his   knife   on   the   animal'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
  was   a   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
  they  came   upon   a   sow   with   her   numerous   pink   little   progeny。    He   was
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  INDIAN HEROES AND GREAT CHIEFTAINS
  greatly   amused   and   picked   up   one   of   the   young   pigs;   but   as   soon   as   it
  squealed the mother ran furiously after them。                 He kept the pig and   fled
  with   it;   still   laughing;   but   his   friend   was   soon   compelled   to   run   up   the
  conveniently   inclined   trunk   of   a   fallen   tree;   while   our   hero   reached   the
  shore of a lake near by; and plunged into the water。                 He swam and dived
  as long as he could; but the beast continued to threaten him with her sharp
  teeth;   till;   almost   exhausted;   he   swam   again   to   shore;   where   his   friend
  came up and dispatched the vicious animal with a club。                     On account of
  this watery adventure he was at once called Tamahay; meaning Pike。                        He
  earned many other names; but preferred this one; because it was the name
  borne   by   a   great   friend   of   his;   Lieutenant   Pike;   the   first   officer   of   the
  United States Army who came to Minnesota for the purpose of exploring
  the sources of the Mississippi River and of making peace with the natives。
  Tamahay assisted this officer in obtaining land from the Sioux upon which
  to   build    Fort   Snelling。     He     appears    in   history   under     the  name     of
  〃Tahamie〃 or the 〃One…Eyed Sioux。〃
  Always ready to brave danger and unpopularity; Tamahay was the only
  Sioux who sided with the United States in her struggle with Great Britain
  in