第 17 节
作者:恐龙王      更新:2021-02-21 14:14      字数:9322
  too;    they   were    followed     by   United     States   commissioners;        headed    by
  General      Terry;   who    endeavored       to  persuade     him    to  return;   promising
  abundance of food and fair treatment; despite the fact that the exiles were
  well   aware   of   the   miserable   condition   of   the   〃good   Indians〃   upon   the
  reservations。       He first refused to meet them at all; and only did so when
  advised   to   that   effect   by   Major   Walsh   of   the   Canadian   mounted   police。
  This     was   his   characteristic     remark:    〃If  you    have    one   honest    man    in
  Washington; send him here and I will talk to him。〃
  Sitting Bull was not moved by fair words; but when he found that if
  they    had    liberty   on   that  side;   they   had   little  else;  that   the   Canadian
  government would give them protection but no food; that the buffalo had
  been all but exterminated and his starving people were already beginning
  to desert him; he was compelled at last; in 1881; to report at Fort Buford;
  North      Dakota;    with    his   band    of   hungry;    homeless;      and   discouraged
  refugees。      It   was;   after   all;   to   hunger   and   not   to   the   strong   arm   of   the
  military that he surrendered in the end。
  In spite of the invitation that had been extended to him in the name of
  the    〃Great    Father〃    at  Washington;      he   was   immediately       thrown     into  a
  military   prison;   and   afterward   handed   over   to   Colonel   Cody   (〃Buffalo
  Bill〃)   as   an   advertisement   for   his   〃Wild   West   Show。〃        After   traveling
  about   for   several   years   with   the   famous   showman;   thus   increasing   his
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  knowledge of the weaknesses as well as the strength of the white man; the
  deposed and humiliated   chief   settled   down   quietly  with   his people upon
  the   Standing   Rock   agency   in   North   Dakota;   where   his   immediate   band
  occupied   the   Grand   River   district   and   set   to   raising   cattle   and   horses。
  They made good progress; much better; in fact; than that of the 〃coffee…
  coolers〃   or   〃loafer〃   Indians;   received   the   missionaries   kindly   and   were
  soon a church…going people。
  When the Commissions of 1888 and 1889 came to treat with the Sioux
  for a further cession of land and a reduction of their reservations; nearly all
  were   opposed   to   consent   on   any   terms。      Nevertheless;   by   hook   or   by
  crook;     enough     signatures    were    finally  obtained     to  carry   the   measure
  through; although it is said that many  were those of women   and the so…
  called 〃squaw…men〃; who had no rights in the land。                    At the same time;
  rations were cut down; and there was general hardship and dissatisfaction。
  Crazy Horse was long since dead; Spotted Tail had fallen at the hands of
  one   of his   own   tribe;   Red   Cloud   had become   a   feeble old   man;  and   the
  disaffected among the Sioux began once more to look to Sitting Bull for
  leadership。
  At    this  crisis  a  strange    thing   happened。      A    half…breed     Indian   in
  Nevada promulgated the news that the Messiah had appeared to him upon
  a peak in the Rockies; dressed in rabbit skins; and bringing a message to
  the red race。      The message was to the effect that since his first coming
  had been in vain; since the white people had doubted and reviled him; had
  nailed   him   to   the   cross;   and   trampled   upon   his   doctrines;   he   had   come
  again   in   pity   to   save   the   Indian。 He   declared   that   he   would   cause   the
  earth to shake and to overthrow the cities of the whites and destroy them;
  that the buffalo would return; and the land belong to the red race forever!
  These events were to come to pass within two years; and meanwhile they
  were   to   prepare   for his   coming   by  the   ceremonies   and   dances   which   he
  commanded。
  This curious story spread like wildfire and met with eager acceptance
  among the suffering and discontented people。                The teachings of Christian
  missionaries had prepared them to believe in a Messiah; and the prescribed
  ceremonial       was   much     more    in  accord     with   their  traditions    than   the
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  conventional       worship     of  the   churches。     Chiefs     of   many    tribes   sent
  delegations   to   the   Indian   prophet;   Short   Bull;   Kicking   Bear;   and   others
  went from among the Sioux; and on their return all inaugurated the dances
  at   once。   There   was   an   attempt   at   first   to keep   the   matter   secret;   but   it
  soon     became     generally    known     and   seriously    disconcerted      the  Indian
  agents and others; who were quick to suspect a hostile conspiracy under
  all this religious enthusiasm。        As a matter of fact; there was no thought of
  an uprising; the dancing was innocent enough; and pathetic enough their
  despairing      hope    in   a  pitiful   Saviour     who    should    overwhelm       their
  oppressors and bring back their golden age。
  When the Indians refused to give up the 〃Ghost Dance〃 at the bidding
  of the authorities; the growing suspicion and alarm focused upon Sitting
  Bull;    who    in  spirit  had   never    been   any    too  submissive;     and    it  was
  determined       to   order   his   arrest。    At    the   special    request    of  Major
  McLaughlin; agent at Standing Rock; forty of his Indian police were sent
  out to Sitting Bull's home on Grand River to secure his person (followed at
  some little distance by a body of United States troops for reinforcement; in
  case of trouble)。       These police are enlisted from among the tribesmen at
  each     agency;    and   have    proved    uniformly     brave    and   faithful。    They
  entered   the   cabin   at   daybreak;   aroused   the   chief   from   a   sound   slumber;
  helped him to dress; and led him unresisting from the house; but when he
  came out in the gray dawn of that December morning in 1890; to find his
  cabin   surrounded   by   armed   men   and   himself   led   away   to   he   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 the
  police were themselves surrounded with an excited and rapidly increasing
  throng。     They harangued the crowd in vain; Sitting Bull's blood was up;
  and he again appealed to his men。             His adopted brother; the Assiniboine
  captive whose life he had saved so many years before; was the first to fire。
  His shot killed Lieutenant Bull Head; who held Sitting Bull by the   arm。
  Then there was a short but sharp conflict; in which Sitting Bull and six of
  his   defenders   and   six   of   the   Indian   police   were   slain;   with   many   more
  wounded。       The chief's young son; Crow Foot; and his devoted 〃brother〃
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  died   with   him。     When   all   was   over;   and   the   terrified   people   had   fled
  precipitately across the river; the soldiers appeared upon the brow of the
  long hill and fired their Hotchkiss guns into the deserted camp。
  Thus   ended   the   life   of   a   natural   strategist   of   no   mean   courage   and
  ability。    The great chief was buried without honors outside the cemetery
  at the post; and for some years the grave was marked by a mere board at
  its head。    Recently some women have built a cairn of rocks there in token
  of respect and remembrance。
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  RAIN…IN…THE…FACE
  The noted Sioux warrior; Rain…in…the…Face; whose name once carried
  terror to every part of the frontier; died at his home on the Standing Rock
  reserve   in   North   Dakota   on   September   14;   1905。     About   two   months
  before his death I went to see him for the last time; where he lay upon the
  bed of sickness from which he never rose again; and drew from him his
  life…history。
  It had been my experience that you cannot induce an Indian to tell a
  story; or even his own name; by asking him directly。
  〃Friend;〃 I said; 〃even if a man is on a hot trail; he stops for a smoke!
  In the good old days; before the charge there was a smoke。               At home; by
  the fireside; when the old men were aske