第 20 节
作者:恐龙王      更新:2021-02-21 14:14      字数:9321
  INDIAN HEROES AND GREAT CHIEFTAINS
  into the column; knocking the men over and stampeding their horses。
  〃The soldiers had mounted and started back; but when the onset came
  they    dismounted       again   and    separated    into   several    divisions;    facing
  different ways。      They fired as fast as they could load their guns; while we
  used   chiefly   arrows   and   war   clubs。     There   seemed   to   be   two   distinct
  movements among the Indians。              One body moved continually in a circle;
  while the other rode directly into and through the troops。
  〃Presently   some   of   the   soldiers   remounted   and   fled   along   the   ridge
  toward     Reno's    position;   but  they   were    followed    by   our  warriors;    like
  hundreds of blackbirds after a hawk。            A larger body remained together at
  the upper end of a little ravine; and fought bravely until they were cut to
  pieces。    I had always thought that white men were cowards; but I had a
  great respect for them after this day。
  〃It is generally said that a young man with nothing but a war staff in
  his   hand   broke   through   the   column   and   knocked   down   the   leader   very
  early in the fight。     We supposed him to be the leader; because he stood up
  in full view; swinging his big knife 'sword' over his head; and talking loud。
  Some one unknown afterwards shot the chief; and he was probably killed
  also;   for   if   not;   he   would   have   told   of   the   deed;   and   called   others   to
  witness it。     So it is that no one knows who killed the Long…Haired Chief
  'General Custer'。
  〃After   the   first   rush   was   over;   coups   were   counted   as   usual   on   the
  bodies of the slain。       You know four coups 'or blows' can be counted on
  the body of an enemy; and whoever counts the first one 'touches it for the
  first time' is entitled to the 'first feather。'
  〃There was an Indian here called Appearing Elk; who died a short time
  ago。    He     was   slightly   wounded     in  the   charge。    He    had   some    of  the
  weapons of the Long…Haired Chief; and the Indians used to say jokingly
  after we came upon the reservation that Appearing Elk must have killed
  the Chief; because he had his sword!             However; the scramble for plunder
  did not begin until all were dead。           I do not think he killed Custer; and if
  he had; the time to claim the honor was immediately after the fight。
  〃Many lies have been told of me。             Some say that I killed the Chief;
  and others that I cut out the heart of his brother 'Tom Custer'; because he
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  had caused me to be imprisoned。           Why; in that fight the excitement was
  so great that we scarcely recognized our nearest friends!            Everything was
  done like lightning。      After the battle we young men were chasing horses
  all over the prairie; while the old men and women plundered the bodies;
  and if any mutilating was done; it was by the old men。
  〃I have lived peaceably ever since we came upon the reservation。              No
  one can say that Rain…in…the…Face has broken the rules of the Great Father。
  I   fought   for   my   people   and   my   country。 When   we   were   conquered   I
  remained silent; as a warrior should。          Rain…in…the…Face was killed when
  he   put   down his   weapons before the  Great   Father。      His   spirit   was   gone
  then; only his poor body lived on; but now it is almost ready to lie down
  for the last time。    Ho; hechetu!      'It is well。'〃
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  INDIAN HEROES AND GREAT CHIEFTAINS
  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
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  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。