第 21 节
作者:闲来一看      更新:2024-01-16 22:40      字数:9322
  running the gantlet before a firing line。
  He did a remarkable thing once when on a one…arrow…to…kill
  buffalo hunt with his brother…in…law。  His companion had selected
  his animal and drew so powerfully on his sinew bowstring that it
  broke。  Roman Nose had killed his own cow and was whipping up close
  to the other when the misfortune occurred。  Both horses were going
  at full speed and the arrow jerked up in the air。  Roman Nose
  caught it and shot the cow for him。
  Another curious story told of him is to the effect that he had
  an intimate Sioux friend who was courting a Cheyenne girl; but
  without success。  As the wooing of both Sioux and Cheyennes was
  pretty much all effected in the night time; Roman Nose told his
  friend to let him do the courting for him。  He arranged with the
  young woman to elope the next night and to spend the honeymoon
  among his Sioux friends。  He then told his friend what to do。 The
  Sioux followed instructions and carried off the Cheyenne maid; and
  not until morning did she discover her mistake。  It is said she
  never admitted it; and that the two lived happily together to a
  good old age; so perhaps there was no mistake after all。
  Perhaps no other chief attacked more emigrants going west on
  the Oregon Trail between 1860 and 1868。  He once made an attack on
  a large party of Mormons; and in this instance the Mormons had time
  to form a corral with their wagons and shelter their women;
  children; and horses。  The men stood outside and met the Indians
  with well…aimed volleys; but they circled the wagons with whirlwind
  speed; and whenever a white man fell; it was the signal for Roman
  Nose to charge and count the 〃coup。〃  The hat of one of the dead
  men was off; and although he had heavy hair and beard; the top of
  his head was bald from the forehead up。  As custom required such a
  deed to be announced on the spot; the chief yelled at the top of
  his voice:
  〃Your Roman Nose has counted the first coup on the
  longest…faced white man who was ever killed!〃
  When the Northern Cheyennes under this daring leader attacked
  a body of scouting troops under the brilliant officer General
  Forsythe; Roman Nose thought that he had a comparatively easy task。
  The first onset failed; and the command entrenched itself on a
  little island。  The wily chief thought he could stampede them and
  urged on his braves with the declaration that the first to reach
  the island should be entitled to wear a trailing war bonnet。
  Nevertheless he was disappointed; and his men received such a warm
  reception that none succeeded in reaching it。 In order to inspire
  them to desperate deeds he had led them in person; and with him
  that meant victory or death。  According to the army accounts; it
  was a thrilling moment; and might well have proved disastrous to
  the Forsythe command; whose leader was wounded and helpless。  The
  danger was acute until Roman Nose fell; and even then his
  lieutenants were bent upon crossing at any cost; but some of the
  older chiefs prevailed upon them to withdraw。
  Thus the brilliant war chief of the Cheyennes came to his
  death。  If he had lived until 1876; Sitting Bull would have had
  another bold ally。
  CHIEF JOSEPH
  The Nez Perce tribe of Indians; like other tribes too large to be
  united under one chief; was composed of several bands; each
  distinct in sovereignty。  It was a loose confederacy。  Joseph and
  his people occupied the Imnaha or Grande Ronde valley in Oregon;
  which was considered perhaps the finest land in that part of the
  country。
  When the last treaty was entered into by some of the bands of
  the Nez Perce; Joseph's band was at Lapwai; Idaho; and had nothing
  to do with the agreement。  The elder chief in dying had counseled
  his son; then not more than twenty…two or twenty…three years of
  age; never to part with their home; assuring him that he had signed
  no papers。  These peaceful non…treaty Indians did not even know
  what land had been ceded until the agent read them the government
  order to leave。  Of course they refused。  You and I would have done
  the same。
  When the agent failed to move them; he and the would…be
  settlers called upon the army to force them to be good; namely;
  without a murmur to leave their pleasant inheritance in the hands
  of a crowd of greedy grafters。  General O。 O。 Howard; the Christian
  soldier; was sent to do the work。
  He had a long council with Joseph and his leading men; telling
  them they must obey the order or be driven out by force。  We may be
  sure that he presented this hard alternative reluctantly。  Joseph
  was a mere youth without experience in war or public affairs。  He
  had been well brought up in obedience to parental wisdom and with
  his brother Ollicut had attended Missionary Spaulding's school
  where they had listened to the story of Christ and his religion of
  brotherhood。  He now replied in his simple way that neither he nor
  his father had ever made any treaty disposing of their country;
  that no other band of the Nez Perces was authorized to speak for
  them; and it would seem a mighty injustice and unkindness to
  dispossess a friendly band。
  General Howard told them in effect that they had no rights; no
  voice in the matter: they had only to obey。  Although some of the
  lesser chiefs counseled revolt then and there; Joseph maintained
  his self…control; seeking to calm his people; and still groping for
  a peaceful settlement of their difficulties。  He finally asked for
  thirty days' time in which to find and dispose of their stock; and
  this was granted。
  Joseph steadfastly held his immediate followers to their
  promise; but the land…grabbers were impatient; and did everything
  in their power to bring about an immediate crisis so as to hasten
  the eviction of the Indians。  Depredations were committed; and
  finally the Indians; or some of them; retaliated; which was just
  what their enemies had been looking for。  There might be a score of
  white men murdered among themselves on the frontier and no outsider
  would ever hear about it; but if one were injured by an Indian
  〃Down with the bloodthirsty savages!〃 was the cry。
  Joseph told me himself that during all of those thirty days a
  tremendous pressure was brought upon him by his own people to
  resist the government order。  〃The worst of it was;〃 said he; 〃that
  everything they said was true; besides〃  he paused for a moment
  〃it seemed very soon for me to forget my father's dying words;
  'Do not give up our home!'〃  Knowing as I do just what this would
  mean to an Indian; I felt for him deeply。
  Among the opposition leaders were Too…hul…hul…sote; White
  Bird; and Looking Glass; all of them strong men and respected by
  the Indians; while on the other side were men built up by
  emissaries of the government for their own purposes and advertised
  as 〃great friendly chiefs。〃  As a rule such men are unworthy; and
  this is so well known to the Indians that it makes them distrustful
  of the government's sincerity at the start。  Moreover; while
  Indians unqualifiedly say what they mean; the whites have a hundred
  ways of saying what they do not mean。
  The center of the storm was this simple young man; who so far
  as I can learn had never been upon the warpath; and he stood firm
  for peace and obedience。  As for his father's sacred dying charge;
  he told himself that he would not sign any papers; he would not go
  of his free will but from compulsion; and this was his excuse。
  However; the whites were unduly impatient to clear the coveted
  valley; and by their insolence they aggravated to the danger point
  an already strained situation。  The murder of an Indian was the
  climax and this happened in the absence of the young chief。  He
  returned to find the leaders determined to die fighting。  The
  nature of the country was in their favor and at least they could
  give the army a chase; but how long they could hold out they did
  not know。  Even Joseph's younger brother Ollicut was won over。
  There was nothing for him to do but fight; and then and there began
  the peaceful Joseph's career as a general of unsurpassed strategy
  in conducting one of the most masterly retreats in history。
  This is not my judgment; but the unbiased opinion of men whose
  knowledge and experience fit them to render it。  Bear in mind that
  these people were not scalp hunters like the Sioux; Cheyennes; and
  Utes; but peaceful hunters and fishermen。  The first council of war
  was a strange business to Joseph。  He had only this to say to his
  people:
  〃I have tried to save you from suffering and sorrow。
  Resistance means all of that。  We are few。  They are many。  You can
  see all we have at a glance。  They have food and ammunition in
  abundance。  We must suffer great hardship and loss。〃  After this
  speech; he quietly began his plans for the defense。
  The main plan of campaign was to engineer a successful retreat
  into Montana and there form a jun