第 2 节
作者:恐龙王      更新:2021-02-21 14:13      字数:9321
  retreat。    It was pitch dark。       He could see nothing; but judged that it must
  be   either   a   man   or   a   grizzly。 There   was   not   room   to   draw   a   bow。  It
  must be between knife and knife; or between knife and claws; he said to
  himself。
  The   intruder   made   no   search   but   quietly   lay   down   in   the   opposite
  corner     of   the   cave。     Red     Cloud     remained     perfectly     still;  scarcely
  breathing; his hand upon his knife。            Hour after hour he lay broad awake;
  while     many     thoughts     passed    through     his  brain。    Suddenly;       without
  warning; he sneezed; and instantly a strong man sprang to a sitting posture
  opposite。      The first gray  of morning was creeping into their rocky  den;
  and behold! a Ute hunter sat before him。
  Desperate as the situation appeared; it was not without a grim humor。
  Neither   could   afford   to   take   his   eyes   from   the   other's;   the   tension   was
  great; till at last a smile wavered over the expressionless face of the Ute。
  Red Cloud answered the smile; and in that instant a treaty of peace was
  born between them。
  〃Put your knife in its sheath。          I shall do so also; and we will smoke
  together;〃 signed Red Cloud。           The other assented gladly; and they ratified
  thus the truce which assured to each a safe return to his friends。                  Having
  finished their smoke; they shook hands and separated。                  Neither had given
  the other any information。          Red Cloud returned to his party and told his
  story;   adding   that   he   had   divulged   nothing   and   had   nothing   to   report。
  Some were inclined to censure him for not fighting; but he was sustained
  by   a   majority   of   the   warriors;   who   commended   his   self…restraint。      In   a
  day   or   two   they   discovered   the   main   camp   of   the   enemy   and   fought   a
  remarkable battle; in which Red Cloud especially distinguished himself
  The   Sioux   were   now   entering   upon   the   most   stormy   period   of   their
  history。    The old things were fast giving place to new。                The young men;
  for   the   first   time   engaging   in   serious   and   destructive   warfare   with   the
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  neighboring tribes; armed with the deadly weapons furnished by the white
  man; began to realize that they must soon enter upon a desperate struggle
  for   their   ancestral   hunting   grounds。      The   old   men   had   been   innocently
  cultivating     the   friendship     of  the   stranger;    saying    among     themselves;
  〃Surely there is land enough for all!〃
  Red Cloud was a modest and little known man of about twenty…eight
  years; when General Harney called all the western bands of Sioux together
  at Fort Laramie; Wyoming; for the purpose of securing an agreement and
  right of way through their territory。            The Ogallalas held aloof from this
  proposal;   but   Bear   Bull;   an   Ogallala   chief;   after   having   been   plied   with
  whisky; undertook to dictate submission to the rest of the clan。                   Enraged
  by failure; he fired upon a group of his own tribesmen; and Red Cloud's
  father and brother fell dead。         According to Indian custom; it fell to him to
  avenge the deed。        Calmly; without uttering a word; he faced old Bear Bull
  and his son; who attempted to defend his father; and shot them both。                      He
  did   what   he   believed   to   be   his   duty;   and   the   whole   band   sustained   him。
  Indeed; the tragedy gave the young man at once a certain standing; as one
  who   not     only   defended     his  people   against    enemies     from   without;     but
  against   injustice   and   aggression   within   the tribe。      From  this   time   on   he
  was a recognized leader。
  Man…Afraid…of…His…Horse;            then   head    chief   of   the   Ogallalas;    took
  council   with   Red   Cloud   in   all   important   matters;   and   the   young   warrior
  rapidly    advanced      in  authority    and   influence。     In   1854;    when    he   was
  barely thirty…five years old; the various bands were again encamped near
  Fort    Laramie。      A    Mormon       emigrant     train;  moving      westward;     left   a
  footsore cow behind; and the young men killed her for food。                        The next
  day;   to   their   astonishment;   an   officer   with   thirty   men   appeared   at   the
  Indian camp and demanded of old Conquering Bear that they be given up。
  The chief in vain protested that it was all a mistake and offered to make
  reparation。      It would seem that either the officer was under the influence
  of   liquor;   or   else   had   a   mind   to   bully   the   Indians;   for   he   would   accept
  neither explanation nor payment; but demanded point…blank that the young
  men   who   had   killed   the   cow   be   delivered   up   to   summary   punishment。
  The   old   chief   refused   to   be   intimidated   and   was   shot   dead   on   the   spot。
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  Not one soldier ever reached the gate of Fort Laramie!                 Here Red Cloud
  led   the   young   Ogallalas;   and   so   intense   was   the   feeling   that   they   even
  killed the half…breed interpreter。
  Curiously enough; there was no attempt at retaliation on the part of the
  army; and no serious break until 1860; when the Sioux were involved in
  troubles with the Cheyennes and Arapahoes。                 In 1862; a grave outbreak
  was precipitated by the eastern Sioux in Minnesota under Little Crow; in
  which the western bands took no part。               Yet this event ushered in a new
  period for their race。      The surveyors of the Union Pacific were laying out
  the proposed   road   through   the heart   of  the  southern   buffalo   country;  the
  rendezvous   of   Ogallalas;   Brules;   Arapahoes;   Comanches;   and   Pawnees;
  who followed the buffalo as a means of livelihood。                 To be sure; most of
  these tribes were at war with one another; yet during the summer months
  they met often to proclaim a truce and hold joint councils and festivities;
  which   were   now   largely   turned   into   discussions   of   the   common   enemy。
  It   became   evident;   however;   that   some   of   the   smaller   and   weaker   tribes
  were inclined to welcome the new order of things; recognizing that it was
  the policy of the government to put an end to tribal warfare。
  Red Cloud's position was uncompromisingly against submission。                      He
  made some noted speeches in this line; one of which was repeated to me
  by   an   old   man   who   had   heard   and   remembered   it   with   the   remarkable
  verbal memory of an Indian。
  〃Friends;〃 said Red Cloud; 〃it has been our misfortune to welcome the
  white man。       We have been deceived。          He brought with him some shining
  things that pleased our eyes; he brought weapons more effective than our
  own: above all; he brought the spirit water that makes one forget for a time
  old   age;   weakness;   and   sorrow。      But   I   wish   to   say   to   you   that   if   you
  would possess these things for yourselves; you must begin anew and put
  away the wisdom of your fathers。             You must lay up food; and forget the
  hungry。      When     your    house    is  built;  your  storeroom     filled;  then   look
  around for a neighbor whom you can take at a disadvantage; and seize all
  that he has!     Give away only what you do not want; or rather; do not part
  with any of your possessions unless in exchange for another's。
  〃My   countrymen;   shall   the   glittering   trinkets   of   this   rich   man;   his
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  deceitful   drink   that   overcomes   the   mind;   shall   these   things   tempt   us   to
  give up our homes; our hunting grounds; and the honorable teaching of our
  old   men?      Shall   we   permit   ourselves   to   be   driven   to   and   fro      to   be
  herded like the cattle of the white man?〃
  His   next   speech   that   has   been   remembered   was   made   in   1866;   just
  before the attack on Fort Phil Kearny。              The tension of feeling against the
  invaders had now reached its height。                There was no dissenting voice in
  the council upon the Powder River; when it was decided to oppose to the
  uttermost   the   evident   purpose   of   the   government。          Red   Cloud   was   not
  altogether   ignorant