第 19 节
作者:恐龙王      更新:2021-02-21 14:14      字数:9322
  last had it not been for his ambition。
  〃About this   time   we   young warriors began   to  watch the trails   of the
  white   men   into   the   Black   Hills;   and   when   we   saw   a   wagon   coming   we
  would hide at the crossing and kill them all without much trouble。                        We
  did this to discourage the whites from coming into our country without our
  permission。       It   was   the   duty   of   our   Great   Father   at Washington;   by   the
  agreement of 1868; to keep his white children away。
  〃During the troublesome time after this treaty; which no one seemed to
  respect;   either   white   or   Indian   'but   the   whites   broke   it   first';   I   was   like
  many other young men  much on the warpath; but with little honor。                          I
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  had not yet become noted for any great deed。                  Finally; Wapaypay and I
  waylaid and killed a white soldier on his way from the fort to his home in
  the east。
  〃There were a few Indians who were liars; and never on the warpath;
  playing 'good Indian' with the Indian agents and the war chiefs at the forts。
  Some of this faithless set betrayed me; and told more than I ever did。                      I
  was    seized    and   taken   to  the   fort  near   Bismarck;     North    Dakota     'Fort
  Abraham   Lincoln';   by   a   brother   'Tom   Custer'   of   the   Long…Haired   War
  Chief; and imprisoned there。           These same lying Indians; who were selling
  their services as scouts to the white man; told me that I was to be shot to
  death; or else hanged upon a tree。           I answered that I was not afraid to die。
  〃However;   there   was   an   old   soldier   who   used   to   bring   my  food   and
  stand guard over me  he was a white man; it is true; but he had an Indian
  heart!    He   came   to   me   one   day   and   unfastened   the   iron   chain   and   ball
  with which they had locked my leg; saying by signs and what little Sioux
  he could muster:
  〃'Go; friend! take the chain and ball with you。               I shall shoot; but the
  voice of the gun will lie。'
  〃When he had made me understand; you may guess that I ran my best!
  I was almost over the bank when he fired his piece at me several times; but
  I had already gained cover and was safe。                I have never told this before;
  and would not; lest it should do him an injury; but he was an old man then;
  and I   am sure   he must   be   dead long   since。        That old soldier taught   me
  that some of the white people have hearts;〃 he added; quite seriously。
  〃I   went   back   to   Standing   Rock   in   the   night;   and   I   had   to   hide   for
  several days in the woods; where food was brought to me by my relatives。
  The Indian police were ordered to retake me; and they pretended to hunt
  for me; but really they did not; for if they had found me I would have died
  with one or two of them; and they knew it!              In a few days I departed with
  several others; and we rejoined the hostile camp on the Powder River and
  made   some   trouble   for   the   men   who   were   building   the   great   iron   track
  north of us 'Northern Pacific'。
  〃In   the   spring   the   hostile   Sioux   got   together   again   upon   the   Tongue
  River。     It   was   one   of   the   greatest   camps   of   the   Sioux   that   I   ever   saw。
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  There were some   Northern Cheyennes   with   us;  under Two   Moon;  and   a
  few   Santee   Sioux;   renegades   from   Canada;   under   Inkpaduta;   who   had
  killed   white   people   in   Iowa   long   before。    We   had   decided   to   fight   the
  white soldiers until no warrior should be left。〃
  At   this   point   Rain…in…the…Face   took   up   his   tobacco   pouch   and   began
  again to fill his pipe。
  〃Of course the younger warriors were delighted with the prospect of a
  great fight!     Our scouts had discovered piles of oats for horses and other
  supplies near   the Missouri   River。         They  had been brought by  the   white
  man's     fire…boats。    Presently   they   reported      a  great   army   about    a  day's
  travel to the south; with Shoshone and Crow scouts。
  〃There was excitement among the people; and a great council was held。
  Many spoke。         I was asked the condition of those Indians who had gone
  upon   the  reservation;   and   I   told   them  truly  that   they  were  nothing   more
  than prisoners。       It was decided to go out and meet Three Stars 'General
  Crook' at a safe distance from our camp。
  〃We met him on the Little Rosebud。               I believe that if we had waited
  and allowed him to make the attack; he would have fared no better than
  Custer。     He was too strongly fortified where he was; and I think; too; that
  he was saved partly by his Indian allies; for the scouts discovered us first
  and   fought   us   first;   thus   giving   him   time   to   make   his   preparations。   I
  think he was more wise than brave!              After we had left that neighborhood
  he   might   have   pushed   on   and   connected   with   the   Long…Haired   Chief。
  That would have saved Custer and perhaps won the day。
  〃When   we   crossed   from   Tongue   River   to   the   Little   Big   Horn;   on
  account of the scarcity of game; we did not anticipate any more trouble。
  Our   runners   had   discovered   that   Crook   had   retraced   his   trail   to   Goose
  Creek; and we did not suppose that the white men would care to follow us
  farther into the rough country。
  〃Suddenly  the   Long…Haired   Chief   appeared   with   his   men!           It   was   a
  surprise。〃
  〃What   part   of   the   camp   were   you   in   when   the   soldiers   attacked   the
  lower end?〃 I asked。
  〃I had been invited to a feast at one of the young men's lodges 'a sort
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  of club'。     There was a certain warrior who was making preparations to go
  against the Crows; and I had decided to go also;〃 he said。
  〃While I was eating my meat we heard the war cry!                    We all rushed
  out; and saw a warrior riding at top speed from the lower camp; giving the
  warning   as   he   came。     Then   we   heard   the   reports   of   the   soldiers'   guns;
  which sounded differently from the guns fired by our people in battle。
  〃I   ran   to   my  teepee   and   seized   my   gun;   a   bow;   and   a   quiver   full   of
  arrows。     I already had my stone war club; for you know we usually carry
  those by way of ornament。           Just as I was about to set out to meet Reno; a
  body of soldiers appeared nearly opposite us; at the edge of a long line of
  cliffs across the river。
  〃All of us who were mounted and ready immediately started down the
  stream toward the ford。         There were Ogallalas; Minneconjous; Cheyennes;
  and   some   Unkpapas;   and   those   around   me   seemed   to   be   nearly  all   very
  young men。
  〃'Behold;   there   is   among   us   a   young   woman!'   I   shouted。     'Let   no
  young   man   hide   behind   her   garment!'       I   knew   that   would   make   those
  young men brave。
  〃The woman was Tashenamani; or Moving Robe; whose brother had
  just been killed in the fight with Three Stars。            Holding her brother's war
  staff over her head; and leaning forward upon her charger; she looked as
  pretty as a bird。      Always when there is a woman in the charge; it causes
  the warriors to vie with one another in displaying their valor;〃 he added。
  〃The   foremost   warriors   had   almost   surrounded   the   white   men;   and
  more were continually crossing the stream。             The soldiers had dismounted;
  and were firing into the camp from the top of the cliff。〃
  〃My friend; was Sitting Bull in this fight?〃 I inquired。
  〃I   did   not   see   him  there;   but   I learned   afterward   that   he   was   among
  those who met Reno; and that was three or four of the white man's miles
  from Custer's position。         Later he joined the attack upon Custer; but was
  not among the foremost。
  〃When the troops were surrounded on two sides; with the river on the
  third; the order came to charge!          There were many very young men; some
  of whom had only a war staff or a stone war club in hand; who plunged
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  into the column; knocking