old indian days-第11部分

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liver　on　a　long　pole　to　the　bear！



Antoine　finally　decided　to　settle　in　the　re…

cesses　of　the　heavy　timber　for　the　winter；　as　he

was　on　foot　and　alone；　and　not　able　to　travel

any　great　distance。　　He　jerked　the　meat　of　all

the　animals　he　had　killed；　and　prepared　their

skins　for　bedding　and　clothing。　　The　Bois

Brule　and　Ami；　as　he　called　the　bear；　soon　be…

came　necessary　to　one　another。　　The　former

considered　the　bear　very　good　company；　and

the　latter　had　learned　that　man's　business；　after

all；　is　not　to　kill　every　animal　he　meets。　　He

had　been　fed　and　kindly　treated；　when　helpless

from　his　wounds；　and　this　he　could　not　forget。



Antoine　was　soon　busy　erecting　a　small　log

hut；　while　the　other　partner　kept　a　sharp　look…

out；　and；　after　his　hurts　were　healed；　often

brought　in　some　small　game。　　The　two　had　a

perfect　understanding　without　many　words；　at

least；　the　speech　was　all　upon　one　side！　　In　his

leisure　moments　Antoine　had　occupied　himself

with　whittling　out　a　rude　fiddle　of　cedar…wood；

strung　with　the　guts　of　a　wild　cat　that　he　had

killed。　　Every　evening　that　winter　he　would　sit

down　after　supper　and　play　all　the　old　familiar

pieces；　varied　with　improvisations　of　his　own。　

At　first；　the　music　and　the　incessant　pounding

time　with　his　foot　annoyed　the　bear。　　At　times；

too；　the　Canadian　would　call　out　the　figures　for

the　dance。　　All　this　Ami　became　accustomed　to

in　time；　and　even　showed　no　small　interest　in

the　buzzing　of　the　little　cedar　box。　　Not　infre…

quently；　he　was　out　in　the　evening；　and　the

human　partner　was　left　alone。　　It　chanced；

quite　fortunately；　that　the　bear　was　absent　on

the　night　that　the　red　folk　rudely　invaded　the

lonely　hut。



The　calmness　of　the　strange　being　had　stayed

their　hands。　　They　had　never　before　seen　a

man　of　other　race　than　their　own！



〃Is　this　Chanotedah？　Is　he　man；　or　beast？〃

the　warriors　asked　one　another。



〃Ho；　wake　up；　koda！〃　exclaimed　Anooka…

san。　　〃Maybe　he　is　of　the　porcupine　tribe；

ashamed　to　look　at　us！〃



At　this　moment　they　spied　the　haunch　of

venison　which　swung　from　a　cross…stick　over

a　fine　bed　of　coals；　in　front　of　the　rude　mud

chimney。



〃Ho；　koda　has　something　to　eat！　Sit　down；

sit　down！〃　they　shouted　to　one　another。



Now　Antoine　opened　his　eyes　for　the　first

time　upon　his　unlooked…for　guests。　　They　were

a　haggard　and　hungry…looking　set。　　Anookasan

extended　his　hand；　and　Antoine　gave　it　a　hearty

shake。　　He　set　his　fiddle　against　the　wall　and

began　to　cut　up　the　smoking　venison　into　gen…

erous　pieces　and　place　it　before　them。　　All　ate

like　famished　men；　while　the　firelight　intensified

the　red　paint　upon　their　wild　and　warlike　faces。



When　he　had　satisfied　his　first　hunger；

Anookasan　spoke　in　signs。　　〃Friend；　we　have

never　before　heard　a　song　like　that　of　your

little　cedar　box！　　We　had　supposed　it　to　be　a

spirit；　or　some　harmful　thing；　hence　our　attack

upon　it。　　We　never　saw　any　people　of　your

sort。　　What　is　your　tribe？〃



Antoine　explained　his　plight　in　the　same

manner；　and　the　two　soon　came　to　an　under…

standing。　　The　Canadian　told　the　starving　hun…

ters　of　a　buffalo　herd　a　little　way　to　the　north；

and　one　of　their　number　was　dispatched　home…

ward　with　the　news。　　In　two　days　the　entire

band　reached　Antoine's　place。　　The　Bois　Brule

was　treated　with　kindness　and　honor；　and　the

tribe　gave　him　a　wife。　　Suffice　it　to　say　that

Antoine　lived　and　died　among　the　Yanktons

at　a　good　old　age；　but　Ami　could　not　brook

the　invasion　upon　their　hermit　life。　　He　was

never　seen　after　that　first　evening。







IV





　　　　　　　　　　THE　FAMINE



On　the　Assiniboine　River　in　western

Manitoba　there　stands　an　old；　his…

toric　trading…post；　whose　crumbling

walls　crown　a　high　promontory　in　the　angle

formed　by　its　junction　with　a　tributary　stream。　

This　is　Fort　Ellis；　a　mistress　of　the　wilderness

and　lodestone　of　savage　tribes　between　the

years　1830　and　1870。



Hither　at　that　early　day　the　Indians　brought

their　buffalo　robes　and　beaver　skins　to　exchange

for　merchandise；　ammunition；　and　the　〃spirit

water。〃　　Among　the　others　there　presently　ap…

peared　a　band　of　renegade　Siouxthe　exiles；

as　they　called　themselvesunder　White　Lodge；

whose　father；　Little　Crow；　had　been　a　leader

in　the　outbreak　of　1862。　　Now　the　great　war…

chief　was　dead；　and　his　people　were　prisoners

or　fugitives。　　The　shrewd　Scotch　trader；　Mc…

Leod；　soon　discovered　that　the　Sioux　were

skilled　hunters；　and　therefore　he　exerted　him…

self　to　befriend　them；　as　well　as　to　encourage　a

feeling　of　good　will　between　them　and　the　Ca…

nadian　tribes　who　were　accustomed　to　make　the

old　fort　their　summer　rendezvous。



Now　the　autumn　had　come；　after　a　long　sum…

mer　of　feasts　and　dances；　and　the　three　tribes

broke　up　and　dispersed　as　usual　in　various　di…

rections。　　White　Lodge　had　twin　daughters；

very　handsome；　whose　ears　had　been　kept　burn…

ing　with　the　proposals　of　many　suitors；　but　none

had　received　any　definite　encouragement。　　There

were　one　or　two　who　would　have　been　quite

willing　to　forsake　their　own　tribes　and　follow

the　exiles　had　they　not　feared　too　much　the

ridicule　of　the　braves。　　Even　Angus　McLeod；

the　trader's　eldest　son；　had　need　of　all　his

patience　and　caution；　for　he　had　never　seen

any　woman　he　admired　so　much　as　the　piquant

Magaskawee；　called　The　Swan；　one　of　these

belles　of　the　forest。



The　Sioux　journeyed　northward；　toward　the

Mouse　River。　　They　had　wintered　on　that

stream　before；　and　it　was　then　the　feeding

ground　of　large　herds　of　buffalo。　　When　it　was

discovered　that　the　herds　were　moving　west…

ward；　across　the　Missouri；　there　was　no　little

apprehension。　　The　shrewd　medicine…man　be…

came　aware　of　the　situation；　and　hastened　to

announce　his　prophecy：



〃The　Great　Mystery　has　appeared　to　me　in

a　dream！　He　showed　me　men　with　haggard

and　thin　faces。　　I　interpret　this　to　mean　a

scarcity　of　food　during　the　winter。〃



The　chief　called　his　counselors　together　and

set　before　them　the　dream　of　the　priest；　whose

prophecy；　he　said；　was　already　being　fulfilled　in

part　by　the　westward　movement　of　the　buffalo。　

It　was　agreed　that　they　should　lay　up　all　the

dried　meat　they　could　obtain；　but　even　for

this　they　were　too　late。　　The　storms　were　al…

ready　at　hand；　and　that　winter　was　more　severe

than　any　that　the　old　men　could　recall　in　their

traditions。　　The　braves　killed　all　the　small

game　for　a　wide　circuit　around　the　camp；　but

the　buffalo　had　now　crossed　the　river；　and　that

country　was　not　favorable　for　deer。　　The　more

enterprising　young　men　organized　hunting　ex…

peditions　to　various　parts　of　the　open　prairie；

but　each　time　they　returned　with　empty　hands。



The　〃Moon　of　Sore　Eyes；〃　or　March；　had

come　at　last；　and　Wazeah；　the　God　of　Storm；

was　still　angry。　　Their　scant　provision　of　dried

meat　had　held　out　wonderfully；　but　it　was　now

all　but　consumed。　　The　Sioux　had　but　little　am…

munition；　and　the　snow　was　still　so　deep　that

it　was　impossible　for　them　to　move　away　to

any　other　region　in　search　of　game。　　The　worst

was　feared；　indeed；　some　of　the　children　and

feeble　old　people　had　already　succumbed。



White　Lodge　again　called　his　men　together

in　council；　and　it　was　determined　to　send　a　mes…

senger　to　Fort　Ellis　to　ask　for　relief。　　A　young

man　called　Face…the…Wind　was　chosen　for　his

exceptional　qualities　of　speed　and　endurance

upon　long　journeys。　　The　old　medicine…man；

whose　shrewd　prophecy　had　gained　for　him　the

confidence　of　the　people；　now　came　forward。　

He　had　closely　observed　the　appearance　of　the

messenger　selected；　and　had　taken　note　of　the

storm　and　distance。　　Accordingly　he　said：



〃My　children；　the　Great　Mystery　is　of…

fended；　and　this　is　the　cause　of　all　our　suffering！

I　see　a　shadow　hanging　over　our　messenger；　but

I　will　pray　to　the　Great　Spiritperhaps　he

may　yet　save　him！Great　Mystery；　be　thou

merciful！　　Strengthen　this　young　man　for　his

journey；　that　he　may　be　able　to　finish　it　and　to

send　us　aid！　　If　we　see　the　sun　of　summer

again；　we　will　offer　the　choicest　of　our　meats　to

thee；　and　do　thee　great　honor！〃



During　this　invocation；　as　occasionally　hap…

pens　in　March；　a　loud　peal　of　thunder　was

heard。　　This　coincidence　threw　the　prophet　al…

most　into　a　frenzy；　and　the　poor　people　were

all　of　a　tremble。　　Face…the…Wind　believed　that

the　prayer　was　directly　answered；　and　though

weakened　by　fasting　and　unfit　for　the　task　be…

fore　him；　he　was　encouraged　to　make　the　at…

tempt。



He　set　out　on　the　following　day　at　dawn；

and　on　the　third　day　staggered　into　the　fort；

looking　like　a　specter　and　almost　frightening

the　people。　　He　was　taken　to　McLeod's　house

and　given　good　care。　　The　poor　fellow；　deli…

rious　with　hunger；　fancied　himself　engaged　in

mortal　combat　with　Eyah；　the　god　of　famine；

who　has　a　mouth　extending　from　ear　to　ear。　

Wherever　he　goes　there　is　famine；　for　he　swal…

lows　all　that　he　sees；　even　whole　nations！



The　legend　has　it　that　Eyah　fears　nothing

but　the　jingling　of　metal：　so　finally　the　dying

man　looked　up　into　McLeod's　face　and　cried：

〃Ring　your　bell　in　his　face；　Wahadah！〃





The　kind…hearted　factor　could　not　refuse；　and

as　the　great　bell　used　to　mark　the　hours　of　work

and　of　meals　pealed　out　untimely　upon　the

frosty　air；　the　Indian　started　up　and　in　that

moment　breathed　his　last。　　He　had　given　no

news；　and　McLeod　and　his　sons　could　only

guess　at　the　state　of　affairs　upon　the　Mouse

River。



While　the　men　were　in　council　with　her

father；　Magaskawee　had　turned　over　the　con…

tents　of　her　work…bag。　　She　had　found　a　small

roll　of　birch…bark　in　which　she　kept　her　porcu…

pine　quills　for　embroidery；　and　pulled　the　deli…

cate　layers　apart。　　The　White　Swan　was　not

altogether　the　untutored　Indian　maiden；　for

she　had　lived　in　the　family　of　a　missionary　in