old indian days-第23部分

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reach　his　father's　village。　　This　was　done　ac…

cording　to　the　ancient　custom；　as　a　mark　of　re…

spect　and　honor。　　They　took　it　up　forthwith；

and　traveled　with　all　convenient　speed　along　the

lake　shore；　through　forests　and　across　streams

to　a　place　called　the　Maiden's　Retreat；　a　short

distance　from　the　village。



Thence　the　chief's　son　sent　a　messenger　to

announce　to　his　father　that　he　was　bringing

home　a　stranger；　and　to　ask　whether　or　not　he

should　be　allowed　to　enter　the　village。　　〃His

appearance；〃　declared　the　scout；　〃is　unlike　that

of　any　man　we　have　ever　seen；　and　his　ways

are　mysterious！〃



When　the　chief　heard　these　words；　he　imme…

diately　called　his　council…men　together　to　decide

what　was　to　be　done；　for　he　feared　by　admitting

the　mysterious　stranger　to　bring　some　disaster

upon　his　people。　　Finally　he　went　out　with　his

wisest　men　to　meet　his　son's　war…party。　　They

looked　with　astonishment　upon　the　Black　Robe。



〃Dispatch　him！　　Dispatch　him！　　Show　him

no　mercy！〃　cried　some　of　the　council…men。



〃Let　him　go　on　his　way　unharmed。　　Trouble

him　not；〃　advised　others。



〃It　is　well　known　that　the　evil　spirits　some…

times　take　the　form　of　a　man　or　animal。　　From

his　strange　appearance　I　judge　this　to　be　such

a　one。　　He　should　be　put　to　death；　lest　some

harm　befall　our　people；〃　an　old　man　urged。



By　this　time　several　of　the　women　of　the

village　had　reached　the　spot。　　Among　them　was

She…who…has…a…Soul；　the　chief's　youngest　daugh…

ter；　who　tradition　says　was　a　maiden　of　much

beauty；　and　of　a　generous　heart。　　The　stranger

was　evidently　footsore　from　much　travel　and



weakened　by　fasting。　　When　she　saw　that　the

poor　man　clasped　his　hands　and　looked　skyward

as　he　uttered　words　in　an　unknown　tongue；　she

pleaded　with　her　father　that　a　stranger　who　has

entered　their　midst　unchallenged　may　claim　the

hospitality　of　the　people；　according　to　the　an…

cient　custom。



〃Father；　he　is　weary　and　in　want　of　food。　

Hold　him　no　longer！　　Delay　your　council　until

he　is　refreshed！〃　　These　were　the　words　of

She…who…has…a…Soul；　and　her　father　could　not

refuse　her　prayer。　　The　Black　Robe　was　re…

leased；　and　the　Sioux　maiden　led　him　to　her

father's　teepee。



Now　the　warriors　had　been　surprised　and　in…

deed　displeased　to　find　him　dressed　after　the

fashion　of　a　woman；　and　they　looked　upon　him

with　suspicion。　　But　from　the　moment　that　she

first　beheld　him；　the　heart　of　the　maiden　had

turned　toward　this　strange　and　seemingly　un…

fortunate　man。　　It　appeared　to　her　that　great

reverence　and　meekness　were　in　his　face；　and

with　it　all　she　was　struck　by　his　utter　fearless…

ness；　his　apparent　unconsciousness　of　danger。



The　chief's　daughter；　having　gained　her

father's　permission；　invited　the　Black　Robe　to

his　great　buffalo…skin　tent；　and　spreading　a　fine

robe；　she　gently　asked　him　to　be　seated。　　With

the　aid　of　her　mother；　she　prepared　wild　rice

sweetened　with　maple　sugar　and　some　broiled

venison　for　his　repast。　　The　youthful　warriors

were　astonished　to　observe　these　attentions；　but

the　maiden　heeded　them　not。　　She　anointed　the

blistered　feet　of　the　holy　man　with　perfumed

otter　oil；　and　put　upon　him　a　pair　of　moccasins

beautifully　worked　by　her　own　hands。



It　was　only　an　act　of　charity　on　her　part；　but

the　young　men　were　displeased；　and　again　urged

that　the　stranger　should　at　once　be　turned　away。　

Some　even　suggested　harsher　measures；　but

they　were　overruled　by　the　chief；　softened　by

the　persuasions　of　a　well…beloved　daughter。



During　the　few　days　that　the　Black　Robe

remained　in　the　Sioux　village　he　preached　ear…

nestly　to　the　maiden；　for　she　had　been　permitted

to　converse　with　him　by　signs；　that　she　might

try　to　ascertain　what　manner　of　man　he　was。　

He　told　her　of　the　coming　of　a　〃Great

Prophet〃　from　the　sky；　and　of　his　words　that

he　had　left　with　the　people。　　The　cross　with

the　figure　of　a　man　he　explained　as　his　totem

which　he　had　told　them　to　carry。　　He　also　said

that　those　who　love　him　are　commanded　to　go

among　strange　peoples　to　tell　the　news；　and　that

all　who　believe　must　be　marked　with　holy　water

and　accept　the　totem。



He　asked　by　signs　if　She…who…has…a…Soul　be…

lieved　the　story。　　To　this　she　replied：



〃It　is　a　sweet　storya　likely　legend！　　I　do

believe！〃



Then　the　good　father　took　out　a　small　cross；

and　having　pressed　it　to　his　heart　and　crossed

his　forehead　and　breast；　he　gave　it　to　her。　

Finally　he　dipped　his　finger　in　water　and　touched

the　forehead　of　the　maiden；　repeating　mean…

while　some　words　in　an　unknown　tongue。



The　mother　was　troubled；　for　she　feared　that

the　stranger　was　trying　to　bewitch　her　daugh…

ter；　but　the　chief　decided　thus：



〃This　is　a　praying…man；　and　he　is　not　of

our　people；　his　customs　are　different；　but　they

are　not　evil。　　Warriors；　take　him　back　to　the

spot　where　you　saw　him　first！　　It　is　my　desire；

and　the　good　custom　of　our　tribe　requires　that

you　free　him　without　injury！〃



Accordingly　they　formed　a　large　party；　and

carried　the　Black　Robe　in　his　canoe　back　to

the　shore　of　the　Great　Lake；　to　the　place　where

they　had　met　him；　and　he　was　allowed　to　depart

thence　whithersoever　he　would。　　He　took　his

leave　with　signs　of　gratitude　for　their　hospi…

tality；　and　especially　for　the　kindness　of　the

beautiful　Sioux　maiden。　　She　seemed　to　have

understood　his　mission　better　than　any　one　else；

and　as　long　as　she　lived　she　kept　his　queer

trinketas　it　seemed　to　the　othersand　per…

formed　the　strange　acts　that　he　had　taught　her。



Furthermore；　it　was　through　the　pleadings

of　She…who…has…a…Soul　that　the　chief　Tatankaota

advised　his　people　in　after　days　to　befriend　the

white　strangers；　and　though　many　of　the　other

chiefs　opposed　him　in　this；　his　counsels　pre…

vailed。　　Hence　it　was　that　both　the　French　and

English　received　much　kindness　from　our　peo…

ple；　mainly　through　the　influence　of　this　one

woman！



Such　was　the　first　coming　of　the　white　man

among　us；　as　it　is　told　in　our　traditions。　　Other

praying…men　came　later；　and　many　of　the　Sioux

allowed　themselves　to　be　baptized。　　True；　there

have　been　Indian　wars；　but　not　without　reason；

and　it　is　pleasant　to　remember　that　the　Sioux

were　hospitable　to　the　first　white　〃praying…

man；〃　and　that　it　was　a　tender…hearted　maiden

of　my　people　who　first　took　in　her　hands　the

cross　of　the　new　religion。









V





THE　PEACE…MAKER



One　of　the　most　remarkable　women　of

her　day　and　nation　was　Eyatonkawee；

She…whose…Voice…is…heard…afar。　　It　is

matter　of　history　among　the　Wakpaykootay

band　of　Sioux；　the　Dwellers　among　the　Leaves；

that　when　Eyatonkawee　was　a　very　young

woman　she　was　once　victorious　in　a　hand…to…

hand　combat　with　the　enemy　in　the　woods　of

Minnesota；　where　her　people　were　hunting　the

deer。　　At　such　times　they　often　met　with　stray

parties　of　Sacs　and　Foxes　from　the　prairies　of

Iowa　and　Illinois。



Now；　the　custom　was　among　our　people　that

the　doer　of　a　notable　warlike　deed　was　held　in

highest　honor；　and　these　deeds　were　kept　con…

stantly　in　memory　by　being　recited　in　public；

before　many　witnesses。　　The　greatest　exploit

was　that　one　involving　most　personal　courage

and　physical　address；　and　he　whose　record　was

adjudged　best　might　claim　certain　privileges；

not　the　least　of　which　was　the　right　to　interfere

in　any　quarrel　and　separate　the　combatants。　

The　peace…maker　might　resort　to　force；　if　need

be；　and　no　one　dared　to　utter　a　protest　who

could　not　say　that　he　had　himself　achieved　an

equal　fame。



There　was　a　man　called　Tamahay；　known　to

Minnesota　history　as　the　〃One…eyed　Sioux；〃

who　was　a　notable　character　on　the　frontier　in

the　early　part　of　the　nineteenth　century。　　He

was　very　reckless；　and　could　boast　of　many　a

perilous　adventure。　　He　was　the　only　Sioux　who；

in　the　War　of　1812；　fought　for　the　Americans；

while　all　the　rest　of　his　people　sided　with　the

British；　mainly　through　the　influence　of　the　Eng…

lish　traders　among　them　at　that　time。　　This

same　〃One…eyed　Sioux〃　became　a　warm　friend

of　Lieutenant　Pike；　who　discovered　the　sources

of　the　Mississippi；　and　for　whom　Pike's　Peak

is　named。　　Some　say　that　the　Indian　took　his

friend's　name；　for　Tamahay　in　English　means

Pike　or　Pickerel。



Unfortunately；　in　later　life　this　brave　man

became　a　drunkard；　and　after　the　Americans

took　possession　of　his　country　almost　any　one

of　them　would　supply　him　with　liquor　in　recog…

nition　of　his　notable　services　as　a　scout　and

soldier。　　Thus　he　was　at　times　no　less　dangerous

in　camp　than　in　battle。



Now；　Eyatonkawee；　being　a　young　widow；

had　married　the　son　of　a　lesser　chief　in　Tama…

hay's　band；　and　was　living　among　strangers。　

Moreover；　she　was　yet　young　and　modest。



One　day　this　bashful　matron　heard　loud　war…

whoops　and　the　screams　of　women。　　Looking

forth；　she　saw　the　people　fleeing　hither　and

thither；　while　Tamahay；　half　intoxicated；　rushed

from　his　teepee　painted　for　war；　armed　with

tomahawk　and　scalping…knife；　and　approached

another　warrior　as　if　to　slay　him。　　At　this　sight

her　heart　became　strong；　and　she　quickly　sprang

between　them　with　her　woman's　knife　in　her

hand。



〃It　was　a　Sac　warrior　of　like　proportions

and　bravery　with　your　own；　who；　having　slain

several　of　the　Sioux；　thus　approached　me　with

uplifted　tomahawk！〃　　she　exclaimed　in　a　clear

voice；　and　went　on　to　recite　her　victory　on　that

famous　day　so　that　the　terrified　people　paused

to　hear。



Tamahay　was　greatly　astonished；　but　he　was

not　too　drunk　to　realize　that　he　must　give　way

at　once；　or　be　subject　to　the　humiliation　of　a

blow　from　the　woman…warrior　who　challenged

him　thus。　　The　whole　camp　was　listening；　and

being　unable；　in　spite　of　his　giant　frame　and

well…known　record；　to　cite　a　greater　deed　than

hers；　he　retreated　with　as　good　a　grace　as　pos…