old indian days-第27部分

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of　the　morning；　and　she　was　now　obviously　sat…

isfied　with　her　mistress'　arrangements。　　She

walked　alongside　with　her　lariat　dragging；　and

perfectly　free　to　do　as　she　pleased。



Some　hours　later；　the　party　ascended　a　slope

from　the　river　bottom　to　cross　over　the　divide

which　lay　between　the　Powder　River　and　a　trib…

utary　stream。　　They　had　hitherto　followed　that

river　in　a　westerly　direction；　but　here　it　took

its　course　southward；　winding　in　a　blue　streak

until　lost　to　view　among　the　foot…hills　of　the

Big　Horn　Mountains。　　The　ford　was　deep；　with

a　swift　current。　　Here　and　there　a　bald　butte

stood　out　in　full　relief　against　the　brilliant　blue

sky。　　The　Sioux　followed　a　deep　ravine　until

they　came　almost　up　to　the　second　row　of

terraces。



〃Whoo！　whoo！〃　came　the　blood…curdling

signal　of　danger　from　the　front。　　It　was　no　un…

familiar　soundthe　rovers　knew　it　only　too

well。　　It　meant　sudden　deathor　at　best　a　cruel

struggle　and　frantic　flight。



Terrified；　yet　self…possessed；　the　women

turned　to　fly　while　yet　there　was　time。　　Instantly

the　mother　looked　to　Nakpa；　who　carried　on

either　side　of　the　saddle　her　precious　boys。　　She

hurriedly　examined　the　fastenings　to　see　that

all　was　secure；　and　then　caught　her　swiftest

pony；　for；　like　all　Indian　women；　she　knew　just

what　was　happening；　and　that　while　her　hus…

band　was　engaged　in　front　with　the　enemy；　she

must　seek　safety　with　her　babies。



Hardly　was　she　in　the　saddle　when　a　heart…

rending　war…whoop　sounded　on　their　flank；　and

she　knew　that　they　were　surrounded！　　Instinct…

ively　she　reached　for　her　husband's　second

quiver　of　arrows；　which　was　carried　by　one　of

the　pack　ponies。　　Alas！　the　Crow　warriors　were

already　upon　them！　　The　ponies　became　un…

manageable；　and　the　wild　screams　of　women

and　children　pierced　the　awful　confusion。



Quick　as　a　flash；　Weeko　turned　again　to　her

babies；　but　Nakpa　had　already　disappeared！



Then；　maddened　by　fright　and　the　loss　of　her

children；　Weeko　became　forgetful　of　her　sex

and　tenderness；　for　she　sternly　grasped　her　hus…

band's　bow　in　her　left　hand　to　do　battle。



That　charge　of　the　Crows　was　a　disastrous

one；　but　the　Sioux　were　equally　brave　and　des…

perate。　　Charges　and　counter…charges　were

made；　and　the　slain　were　many　on　both　sides。　

The　fight　lasted　until　darkness　came。　　Then

the　Crows　departed　and　the　Sioux　buried　their

dead。



When　the　Crows　made　their　flank　charge；

Nakpa　apparently　appreciated　the　situation。　　To

save　herself　and　the　babies；　she　took　a　desperate

chance。　　She　fled　straight　through　the　attack…

ing　force。



When　the　warriors　came　howling　upon

her　in　great　numbers；　she　at　once　started

back　the　way　she　had　come；　to　the　camp　left

behind。　　They　had　traveled　nearly　three　days。　

To　be　sure；　they　did　not　travel　more　than　fifteen

miles　a　day；　but　it　was　full　forty　miles　to　cover

before　dark。



〃Look！　look！〃　exclaimed　a　warrior；　〃two

babies　hung　from　the　saddle　of　a　mule！〃



No　one　heeded　this　man's　call；　and　his　arrow

did　not　touch　Nakpa　or　either　of　the　boys；　but

it　struck　the　thick　part　of　the　saddle　over　the

mule's　back。



〃Lasso　her！　lasso　her！〃　he　yelled　once

more；　but　Nakpa　was　too　cunning　for　them。　

She　dodged　in　and　out　with　active　heels；　and

they　could　not　afford　to　waste　many　arrows　on

a　mule　at　that　stage　of　the　fight。　　Down　the

ravine；　then　over　the　expanse　of　prairie　dotted

with　gray…green　sage…brush；　she　sped　with　her

unconscious　burden。



〃Whoo！　whoo！〃　yelled　another　Crow　to

his　comrades；　〃the　Sioux　have　dispatched　a

runner　to　get　reinforcements！　　There　he　goes；

down　on　the　flat！　　Now　he　has　almost　reached

the　river　bottom！〃



It　was　only　Nakpa。　　She　laid　back　her　cars

and　stretched　out　more　and　more　to　gain　the

river；　for　she　realized　that　when　she　had　crossed

the　ford　the　Crows　would　not　pursue　her　far…

ther。



Now　she　had　reached　the　bank。　　With　the

intense　heat　from　her　exertions；　she　was　ex…

tremely　nervous；　and　she　imagined　a　warrior

beind　every　bush。　　Yet　she　had　enough　sense

left　to　realize　that　she　must　not　satisfy　her

thirst。　　She　tried　the　bottom　with　her　fore…foot；

then　waded　carefully　into　the　deep　stream。



She　kept　her　big　ears　well　to　the　front　as

she　swam　to　catch　the　slightest　sound。　　As　she

stepped　on　the　opposite　shore；　she　shook　herself

and　the　boys　vigorously；　then　pulled　a　few

mouthfuls　of　grass　and　started　on。



Soon　one　of　the　babies　began　to　cry；　and　the

other　was　not　long　in　joining　him。　　Nakpa　did

not　know　what　to　do。　　She　gave　a　gentle　whinny

and　both　babies　apparently　stopped　to　listen；

then　she　took　up　an　easy　gait　as　if　to　put　them

to　sleep。



These　tactics　answered　only　for　a　time。　　As

she　fairly　flew　over　the　lowlands；　the　babies'

hunger　increased　and　they　screamed　so　loud　that

a　passing　coyote　had　to　sit　upon　his　haunches

and　wonder　what　in　the　world　the　fleeing　long…

eared　horse　was　carrying　on　his　saddle。　　Even

magpies　and　crows　flew　near　as　if　to　ascertain

the　meaning　of　this　curious　sound。



Nakpa　now　came　to　the　Little　Trail　Creek；

a　tributary　of　the　Powder；　not　far　from　the　old

camp。　　No　need　of　wasting　any　time　here；　she

thought。　　Then　she　swerved　aside　so　suddenly

as　almost　to　jerk　her　babies　out　of　their　cradles。　

Two　gray　wolves；　one　on　each　side；　approached

her；　growling　lowtheir　white　teeth　show…

ing。



Never　in　her　humble　life　had　Nakpa　been

in　more　desperate　straits。　　The　larger　of　the

wolves　came　fiercely　forward　to　engage　her

attention；　while　his　mate　was　to　attack　her　be…

hind　and　cut　her　hamstrings。　　But　for　once　the

pair　had　made　a　miscalculation。　　The　mule　used

her　front　hoofs　vigorously　on　the　foremost　wolf；

while　her　hind　ones　were　doing　even　more

effective　work。　　The　larger　wolf　soon　went

limping　away　with　a　broken　hip；　and　the　one

in　the　rear　received　a　deep　cut　on　the　jaw　which

proved　an　effectual　discouragement。



A　little　further　on；　an　Indian　hunter　drew

near　on　horseback；　but　Nakpa　did　not　pause　or

slacken　her　pace。　　On　she　fled　through　the　long

dry　grass　of　the　river　bottoms；　while　her　babies

slept　again　from　sheer　exhaustion。　　Toward

sunset；　she　entered　the　Sioux　camp　amid　great

excitement；　for　some　one　had　spied　her　afar

off；　and　the　boys　and　the　dogs　announced　her

coming。



〃Whoo；　whoo！　　Weeko's　Nakpa　has　come

back　with　the　twins！　　Whoo；　whoo！〃　exclaimed

the　men。　　〃Tokee！　tokee！〃　cried　the　women。



A　sister　to　Weeko　who　was　in　the　village

came　forward　and　released　the　children；　as

Nakpa　gave　a　low　whinny　and　stopped。　　Ten…

derly　Zeezeewin　nursed　them　at　her　own　moth…

erly　bosom；　assisted　by　another　young　mother

of　the　band。



〃Ugh；　there　is　a　Crow　arrow　sticking　in　the

saddle！　　A　fight！　a　fight！〃　exclaimed　the　war…

riors。



〃Sing　a　Brave…Heart　song　for　the　Long…Eared

one！　　She　has　escaped　alone　with　her　charge。　

She　is　entitled　to　wear　an　eagle's　feather！　　Look

at　the　arrow　in　her　saddle！　and　more；　she　has

a　knife　wound　in　her　jaw　and　an　arrow　cut

on　her　hind　leg。No；　those　are　the　marks　of

a　wolf's　teeth！　　She　has　passed　through　many

dangers　and　saved　two　chief's　sons；　who　will

some　day　make　the　Crows　sorry　for　this　day's

work！〃



The　speaker　was　an　old　man　who　thus　ad…

dressed　the　fast　gathering　throng。



Zeezeewin　now　came　forward　again　with　an

eagle　feather　and　some　white　paint　in　her　hands。　

The　young　men　rubbed　Nakpa　down；　and　the

feather；　marked　with　red　to　indicate　her　wounds；

was　fastened　to　her　mane。　　Shoulders　and　hips

were　touched　with　red　paint　to　show　her　en…

durance　in　running。　　Then　the　crier；　praising

her　brave　deed　in　heroic　verse；　led　her　around

the　camp；　inside　of　the　circle　of　teepees。　　All

the　people　stood　outside　their　lodges　and　lis…

tened　respectfully；　for　the　Dakota　loves　well　to

honor　the　faithful　and　the　brave。



During　the　next　day；　riders　came　in　from　the

ill…fated　party；　bringing　the　sad　news　of　the

fight　and　heavy　loss。　　Late　in　the　afternoon

came　Weeko；　her　face　swollen　with　crying；　her

beautiful　hair　cut　short　in　mourning；　her　gar…

ments　torn　and　covered　with　dust　and　blood。　

Her　husband　had　fallen　in　the　fight；　and　her

twin　boys　she　supposed　to　have　been　taken　cap…

tive　by　the　Crows。　　Singing　in　a　hoarse　voice

the　praises　of　her　departed　warrior；　she　entered

the　camp。　　As　she　approached　her　sister's　tee…

pee；　there　stood　Nakpa；　still　wearing　her　hon…

orable　decorations。　　At　the　same　moment；

Zeezeewin　came　out　to　meet　her　with　both

babies　in　her　arms。



〃Mechinkshee！　meechinkshee！　（my　sons；

my　sons！）〃　was　all　that　the　poor　mother　could

say；　as　she　all　but　fell　from　her　saddle　to　the

ground。　　The　despised　Long　Ears　had　not　be…

trayed　her　trust。









VIII





THE　WAR　MAIDEN



The　old　man；　Smoky　Day；　was　for

many　years　the　best…known　story…teller

and　historian　of　his　tribe。　　He　it　was

who　told　me　the　story　of　the　War　Maiden。　

In　the　old　days　it　was　unusual　but　not　unheard

of　for　a　woman　to　go　upon　the　war…pathper…

haps　a　young　girl；　the　last　of　her　line；　or　a

widow　whose　well…loved　husband　had　fallen　on

the　fieldand　there　could　be　no　greater　incen…

tive　to　feats　of　desperate　daring　on　the　part　of

the　warriors。

〃A　long　time　ago；〃　said　old　Smoky　Day；

〃the　Unkpapa　and　the　Cut…Head　bands　of

Sioux　united　their　camps　upon　a　vast　prairie

east　of　the　Minne　Wakan　（now　called　Devil's

Lake）。　　It　was　midsummer；　and　the　people

shared　in　the　happiness　of　every　living　thing。　

We　had　food　in　abundance；　for　bison　in　count…

less　numbers　overspread　the　plain。



〃The　teepee　village　was　laid　out　in　two　great

rings；　and　all　was　in　readiness　for　the　midsum…

mer　entertainments。　　There　were　ball　games；

feasts　and　dances　every　day；　and　late　into　the

night。　　You　have　heard　of　the　festivities　of

those　days；　there　are　none　like