Rex E. Beach

“ HERE is an untold tale of the Red Man, as spoken by Dewy Beard, an Oglalla Sioux, who sits alone to-day, bullet-scarred and sad, while in the drifting blue from his tepee fire come images of that glory which has departed from his race. It is true, though running counter to the lore of the white man, the reason whereof lies hid beneath army influence. ”

“ They undertook no exercise more violent than “seven-up,” while the wood-cutting fell as a curse upon those unfortunates who lost at the game. They giggled at Captain and the big whaler who, daily, snow or blow, hit the trail or wielded pick and shovel.
However, as the two maintained their practise, the camp grew to resent their industry, and, as is possible only in utterly idle communities, there sprang up a virulence totally out of proportion, and founded without reason, most difficult to dispel. ”

“ Our chief counseled with the officer, saying:
"My friend, why do you camp so close?"
That one replied: "You are dancing the ghost dance, and I fear you will do wrong."
"No, we intend no harm. If we do nothing but dance, that cannot be any one's business but our own," said Big Foot.
"The agent at Pine Ridge is frightened and has called for many soldiers. He says you are bad, and I have come out to stop this."
"I will go away from here," said Big Foot, "and my people will go with me; but we are good Indians and do not want you to follow us. ”

“ There's a Siwash in your cabin,” said Captain. “What is he doing there?”
“Dat's all right,” rejoined Klusky. “I told him to stay and vatch things.”
“Rather strange,” thought the other. “I wonder what there is to watch. There's never been any stealing around here.”
To the unversed, a march by sled would seem simplicity. In reality there is no more discouraging test than to hit the trail, dogless and by strength of back. The human biped can not drag across the snow for any distance more than its own weight; hence equipment is of the simplest. ”

“ The man rode back down the line, passing the word, whereupon our squaws threw out the tepee poles, one by one, and dropped every heavy thing, scattering the goods for a long way. When he saw this, the officer rode up to Big Foot.
"Why do your people throw away things?"
"The ponies are weak," said our chief.
When the sun was two fingers high, the old man spoke again.
"Our horses can go no farther. We will camp here where there is good water." Giving the sign, we suddenly turned out in a body, leaving the soldiers, at which they looked foolish. ”

“ They grappled and fell, rolling in a tangle of rope, Klusky fighting with ratlike fury, whining odd, broken curses. The larger man crushed him in silence, beating him into the snow, bent on killing him with his hands. ”

“ That one stopped singing and began to cry to the Great Spirit, gathering handfuls of dust and throwing them toward the sky, while he waved his blanket beneath, as they did in the ghost dance when calling for the Messiah. While he did this I saw the officer emerge from a tepee with a gun in his hand, and I looked at it sharply, for I thought it was my own. While I looked I heard a soldier cry:
"Look out! Look out! Run back!" ”

“ Years passed, and a few starving Sioux, bound toward an agency for protection and succor, were surrounded by three times their number of soldiers, who demanded their dying chieftain as hostage. They gave him; then, puzzled and frightened, while busied in laying down their arms, they were massacred by the men in blue and brass, leaving nothing but bodies of babes and women and defenseless men, with a name upon the yellowed page of history, "The Battle of Wounded Knee."
The buffalo were gone. All the Indians were hungry. ”

“ Once a dashing leader led his troop against a subtle foe, was outgeneraled, and his men annihilated in fair fight, leaving naught but a blood-soaked hillside and a shining memory. This was "Custer's Massacre." ”

“ Do not give up your gun." And that one, in turn, cried to the white men:
"Keep away from us, for we will die before we give up, and if we die we will take many of you along."
One of our men cried out, "The soldiers are going to shoot! Let us get our rifles and go to the ditch where we can get away." But an old Indian crept up beside Wells, saying:
"No, my people, do not do that It is this interpreter who is speaking with two tongues. If he brings trouble I will kill him with my knife."
Again my father spoke to the medicine man: "Now is the time for help. Do your best." ”

“ Word was passed to the braves who rode ponies to put blankets over their shoulders, so they would look like women, and then to build many small fires. While this was being done the squaws in the wagon farthest away from the soldiers were told to move on. When they were gone for a little time, the next wagon was told to follow, and so on, one by one, till there remained only the two nearest the whites. When these drove off, an under officer came to Big Foot. ”

“ You couldn't haul your outfit alone, an' long before you'd sledded grub back I'd be wearin' one of them gleamin' orioles—I believe that's what they call it—on my head, like the pictures of them little, fat angelettes. I ain't got no ear for music, so I'll have to cut out the harp solos.”
“Quit that talk, will you?” said Captain irritably. “Of course, one man can't haul an outfit that far, but two can, so I'm going to take Klusky with me.” He spoke with finality, and the Jew started, gazing queerly. “We'll go light, and drive back a herd of reindeer.” ”

“ The next day the soldiers came again and pitched their tepees near us, while the officer said to big Foot:
"You must move back to your old camp."
"We are not cattle to be put in a pen," said our old chief, speaking very slowly, and then in a great voice he cried, "We will pray where we please." That day the soldiers left. ”

“ Had they been forced to winter in the mountains of Idaho, or among Montana's passes, they would have prepared simply and effectively. Here, however, in a mystic land, surrounded by the unknown, they grew panic-stricken and lost their wits. ”

“ While doing so, an under officer, with four soldiers, advanced toward Black Fox and Yellow Turtle, who stood at some distance. As they advanced, the two young men retreated toward the creek, while the medicine man came forth, standing between them and the white men. My father cried:
"You do not need a gun, medicine man! Your ghost shirt will be enough. Bullets cannot hurt you."
He replied: "My friend, I am afraid." At this point Philip Wells spoke, saying:
"When the soldiers have taken your rifles, you must march past in a line, and they will hold out their guns toward you." ”

“ George put by his work and swore, pacing the rough pole floor.
“Oh, the cussed fools! That makes six dead from the one cabin—six from eighteen, an' Promont 'll make seven to-morrow. Do ye mind how we begged 'em to quit that dugout an' build a white man's house, an' drink spruce tea, an' work? They're too damned lazy. They lie around in that hole, breathe bad air, an' rot.
“And just to think, if we only had a crate of potatoes in camp, we could save every man jack of 'em. ”

“ There were young women who took part, also, and these stood in a line within the circle, then at a signal ran toward a goal, pursued by the medicine men, who struck them with a great ball so that they fell. ”

“ Captain said it with decision, though his heart sank as he felt the uncertainties before him.
George looked squarely into his eyes.
“God bless ye, boy!” he said. “I've cabined with many a man, but never one like you. I'm a hard old nut, an' I ain't worth what you're goin' to suffer, but mebbe you can save these other idiots. That's what we're put here for, to help those as is too ornery- to help theirselves.” He smiled at Captain, and the young man left him blindly. He seldom smiled, and to see it now made his partner's breast heave achingly.
II
“Good old George!” ”

“ Kill as many as you can before you go."
They had three belts of cartridges which they had stripped from soldiers, and when we saw that Pursued was gone we crawled behind a little knoll where the ditch turned, from which we could see our enemies. We fired at them many times, till they turned the fast-firing cannon at us. ”