The Indians' Last Fight Part 9

on the island suffered acutely. Around them lay the dead bodies of some of their companions whom they did not dare to venture out to bury. They were rapidly decomposing and the atmosphere was laden with the nauseating smell that accompanies such a condition either of animal, or man. Added to this was the number of dead horses, which added to the intensity of the malodorous smell. The wounded suffered more and more as inflammation set in or increased. Their condition was pitiable as very little could be done to relieve their sufferings. Above all this, they had to endure the pangs of hunger, which every day grew more and more irksome. It was a sad spectacle that the eyes of the relief corps beheld when they came upon them first. Hardly able to raise their weakened bodies from a rec.u.mbent position, the wounded endeavored to give a cheer at the sight of their deliverers, but it was such a mockery of cheer that it was enough to bring tears to the eyes of many a veteran. Those who had not been wounded, and they were few, lent a willing hand to the administration of medical a.s.sistance to their stricken companions. They felt so overcome with joy themselves that they could hardly express themselves in the intensity of their happiness. But their newly-arrived fellow scouts and soldiers knew by their looks the depth and sincerety of their feelings of grat.i.tude, and felt happy to be able to reach them before death had overtaken the whole band.

The first duty to be attended to by the relief party, was the burial of the dead. Delay would have been dangerous and, perhaps, fatal, as they were, as mentioned above, badly decomposed. They performed the sad duty over the remains of their former companions with all the reverence that their circ.u.mstances would permit. Next, they had to look after the wants of their General. He had been suffering intensely from the wound in the scalp and in the leg. They administered such remedies as they had, which produced some relief. The rest of the wounded were attended to in much the same fas.h.i.+on, each one receiving what attention could be given them. When all this had been done, they made ready to set out for the fort. It was a slow journey, but in time they reached their destination where proper remedies soon restored them to fighting condition again.

The expedition of Gen. Forsythe, which he insisted on making against Roman Nose and his band, terminated in dismal failure. It had cost the lives of several valuable and experienced men, and marred to some degree the reputation for success which he had hitherto gained. Nevertheless, the lesson bore fruit. It taught the American people at large, and General Forsythe in particular that all the knowledge of Indian warfare is not taught at the military academy at West Point. In fact, it was impressed upon the minds of several who were in a position to profit by the lesson, that the "University of the Plains" was far better adapted to produce men who would be successful in that mode of fighting than any of the academies established for the purpose of instructing the neophyte in the art of conducting warlike manoeuvres.

The writer is indebted to S. E. Stillwell, better known to his friends as "Jack," for the information regarding the battle of Arickaree, in which he played so prominent a part. His feat, alone, of bearing the message from Gen. Forsythe to Fort Wallace was sufficient to win him undying fame. In such high esteem was he held by those to whom he lent his services, that Gen. Phil. Sheridan characterized him as being the bravest and most daring young man he ever knew, and he knew a mult.i.tude of them. He was, later on, the trusted and boon companion of Buffalo Bill, "Col. W. Cody," in fighting the Indians on the plains. At one time, later on, he was Police Judge of the City of El Reno. This position he retained until he was appointed United States Commissioner at Anadarko, Okla. This position he resigned and went to the North Plate, Neb., where he died and was buried within a day's ride of the battle ground of the Arickaree. While he was filling the office of Commissioner at Anadarko, the writer frequently spent hours with him chatting over the events of former days upon the plains. During one of those visits, he ventured to inquire of the Commissioner if he thought he himself had killed Roman Nose. He replied that he did not know, but after taking a few puffs of his cigarette, he naively remarked that if he did not, it was attributable to his aim and not to his intention as he gave him his undivided attention from the time he came within range of his rifle until he fell from his horse. He paused then and took a few more puffs, and closed the subject by remarking, "perhaps, some of the other boys did it."

CHAPTER XVIII.

The Whirlwind Raid; Great Expectations Reduced to Disappointment, etc.

For several years succeeding to terminations of the Civil War, the whole plains country, as I have said in the previous chapter, from the frontier settlements westward including a great portion of the Rocky Mountains, and from the British line on the north to the Red river of the north line of Texas, was claimed by the Indian by virtue of his t.i.tle begotten of prior possession, and was used by him as a hunting ground, and also as the theatre in which to stage the settlement of tribal difficulties. As a variation from those internal battles, or wars, as you may wish to call them, they frequently made raids upon the white settlers, killing and scalping the men, kidnapping the women and children, and running off their stock as spoils of war. They roamed that vast expanse of territory at will, seeking their sustenance from the abundance of wild game with which the plains were teeming. Buffalo and deer were there in innumerable quant.i.ties and were easily slaughtered. Smaller game abounded everywhere.

When the bucks returned from the chase with a buffalo or a deer to show for his efforts, the squaws took possession of the carca.s.s, cutting off huge chunks of meat for provisions, and then tanning the hides at which they were experts. In times of peace they worked faithfully at the task of converting the green hide into something serviceable, but when the war alarm was sounded, they readily threw aside the work at hand to follow their lord and master on the warpath, not as an idle onlooker, but armed with a scalping knife and tomahawk, they followed up the work of slaughter by a.s.sisting in the scalping, or mutilating the bodies of the dead. In this last feature of the raid, they seemed to be carried away by a sort of frenzy, and the manner in which they treated the corpses of those slain, was brutal and inhuman in the extreme. In my own experience I have known squaws who were so fascinated by this kind of brutality or rather ghoulishness, that at the first notes of the war song they deserted their white husbands to follow in the wake of the war, although at the time they were drawing rations from the government and were in possession of comfortable homes.

In this connection, it may not be amiss to say something of the Medicine Man, and the part he played in the Indian raids. I might say that he was the most important factor in such undertakings, as well as in the inter-tribal disputes. He seemed to have such an influence over the destinies of the tribe in which he was operating, that the chiefs and their followers placed implicit confidence in his decisions. On him alone, rather than the chiefs in council, depended the undertaking of any raid, or struggle. Whenever there was any prospect of trouble arising, he called the chiefs and warriors and held a seance in which he made inquiries of them as to their opinions and views regarding the matter under discussion.

This done, he set about a series of orgies and incantations to discover from some secret agency the advisability of making the venture, or abandoning it. A consultation of this kind often took several days, but when he arrived at some conclusion, it was announced to the chiefs and their followers, and his decision in the matter was final and devoid of any appeal. As soon as the result of his incantation was promulgated, the warriors buckled on their armor, if I may use the expression, though there were few buckles and oftentimes no more armor than a breach-clout and a blanket with some instrument of warfare, and made ready for the raid on some white settler's cabin and stock, or to engage in a death struggle with some other tribe. The success or failure of his prediction did not affect the medicine man in any great degree as regards his position in the tribe. If the raid was a success, he became the lion of the hour and the tribe looked upon him as something of a supernatural being, but if, on the contrary, things resulted adversely, he had little to lose except his reputation, and that would be so badly shattered that no other member of the tribe would care to wear his mantel of prophesy. To ill.u.s.trate the case in point, I shall mention what befell chief Black Kettle's Medicine Man. After holding a seance for several days, he arrived at the very pleasing conclusion that the white man's gun was no good; that the bullets would fall to the ground close to the muzzle of the gun and consequently would not injure an Indian. When Gen. Custer fell upon him, one winter's morning, on the Was.h.i.+ta and killed more than one hundred of his warriors with Black Kettle himself, and took the remainder of the band prisoners and brought them to Camp Supply, the estimate on that Medicine Man's ability as a prognosticator was diminished to a vanis.h.i.+ng point. We are inclined to smile at the credulity of the Indian in the matter of consulting the Medicine Man, but, in this curiosity to secure a knowledge of future events, especially where they refer to his welfare, they were not much different from the rank and file of white folks who consult some street fakir or clairvoyant, turning over half a dollar to find out whether a business man is dealing fairly or otherwise, or to discover if the partner of one's joys and sorrows, is travelling the path of rect.i.tude or not, or to discover some secret source of wealth that will place the inquirer beyond the reach of want. Such foolish curiosity is not confined to any race or tribe, as I find in my varied reading that the practice of clairvoyancy, soothsaying, etc., has been in practice and fas.h.i.+on from the days when Moses led the Children of Israel out of Egypt down through the ages to the present day, and you will find on investigation that the clients of the fakir are not limited to the unlettered cla.s.s, but embrace members from every grade of society from the proletariat to the Four Hundred. However, to return to the thread of my story, I must say that since the day when the long range gun has been put in the hands of man, the calling of the Medicine Man has become almost obsolete.

In regard to the manner of conducting campaigns, there was no fixed rule, but every chief conducted his fight as circ.u.mstances dictated, and some of the later day chieftains manifested an ability in their campaigns that would stamp them as Napoleons of their tribes and times. Precision and alacrity were seldom wanting in the raids. If they came in contact with the soldier, they outcla.s.sed him to some degree, as, after the first few volleys, they scattered and disappeared from view with a readiness that was astonis.h.i.+ng. Nor could the trained soldier of the line follow up his foe to any advantage as they seldom left a trail behind that would guide him to their hiding place. The untrained eye of the military man militated against any success he might otherwise have had, and it required the scout of the plains to ferret out the marks and signs that would give any opportunity for pursuit. In the meantime the Indian on his fleet-footed ponies would likely be fifty or one hundred miles away from the point of encounter.

The Indian did not always confine his raiding propensities to the white man, but as frequently gave his attention to some of the neighboring tribes with whom they had some matter to adjust. Needless to say, when two tribes met in conflict, the fighting bore a character of savagery that was in keeping with the untamed nature of the partic.i.p.ants. Naturally, the Indian was compelled to confine himself to the use of such weapons as his limited ingenuity could provide, but in the use of what he had he was an adept. Before the introduction of fire-arms his chief weapons consisted of the bow and arrow, the tomahawk, and the scalping knife, but if an opportunity presented itself for him to make use of the more up-to-date weapons of warfare, he took advantage of it, as is instanced in the case of the raid made upon the Back and Fox Indians by their more southerly neighbors.

The Sack and Fox Indians were located in Kansas, and by reason of their close proximity to the settlements of white men, and also on account of carrying on trade with them, they came into possession of fire-arms which they used with considerable success in hunting the buffalo. They found it to their advantage to use the weapon for laying up supplies of meat and hides. This opened up an avenue of trade for them as they found a ready market for the buffalo skins they procured, but in their prosperity they nearly were overcome by disaster. The plain Indians learning of the success of the Sack and Fox Indians, became jealous of them and resolved to exterminate them. A conference was called and invitations issued to the different tribes to take part in the general pow-wow. The a.s.semblage was to take place on the Arkansas River, where they were to decide on what measures to take, or, in other words, lay out a plan of campaign. The Kiowas, Comanches, Arappahoes, Apaches, and Chyennes presented themselves on the day appointed, and initiated the proceedings with a Medicine Dance.

Then a council of war was called and they came to the unanimous conclusion to go north to the Smoky Hill river and wage relentless war upon the Sack and Fox Indians and thus terminate the slaughter of the buffalo on the plains. The leaders.h.i.+p of this expedition was by common consent bestowed upon Chief Whirlwind. They then indulged in their customary war-dance and set forth upon their mission of destruction.

It was Robert Burns who wrote that,

The best laid plans of mice and men Gang aft aglee, And lea' us naught but grief and pain For promised joy.

This quotation applies definitely to the Whirlwind raid. He started forth like a "plumed knight" chanting his war song and whooping along the way to instill courage into his braves, each of whom carried a back-load of arrows and a couple of well-strung bows as his weapons of war, and expected to share in the glory of a great victory. Nor did the chanting and roaring of their chieftain fail of its purpose. By the time they reached their destination they were all strung up to the highest tension, in fact they were all but counting the scalps they were about to carry away in triumph, etc. They reached the canyon in the Smoky Hill country where the Sack and Fox Indians had secreted themselves, prepared to give the invaders of their hunting ranges a warm reception. Whirlwind and his band advanced in confidence, knowing they outnumbered their intended victims, but they were not acquainted with the new ally of their foe. They knew absolutely nothing of the use of fire-arms, their efficiency, and death dealing powers. They had not become acquainted with the sound of the carbine, nor of the shot-gun. This was a power they did not to reckon with, nor knew how to estimate its value. The only thing that concerned them just then was to make a sudden whirlwind dash upon their foe, butcher them, and carry off the spoils. They were led up to the mouth of the canyon chanting and shouting, when the muzzles of a hundred guns belched forth thunder and lightning, and a hail of leaden bullets flew around them in death dealing myriads. They turned and fled, stampeded like a herd of antelope toward their starting point. They reached the Arkansas, but oh!

how their bright expectations had been rudely shattered. One conclusion they arrived at as the result of their unprofitable venture, and that was that bows and arrows was no weapon to offset the effect of a musket or a carbine. It was a sad return for all their brilliant hopes. Behind them lay the corpses of fifty of their bravest warriors, whilst twice that number came limping back home, crippled by the unthought-of ally of their foes. Nor could the loss be estimated at the death of their fellow braves, nor in the wounds borne by the cripples, nor in the number of horses that had been shot from under them, but in the blow to their tribal pride.

There they suffered most, for it was inconceivable to think that one-hundred and twenty-five Sack and Fox Indians should in any manner possible overcome the flower of the various tribes that partic.i.p.ated in the raid. It is estimated by those who know, that there were between twelve and fifteen hundred warriors of the southern tribes under the command of the mighty Whirlwind. As a battle, there was little or nothing to it. The chief with all his experience could not get his men to face that leaden hail that smote the ranks so mercilessly. There was nothing to do but turn tail and flee, which he did.

When they returned to the Arkansas, they mutually agreed that the expedition from the view-point of results obtained was a failure. From there they made their way south until they reached the North Canadian river and there disbanded, each tribe seeking its own reservation, or hunting grounds as it saw fit. They never again returned to molest the Sack and Fox tribes in their peaceful occupation.

It was currently reported and believed by many that Whirlwind on his return to the hunting grounds on the North Canadian, said that every feather had been shot from his war bonnet during the engagement, in the Smoky Hill canyon. I never had the pleasure of being intimately acquainted with that doughty warrior, but I have seen him on several occasions and have also seen his war bonnet, and I know something of the amount of feathers required to decorate it. Since he has pa.s.sed to the Happy Hunting Grounds, I shall take this opportunity of denying that he ever made such a statement, for I do not believe that he ever said it, as the evidence would plainly indicate that he would not be telling the truth, which would be plain to all. Knowing how much the wily old warrior prized the emblem of his former prowess in the field of battle, I feel certain that he would never submit to have it disfigured by the bullets of his foes, particularly, whilst his head was beneath it. So I shall repeat what I said before, "He did not say it."

The reader may be pleased to have a little insight into the general character of Whirlwind, the leader of the expedition that failed. Like all leaders whether white, black, or bronze, he always made it his motto to win. Kill, conquer and destroy were the methods he employed in his campaigns. In the heat of battle, he was relentless and uncompromising, but when the battle was over and he had returned to his own hunting grounds, he showed a spirit of forgiveness and generosity, as well as many other redeeming qualities, for which he should receive due credit.

CHAPTER XIX.

The Sun Dance; Preparations; Its Religious Significance; and Purpose; How it was Conducted, etc.

It may not be amiss to insert here a description of what was known to the various Indian tribes as the Sun Dance. Each nation, people, or tribe in past history has had some ceremony, symbolic in its nature, by which honors and dignities were conferred upon those who sough honor and preferment. Nor has this custom been confined to any particular cla.s.s, for all have, at different times, indulged in the practice, nor was it without its influence and effect upon those who sought advancement. The Knights of the Middle Ages, when in the act of receiving the symbols of their office and vocation, were compelled to submit themselves to some kind of ordeal by which they manifested their fitness to wear the honors they sought. So, too, it was with the denizens of the plains, as the following narrative from unimpeachable authority will ill.u.s.trate. Just as in the days of old, the ceremony was partly religious in its development, so, too, the children of the plains invested the conferring of honors and rights to preferment with religious ceremony and physical tests.

The Sun Dance, as practiced by the Cheyenne tribe of Indians, dates back to time immemorial. In the performance of it, the Indian makes a profession of faith in the Supreme Being, and at the same time subjects those who engage in it, to a physical test that is sufficient to try the heart and soul of even the most valiant. The first step in the proceedings of this semi-religious festival, is to select the proper location for the celebration of it. Weeks, and perhaps months in advance, some pow-wow is held at which they make the selection of the place in which they wish to hold their festival. Usually some well-known camping ground is chosen on account of the abundance of fuel and water, both of which were necessary for the proper conduct of the ceremony, for it was essential that there should be means at hand for preparing the final feast, as well as an abundant supply of water for the mult.i.tudes a.s.sembled from the different districts for the purpose of watering their stock, as well as, affording bathing facilities to such a vast number.

For several days prior to the actual enactment of the ceremony, Indians would begin to a.s.semble, straggling in from long distances, bringing with them the greater part a their household belongings. North, south, east, and west sent their contingents. Whole families with their teepees, ponies, and dogs, a.s.sembled from all parts of the reservations or the plains to partic.i.p.ate in the festivities or to be merely on-lookers hoping in their mere presence to receive some benediction from the Great Spirit whom they a.s.sembled to wors.h.i.+p. Long before the arrival of these scattered bands, the Medicine Man was on the scene to give his attention to whatever preparations were required for the occasion. He usually selected some central point wherein to erect his place of wors.h.i.+p. In this chosen spot he was to enact the two-fold role of High Priest and Medicine Man, to minister to their spiritual and corporal necessities.

Many days elapsed before the arrival of the final contingent, and the intervening time had to be employed as best they could. This gave those who had already arrived on the scene, an opportunity of visiting their relations and friends, whom they had not met, perhaps since the preceding Sun Dance. The older folks were content to while away the pa.s.sing hours in social converse, whilst the young engaged in feats of skill, contesting in games peculiar to the tribe. It was quite evident that they were supremely happy in their childish amus.e.m.e.nts, and enjoyed them as thoroughly as their white contemporaries found pleasure and enjoyment in their more up-to-date and scientific play toys. One thing particularly noticeable in all their endeavors was the spirit of prompt obedience to parental authority. The control that the Indian parent exercises over his child is marvelous, and in all my intercourse with the children of the plains, I have never known of a parent chastizing his child in a cruel or harsh manner. It is a thing unheard of, that a child ever raised a hand or uttered an unfilial expression of contempt towards his parents. I believe that if an Indian child were to emulate the example of many white children, whom I have known not only to treat their parents with contempt, but even go so far as to treat them contumeliously, the Indian father would be so staggered by such an outbreak and disregard for the proprieties of his position, that it would require a council of chiefs to decide upon the proper mode of dealing with the case, as it would lack all precedent. The little redskin is attentive to the wants of his parents, and at all times exercises a continual watchfulness over their wants to forestall any command to fulfill some duty. Nor do the parents fill the childish mind with tales of goblins and hobgoblins to excite terror in his little heart. Even the customary punishment of locking the little child up in some dark corner, is lacking, for there is no need of it. Obedience to authority is part of the nature of the Indian child and it comes so easy for him to render it that it never becomes irksome.

When the last stragglers have arrived, and the interchange of social courtesies is fulfilled, the large central teepee, or ampitheatre is erected and ready for occupancy. In the center of this teepee is placed a large pole much the same as the old-time May pole used by the people of the Middle Ages on the occasion of their annual celebrations, but in this case the purpose was very much different, as will be seen later on in this narrative.

During the time the rank and file of the Indians were enjoying their intercourse, the young men who were candidates for honors in the trials of endurance, were busying themselves plaiting their hair and painting their bodies. They decorated their faces and other portions of the body with every conceivable kind of animal and reptile that human ingenuity could invent, as taste or custom suggested. Some of the productions were very artistic, and some were rather grotesque, but the tout-ensemble served the purpose for which the work was intended. They were no novices in the art of extracting colors from the plants and shrubs that grew in abundance on the plains, and at the same time had developed the art of applying them to the human body for decorative purposes. The paints were not indelible, consequently they could be easily removed and another application made as circ.u.mstances required. At times, the renewal of the decoration took place as many as four or five times a day.

The ceremony lasted four days without any intermission. During that time the candidates for honors were obliged to such a strict fast and abstinence, that not a morsel of food, nor a drop of water pa.s.sed their lips during the time. One favor was conceded to them; they were allowed to smoke. One might be inclined to think that, at times, the regulation was not faithfully observed, but there he would be mistaken. There were too many eyes upon the candidates to permit of his stealing off to the commissary department of the a.s.semblage, nor could he by any means carry off beneath the folds of his garments a morsel of food as the extent of his habiliments would not permit such a thing as his outfit consisted of a breach-clout around his waist and a few feathers in his hair.

At the hour appointed for the opening of the ceremony, a chief mounted his horse and rode through the a.s.sembled throng crying out that the ordeal was about to begin. It was his duty also to set down the rules and regulations governing the performance. When he had explained the ordinances sufficiently to be understood by all the candidates, he withdrew and the Medicine Man appeared on the scene. He was decked out in his most gorgeous array of feathers and finery, with his hair plaited down his back and ornamented with more feathers and quills. Truly, he was an imposing spectacle to the simple minded tribesman and they looked upon him with a species of awe. In his hand he bore the wing of an eagle. He took up his position in a very conspicuous place and struck an att.i.tude very much like some of the Indians we see pictured standing on some eminence with his hand shading his eyes and looking far away over the plains in search of something of interest. The Medicine Man a.s.sumed about the same att.i.tude, using the eagle wing to protect his eyes from the sun. He stood motionless for a period lasting about half an hour, gazing in the direction of the blazing sun. I never came to learn the true meaning of this action on the part of the Medicine Man, but I presume he expected to discover some supernatural visitor coming from the direction in which he was gazing. I can readily imagine what his consternation would be if one of our modern aeroplanes pa.s.sed close over his head while he was making observations of the heavens. There is no doubt he would drop his eagle wing and make a dash for his teepee laboring under the impression that the devil was out making morning calls. Such an apparition would most likely interfere with the completion of the programme, and the tribesmen would probably seek shelter or protection from the whirring, roaring monster, in the depths of the nearby timber. However, as no such occurance took place, the Medicine Man continued his vigil until such time as he thought proper to terminate it. Upon his return to camp, the tomtom sounded and the dance was on. All the braves fell into line, and the pow-wow started with each brave keeping step to the beatings of the primitive instrument. No squaws were permitted to engage in the ceremony as it was to be a strict, test of physical endurance. Much less, are white men permitted to partic.i.p.ate in the Sun Dance, as this is an inst.i.tution particularly appropriated to the Indian tribes. The squaws had their share of the work to do, and while the ceremony was going on, they spent their time in making preparations for the feast that was to follow upon the completion of the dance. The young men who were not otherwise engaged and who did not care to undergo the terrible ordeal about to follow, mounted their ponies and scoured the plains for game. This was a necessary undertaking, as the amount required to supply the throng present with food, was very great. True, each tribesman brought some provisions, but that supply would be inadequate to the demands of such an occasion.

If any white man had an opportunity to witness the proceedings of the Sun Dance, he would most likely arrive at a very erroneous idea of the intent and purpose of the occasion, nor would he understand the significance of what he might see. The wild, wierd scene before him, the fantastic movements of the partic.i.p.ants in the drama would probably create in his mind a false impression of the nature and character of the ceremony.

However, to arrive at the true meaning of what was being done, it is sufficient to say that the heads of numerous families were present on the occasion I speak of, to do homage and wors.h.i.+p the Great Spirit, and offer thanks for favors received in the past. This goes to show that the Indian was not unmindful of his obligation to the Great Spirit, but brings out to our view a side of the Indian character that is very seldom mentioned by those who appear or seem to know all about him. They were grateful for the gifts received from the hand of their Creator and on occasions of this kind strove to show it. They probably had some friend or relative who escaped from some calamity. If so, this was the occasion on which they showed their grat.i.tude to the Father of all. Perhaps, some of them had wives and children who had recently recovered from some ailment. If so, they were grateful. Sundry were the purposes for which they a.s.sembled on this occasion to offer up their meed of praise and thanksgiving to the Great Spirit. Their devotion was as sincere and deep-seated as the Pilgrims who made long pilgrimages to the Holy Land to visit the sepulchre of Him, who died for us all. The scoffer may not be able to see it, but there is One who sees and judges, and who will render to each and all the just reward on the day of the final reckoning, and the Indian may not be as bad as painted when seen in the light of the Kingdom of Heaven, where he will be judged according to his lights.

When the hunters have returned from the chase, each deposits in the commissary department the trophies of the hunt, antelope, deer, badgers, c.o.o.ns, rabbits. All is grist that is brought to that mill. Even the dogs contribute their share to make the supply equal to the grand display of culinary art that is to be staged at the close of the ceremony. It may appear strange to the reader that the turkey had no place on the menu card of the feast. The reason of this lay in the fact that the Indian considered him too cowardly and timid to be food fit for the brave and warlike members of the tribe, as it would have a tendency to diminish, if not destroy their spirit of bravery and fort.i.tude.

In the meantime, all had been a scene of activity in the ranks of those who were contending for honors, as I have mentioned in a former paragraph.

The tom-tom had sounded the call to the test. The old warriors and the young bucks who were out for preferment, had formed a procession and were marching toward the ampitheatre. The old bucks who had won their honors on the war-path were dressed in their fanciest blankets, while those who were to undergo the ordeal wore nothing save the breach-clout, and a few feathers. When the excitement of the preliminary movements had taken possession of the young men, one of the most reckless of the young bucks broke from the ranks and began to dance around the pole. There he gave himself up to a frenzy of movement, gyrating and gesticulating in a manner marvelous to behold. Swinging his hands, kicking up his heels, twisting, twirling, performing antics of all kinds supposed to be of the nature of warlike movements, he all the time gave vent to a series of yells, whoops, and screams of the most unimaginable kind. At the proper moment, a new feature of the ceremony took place. A man selected for the purpose came forth bearing a knife in his hand. His duty it was to make incisions in the back of the aspirant for honors. Two incisions were made on each side of the back, about half an inch apart. When the knife had done its work, the flesh was raised between the gashes and a skewer of wood, much resembling the old-fas.h.i.+oned husking peg, was forced through the flesh beneath the skin. Around the projecting ends of this was tied a buckskin thong to which was tied a la.s.so. This operation was performed on both the incisions. A buffalo skull was then tied to the la.s.so at its further extremity. The operation is then complete, unless the young brave should request an additional skull which would be provided if convenience, or opportunity, permitted. If it were not possible to provide a buffalo head for the occasion, the skeleton of a deer, or a bear would answer the purpose as well. In fact, the skeleton of any beast of prey was considered to suffice, as it was supposed to engender a warlike spirit in the candidate. This feature of attaching the skeleton of a beast of prey was not always performed in the same way, as some of the tribes preferred to have it attached to their b.r.e.a.s.t.s.

When properly equipped with this new attachment, whether buffalo skull or skeleton of a deer or other animal, the young buck was then turned loose.

He joined in the chanting and kept step with the other dancers, but did not mingle in the ranks, as the appendage attached to him and dragging along might interfere with the rythmical movements of the dancers. He did not, fail to keep step with his fellows, nor neglect his part of the singing, but confined the field of his operations, separate from the others, where he could conduct himself with what freedom the impediment he was dragging, would permit. There he discovered himself confronted with difficulties at several points, as the buffalo skull might become entangled in a tuft of gra.s.s and intensify the pain he was already suffering so heroically. In case of difficulty of the kind, he received no a.s.sistance from outside sources, but was compelled to wiggle and twist until he succeeded in loosing it from its hold or tore the flesh and skin from his back. It might happen that the first obstacle that he met would break the fleshy bonds that hold the skewers in place, and free him from his burden, or he might drag his burden around for days. Oftentimes, in a spirit of playfulness, some young redskin, promped by the genius of mischief, would jump on the skull and tear it loose from its moorings, but lacking this fortuitous event, and weary of the burden, he would frequently in desperation wilfully become entangled in something or other and break it of his own volition. When he became detached from the buffalo skull in the manner described, there necessarily was left a gaping wound with ragged edges. Then he received attention from the Medicine Man who was close at hand for such an emergency. With his knife he trimmed off the rough edges and expectorated the juice of some herb which he had been chewing, into the wound. This remedy was supposed to be sufficiently potent to eradicate any infection that might be lurking there, and produce beneficial results owing to the healing qualities of the plant he masticated. That was the total of the medical treatment the candidate received during the whole term of his torture. Frequently there were as many as a dozen candidates on, trial at the same time, and all were compelled to endure the same torture. It frequently happened that some of them weakened by hunger and exhausted from the pain they were suffering, fell in a swoon. If such were the case, he was left where he fell, and no attempt was made to render him any other a.s.sistance than throwing a buffalo robe or blanket over him where he lay. There they permitted him to lie, to recover or die as the case might be. It made no difference to the other dancers what his condition might be, they continued their gyrations apparently indifferent to the condition of the victim of hunger and torture beneath the blanket. If he revived, he began again his dancing and chanting as though there had been no interruption, which he continued until freed from his burden. The test is the same for all, and the attention and medical a.s.sistance rendered is identical in every case.

As I said before, other tribes prefer to have the incisions made upon their b.r.e.a.s.t.s, but in such a case do not bear the burden of a buffalo skull, but are attached by the lariat rope to the limb of a tree, or to the centre pole of the ampitheatre round which they dance until they succeed in breaking loose by tearing the skewer through the flesh that holds it. As for the medical treatment, it is the same in all cases.

The ceremony is continued until the supply of volunteers for honors is exhausted. Those who have pa.s.sed through the ordeal successfully are in line for promotion to the higher offices of their respective tribes providing a vacancy occurs through death or accident. They are considered the proper material to fill the offices of chief. They have been put through a test sufficiently harsh to try the heart and soul to its utmost capacity for suffering. Their courage and constancy was beyond question, and henceforth were looked upon as men having a prior right to fill the place of any old chief who might go to the Happy Hunting Grounds. They were not only proud that they had borne the test successfully, but also were more pleased that they had lived up to the traditions of the family.

They were firm believers in heredity, and were proud of the distinction of being descended from some former warrior of prominence as the present day white man is jealous of his descent from the first colonists who came over in the Mayflower. I have met Indians who gloried in their descent from Roman Nose, Black Kettle and other noted leaders who have long since pa.s.sed away, and I have found others who traced their lineage back to Tec.u.mseh, and Black Hawk.

The system of dancing just described was suppressed by Col. Woodson whilst he was in charge of the Darlington Agency, as he considered it too cruel and barbarous to be permitted on the Reservation because he thought it would have a tendency to r.e.t.a.r.d any progress the younger Indians might be making towards a more civilized manner of life. I understand, however, that Col. Woodson's order was rescinded by another Commissioner of Indian Affairs at a later date, and they are now permitted to practice it in a modified form.

It has been my lot to witness nearly every form of dance from the Irish Jig to the latest form of Tango, or Bunny Hug, Scotch Reels, the French Four, the Dutch Waltzes, the old American Cotillion, and the Virginia Reel, but all these combined and set in motion at the same time to the wildest and weirdest music known to the white race, would fail to produce the soul thrilling, hair-rising emotions created by the Cheyenne Sun Dance when in full swing. The sound of Patrick Gilmore's band, in its palmiest days, would be as the twittering of the snow bird in comparison with the roar of the Rocky Mountain lion, when the festivities were at their height.

When the time limit of the Sun Dance expired, everything was placed away for future use. The buffalo skulls, sacred utensils of the feast, were carefully secreted, and the ampitheatre removed. Nothing remained but the trampled gra.s.s to show that anything beyond the ordinary had taken place.

The Dance having been completed, the feasting begins. During all the time the braves have been engaged in their soul thrilling, hair-raising performance, the squaws have been busy. They were running back and forth, making preparations for the banquet. Some spent their time skinning a coyote or other animal, others dressing and cooking the food already prepared, others looking around for choice morsels to tempt the appet.i.te of some lord and master, as they felt he might be in need of something delicate to meet the wants of a stomach sensitive from long fasting.

Whatever the occupation, they were all busy, as the number to be waited upon might number thousands. It was no easy task, but they were equal to the occasion. At the signal given as before, the feast is on. To see them plunging with reckless abandon into the midst of the feast, one would be forced to conclude that the long fast had little effect upon their appet.i.tes except to render them sharper. All thought of the stomach being in a delicate condition was forgotten, and the chief work at hand was to give undivided attention to devouring as much of the viands within reach as the capacity of the stomach would permit, and that was some capacity.

Nicety of choice was not manifested to any great degree, for their hunger was usually at such a pitch that they could devour anything that the teeth could masticate to some degree. Here you might see a lordly old chief manipulating the hurricane deck of a gray wolf, or a skunk with wonderful dexterity; there another warrior bold making a savage attack upon a handful of racc.o.o.n claws, and so it went from one end of the mult.i.tude to the other, each earnestly intent upon demolis.h.i.+ng the pile of viands set before him and wondering if there was any more left for a second a.s.sault.

The time generally allotted for the repast was sunrise. Then each and all squatted upon the ground anxious for the welcome ordeal to begin. Sitting on their haunches, facing the rising sun, not a word was spoken. It might have been that they were too worn out from the long fast, or perhaps they were so pre-occupied with the thought, of the great spread before them that they had no inclination to talk, but the more probable reason is that it was one of the regulations set down to govern the termination of the festival. No matter what the motive was that governed the conduct of the throng in the matter of maintaining silence and avoiding undue noise, the fact was that they set to the work of supplying the wants of the inner man without delay, either in beginning, or continuing the work of demolition.

All the rules of etiquette, as prescribed for the four-hundred, were suspended. It was a case of "Reach what you can, and while making way with it keep the eye on the lookout for more. Anything you do not see is not good for you." They did not merely eat their food, they seemed to absorb it. The execution was rapid and effective, and the final result might have been summed up in a huge pile of bones from which the meat had been thoroughly removed.

The breakfast, as one might call the repast just ended, did not terminate their stay in the locality, but each and all felt it a bounded duty to remain as long as there was any of the huge pile of provisions remaining.

They were all jubilant over the happy termination of the ordeal, and the young men who had endured the test successfully strutted about with a pardonable pride in their bearing. Feasting took the place of fasting and all were merry as far as their method of life would permit the expression of that feeling. When the last vestiges of the immense store of game disappeared, they all gathered up their possessions and made ready to set out to their respective camping grounds. Prior to their departure they held a sort of conclave in which they decided when and where to hold the next meeting, and also outlined the nature of the dance to be performed on the occasion. It might be a Medicine Dance, or a Green Corn Dance, or some other festivity peculiar to the notions of the tribes and the exigencies of the occasion. Whatever the decision was, it was abided by faithfully on the time appointed. This settled, they returned home with the satisfaction of having done what they considered a duty, and felt that they had fulfilled their obligations to the Great Spirit.

I feel very much indebted for the above description of the Sun Dance, to a lady who spent many of her younger years among the tribe who conducted it.

She is familiar with the customs of the tribe, knows their traditions, and, in fact, may be considered an authority on things relating to the history of that nation. Her name, at the time of which I write, was Mina E. Ashpard, but was changed by the Indians to Tat-ta-voe-e-tau, or Blue Beads, on account of the string of blue beads which she usually wore around her neck. She was loved and admired by the whole tribe, but particularly by several young chiefs who sought her hand in marriage. Her affections, however, leaned to another direction, and she afterward married W. C. Ross, who owns a large tract of land adjoining the flouris.h.i.+ng City of El Reno, the Queen City of the North Canadian. Mrs.