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Belden.
BELDEN, THE WHITE CHIEF;
TWELVE YEAES
AMONG THE
WILD INDIANS OF THE PLAINS.
FROM THE DIARIES AND MANUSCRIPTS
GEORGE P. BELDEN,
The Adventurous White CTi^f, Soldier, Hunter, Trapper, and Ouide.
EDITED BT
GEN. JAMES S. BRISBIN, U.S.A.
CINCINNATI AND NEW YORK:
C. F. VENT.
CHICAGO' J. 8. GOODMAN & CO. PHILADELPHIA: A. H. HUBBAaD
ST. LOUIS : F. A. HUTCHIXSON & CO.
SAK FRANCISCO : A. L. BANCROFT & CO.
1871.
Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1870,
By^C. P. VENT,
In the Offlce of the Librarian of Congress, at "Washington.
STIBKOTTPKD AT THE FBANKLIN TYPB FOU>'DBy, CINCINNATI, OHIO.
PUBLISHERS' PREFACE,
rr^HE attention of the Publishers was called to the Belden papers
something over a year ago, since which time a few of them have
been published in the New York Tribune and the Chicago Tribune^ and
in the Cincinnati Gazette. The papers thus published, although the
less important and interesting of the collection, excited a great deal of
interest, and were read with a great deal of satisfaction by thousands.
In fact, so great was the satisfaction, that the whole series was eagerly
sought for publication in serial form before its issuance in book form ;
but we are happy to state that we secured the entire series, and herein
present it to the public, fresh and unhackneyed.
The illustrations are from original designs, many of them made iu
outline by Mr. Belden himself, and others by Mr. Ini^man, formerly
of New York, but now of the Regular Army. They were all engraved
by the New York Bureau of Illustration, and we can not speak too
warmly of the promptness and fidelity with which their engagement
was fulfilled. The quality of their work speaks for itself.
(iii)
iv publishers' preface.
It will be observed that nearly every chapter is complete in iiselfy each
presenting a different phase of Indian or frontier life and character, but
all so systematized and arranged as to form a connected and com-
plete whole,
THE PUBLISHERS.
Cincinnati, September, 1870.
CONTENTS
CHAPTER I.— Difficulties in Writing a Book— My Early Home— Run Away—
Arrive at Brownsville, Nebraska — On the Banks of the Missouri — First
Impressions of x\e West — Early Settlers — My Father Moves Out West —
Starts the " Nemaha Valley Journal " — Growth of the West — Thirst for
Adventure — Run Away from Home a Second Time — Regrets at Leaving —
The Pony — Out in the Open Air — Under the Starlight — A Last Look at
Home— Off for the Plains.
CHAPTER II. — Nebraska City — Omaha — Council Bluffs — Laying in Supplies —
A Surprise — Off Again — Lost on the Prairies — An Alarm — The Hunter's
Cabin — Indian News — A Frontier Supper — The Peace Pipe — Singular Be-
havior of my Host — The Red Devils at Work — A New Arrival — Oenerosity
Extraordinary — Sioux City — La Frombe — Joining the Indians — Adopted
into the Tribe — An Indian Sweetheart — Married by Order — Settling Down to
be a Warrior.
CHAPTER III.— Life Among the Indians— My Little Wife Washtella— The
Medicine Lodge — A Curious Custom — Medicine Arrows — What the Indians
Eat — A Family Man — Pleasant Evenings — Washtella's Tales — The Ancient
Yanktons — Indian Amusements — The Ball Game — How it is Played — A
Spirited Contest — Preparing for the Fall Hunt — How the Indians Travel.
CHAPTER IV.— Off for the Fall Hunt— Washtella and the Pony— Indian
Songs — Camping Out — A Stroll in the Wild Woods — Sunset on the Prairies —
Washtella and I — An Indian Fairy Tale — The Giants of Old — Wearer of the
White Feather — What Chacopee Saw in the Woods — The Wooden Man —
Battle of the Giants— Chacopee's Troubles— All's Well that Ends Well-
Indian Credulity — At the Hunting Grounds.
CHAPTER v.— The Beautiful Lake— Killing the First Buffalo on the Hunt-
Unexpected Honors — The Great Hunt — How the Indians Take Buffalo —
Jerking the Meat — Packing away Winter Supplies — Moving Camp — Killing
Buffalo Calves — Other Modes of Capturing Buffalo — The Hunt Ended — The
Buffalo Feast and Dance — Return Homeward — At Peace with all the World.
CHAPTER VI. — Indian Doctors — Their Ignorance and Vanity — Patent Medi-
cines — Indian Girl Bitten by a Rattlesnake — The Savage Mode of Treat-
ment — An Old Indian Physician — A Veritable Ass — How the Girl was
Cured — Wonder of the Savages — The Council and Explanation — Modesty of
the Indian Doctor — Practicing Medicine among the Savages — A Bore — I Give
Up the Doctoring Business.
CHAPTER VII.— Indian Horse Races — The Santeer Get Beaten — Another
Expedition against the Pawnees — Crossing the Missouri — Waiting for the
Santees— The March— The Attack— Woo-Uoo-Yah-Hoo— A Disaster— The
Retreat— A Battle— The War-Chief Wounded— A Terrible Contest— Defeated
Again — The Return Homeward — Parting With the Santees — Mourning for
the Dead.
CHAPTER VIII.— Conduct of Galles-Sca — In Trouble— A Fight with an
Indian — New Expedition against the Pawnees — Its Fate — Determines to
Take a Journey — The Departure — On the March — Beautiful Soeuery— An
CONTEXTS.
Indian I>urying-Qround — Talk with Washtella about the Dead — Scene in th«
(j rave- Yard — Curious Indian Customs — How They Bury Their Dead — Super-
stitions — A Night Camp — The Journey Continued — Far Up the Missouri —
In the Santee Lands — How We Cooked and Ate.
CHAPTER IX.— An Indian Village— Mirages on the Prairies— Their Fatal
Deceptions — The Encampment — A Surprise — A Strange and Beautiful Pic-
ture — The Warning and Welcome — Locating a Town Lot — The Sautees —
Curiosity of tlie Women — Resemblance between White and Red Women —
A Noble People — The Missionary — Pleasant Interview — How the Indiana
Build their Homes — My New Residence.
CHAPTER X.— Indian Arrows— How they are Made— Cutting the Shafts— Dry-
ing and Smoking them — Why they are Wrapped in Rawhide — Peeling the
Shafts— Making the Notch— Why the Shaft is Fluted— The Arrow-Head—
Fastening it — Putting on the Feather — Price of Arrow-IIeads — Where they
are Made — Immense Profits of the Traders — Prices of Arrows — The Indians
Bad Financiers — Indian Paints — Where they are Manufactured — A Curious
but Profitable Business — War Arrows — A Deadly Shaft — The Terrible Poi-
soned Arrow — How it is Poisoned — Disuse of the Poisoned Arrow — The Reason
Why — Signal Arrows — How they are Made — Their Meaning — Indian Cun-
ning.
CHAPTER XI.— The Bow— Its Antiquity— Indian Boys Learning to Shoot-
Power of the Bow — The Sioux Bow — How it is Made — Why it is Carried Un-
strung — Wood for Bows — Their Value — Difiiculty of Drawing them — Shooting
Bufi"alo with Bows and Arrows — Strengthening the Bow with Sinew — The
Bow-String — Crow and Cheyenne Bows — The Elk Horn Bow — How it is
Made — The Value of an Elk Bow — Quivers — How they are Made and Car-
ried — Names of Indians — The Sioux Chief Spotted Tail — How to Shoot with
the Bow — Striking with the Bow — Indian Insults and Honor.
CHAPTER XII.— Indian Manufactures— The Bone, Stone, and Flint Ax— How
they are Made — Indian Hammers, Mallets, Hatchets, and Hoes— ^Rasps and
Files — How they are Made, and what Used for — War-Clubs, Spears, and Jave-
lins — Indian Riding-Whips — Curious Manner of Making them — The Indian
Knife — A Remarkable Trade Enterprise — The Crow Comb — " Necessity the
Mother of Invention" Illustrated.
CHAPTER XIII.— Buffalo Robes— Fleshing, Tanning, and Drying them— Trade
Robes— Their Value— The Body Robe— The Fur Trade— How it is Con-
ducted — Its Profits — Indian Prices of Furs — Sending them to Market — Their
Value at St. Louis — Articles of Trade — What Indians Buy — A New Cur-
rency — Labor of Preparing Furs — How Much a Squaw Gets for a Full Day's
Work — Furs the Cheapest Goods in the World.
CHAPTER XIV.— Pipes and .Tobacco— Where did Man Learn to Smoke?— The
Tobacco Plant — Where the English Found it — Old Indian Pipes — How and
of What they are Made — The Way an Indian Smokes — Ceremonies in
Smoking — The Tomahawk Pipe — Its Use — The Phil. Kearney Battle Club—
A Horrible Instrument — Pipe Stones — Indian Kinne-kan-nick — How it is
Made — Sumach Tobacco — The Indian's Acknowledgment of God — Tobacco
Bags — How and of What they are Made — Their Value.
CHAPTER XV.— Trapping— When the Indians Learned the Art of Trapping-
How to Set the Traps — A Trapper's Life — Hard Work — Number of Beaver
Usually Taken with a Dozen Traps — Indian Peculiarities — Crow Superstition
about the Bear — The Crow Chief, Iron Bull — Sioux Superstition about the
Prairie-Dog — What this Animal Really is — A Case of Prejudice — Bear Claws.
CHAPTER XVI.— Scalping— Why the Indians Scalp People— A Singular Belief-
No Bald Heads in Heaven — The Scalp-Lock — How the Pawnees, Sioux, and
Winnebagoes Wear their Hair — Other Indians — Ornaments for the Hair The
CONTENTS.
Silrer Tails — A Sioux Long Tail — The Iron Ring Ornament — How to Take it
Off—Does it Pull?— The Scalping-Knife— A Preserved Scalp— Mr. Belden's
Belt.
CHAPTER XVII.— Painting the Pace— Indian Taste— The Lone Paint— Scalp
Paint — Parting the Hair — How Indian Girls Paint — Love Paint — A Cause of
Excitement — Laughable Mistakes — The Indian Belle — Her Disappointment —
The Sioux Death Paint — Crow and Snake Colorings — Looking-Glasses — Nat-
ural Mirrors — A Sioux Beauty Surprised-»-Her Mortification and Modesty.
CHAPTER XVIII.— Indian Head-Dresses— How they are Made— The Skull-
Cap — The Buffalo Head-Dress — An Enormous Hat — Standing Bull's Head-
Dress — Warriors Visiting — Their Hat-Boxes — An Indian Toilet — The Bald
and Black Eagle — Their Use — Value of Eagle Feathers — Price of an Indian
Head-Gear — Feather Signs — Their Use in War — The Scalp Feather — An
Indian Ensign.
CHAPTER XIX. — Moccasins — The Indians as Shoemakers — How Moccasins are
Made — Who Make them — Sioux, Cheyenne, Arrapahoe, Crow, and Pawnee
Shoes — Their Shape and Tracks — Imitative Power of the Indian — The Win-
nebagoes as Manufacturers — Winnebago Women — Their Comeliness of Per-
son — How they Braid their Hair — A Beautiful Custom — Shells of Ocean — ^A
Bioux Ear-Ring — Bead Belt — Cost of Sea-shells and their use.
CHAPTER XX. — Indian Women — Child-bearing among them — Physical Endur-
ance of the Squaw — Her Habits — The Pappoose — Indian Cradles — How
they are Made — Carrying the Pappoose — Indian Education — Mourning for
the Dead — Disfiguration of the Body — A Tedious and Barbarous Custom —
Mourning for the Slain at Phil. Kearney — Punishing Dumb Animals for the
Dead — The Baby Asleep.
CHAPTER XXI.— Indian Dogs— Their Origin— Habits of the Dog— His Cow-
ardice and Treachery — What the Indians do with Him — Number of Dogs to
a Family — Raising Dogs for Food — Indian Dog Feasts — The Author Attends
one — Dog Soup — Manners at an Indian Table — How Dogs are Cooked — The
Prejudice Against Dog Meat — How it Tastes — Why do n't we Eat Dogs ? —
Wild Artichokes and Corn — The Author Learns to Like Dog — An Enterprise
Considered — The Enterprise Abandoned.
CHAPTER XXII.— The Fall Hunt— A New Expedition Planned— The Start-
Camps on the Missouri — A Delightful Country — Pleasures of Camping Out —
A Herd of Buffalo— The Old Bull— An Adventure with a Buffalo— The Pur-
suit — Pursuer Pursued — My Pony — Terrible Fall — Perilous Situation — Given
up for Lost — The Deliverance — A Lesson to Buffalo Hunters.
CHAPTER XXIII.— Off for the Mountains— Hunting Elk and Antelope — A Bear
Hunt — The Three Grizzlies — A Race — Looking for the Game — More Game
Found than Wanted — Taking up a Position — Skirmishing — The Enemy won't
Scare — The Battle — A She-Bear and Two Cubs — Intelligence of the Bear —
A Dead Monster — Skinning a Bear — The Return to Camp — An Alarm —
Indians — What Frightened them — Supper in Camp — A Night March — Far up
in the Mountains — Our New Camp.
CHAPTER XXIV.— Hunting Rocky Mountain Sheep— An Early Start— Meeting
the Sun on the Mountain-tops — The Big Horns in Sight — La Frombe Kills a
Sheep — My Chagrin at a Bad Shot — Following the Big Horns — A Toilsome
Journey — The Sheep in Sight Again — Killing a Ram — His Astonishing
Strength — A Meal on the Mountain — The Return — Home Once More.
CHAPTER XXV.— Old Buffalo Bulls— The Monarchs of the Prairies— A Chase
After one — His Rage and Efforts to Capture me — A Trick — How he Hid from
me — Terrible Collision — The Result — What I Saw — Dangerous Situation —
Death of the Buffalo — My Condition — Poor Little Pony — The Return tc
Camp — Alarm of my Friends — All Right Once More.
CX)NTENTS.
CHAPTER XXVI.— Legend of Crazy Woman— Story of the Old Indian— In
troduction of Rum among the Crows — The White Trader — Singular Con-
duct of the Chief— The Crazy Warrior — Crow Council — The Black Water-
Speech of the Young Warrior — Peril of the Trader — The Confession — An
Indian Duel — Death of the Trembling Hand — Murder of the Trader-«-The
White Squaw — Her Escape — The Crazy Woman — How the Stream tctk its
Name.
CHAPTER XXVII.— Stealing Ponies from the Indians— Nelson, my Compan-
ion — A Short Biography — Dangerous Situation — Discovery of the Indian
Village — Nielson's Coolness — Watching the Village from the Hills— In the
Indian Camp — The Old Squaw — The Alarm — Stampeding the Ponies — The
Pursuit — A Night March — Fighting the Indians — A Friendly Grove — Another
Night March — The Surprise — The Result — A Safe Arrival at Home.
CHAPTER XXVIII.— Legend of the White Buffalo— The Crow Chiefs Daugh-
ter — Unreasonable Conduct of her Father — The Young Chief— His Suit
Denied— The White Buffalo— The Maiden's Shame— A Death Council— Story
of the Girl — Another Council — The Young Chief and the Maiden Condemned
to Death — Battle with the White Buffalo — Led out to Die— Discovery of the
White Buffalo— The Prisoners Saved— Death of the White Buffalo— A Happy
Marriage.
CHAPTER XXIX.— Story of the Storm-Child— A Famine among the Crow
Indians — The Journey to the Mountains — Plenty of Game — Are Threatened
with Starvation again — The Big Ring Hunt — A Storm — The Hands in the
Clouds— The Green Child— Death of the Crow Warrior who Touched it— Birth
of the Storm-Child — A Singular Superstition — The Storm-Child Lives and
Grows to be a Woman.
CHAPTER XXX.— The Plum-Stone Game— How it is Played— Manner of Count-
ing — The Dice — How they are Made — Shaking them Up — A Pair of Old Grum-
blers — Dead Broke — Story Telling — George Washington — The Missionary and
his Books — Intelligence of the Indians — Their Love of Reading — How they
Impart Information to each other — Familiarity with the Character of Wash-
ington — The Cause — Preparations for the Old Man's Story.
CHAPTER XXXI.— The Old Man's Story— His Grandfather's Tale— Early His-
tory of the Sioux Nation — Their Power and Glory — First Visit of the White
Man — His Gun Described — Astonishment of the Indians at its Power — The
Council — The White Man Allowed to Remain — The Buffalo Hunt — How the
White Man Killed Game— Alarm of the Buffalo at the Noise of his Gun — The
Buffalo all Run Away — Another Council — The White Man Sentenced to
Death — Death of the Squaw — Death of the White Man — His Prediction —
Division of the Tribe — Where the Bands Went — The Brule, Ogallala, San tee,
and Yankton Sioux.
CHAPTER XXXII.— Indian Pastimes— Jugglers and Mountebanks— Curiosity
of the Savages — The Gun Trick — Catching Bullets — A Dangerous Trick — The
Triumphant Juggler — A Juggler Out-juggled — Firing a Gun with Ashes —
The Trick Successfully Performed — Astonishment of the Indians — How it was
Done — Throwing the Pony — A Failure — The Owner Throws the Pony to Show
How it was Done — End of an Indian Show.
CHAPTER XXXIII.— A Visit to the Missionary— His Anxiety for my Welfare—
A Proposition to go Home, or become a Missionary — I Respectfully Decline —
A Visit to an Indian School — Singular Method of Teaching the Children —
The Object of it — Promise to Visit the Missionary Often — French Pete, the
Trader — Visit to his Store — I Relate to him my History, and he Tells me a
Story.
CX)NTENTS.
CHAPTER XXXIV.— The Trader's Story— St. Paul in Early Times— Failure o'
the Indian Trade — Panic among the Indian Traders — Off for the Savage
Tribes — Purchasing Indian Goods — Fort Randall — Meeting with the La
Frombe Brothers — What they Said — Camping in the Old Ranche — Strange
Voices — A Frontier Supper — Singular Noises — The Alarm — A Head above the
Wall — Waiting for the Enemy — Imagined Security — Interviewing the Sav-
ages — Death of the Man on the Wall — Preparations for the Battle — The In-
dian War-Whoop.
CHAPTER XXXV.— The Attack— The Repulse— Firing the Prairie— Strengthen-
ing our Works — Louis is Wounded — A Broadside at the Indians—Good Effects
of a DoubN Barreled Gun — A Truce — Carrying off the Dead — Indian Strat-
egy — All Ready again — Renewal of the Battle — Tomahawked — Death of Bap-
tiste — Escape of Louis — Return to Consciousness — Kindness of the Indians—
I join the Tribe and get back my Goods — Trading in the Indian Camp— -The
Profits— Off to St. Louis for more Goods— End of the Trader's Story.
CHAPTER XXXVI.— Traditions of the Sioux Nation— Their Origin and Early
History as told by Themselves — Division of the Assiniboines from the Sioux —
The Love of a Faithless Woman causes War.
CHAPTER XXXVII.— The Indian Sweat-Lodge— How it is Built— Manner of
Using it — How the Indians Treat their Sick — Old Men and Women of no
Account — Indian Science of Medicine — I get Sick — The Missionary's Medi-
cine — I Grow Worse — Anxiety of my Squaw — She Consults with the Old
Medicine Man — AVhat they Did — A Stubborn Doctor and Wife — I am to
be Killed or Cured — Terrible Sweat — I Faint from Exhaustion — They try
to drown me — Rapid Recovery — Wonderfully Beneficial Effects of the Sweat-
Bath — Cases in which the Sweat-Bath is Never Used.
CHAPTER XXXVIII.— Night Scenes in an Indian Village— Chants of the
Medicine Men — Smoking, Story-Telling, and Dancing — Wild Young Men —
A Story-Telling People — Good Listeners — Preservation of Historical Events
among the Sioux — Remarkable Correctness of their Narratives — What Neil
says about Them — War Songs — Deeds of the Forefathers — What the Young
Men are Taught — Indian Girls — Their Coquetry — Childhood of the Indian
Girl — Her Married Life one of Slavery — The War Path — Consecration of Ani-
mals — War and Chase Dances.
.CHAPTER XXXIX.— A Sioux Doctor— Derivation of the Term Medicine Man-
Superstition about Tails — Sucking Disease out of a Patient — Sending for the
Doctor — War Prophets — Funny way of Visiting a Patient — Symbols and
Charms — Casting the Bad Spirit out of a Sick Man — A Water-Cure — The
Image — Shooting the Image — Perilous Posture of a Woman — Burying the
Image — Wa-Kan Ton-Ka — Another Kind of Indian Doctor — The Prophets —
Their Functions and Egotism — Reception of War Parties — Painting and Dye-
ing Scalps — Dancing the Scalps — How the Ceremony is Performed — Gourd
Rattles — A Mistaken Theory about Scalp Dancing — What Becomes of the
Scalp after it is Danced — How the Warrior Wears it — The Eagle's Feather
with a Red Spot — The Red and Black Hand — The Medicine Men of the
M'Dewankantonwan Tribe — Freemasonry of the Oanktahee — Initiation of
a Medicine Man— ^A Severe Ordeal — Description of the Ceremony — Chants of
the Medicine Men*— Their Translation — An Absurd Conceit — What a Medi-
cine Bag is Made out of — The Contents of one Exposed.
CHAPTER XL.— Old Indian Deeds— Rascality of White Men — Jonathan Carver's
Deed — How the Indians are Cheated out of their Lands — Indian Signa-
tures — Deeds and Conveyances to Ducharme — Cheap Landi — Bitter Recol-
lections — Why the Sioux are Distrustful of the White Men.
10 CONTENTS.
CHAPTER XLI.— How the Indians Compute Time— No Months in their Year-
Number and Designation of their Moons — A Superstition about the Evil Spirits
Eating Up the Moon — How the Great Spirit Replaces it — The Dog Dance —
Why it is Seldom Performed — Manner of Performing the Ceremony — Eating
Raw Dog — What Part the Squaws get — In whose honor Dog Dances are Made —
The Fish Dance — Origin of the Ceremony — The Sioux Chief — A Singular
Dream — Mode of Conducting the Fish Dance — No One but Chiefs Entitled to
80 Great an Honor.
CHAPTER XLII.— Ma-To-Sca's Saddle— How it was Made— My Anxiety to
Possess it — Ma-To-Sca Refuses to Sell it — Efforts to get my Squaws to Make
me a Saddle — The Result — Ma-To-Sca's Gun — The Gun Cover — How it was
Made.
CHAPTER XLIII.— The Old Man— His Age— A Singular Person— A Jovial
Party — Young Men and Women — Giving the Old Man his Last Smoke — What
the Squaw said about Him — Death of the Old Man.
CHAPTER XLIV.— Sioux Women— Their Life— Polygamy among the Sioux-
Price of Wives — Courting a Sioux Girl — The Bride going to the Groom —
Buying a Whole Family to get a Wife — What Constitutes an Accomplished
Indian Wife — Labors of a Sioux Mother — Severe Treatment of Indian Wo-
men — An Example of Indian Cruelty — Suicide among the Indians.
CHAPTER XL v.— News from the War— Startling Intelligence— What the Indian
Runner Said — Determine to Join the Union Army — Pack up and Leave for
the States — Arrival at Fort Randall — Part with my Squaws — Their Return to
their Tribe — Reach Omaha — Join the First Nebraska Cavalry — Col. Brown's
Expedition — Hostile Sioux — Camping on the Republican — The Sioux Defeat
Lieut. Murie — After the Indians — Our Camp on the Solomon — A Buffalo Bull
in Camp — He Kills Two Horses — Death of the Buffalo — Eating dear Beef —
What Col. Brown Said.
CHAPTER XLVI.— Five Hundred Dollars Reward— Adventure of Sergeants Hiles
and Rolla — A Dangerous Enterprise — Nelson and I Hunt for an Indian Vil-
' lage — Perilous Position — The Discovery — The Flight — An Indian Trail — A
Race for Life — Safe Return to Camp — Sergeant Hiles's Story — Death of
Rolla — Corralled in a Snow Drift — A Narrow Escape— A Long Walk — All
Right Once More.
CHAPTER XLVII.— Hunting Wild Turkeys on the Medicine— The Lost Trail-
Waiting for the Command — Bag a Fine Elk — Hunting for the Trail — Two.
Indians — We Camp Out — An Adventure with Wolves — Cayotes and Buffalo
Wolves — Nine Dead Wolves — The Fatal Leap — A Busy Night — On the
March — The Trail Lost — Camp out Again — More Wolves — Cannibals — Strik-
ing for Home — The Camp Found — In my own Tent — Pleasant Reflections and
Rest.
CHAPTER XLVIII. — Hunting my Pony on the Prairie — Caught by Indians-
How I Fooled them — Waylaying the Stage-Coach — A Nice Occupation for a
United States OflScer — A Disappointment to the Indians, but not to me —
The Indians become Impatient and Leave — Left Behind — Running to the
Ranche — The Coach— ^Its Condition — The Attack — The Result — Safe at the
Ranche.
CHAPTER XLIX. — Capturing Two Sioux Warriors at Gilman's Ranche— My Pet
Indians — War Dances and Songs — The Entrapped Ogallalas — Escape of the
Warrior and Ponies — More Dancing — An Unpleasant Request — The Refusal
— What Came of it — Springer's Advice — Fate of the Two Sioux — Their Hero-
ism and Endurance — Terrible Barbarity of Savages — What They Had to Say
about it.
CONTENTS. 11
CHAPTER L. — Guarding Jack Morrow's Ranchc — An Adventure with Wood-
haulers — Campaigning Along the Platte — My Indian Soldiers — How we
Opened the Stable — What the Wood-haulers said About It — A Surprise — Sad
Attempt at Joking— Fixing Up Jack Morrow's Property — Off for Omaha.
CHAPTER LI. — Massacre of Cottonwood Canyon — The Scurvy among the Troops
— Lack of Anti-Scorbutics — They Arrive at Last — The Doctor's Advice—
The Plum Grove — Captain Mitchell's Party — The Indian Attack — Escape of
Wise — Death of Rentz — A Race for Life — Corralled — Unfortunate Accidents —
Perilous Position of Captain Mitchell — Spotted Tail — Discovery of Ander-
son — A Desperate Battle — Death of Anderson — Indian Barbarity — Massacre
of the Sick Men — The Escape and Pursuit — A Bootless Chase.
CHAPTER LII.— Captain Hancock's Adventure with the Sioux— The Stage Coach
Attack — Death of Cinnam in — A Western Stage Driver — What he did when
the Coach was Attacked —The Dead Horse — A Predicament. — Amputation
of a Leg — How to fight Sioux Indians — Off for the Ranche — A Funeral Pro-
cession — Arrival at Gilman's — All Aboard — Off Again — Burial of Cinnamon
— Recovery of the Wounded — The Sioux Trail — The Signs — Where they went.
CHAPTER LIII.— General Sully's Expedition against the Sioux— The March up
the Missouri — Arrival at Fort Sully — Old Keg, the Guide — Inhumanity of his
Tribe — Scouting for Indians — Hot Weather — The Indians Found — Race for
the Battle-field — A Desperate Battle — Horrible Treatment of the Wounded—
Lieut. Levitt — His Desperate Encounter with Squaws — A Night of Horrors-
Death of Lieut. Levitt — Escape of the Savages — The Pursuit — Their Dead and
Wounded — Loss of the Whites.
CHAPTER LIV. — An Indian Attack — Attempt to Rescue the Prisoners — Lieu4
Bayne's Scout — The Warning— Mistaken Pride — Surrounded by Savages—
A Desperate Situation — Bayne's Irresolution — A Brave Sergeant — Dreadful
Charge — Fighting for Life — The Command Saved — The Sergeant's Horse
Wounded — He is Left Behind — Ingratitude of his Comrades — Noble Sacri-
fice — Heroism of the Sergeant — He Kills Eight Indians — Death of the Ser-
geant — The Return to Camp— Bayne's Report — Honors to the Dead Sergeant's
Body.
CHAPTER LV. — Scouting on the Republican — Hiding along the Creeks — Sally
out to Kill a Buffalo— The Wounded Calf— Hunting Buffalo with two In-
dians — Race after the Herd — Another Frightened Herd — The Cause of its
Alarm — Perilous Situation — Hiding in the Bluffs — Returning to Camp— Un-
expected Game — Some Steaks after all — A Hasty Supper — The Flight— Safe
in Camp.
CHAPTER LVI. — Appointed a Second Lieutenant in the Regular Army — Go to
Washington — Call upon my Old Friends in Ohio— Join my Company — Hunting
Deserters — With General Sweitzer — Extraordinary Sportsmanship — Prairies on
Fire — A Beautiful Sight — Indian Attack on Lieut. M'Carthy's Command — The
Phil Kearney Massacre Ground — Lieut. Shirly's Indian Battle — March to
his Relief — Scouting on the Powder River — A Storm — Blue Skies again — The
Crow Indians — A Nation of Beggars — Noble Chiefs — Return to the Fort.
CHAPTER LVII.— Garrison Life — Hunting Rocky Mountain Sheep — A Chase
after Indians — How they Carry Off their Dead — Siege of McPherson's Train —
The Relief— Joy of the Rescued— The Battle-field— March Homeward— The
Deserted Lodge^Indians Again — Wolves and the Old Buffalo Bull — At Phil
Kearney — Basache, the Runner — Her History — How She Killed the Bear —
Why She Received her' Name.
CHAPTER LVIII.— Indian Alarms— The Sioux— Standing to Arms- Attack on
the Wood-choppers — Battle at Piney — Death of the Wood-choppers — Pursu-
ing the Indians — They Won't Fight the Soldiers — Another Alarm — Fire—
12 CONTEi^TS.
Suspicions of Treachery — To Fort Reno and Back — New Year's in Camp — The
Indians on the Hills — A Council — Speech of Dr. Matthews to the Chiefs —
Their Reply — The Council Ends in Smoke and Bad Blood — Trading with the
Indians — A Bridal Robe — The Upper and Lower Crows — Basache Determines
to Leave Me — She Goes to Join her Tribe.
CHAPTER LIX.— Red Cloud About>-Basache Returns— She is Tired of being
a Chiefs Daughter with Nothing to Eat — Indian Articles of Value — Their
Price — Letters from Home — Startling News — A Curious Ceremony — Chris-
tening an Indian Child — Superstition about Crying — The Dog Law — Indiana
Eating Dogs — An Amusing Occurrence — No Favor among Curs — The Spring
Coming — Bird Shooting.
CHAPTER LX.— The Sioux Threaten Fort Kearney— Attack on Infantry-men—
Run into the Fort — General Smith's Interview with the Sioux — Who they Were
and what they Said — A Cavalry Scare — The Indians Encamp Near the Fort—
Their Defiance — A Train Signaled — We Go out to Meet it — Corralled by In-
dians — Desperate Situation — A Fight — Twenty against Two — A Struggle for
Life — The Gates of the Fort Thrown Open — Saved — Punishment of the In-
dians — Return to Friends — A Joyful Evening.
CHAPTER LXI.— My Army Duties— Troubles— Customs of Service— The Written
and Unwritten Law — Modern Slavery — Perplexities of a Young Officer's Life—
Guard Mounting — Old Army Officers — Mildness of their Manners — How they
Treat Young Officers — Venerable Buffers — Guard Ceremony — The Officer of the
Guard — Post Adjutants — Old and New Guards — Relieving the Guard — Posting
the Sentinels — Minuteness of Military Duty — Errors — The Punishment.
CHAPTER LXII. — The Regular Army — Its Use in Settling and Developing the
Country — How Army People Live, and what they Do — Occupation of New
Lines of Country — The Regular Army on the March — Camping Out — What is
Carried, and how Soldiering is done in Peace Times — Building Forts — Get-
ting Up Supplies — Fighting Indians — Settling the Country — What the Cavalry
Does — Hardships of a Soldier's Life — The Uncertainties of Service — What
Army Officers are Paid.
CHAPTER LXIII. — Further Accountof how Indians Get their Names — Mock-Pe-
Lu-Tah— Ta-Shunk-Ah-Ko-Ke-Pah-Pe— Cin-Ta-Gel-Les-Sca, Spotted Tail's
Daughter — Closed Hand — White Forehead — No Knife — Superstition among
the Crows about Tails — Tickling a Crow Girl, and what Came of it — Basache
— Ba-Ra-We-A-Pak-Peis — Pen-Ke-Pah — Leaving the Powder River Coun-
try — Arrival at Reno, Fetterman, and Fort Steele — Return to Fetterman —
Fine Hunting.
CHAPTER LXIV.— The Shoshonee Indians— Their First Introduction to the
Whites — Lewis and Clarke's Expedition up the Missouri in 1806 — Their
Reception by the Snakes — Their Early History and Possessions — Wars of the
Snakes — Their Allies : the Bannocks — Where the Bands of Snakes Roam
Washakie's Band — His Reservation — How he Keeps his Treaties — Good
Indians — What is Likely to Become of Washakie and his People.
CHAPTER LXV.-The Powder River Country-Its Occupation by Troops in
1866— The Reasons for Occupying it— Cause of the Indian War that Fol-
wv .~L^^t?'^^x.^°'^°^°^^^® ^'^ ^^'■^ Territory— Treatment of the Indians—
What should be Done with Them-The Crow Tribe— Settling Indians on
Reservations- How it has Worked— Civilization or Starvation the onlv Re-
sult-Our Duty-Contests with Indians in 1866-67-The Phil Kearney Massa-
cre— The Powder River Country Described— Climate, Soil, Minerals, and
Game— The Great Canyon of Big Horn— Rocky Mountain Sheep— Aericult*
ral Capacity of the Big Horn Country. * ^
CJONTENTS. 13
CHAPTER LXVI.— The Lands West of Powder River and North of the Snake
Lands — The Climate and Grazing in Montana — Indians and Hunting Grounds
— An Indian Battle — The Chiefs Daughter — Indian Camps along Bowlder
Creek — How Savages Amuse Themselves — The Crow Nation — A Tribe of Gour-
mands and Beggars — Pride and Ignorance of the Savages — The Roads in Mon-
tana — Some Remarks on Trade, Streams and Forts — Trout Fishing — No Hard
"Wood beyond the Rocky Mountains — Montana Mountains — Gold Fields —
Their Yield — Mines and Mining — New Discoveries — Characteristic Letters —
Expensive Living — Isolated Position of Montana — Her Future Farming
Lands — Co>»l Fields — The Inhabitants of Montana — Their Peculiarities and
Habits.
SUPPLEMENTARY CHAPTERS.
I. — An Indian Elopement.
II. — Thr Hunter's Dream.
Ill Jim Baker.
IV. — The Magio Circle on the Prateik.
V. — Striking the Post.
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.
FAGB
Assiniboiue Warrior, . . . . , , , , , ' . au
Belden, rrontisplece
Buffalo Chase, 57
Bows, Arrows, and Quivers, . . . . . . . , .113
Body Robe, 124
Buffalo Head-Dress, . . 118
Beaded Moccasins, . . . . . . • • . ..154
Bear Band, • . . .156
Baby Asleep, ........... 159
Basache, . . . . .885
Crow Head-Dress, .......... 158
Capturing two Sioux Warriors, ........ 338
Death of Atchafalaya, ......... 481
Eagle Head-Dress, 150
Escape of Atchafalaya, ......... 47tt
Fine Pipe, 130
Flagging the Antelope, '" , .171
Fight in the Old Cabin 258
Gun Case, ............ 296
Indian Village on the March, . . . . . . . .41
Indian Burying-CJround, ......... 85
Indian Lodges, . . . . , . . . . , .97
Indian Axes and Clubs, ' . . . , , . - . . .117
Indian Warrior with Club, . . . . . . . . .119
Indian and his Pipe, 128
2 (xv)
XVI LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.
PAoa
Indian Duel, . . . . . . . . . . .160
Indian Saddle 2M
Jim Baker's Bear Fight, 495
Keep off, , 203
Let the Father be Silent and Hear, ..... 69
Lieut. Levitt's Adventure with the Squaws, . . . ... 363
Mourning for the Dead, ......... 77
Modern War Club U9
Modern Indian Pipe, .120
Matosca's Saddle, 295
Murder of Ed. Bentz 815
Old Stone Arrow Heads, . 108
Pawnee Spear, . . . . . . . . . . .120
Practicing with Bow and Spear, ........ 121
Pipe, 129
Preserved Scalp, .......... 140
Right-foot Moccasins, . 163
Bioux Warrior with Spear, ......... 120
Skinning the Buffalo, . . . . . . . . .125
Sioux Necklace, 138
Scalping-Knlfe and Sheath, . 140
Silver Long Tall and Scalp Feather, 142
Sioux Ear-Riug, 155
Saved, 218
Striking the Post, 600
Tomahawk Pipe, .......... 180
Tobacco Pouch, . . . . . ' . . • . . .184
Trader and Indian, 186
Twenty vs. Two, .......... 406
Wampum. 126
Belden: The White Chief.
BELDEN: THE WHITE CHIEF,
CHAPTER I.
DIFFICULTIES IN WRITING A BOOK — MT EARLY HOME — RUN AWAY — ARRIVE
AT BR0WNS7ILLE, NEBRASKA ON THE BANKS OF THE MISSOURI — FIRST IM-
PRESSIONS OF THE WEST ^EARLY SETTLERS MY FATHER MOVES OUT WEST —
STARTS THE " NEMAHA VALLEY JOURNAL " GROWTH OF THE WEST THIRST
FOR ADVENTURE — RUN AWAY FROM HOME A SECOND TIME REGRETS AT
LEAVING THE PONY OUT IN THE OPEN AIR — UNDER THE STARLIGHT — A
LAST LOOK AT HOME — OFF FOR THE PLAINS.
"FT is no very difficult task for me, at one hundred yards, to
-*- send a rifle-ball against the head of a brass nail, or to cut
with an arrow, at half the distance, the string that suspends a
squirrel by the tail ; but the pen is a weapon with which my
hand has long been unfamiliar. It matters little where a man
may have been born in this country, or what his earlier life
may have been; for Americans consider more what men are
than what they have been. To those who read these pages,
and who may be curious to know, I will, however, say I was
born in the good State of Ohio, and, at the age of thirteen,
ran away from my parents to seek my fortune in the then
almost unknown West.
The wild life I have led, and the many adventures T have
passed through, may seem almost incredible to those accus-
tomed to living in civilized communities; yet I can assure the
(ly)
20 belden: the white chief.
reader that, although there is a great deal of romance, there is
no fiction in these chapters, and that what I am about to re
late is as much every-day life among the wild Indians of tlie
plains as is the business of the merchant or banker, who goes
regularly to his counter and desk in the great city.
How I got from Ohio to Nebraska is my own affair. Suf-
fice it to say, that I was not yet fourteen years of age when
I arrived at Brownsville, then a small hamlet of log houses.
Here, on the banks of the murky Missouri, I first saw the
" Great West." Emigrants were pouring in from the States ;
and, filled with the idea of the future wealth and importance
of this broad land, I made haste to write to my father, de-
scribing the valley, and urging him to move out. That he
thought well of what I said, and relied somewhat on my
judgment, is evinced by the fact that he came with his family
and settled in Nebraska, where now stands the city of Browns-
ville.
My father had once learned the printing trade, and our first
enterprise was to establish a weekly newspaper, called the
^^ Nemaha Valley Journal" It was a sickly affair, but
through its influence many a well-to-do farmer was induced
to leave his home in the States to try his fortune in the Far
West; and of all who came, not one, I believe, regrets the
day he left the East. Many of them now count their herds
by thousands and number their acres by miles of land, while
all who have labored and practiced economy own beautiful
homes, and 'have abundant wealth.
In two short years brick houses began to appear; the buf-
falo, game, and Indians were gone, and I felt Brownsville was
no longer my home. I burned for adventure, and when our
little weekly paper was announced as a " daily," I knew it was
BELDEN: THE WHITE CHIEF. 23
time for me to be oif. I wished to see the mountains covered
with perpetual snow ; I longed to chase the buffalo and wild
deer over boundless plains. I wanted to dress as a trapper,
and live in the open air. far away from the habitations of
men. The case and the setting of type being no longer toler-
able, I flung down my stick, and, seeking my father, told him
of my craving for wild life and adventure. I was a sickly
boy, and, naturally, he endeavored to dissuade me from my
purpose to cast myself loose on the prairies. Finding I could
not gain his consent, I determined to run away once more;
and, consulting with a friend, I begged him to buy me a
horse. In two days I had a stout pony, saddle, and bridle
concealed in the stable of a Mr. Hill, and awaiting my order.
My rifle and revolvers, which had already become my familiar
companions and most trusted friends, were carefully cleaned,
oiled, and laid away. I overhauled my shot-pouch, and pur-
chased a good supply of powder, ball, and caps. All these
warlike preparations did not escape the attention of my good
mother and sisters, who anxiously inquired what I meant to
do. God forgive me for the story I told them, but I desired
only to avoid giving them pain, and said I intended taking a
short hunt some day on the prairies. It is now many years
ago, but that short hunt is not yet ended, and, probably,
n«ver will be until death ends the hunter.
It was a beautiful starlight night when I stole down the
stairs, and, quietly opening the street door, stepped into the
open air. For a moment I paused on the threshold, and an in-
tense desire to go back seized me. I wished to look once more
on the faces of my dear mother and sisters. Should I ever
see them again? Ah, who could tell? I stood irresolute, but
the sound of approaching footsteps on the street aroused me,
22 BELDEN : THE WHITE CHIEF.
and, cnighing down the great lump in my throat, I brushed
'aside the gathering tears I could not suppress, and hastened
to the stable where my horse was concealed.
To saddle and bridle him, mount and gallop out of the
town, was the work of but a few minutes. On the rising
ground overlooking the city I paused for one last look of
home. How quietly the houses lay in the moon-light! how
peacefully the hundreds slept ! And is it not strange that I, a
mere boy, was possessed of a restless spirit that would not let
me sleep, that was driving me from home, plenty, and friends
to the wilderness, to take upon myself hardships, privations,
and dangers that, if foreseen, Avere well calculated to appall
the stoutest hearts? I said, "O, fool, how long?" and turn-
ing my horse's head to the northward, plunged my spurs into
his sides, causing him to rear wildly, and then bound furiously
over the broad prairie.
The die was cast; a life of adventure decided upon, and I
was off for the boundless plains, where the buffalo roamed at
will; where I could hunt the elk, and trap the beaver; dwell
in a wigwam, and make my home with the children of the
" Great American Desert."
BELDEN: THE WHITE CHIEF. 28
CHAPTER II.
NEBRASKA CITY OMAHA — COUNCIL BLUFFS — LAYING IN SUPPLIES — ^A SUR-
PRISE — OFF AGAIN — LOST ON THE PRAIRIES — AN ALARM — THE HUNTER's
CABIN — INDIAN NEWS— A FRONTIER SUPPER — THE PEACE PIPE — SINGULAR
BEHAVIOR OP MY HOST — THE RED DEVILS AT WORK — A NEW ARRIVAL —
GENEROSITY EXTRAORDINARY — SIOUX CITY LA FROMBE — JOINING THE
INDIANS — ADOPTED INTO THE TRIBE -AN INDIAN SWEETHEART — MARRIED BY
ORDER — SETTLING DOWN TO BE A WARRIOR.
TjlAST and furious I rode forward, never pulling rein until I
-*- arrived at Nebraska City, then a small village, though
now a considerable place. Halting to rest for an hour or two, I
suddenly remembered that my parents had friends in the town,
and that a telegraph ran from there to Brownsville, and, fear-
ing lest I should be telegraphed or taken charge of by rela-
tives, I mounted my pony, and, striking boldly out on the
prairie, kept in what I supposed the direction to Omaha, and
just as the sun was going down I saw the city, and by dark was
in it, having ridden eighty-five miles in less than twenty- four
hours. The heat had visibly affected me, and I felt fatigued,
though my tough little pony seemed fresh almost as when
starting. Opposite Omaha is Council Bluffs, so named from a
famous Sioux Indian council once held in the hills above the
city ; and feeling 1 should be more secure there than in Omaha,
I crossed the Missouri and put up at a small and obscure hotel.
24 BELDEX: THE WHITE CHIEF.
It was now late at night, and I was completely exhausted.
Putting the pony in the stable, and seeing him well supplied
with hay, I went to bed and slept for many hours, until the
sun shining through the window awoke me, and, hastily dress-
ing myself* I breakfasted and sallied out to see the town and
buy some more ammunition. I had determined to stay several
days at the Bluffs, but, while standing in a store, I saw a
neighbor from Brownsville pass, and, imagining he was looking
for me, I slipped out, and, going to the hotel, saddled my pony
and departed in haste.
I had purchased many shells, beads, ribbons, and pieces of
colored cloths, to trade with the Indians, and with great diffi-
culty managed to carry them along.
Following up the eastern bank of the Missouri, I passed
over high hills, through deep caflons, across wide meadows and
prairies, and climbed precipitous bluffs. It was in August,
that season of the year when the prairie strawberry is ripe.
The ground, at times, for miles was covered with this delicious
fruit, and many were the halts I made to rest my pony and
gather the luscious berries.
I was riding to reach a hunter^s cabin, forty miles up the
Missouri, but the day was hot, and I made slow progress.
Night came down upon the prairies, and still no cabin was in
sight. It soon became so dark I could with difficulty follow
the trail, and was about to give up all effort to go further and
camp on the prairies, when my pony pricked up his ears and
set off at a gallop.
I gave him rein, and he traveled rapidly on what seemed to
be a well-beaten wagon road. Suddenly halting, so as nearly
to pitch me over his head, the little fellow began snorting and
exhibiting unusual signs of terror. I held him firmly, and,
eelden: the white chief. 26
although I strained my eyes, it was so dark that I could see
nothing. While I was endeavoring to force the beast forward,
a rough voice close by my stirrup inquired :
" AVho are you, and where are you going ? ''
" A man going to Sioux City, and looking for a cabin here-
abouts," I answered.
"All right," replied the voice; "follow me."
" Do you live near by ? " I inquired.
" Yes ; come along."
Thus urged, I rode on ip silence, and presently entered a
patch of timber, where I saw a light shining among the trees.
In a few minutes we were before the door of a hut, and my
companion, with a blufP "Get down, stranger," entered the
house.
I did not like the movements of my host; but, dismounting,
followed him into a snug room, the walls and floor of which
were completely covered with the ftirs of wild animals. Softer
than any carpet were the white wolf skins beneath our feet, and
the walls were rich with the beautiful coverings of antelope
and red deer, while in the corners were antlers of elk, on which
hung clothing, shot-pouches, and Indian bead-work.
By the light of a rag burning in a saucer of grease, I saw
my host was a large, powerfully-built man, with bushy black
beard, and a big, honest face. In a moment I felt perfectly at
ease, for I knew I was in the home of a hardy frontier's-man,
than whom no honester or braver men ever lived.
" Darned if I did n't take you for a half-breed at first," he
said, laughing heartily ; and then added, " "Where on earth are
you going to, youngster?"
" To Sioux City," I replied.
"Got friends there?"
26 BELDEN: THE WHITE CHIEF.
" No ; only on a pleasure trip."
" AVell, yon 're after fun, sure, and if you do n't look out
you '11 get it," said my host, breaking out into an immoderate
fit of laughter.
"What news have you?" I inquired.
" News enough," said my host, growing serious. " Have n't
you heard that the red devils have broke loose again, and are
just murderin' every body above here? But hold on till I put
your pony up, and get you a bite to eat, and then, while we
smoke, I'll tell you all about it.".
Here he rose to his feet, and, uttering a loud shrill whistle,
an Indian squaw came in at the door, and my host, saying
something to her in the Indian tongue, went out.
The squaw, with noiseless tread, moved about the room,
making a fire, cutting meat, and putting the coffee on to boil,
never once seeming to notice my presence. In a few minutes
the host returned, and, seating himself, began : " You see, them
Sioux of the upper country had a big pow-wow with the Min-
neconja Sioux, and they all have agreed to go to war. A party
of the dirty, stealin' cusses were down at Randall the other
day, and drew all their annuities and ammunition, and then
went over to see the Yanktons, and get them to join in the
war. I tell you, they are bound to give us thunder this fall,
and swear they will clear every white off the Missouri before
spring. They say we must leave ; but I reckon I 'm too old a
duck to get skeered at a darned Sioux."
So he talked on until the squaw had cooked the supper and
set it out on the floor, using a white blanket for a table-cloth.
The repast was a hearty one of boiled corn, fried elk, 'coon
meat, and corn bread. The coffee was poured into tin-cups,
and the host, rising, said : " Come and eat." Seating himself
BELDEN: THE WHITE CHIEF. HI
opposite to me, on a corner of the blanket, he drew his knife
from a sheath by his side, and, looking at me, inquired if I had
any eating tools. I told him I had a knife and fork in my
saddlebags, and, with the remark, " Better get 'em," he cut off
a large slice of the elk and commenced eating. Having secured
my knife and fork, I ate heartily, for I was very hungry.
^ Picking up the tin cup, I took a sup of coffee, and was obliged
to spit it out to keep from scalding my mouth.
" Darned hot, aint it ? " said my host, bursting into a loud
laugh.
Instinctively I looked at the squaw, but not a smile, not
even a muscle moved in her stolid face. An Indian, unless
addressed, never laughs or notices what happens to others.
When supper was over, my host filled a long-stemmed pipe,
and pointing with the stem toward the sky, turned it to the
earth, and ejaculating " How ! Wa-con Tan Ka ! " (Good, Oh
God!) handed it to me. Supposing the pipe was for me to
smoke, I thanked him, and began pulling away at the fragrant
tobacco. Looking at him, I saw an angry scowl on his face,
and he said, roughly, " Guess you 've smoked enough." I
handed the pipe back quickly, asking, "Did you not fill it
for me?" "Yes," he replied, "but it is a peace pipe, and
not for much smoke."* I now saw that this white man was
* Indians, when assembled together in council of friendship, use the
peace pipe. They never use but one pipe, all sitting in a circle, and the
f man on the right smoking first. Each Indian takes three or four puffs and
then passes the pipe to the Indian on his left. When it reaches the last
Indian on the left, it is passed across to the Indian on the right, and com-
mences its journey again. No Indian will smoke a pipe coming from the
left, unless it is the Indian from whom the pipe started, who receives it
from the man on the extreme left of the circle.
28 BELDEN: THE WHITE CHIEF*
imbued with some of the strange customs of his savage neigh-
bors, and, fearing to offend him, said nothing.
The squaw moved about so noiselessly that I did not hear her
remove the dishes, but, on looking around, they were all gone,
and the blanket taken up. How she had cleared away the
things, without so much as josthng a dish, I could not conjeo-
ture, and I feared to give offense by making inquiries, though
I was burning with curiosity to learn more of this strange
family.
" So you are going to Sioux City ? " abruptly inquired the
host, after having remained quiet for half an hour.
" Yes," I replied ; and guessing he wished to know the ob-
ject of my visit, added : " I 'm going on up to the Yanktons,
and, perhaps, as far as the Santee village."
*' What," he inquired, rising to his feet, and eyeing me
suspiciously.
" I 'm going to the Yanktons to live and trade," I answered.
" You '11 be scalped, as sure as thunder."
" Tell me all about the Indians' actions."
"Their what?"
" What they have been doing of late."
"Well," he replied, filling up and handing me a pipe,
" that 's what I was going to do. You see, the brutes came
down to the settlement across the river, and after getting
something to eat, killed all they could. They said they were
hungry, and while one old man was giving an Indian some
bread another one shot him. They went into one man's
house, and after eating at his table, shot him dead and carried
off his wife. The fact is, they stole all they could, killed all
they could, and then went up to the fort and traded off their
plunder."
BELDEN: THE WHITE CHIEF. 29
" What did they do with the woman ? " I inquired, all my
sympathies aroused.
" Do with her ! " he exclaimed. " Why, kept her to gamble
with, of course."
"How's that?'* I pursued.
" I guess you aint been much on the frontier," he repl'ed,
laughing.
I admitted that such was the case, and he said :
" You see, when they take a white woman they gamble her
off every day until she gets pretty much passed round the
tribe, and then she is turned over to the squaws, who kill her,
because they're always jealous of white women."
I could not help shuddering at the thought of a fate so
terrible, and paid little more attention to what he said.
Feeling tired, I asked where I would sleep, and, my host
pointing to a corner of the room, I spread down my blankets
and soon fell asleep.
At dawn of day I was awakened by a loud pounding at the
door, and my host, springing from a pile of buffalo robes in
the opposite corner of the room, went to see what was the
matter.
He soon learned that a party of miners had come down
the Missouri from the Yellowstone, in Mackinaw boats, and
seeing his hut from the river, had tied up and came over to
find out who lived there, and how far they were from Omaha.
My host promptly opened the door and cordially welcomed
the strangers. After a hearty breakfast, we went to the river
and saw the boatmen off. As they shoved out from shore
my host looked wistfully after the boat, and said: "Howl
do wish I had all the robes and beaver skins them fellows
have ; I 'd leave this tarnal country if I had."
30 BELDEN: THE WHITE CHIEF.
" Did you hear any thing more of the Indians ? " I in
quired.
" No, they did n*t see any," he answered ; " but, depend
upon it, they 're not far off."
" Will your pony eat corn ? " he inquired.
" I do n't know," I replied.
" Well, we '11 try him." And ordering the squaw to bring
him the corn bag, he took from the limited household store
about two quarts, and carried it to the stable, where I saw
a superb hunting horse and two splendid hounds, who leaped
upon their master and licked his hands and face.
" Do you not feed your own horse with corn ? " I inquired.
"No, we can't afford it," he replied ; ^* but if you are goin'
to Sioux City, your nag will need something stronger than
grass."
Returning to the cabin, we found the breakfast cleared
away and the squaw chopping wood.
I talked an hour with my new-found friend, and then, sad-
dling my pony, proposed to be off. I wanted to pay my host
for what I had received from him, but the kind-hearted man
refused, saying to me : " Keep your money, young man, for
you will need it. We never charge here for what little we
have to give travelers."
Cordially thanking him for his hospitality, I spurred up
my pony, who sprang down the little knoll on which the
cabin was built, and galloped over the prairie. It was a
bright morning, and the air was ftesh and bracing. Millions
of beautiful flowers covered the ground for miles, and their
perfume filled the air. It was a glorious sight, and my'
pony, seeming to partake of my spirits, went forward at a
r.ipid pace.
BELDEN : THE WHITE CHIEF, 31
It was high noon when I halted for an hour to graze the
pony and eat a few slices of dried beef — ^the only lunch I had.
At sundown I reached Sioux City, sixty-five miles distant
from where I had started in the morning.
I remained at Sioux City a day, and learned during that
time that the Sioux had been again to see the Yanktons, and
it was believed the Yanktons were going to war against the
whites. Not a little dismayed at this intelligence, I set for-
ward, and after two days' hard riding arrived at Fort Randall.
I had seen some Indian squaws on the road, going to Yankton,
on the Missouri, to trade, but being ignorant of the Indian
tongue could not converse with them.
At Randall I found a Frenchman, named La Frombe, who
lived with the Indians, and, joining him, we set out for the
Yankton tribe.
In one month after turning Indian, with the aid of my
friend La Frombe, I had mastered the language so I could
speak Sioux quite fluently. I liked the wild life of the In-
dians, and built me a house in the village, composed of nine
poles and ten robes.
I had now been in the village nearly two months, and, as it
was drawing near to the time when the Indians would go on
their fall hunt for winter provisions, I expressed to La Frombe
my determination to join the hunt and remain through the
winter. He said it would be best for me to regularly join
the tribe, and offered to see the chief about the matter. I
agreed to leave all to my friend, and do as he advised. Two
days later Frombe came to me and said it was all arranged.
I was to be received into the tribe at the next full moon, and
was to have the squaw, Washtella, for a wife. This was more
than I had bargained for, and I told La Frombe that I did
32 BELDEN ; THE WHITE CHIEF.
not want a squaw ; but he said it was best to do as the chiel
wished, if I remained in the tribe. It was two weeks yet
until the moon was full, so I promised La Frombe I would
think over the matter.
One evening soon afterward Frombe came to my lodge, and
said he would take me to see my sweetheart. I followed him,
and we went out of the village to where some girls were
watching the Indian boys play at ball. Pointing to a good-
looking Indian girl, Frombe said : " That is Washtella."
" Is she a good squaw ? " I inquired.
" Very," he replied.
" But perhaps she will not want to marry me," I said.
" She has no choice," he answered, laughing.
" But her parents," I interposed ; " will they like this kind
of proceeding ? "
" The presents you are expected to make them will be more
acceptable than the girl," he answered.
I did not feel at ease, but determined to follow my friend's
sdvice, and obey the chiefs wishes in all things. The day
of the full moon came, and with it my nuptials and adoption.
[ made the usual presents, and received a wife in return.*
La Frombe gave me a nice new lodge-cover of tanned elk
and bufialo hides; and, pitching my house in the midst of the
village, I settled down to the business of a warrior of the first
class. •
* The marriage, funeral, baptism, christening, and other ceremonies of
the Indians, will be described in a chapter devoted to that purpose.
belden: the white chief. 33
CHAPTER III.
LIFB AMONG THE INDIANS — MY LITTLE WIFB WA8HTELLA — THE MEDICIVB
LODGE — ^A CURIOUS CUSTOM — ^MEDICINE ARROWS — WHAT THE INDIANS EAT —
A FAMILY MAN — PLEASANT EVENINGS — ^WASHTELLa's TALES — THE ANCIENT
TANKTONS — INDIAN AMUSEMENTS — THE BALL GAME — HOW IT IS PLAYED
A SPIRITED CONTEST — ^PREPARING FOR THE FALL HUNT — HOW THE INDIANS
TRAVEL.
I HAD not lived long with the Indians before I perceived
a jealousy growing up in the tribe against me. Many of
the old men were my friends, but the young warriors liated
and despised me. There were many reasons for their dislike,
for, not only was my squaw the handsomest woman in the
nation, but I could run, ride, or s^oot with the best young
Indian, and I did much of my own work, and carried wood
and water for little Washtella, which the young warriors
thought was a degrading thing for a man to do. But Wash-
tella was one of the kindest and best of women, and I really
liked this wild maid of the forest, and, as is common among
white men, I was willing to work for my wife. So I pre-
tended not to see the sneers of the young Indians, and kept
close to my lodge, for Washtella was teaching me her lan-
guage.
One evening, while lying on the bed in my teepee, I I: card
a great beating of drums and rattling of gourds in the lower
3
34 BELDEN: THE WHITE CHIEF.
end of the camp, and asked Washtella what it all ment. Sht
replied :
"The big medicine man calls the warriors to the medicine
teepee.''
"What for, Washtella?''
"To make arrows; then go on a big hunt; kill heap blif
falo," she replied.
Gathering my blanket about my shoulders (for I had now
ceased to wear a coat or vest), I strode out of my lodge and
made my way to the medicine lodge. Arrived there, I savt
a number of old men seated around the walls of the lodge, and
looking very solemn. One old Indian made room for me by
his side, and I sat down on the ground, crossing my leg, and
saying not a word. No women or children are allowed to
enter the medicine lodge, and so none were present. We sat as
silent as Quakers for half an hour, the drums and gourds
meanwhile rattling vigorously without. The lodge now was
full, and a great crowd of Indians, who could not get in, were
assembled about the door.
Presently, all the chiefs having come, the drums ceased to
beat, and the medicine man (there is but one to each tribe)
arose and built a small fire in the center of the lodge. Cast-
ing on some brambles and a few light branches of wood as
soon as it began to blaze, he harangued the crowd, telling
them it was good time to go on a hunt, and that every sign
in the sky and on the earth was favorable to their success.
His speech was pretty long, and outlasted the fire, which
burned down so low he had to rekindle it at the close of hia
oration.
When it burned bright again he began to chant an invoca-
tion to the Great Spirit, in which he asked blessings from
BELDEN : THE WHITE CHIEF. 35
We-tou-ka (God) on the hunters, the game they killed, and
on the guns, bows, arrows, knives, and ponies. He begged
most earnestly that the hunters might be permitted to find
plenty of buffalo, and that they might be successful in killing
them, so that all the Indians would be fat and comfortable
during the coming winter. The deep solemnity and reverence
manifested by the Indians while this prayer was being offered
up exceeded any thing of the kind I had ever witnessed
among white men. Not a sound was heard within, and the
crowd without stood with bowed heads and outstretched necks,
anxious to catch every word of the great medicine man.
Taking a bunch of scented grass, he strewed it over the
coals, when it emitted a sweet perfume, which completely filled
the lodge and almost intoxicated the senses. While burning
the grass, he chanted a wild song, keeping time with his foot.
At length, sitting down, he tossed blades of grass on the fire,
and the chiefs and warriors arose, and, moving to the left
around the fire, kept slow time and step to the monotonous
beating of the drum, which had struck up again.
When this had continued for some time, the leading chief
laid on the fire a new arrow, which was gaudy with feathers
and paint, and had a bright steel point. Then, the next chief
in rank selected a fine arrow and threw it in the flames; so
every chief and warrior did, when, seeing La Frombe cast in
his arrow, I felt badly, for I had none, having come to see
arrows made instead of destroyed.
I noticed that I was observed by the Indians, who kept
going around the ciicle, although every one but myself had
cast in his arrow, and I began not only to wish myself safe
out of the lodge, but to wonder how I would get out, when,
chancing to look around, I saw the next Indian in the circle
36 BELDEN: THE WHITE CHIEF.
behind me was the old man who had given me a seat when
entering the lodge. I passed my hand back to him, when,
seeming to understand what I wanted, he slipped, unobserved,
a new arrow into my fingers, and, drawing it through as if
from under my arm, I advanced and threw it into the flames.
The pile of arrows was quite high, and a bright red flame
leaped up nearly to the roof of the lodge, the dry shafts
making a crackling noise as they burned.
All the time the ceremony was going on, the medicine man
sat by the fire, muttering to himself, and casting on scented
grass. When each man had burned his arrow he left the
lodge, and another warrior entered to replace him in the circle.
Seeing my arrow consumed, I stepped out of the lodge, and
went to ray teepee, as did the other warriors to theirs.
It was now quite dark, and I found Washtella waiting
supper for me. You may be curious to know how we lived
in a wigwam, and I will tell you. We had no chairs, but sat
on skins of wild animals laid on the ground. We had gourds
for cups, and platters of both wood and tin. For food we had
corn, prepared almost as hominy is in the States; then roast
elk, boned buffalo, roast artichokes, flour, biscuit, buffalo tallow
and water, and fried brains. We never used salt, as the In-
dians abominate it. At first I could hardly live without it,
but soon became accustomed to fresh victuals, and even now 1
do not use a pound of salt in a year. Few Americans appre-
ciate how much salt they eat — salt in every thing of food kind,
and pounds of it.
Coffee and tea, Washtella and I had none; but we had
jjlenty of pure cold water, and I can assure you it is no bad
substitute for the stronger beverage.
I always spent my evenings at home, and I will tell you
BET.DEX: THE WHITE CHIEF. 37
tl»ey were not unpleasant. While I shaved an arrow-shaft,
Washtella made some pretty head-work, or braided a buffalo
hide with porcupine quills. Then we talked; and Washtella
told me the curious tales of her people; how they had once
lived far to the east, and had a great war with a fierce tribe,
who drove the Yanktons from their hunting grounds and forced
them far up the Missouri. Then she told me how the tribe
wasted away from many thousands to a few hundreds, and how
their towns had once been seven in number, built of wood and
clay, and the buffalo, deer, elk, and antelope came and grazed
within sight of the villages. Once, too, there had been a great
chief in their tribe, who was famous in war, and so skillful he
slew or defeated all their enemies; and his name was so terrible,
tliat he was feared every-where, and his people grew rich, and
had many horses and much corn, and gave laws to all the other
nations, who made presents and sent horses and corn, so they
would not make war upon them. But the chief died, and then
the fame of the nation decayed, and nobody feared them any
longer or brought them corn or horses, but made war upon
them and took away their horses and com. So my dark-eyed
3ompanion, woman-like, rattled on with her tongue, now
telling quaint stores of old times or curious legends of the
lands where they had dwelt. The little maid was always
cheerful, and made me tell of the great towns in which the
pale faces live, and their tall houses where people slept far
above the ground, all of which was very wonderful news to
her.
In the mellow fall days we walked in the wood, or I joined
Ihe young men and played at ball. I must tell you how this
game is played among the Indians, for it is curious.
A great noise of shouting is heard in the camp, and the
38 belden: the white chief.
young men, with bat or club three feet long and crooked at
the end, go out on the prairie near the camp. Having found
a smooth spot they halt, and two of the youths, by common
consent, take opposite sides and pick out the players, first one
and then the other, until enough are had.
One morning I heard the young men shouting for ball, and
I went out with them to the play-ground. The two chiefs,
A-ke-che-ta (Little Dog Soldier), and Ma-to-sac (White Bear),
were picking sides, and a number of Indians were already
seated facing each other, and bantering on the game. As each
man was selected he spread down his buffalo robe and sat upon
it, facing his opponent. I was selected by A-ke-che-ta, and
silently took my place in the line. Presently all the young
men who were to play were selected, and then several old men
were appointed to act as umpires of the game. These advanced
and seated themselves between the contestants, and then the
warriors rose and commenced betting on the game. First one
warrior advanced and threw down a robe before the old men;
then a warrior from the other side came forward and laid a robe
upon it ; and so all bet, one against the other. Presently there
was a great number of piles of stakes, some having bet mocca-
sins, head-dresses, bead-work, ear-rings, necklaces, bows and
arrows, and even ponies. All these were carefully watched
over by the old men, who noted each stake and the depositoi
on a stick. If you did not wish to bet with any particular
warrior you laid your wager on the big pile, and instantly it
was matched by the judges against some article of corresponding
value from the pile of the other side. Thus I bet a hunting-
knife, half a pound of powder, a pair of moccasins, and a small
hand-mirror, which articles were appropriately matched with
others by the judges. All was now in readiness for the game
belden: the white chief. 39
to begin, and the parties separated. The two lines were formed
about one hundred yards apart. In front of each side, twenty
feet from each other, two stakes, smeared with paint, are driven
firmly into the ground, and the object of the game is to drive
the ball between the stakes. Whichever side shall first force
the ball through the opposite stakes wins the game. The ball,
•nade of rags and covered with buckskin, is carried to the center
of the ground between the combatants, and there deposited, by
one of the old men, who then returns to his post. The judges
then give the signal, and with loud shouts the players run to
the ball, and commence knocking it to and fro with their crooked
sticks. The ball is about the size of a large orange, and each
party tries to prevent its coming toward their stakes. No war-
rior must touch the ball with his hands; but if it lies in a hole,
he may push it out with his foot, and then hit it with his stick.
In the game which I am telling you about, Ma-to-sac's party
reached and struck the ball first, lifting it clear over our heads,
and sending it far to our rear and close to our stakes. Then
we all ran, and Ma-to-sac's and A-ke-che-ta's warriors fell over
one another, and rapped each other on the shins with their
clubs, and there was great confusion and excitement, but at
length one of the party succeeded in hitting the ball, and
sent it to Ma-to-sac's stakes. Thither we ran, but no one
could find the ball. After much search, I discovered it in
a tuft of grass, and, bidding one of our men run quickly
to the stakes, I hit it arid drove the ball to him. Unfortu-
nately, it fell in a hole, and before our Warrior could get it out
and hit it, a dense crowd of Ma-to-sac*s men were around the
spot and in front of the stakes. The contest was violent, so
much so, indeed, that no one could hit the ball, though it was
continually tramped over. At length some one called out,
4
40 BELDEN: THE WHITE CHIEF.
"There it goes," and the warriors scattered in all directions
looking to see where it was; but one of Ma-to-sac's men, whc
had called out, stood fast, and when the crowd had scattered,
I saw him attempting to conceal the ball beneath his foot.
Running against him from behind with such force as to throw
him on his face, before he could recover his feet, I hit the ball,
and, seeing all Ma-to-sac*s men off their guard, with the aid
of a young man, easily drove it between their stakes, only a
few yards distant.*
The judges at once declared the game was ours, and many
and loud were the cheers sent up by our party, in token of the
victory, while Ma-to-sac's men retired sullen and disappointed.
I was declared the winner, and A-ke-che-ta thanked me for
my services, while the young warriors gathered around and
congratulated me on my success. Then we all smoked, and
went over to the stakes to receive our shares. As winner, I
was entitled to a general share of the spoils; but I declined
in favor of the young Indian who had helped me drive the
ball, saying that, as he had last hit it, and actually forced it
between the stakes, he was, in reality, the most deserving.
This argument was loudly applauded by the old men, and the
young warrior, who had not been friendly for some time with
me, was so touched by my generosity that he came- and thanked
me, saying frankly, "You, and not I, won the game.'* How-
*In this game every one must keep his temper, and any stratagem is
allowed, so the ball is not touched with the hands. It is not suffered,
however, for any one to hit another over the head, or on the body with
sticks or the hands, but if you can upset a gamester by running against
him it is esteemed fair. When either party cheats, foul is called by the
opposite party, when the game ceases until the judges decide the matter.
If it is a foul play the game is given to the other side. No one thinks of
disputing the judges' decision, and from it there is no appeal.
BELDEN: THE AVHITE CHIEF. 41
ever, I forced the general stakes upon him, at which he was
much pleased. I found that the stakes had won a saddle, half
a pound of powder, six yards of wampum beads, and a hand-
somely braided knife-scabbard. When the judges had awarded
all the winnings, among which were fourteen ponies, each took
up his trophies and returned to the village, where, for the
remainder of the day, the game was fought over again ani
again in the teepees.
It was now four days since we had made buffalo medicii.e
(burned the arrows), and the time to go upon the hunt had
come. The chief, on the fourth evening, sent a crier through
the village to notify all to be in readiness, and we at once begun
packmg up our lodges, mending bows, and grinding knives,*
etc. PoTes!, like shafts, were made for the ponies, and fastened
across their backs by broad wampum belts at the small ends,
while the large ends dragged on the ground. On these,
behind the pony, were lashed robes and bedding, and cooking
utensils; and on them sat the children. Even the dogs had
packs to carry, which were tied on their backs with thongs of
buffalo skin. The squaws walke:! and led the ponies, having
charge of all the property and children, while the warriors,
mounted on the best animals, rode ahead, behind, and on the
flanks of the column, which, when drawn out, was several miles
long — each pony following the one in front of him. So, we
went on the great annual buffalo hunt.
* The knives of Indians are generally ground on one siae, like a carpen-
ter's chisel; and this is always done when going on buffalo hunts, as they
are less liable to cut the skin when sharpened in that way.
42 BELDEN: THE WHITE CHIEF.
CHAPTER IV.
OFF FOR THB FALL HUNT — WASHTELLA AND THE PONT— INDIAN SONGS — CAMP-
ING OUT — ^A STROLL IN THE WILD WOODS — SUNSET ON THE PRAIRIES—
WASHTELLA AND I — ^AN INDIAN FAIRY TALE — THE GIANTS OF OLD — WEARER
OF THE WHITE FEATHER — WHAT CHACOPEE SAW IN THE WOODS — THE
WOODEN MAN — BATTLE OF THE GIANTS CHACOPEE's TROUBLES — ALL 's WIELL
THAT ENDS WELL — INDLAN CREDULITY — ^AT THB HUNTING GROUNDS.
XT was a bright, clear morning when the whole village was
-^ aroused by beating of drums, blowing of horns, and the
barking of dogs. While the squaws cooked the breakfast, the
warriors set about pulling down the lodges, and soon almost
the whole village had disappeared. The few wigwams left
standing were for the sick, the aged, and those who were too
infirm to go on the hunt. Bidding good-bye to the Indians
who were to remain, we set out, as gay a party as ever was
seen seeking pleasure.
Those first packed were first ofi*, and, as I was one of the
laggards, when I pulled out, the column was streaming over
the hills for miles ahead.
I had two ponies, one for myself and the other for Wash-
tella and our household goods. The cha-a-koo, or saddle, had
been fastened to the little pony's back, and to this were tied
our teepee, or lodge poles, three on each side. They were
fastened by the small ends, and the large ends dragged on the
belden: the white chief. 43
ground. To prevent the poles from spreading apart, a cross-
piece of dry wood was lashed with rawhide just behind the
pony's hams. On the poles were piled our bedding, lodge
covers, and cooking utensils, while the provisions in flesh-bags
were slung across the pony's back. Some of the families who
had children, slung wicker-baskets between the poles, and in
these were put the papooses. The squaws walked and led the
ponies, and the dogs and larger children trotted alongside.
When tired, the squaws or children rode on the pony by
turns, and one was on his back all the time. It is astonish-
ing what burdens these little beasts can carry, and still keep
fat and lively. I have frequently seen them travel hun-
dreds of miles, loaded down almost out of sight, and thrive
every day. They have greater powers of endurance than
the mule.
My spare pony was led by Washt^lla, who tripped joyfully
along singing her Indian songs. One of these ran as
follows :
" Tish-ah, bo xnoak sa-nin
Ma-mo, za na geezing
Ma-mo zah na ahkee
Ma-mo yah na.
" Bai mo sa yah na geezhigeny
Bai mo sa yah na
Wa bun ong tuz-ze Kwai
Ne wah ween ne go ha za."
Which might be rendered thus :
" We are riding to seek the war path ;
The earth and the sky are before ut.
We walk by day and by night,
And the evening star is our guide."
44 belden: the white chief.
Another was :
" We devote our bodies to the fight,
And charge with the speed of eagles;
We are willing to lie with the slain,
For then our name will be praised."
Still another:
" Look how beautiful is my face and form,
And hear the sweet song of my voice ;
All my thoughts are of you, darling,
And I speak to you with my naked heart."
It was in vain I urged the little maid to ride; to all my
appeals she replied, " Never mind, pony will be tired enough,
and I will ride him plenty when we find the buffalo."
Our first day's journey was only fifteen miles, and early
in the afternoon we came to a limpid stream where the
chief ordered us to halt and camp. While the warriors
pitched the teepees the squaws brought wood and water, and
soon the fires were blazing and the kettles boiling for supper.
Leaving the preparation of the meal to the women, we hoppled
our ponies and picketed them out on the green grass near the
camp. Several warriors remained to guard them, and the rest
returned to the village. The Indians never leave their horses
or camp without a guard, and, no matter how secure the
country may be, they steadily keep out their pickets or
runners.
Afler supper, the warriors played at ball, made arrows,
repaired their horse equipments, wrapped the loose sinews on
their bows, or gathered in groups and smoked. The women
cleared away the supper, made up the beds in the lodges, and
carried wood and water for the morning.
In the evening I strolled out with Wash tclla, and, going to
BELDEN: THE WHITE CHIEF. 45
the edge of the 'vxoods, saw one of those glorious sights only to be
witnessed in perfection at sea or on the prairie, a glorious sunset.
A great red globe of fire hung in the west, sinking slowly and
grandly behind the hills, lighting up the horizon and clouds
with molten gold. I gazed long and earnestly at the beautful
scene, and stood lost in thought until aroused by my com-
panion, who said, *^ Let us return to the lodge ; it grows late."
Through the gloaming we walked back to the village, and,
entering my teepee, I bade Washtella bring me my pipe, and^
while I smoked, tell me a story. She brought the pipe, and,
seating herself by my side, related the following extraordi-
nary tale :
Once there were giants on the earth, and they devoured little
children. The great medicine man of our nation told the chief
he should bet all the little children of his nation on a race he
would run with the giants, and, if he beat them, no more chil-
dren would ever be eaten by the big men. The chief was very
anxious to rid himself of the giants, besides it was evident
they would eat up all the children at any rate, so they might
as well be bet as not. A great council was called, and after
three days' debate, it was agreed the children should be put up
and the race run with the giants by the medicine man. All
the nation was present to witness the contest, but the giants
easily won the race; so they demanded the children should be
given up that they might devour th*em. Now, there was one
old man who had a grandchild that he loved dearly, and when
the race was lost, he took the child on his back, and traveled
for many days to the west, until he came to a great wood, and
in the depth of the forest he built a hut, and hid away the
child, hoping the giants would not find him.
The prophets had foretold that a child would bo born in the
46 BELDEN: THE WHITE CHIEF.
tribe, who would wear a white feather, become a mighty^ man^
a great warrior, and slay all the giants.
The old man kept his grandson in great ignorance, telling
him they were the only people in the world besides the giants,
and that if the giants found them out they would kill and eat
them. The boy was very much afraid, and hid away at every
noise he heard.
One day, while out hunting, he shot a bird, and, as it had
pretty white feathers in its tail, he pulled them out and put
them in his hair. When he returned home in the evening, his
grandfather saw the white feathers, and, remembering what the
prophets had said, he knew at once that his grandson would be
a great man and destroy the giants. But the old man was
still afraid the giants might kill and eat the boy, for he was
yet a small lad ; so he did not tell him of what great honors
were in store for him.
Not many days after he had shot the bird, the boy was out
hunting in the woods, and, as was his wont when tired, he laid
down in the shade of a great tree to sleep; and as he slept, he
heard a voice, saying, '^Go home, you wearer of the white
feather, and when you sleep, you will dream of a pipe and sack
with a great white feather, and when you wake up you will find
them, and see that you keep them," When the boy heard these
words he jumped up and looked whence the voice proceeded,
and saw a wooden man fixed firmly in the earth. He was
greatly astonished, for he did not know there were any men in
the world beside his grandfather. So he ran home and slept,
and sure enough he dreamed he saw a pipe and sack, and a
great white feather in it; and when he waked up the articles
'vere there. He had told his grandfather all about his dfeam
in the wood, and at once accused him of putting the s^ck and
BELDEN: THE WHITE CHIEF. 47
pipe with the feather by his bed while he slept. But the old
man would only answer, **Put the feather in your hair, and
you will one day become a great man and destroy all your
enemies." So the boy braided the feather in his hair, and im-
mediately he felt very strong, and, to see if his strength was real,
he went out and easily overthrew a great tree, and he became
very proud of his strength. Next day he said to himself, Now
that I am so strong I will go out and pull up the wooden man
and bring him home, so that I can talk with him. And he
went to the wooden man in the forest, and tried to pull him up ;
but, although he could uproot great trees, he could not get the
wooden man out of the ground; whereat he got very angry,
and struck the man in the face, but only hurt himself, for the
man had an iron head. The wooden man laughed heartily at
his rage, and said to the boy, "See, my son, strength is not
the only thing wc must have in the world, and, in a man or a
nation, it is of little use without wisdom ; now, if you will dig
about me, you can easily lift me." Then he dug about the man
and lifted him out, and carried him home on his back. When
the old man saw the wooden man he fell to the earth on his
face, and was mightily afraid, for he knew it was the god the
giants had stolen when they overcome his nation, since which
time no luck had come to his people. The boy bade his grand-
father get up and tell why he was afraid. Then the old man
said, "My son, whatever you wish will be so, for this is the
all-powerful god the giants stole and hid away." The young
man at once lighted his pipe and wished for some pigeons for
his dinner, and immediately great flocks issued from the smoke
of his pipe; then he wished for some rabbits, and hundreds of
them came jumping out of the woods. He took good care of
his pipe and the wooden man, and wore his white feather, and
48 BELDEN: THE WHITE CHIEF.
lived in the wood with his grandfather until he grew to be a
tall man.
One day the wooden man said to the boy, who was now called
Chacopee, " You are big and strong; go, slay the giants, but be
not foolish, for wisdom, and not strength, must win the victory.
If you think of nothing else until it is done, you will kill all
the giants. Go and be wise."
Early the next morning the young man set off alone, and
after traveling a hundred sleeps he came to the land of the
giants. When they saw him and observed that he wore a white
feather in his hair, they laughed, and scoffingly said, "So this
is the little man who has come to kill us all ! Let the cooks put
on some water to boil him in, and we will soon make an end of
him by eating him.'' "Come, short legs,'' cried one of the
giants, "dance us a jig while the water is heating." But Cha^
copee only said, " If my legs are short, they are long enough to
beat yours, if you will give me a start." "Agreed," cried the
giant ; " go out to yonder tree, and I will catch you before you
have run half a mile." Then Chacopee walked out to the tree,
and all the way along he thought how he should out-wit the
giant. Unperceived he tied the grass across the path, and cried
to the giant to come on. So the giant ran, and tripped his foot
in the grass, and fell to the ground with great force, which sc
stunned him, that before he could rise Chacopee hit him on the
head with a war-club and beat his brains out. Another giant
came running to help his brother; but Chacopee fell flat on the
earth, and the giant stumbled over him; so he beat out his
brains. Now, there was still another giant, who was a very
wise man, who had the power to take whatever shape he wished,
and, seeing the fate of his brothers, he immediately changed
himself into a beautiful woman, and came to Chaco]X)e and said,
BELDEN: THE WHITE CHIEF. 49
" Come and be my husband, for I love you, and have traveled
a long way to marry you." But Chacopee remembered what
the wooden man had told him, and at once lighting his pipe he
wished himself an elk, and immediately he was an elk. The
woman upbraided him, and cried so bitterly that he repented,
for she was very beautiful, and he wished himself a man again.
He became a man at once, and kissed the woman's lips and
cheeks, and laid his head on her lap and fell asleep. "While he
slept, she took the feather out of his hair, and, taking his pipe,
the giant at once became himself, when he called in a loud
voice to Chacopee to wake up; and, on waking up, poor
Chacopee found the woman gone and himself as weak as any
other man. So the giant broke his back with his great club, and
then, changing Chacopee into a dog, bade him follow him.
Putting the feather into his own hair, the giant and his dog set
out for the north, where two famously pretty women lived whom
the giant wished to marry. These girls were the daughters of
a great chief, who had sworn they never should marry any one
but a great chief who, the prophets foretold, would come from
the south and wear a white feather in his hair. "When the
giant and his dog came to the village the giant went in to stay
with the eldest sister, while the dog stole off to the other sis-
ter's lodge and slept beside her. In the night the younger
sister dreamed if she took good care of the dog she would
become a great chief's wife, far greater than he of the white
feather. Next morning she would not look at the giant, but
walked out of the village followed by the dog, and when they
were alone the dog ran to the brook and took up a stone in his
mouth, which immediately became a beaver, and the chief's
daughter took it home for their dinner. The giant hunted
every day, but he could kill nothing, so he and his squaw were
4
50 belden: the white chief.
nearly starved, and the chief was very angry because the giant
kept his daughter so poorly. The giant, seeing how well the
younger sister and her dog lived, watched the dog, and when
he had taken a stone from the brook and saw i1 turn to a
beaver, the giant drew out a stone from the water and it also
became a beaver. Greatly rejoiced, he tied the beaver to
his belt and carried it home, where he skinned it, and hi?
wife put it in the pot to boil. But when she took off the lid
to see if it was done, only the stone was there which her hus-
band had taken from the brook.
The dog, finding his secret was discovered, went out into
the woods and broke a dry twig from a bush that had been
burned by the fire, and the black twig at once became a black
bear. The giant watched again, and seeing how the dog got
his game, he broke a twig off, and immediately it was a black
bear. So he tied it to his belt and brought it home. But
when his squaw went to get some of the bear, she saw only a
charred stick tied to the belt. Then the giant went to the
chief and told him of the disgraceful manner in which his
daughter was living with a dog; but the chief said it was
impossible for a dog to take game as the giant related. How-
ever, the chief, to satisfy himself about the matter, appointed
several young men to go and see about it. When the dog
heard this he told his mistress by bow-wows to sweat him as
the Indians do sick people. Then she built a pit and left it
open at the top, and in the pit she put the dog, and put
several heated stones in with him, and closed the opening.
So he sweat prodigiously, and when the young men came and
opened the pit the dog was no longer there, but a nice young
man in his stead.
Then they took him out of the pit and brought him
BELDEN: THE WHITE CHIEF. 51
to the chief, but he had no speech, and could tell them
nothing. The chief called all the wise men together, and
they took council. All of them smoked, and the giant
smoked, but when the young man smoked, behold great flocks
of pigeons flew out of the smoke. The wise men knew by
this token that the young man was the real Chief of the White
Feather, and the giant an impostor. So the wise men smoked
again, and then took the white feather from the giant's
head and put it in Chacopee^s hair, for it was he, and im-
mediately Chacopee's speech returned, and he related to the
wise men all that had happened to him; how he had been
raised in the wood; how he had got the white feather;
how he carried home the wooden man and conversed with
him; how he had slain the giant's brothers; how he had
been beguiled by the beautiful woman, transformed into a
dog by the giant, and brought hither. When he had
made an end of speaking, the wise men rose up and told
the chief all they knew, and the chief ordered the
giant to be beaten to death with clubs. But when the
warriors came near him, he changed himself into a
wolf, and ran away so fast that neither the warriors nor
the dogs could catch him. Until that day no wolf had
ever been seen, and all the wolves now living are the
giant's children, and that is why they eat little boys and
girls.
After the giant had run away the chief made a great
feast, and married both his daughters to Chacopee, who
took his wives to his people, where he brought also the
wooden man and his old grandfather, who was still living.
And Chacopee became a great chief, and had many brave
8ons and beautiful daughters. And his sons still rule all
62 belden: the white chief.
that country, which is toward the setting sun and along
the sea.
Thus ended Washtella's story of Chacopee, and, when
she had done, I ^sked if she really believed there evei
were giants on the earth.
"Yes," she replied, "hundreds of lives* ago the men
and women were all as tall as trees; but they have
grown smaller and smaller, until now they are no higher
than bushes, and a hundred lives hence they will be no
taller than the buffalo grass. Then they will go into the
ground and live like rabbits."
"AVashtella, tell me where your people first came
from."
"Long, long ago," she said, "they lived in the earth,
which is hollow; but one day they came to an opening
and came out, when, liking the outside best, they staid and
would not return. My own father once saw the hole they
came out of, but I never saw it, as it is far down the
Missouri, where the white man lives."
It was now late, and, wrapping ourselves in our blank-
ets, we lay down and soon fell asleep.
Early the next morning we resumed our journey, and
on the fifth day began to see buffalo warders.f On the
♦An Indian life is sixty-five years.
f The old bulls that are feeble, and whose horns are dull, are driven
away from the herd by the young bulls. They stay near the herd, but
not with it. In approaching buffalo these stragglers or warders, as they
are called by the Indians, are always met long befctre you come on the
main body. When they see the hunters they run to the Lord, and give
notice of approaching danger.
BELDEN: THE WHITE CHIEF. 53
sixth day we came upon the herds, and pitched our camp
on the banks of a pleasant lake. The whole evening was
consumed in putting up the lodges, for the winds often
blow terrifically on these lakes, and it is necessary to make
the teepees veiy strong. Hundreds of buffalo were grazing
within a few miles of us, and every one busied himself in
making final preparations for the great hunt which was to
begin on the morrow.
54 BELDEN: THE WHITE CHIEF.
CHAPTER V.
THE BEAUTIFUL LAKE — ^KILLING THE FIRST BUFFALO ON THE HUNT — ^UNEX
PEPTED HONORS — THE GREAT HUNT — HOW THE INDIANS TAKE BUFFALO-
JERKING THE MEAT — PACKING AWAY WINTER SUPPLIES — AMOVING CAMP-
KILLING BUFFALO CALVES OTHER MODES OF CAPTURING BUFFALO — THE
HUNT ENDED THE BUFFALO FEAST AND DANCE RETURN HOMEWARD— AT
PEACE WITH ALL THE WORLD.
WHEN our camp was pitched, I walked out along the
banks of the beautiful lake, to see what I could dis-
cover. Its waters were clear as crystal and full of fish. Not
a boat, and perhaps not even a canoe, had ever rippled its
bosom, and I could not but imagine, as I gazed across the blue
expanse, that one day commerce would spring up, and towns
and cities be built upon its green shores.
Looking to the north, I was startled from my reflections by
seeing a large buffalo cow coming down to the water to drink.
Hastening back to the village, I quickly procured my Hawkins*
rifle and ran over the little eminence that hid the lodges from
the animal. She had approached quite near the water, and was
not more than one hundred and fifty yards distant from me,
when, hearing a noise in my rear, I looked back and saw
several Indians running toward me with their guns. The
DOW at the same moment saw them, and turned to make off*j
but too late, for I had drawn a bead on her heart, and at one
shot dropped her dead. All the village came running and
BELDEN: THE WHITE CHIEF. 55
shouting, and the squaws gathered around the dead buffalo,
jostling and elbowing each other as they tore off the meat.
It is the Indian rule that game is common property, and
my buffalo was soon reduced to a pile of bones by the knives
of the busy squaws. I could not help laughing as I watched
them struggling for the choice morsels. First, the skin was
carefully removed, and then the muscles and gristle cut away,
when, just as a squaw was about to take the coveted part, she
would be rudely thrust aside, and some other squaw would take
it. These exploits were received with loud shouts of laughter,
and no ill-temper or quarreling was observed among the ex-
cited crowd of women who surrounded the carcass.
On returning to my lodge, I found Washtella in great glee
over my good luck, and she explained that it was no small
matter to have killed the first buffalo slain in the hunt. Pres-
ently I received a message from the chief, and was informed
by an old Indian that, having killed the first buffalo, I would
be entitled to lead the hunt on the first day. Meat was brought
me, and the skin or robe, which, according to the Indian cus-
tom, is always given to the one who kills the animal. So
proud was Washtella, she did nothing all the evening but talk
of my good fortune, and I could not help being amused at the
boasts of the little maid. Nothing could possibly have hap-
pened that would have given her more pleasure.
The next morning, as soon as it was daylight, I was aroused,
and told that the warriors were waiting for me, to lead them
in the chase. Assembling all of them before my lodge, I
addressed them, saying I was a young man, and lacked experi-
ence, but if they would allow me, \ would name one worthy
to lead them in my place. This was received with loud
>»hnuts of approval, and as soon as quiet was restored, I
56 BELDEN: THE WHITE CHIEF.
pointed to a young warrior^ and said: "He is a good man;
go and follow him." The warrior I had selected was mj bittei
enemy, and had formerly been a lover of Washtella. Ever
since my marriage he had abhorred me, and omitted no oppor-
tunity to show his dislike. As his animosity was well known
in th*^ tribe, the honors thus thrust upon him, by one from
whom he had expected no favors, surprised and pleased them.
For a moment the brave hung his head, and then came for-
ward, and, amid the shouts of the warriors, gave me his hand.
Feeling unwell, I did not go upon the hunt that day, but iii
the evening, when the party returned, my old enemy came to
my lodge, and as a token of his friendship, presented me with
two fine robes he had taken during the day.
On the second day I went out with the hunters, and joined
in a most exciting chase. Under the directions of a chief, we
deployed at wide distances, and then, closing in, surrounded a
herd of buffalo on three sides; and as soon as the herd began
to move, the chase began. Our tough little ponies bore us
swiftly along, and soon the herd was hard pressed. Presently
it began to scatter, and then each Indian, selecting a buffalo,
followed the beast up until he had killed it. It is astonishing
how fast the great lumbering animals can run, and although
they do not seem to go over the ground very rapidly, it takes
a good horse to come up with them. Their shambling " lope''
is equal in speed to an American horse's gallop, and they can
climb steep hills and get over rough ground faster than a horse.
They run with their heads near the earth, and a hundred of
them will make a mighty noise, resembling the rumbling of
distant thunder. The hunter approaches from behind, and,
when opposite the beast, fires, aiming at the spine or side, im-
mediately behind the fore-shoulder. One shot in the spine or
BELDEN: THE WHITE CHIEF. 59
heart will bring a bufiklo down, but it generally takes from
three to ten balls in the vitals to kill one.
In the second day's hunt I killed seven buffalo, which was
considered a good day's work,* only one other warrior killing
as many. The warriors do not stop to touch the game after
it is dead, the skinning and packing of the meat being the
work of the squaws, who follow in the wake of the hunters.
For this purpose they have pack-ponies, and two women will
skin and pack three or four buffalo in a day. The meat is
brought to the villages, where it is cut in narrow slices, about
an inch thick, and three or four inches long. These slices are
then hung on poles, or stretched on small willows laid across a
frame-work of poles. The meat is frequently turned, and
allowed to remain in the sun and air for three days. It should
be covered, or brought in at night, and must not be allowed
to get wet by rain while it is curing. This is called jerking
buffalo, and is a simple and easy process of curing meat. The
pure crisp air of the plains soon dries it, and then it has a
sweet, pleasant taste. I have known climates on the plains
where nearly all the year carcasses could be hung up and left
without spoiling until used. Meat, when jerked, is only about
half the weight and size it is when in a raw state. If soaked
in water it will swell greatly, and then, unless used imme-
diately will spoil. When the buffalo flesh is dried suffi-
ciently, it is put into parfleshes, or wrappers, made of raw^
hide, cut square, ^nd which will hold about half a bushel.
They are sewed up at the bottom and sides, the laps at the
top being left open until they are filled. The meat is then
*Mr. Belden has since killed as many as twenty-three buffalo in a
•ingle day.
60 belden: the white chief.
laid in flat, and packed tightly, like plugs of tobacco. When
two or three layers of meat have been put in, hot buffalo fat
is brought and poured over it until all the interstices are filled
up. Then more layers of meat are put in, and more fat poured
on, until the parflesh is full, when the laps are folded over
each other and tightly sewed up with sinews. The meat is
DOW ready for winter use, and two parfleshes are fastened to-
gether like a pair of saddle-bags, and slung across the back of
a pony when the Indians travel. To prevent these bags or
wrappers from hurting the ponies' backs, the under side is
lined with fur or bear skin.
We had hunted four days from our camp-on the lake, and
although we had taken the utmost precaution not unnecessarily
to alarm the buffalo, most of them had gone a long distance
from the village. A council was called, and it was determined
we should go over to the lakes that lay on the Jim River,
sixty miles distant. We immediately set out, moving around
the lake to the right of the buffalo, so as not to disturb them.
Our route lay across a beautiful level country, through which
meandered little streams eight or ten miles apart. These
streams are unwooded, and we were compelled to use buffalo-
chips for cooking. We traveled leisurely along, however,
halting on the creeks,- and making about sixteen miles per
day, for many of our ponies were already heavily laden with ''
meat.
On the fourth day we reached the lakes, and again pitched
our village. Here we found plenty of buffalo and a great
many calves, which were very acceptable to us, as -we wanted
Bome parfleshes of veal.
We hunted four days, and took a great deal of m.eat. Each
family had from three to six parfleshes, according to its size,
BELDEN; THE WHITE CHIEF. 61
which was as much as it could use during the winter, and
enough for the infirm besides. So the hunt was announced at
an end, and we began to prepare for our return. I had been
exceedingly fortunate, and had taken no less than nine par-
^esher of meat and had twelve robes.
There are several methods of killing buffalo beside the reg-
ular chase. One of these, as practiced by the Indians, is as
follows :
The buffalo are watched until they graze near a precipice,
when two or three Indians put a buffalo skin on sticks, and,
concealing themselves under it, approach near the herd slowly,
as if grazing. This must be done when the wind is favorable,
and blowing from the buffalo. If the decoy is successful, other
Indians make a wide circuit, surrounding the herd on all sides,
except that toward the bluff. Then they steal up as close as
possible, and when the buffalo discover them they shout, shake
their blankets and poles, and close in upon the herd. The
animals are greatly alarmed, but seeing the mock buffalo (which
has managed to attract attention) set off for the bluffs, they
rush madly after it. When the baiters reach the bluff, they
fling the mock buffalo over the precipice, and betake themselves
to holes in the bank or crevices among the rocks. It is in
vain the leaders of the herd halt when they see the chasm ; the
mass from behind, crazed by the poles and blankets of the
Indians, who are now close upon them, rush madly on, and
press those in front over the cliff.
It is exceedingly dangerous to bait buffalo, as the herd fre-
quently overtake the false buffalo, and trample it beneath their
teet, or the great beasts, falling among the rock, crush the
Indian baiters to death. Many reckless young Indians, who
as baiters have gone too far inland, have, after the chase, been
62 belden: the white chief.
found dead on the plain, or their mangled bodies lay at the
foot of the precipice with the carcasses of the animals they
had so cruelly deceived. It takes a brave Indian to be a
baiter, but there are always plenty of young and foolish boys
who are anxious to engage in the dangerous sport.
After the buffalo have fallen and killed or maimed them-
selves, a party of Indians who have been concealed near the
foot of the precipice suddenly advance and finish them with
axes or rifles. As many as a hundred animals are frequently
taken in a single day in the way I have related.
Another method of capturing buffalo is in this wise : When
the Indians have been engaged at war, or, for any reason, have
not been "fortunate in securing, during the fall, a supply of meat
for winter, they go to a lake or river where there is game, and
crossing the country in a wide circuit, fire the prairie. The
buffalo, alarmed by the fire, and finding themselves surromided
by flames, plunge into the water, when the Indians easily kill
them. Another way is to drive them on the ice, where they
slip and fall, while the Indians can run rapidly in their moc-
casins on the ice.
When the Indians get out of provisions in the winter, early
in the spring they will fire the grass on the opposite side of a
river from where the buffalo are grazing, and the buffalo are
tempted to cross the ice in search of the green grass which
springs up immediately after the fire. The ice, being already
soft, breaks beneath their great weight, and the animals are
drowned or killed. Sometimes a large buffalo will get on a
great cake of ice and float down the river, when the Indians
will kill him and tow him ashore. It is wonderful how the
Indians can run on the floating ice. They will frequently
press a piece no more than a foot square, and yet cross in
BELDEN: THE WHITE CHIEF. 63
safety. Their moccasins render their footing sure, and they
spring lightly from one cake to another, never halting for a
moment, for to halt is to go down.
Our hunt having ended, the chief ordered that the usual
feast and rejoicing should take place. A long pole was pro-
vided, a buffalo head put on the top of it, and a number of tails
nailed, at right angles, to the sides. The pole was then set
firmly in the ground, in the center of an open space before the
village, and buffalo heads were piled up around it. The heads
were set in a circle, and arranged to look as hideously as possi-
ble. Immense quantities of buffalo meat were now brought,
and the feast made ready. Nothing but buffalo meat is eaten,
and every one makes it a point to gorge himself to the fullest
extent. Even the dogs are stuffed, and the women and children
persuaded to eat while they can force down a bite. The greater
the quantity of meat eaten, the greater the honor ; and some starve
themselves for two or three days in advance, in order to do jus-
tice to the occasion. The meat is prepared in every form —
boiled, fried, broiled, roasted, and raw. When one is full, he
goes to the pole, and as soon as a sufficient number have col-
lected, the dance begins. The warriors sit in a circle around
the pole, and the squaws, gaudily dressed and painted, form a
circle around the warriors. At a signal the drums beat, and
all rise and stand. Then the squaws sing, and the warriors
move around to the right and the squaws to the left, each
keeping time to the drums with their feet. The dance is a
slow, shuffling motion, but soon makes one very tired. When
a warrior or squaw gets' tired, they step out of the circle and
others take their places. As soon as it is dark wood is brought,
fires made around the pole, and the dancing is kept up all
night. The feasting frequently continues for three days, and
64 belden: the white chief.
at no time is tiie pole without its set of dancers. The amount
of buffalo consumed is prodigious, when we consider that, be-
sides the vast quantities eaten by the Indians, each family has
from six to ten dogs.
Xot to dance on such an occasion would seem to be ungrate-
firl for the good luck I had had in taking meat, so I joined in
heartily, but by midnight, was completely worn out. Calling
to Washtella, I told her I was so tired I must go to my lodge,
and she readily acceded, and went with me. Laying down, I
immediately fell asleep, but, on waking at daylight, I was
surprised to find AVashtella already up and going about her
work. I inquired what made her rise so early, and she then
confessed that as soon as I was asleep she had stolen out and
gone back to the dance, from which she had but just re-
turned. Poor child ! she had done no more than her white
sisters often do — that is, had a night of it — so I readily for-
gave her.
The feast over, we began to prepare in earnest for our return.
The meat was carefully distributed, so that no pony would be
overloaded, and every thing was neatly packed. It took both
my ponies and all my dogs to carry my meat and lodge, so
Washtella and I had to walk. We considered this no great
hardship, however, as nearly the whole village was on foot.
We made only eight or ten miles a day ; but at last, after a most
fatiguing march, reached the Missouri, and entered our old
camp near Fort Randall.
I was glad to be at home once more, and I felt very comfort-
able, for I had made a good reputation as a hunter, formed new
friendships, and won over some of my old enemies. Indeed,
why should I not be comfortable? My domestic relations were
most happy. I had an abundance of winter's food, twelve
belden: the white chief. 65
robes, and Washtella had provided me with a good supply of
tobacco.* So I sat down with my favorite pipe and was at
peace with all the world.
* The cha-sha-sha, or Indian tobacco, is made of red-willow bark. The
Bquaws gather great quantities of the sprouts or small limbs, and } eel off
the bark, which, when dried, is broken into pieces of about the consistency
of Killikinick. When properly preserved, red willow is equal to the best
Killikin^ck ; and when smoked has a sweet, pleasant taste, and emits a
delicious perfume.
66 belden: the white chief.
CHAPTER VI.
INDIAN DOCTORS — THEIR IGNORANCE AND VANITY — PATENT MEDICJNE8 — ^IN-
DIAN GIRL BITTEN BY A RATTLESNAKE — THE SAVAGE MODE 0^ TREATMENT—
AN OLD INDIAN PHYSICIAN — A VERITABLE ASS HOW THE GIRL WAS CURED —
WONDER OP THE SAVAGES — THE COUNCIL AND EXPLANATION — MODESTY OP
THE INDIAN DOCTOR — PRACTICING MEDICINE AMONG THE SAVAGES — ^A BORE —
I GIVE UP THE DOCTORING BUSINESS.
XNDIANS have the reputation among white people of being
-■- great natural physicians, and although it can not be denied
that they have some knowledge of herbs and simple remedies,
yet their claim to extensive medical learning is wholly ficti
tious. Among my earliest recollections are pictures on bottles
of well-proportioned female Indians receiving from angels
herbs which were to cure all the ills of the flesh, and the
knowledge of which some venerable chief, while on his death-
bed, kindly communicated to a missionary. Hence we have
Red Jacket's Bitters, when Red Jacket, in fact, never drank
any bitters. It would somewhat destroy the efficacy of these
nostrums to inquire to what church the missionary belonged
who received the information of the medical properties of the
herbs, and also of what tribe the famous Chief Whang-
doodleds was the head. We shall recur to this subject again,
but now give place to the following incident, as illustrative of
the character of the Indian doctor.
There were several young girls who came nearly every day
BELDEN: THE WHITE CHIEF. 67
to my lodge to talk with my squaws, and one day one of these,
while out gathering brushwood for the fire, was bitten in the
arm by a rattlesnake. This I was told by a girl who came
running to my lodge crying bitterly, and saying her sister was
going to die. I asked Washtella what the medicine man did
in such cases, and she said nothing at all ])ut pray for the
spirit of the unfortunate. I told her to run over to the med-
icine-lodge quickly, where the girl had been taken, and tell
the "Great Medicine Man" I could cure her. Washtella
laughed in my face, and said she would not dare do such a
thing, as no women but the immediate relatives of the afflicted
were allowed to approach the lodge on such occasions. I
threatened to punish her if she did not go instantly, and no
doubt thinking my anger was more to be dreaded than that of
the medicine man, she ran off, but soon returned to say she
could not gain admittance. I hastened to the lodge, and on
approaching saw several poles stuck up over the door with
charms and feathers tied to them. I heard a great beating of
drums and wailing within, and while others stood at a respect-
ful distance I walked boldly up to the door and entered.
Within I saw the old doctor crouched at the head of the girl,
who lay extended on a buffalo-robe, her arm bare to the
shoulder. Her mother was seated at her feet, moaning bitterly,
and rocking herself to and fro. The doctor was singing vig-
orously and rattling a gourd over the girPs head ; then he
would take up a drum made of raw hide and beat it indus-
triously, raising his humdrum tone to a shrill key, when he
would resume his gourd and guttural song. So intently was
this learned doctor engaged in making medicine that he did
not notice my intrusion, but kept on with his chaunt. Feel-
ing that I was standing on forbidden ground, and making
5
68 BELDEN: THE WHITE CHIEF.
myself liable to a severe punishment, if not death, I deter-
mined to act quickly, not only for my own sake but the girl's.
Stepping up to the gray-headed and shriveled doctor, I cried
in. a loud voice:
"Let the father be silent and hear."
For a moment or two the sharp rattling of the gourd
continued, and the song rose higher and higher, then sud-
denly it ceased, and the old doctor, rising to his feet and draw-
ing up his shrunken frame to its full height, demanded :
" Why come you here?"
" In His name I come, " I answered, pointing to the sky.
In a moment the old man was bowed on his knees, and mut-
tered, " How is this, O God ! "
"Behold," I continued, "the Great Spirit has sent me to
eat the poison and cure the girl ; " and so saying I knelt
down by the side of the poor sufferer. She had now been
bitten some fifteen or twenty minutes, and already the swelling
had commenced, and two small purple-looking circles were
formed around the wound. There were two small red spots
where the fangs of the reptile had entered the arm, and 1
feared it was too late to save the poor creature's life, but de-
termined to try. I applied my lips to the wound and sucked
it vigorously, but nothing came from it; then I bit it
gently and a few drops of black looking blood came out.
Presently it bled freely, and I sucked it as long as the
blood seemed impure. I next ran over to my lodge and
sweetened nearly a pint of whisky, which I fortunately had,
and gave it to the girl to drink. Then I heated a wire,
and, thrusting it into the wound, cauterized it to the depth
the snake's teeth had penetrated. The girl held very still,
and never once moved or complained. Very soon the whisky
BELDEN: THE WHITE CHIEF. 71
caused her to fall into a deep sleep, and I left the lodge
motioning the mother and doctor to follow. They had
looked on with feelings of wonder and awe, and when we
were outside I said, " Let the maiden sleep as long as she
will, and when she awakes she will be well. "
I started toward my lodge, when the medicine man followed
me a few steps, and, seizing my hand, said, with deep feeling,
*^ Farewell, my son ; I am sorry for you.*'
I asked him what he meant, and the venerable ass then ex-
plained, that, having eaten the poison from the girFs arm, of
course I would die. I said I hoped not, for I intended to
spew it up, and I believed the Great Spirit would not let me
die for doing as he had commanded me. He replied, " O God,
I guess this is good ! "
" You bet it is, old donkey," I replied in English, knowing
he did not understand a word of that language. He bowed
deeply, no doubt thinking I had paid him a great compliment,
and departed to his lodge.
I hastened home, and found my poor Washtella in great
distress, fur she had heard already that I had eaten the poison,
and of course would die. I bade her be of good cheer, and,
drinking nearly a quart of rum, lay down to sleep. In truth,
I was a little uneasy lest some of the poison had got into my
system, but hoped to neutralize it with the effects of the rum.
When I awoke, the morning sun was shining, and a great
crowd of men and women had collected around my lodge,
»?nrious to know if I were dead or alive. My first care was to
inquire after my patient, and to my inexpressible delight found
she was not only living but well.
T had slept many hours, but the effects of the liquor were
still upon me; and, afler smoking the great medicine pipe, and
72 BELDEN : THE WHITE CHIEF.
giving thanks to the Great Spirit for my own as well as the
girPs safety, I lay down again to rest.
In the evening I went out, and, knowing the great desire in
the village to have the particulars of the cure I had performed
made known, I desired all the chief men to assemble, and, when
all were present, gave them the following truthful version of
the affair :
" As I lay in my lodge, the Great Spirit came to me and
said, * A young girl of thy tribe, while gathering brush, has
been bitten by a rattlesnake, and I desire her to live. Arise,
and go to the medicine lodge, and eat the poison, and you
shall not die. Tell the Great Medicine Man, my servant, that
1 sent you, and he will know I did, for he is very great and
very wise.' (Here the venerable ass nodded complacently and
smiled benignantly on us all.) So I went to the lodge, and eat
the poison, and the Great Spirit did not let the girl die, nor
am I dead, my fathers.^'
When I closed, the mighty man of medicine arose and mod-
estly said :
" All the brother says is true. When he came, I knew at
once the Great Spirit had sent him, and that he would eat the
poison and not die, but save the girPs life. Had he not done
so, I would have eaten the poison myself; and when any
of you are bitten by a rattlesnake, come to me and I will
cure you.''
I felt very much like kicking the miserable old liar, but
dissembled, and then we all smoked, gave thanks for an occur-
rence so wonderful, and adjourned.
After this I was considered a great medicine man in the
tribe, and all the halt, the lame, and the blind in the village
«ame to me to be cured. I was bored almost to death, but man-
BEI.DEN : THE WHITE CHIEF. 73
iged to get rid of most of my patients by sending them to the
medicine man, who had become a firm, fast friend of mine.
The girl I had cured wished to marry me, but I declined,
and so remained a great lion among the young ladies of the
village.
Note. — Mr Belden has not overstated the case in the above narrative.
The medicine men of the Indians are, as a general thing, among the most
ignorant persons in the tribes. The credulity and superstition of the sav-
ages make them respect these impostors, but it is absurd for them to lay
any claim to medical knowledge.
At Forsyth's battle on the Republican, in 1868,'the medicine man of the
Cheyennes harrangued the young men, and told them to charge the fort,
for the medicine was all right, and the Great Spirit had told him the
bullets would not hit them. He also said he could catch a bullet in his
teeth, and to show them, he rode down toward the fort^ when one of For-
syth's men shot him through the bowels and he died. It is said that
these men, by long continued imposition on others, come tg believe their
own lies — Ed.
74 BELDEif: THE WHITE CHIEF.
CHAPTER YII.
INDIAN HORSB RACES — THE SANTEES GET BEATEN — ANOTHER EXPEDITION
AGAINST THE PAWNEES— CKOSSINO THE MISSOURI — WAITING FOR THE SAN-
TEES — THE MARCH — THE ATTACK — WOO-HOO-YAH-HOO — A DISASTER — THE
RETREAT — ^A BATTLE — THE WAR-CHIEF WOUNDED — A TERRIBLE CONTEST —
DEFEATED AGAIN — THE RETURN HOMEWARD — PARTING WITH THE SANTEES
— MOURNING FOR THE DEAD.
SOON after the incident related in the last chapter the fall
races began, and we had a lively and exciting time. The
Yanktons had pitted a number of fine horses against the San-
tees' stock, and the whole village turned out to see the contest.
The Indian races present a gay scene, every body being in their
best dress and feathers, and the horses gay with plumage. The
running was very fine, and the Yanktons were unusually suc-
cessful, winning nearly every race over the Santees. I had a
horse to enter, but the Santees objected to my running him, so
I was not a little gratified to see them so badly beaten.
Two weeks after the races were over, time hanging heavily
on our hands, another expedition against the Pawnees was pro-
posed. A large number of Santees were to go with us, and the
party was to be larger, better mounted and equipped, than the
preceding expedition. All being in readiness, we marched down
the Missouri, and crossed over where the river was very wide
and shallow. The crossing, however, was difficult, and it was
with much labor we eifected it. Each Indian tied his ammuni-
BELDEN : THE WHITE CHIEF. 75
tion on top of his head, and strapped his gun to the side of his
pony's head, with the lock uppermost. Then they drove the
ponies into the water, and taking hold of their tails near the
root, with the right hand, paddled with the other one, guiding
the pony toward the opposite shore. We were carried by the
current some distance down the stream, but landed safely among
some willows. We marched inland about ten miles to a small
stream and encamped, building fires to dry ourselves. Here we
remained all the next day, waiting for the Santees, who had not
come up yet. Toward night we saw a cloud of dust in the west,
and soon the Santee warriors came in sight. Another day was
consumed in dividing up the command, and assigning to each
warrior his duty. We set out at daylight, and on the following
day, at one o'clock, found ourselves within two miles of the
Pawnee village. We went into a ravine, and immediately began
preparations for the attack. The guns were loaded, forces again
divided, and all prepared, when a dispute. arose as to whether w«
should attack them at once, or wait for the cover of night. The
Santee chief, who was the senior in command, was in favor of
an immediate attack, urging that delay would be likely to dis-
cover us to the Pawnees and defeat our designs. I did not wish
the attack made until night, for fear some of the white men,
who I knew to be with the Pawnees, would recognize me, and
afterward give me trouble. My little party of fourteen war-
riors was, however, easily voted down, and the old chief ordered
the assault to begin. Eight Indians were detailed to stampede
and drive off the herd while we held the Pawnees in check.
We had no idea of capturing the village, but hoped to steal the
herd, which was the object of the expedition.
The Santees attacked the village on the west side, and the
Yanktons on the north, so as to cover the herd, which was
»b BELDEN: THE WHITE CHIEF.
grazing on that side of the town. The surprise was complete;
the ravine sheltering our movements until within a few hundrec*
yards of the teepees; then we dashed up and commenced firing
our pistols and guns.
Indians do not fight in line like white men, but scatter out,
riding furiously about, and firing as often as possible. The
Pawnees, although surprised, were not dismayed, and soon the
fire from their lodges was very hot. I saw men and women
running from shelter to shelter with guns, and was beginning
to think about falling back, when I heard the long " Hoo ! hoo I
I-Yah-hoo ! " of the stampeders, and saw the herd going pell-
mell over the hill, closely followed by our men. I immediately
withdrew, so as to cover the herd, and was soon joined by the
Yanktons, who were on my right. We commenced our retreat,
and all seemed to be going well, when suddenly, we saw a great
commotion in the herd, and our stampeders came riding down
the hill, closely followed by a large body of mounted Pawnees.
In an instant, the Santee chief called out to us to charge them,
and we did so, turning their right and cutting off about one-
half of the herd, which we drove rapidly about five miles, when
we saw a cloud of dust rising in our rear, and the Paw^nees were
upon us again. The chief ordered the captured stock to be
driven on as fast as possible to the hills, and halted to give the
Paw^nees battle.
We had just crossed a little stream, and took up our position
among the brush on its furthest bank from the enemy. We
saw that all the ponies they had recaptured from us were
mounted by warriors, and, thus re-enforced, the original party
of Pawnees greatly outnumbered our own. They deployed in
a long line, and advancing, began the battle by hurling clouds
of arrows against us. Our war-chief was struck in the shouldei
Mourning for the Dead.
BELDEN: THE WHITE CHIEF. 79
and disabled early in the fight. He pulled out the arrow with-
out even a grimace, and, riding up to me, turned over the
command, desiring me to hold on as long as I could, and then
fall back into the hills near by, where I would find him. The
lighting had lasted half an hour, and the firing becoming slack
in front, I was about to withdraw, when I perceived a large
body of Pawnees on my left and rear, and almost between me
and the herd. While one party had been holding us in front,
another body had moved down the stream, under cover, and
crossed over, completely outflanking my warriors. I saw the
Pawnees making for the herd, and mounting my men, we ran
for it, but the Pawnees having the shortest distance beat us,
and cut off, not only the herd, but our stampeders and war-
chief. The Santees were much concerned about their chief,
and cut their way to him. The old man was completely sur-
rounded by Pawnees, and fighting desperately. It was with
great difficulty we extricated him, and, although hardly able
to sit on his horse, from wounds and loss of blood, he imme-
diately resumed command, and with great skill withdrew us
from the fight. The Pawnees fought desperately, being deter-
mined to take the old chief's scalp, but we carried him off,
and the enemy, having now recovered all their stock, did not
follow us far.
Sadly we pursued our march homeward, and on the second
day reached the Missouri. The expedition had proved a total
failure, and we had lost heavily. Bidding our allies — the
Santees — good-bye (they wishing to keep up the other bank
of the river to their tribe), we crossed the Missouri, and soon
entered our village, where we were received by the howling of
dogs, beating of drums, and wailing of children and women
for their dead fathers, brothers, and husbands.
80 BELDEN ; THE WHITE CHIEF.
CHAPTER VIII.
CONDUCT OF GALLES-SCA — IN TROUBLE — A CONTEST WITH AN INDIAN — NEW
EXPEDITION AGAINST THE PAWNEES — ITS FATE — THE NEW WIFE — GRIEF
OF WASHTELLA — DETERMINATION TO TAKE A JOURNEY — THE DEPARTURE —
ON THE MARCH — BEAUTIFUL SCENERY — AN INDIAN BURYING-GROUND—
TALK WITH WASHTELLA ABOUT THE DEAD — SCENE IN THE GRAVE-YARD —
CURIOUS INDIAN CUSTOMS — HOW THEY BURY THEIR DEAD — SUPERSTITIONS —
A NIGHTl CAMP — THE JOURNEY CONTINUED — FAR UP THE MISSOURI — IN
THE SANTEB LANDS— HOW WE COOKED AND ATE.
X HAD been in the village but a day or two after my return
-*- from the disastrous expedition against the Pawnees, when
I was made aware, in more ways than one, of a growing dis-
like to me among the Yanktons. First, Shan-ka Galles-scii —
the Spotted Dog — who had his lodge close beside mine, pulled
it down and moved away. He it was who had told me to
tiike the Santee robes into the council chamber just before the
raid. When my friend Galles-sca abandoned me, I expected
to see all the rest of my band follow his example ; but, Avith the
exception of one other old Indian, all remained steadfast. I
called my warriors together, and explained to them how it was
the fault of the Santees, and no fault of mine, or those under
my leadership, that we had been defeated. They seemed satis-
fied, and advised me to lay the matter before the general
council. I attended the council at its next session, but as
bkldkn: the white chief. 81
it had been called for the transaction of special business, 1
could not be heard, and I never attended again.
One day, some weeks later, I was told a party of young
men were going out to visit the Poncas, who live on a reser-
vation near the mouth of the Niobanah River. From the
secrecy used in their preparations, I suspected something more
than a friendly visit was meant, and sent my brother-in-law, a
young warrior of some note, to find out what was going on.
He soon returned, and informed me that the party was going
ostensibly to visit the Poncas, but in reality to attack the
Pawnees. I was cautioned, however, to say nothing, as some
Santees were then in the village on a visit, and the Yanktons
did not wish them to know of the expedition. That day,
nmeh to the gratification of our warriors, the Santees took
their departure, and the necessity of secrecy being removed,
the expedition was then publicly talked of.
In the evening, as I was returning home, I met a warrior
who was going on the raid, and who I knew did not like me.
He came up and asked me if I was going upon the new expe-
dition, and I said. No, I woilld not go ; when he fell to brag-
ging about what the)- would do, and told me I should go and
try to redeem myself in the eyes of the tribe. I became angry
at this unjust taunt of the braggart, and made haste to reply.
"I fought the Pawnees as well as any Yankton, and better
than you ever will.'^
He laughed, and asked :
" How many Pawnee ponies have you to trade ? '*
" More than you will ever capture," I said.
"Come, now," he replied, "you can go with men this time,
not squaws"
" I had rather have Yankton squaws than you," I retorted,
82 BELDEN: THE WHITE CHIEF.
at which he became pale with rage, for it is a most deadly in-
sult to call an Indian a squaw.
Stepping up to me, he struck me with the back of his hand
on the breast, saying, " Go away, boy ! Go away, boy ! "
" Stand back ! " I cried, " or I will strike you to the
eiirth."
" Does the pale face think because the Yanktons have been
kind to him, he is their equal ?" inquired the warrior, with a
contemptuous curl of his lip.
" Yes, and the superior of a squaw's man, and a warrior
whose mother never allows him to use pointed arrows, lest he
hurt himself," I answered, hotly.
With a bound, the Indian sprang upon me, but I leaped
aside, and gave him a blow on the nose, which made the blood
spurt out. Blind with rage, he sought to grapple with me, but
knowing he was much the stronger of the two, I kept out
of his clutches, and punished him terribly with my fists. In
a short time his face was beaten like a prize-fighter's, and,
making a furious bound, I struck him in the stomach, and
laid him flat on his back.
The fight had been witnessed by many of the warriors, who
sympathized with me; and when I had knocked my antago-
nist down, they set up a great shouting, and my friends took
me in triumph to my lodge. Next morning I sent for some
whisky, killed a dog, and made a great feast in token of my
victory.
The warriors who went on this third expedition against the
Pawnees, returned in a few days completely broken down and
disheartened. They reported that the Pawnees, under the
leadership of a white chief, named Frank North, had surprised
them, captured some ponies, and killed one Ponca warrior, and
BELDEN: THE WHITE CHIEF. 83
captured another. They had had a hard run to save their
Jives, and all the ponies were exhausted, and some had died of
fatigue before they reached the village.
I was glad I had not gone on the expedition, and wished <o
go and taunt the Indian I had thrashed with his misfortunes,
but my friends persuaded me not to do so.
The summer had now come with its sunshine and flowers;
the grass was up several inches high, and the birds caroling
in the trees overhead. As the tribe had determined to remain
in camp all summer and eat up their buffalo meat, I concluded
to go on a journey up the Missouri. I had so far overcome
my first antipathies to Indian wives as to take a second one.
Polygamy is not only one of the recognized, but one of the
most honored, practices of the Yanktons. A man may have
all the wives he can keep, after the fashion of Brigham Young
and his latter-day saints. As I was a skillful hunter, and
might have had half a dozen, whereas I only took two, I claim
some virtue and credit on that account.
My second rib was a pale-faced, slender beauty — indeed, a
mere child, with a gentle and submissive disposition. Wash-
tella evidently did not like this new-comer to the lodge ; but
she said nothing, and treated the young squaw with respect and
kindness. Often I saw the pain and grief even her Indian
stoicism could not conceal, and from the bottom of my heart I
pitied her, and regretted having brought another to my lodge
to vex my patient and faithful Washtella.
AVhen I had fully determined to leave the camp, I called
my wives together, and informed them of the fact. They ut-
tered no words of comment, for what has an Indian wife to do
but obey her master? My warriors were next notified of my
intended departure, and they said not a word. The old chief
84 BELDEN: THE WHITE CHIEF.
spoke kindly to me, and asked whither I was going, but I onl)'
pointed to the northward, and said nothing.
It was a beautiful morning in the month of June, when my
wives pulled down my lodge, and we began our journey. The
lodge cover, and all our effects were packed on two ponies, one
of which was led by Washtella, and the other by Wacheata,
my second wife. I followed soon afterward, mounted on my
horse.
I could not help pitying the "ladies" as they trudged
along on foot through the sand, for the day was quite hot, and
their skirts narrow and heavy. Tilters would have been of
great comfort and benefit to them just then.
At noon we halted in a grove on the river bank, and while
the ponies grazed, Washtella set out on the grass a repast of
buffalo meat and ash-cake.
I asked the women where the trail we were then travel-
ing led to. I cared not, so it went northward, and away
from the hostile Pawnees.
Washtella told me that not far to the north were the
lands of the Santees, and that where we were then resting
once stood the village of the Yanktons. Not a vestige of it
was left, but on the hill beyond the wood I could see the bury-
ing-ground.
I directed Washtella and Wacheata to pack our kitchen
furniture on the poles behind the pony, and we would go
up to the grave-yard, for I wished to have a look at it.
At this their great eyes opened wide with horror, and they
held up their hands to signify that they did not dare
commit such a sacrilege, and so I bade them stay where
they were. Not having the fear of Indian gods before me,
1 rode boldly up to the hill, and there saw hundreds of
BELDEN: THE WHITE CHIEF. 87
bodies wrapped in blankets, buffalo robes, and bark, and laid
out to dry on scaffolds made of poles and forked sticks.
These scaffolds are seven to eight feet high, ten feet long,
and four or five wide. Four stout posts with forked ends
are first set firmly in the ground, and then in the forks
are laid cross and side poles, on which is made a flooring
of small poles. The body is then carefully wrapped, so as
to make it water-tight, and laid to rest on the poles. The
reason why Indians bury in the open air, instead of under
the ground, is for the purpose of protecting their dead from
wild animals. In new countries, where wolves and bears are
numerous, a dead body will be dug up and devoured, though
it be put many feet under the ground.
An Indian grave-yard is a curious sight, with its silent
sleepers. Here was an old fellow, whose scaffold had fallen
down at one end, and his skeleton rested with its head on
the ground, and its bony feet in the air. There the long
black hair of a woman, falling through the decaying poles,
streamed in the wind. There were skulls and bones all
around, and flocks of ravens screamed and wheeled in the
air. I saw stout warriors, old men and old women, rest-
ing as peacefully ar if they slept in the beautiful ceme-
teries of the East. Maidens lay there, too, all unconscious
of the flowers that were springing up on the prairies around
them, girls who had died long before my two young wives
(who were then praying in the grove for my safety) had
opened their seductive orbs on this world of glass beads and
buffalo intestines,
I noticed many little buckets and baskets hanging on the
scaffolds, and when I returned to the grove I asked Washtella
what they were for. She said that when an Indian dies the
88 BELDEN: THE WHITE CHIEF.
body is carried to the grave-yard, wliere, amid rnuch smoking
and speech-making, it is hoisted upon the scaffold and left to
rest. All then return to the village except the immediate
friends and relatives of the dead, who remain to howl around
the grave.
After death the soul goes on a journey to the happy hunting-
grounds, where there is plenty of game, clear streams, beautiful
groves, pleasant wild fruits, and no wars. While the soul is
performing this journey it must be fed and have drink, the
same as though it had remained in the body. The buckets
and baskets I had seen had contained food and water for the
dead.
I asked Washtella if she was sure the soul ate and drank
on its journey, and if the food did not remain untouched in
the basket?
She replied, "Oh, no; iiie water and food is always gone,
for the dead are very hungry." I looked at the hundreds of
ravens perched on the scaffolds, and could account for what
became of most of the food and water, still I could not help
thinking there were lazy Indians in every village who got the
most of their living out of the grave-yards. .
I asked Washtella how long it took a soul to reach the
happy hunting-grounds, and she replied : " About one month ;
and during all that time the wife or nearest relation must go
every day with a fresh supply of bread and water for the jour-
neying spirit. When the dead person is rich, a couple of
ponies are killed and buried under the scaffold, so the spirit
can ride to the happy home."
I asked Washtella what the Indians did when there was no
timber to build scaffolds, and she replied that they never
camped far from timber; and if any one in the village died
BELDEJs: THE WHITE CHIEF. 89
while on the march, the body was packed on the teepee poles,
and carried along until they reached a grave-yard, where it
was buried.
Having finished my pipe, and satisfied my curiosity in regard
to the mode of burying dead savages, I ordered the women to
repack the ponies, and we resumed our journey.
In the evening, just as the siin was setting, we spied a beau-
tiful willow grove, and turned off the trail some distance to
camp in it. A stream of pure cold water meandered through
the trees, and we pitched our lodge on the green grass by
its banks.
I had shot an antelope, and while Washtella dressed it and
prepared the evening meal, Wacheata put the ponies out ta
graze and erected the lodge. I sat cross-legged on a bufi'alo
robe, and smoked my pipe, having nothing else to do, accord-
ing to Indian custom, where the woi^en do all the work.
A more beautiful spot than our camp could not be imagined.
The tall, graceful willows, with their yellow arms, shaded t^je
greensward from the sun in summer and broke the virdq
in winter. •
After supper I. caught some fine fish out of the sti^inni^ and
when the full round moon came up, I watched its bright rays
flit and dance among the trees, making a thousand grotesque
pictures on the ground.
Next day's journey brought us near Fort Benton. All after-
noon we had been marching for many hour? along the Mis-
souri. The valley was wide, covered with luxuriant grass,
and dotted with many-colored flowers. These flowers, though
beautiful to the eye, had no fragrance. The river banks were
fringed with a heavy growth of cottonwood, willow, and dog-
wood trees.
6
90 BELDEN: THE WHITE CHIEF.
At one time this valley was the resort of vast herds of
buffalo, elk, deer, and antelope, and their skulls and bones
still lie scattered thick on the ground between the bluffs and
the river.
All the game is now gone except a few antelope and deer.
We halted in some cotton woods by the river, and the squaws,
gathering a supply of wood, soon had a supper prepared of
dried buffalo meat, corn, 'coon fat, and ash-cakes.* We all ate
out of the same kettle, so the dishes were easily washed. To
eat, smoke, sleep, and march was the same to-day as yesterday,
and so the journey wore on for nine long, weary suns, when
we came in sight of the Santee village, and here our travels
ended for the present.
* Ash-cake is the Indian's bread. It is maae oi flour mixed with watei
and kneaded into a tough dough. It is then made into little cakes and
baked in the ashes. The Indians use no salt in their bread or any of
their victuals.
belden: the white chief. 91
CHAPTER IX.
AK INDIAN VILLAGH — MIRAGES ON THE PRAIRIES — THEIR FATAL DECEPTIONS—
THE ENCAMPMENT — A SURPRISE — A STRANGE AND BEAUTIFUL PICTURE — THE
WARNING AND WELCOME — LOCATING A TOWN LOT — THE SANTEBS — OURIOSITT
OF THE WOMEN — RESEMBLANCE BETWEEN WHITE AND RED WOMEN — A NOBLE
PEOPLE — THE MISSIONARY — PLEASANT INTERVIEW — HOW THE INDIANS BUILD
THEIR HOMES — MY NEW RESIDENCE
ONE can have no appreciative idea of an Indian village,
unless he has been permitted to come across the prairie
through a hot summer's sun, and suddenly discovers one nestled
under the broad shade trees, beside a clear running stream, in
a green valley. How pleasant the grass then looks; how re-
freshing the bright waters, and how cozy the tall lodges, with
their shaded verandahs of thickly interwoven boughs.
All day long we had toiled over the scorching plain, through
clouds of grasshoppers that often struck us in the face with
sufficient force to make the skin smart for several minutes.
Once we had seen a mirage of a beautiful lake, fringed with
trees and surrounded by green pastures, which invited us to
pursue its fleeting shadows, but we knew all about these decep-
tions by sad experience, and pushed steadily on over the
burning sands.
These mirages often deceive the weary traveler of the desert.
Suddenly the horseman sees a river or lake, apparently, just
ahead of him, and he rides on and on, hoping to come up tc
1)2 bei^den: the white chief.
it. For hours it lies before his eyes, and then in a momeni
disappears, leaving him miles and miles out of his way, and ui
the midst of desert sands.
Men have ridden all day striving to reach the beautiful river
just before them, and then at night turned back to plod their
weary way to Adhere they had started from in the morning.
These mirages often lead to death both man and horse.
The mirage we had seen was most delightful, representing a
clear lake, with trees, meadows, and villages nestling on its
shores, but it scarcely equalled the reality of the scene when,
late in the afternoon we ascended a rise in the prairie, and saw
below us a wide stream lined with green trees, and on its banks
a large Indian encampment.
The ponies pricked up their ears and neighed with pleasure
as they smelt the water, and our own delight was unbounded.
We halted for a moment to admire the beautiful prospect.
Through the majestic trees, slanting rays of the sun shivered ou
the grass ! Far away, winding like a huge silver-serpent, ran the
river, while near by, in a shady grove, stood the village — the
children at play on the green lawns not made by hands. The
white sides of the teepees shone in the setting sunlight, and
the smoke curled lazily upward from their dingy tops. Bright
rib.bons and red grass, looking like streamers on a ship, fluttered
from the lodge-poles, and gaudily dressed squaws and warriors
walked about, or sat on the green sod under the trees. Thera
were maidens, as beautiful as Hiawatha,*\)r as graceful as Minne-
haha, wandering, hand in hand, along the stream, or listening
under the shade of some wide spreading tree to words of love,
as soft and tender as ever were poured into woman's ear.*
* The warriors have a war-paint which they put on when they go to batr
tie, and they have also a Daint which they wear when in love; it is called
BELDEN: THE WHITE CHIEF. 93
Near the village were hundreds of horses and ponies, with
bright feathers flaunting in their manes and tails as they cropped
the rich grass of the valley.*
A group of noisy children were playing at a game much
resembling ten-pins ; some boys were shooting at a mark with
arrows, and up the stream several youths were returning home
M ith rod and line, and fine strings of speckled trout.
Scores of men and women were swimming about in the river,
now diving, and then dousing each other amid screams of
laughter from the bystanders on the shore. Here and there a
young girl darted about like a fish, her black hair streaming
behind her in the water.
While we looked, the little children suddenly ceased from
play and ran into the lodges ; mounted men surrounded the
herd, and the swimmers and promenaders hastened toward the
village. We had been perceived by the villagers, and the un-
expected arrival of strange horsemen at an Indian encampment
always creates great excitement. They may be friends, but
they are more often enemies, so the villagers are always pre-
pared for a surprise.
Soon men were seen running to and fVo with guns and bows,
and in a few minutes, some mounted warriors left the encamp-
ment and rode toward us, going first to the top of the highest
the " love paint," and means that the warrior is " on the path of love, and
not the war-path." Nothing is more common i^an to see an Indian maiden
seated on a buffalo robe, under a shade tree, beading moccasins for her
dusky lover.
*The buffalo-grass is dry and hard, and seems to have little nutriment
in it, but its stem and roots are filled with a rich sweet, juice. The cattle
and horses get very fat on it, notwithstanding its brown and parched ap-
pearance.
94 BELDEN: THE WHITE CHIEF.
mouuds to see if they could discover other horsemen in the
rear, or to the right or left of us.
No sooner did they ascertain there were but three in the
party, than they rode boldly up and asked us our business.
I told them who we were, and where we were from, upon
which they cordially invited us to the village.
As we approached, men, women and children poured out of
the encampment to look at the strangers, and having satisfied
their curiosity, the sports and amusements of the evening were
renewed.
I asked permission to camp of no one, for I needed none, as
this was God's land, and not owned by ravenous and dishonest
speculators. So I marched right down to the center of the vil-
lage, and finding a vacant space, pitched my lodge. It was not
necessary to purchase a town-lot here, for no one, save Him who
owns all, held real estate.
A few Santee women gathered about my squaws and chatted
with them, anxious to learn the news from down the river.
Seeing they were interfering with the unpacking of the ponies
and the erecting of the lodge, I unceremoniously ordered them
to begone, and they went quietly away. The lodge was soon
up ; the ponies unpacked and put out to graze. Having seen
things put in order for the night, I sauntered out through the
village to learn the news.
I was agreeably surprised, when I learned there was a white
man in the village, who had been sent out to the Indians as a
missionary. All the savages spoke of him as a kind-hearted,
good man, who was a great friend of the Great Spirit, and the
Big I'athcr at Washington.
I made haste to pay my respects to my white brother, and
found him indeed a good Chnstian gentleman. He had a
BELDEN: THE WHITE CHIEF. 95
white wife and child, and he and thej were living comfoitably
and pleasantly with these wild children of the desert. I talked
more than an hour with the good man ; it was so delightful to
see and speak with one of my own blood and color. When I
left him, I promised I would return the next day and dine
with him, which I did. It may sound strange to hear one
talk of " dining out " in an Indian camp, but I can assure my
civilized readers the meal was none the less wholesome or
abundant on account of the place in w^hich it, was served.
When I returned to my lodge, I found it surrounded by a
crowed of dirty squaws and children, who were intent upon ex-
amining every thing we had. I ordered them off, and could
not help laughing when I compared the curiosity of these rude
Indian women with that I had seen exhibited at church in the
States by white women. They there go to church, not to hear
the Gospel, but to see what their neighbors have to wear, and
these Indian women had come to my lodge with the same
laudable object. I am not certain that human nature is the
same every-where, but I am quite certain woman nature is the
same all the world over.
I found the Santees a most excellent people. I had heard
bad stories about them, but was agreeably surprised to learn
that all that had been told to their disadvantage was false.
The Omahas, Winnebagoes, Pawnees, Otoes, Sacs, Foxes,
Crows, Snakes, Arrapahoes, Cheyennes, Blackfeet, Ogallalahs,
and Yanktons are all either thieves or beggars, but here was
a tribe of Indians who neither begged nor stole. The women
were generally neat in their dress, virtuous, and cleanly in
their persons. The warriors were men of great pride and
bravery. The chiefs of the Santees were men of few w'ords,
but they were dignified, courteour, and truthful in all they
96 belden: the white chief.
said and did. After all my experiences and disappointments
among the Indians of the plains, I could not help admiring
and respecting these people, for here at last I had found a tribe
such as Cooper had represented, and Longfellow characterized
in Hiawatha. The longer I lived among the Santees the
more cause I found to praise them.
I had built a willow awning over the door of my teepee,
and shaded it with brush, so it was quite cool and pleasant.
Every tribe of Indians build their lodges differently. Thus,
the Winnebagoes live in huts made of the bark of trees,
closely resembling an inverted teacup on the outside. The
Pawnee houses are built in the same shape, but are made of
mud, sod, or adobes.
The Santee lodges were tall conical- shaped tents, made of
buffalo hide tanned with the hair off, and stretched around
twelve poles. These poles are tied together at the top, and set
about three feet apart at the bottom, around a circle of one
hundred and eight feet. The lodge, when finished, is thirty-
six feet in diameter at the ground. The skin or covering is cut
bias, the small end being fastened to the top of the poles and
the long end wrapped round and round the poles, and finally
fastened to the ground with a wooden pin or stone. The poles
are not set in the ground, but the edge of the lodge cover
is pinned down with short pegs made of hard wood. An
aperture is left at the top of the lodge for the smoke to escape,
and the fire is built in the center. When the door is open
it draws well, and all the smoke goes up and out at the
aperture.
These lodges, although standing on the surface of the ground
and apparently very fragile, will withstand the most violent
'^ ind and rain storms. I have seen them outlive the strongest
belden: the white chief. 99
modern tents, and stand up when even great trees were blown
down.
Many of the teepees were painted, having grotesque repre-
sentations of men, horses, birds, turtles, deer, elk, and other
animals in red, blue, and black colors on their sides. The
village contained about two hundred lodges, and represented a
prairie-dog town, being laid out with little regularity or order
as to the streets.
The village covered a great space, the tents being often one
and two hundred yards apart.
Having improved and beautified my own lodge to my sat-
isfaction, I sat down to enjoy myself and smoke my pipe in
peace among these delightful people, little caring if I never
saw the Yankton village again.
JOQ BELDEN: THE -^VHITE CHIEF.
CHAPTER X.
INDIAN ARROWS — -HOW THEY ARE MADE — CUTTING THE SHAFTS — DRYING AND
SMOKING THEM — WHY THEY ARE WRAPPED IN RAWHIDE — PEALING THH
SHAFTS — ^MAKING THE NOTCH — WHY THE SHAFT IS FLUTED — THE ARROW
HEAD — FASTENING IT — PUTTING ON THE FEATHER — PRICE OF ARROW-HEADS
— WHERE THEY ARE MADE — IMMENSE PROFITS OF THE TRADERS — PRICES OF
ARROWS — THE INDIANS BAD FINANCIERS — INDIAN PAINTS — ^WHERE THEY ARK
MANUFACTURED — ^A CURIOUS, BUT PROFITABLE BUSINESS— WAR ARROWS — A
DEADLY SHAFT — THE TERRIBLE POISONED ARROW — HOW IT IS POISONED
DISUSE OF THE POISONED ARROW — THE REASON WHY — SIGNAL ARROWS —
HOW THEY ARE MADE — THEIR MEANING INDIAN CUNNING.
IT was during my residence in the Santee village that I saw
many curious things, and learned much of the mode of life
and ceremonies of the Indians. Some of these are well worth,
not only reading but remembering, by persons who peruse this
volume.
Most people have seen the bows and arrows used by boys in
the eastern States, and those who have observed them know
how feeble they are, not even being capable of killing the
smallest animal. Do not be surprised, then, when I tell you
that an Indian, with his bow, will send an arrow entirely
through a horse, man, or buffalo. The shaggy-coated bear or
Rocky Mountain lion will fall beneath a few shots from the
savage's strong bow, while the fleet, wild deer is not swift
enough to escape the flight of his arrow. With unerring aim
belden: the white chief. 101
the hunter sends his deadly shaft, at eighty yards, into the
heart or eye of his game, and with ease tips birds from the
tops of the highest trees. Of course, it requires long practice
to acquire such skill in the use of the bow, but the Indian will
tell you that more depends upon the manufacture of the weapon
than the skill of the marksman. With a good Indian bow
and arrow a white man can, in a few hours, learn to shoot
very well, while with a bow and arrow of his own manufac-
ture he can hardly hit a tree, the size of a man's body, a
rod off.
Let me teach you how ta make a good bow and arrow. And
first, we will begin with the arrow: The shoots, or rods, must
be cut in the arrow season, .that is, when the summer's growth
is ended. They must not have any branches or limbs on them,
but be straight and smooth. The Indians cut their arrows
late in the fall, when the timber is hardening, to withstand the
blasts of winter. The sticks are not quite so thick as one's
little finger, and they are sorted and tied in bundles of twenty
and twenty-five. These bundles are two or two and one-half
feet in length, and wrapped tightly from end to end with strips
of rawhide, or elk skin. The sticks are then hung up over
fire in the teepee to be smoked and dried, and the wrapping
keeps them from warping or bending. When they are seasoned,
which takes several weeks, the bundles are taken down, the
covering removed, and the bark scraped off. The wood is very
tough, then, and of a yellowish color. The next process is to
cut the arrow shafts exactly one length, and in this great care
must be used, for arrows of different lengths fly differently, and,
unless they are alike, the hunter's aim is destroyed. Another
reason for measuring the length of arrows is to identify them ;
for no two warriors shoot arrows of precisely the same length.
102 BELDEN: THE WHITE CHIEF.
Each warrior carries a measuring, or pattern stick, and it ib
only necessary to compare an arrow with the stick to find out
to whom it belongs. But should the arrows, by chance, be of
one length, then there are other means of identifying them,
for every hunter has his own private mark in the shaft, the
head, or the feather. Of many thousands I have examined, I
never found two arrows exactly alike when they were made by
different warriors.
The shafts being made even, the next work is to form the
notch for the bow-string. This is done with a sharp knife, and,
when made properly, the bottom of the notch will be precisely
in the center of the shaft. The arrow is then scraped and
tapered toward the notch, leaving a round head an inch long
near the notch, to prevent the string from splitting the shaft,
and to make a firm hold for the thumb and forefinger in draw-
ing the bow.
All the arrows are pealed, scraped, and notched, and then
the warrior creases them. To do this, he takes an arrow-head
and scores the shaft in zigzag lines from end to end. These
creases, or fluted gutters, in the shaft are to let the blood run
out when an animal is struck. The blood flows along the little
gutters in the wood and runs off the end of the arrow. The
arrow-head is made of steel or stone. It is shaped like a heart
or dart, and has a stem about an inch long. The sides of the
stem are nicked or filed out like saw-teeth. Nearly all the wild
Indians now use steel arrow-heads, they being a great article of
trade among the savages. There are firms in the East, who
manufacture many hundreds of thousands every year and send
them out to the traders, who sell them to the Indians for furs.
When the shaft is ready for the head, the warrior saws a slit,
with a nicked knife, in the end opposite the notch, and inserts
BELDEN: THE WHITE CHIEF.
103
Che stem of the arrow-head. The slit must be exactly in the
center of the shaft, and as deep as the stem is long. When
properly adjusted, the teeth of the stem show themselves on
each side of the slit. Buffalo, deer, or elk sinew is then soft-
ened in water, and the w^ood is wrapped firmly to the arrow-
head, taking care to fit the sinew in the teeth of the stem,
which will prevent the head from pulling out.
The next process is to put on the feathers. To do this
properly great care must be
taken. Turkey or eagle
quills are soaked in warm
w^ater, to make them split
easily and uniformly. The
feather is then stripped from
the quill and put on the shaft
of the arrow. Three feathers
are placed on each shaft, and
they are laid equi-distant
along the stem. The big
end of the feather is fast-
ened near the notch of the
shaft and laid six or eight
inches straight along the
w^ood. The feathers are glued
to the shaft, and wrapped at
each ^nd with fine sinew.
The arrow is next painted, marked, dried, and is ready for use
It takes a warrior a whole day to make an arrow, for which the
trader allows him ten cents.
Arrow-heads are put up in packages of a dozen each. They
cost the trader half a cent, or six cents per package, and are sold
Old Stone Arrow-heads.
104 BELDEN: THE WHITE CHIEF.
to the Indians at enormous profits. Thus, twelve arrow-heads
will be exchanged for a bufiklo robe, worth ?8 or §9, and three,
for a beaver skin, worth $4. Indians often buy arrow-heads at
these enormous prices, and then sell the arrow back to the trader
at ten cents, in exchange for goods, beads, or knives. The paints
used by Indians in ornamenting arrows are purchased from
traders. It is put up in small packages, and sold at 500 per
cent, above cost. Of late years there has been a house in St. Louis
that has made a speciality of Indian paints, and every Indian
tribe on the plains knows their brand. These paints are in-
delible and excellent, the Indians being willing to pay any
price for them. Generally, imitation of Chinese vermillion,
yellow and green cromes, indigo, lamp-black, and ink are sold
to the savages for paints.
To make war arrows, the Indians manufacture the shafts the
same as for game arrows. The head is then fastened loosely in
the wood, and when it is fired into the body it can not be got
out. If you pull at the shaft the barbs catch and the shaft
pulls off, leaving the arrow-head in the wound. Some war
arrows have but one barb, and when this arrow is fired into
the body, if the shaft be pulled, the barb catches in the flesh
and the steel turns cross wise in the wound, rendering it im-
possible to extract it.
Fortunately but few Indian tribes now use the poisoned
arrow. This deadly weapon is made like other arrows, except
that it has a poisoned point. For years past, in the wars along
the Platte, on the upper Missouri, and in all our contests with
the Indians, not a single soldier or citizen has been shot with
a poisoned arrow. Civilization can never be sufficiently grate-
ful, to even savages, for having discarded a practice so bar-
barous.
belden: the white chief. 1Q5
A Santee warrior once showed me the method used by Indiana
hi poisoning arrows, which I will here describe :
A large, bloated, yellow rattlesnake, the most deadly reptile in
the world, was caught, and his head held fast by a forked stick.
An Indian then tickled him with a small switch, by passing it
along his body from head to tail. The rage of the snake was
unbounded; he threshed the ground with his body, hissed,
rattled hi« tail, and his eyes grew bright as diamonds. I could
not imagine why so simple a thing should make him so angry,
but his rage was as great as it was amusing. A small deer had
been brought out alive, and when the snake was most furious,
the animal was killed, the smoking liver torn out, and, hot and
bloody, laid before the reptile. The stick was then removed
from his neck, and in an instant he struck it, his teeth sinking
deep into the soft flesh. His rage seemed to increase each mo-
ment, and he hit it again and again. When he tired, and would
have gone away, the forked stick was brought, his neck pinned
to the earth, and the tickle used until he became enraged. This
was kept up as long as the hideous creature could be induced to
strike the liver. He was then killed, a sharpened pole stuck
into the liver, and it was carried to the village. It soon be-
came very black, and emitted a sour smell. Arrows were
brought, the heads thrust into the liver, and left there for half
an hour, when they were withdrawn, and laid in the sun to dry.
A thin, glistening yellow scum adhered to the arrow, and if it
but so much as touched the raw flesh, it was certain to poison to
the death.
Formerly the Indians always carried their poisoned arrows
in the skins of rattlesnakes, and they were very careful of them,
selecting arid poisoning only such as had long shafts, peculiar
points, or different marks. Still, mistakes would occur, warrior's
106 belden: the white chief.
Horses, dogs, and children, got accidentally poisoned and died,
and at last the Indians quit using them, more on account of theii
own safety than for any humanitarian reasons.
A liver prepared in the way I have described, would contain
virus enough to poison a thousand arrows. Years ago, each war
party carried a poisoned liver, wrapped in a piece of buckskin,
and it, with many arrows, was packed on a pony, called the
"dead horse." When they found arrows of the enemy, they
would poison and throw them on the trails, where they would
be picked up and used by the foe to shoot game.
Travelers on the prairie have often seen the Indians throw-
ing up signal lights at night, and have wondered how it was
done. I will tell you all about it : They take off the head of
the arrow and dip the shaft in gunpowder, mixed with glue.
This they call making fire arrows. The gunpowder adheres to
the wood, and coats it three or four inches from its end, to
the depth of one-fourth of an inch. Chewed bark mixed with
dry gunpowder is then fastened to the stick, and the arrow is
ready for use. When it is to be fired, a warrior places it on
his bow-string and draws his bow ready to let it fly ; the point
of the arrow is then lowered, another warrior lights the dry
bark, and it is shot high in the air. When it has gone up a
little distance, it bursts out into a flame, and burns brightly
until it falls to the ground. Various meanings are attached to
these fire-arrow signals. Thus, one arrow meant, among the
Santees, " The enemy are about ; " two arrows from the same
point, " Danger ;" Three, " Great danger; " many, " They are too
strong, or we are falling back ; " two arrows sent up at the same
moment, " We will attack ; " three, " Soon ; " four, " Now ; " if
shot diagonally, " In that direction." These signals are con-
stantly cliangcd, and are always agreed upon when the party
BELDEX: THE WHITE CHIEF. 107
goes oat, or before it separates. The Indians send their signals
very intelligently, and seldom make mistakes in telegraphing
each other by these silent monitors. The amount of informa-
tion they can communicate, by fires and burning arrows, is
perfectly wonl5erful. Every war party carries with it bundles
of signal arrows.
Every tribe of Indians make their arrows differently. The
Snakes put but two feathers on their shafts ; the Sioux, when
they make their own arrow-points, or buy them, always prefer
long, slim points; the Cheyennes, blunt points, sharp on the
edges ; the Pawnees, medium points ; and the Crows, Blackfeet,
Utes, Omahas, Ottoes, and "VVinnebagoes, long points. The
Pawnees wrap their arrow-heads with elk sinew, the Crows
with deer, and the Santees, with sinew taken from the inside
of the shoulder-blade of a buffalo bull. Not many years ago,
the hunters and frontiersmen could tell to what tribe the
Indians who attacked them belonged by their arrows, but now
that is impossible. Many tribes trade and exchange arrows, while
others pick up and keep all the arrows they find. It is a
practice among the Pawnees, to carefully collect all the arrows
of their enemies and keep them to shoot again, or trade, while
many wily Indians, when they wish to attack the whites, or
commit an outrage, purposely use arrows belonging to other
tribes. To find a white man dead, with a Pawnee arrow stick-
ing in him, is no longer, as in former days, evidence that a
Pawnee killed him, for, most likely, the deed was done by a
Cheyenne or Sioux, and the blame thus sought to be thrcwn
on the poor Pawnees.
7
lOS BELDEX: THE ITHTTE CHIEF.
CHAPTER XI,
AxaqpnTT—umAM man uuxxoro vo SBsxn—fcmwa, J9
TBS BOfV — TOM nOOX BOW — BOW IT D KADB — WBT IT IS QAKBISD UN-
sxKirarG — wo(H> fob bows — vhbib talue — DirFicui.Tr op dbawixg ihem —
leOOnXS BCVKAUO with BOBB AKD ABBOWS— «TBBK6TBSHDfG TBB BOW
vim acnnr — thb Bow-sacDro — cxow aso chetbkbb bows — thb blk
■OBai bow— how it is MADB — thb TALCB of ax blk bow — QVIYBSS — HOW
THBT ABB HADS AKD GABBIBD-— BAMBS OF IBIliASS — THB 8IOGX CHIKF
SromD TAHr— HOW TO SHOOT WITH THB BOW— STBrnXG WITH THB BOW —
IBIHAB IBSCLTS ASH HOSrOB.
rilHE bow — the weapon so long in use among the different
-*- Indian tribes of this continent, so typical of Indian life, and
die mere mention of which always associates onr ideas with the
red men — ^is made of varioos kinds of wood, and its mann-
&ctiire is a work of no little labor. Even at this day the
bow is much used, and although an Indian may have a gon,
he is seldom seoi without his long bow, and quiver well filled
with arrows. The gun may get out of order, and he can not
mend it ; the ammunition may become wet, and there is an end
of hunting ; but the faithful bow is always in order, and its swift
arrows ready to fly in wet as well as dry weather. Thus
reasons the savage, and so ke^s his bow to £dl back upon in
case of accident.
Until the invention of breech-loaders, it is a &ct well known
to frontiersmen that the bow was a £ir more deadly weapon at
dose range than the best rifle. A warrior could discharge his
belden: the white chief. 109
arrows with mnch greater rapidity and precision than the most
expert woodsman could charge and fire a mnzzle-loading
rifle.
The antiqnite' of the bow is so great that its origin is per-
haps coincident with war and the necessities of mankind. It
is paint«»d on the ruins of Xineveh ; it is mentioned in the first
book of the Bible, and it is known to have been used on the
eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea, where the human race
probably first had its origin.
The Indian boy's first lesson in life is to shoot with a bow.
He is furnished with a small bow and ^beewaks," or Uunt
arrows, so he will hurt nobody, and with these he shoots at
marks. Biy and by, when he has acquired some skill in hand-
ling his weapon, he is given small arrow-points, and with
these he shoots birds, squirrels^ and small beasts. As he grows
older he receives the long4x)w, and at last the stiQiig4x>w.
These stnmg-bows are powerfiil weapons, and I have seen
them 80 stifT that a white man could not bend them scarce fimr
inches, while an Indian would, with apparent ease, draw them
to the arrow's head. A shaft fired from one of these bows will
go through the body of a buflSdo, and arrow-heads ha^e been
found so firmly imbedded in the thigh bones of a man that no
fiiroe could extract them.
The parents take great pide in teaching young Indians to
shoot, and ^e development of the miecles and streng;di of
their arms i^ watched with much interest. ' A stoat aim, oma
mented with knots of mnsdeSy is a great honor to an Indian,
and no one but those who can handle the strong4Miw are
deemed fit fi>r war.
Of all the Indians of the West, the Soux ai|d Crows make
the best bows. The Soox bow is generally fixur feel long,
1^
110 belden: the white chief.
and a half inches wide, and an inch thick at the middle. It
tapers from the center, or " grasp, ^' toward the ends, and is
but half an inch wide and half an inch thick at the extrem-
ities. At one end the bow-string is notched into the wood and
made permanently fast, while at the other end two notches are
cut in the wood, and the string at that end of the bow is Liade
like a slip-knot or loop. When the bow is to be used, the
warrior sets the end to which the string is made fast firmly
on the ground, and then bends down the other end until
the loop slips into the notch. This is called '^ stringing '^ the
bow. The bow is never kept strung except when in actual
use, as it would lose its strength and elasticity by being con-
stantly bent. When unstrung, a good bow is perfectly
straight, and, if properly made and seasoned, will always retain
its elasticity.
The wood generally used in manufacturing bows is ash,
hickory, iron- wood, elm, and cedar. No hickory grows west of
the Missouri, and it is very difficult to get ; and an Indian will
always pay a high price for a piece of this wood.
When the bow is made of cedar, it need not be seasoned ;
but all other woods require seasoning, and are not worked
until perfectly dry. Every teepee has its bow-wood hung up
with the arrows in the smoke of the fire, but well out of reach
of the flames. A warrior with a sharp knife and a sandstone,
or file, can make a bow in three days if he works hard, but
it most generally takes a week, and sometimes a month, to
finish a fancy bow. When done, it is worth three dollars in
trade.
All the bows differ in length and strength, being gauged for
the arms of those who are to use them; but a white man
would, until he learned the slight of it, find himself unable to
BELDEN: THE WHITE CHIEF. Ill
bend even the weakest war-bow. This has given rise to the
impression that the Indians are stronger than white men, which
is an error ; for, although only a slight man myself, I learned,
after some practice, to bend the strongest bow, and could send
a shaft as far or as deep as any savage. On one occasion I
shot an arrow, while running, into a buffalo so that the point
came out on the opposite side; another arrow disappeared in
the buffalo, not even the notch being visible. The power of
the bow may be better understood when I tell you that the
most powerful Colt's revolver will not send a ball through a
buffalo. I have seen a bow throw an arrow five hundred
yards, and have myself often discharged one entirely through
a board one inch thick. Once I found a man's skull trans-
fixed to a tree by an arrow which had gone completely through
the bones, and imbedded itself so deep in the wood as to sus-
tain the weight of the head. He had probably been tied up to
the tree and shot.
The Sioux and Cheyenne bows are generally strengtjiened
on the back by a layer of sinew gliied to the wood. This
sinew, as well as the bow-string, is taken from the back of the
buffalo. It starts at the hump and runs along the spinal
column to the tail, and is about six feet in length.
The surface of the bow is made perfectly flat, then roughened
with a file or stone, the sinew being dipped in hot glue and
laid on the wood. The sinew is then lapped at the ends and
on the middle, or grasp of the bow. The string is attached
while green, twisted, and left to dry on the bow. The whole
outside of the wood and sinew is now covered with a thick
eolution of glue, and the bow is done. Rough bows look like
hickory limbs with the bark on, but some of them are beauti-
fully painted and ornamented. I once knew a trader to glue
112 BELDEN: THE WHITE CHIEF.
some red velvet on a bow, and the Indians paid him an im
mense price for it, thinking it very wonderful.
The Crows make bows out of Elk horn. To do this they
take a large horn or prong, and saw a slice off each side of it ;
these slices are then filed or rubbed down until the flat sides
fit nicely together, when they are glued and wrapped at the ends.
Four slices make a bow, it being jointed. Another piece ot
horn is laid on the center of the bow at the grasp, where it is
glued fast. The whole is then filed down until it is perfectly
proportioned, when the white bone is ornamented, carved, and
painted. Nothing can exceed the beauty of these bows, and it
takes an Indian about three months to make one. They are
very expensive, and Indians do not sell them ; but I once
managed to get one from a friend for thirty-tw^o dollars in gold.
In traveling, the bow is carried in a sheath attached to the
arrow quiver, and the whole is slung to the back by a belt of
elk or buckskin, which passes diagonally across the breast, and
is fastened to the ends of the quiver. The quiver and bow-
sheath is generally made of the skin of an ox or some wild
animal, and is tanned with the hair on. The quiver is orna-
mented with tassals, fringe of buckskin, and the belt across
the breast is painted or worked with beads. Each Indian has
his sign or name on his belt, bow, sheath, or arrow quiver.
The celebrated Sioux chief. Spotted Tail, or *^Sin-ta Galles-
3ca, " had his bow-sheath made from the skin of a spotted
ox he had killed in a train his warriors captured, and as the
tail was left dangling at the end of the sheath, the Indians
ever afterward called him Spotted Tail, or " The man with the
Spotted Tail." * You may be curious to know what this In-
* Mr. Belden is likely mistaken as to the origin of Spotted Tail's
nam»i. 1 have often been told by soldiers and old frontiersmen that when
^iiaecn/cvi./a.i^TJiA T«wi
Bowi, Arrowi, and Quivers.
BELDEN: THE WHITE CHIEF. 115
dian's name was before he was called Spotted Tail, and I must
tell you many Indians never have a name, while others have
half a dozen. Some act of bravery, or an article of clothing,
generally fixes an Indian's name, but a new deed, or a new
head-dress, may change it.
To shoot with the bow properly, it must be held firmly in
three fingers of the right hand ; the arrow is fixed on the bow-
string with the thumb and forefinger of the leffc hand, and the
other three fingers are used to pull the string. The shaft of
the arrow lays between the thumb and forefinger of the right
hand, which rest over the grasp of the bow. To shoot, the
bow is turned slightly, so one end is higher than the other, and
the arrow is then launched.
Not only is the bow used as a weapon, but it serves as an
implement with which to disgrace a man. Thus, an Indian
who is struck with a bow is as much disgraced and insulted as
a white man who has been cowhided. To strike one with a
bow means in the Indian language, " Go, coward ; " or, " You
are not worthy of being killed by arrows ; " or, " I do not
consider you a brave or honorable man," which is the worst of
all insults to a savage.
Spotted Tail -vras a young man he wore a coon's tail in his hair, and from
tliin took his name of Spotted Tail, or " The man with the spotted tail"
Our soldiers have often seen him wearing this coon tail in battle, and I
think it was from it he derived his name. — Editor.
116 belden: the white chief.
CHAPTER XII.
INDIAN MANUFACTORIES — THE BONE, STONE, AND FLINT AX — HOW THEY ARB
MADE — INDIAN HAMMERS, MALLETS, HATCHETS, AND HOES — RASPS AND FILES
HOW THEY ARE MADE, AND WHAT USED FOR — THEIR POWER AND ENDUR-
ANCE — WAR-CLUBS, SPEARS, AND JAVELINS — INDIAN RIDING-WHIPS — CURIOUS
MANNER OP MAKING THEM — THE INDIAN KNIFE — A REMARKABLE TRADE EN-
TERPRISE — THE CROW COMB — "NECESSITY THE MOTHER OP INVENTION**
ILLUSTRATED
11 TOST of the Indian tribes of the west, have obtained
-LTX from traders, many articles of civilization, but among
the Santees, I found they relied almost wholly upon their own
skill to produce tools and household utensils. These M^re
generally manufactured by old men and squaws, except axes,
hammers, mallets, files, rasps, and hoes, which were made by
the warriors.
The axes were of three diiferent kinds — stone, bone, and
flint. The stone ax is made from a large pebble, or river
stone. It is first split in two parts, which gives each section
a sharp edge and a flat side. The stone is then enveloped in
rawhide, except the edge. The hide is put on when green,
and strongly sewed with sinew, and when dry, it is almost as
hard and tight as the stone. "While the hide is still soft, a
handle covered with rawhide, and having a long slip projecting,
is laid on the flat side of the stone, and strongly sewed to the
skin covering the ax. The slip is then wrapped around the
BELDEN: THE WHITE CHIEF.
117
ax-head and handle, and sewed fast, after which the whole is
lapped with sinew, and set away to dry. As soon as it is
thoroughly dried, the ax is brought out, the edge filed up,
or sharpened by rubbing it against a sandstone, and it is ready
for use. It is astonishing how firmly the contracted rawhide
and sinews hold this rude ax on its handle ; the stone often
breaks, however, and the ax can only be used for cutting soft
wood and brush. Three or four of these axes can be made by
an Indian in a day, so they are of no great value, and are
thrown away as soon as they break.
The flint axes are more difiicult to make, but are manu-
factured in the same manner, except that a notch is sawed in
the handle, and the ax set in the notch to give it greater
firmness.
Indian Axes and Clubs.
The bone ax is the best as well as the hardest to make.
Buffalo bones (generally the leg or shoulder-blade) are taken,
split in two, and trimmed down to the right thickness. A sap-
ling, young tree, or limb, is then split near a knot, and the
bone shaved through, where it is left to grow fast. This is
done in the spring, and by fall the sap will have filled up
11 '
118 BELDEN: THE WHITE CHIEF.
the interstices, and the wood beconae firm around the bone.
The wood is then cut at the right length, and the handle
shaved out. The whole is next covered with rawhide sewed
and lapped with sinew, the bone ground up, and the implement
is ready for service. One of these axes will last a year and
rarry a fair edge, but the great objection to them is, that they
are too light for effective chopping. Elk ham-bone makes a
very good ax head.
Mallets, hammers, and hatchets, are made in the same man-
ner as described for axes, except that the big mallet, used for
driving stakes and tent-pins, is made of a round stone, in the
side of which a trench has been pecked, into which the handle
is laid. The whole is then covered with rawhide, and when
dry, the hide is pared off one end of the stone, and it is flat-
tened by rubbing it against a rock, or dressing it as a miller
does his millstone.
Hoes are made of flat stones and bones, covered with raw-
hide, and a handle is fastened with buffalo sinews. These hoes
are used to dig earth, wild artichokes, and for scraping the hair
off hides when tanning.
The most curious process was making files and rasps. To
do this, an alderberry stick was taken and split in two. The
pith was then scraped out, and in the grove thus formed, was
poured glue, mixed with pounded flint. When dry, the parti-
cles of flint formed the teeth of the rasp, or file. If the file
became dull, it was only necessary tf wash it in hot water,
when the glue and old pieces of flint washed out and new
teeth appeared. These files were very handy, and of vast use
to the Indians. What steel is to iron, they are to the wood
and stone used by the Indian. When ponies hoofs became too
long, or splintered, they were trimmed down by these rasps;
BELDEN: THE WHITE CHIEF.
111>
also, ax handles, teepee poles, and iron, even, were rubbed down
with them.
"War clubs are made with han-
dles three feet long. A sharp flint
stone is found, and dressed off into
an oblong shape. A sapling is
then split, the stone heated an^l
placed in the split. This is re-
peated until the crack is almost
closed, when it is left to grow fast.
It is then cut, the handle trimmed
out, the whole, except the point of
Modem War Club. stone, covered with rawhide, and
sewed with sinew, when it is beautifully painted and orna-
mented.
Spears are made of hard wood, and pointed with stone or
iron. If an Indian can
get an old bayonet, or
sword-blade, he is de-
lighted, as it makes a
splendid head for his
spear. If no iron can
be obtained, the wood
is charred in the fire;
the burnt particles are
then scraped off, leaving
it very hard and sharp.
The butt end of the
pole is always used for
the head of the spear, ^ -— .._.^z^"
and the whole length of Indian Warrior and Clao.
320
BELDEN: THE WHITE CHIEF.
the instrument is twelve
to fifteen feet. The
Sioux, Cheyennes, and a
few other tribes still use
these weapons, but they
are fast disappearing.
They are clumsy, but
very dangerous when
skillfully handled, and
can be thrown a great
distance with considera-
ble accuracy.
Riding whips are
made in great numbers
by the Indians. They
are of various kinds and curious
SiOQZ "Warrior with Spear.
Pawnee and Spear.
patterns. Some are twisted
out of horse-hair, and
wrapped with fine
sinew, to make them
stiff and elastic ; others
are woven of buffalo
fur, and others of grass
or bark.
The regular Indian
riding whip is made
of leather, fastened to
a wooden handle. A
bone, or piece of round,
hard wood, about six
inches in length, is
taken, and through each
BELDEN: THE WHITE CHIEF. 12^
end a small liole is bored across the grain. Another longer hole
is then bored in the end of the stick along the grain, until it
intersects the first hole. The lash, with a loop on its end, la
next inserted in the end of the whip, and a peg driven through
the small hole and loop, to keep it from coming out. A lo()]>,
of wrist-strap, is then put in the other end of the handle, an J
the whip is ready for use. The lashes of these whips are two oi
three feet long and very heavy, being made generally of buck-
Indians Practicing with the Bow and Spear.
skin, elk, or buffalo hide. They are frequently not plaited, but
knotted every five or six inches. These knots are called " bel-
lies," and are intended to make the punishment more severe
than it would otherwise be.
The elk-horn whip is very pretty, being usually beautifully
carved and painted many colors. Sometimes the long prong
of a blacktail deer is used, studded with brass tacks, or pieces
122 BELDEN: THE WHITE CHIEF.
of silver. Frequently, the handles are covered with fur, or
buckskin, which is ornamented with bead-work.
The Santees could make a rude knife when they could get
hoop-iron, but nearly all the Indians have knives made by white
men. These knives are branded Samson & Goodnow, J. Wil-
son, Clement & Hawks, though how these manufacturers got
their knives among the Indians, I never could learn.
The Crow Indians are the only ones who make combs. They
are very simple, and consist of a hedgehog's tail, the bristles
serving as teeth. When the hog is killed, the tail is skinned
off the bone, and a wooden handle inserted. When dry it is
ready for use, and is by no means a bad substitute for the
bone, or horn comb we use. A hedgehog comb is an indis-
pensable article to every Indian girl, as it enables her to keep
her long black hair in order.
BELDEN : THE WHITE CHIEF. 123
CHAPTER XIII.
BUFFALO ROBES— FLESHING, TANNING, AND DRYING THEM — TRADE ROBES—
THEIR VALUE — THE BODY ROBE — THE FUR TRADE — HOW IT IS CONDUCTED
ITS PROFITS — INDIAN PRICES OF FURS — SENDING THEM TO MARKET — THEIR
VALUE AT ST. LOUIS — ARTICLES OF TRADE — WHAT INDIANS BUY — A NEW
CURRENCY — LABOR OF PREPARING FURS — HOW MUCH A SQUAW GETS FOR A
FULL day's work— furs THE CHEAPEST GOODS IN THE WORLD.
rilHE robes used by the Indians in winter for wearing as
-■- protection against the weather, are made of the skins of
small buffalo bulls or cows. The skin ia dressed down or
thinned by means of chipping and scraping of the flesh side
with an adze or hoe made of bone. "When it is as thin as it
can be cut with the adze, it is rubbed down to the right thick-
ness with a sandstone. This done, the robe is well soaked in
bufiklo brains and grease, after which it is dried. It is then
washed in clear water, and re-washed, until all the grease and
brains are taken out. The skin now only has to be rubbed
dry, and the tanning process is complete.
Squaws and men all wear buffalo robes about their persons
in winter. They are always worn with the fur side inwards,
or next the skin, and the flesh side is painted with stars,
squares, stripes, or whatever strikes the fancy of the wearer.
The paint is seared in with a hot iron, and is generally black,
red, or blue, in color.
The robes made for trading purposes are entirely diff*erent
124
belden: the white chief.
from those worn by the Indians themselves. A private, or
body-robe, as it is called, is worth a dozen trade-robes. The
trade skins are never painted, but merely fleshed, brained,
washed, and rubbed. Once in a while a painted robe finds itb
way into the market, but
only as old family jewels
find their way to the pawn-
broker's shop among civil-
ized people. An Indian will
not part with his painted
robe unless pressed with hun-
ger, or to obtain powder and
bullets. A new body-robe
is seldom or never sold, and
those seen in the East are
mostly old robes, that the
Indians have parted with
because they were about to
get new ones.
The trade-robes, or bull- Body-robe,
hides, usually cost at the tribe grounds from §1.25 to $2.00.
The traders pack them in bales of ten robes each, and ship
them East, where they are sold at $70 to $90 per bale. What
it costs to transport them, I am unable to say ; but it is fair to
presume, that the trader clears from $4 to $6 on each robe.
When I lived with the Santees it was not yet the trading
season ; but I have often seen the Crows and Pawnees trade oa
a large scale. This is generally done in the fall ; and not un-
frequently a single trader will secure as many as one thousand
robes. These cost him only $1,250 in goods, and he can sell
them in the East for $5,000 to $6,000 in cash. The Indians
BELDEN: THE WHITE CHIEF. 125
do not want money, but goods; and the trader keeps con-
stantly on hand a large assortment of Indian traps. The arti-
cles generally sought for by the savages are the following :
Red, white, blue, black, and green Mackanaw blankets.
Red and blue " squaw-cloth,'^ which is a flannel of various
colors, and costs $4 per yard.
Red, white, blue, black, green, yellow, and purple worsted,
in one pound skeins. This is used for making tassels and rib-
bons.
Cotton thread, flax thread, and needles.
Blue and striped bed-ticking, used by the squaws for making
Cotton and worsted shawls ; very small, and worn over the
shoulders, and around the neck.
Balmoral skirts of the most brilliant colors. I have also
seen crinoline and hoop-skirts readily sold to the squaws.
Red, blue, and various colored handkerchiefs, both silk and
cotton.
Lampblack, indigo, Chinese vermilion, green and yellow
chrome, and all kinds of paints.
Gunpowder, bullet molds, bullets, and percussion caps.
Brass, copper, and iron wires.
"Wire worms, for extracting charges from loaded guns.
Brass hawk-bells and brass tacks.
Brass finger-rings, jewelry, and buttons.
Butcher knives, lead, ax helves, handles, saws, files, and
hatchets.
Pipes and stems of all kinds.
Silver and gold ear-rings.
Brass wristbands.
Sugar, tea, coffee, flour, tobacco, candy, raisins, and figs.
8 .
126
BELDEN ; THE WHITE -CHIEF.
Chip hats, calico, paper collars, and whisky.
Wampum beads, a string, one yard long, being worth fifty
cents. The trader both sells and receives them at that price
and they pass as currency among the In-
dians, the standard value being fifty cents
per yard; if white or pink, and if purple,
seventy-five cents per yard. A wampum
moon, which is a small sea-shell, out of
which the wampum beads are made, will
sell for $1.
These are the principle articles found in
every trader's store, and for them the Indi-
ans exchange buffalo robes, elk, deer, ante-
lope, beaver, muskrat, mink, fox, bear, and
many other kinds of skins.
The flesh or meat of the animals they kill
is dried, put away in caches, for winter use,
and the hides go into the traders' bales.
The average value of skins among the
Indians is: for a buffalo robe, $1.25; for an
elk skin, $1; deer and antelope skins, 75
cents each; beaver and otter, $1 each;
wolf cayote, 25 cents ; muskrat, 10 cents ;
mink, $1.
Great labor and a vast deal of time is expended in tanning
these skins, and I may safely say that, considering the amount
of work put upon them, they are the cheapest articles of trade
in the world. A squaw frequently toils a whole day on a skin
that will only bring her husband ten cents worth of goods,
which are really worth no more than five cents in cash.
Wampum.
BELDEN: THE WHITE CHIEF. 127
CHAPTER XIV.
PIPES AND TOBACCO— WHERE DID MEN LEARN TO SMOKE ? — THE TOBACCO PLANT —
WHERE THE ENGLISH FOUND IT— OLD INDIAN PIPES— HOW AND OP WHAT THEY
ARE MADE — THE WAY AN INDIAN SMOKES — CEREMONIES IN SMOKING THE
TOMAHAWK PIPE — ITS USE — ^THE PHIL. KEARNEY BATTLE-CLUB — A HORRIBLE
INSTRUMENT — PIPE STONES — INDIAN KINNE-KAN-NICK — HOW IT IS MADE —
SUMACH TOBACCO THE INDIAN* S ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF GOD TOBACCO BAGS —
HOW AND OF WHAT THEY ARE MADE — THEIR VALUE.
"VTTHERE and when did men first learn to smoke? The
' ' sacred Scriptures make no mention of this practice.
Neither Abraham, Isaac, nor Jacob smoked, and none of the
old fathers offered their guests the pipe, though the Old and
New Testament make frequent mention of food entertainment.
Job set a good table, but there is no evidence he smoked. God
speaks of " a smoke in my nose,^' but this is the smell of meat-
offerings, and not tobacco or pipe fumes. .
The tobacco plant belongs to North America, and has been
used by the Aztecs and Indians, from time immemorial. It
was a luxury in Powhatan's sylvan camp, in the days of Poca-
hontas. Sir "Walter Raleigh first carried it from America to
England, in 1588, and to the English belong the responsibility
of introducing this weed to the civilized world.
As far back as we can trace the savage, the pipe has been his
pride, the solace of his leisure and weary hours, and the emblem
of his friendship. The story-tellers of the Indians say, they
128
belden: the white chief.
first received the tobacco plant from an angel, sent by the Great
Spirit. They smoked the leaves in their pipes, that the angela
might smell the fames and be pleased. It was also an oblation
to the Great Spirit, and hence, the custom, to this day, of pre-
ceding all solemn occasions by much smoking.
The earliest Indian pipe was curved like an ox's horn, and
had no stem. There was a hole through it, and the tobacco
was put in the large end.
In smoking this pipe,
the Indian laid on his
back. The next form
of pipe used, was that
of the body of a man,
the stem of the pipe
being placed in the small
of the back. This de-
sign was got from the
Idols, which the Indians
cut out of stone. The
first attempt at orna-
menting the pipe was,
to make it in imitation
of the snake. The tobacco was placed in the mouth of the reptile,
the tail answered for a stem, and the body was carved to represent
the scales. The highest art ever attained in carving an Indian
pipe was to cut a rude imitation of a lizard on the front of the bowl.
The warrior's pipe, of the present day, is made of red clay, or
soap-stone, which is found in nearly every part of the American
continent. There are some stones that are held in great esti-
mation by the Indians, for making pipes. The quarry, four
miles below the falls of Sioux River, between Dakota and the
An Indian and his Pipe.
BELDEN: THE WHITE CHIEF.
129
State of Iowa, is held in high repute. The soft red clay, or
soap-stone, on the Iowa shore of the Missouri, and found on the
Yellowstone Make, also makes beautiful pipes. This stone is soft
when taken out, but rapidly becomes hard when exposed to the air.
Indians make tneir pipes with the common jack-knife. The
bowl is long, deep, and eight square, or round. The shape of
the pipe is a rectangle, and the
hole for the stem is bored with
an iron rod, or sharp piece of
stone. The pipes are of all sizes,
some of them being very large, but
all have the same elbow.
The stems are of various lengths
and shapes, but those most com-
monly in use are made of a hollow
^^^®* stick, or one through which a hole
has been drilled. They are fully three feet long, an inch in
diameter, and ornamented with brass
tacks, wire wrappings, and paintings.
The Santees, Ogallalas, and Yank-
tons use a flat stem, very long and very
thick. They are sometimes three inches
broad, and ornamented at both ends
with bright feathers. Rows of ver-
milion, green, duck, and gold-colored
eagle quills, are split and fastened with
glue, by their flat surfaces, to the stem
of the pipe, and the ends are then
wrapped with wire. Carvings pf birds,
beasts, fishes, and men, are cut on the
bowls and stems, and filled with paint. Modern Indian Pipe.
130
BELDEN: THE WHITE CHIEF.
Besides the red-stone pipe, the Indians use the hammer and
tomahawk pipe, made of iron. Nearly all the tomahawks seen
in civilization are made by blacksmiths, employed by the gov-
ernmpnt, and sent out to the Indians. The friendly savages,
for whom they are manufac-
tured, trade them to their war-
like brethren, and thus they
become scattered far and wide.
These tomahawks,though often
Fine Pipes. Carried in their belts, are sel-
dom used by Indians as weapons, and, notwithstanding they
have passed into history as a deadly instrument, they are more
for ornament than use. It frequently happens, however, that
the tomahawks made at the agencies, for friendly tribes, are
captured by hostile Indians, and these savages, in their contests
with the whites, sometimes use their toma-
hawks to brain captives, hence, the dread of
them, and the bloody name they bear.
The instrument generally used by Indians
in killing captives, is the war-club, made of
oak or iron wood, and fully described in
another place. An oaken club of this kind
was once shown me, that had been used by
the Indians, at the massacre of Fort Phil.
Kearney, in the Powder River country, in
1866, to break the skulls of ninety-six soldiers Tomahawk Pipe,
and citizens. The club was a rough stick, and the knots and
end were still clotted with blood, brains, and human hair. This
deadly instrument was made of. burr oak, was three feet long,
shaped like a bat for ball playing, and driven full of nails, some
of which were bent over to form a loop, or hook.
belden: the white chief. 131
To return to our subject, the Indian pipe is not valued by its
possessor so much on account of the material it contains, as its
history. Thus, a little, dirty-looking pipe, which I saw in the
hands of a Santee squaw, was valued at three ponies, or one
American horse, three squaws, or their equivalent, §150.00,
because it had been owned by her grandfather, and her great-
grandfather, who was a great mediciue man.
The Sioux women smoke, though a young woman is seldom
seen with a pipe, and most of the smoking is confined to the
men. Warriors smoke as a part of their religious duty, and an
acknowledgment of an all-wise Creator. All treaties and acts
of friendship are preceded by smoking, which calls God to wit-
ness the sincerity of the Indian's heart. No important trade can
be made, or message delivered, until the parties have smoked ;
and when Indians meet together, for pleasure or business, the
first thing done is, to fill the pipe, hand it to the eldest man
present, when another seizes a fire-brand, holds it to the
bowl, and the father smokes. The Indian who holds the
pipe in his mouth can seldom light it, on account of the great
length of the stem, and hence he requires the aid of some
one else. When the father has drawn in a mouthful of smoke,
he forces it out through his nose, turning his face to the east,
then the west, north, and south. He thus makes a smoke-ofier-
ing to the Great Spirit, and having done so, passes the pipe
to the Indian next on his left. Each warrior takes but two or
three whiffs, before passing the pipe to his neighbor. One pipe
is sufficient for five or six smokes. And not only do five or six
Indians smoke from the same pipe, but they inhale the smoke,
and pass it through their noses, instead of blowing it away, as
white men do. An Indian says a white man does not know
how to enjoy a smoke. Indians do not talk while smoking, but
i2
132 belden: the white chief.
chat gayly while others are passing the pipe. When the pipe is
exhausted, it is refilled, and the first smoker of the new pipe
always makes a smoke-offering to the deity.
The Indians make much of their wild tobacco, made from the
bark of trees. The Sioux, Omahas, Winnebagoes, Cheyennes,
Arrapahoes, and Ottoes, use willow bark. The squaws gather
a bundle of the largest-sized shoots, and carry them to the tee-
pee, where the wind does not blow, and there scrape off the bark
with a knife. First the outside coating is taken off, which is
ihrown away ; the soft inner bark is then scraped into a piece of
rawhide, and left to dry. It is of a greenish color, and emits
a pleasant smell. The fall of the year is the season for gather-
ing the willow bark, as the sap is then going down, and the
bark is mild and more pleasant to smell than if peeled in sum-
mer. When dry, the squaws grease their hands with buffalo
fat, and then crush the bark until it is pulverized fine enough
for the pipes. The grease adhering to the particles of bark
makes it burn freely. Each squaw puts up several pounds of
this bark, for the use of her warrior, and I have known Indians
to travel a hundred miles for the purpose of gathering cham-
pa-sha.
The Pawnee Indians use the red leaves of the sumach bush
for tobacco. It abounds on the plains, in the Rocky Mountains,
and on many streams east of the Missouri. This kind of to-
bacco is called " Lup-pitch,'' and the Pawnees greatly prefer it
to the " Lup-pa-hot," or " Cham-pa-sha,^' which is the Sioux-
Kinne-kan-nick.
The Crows, or Absaracks, use a grean leaf, which grows on a
running vine, in the mountains. This leaf is found above the
perpetual snow line, and is called 0-pe-sha by the Indians, and
Lambre ty the whites. The vine runs on the ground, has a
BELDEN: THE WHITE CHIEF. 133
pear-shaped leaf, and resembles the pig-weed of the north. It
is an evergreen, blossoming in the winter, on beds of snow, and
bears bright red berries, of the size of a pea. The berries are
sour, very hard, and always retain their color.
The 0-pe-sha is mixed with tobacco, when the Indians can
get it, and is smoked, lialf and half of each.
The Sioux have three substitutes for tobacco ; first, the leaves
of the wild rose bush ; second, the leaves of a bushy weed, which
grows in the cailons, or valleys of the west ; and third, the small
curled leaf of the dwarf sumach. These leaves are rolled up
like minute rolls of tobacco, and when crushed, it is impossible
to tell them from cut and dry. Indians, whether alone or in
company, always observe the solemnities of smoking. Never
does a Sioux Indian light his pipe but he draws a great puff
of smoke, and blows it out of his mouth toward the sky, ejacu-
lating, How-wa-con-ton-ka, meaning, " I remember thee, O God,''
or " To thee, O Great Spirit," at the same time pointing with
the stem of the pipe upward.
The Winnebagoes blow two puffs toward the sky, two to the
east, two west, two south, and one down, following each with
the stem of the pipe pointing in that direction. At the same
time they mutter " O God, propitiate the winds of the east, the
west, and south, and bless the earth.''
The Crows blow a buff of smoke to the sky, one east, and one
west, meaning, " O Great Strength, I remember thee, from the
rising to the setting of the sun " (How-ba-tsa-ka). The Chey-
ennes make the same offering as the Sioux, but use a different
speech. There is no set term, but generally such expressions as
" O thou God, keep me." " God defend me from all harm."
" O God, see me," are used. When on the war path, they pray,
" God send us our enemies." The Arrapahoes blow a puff of
134
belden: the white chief.
smoke upward, and pointing with their pipes, say, '' God, re
member us on earth," or " God and us."
The tobacco for their pipes is carried by
the Indians in pouches, or bags, made of the
skins of wild animals, buckskin, or calico,
ornamented with porcupine quills. The pouches
are sometimes five inches wide, and eigh-
teen to twenty inches long. They are carried
with the mouth of the pouch under the belt,
and hang down, generally having the tail dang-
ling, if the bag is made of the skin of an animal.
Nearly all the pouches are ornamented with
fringe, or bead pendants, four or five inches
long. The value of a tobacco bag, of course,
depends on its workmanship; a fine buckskin
bag, ornamented with beads, and fifteen days'
labor, is worth $3.00 ; a mink-skin pouch is
worth $4.00; an elk-skin, worked with porcu-
pine quills, $5.00, and an otter kitten as much Tobacco Pouch,
as $6.00.
belden: the white chief. 135
CHAPTER XV.
TRATPING WHEN THE INDIANS LEARNED THE ART OP TRAPPINfi HOW TO
SET THE TRAPS — ^A TRAPPER* S LIFE — HARD WORK — NUMBER OP BEAVER
USUALLY T-iKEN WITH A DOZEN TRAPS — INDIAN PECULIARITIES — CROW SU-
PERSTITION ABOUT THE BEAR — THE CROW CHIEF, IRON BULL — SIOUX SUPER-
STITION ABOUT THE PRAIRIE DOG — WHAT THIS ANIMAL REALLY IS — ^A CASE
OP PREJUDICE — BEAR CLAWS.
STRANGE as it may seem, it is Done the less true, that
the Indians learned the art of trapping from white men.
Long ago they stole along the banks of the creeks, and, hiding
in the brush, waited patiently for the beaver to show himself
in the shallow water or on the banks, when they shot him.
This process was very tedious, however, and they longed for
some other manner of capturing the smooth-haired little animal,
so it was with much satisfaction that they saw the white men go
along the streams, and set a curious instrument in the ground,
to which the beaver came, and which held him fast until the
trapper saw fit to take him out.
Sly Indians watched the process from their bushy cover, and
when the trapper had gone away, they stole the trap and car-
ried it off* to their camps. It was a long time before the In-
dians could set their traps, and not until the white men taught
them, that they learned how to sit in the still moonlight and
watch the beaver work ; how to walk on the ice and see if there
136 belden: the white chief.
were beaver holes or houses, and then, when having ascertained
the presence of the coy little fellow, how to put the trap down,
grease it with the oil of his own tail, and leave it to snare him.
A trap weighs about five pounds, and it is considered a good
load to carry twelve. It will require a walk of ten or twelve
miles, and all of one day, to set a dozen traps properly. If
three beavers are caught each night for every dozen traps set.
the trapper considers he is doing a good business. The skins,
untanned, are worth about one dollar each. During the winter
season the hunter will average not over four beavers per week,
for there are many days he can not trap. I had one hundred
traps worked hard for three months, often floundering through
the ice, getting wet to my waist, and having to build fires to
keep from perishing, and at the end of ninety days had but
fifty beaver skins, worth fifty dollars, for my labor. Still there
IS something jolly about a trapper^s life, a wild, roving excite-
ment that strangely allures and fascinates one. Why it is I
can not tell, but most frontiersmen love trapping, and will pur-
sue it, even though they take but a dozen beaver per month ;
just as I have seen sportsmen go, day after day, in the East,
to angle in a little stream, when they knew there were not
twenty trout from its mouth to its source.
The setting of the trap is a delicate job, and every trace of
it must be concealed, or the cunning little animal will not fall
into it. Each Indian saves the musk of all the beavers he
takes, and with this rubs his traps, so that the beaver may
smell them, come up, and fall a prey. When a beaver smells
another, he has great curiosity to know where he is, and so runs
about looking for him, until he treads on the fatal spring and
is caught.
After an Indian has set his traps, he becomes very morose,
BELDEN: THE WHITE CHIEF. 137
and goes to his tent and smokes a great deal. He does not run
about the village or talk, but sits alone, endeavoring to think
of his traps all the time, for thereby he believes he will draw
the beaver tc them. When he lays down to sleep, he recalls all
the battles and skirmishes in which he has been engaged, and
tries to dream of them. If he dreams that he is victorious; then
he rises and goes confidently to his traps, but if he sees a dead
or live beaver in his dream, he will not visit his traps next day^
for he knows by his vision that there are no beaver in them.
Should he imagine he is fighting five men and whip them, there
are five beavers in his traps, but if only two men, then there
are but two beavers. Should he meet men who run away from
him in his dreams, it is unlucky, for the beaver have run away
with his traps into their holes.
The otter does not abound along the Missouri, in Nebraska,
where I trapped, but sometimes we caught one in the traps set
in the edge of the water for beaver. The otter's skin is much
more valuable than that of the beaver. I never saw an Indian
trapping for any other animal than the beaver, though they
often shoot otter, mink, and muskrat with the bow. The arrow
will generally prevent them from getting into their holes, being
shot with sufficient force to pierce the animal.
The Crow Indians will neither trap nor hunt the bear. They
believe it is bad luck to kill a bear, and will not touch the food.
A party of hunters, who induced the Crow chief. Iron Bull, to
eat bear meat by representing to him that it was roast beef,
rame near paying with their lives for the deception, for the old
chief found out the trick that had been put upon him, became
very wroth, and it took a present of several ponies to get the
bad medicine out of him. The Crows say the bear has a spirit
in him, and to kill it offends the great Wa-con Ton-ka. If a
138 BELDEN : THE WHITE CHIEF.
Crow meets a bear, when out hunting, he will go around him,
and if the bear attacks him he will run away.
The Sioux both hunt and kill the bear, and are very fond of
the meat. They use the
skin for robes, and wear
the claws strung around
their necks as orna-
ments. What the Crows
believe of the bear, the s^o^^^ Necklace.
Sioux do of the prairie dog. They will not kill or allow any
one to hurt this little animal, and if they see any person kill
one, they run away lest it makes them have bad luck. The
prairie dog is nothing more or less than a prairie squirrel, and
runs on the ground instead of climbing trees, as does the black
and gray squirrel of the North. I have often eaten the prairie
dog, and his flesh is precisely like that of the squirrel. There is
a prejudice against eating this little animal on account of its
name, but in this case, unlike most others, every thing is in
the name.
BELDEN: THE WHITE CHIEF. 139
CHAPTEE XVI.
OALPINO ^W'HY THE INDIANS SGALP PEOPLE-»-A SINGULAR BELIEF — NO BALD-
HEADS IN HEAVEN — THE SCALP-LOCK — HOW THE PAWNEES, SIOUX, AND WIN-
NEBACWES WEAR THEIR HAIR — OTHER INDIANS— ORNAMENTS FOR THE HAIR
— THE SILVER TAILS — ^A SIOUX LONG TAIL — THE IRON RING ORNAMENT —
HOW TO TAKE IT OFF — DOES IT PULL ? — THE SCALPING-KNIFE — A PRESERVED
SCALP — ^MR. BELDEN's BELT.
XTTHEN the Indians first began to scalp people, or where
' ' they got the idea of cutting off the scalp-lock, it is
impossible to tell, but it has been practiced among all tribes
ever since the discovery of America, in 1492. The savages be-
lieve that no one can make a respectable appearance in the
spirit land baldheaded. It is remarkable, but I never saw a
baldheaded Indian, nor did I ever hear of one. To scalp an
Indian is to debar him from the happy hunting-grounds, and
hence it is they scalp white people, believing they can not get
into heaven without their hair.
The Indians do not all scalp people alike; nor do they wear
their own hair alike. The Sioux warrior has a three-strand
braid or plait of hair taken up on the crown of his head, over
a space of three inches in diameter ^nd nine inches in circum-
ference , and this it is that his enemies cut off when they cap-
ture him.
13
40
BELDPJN : THE ^l^HITE CHIEF.
The Winnebagoes wear six or seven braids, and it is neces-
Bary to cut the skin around three or four inches on the crown, in
order to get a full scalp. The Paw-
nees have but one braid, the Chey-'
ennes one, the Crows one, and the
Arrapahoes one. The Sioux part
the hair in the middle of the fore-
head, and then down to the ear
from the scalp-lock; this they weai
with the hair behind, made into
rolls, and tied with red flannel or
ribbon. I have seen' the hair
wound about strips of flannel or
buckskin, and made into a roll as
thick as one's wrist, and over three feet long.
Maoy of the Pawnees cut the hair close to the skull all
around, leaving a ridge or shock
of hair three inches wide running
from front to rear over the top of
the head. This strip of hair grad-
ually lessens in width, until it
A Preserved Scalp.
reaches an edge in rear near the
Scalping-knife and Sheath.
back of the neck. It gives the
warriors a fierce and unnatural appearance. In the center of
the ridge of hair grows the long scalp-lock, which is plaited and
falls down the back. I speak now of the custom when the
Pawnees were savages. Since they have become friendly, they
seldom shave the head, but wear their hair long and unplaited.
This is done, however, as .much from policy as for any other
reason, for they are still rascals and thieves ; and they found
wearing their hair unlike any other tribe on the plains caused
BELDEN: THE WHITE CHIEF. 141
tliem often to be detected in their depredations, when they
might otherwise have escaped and avoided punishment.
The Crows, except the scalp-braid, wear their hair long, and
hanging down. To keep it from blowing about their eyes,
they take little balls of pitch, such as ooze out of the pine-
tree, and stick it in their hair in belts an inch wide, until it is
matted together all around their heads.
Nearly all Indians have black hair; the hair of the Chey-
ennes, Sioux, Snakes, Pawnees, Omahas, Arrapahoes, and Win-
nebagoes is jet black, and very coarse. The Crow Indians,
however, have hair of every color. I have seen full-blooded
Crows with auburn, red, gray, brown, and black hair. Many
of their old men are white-headed, and their long hair gives
them a very venerable appearance.
The Winnebagoes are the only Indians who can, at the
present day, be distinguished by means of their scalp-locks.
They still persist in wearing the six or seven long plaits around
their heads.
Nearly all tribes wear some ornament in the scalp-lock next
to the head. These are made of wood, copper, iron, brass, sil-
ver, and gold, but most generally of silver. I have seen a
piece of thin german silver, as large as a man's hand, in the
scalp-lock, the hair having been drawn through two holes
in its center. It is also tied to the hair with strings, and
not un frequently has a long feather attached, called the scalp-
feather. This feather can be taken off and put on at pleasure;
it is nearly always taken off at night, as the warrior would un-
doubtedly break or soil it in his sleep if left in the hair. In
war times, if this feather is stolen or snatched off by an enemy,
the warrior is irreparably disgraced.
Some wild Indians wear a steel or iron ring in the scalp-
142
BELDEN: THE WHITE CHIEF.
lock, the hair being plaited around the ring in such a way that
it can not be removed, un- ,^
less the hair is unbraided
or the scalp-lock cut off. I
have often removed the
ring by taking off a piece
of the scalp, which is the
simplest form of getting it.
To the ring the feather is
tied with a buckskin string,
so that it be removed at
will.
The Sioux have long had
the name of " long tails,'' a
distinction given them by
frontiersmen and emigrants,
on account of their wearing
a strap six, or even seven,
feet long attached to their
scalp-lock, and hanging
down their backs. This
trails on the ground when
they walk, or sails in the wind behind them when they ride at
full speed. The scalp-lock, as well as the strap, was generally
covered with tin or silver plates, made round, and fastened on
six or seven inches apart. Most of these circular plates were
made of silver dollars, beaten out thin.
A Sioux is very proud of his scalp-lock and tail ; and I have
seen as many as twenty dollars on the hair and strap. The
whole weight of the tail is borne by the roots of their hair,
and, as it sometimes weighs several pounds, it njust pull a
Silver Long Tail and Soalp-Feather.
BELDEN : THE WHITE CHIEF. 143
little at first.^ To tramp on a Sioux's long tail, or pull it,
would be a mortal offense, and demand the shedding of blood
to wipe out such an insult. When one Sioux pulls another
one's scalp-lock, it is equivalent to the sending of a challenge
among white men.
* Mr. Belden showed the editor of these papers a magnificent belt, made
from the silver he had taken off a Sioux "long tail." The silver weighed
cue pound, and the strap to which it had been fastened three-fourths of a
pound. The whole weight had been sustained by a small wisp of hair ia
the top of a warrior's head.
144 BELDEN: THE WHITE CHIEF.
CHAPTER Xyil.
PADTTINQ THE FACE — INDIAN TASTE — THE LONE PAINT — ^SCALP PAINT — PABTINO
THE HAIR HOW INDIAN GIRLS PAINT — LOVE PAINT — A CAUSE OF EXCITE'
MENT — LAUGHABLE MISTAKES — THE INDIAN BELLE — HER DISAPPOINTMENT —
THE SIOUX DEATH PAINT — CROW AND SNAKE COLORINGS — LOOKING-GLASSES —
NATURAL MIRRORS — ^A SIOUX BEAUTY SURPRISED — HER MORTIFICATION AND
MODESTY,
fTlHE painting of the face and body is a very ancient custom
-■- among tlie Indians. The early discoverers of the continent
found the Indians using paints, made of clay and stone, to beau-
tify, as they thought, their persons ; and none were more hide-
ously painted than the Caribbean Indians, who were among
the earliest savages known to Europeans. There is not, to my
knowledge, a tribe in the West, however civilized, that does not
yet use paints.
The Yanktons, Sioux, Santees, and Cheyennes use a great
deal of paint. A Santee squaw paints her face the same as a
white woman does, only with less taste. If she wishes to
appear particularly taking, she draws a red streak, half an inch
wide, from ear to ear, passing it over the eyes, the bridge of the
nose, and along the middle of the cheek. "When a warrior
desires tp be left alone, he takes black paint, or lamp-black,
and smears his face ; then he draws zig-zag lines from his hair
to his chin, by scraping off the paint with his nails. This is
a sign that he is trapping, is melancholy, or in love. There
BELDEN: THE WHITE CHIEF. 145
is, however, no general meaning attached to the painting of
the head or body by many Indians — any more than there is by
white men parting their hair on the side of the head, instead
of in the middle. All Indians, both men and women, part
their hair in the middle ; the men paint red that part of the
scalp exposed by parting the hair.
The sign paints used by the Indians are not numerous, but
very significant. When the warriors return from the war-path,
and have been successful in bringing back scalps, the squaws,
as well as the men, paint with vermilion a semicircle in front
of each ear. The bow of the arc is toward the nose, and the
points of the half circle on the top and bottom of the ear;
the eyes are then reddened, and all dance over the scalps.
A warrior who is courting a squaw, usually paints his eyes
yellow and blue, and the squaw paints hers red. I have known
squaws to go through the painful operation of reddening the
eye-balls, that they might appear particularly fascinating to the
young moil. A red stripe drawn horizontally from one eye to
the other, means that the young warrior has seen a squaw he
could love, if she would reciprocate his attachment. Of course
such an advertisement naturally creates a flutter in the village,
and sets every young feminine heart to aching, and tongue to
inquiring, if its possessor is the person meant. Some laughable
mistakes have occurred with this paint, and many bitter disap-
pointments. I once heard of a famous Indian belle, who loved
a young warrior, and employed every feminine art known in
savage love, to entrap his affections. One day the young
man mounted the love paint, and the Indian girl was so sure
her charms had been effective, that she told her friends she
would soon be married, and even went so far as to hint the
same to the young warrior. Imagine her chagrin and dis-
146 BELDEN: THE WHITE CHIEF.
appointment, when he politely and frankly informed her, thai,
not she, but a very plain girl in the village, was the person
meant by his paint.
The Sioux have a paint with which they smear their faces,
when about to pass sentence of death on any one, but as this
paint is put on in the council chamber, I have never been
able to learn what it was like, or in what form it was used.
The Crow and Snake Indians paint their faces red, and
leave them so for days, renewing the coloring as fast as it
rubs or wears off. Every Indian who can get one, carries a
small looking-glass, slung to the wrist by a buckskin strap.
This, and the paint-bag, are inseparable companions of both
Indian men and women. The girls often go to clear streams
and lakes, for the purpose of looking at their reflections in the
water. I once accidentally surprised a maiden entirely naked,
gazing at her fair proportions in the lake and she could never
afterward look at me without blushing.
belden; the white chief. 147
CHAPTEK XVIII.
INDU.V HEAD-DEESSE3 — HOW THEY ARE MADE — THE SKULL-CAP — THE BUFFALO
HE4D-DEESS — AN ENORMOUS HAT — STANDING BULl's HEAD-DRESS — WARRIORS
VI8ITI1TO THEIR HAT-BOXES — AN INDIAN TOILET — THE BALD AND BLACK
EAGLE — THEIR USE — VALUE OP EAGLE FEATHERS — ^PRIOB OP AN INDIAN
HEAD-GEAR — FEATHER SIGNS — THEIR USE IN WAR — THE SCALP-FEATHER
AN INDIAN ENSIGN.
ri^HE head-dress is an indispensable article in tbe outfit of
-■- every first-class warrior. They wear them at all great
feasts, dances, councils, and when on friendly visits of ceremony
to neighboring tribes. They are generally made out of the
skins of elk, deer, buffalo, or bear. Most of them are round
skull-caps, ornamented with eagle, crow, or duck feathers.
Take the half cover of a ball, and you have the exact idea of an
Indian warrior's cap. The feathers are fastened on in bunches
with sinew, and the bunches are sewed close together. They
are put on in rows or layers, the feathers all lying one way.
Fasten a dozen feathers by their middles to a piece of leather,
then break them, so that both the top and butt end will stand
up, and put another bunch on beside it, and so on until the
whole piece of leather is covered. Next trim off* the feathers
evenly, leaving them about three inches long, and you will have
made an Indian head-dress. The butts of the quills must be
cut out so they will not show ; but the better way is to take
only the tops or small ends of the quills, cut them off the right
148
belden: the white chief.
length, and then fasten them by the thick end to the cap.
These, when trimmed a little, will make a beautiful head-
gear.
Most Indian caps have a long tail hanging down behind,
which is ornamented with little bells and bright feathers. The
bells rattle when the warrior dances, walks, or rides, and the
feathers, being fastened loosely by their quill ends, swing about,
giving him a picturesque appearance. At the end of the tail
are fastened tufts of hair, colored blue, red, or yellow.
A very popular style of Indian cap is made of buffalo hide and
horns. It consists of a piece of hide taken from across the fore-
head of a buffalo, over the top
of his head along the back of
the neck and down the spine,
including the tail. The bone
is taken, out and the tail
stuffed, when the piece is one
unbroken strip from the head
to the end of the tail. On
each side of the head are set
horns, and frequently horns
are fastened along the strip
hanging down the back. The
head-dress of the Sioux chief.
Standing Ball, recently killed
by Lieut. Mason, near Fort
McPherson, was over six feet
long and carried twelve horns.
As the whole horns would be
very heavy, they are split from
top to base by sawing, and the
^''''^^^
Buffalo Head Dress.
BELDEN: THE WHITE CHIEF. 149
thick part so hollowed out as to make them comparatively light.
The horns are highly polished and set six or seven inches apart.
Besides the horns, a great deal of bead-work, and eight to ten
bells are put on the head-dress. I have seen four or five large
sleigh-bells fastened to the tail, and not unfrequently the tails
are as much as nine feet long.
When the warriors are en route to visit another tribe, or are
on the war path, they carry their head-dresses with them, neatly
done up in a cylindrical bandbox, made of buffalo skin or raw
hide. These bandboxes are highly ornamented and fancifully
painted. They are not so symmetrical and elegant as the hat
and bandboxes of Eastern ladies and gentlemen, but resemble
more exactly the old-fashioned churn, with the dash taken
out.
To roll up an Indian head-dress, and put it in the drum so
the feathers will not get broken or spoiled, requires as much skill
as to pack away the wardrobe of a fashionable white woman.
When traveling, the drum is strapped to the back of the saddle,
and carried as the old-fashioned valise used to be. Before en-
tering the village they are to visit, the warriors dismount, put
on their head-dresses, paint their faces, and arrange their hair.
When their toilet is complete, they remount and ride through
the town. An Indian always tries to accomplish one of two
things, either excite the admiration of the women or fear of
the men.
The American bald eagle and the great black eagle are fre-
quently found in the Rocky Mountains and on the plains, but
they soar very high, and it is extremely difficult to kill them.
Twelve feathers from the crown of a full-grown eagle will buy
a good pony among the Indians. These birds are much sought
after in all tribes, and their feathers are used to ornament va-
150
BELDEN: THE WHITE CHIEF^
rious articles, as well as make head-dresses. It is exceeding!)'
\\ijot/ ^/ / difficult to buy an eagle head-
dress from an Indian, and a
good one can never be had
for less than two hundred
dollars.
The white feather of the
eagle's tail is worn attached
to the manes and tails of the
war ponies. When return-
ing from the war path, the
warriors attach black feath-
ers to the eagle feathers, and
when riding through the vil-
lage, every one has only to
count the black feathers to
know how many scalps and
by whom they have been
taken, the black feathers in-
dicating-success are always
tied in the pony's tail, near
the crupper, and to the white
eagle feathers. If the white
eagle feathers are gone, and only a black feather there, it in-
dicates that the warrior fell, but killed an enemy before dying.
If the white feathers are there and no black feathers, it means
tne warrior still wears his own scalp, but has taken none from
the enemy. When the expedition has failed and returns, the
black feathers are worn in the forelocks of the ponies. These
feathers, fluttering in the wind from the heads of the horses,
can be seen at an astonishing distance, and often long before
"^--^..
Eagle Head-Dress.
BELDEN: THE WHITE CHIEF. 151
the warriors reach the village the ill-success of the enterprise
is known.
The feather worn by Indians in their scalp-locks is usually
very long and symmetrical. It is ornamented with small
wrappings of porcupine quills at the butt end, and the edges
of the feathers are sometimes painted green, red, and yellow,
in bars or stripes, according to the fancy of the wearer.
152 belden: the white chief.
CHAPTEE XIX.
MOCCASINS — THE INDIANS AS SHOEMAKERS — HOW MOCCASINS ARE MADE — ^WHO
MAKE THEM — SIOUX, CHEYENNE, ARRAPAHOE, CROW, AND PAWNEE SHOES —
THEIR SHAPE AND TRACKS — IMITATIVE POWER OP THE INDIAN — THE WDf-
NEBAGOES AS MANUFACTURERS — ^WINNEBAGO WOMEN — THEIR COMELINESS OP
PERSON — HOW THEY BRAID THEIR HAIR — A BEAUTIFUL CUSTOM SHELLS OP
OCEAN — A SIOUX EAR-RING — ^BEAD BELT — COST OP SEA-SHELLS AND THEIE
USE AMONG INDIANS — FINE MOCCASINS.
rilHE Indians are their own shoemakers, and, with the lim-
-■- ited means at their command, manage to manufacture an
excellent protection for the foot, that does away with all fear of
such modern torments as corns and bunions. The moccasin is
made to fit the foot, and not the foot to fit the moccasin, as is
the practice among civilized shoemakers.
Indian shoes are made by the women and old men. The
sole is first cut out of rawhide, and then the uppers are cut
from buck, antelope or elk skin tanned very soft and smooth.
Buckskin is preferred when the moccasin is to be ornamented
with beads, and the upper is always worked before it is at-
tached to the sole.
The uppers are sewed to the soles with a strong thread
made of twisted buffalo sinew, and sometimes a double sole
is sewed on to protect the thread. To the sides and back
parts, flaps or ears are fastened, which come well up on the
BELDEN: THE WHITE CHIEF.
153
ankles, and are tied with strings. Frequently the flaps cover
the calf of the leg, and are fastened at the top by two long
strings, in the same manner as a woman ties her apron. This
is done when the moccasin. is made for hunting or perform-
ing long journeys in, as the high tops not only brace the leg,
but prevent the moccasin from slipping on the foot, and keep
out the dust, brambles, gravel, cold, and snow.
It is no very difficult job to make a moccasin, and a squaw
v/ill cut out and sew up a plain pair in half a day. If they
are beaded, however, it takes a week or more to finish them,
and those ornamented with porcupine quills require a month of
patient labor.
In the winter season the moccasins are made of buffalo
hide or the skins of fur-bearing animals, the hair being
turned inward. The Indians never wear stockings, but leg-
gings, which are an excellent substitute when one has fur shoes
to cover the feet.
Each tribe of Indians make their shoes a diff*erent shape.
"A" is the moccasin worn by the Sioux, "B'' the CheyenneS;
"C" the Arrapahoes, "D" the Crows, and "E" the Paw-
nees.
Right Foot.
It will be observed that they are all different in shape, and will
make a different track. An expert frontiersman can readily
154
belden: the white chief.
tell to what tribe Indians belong by seeing their tracks in the
sand. Unlike their arrows, they seldom or never change their
moccasins. The follow-
ing will serve to show
the imitative faculty
and ingenuity of the In-
dians : One day, while
in camp, I saw a Win-
nebago squaw weaving
cloth in a kind of loom.
She had many threads
strung to little sticks
fastened in a frame, and
through these threads
she passed a string of
beads, pressing the
whole together compactly, after the manner of a weaver. The
different colors of the beads were ingeniously arranged to give
a brilliant effect. I examined a purse this girl had made for
the trader in the Santee village, and it was really beautiful.
Soon afterward I saw another purse in the trader's store made
by her, and it had on the side "James Buchanan" neatly
worked in many-colored beads. I asked if she could read, and
she said no, but showed me a medal which had been given by
President Buchanan to one of the tribe during his visit to Wash-
ington, and from the letters on the medal she had copied the name.
The Winnebagoes are the only Indians I have ever met with
who have any knowledge of the manufacture of cloth, and they
can only weave such things as garters, armlets, purses, leggings,
and long, beautiful, white bead-bands, which the women wear
around their hair. *
Beaded Moccasins.
BELDEN: THE WHITE CHIEF.
155
The Winnebagoes are very ]ight in complexion, and many
of their women might be called beautiful, if they would keep
themselves clean. Ti^ese women are tall, well-formed, have
bright black eyes, and long, shining black hair. They take
great pride in plaiting up their hair,
winding: it in coils, and ornamenting
it with bead-bands. These bands are
often five or six feet long, and fringed
with many-colored beads. They wind
them about their heads in an ingenious
way, and the effect among their jet-black
hair is very charming.
The Sioux, unlike the Winnebagoes,
never put up their hair, but always al-
low it to hang down. They sometimes
tie the ends of the plaits with ribbon,
or wind them with red flannel, but
further than this they attempt no orna-
mentation of the hair. The Sioux, how-
ever, are passionately fond of ear-rings,
and I have seen as many as a hundred
small rings in a Sioux ear, a slit being
cut the whole length of the ear to make
room for them. Many of their ear-rings
are very heavy, being made of square or
oblong pieces of California sea-shell. Bead-band.
which is a regular article of trade among all the Rocky Moun-
tain tribes of savages. The shells are about one-fifth of an
inch in thickness, five or six inches long, and four inches broad.
They are shaped like a saucer, and the outside is prismatic, the
colors often merging into blue, green, pink, and gold. Near
14
156
belden: the white chief.
°vlf^
thiB edge the shell is very thin and delicate, but hard to break.
The Indians saw the shell into pieces, (some round, others square,
oblong, or pendant, and these they string
together by means of wire passed through
little holes bored in the pities. Brass
beads are often strung on the wires, as
a sort of washer between different parts
of the ear-ring, and beads strung on
sinew form the pendants. A large
brass ring for the ear generally begins a
Sioux ear ornament, and to this are hung
five or six pendants made of beads
fatrung on wire; to these pendants are
attached a cross-piece of rawhide or wood ;
then another column of pendants, to
which are hung one large and two small
beads ; then another cross-piece, and next
three large wampum beads, beneath which
is suspended the piece of shell that gives
the ornament its value. A shell will
make one pair of rings, and it generally
costs two robes, or about six dollars in
cash. It will be observed that the ac-
companying illustration represents only
one-third the actual size of these ear
ornaments. In fact, they are frequently
eighteen inches in length, and from three
to four inches in breadth in the widest
part. "What the ears of the wearers are
made of is a mystery, but pride and
vanity tell the story with the untutored
^m
iKJl'
Altntiii!
Sioux Ear-ring.
(Oiae-third actual size.)
BELDEN: THE WHITE CHIEF.
167
savage, as well as with the more cultivated, but no less proud
and vain dweller in civilized communities.
The accompanying cut shows the prevailing style of dressing
the head for state occa-
sions among the Crows,
and it must be acknowl-
edged that it is much
more light and airy and
more senst6?e withal, than
the immense chignon, and
the frizzles and fruzzles of
the pale faces. Once in-
troduced among the ladies
of fashion, I have no
doubt of the immense
popularity of the Crow
head-dress, and I would
seriously recommend it to
their earnest consideration
10
Crow Head-Dresa.
168 belden: the white chief.
CHAPTEE XX.
INDIAN WOMEN — OHILD-BBAEING AMONG THEM — ^PHYSICAL ENDURANCE OF THH
SQUAW — HER HABITS — THE PAPOOSE — INDIAN CRADLES HOW THEY ARE
MADE — CARRYING THE PAPOOSE — INDIAN EDUCATION — MOURNING FOR THE
DEAD — DISFIGURATION OF THE BODY— A HIDEOUS AND BARBAROUS CUSTOM— »
MOURNING FOR THE SLAIN AT PHIL KEARNEY — PUNISHING DUMB ANIMALS
FOR THE DEAD — THE BABY ASLEEP.
CHILD-BIRTH among Indians has long been supposed to
be attended with less pain and danger than among other
races. This is a mistake, for human nature is very much the
same the world over, and the Indian women, in bringing forth
their children, suffer no less than their white sisters. The
same stoicism which enables the warrior to bear without com-
plaining the torture of his enemies, enables the Indian mother
to endure in silence her labor-pains. The education in this
direction begins the moment a child is born. First, it is lashed
to a board, and then left for days and days, being suckled with-
out being untied. . If it cries, no attention is paid to its mur-
murings further than to ascertain that it does not suffer from
pain or hunger, and it soon learns that crying does no
good.
When it can walk, it is allowed to romp and indulge in the
most violent exercise. If it lives to grow up, it is taught to
BELDEN: THE WHITE CHIEF.
159
bear heavy burdens, walk long distances, and brave summer^s
heat and winter's cold. In this way all the muscles are
thoroughly developed, and the maiden becomes healthy and
strong.
But besides a healthy frame capable of bearing suffering, tlie
Indian woman is taught that to complain is weak and unwo-
manly. And again, menstruation and child-bearing are a matter
of shame and not to be published to the world. Hence it is
that the Indian woman, finding her time of labor come, will
often leave her home and go into a swamp or woods, and
there remain until her child is brought forth, and she able to
return to her lodge. With no eye save God's to pity her, and
no hand save her own to help her, she endures the most terrible
pain to which humanity is subjected.
The papoose in camp or
on the march is always car-
ried on a board. It is made
of sufficient length to allow
it to rest its head and feet,
and the board is wide enough
to wrap the child snugly,
and have the strings press
on the chest and legs instead
of the sides. The bottom of
the wrapping is stuffed so as
to make a firm support for
the feet, and prevent the
child from slipping down
and becoming wedged in,
which would misshape its S
feet and legs. •• Baby Asleep.'
160 BELDEN: THE WHITE CHIEP.
The strings that hold it are fastened to the board, and
are tied in bow knots on its breast and belly. Little or no
compression is made of the lower limbs, they being loose in a
sort of sack formed by the wrapping. The mother removes the
child from the board as often as necessary for the purposes of
nature, and no oftener. A willow is bent and fastened to the top
of the board, which serves as a handle to lift it by, and also as
a frame upon which to hang a cloth or skin to protect its face
from the weather and flies. The mother carries the board on
her back, it being held in its place by a band which passes
from the top of the board over her forehead.
The practice of disfiguration prevails extensively among
nearly all the western tribes. One day an Indian boy was
thrown from his pony and dashed against a cottonwood-tree
with such violence that he died next morning of his injuries.
His mother and sisters, as a sign of their grief, cut off a finger
each at the first joint. I have seen the Crows gash their arms,
legs, bodies, and faces when their friends died. The women
cut several gashes on the' forehead near the roots of the
hair, and the blood was allowed to remain until it dried and
wore off.
To tie up a wound inflicted as a sign of grief is consid-
ered cowardly. It must not be noticed for at least twenty-
four hours, and then only to "stop the blood. Many Indians
bleed almost to death from their self-inflicted wounds, but it
is considered justifiable to take any position to staunch the
flow of blood, and Indians not unfrequently, after seve!^ing a
finger, hold the hand above their heads, or stand all night
holding to a pole until the twenty-four hours are up, when
the wound may be tied up in rags.
It is said that at the Fort Phil Kearney massacre, in
belden: the white chief. 161
1866, over three hundred Indians were killed, and that
hundreds of fingers were cut off and gashes innumerable
made on their persons by the friends of the dead. A chief,
two years after the massacre, said, in council, "The Sioux,
Arrapahoes, and Cheyennes have not done mourning for our
braves who fell at Phil Kearney.'*
When a warrior is killed, his pony is gashed in the sides
and on the legs with knives, to make him feel sorry for the
death of his master.
Travelers have often noticed the gashes in the ponies'
sides and the missing fingers of Indians' hands, and attrib-
uted them to accident or war, but in nine cases out of ten
these disfigurations are traceable to the causes mentioned
above.
162 belden: the white chief.
CHAPTER XXL
INDIAN DOGS — THEIR ORIGIN — HABITS OP THE DOG— HIS COWARDICE AND
TREACHERY — WHAT THE INDIANS DO WITH HIM — NUMBER OP DOGS TO A
FAMILY — RAISING DOGS FOR FOOD — INDIAN DOG FEASTS — THE AUTHOR AT-
TENDS ONE — ^DOG SOUP — MANNERS AT AN INDIAN TABLE — ^BOILED DOG HOW
THEY ARE COOKED — THE PREJUDICE AGAINST DOG MEAT — HOW IT TASTES —
WHY don't we EAT DOGS — WILD ARTICHOKES AND CORN — THE AUTHOR
LEARNS TO LIKE DOG ^AN ENTERPRISE CONSIDERED^THB ENTERPRISE
ABANDONED.
DOGS and Indians are inseparable companions. Where
you find an Indian you are pretty sure to find a dog;
and, if you enter a village you will see hundreds on hundreds
of these animals running about. The first question one asks
himself, on arriving at an Indian town is, What can all these
dogs be kept for? but a short residence will soon convince
him that there are none too many.
The Indian dog resembles the cayote, or prairie-wolf, and
his bark is so much like this animal's, it is often difficult to
distinguish the two apart. There is no doubt but that the wild
dog is a cross between the domestic, or house dog, and the wolf.
The flesh of the Indian dog is very fine, and resembles the
flesh of a calf or antelope. There is none of that blackness,
or coarseness, found in the meat of the domestic dog. Each
Indian family keeps from six to sixteen dogs, and they are
belden: the white chief. 163
very useful for many purposes besides eating. They can be
made to draw water, carry or haul wood, and when the village
moves, they are put into little shafts and made to drag burdens
of camp equipage. They are excellent watch dogs, and nothing
can approach the camp without their seeing, or hearing it.
They are very cowardly, but always give the alarm by bark-
ing when a strange animal or man approaches. They are fierce
looking brutes, and hundreds of them will run toward a
stranger as though about to tear him to pieces, but a club
shied among them will set them scampering in all directions.
If you run from them they will bite, but if you rush at them,
scores of them will take to flight, and never stop until safely
ensconced in or near the teepees of their owners. Their terror,
in times of attack, is extreme, and they are, undoubtedly, the
most cowardly brutes in the world. They are ravenous, and
will bite, or throw down a child to get a bone, or piece of
meat out of its hand. They are constantly on the watch, and
if you lay down any food for a moment, some villainous cur
will be sure to snatch it and run away with it. The cayote
is not more sneaking or treacherous in his disposition than a
wild dog. What Indian dogs live on, no one can tell, for
the Indians take no pains to feed them, unless it be a favorite
that they wish to eat, and then he is tied up by the teepee to
fatten. I have often seen them out hunting on the bottoms,
and along the creeks for mice, prairie-squirrels, and rabbits,
which they devour with avidity.
When any great event happens, such as a victory or suc-
cessful hunt, the Indians make a great dog-feast, and old and
young partake of the savory food. Dog meat is considered a
great delicacy, and an old country woman in the East is not
morn proud and careful of her pullets, than is an Indian of
15
164 BELDEN: THE WHITE CHIEF.
his young clogs. I have often eaten dog, though I can't saj
I am partial to that kind of food now.
Soon after I joined the Indians, I was invited to two dog-
feasts, and feeling that it would not be courteous to refuse, I
went to one. I did not intend to eat any of the meat, but
changed my mind, on being informed by a friend, that it would
be downright ill-manners not to partake, at least, of the soup.
The dog had been boiled well, and was fat, which did not help
the matter or make the dish more palatable. I had a foolish
notion that I could eat lean dog, but dog-fat was positively
repulsive to me. When I arrived at the feast, I was given a
huge wooden bowl that would hold about three quarts, and
invited to come up and have it filled. I went to the great
kettle where the dog had been boiled, and was helped to the
under-jaw and a part of the fore-quarter. The teeth of the
jaw looked white and wolfish, and, as I imagined, gave me a
grin when they came from the pot. Corn and wild artichokes
had been boiled with the dog, and I was given two huge ladle-
fulls of these vegetables. I retired to my place in the circle^
and taking up my spoon of bufialo-horn, endeavored to keep
up appearances. I pretended to scrape off some of the meat,
but as it stuck tight to the bone, I took up some of the corn
and soup, and tasted it. To my surprise, it was very palatable,
and if 1 could have forgotten it was dog soup, it would really
have been good. I was conscious that the Indians were watch-
ing me, and did the best I could to swallow as much soup as
possible. Unluckily, as I dipped down deep in the bowl for
corn, I brought up a piece of meat which had become detached
by the boiling. I wished to throw it back, but saw two Indians
looking directly at me, and I boldly raised it to my mouth. As
it passed between my lips, I felt an involuntary shudder seize
belden: the white chief. 165
me, as though I were cold, and I expected to be instantly nau-
seated, but as I masticated it, I found the meat sweet and
savory. I tried some more, but despite my resolution, I could
only eat sparingly. Candor compels me to say, however, that
but for my prejudice, the food would have been pleasant and
wholesome.
After this, I attended many dog-feasts, and soon learned to
eat as heartily as any one. At one time, I had got so far along
as to seriously think of trading for some dogs, that I might
have a supply of the meat on hand for my use at all seasons,
but I gave it up, more because I wished to appear respectable in
my own eyes, and retain some semblance of civilization, than
because I had any longer a repugnance to dog — boiled, roasted,
stewed, or fried.
166 BELDEN; THE WHITE CHIEF.
CHAPTER XXII.
THE FALL HUNT — A NEW EXPEDITION PLANNED — THE START — CAMPS ON THH
MISSOURI — A DELIGHTFUL COUNTRY — PLEASURE OF CAMPING OUT — ^A HERD
OF BUFFALO THE OLD BULL — AN ADVENTURE WITH A BUFFALO THE PXJR-
SUIT — PURSUER PURSUED — MY PONY — TERRIBLE FALL — PERILOUS SITUA-
TION — GIVEN UP FOR LOST — THE DELIVERANCE — A LESSON TO BUFFALO
HUNTERS.
rfflHE summer was drawing to a close and the autumn days
-■- coming on when the annual hunt would begin. Before
the fall hunt I determined to go on an adventure of my own,
and, on communicating my intention to several of the Santees,
they expressed a desire to accompany me. It was all soon
arranged as to who would go, and we made preparations for a
special hunt in the Big Horn country.
First, we were to fall down the river a distance of one or
two hundred miles, and having drawn as near the mountains
as possible, and supplied ourselves with buffalo meat, strike
across the country.
Our trip along the Missouri was delightful, and our stock
improved every day. We had all the game we needed, and at
night camped in delightful spots by clear, running streams.
Fish, deer, and antelope abounded, and the weather was mild
and refreshing. Nothing could have been more pleasant than
this mode of traveling on the broad, wild prairies of the
West.
BELDEN : THE WHITE CHIEF. 167
One evening, just as we were thinking about going intc
camp for the night, I spied a buffalo bull lying on a little hill-
side, and I determined at once to capture him. La Frombe,
who was with me, and one of the Santee warriors, moved out
so as to get on the wind side of him, and then we ran for the
beast. On looking to the west, I saw at a short distance a
whole herd, and, leaving La Frombe and his compani^oi to
manage the bull, made for the herd. I was soon up with it,
and, singling out a bull, fired a ball into him. The herd
made off as fast as possible, the wounded buffalo following
rapidly. In jumping a small ravine my pony fell, and so
badly sprained his shoulder he was unable to keep up witfi^tlie
game. While I was chafing at my disappointment, and urg-
ing my little pony to do his utmost. La Frombe and the Santee
came up with me, having finished their bull, and followed to
see what had become of me. As soon as La Frombe noticed
the condition of my horse, he cautioned me against going far-
ther, and said it would be unsafe to attack a bull with the
pony in his present disabled condition. Just then, however,
a fine young bull separating from the herd, I called to La
Frombe to head him, and as he turned give the buffalo a shot.
La Frombe did as I desired, and then rejoined the chase after
the herd. Having my game now going toward the camp, I
rode along leisurely for some distance, and then dashed up and
gave him another ball. Instantly, as it seemed to me, the beast
wheeled, lowered his head, and charged. I spurred my pony
sharply, and barely escaped his horns. In the surprise and ex-
citement of the moment, I had dropped my gun while trying to
reload it, and before I could recover it the buffalo was again upon
me. I plunged the rowels into the pony's flanks, and he dashed
forward, but the bull kept close in his rear. I now saw that
168 BELDEN: THE WHITE CHIEF.
the animal was only enraged and not disabled by the shots 1
had given him, while my pony began to show evident signs of
exhaustion.
On we went over the prairie, my pursuer with his head
close to the ground, and intent on plunging his horns into
the pony's flanks. I looked back as we were ascending a
little slope, and the bull was within eight feet of me. When
I reached the crest of the slope, I saw before me a steep
descent, full of rocks and holes. I hesitated to risk my pony
on such uneven ground, for he was not sure-footed, but the
frightened little fellow plunged down the ridge, and I let hipa
go. Suddenly I felt him sinking under me, and the next mo-
ment I rolled headlong among the rocks. I looked up, and
saw the buffalo, with lowered head, plunging at me, and
scarcely twenty feet distant. Every instant I expected to feel
his sharp horns in my side or be trampled to death beneath
his feet, and closed my eyes. While I lay waiting for my
death, the sharp crack of a rifle rang out on the air, quickly
followed by another shot. A sharp pain thrilled me, and I
felt myself flying through the air. The confused sound of
voices near by caused me to open my eyes, and there sat La
Frombe and the Santee on their ponies.
They had followed me, and arrived just in time to give the
bull two fatal shots as he was about to gore me to death. I
was so sore from the effects of my wounds that I could not
rise, but they dismounted and lifted me up, when I saw the bull
lying dead scarcely a dozen feet distant. An examination
showed that the beast had struck me with the side of his horn
on the shoulder, and although he had sent me spinning like a
top, the horn had not entered the flesh.
Tn a little while I was able to walk, and, with the assist-
BELDEN: THE WHITB CHIEF. 169
auce of La Frombe, to mount my pony, who had not been
hurt by his fall, and was quietly grazing near by. I rode
slowly back to camp, fully resolved to be more careful in
future when I hunted buffalo. It was many a day before I
recovered from the effects of my bruises, and never, until the
day of my death, shall I ever forget how I felt when I imag-
ined that buffalo's horns driving through me.
170 BELDEN: THE WHITE CHIEF.
CHAPTEE XXIII.
OFF FOR THE MOUNTAINS — HUNTING ELK AND ANTELOPE — ^A BEAR HUNT — THE
THREE GRIZZLIES A RACE— LOOKING FOR THE GAME MORE GAME FOUND'
THAN WANTED TAKING UP A POSITION SKIRMISHING THE ENEMY WON't
SCARE THE BATTLE — A SHE-BEAR AND TWO CUBS INTBLLIGENCE OP THE
BEAR A DEAD MONSTER — SKINNING A BEAR THE RETURN TO CAMP AN
ALARM INDIANS WHAT FRIGHTENED THEM — SUPPER IN CAMP A NIGHT
MARCH — FAR UP IN THE MOUNTAINS OUR NEW CAMP.
WE now had all the buffalo meat we needed, and at once
set out for the mountains. After reaching them, we
skirted along their base, lool^ng for deer and elk, and suc-
ceeded in capturing a number of fine animals.
A pleasant temporary camp was located, where we rested for
a day or two, and then set out for any adventure that might
come in our way. AVe had left the base of the mountain one
morning, soon after daylight, and were moving across the
plain, when we noticed three objects going in the direction of
a cafion a mile in advance. Whipping up our ponies we
were not long in coming upon three huge grizzly bears. In
a moment all was excitenlent, and we dashed forward, endeav-
oring to head them off from the cafion, where we surmised
they had a den. We knew that to attack them on the open
plain would lessen the danger of the conflict greatly, so w^e
rode hard, but despite our efforts they reached and entered the
cafion ahead of us.
BELDEN: THE WHITE CHIEF. 171
My horse had outstripped those of my companions, and
seeing the bears about to escape, I spurred on until I passed
the grizzlies, and then turning, fired a shot, hoping to turn
them back or bring them to a halt. They, however, came
steadily on toward me, and I rode to the side of the cafion
and attempted to climb its steep bank. I succeeded, and for a
time lost sight of the animals. I waited several moments, ex-
pecting to hear the guns of my friends in the conflict below,
when I would ride down and join them. All remained quiet,
however, and, becoming impatient, I dismounted, and leaving
my horse, walked to the edge of the canon. I could see
nothing of the bears or horsemen, and ventured down the
bank. I was straining my eyes in all directions, when I heard
a noise above me, and, looking up, saw on the top of the ridge,
not more than fifty yards from me, the three bears. They had
followed me up the bank, and skirted along the crest, until
they came near my horse. I heard the pony snorting and
trying to break his lariat rope, and a moment afterward he
was dashing along the ridge, dragging the rope behind him.
I had hoped the bears would follow him, but, instead of doing
so, they sat down to watch me. The hill-side was thickly
strewn with shaggy little pines, blown down by the wind,
and among these I took up my position. The bears, seeing
me apparently moving off, followed, and one came within
forty feet before he saw me. Hoping to frighten off the
brute as well as attract my friends, I fired my revolver in the
air. The bear gave an angry growl, and came still nearer.
Glancing up the cafion, and seeing nothing of my friends, T
concluded to fire, and raising the hammer of my Henry rifle,
I took a steady aim at the beast's heart, and pulled the trigger.
With a roar that made the hill shake, she fell to the ground
172 belden: the white chief.
and rolled over. In a moment more she got up and, shakings
herself, fixed her blood-red eyes upon me. My heart sank in
my breast, for I saw I had missed the vitals of the animal, and
only enraged by wounding her. The other two bears, which
I now saw were large cubs, lay crouching near their mother,
and apparently watching the battle. Seeing the old bear
about to rush upon me, I hastily threw the exploded shell out
of my Henry, and raising the hammer sent a ball at her, but,
owing to her sudden change of position, missed her, and hit
one of the cubs that was just behind her. The cub bellowed
lustily, and the dam ran to him. This was most lucky for me,
and I lost no time in putting three more shots into the old
bear. Once more she came bounding toward me, and I
plumped a shot into the cub that made hira yell with agony.
The old beast was within a few feet of me, when, unable to
withstand the piteous cries of her cub, she turned and went to
him. I now pumped the shot into her as fast as possible, but
presently she came on again, when again I hit her cub, and
sent her back to lick his wounds. She had received thirteen
balls, when she made off, followed by the cubs, one of which
was so lame he could hardly walk.
I was debating in my own mind, whether I should pursue
and finish the bears or let well enough alone, when I preceived
my companions coming riding down the cailon, and directly
in front of the grizzlies. I hallooed to them to head off the
bears and attack them in front, while I followed up my attack
in the rear. I ran as fast as I could, and coming up to the hind-
most cub, laid him out at one shot. I next shot the other
cub, and fired twice at the old bear, but she was getting too
far ahead for my balls to be effective. La Frombe and the
Santee headed her, when she came running back to her dead
BELDEN: THE WHITE CHIEF. I73
cub, sat down, and howled most piteously. 'Then she took her
paw and rolling him over and over, shook him as if to wake
him. Smelling his nose, she seemed to understand he was
dead, and cried as if her heart would break. Suddenly she
saw me, and, standing on her hind feet, looked at her perse-
cutor. She made no attempt to come at me, but seemed to be
waiting foi her death. Never did I see so magnificent a beast,
as she stood there, with ears flattened against her head, her
eyes blazing like coals of fire, her neck stretched out, and her
mouth wide open, disclosing four rows of immense white teeth.
I did not long keep her in suspense, but fired at her heart, and
she fell down and rolled over, catching her cub, and seemingly
trying to embrace it as she died.
This bear would certainly have weighed over one thousand
pounds, and after my severe contest with her I had a desire
to possess her skin. La Frombe helped me skin her, while
the Santee went to hunt up my pony. "We left on the claws
and skin of the head. Just as we had finished our job, the
Santee came back with my pony, and taking the entrails out of
the smallest cub, we lifted him upon La Frombe's horse, and
all set out to return to our camp.
We had gone but a mile or two, when we saw several horse-
men riding furiously across the plain, apparently with the
design of heading us off. It needed no second look to con-
vince us they were hostile Crows, and, dropping the bear, we
broke for the hills. It was a ride for life, as there were fully
fifteen Indians in the other party, and we knew if we were
caught they would burn us at the stake, for they were at war
with the Sioux, and, what was worse for us, we were hunting
game on their hunting-grounds.
Suddenly the Crows halted, and, apparently without any
11
174 BELDEN: THE WHITE CHIEF.
cause, put back as fast as they had come. On ascending a
little knoll, we saw the cause of their alarm, tor there stood
our camp, half hid away among the t^ees. The Crows had seen
^the camp, and thinking our party was strong, and that we
were decoying them to the camp, they began their hasty
retreat. ^
In a few moments not a Crow was to be seen, and we rode
quietly into camp, laughing heartily at the needless alarm of
our enemies. After a hearty supper, we packed up, and,
fearing the Crows would return and discover our weakness,
when we should all be killed, we determined to move off at
once. All night long we rode briskly forward, and when the
sun rose, gilding the mountain peak with silver and gold, we
were nearly fifty miles distant from where our camp had been.
We breakfasted on fresh antelope, and rested until noon,
when we again set forward, and continued our journey for twc
days. Being now far in the mountains, we felt safe, and
pitched our camp, intending to hunt for a season.
BELDEN: THE WHITE CHIEF. 175
CHAPTER XXIV.
nrWTING ROOKY MOUNTAIN SHEEP — AN EARLY START — ^MEETING THE SUN ON
THE MOUNTAIN TOPS — THE BIG HORNS IN SIGHT — ^LA FROMBE KILLS A SHEEP
— MY CHAGRIN AT A BAD SHOT — FOLLOWING THE BIG HORNS — ^A TOILSOME
JOURNEY — THE SHEEP IN SIGHT AGAIN — KILLING A RAM — THEIR ASTONISH-
ING STRENGTH — ^A MEAL ON THE MOUNTAIN — THE RETURN— HOME ONCE
MORE.
WE had been at our new camp several days, and taken
all the game we wanted when, one morning, I deter-
mined to climb the mountain peaks and have a hunt after the
famous mountain sheep. My companions liked the idea of a
dash at the " hard heads," and we all three set out together.
The sun met us as we toiled up the steeps, and it was scarcely
half an hour high, when La Frombe, who was in advance,
halted, and pointing to a cliff half a mile distant, said, "There
they are.'' "We looked in the direction indicated, and saw a
group of four sheep walking along the edge of the precipice.
They had not yet discovered us, and we stood still until they
passed out of sight behind some projecting rocks, and then ran
as fast as we could along the mountain side until we were
directly under where we had seen our game. Carefully ascend-
ing from crag to crag, we were not long in coming upon their
fresh tracks, and now we crept along, looking carefully ahead at
every turn. Presently, La Frombe pointed to the right, and
there, standing on a rock, scarcely two hundred yards from us,
176 BELDEN: THE WHITE CHIEF.
were three large sheep. We each selected a sheep — La Frombe
taking the one on the left, the Santee the one in the middle, and
I the farthest on the right. At a signal from La Frombe, we
fired together, and when the smoke cleared away saw one sheep
lying on the rock. I ran as fast as I could up the rocks, and
arrived in time to see the other two big horns going around the
bluif a quarter of a mile off. La Frombe had killed his game,
but the Santee and I had missed our mark. I, however, noticed
blood on the stones, and knowing that one of the other two wats
wounded, determined ta follow them. Leaving La Frombe ana
the Santee to skin and dress the dead animal, I climbed from
ravine to ravine, and rock to rock, for nearly an hour, and had
began to despair of seeing my game again, when I unex-
pectedly came upon some blood and tracks. I saw where the
sheep had laid but a few moments before, and as there was
some soft soil at this point so I could follow the tracks, I
crawled carefully along. I paused often to watch and listen,
but could see nothing, and all was silent, as only the vast
solitudes of a mountain can be. I had began to descend a
little, with a view of getting among some scrubby pines near
by, in order the better to shield myself from observation, and
just as I reached them, I saw a stately ram walking slowly
along a ledge of rocks, closely followed by a small ewe. I
was as yet too far away to shoot with precision, and as they
were moving slowly, and had not seen me, I stood still until
they turned the rock. They were moving parallel with me, and
I now hastened, under cover of the pines, to get ahead of
them, if possible. After getting one or two falls, and nearly
breaking my gun and neck over the stones, I perceived the
sheep nearly above me, and not over two hundred yards dis-
tant. I crawled to the edge of the rocks, and selecting an
belden: the white chief. 177
opeD spot, where I knew the sheep would pass, rested my gun.
In a moment they appeared, and when the ram came opposite
the end of my rifle, I fired. The old fellow dropped, rolled
over, turned upon his horns, and fell over forty feet, lighting
on his head.* He was desperately wounded, but still able to
rise. As he steadied himself for another jump, I put a third
ball mif:> him, and he lay down on the rocks. I scrambled up
to him, and when he saw me, he made desperate efforts to get
upon his feet. He lay upon his side, his great red eyes roll-
ing fiercely. When I went near him he bleated piteously, and
struck with his forefeet, at the same time tossing his great
horns savagely about. I tried for some time to get hold of
him, not wishing to shoot him again, as I had but two charges
lefb in my gun, and I had left my ammunition-belt behind, in
order to chmb the better. Every time I approached, he struck
at me, until finally, losing my patience, I pounced upon him
from behind, and seizing hold of one of his horns, attempted
to draw my hunting-knife across his throat. Throwing back
his head with a strength that surprised me, he struck me with
his horn on the knee and almost broke my leg. It was only
after a severe struggle that I was able to drive my knife into
his neck and finish him.
When I had killed the ram, I looked up, and there stood the
* Hunting the Rocky Mountain sheep is the only sport that approximates
to any thing like the famous Chamois hunting of olden times. The flesh
of these sheep is very good, but they are exceedingly difficult to kill.
When pursued by the hunter, or wounded, they will frequently throw
themselves over precipices fifty feet high, and light on their horns, appa-
rently without hurting themselves in the least. i
Mr. Belden gives, in the above sketch, a perfectly natural and correct
account of a Rocky Mountain sheep hunt.
16
178 belden: the white chief.
doe, hardly fifty yards distant. She had been looking at the
death of her mate, and now, even as I looked at her, bounded
nimbly away over the rocks. I fired a shot after her, but it
did not hit her, and I sat down perfectly satisfied with my
ram.
I was not long in signalling my companions, and presently
I heard the long " talla-ho ! ^' of La Frombe, who was coming
up the steeps below me.
I had my sheep skinned and dressed by the time they came
up, and the pines affording a favorable place, we cut off some
of the choice bits, roasted them on the coals, and dined.
"VYe were all three very tired, and having had enough of
sheep-hunting for one day, we rested for a couple of hours, and
then, packing our meat on our backs, began the descent. It
w^as quite late when we reached our camp, and as we were weary
and bruised by many a fall, received during the day, we soon
went to bed.
BELDEin": THE WHITE CHIEF. 179
CHAPTEE XXV.
OLD BUFFALO BULLS — THE MONARCHS OF THE PRAIRIES — A CHASE AFTER ONE —
HIS RAGE AND EFFORTS TO CAPTURE ME — A TRICK — HOW HE HID FROM ME —
TERRIBLE COLLISION — THE RESULT — WHAT I SAW — DANGEROUS SITUATION —
DEATH OP THE BUFFALO — ^MY CONDITION — ^POOR LITTLE PONY — THE RETURN
TO CAMP — ALARM OF MY FRIENDS — ALL RIGHT ONCE MORE.
WE were now out of the buffalo range, but occasionally we
met an old bull, who, having been driven away from
the herd by the sharp horns of his younger brethren, had
wandered far up into the mountains, to graze and live out the
remnant of his days in peace.
These old fellows, disturbed by our presence, would, on being
approached, throw up their heads defiantly, and then trot off
to other pastures.
One day a desire seized me to have a battle with one of
these monarchs of the prairies. Saddling my pony, I rode out,
and was not long in coming upon an old soldier who was graz-
ing in a little grassy valley. He was monarch of all he sur-
veyed, but nevertheless thought it proper to acknowledge my
superiority by shaking his head, as a sort of negative admis-
sion, and then gallop off toward the hills.
My little pony soon overtook him, however, and I gave the
old fellow a shot that made him grunt, and set every nerve in
him quivering. I did not desire to kill him at once, but exer-
cise the agility of my pony and the skill of myself. Seeing
180 BELDEN: THE WHITE CHIEF.
him making for a ravine, I spurred by, and, swinging my
buffalo robe before his face, sought to turn him. He ran back
at once, and when he was on the open prairie, I gave him a
shot through the hams. This made him switch his tail and
cut dirt for a mile, but he presently made signs of battle.
This was precisely what I wanted, and I gave haste to shoot
him again, this time in the neck. He now turned and charged
upon me, but my little pony wheeled and was off like the
wind. Away we went over the prairie, the pursuer and pur-
sued. I zigzagged the pony, and, as the old buffalo could not
turn on less than an acre of ground, he had to run more than
twice as far as the little horse. It would take him some time,
to bring himself to bear upon us, but, having got himself in
range, he would come on like a steam engine, sure that he had
us, but only to be zigzagged out of line again, and find he was
charging the air. In a little time he gave it up and started for
the ravine, near which we had been maneuvering. He Had a
good start before I perceived what his object was, and, although
I rode hard, I could not head him in time to prevent him
from entering it. I dashed down into the canon, and, not
seeing my game, was about to pull rein, when my horse, in
turning the sharp butt of a little bluff that run into the ravine,
came suddenly upon the buffalo lying down, and, before I
could check his speed, stumbled and fell headlong over him.
I rolled over and over on the ground, and was so stunned and
bruised, that for several minutes I could neither rise to my
feet nor collect my senses. An indistinct idea of danger
thrilled me, and still, half blinded and choked with dust, 1
got upon my knees, and, feeling for my revolver, which was in
the scabbard strapped to my waist, I drew and fired it twice
at a black-looking mass before me. Whether it was the smell
BELDEN: THE WHITE CHIEF. 181
of the powder or the noise of the explosion that brought back
my recollection and sense, I can not tell, but in a moment I
saw the buffalo close by mc, and attempting to rise to his feet.
I aimed at his side and fired twice, and, to my inexpressible
relief, saw the great brute roll over and die. I was still so
dizzy I closed my eyes and laid down on the ground. Pres-
ently, by remaining still, I felt better, and, rising, I examined
to see if any bones were broken. I was terribly bruised, but
still whole, and I felt so delighted at this discovery, I walked,
or rather hobbled, to the buffalo, and, cutting his throat with
my great butcher-knife, sat down upon the carcass. It was
fully half an hour before I could realize what had occurred,
and then I found my poor little horse standing in a pocket
of the canon, and so lame he could hardly walk. My gun
was broken and my hat lying near it, torn almost in two.
An examination proved that the buffalo had run into the
cafion, and, thinking himself free from his tormentor, had laid
down behind the butt, when a moment afterward I came along
at full speed, and both rider and horse tumbled over him.
The collision had rolled the buffalo over, and the blow neces-
sary to do this had nearly dislocated my horse's shoulder. I
made haste to mount and work my way back to camp, where
I arrived in sad plight, long after dark. My companions had
become so uneasy about me that they were just starting out to
hunt me up, when I came in and related to them my adven-
ture and miraculous escape.
182 belden: the white chief.
CHAPTER XXyi.
LEGEND OF CRAZY WOMAN — NARRATIVE OF THE OLD INDIAN — INTRODUCTION
OF RUM AMONG THE CROWS — THE WHITE TRADER — SINGULAR CONDUCT OP
THE CHIEF — THE CRAZY WARRIOR — CROW COUNCIL — THE BLACK-WATER —
SPEECH OF THE YOUNG WARRIOR — PERIL OF THE TRADER — THE CONFESSION
— AN INDIAN BATTLE — DEATH OF THE TREMBLING HAND MURDER OF THE
TRADER — THE WHITE SQUAW — HER ESCAPE — THE CRAZY WOJLiN — HOW THE
STREAM TOOK ITS NAME.
FRESH pony-tracks, seen in a gorge, warned us that the
hostile Crows were about, and hastily packing up, we de-
camped to a more safe locality.
After many days travel, we came in sight of a broad, rolling
stream, shaded by cottonwood, and pitched our camp on its
bank. The valley along the river was wide and fertile, and
flocks of prairie hens and ducks rose from the long grass and
flew away in all directions. Deer, antelope, and elk, bounded
over the hills, and far in the distance could be seen a drove
of wild horses. I could not help wondering how soon this
wild scene would be changed, and the smoke of the white man's
cabin ascend all along the rich valley. Already, 1 saw, in
imagination, corn growing on the slopes, farm-houses nestling
among the trees, a village in the great bend of the stream, and
I thought I could hear the tinkling of cow-bells, the laugh of
children, and the solemn tolling of church-bells.
La Frombe said the stream was called Crazy Woman, and
BELDEN: THE WHITE CHIEF, 183
the valley had long been known to the Crows as Crazy Woman's
Valley. I asked him how it could have obtained such a singu-
lar name, and he related the following story :
Many years ago, I visited this spot with a band of Crows,
and one evening a venerable Indian told us this legend of
Crazy Woman : Years ago, when my father was a little boy,
there came among us a man who was half white. He said he
wished to trade with our people for buffalo-robes, beaver, elk,
and deer skins, and that he would give us much paint, and
many blankets and pieces of cloth in exchange for furs. We
liked him, and believed him very good, for he was rich, hav-
ing many thousands of beads and hundreds of yards of ribbons.
Our village was then built on the river, about twenty miles
above where we now are, and game was very plentiful. This
river did not at that time have the name of Crazy Woman, but
was called " Big Beard," because a curious grass grows along its
banks that has a big beard. What I am about to relate caused
the name of the river to be changed.
The trader built a lodge of wood and stones, and near it a
great, strong house, in which he kept all his immense wealth. It
was not long until he had bought all the robes and furs for sale
in the village, and then he packed them on ponies, and bidding
us good-bye, said he was going far to the East, where the pale-
face lives, but that he would soon come back, bring us many
presents, and plenty of blankets, beads, and ribbons, which he
would exchange as before for robes and furs. We were sorry
to see him go, but, as he promised to return in a few moons,
we were much consoled. It was not long until our spies re-
ported something they could not understand coming into our
country, and the whole village was in a great state of alarm.
Some of the boldest ventured out, and returned with the joyful
184 BELDEN: THE WHITE CHIEF.
intelligence, that the strange objects our young men had seen,
was the trader and his people. All the village ran to meet him,
and the sight was strange enough indeed. The Crows had in
those days never sepn a wagon-horse or ox, and the trader had
brought all these things. The wagons they called teepees on
rollers ; the horses were giants, beside the little ponies, and the
oxen, all believed were tame buffaloes. There, also, was a squaw
who was perfectly white, and who could not understand any
thing that was said to her. She wore dresses down to her feet,
of which she seemed to be ashamed, and our women said she
tied cords tightly about her waist, so as to make it small. She
had very long hair, and did not plait, but rolled it, and, in-
stead of letting it hang down, wrapped it tightly about her
head.
It was not long until the trader had all his wagons un-
loaded, and his store open. He had brought all the women
beads and ribbons, and the men brass rings. Besides what he
sold, he made many presents; so every body loved him, for no
one had ever before seen so rich and generous a man.
One day, he told the Big Chief to come into the back part
of the store and he would show him something wonderful.
The chief went, wondering what it could be, and when they
were alone, the trader drew out a very little barrel, and taking
a wooden cup, poured out some black-looking water, which he
told the chief to drink. The chief did as desired, and imme-
diately felt so jolly he asked for more. The trader promised,
if he would never tell any one where he got the black water,
he would give him all he wanted. The chief promised, and
the trader gave him another cupful. Now the chief danced
and sang, and went to his lodge, where he fell down in a deep
deep, and no one could wake him. He slept so long, the war-
belden: the white chief. 187
riors gathered about the lodge wondering what could ail hira,
and they were about to go to the trader and demand to know
what kind of medicine he had given the chief to make hira
behave so strangely, when the chief woke up and ordered
them all to their lodges, and to ask no questions.
Next day the chief went to the trader, and said he had liaJ
great dreams; that he thought he had slain many of his ene-
mies, and that the black medicine must be very good to make
him have such pleasant visions. He begged the trader to give
him some more, and he did so. Thus the chief did every day,
and all the village wondered, for they believed the trader had
bewitched him. In former times the chief had been a quiet
and very dignified man, but now he sang, danced in the
streets, and publicly hugged the women, so every one thought
him crazy. The Crows disliked the conduct of the chief very
much, and began to grumble against the trader, for they
thought he was to blame for the great change that had come
over their chief. Some said he was bewitched, others that the
trader had an evil spirit in one of his boxes, and thus they
talked, some believing one thing and some another, but all
blaming him. One of the young warriors called a secret coun-
cil, and the matter was discussed, and it was finally decided that
the trader must leave or they would put him to death. A
warrior, who was a great friend of the trader, was sent to tell
him of the decision of the council, and when he did so the
trader laughed, and said if he would come into the back of the
store, and never tell any body, he would show him what ailed
the chief. The warrior went, and the trader gave him a ladle
full of the black water to drink. Presently he began to sing
and dance about, and then went out into the street and sang,
which greatly surprised every one, for he had never done so
18S BELDEN: THE WHITE CHIEF.
before. The young men gathered about him, and asked hira
what ailed him, but he only said, " Oh, go to the trader and
get some of the black water ! " So they went to the trader,
and inquired what kind of black water he had that affected
people so strangely ; and the trader told them he had only the
same kind of water they drank, and brought out his pail, that
they all might drink. Each warrior took up the ladle and
drank some, and made the trader drink some, and then they
sat down to wait and see if it would affect them like the chief
and their brother warrior; but it did not, and they rose up
and said, " The trader or our brother lies, and we will see who
is the liar." They went to the warrior's lodge, and found him
sound asleep, nor could they wake him. Two remained to
watch by him, and the others went to their teepees. When
the sun was up, the warrior rose, and, seeing the others sitting
in his tent, said, "Why are you here, my brothers?" And
the eldest of the two warriors replied, *^ You have lied to us,
for the trader has no black water." The warrior, recollecting
his promise not to tell, said, " It is true that the trader has .no
black water, and who said he had ? " They explained to him
his conduct of the day before, at which he was greatly aston-
ished, and he declared if such was the case he must have been
very sick in his head and not known what he had said. There-
upon the warriors withdrew and reported all to their brethren.
The warriors were greatly perplexed, and knew not what to
do or think, but decided to wait and see.
The chief and warrior were now drunk every day, and the
young chief called another council. It was long and stormy
in its debate, all the wise men speaking, but no one giving
such counsel as the others would accept. At last a young war-
rior rose and said that he had watched, and that it was true
belden: the white chief. 189
the trader had a black water which he gave the chief and
warrior to drink, for he had made a hole in the wall of the
trader's store, and through it saw them drinking the black
water. He advised them to bring the trader and warrior be-
fore them, and he would accuse them to their face of what he
had seen, and if they denied the truth he would fight them.
This speech was received with great satisfaction, and the
young chief at once sent some warriors to fetch the trader and
their brother.
When they were come into the council and seated, the young
warrior repeated all he had said, and asked if it were not true
that they would fight him. The warrior who was first asked
rose up and said the young warrior lied, and that he was ready
to fight him ; but when the trader was told to stand up and
answer, he, seeing there was no use in denying the matter, con-
fessed all.
He said the black water was given him by the white people,
a great many of whom drank it, and it made them behave as
they had seen the chief and the warrior do. He also told them
that after a man drank of it he felt happy, laughed and sang,
and when he laid down he dreamed pleasant dreams and slew
his enemies.
The curiosity of the warriors was greatly excited, and the
young chief bade the trader go and bring some of his black
water, that they might taste it. He was about to depart, when
the young warrior, who had before spoken, rose and desired
him to be seated, when he said :
^* The warriors heard my speech, and it was good. The
brother, however, when I asked him if he w^ould tell the coun-
cil the truth, said I lied, and he would fight me. Let us now
go out of the village and fight.'*
190 BELDEN: THE WHITE CHIEF.
The young chief asked the drunkard if he had any thing t»,
say, when he arose and addressed the council as follows :
" Oh, ray brethren, it is true that I have drank of the black
water, and that I have lied. When the trader first gave it to
me to drink, he made me promise I would never tell what it
was or where I got it, and he has many times since said if I
told any one he would never give me any more to drink. Oh,
my brethren, the black water is most wonderful, and I have
come to love it better than my life or the truth. The fear of
never having any more of it to drink made me lie, and I have
nothing more to say but that I am ready to fight.'^
Then the council adjourned, and every one went out to see
the warriors fight. They were both men of great skill and
bravery, and the whole village came to see the battle. He
who had drank the black water was the best spearsman in
the tribe, and every one expected to see tiie other warrior
killed.
The spears were brought, and when they were given to the
combatants it was seen that the hand of him who had lied
shook so he could hardly hold his spear. At this his friends
rallied him, and asked him if he was afraid. He replied that
his heart was brave, but that his hand trembled, though not
with fear, for it had shook so for many days.
Then the battle began, and at the second throw of the
spears, he with the trembling hand was clove through the heart,
and killed instantly, while the other warrior did not even re-
ceive a wound.
After the fight was over, the warriors all went to the trader's
lodge, and he brought out in a pail more than a quart of the
black water, which he gave in small quantities to each warrior.
When they had swallowed it, they began to dance and sing,
beld:en: the white chief. 193
and many lay down on the ground and slept as though they
\vere dead.
Next day they came again and asked for more black water ;
and so they came each day, dancing and singing, for more than
a week.
One morning the trader said he would give them no more
black water unless they paid him for it, and this they did.
The price was at first one robe for each sup sufficient to make
them sleep, but, as the black water became scarce, two robes,
and finally three Were paid for a sleep. Then the trader said
he had no more except a little for himself, and this he would
not sell; but the warriors begged so hard for some he gave
them a sleep for many robes. Even the body robes were soon
in the hands of the trader, and the warriors were very poor,
but still they begged for more black water, giving a pony in
exchange for each sleep. The trader took all the ponies, and
then the warriors offered their squaws, but there was no more
black water, and the trader said he would go and fetch some.
He packed all tho robes on the ponies, and was about to set
out, when a warrior made a speech, saying that now that he
had all their robes and ponies, and they were very poor, the
trader was going away and would never return, for they had
nothing more to give him. So the warriors said he should not
depart, and ordered him to unpack the ponies. The trader
told them he would soon return with plenty of black water,
and give it to them as he did at first. Many of the warriors
were willing he should depart, but others said no, and one de-
clared that he had plenty of black water still left, and was
going off to trade with their enemies, the Sioux. This created
great excitement, and the trader's store and all his packs were
searched, but no black water found. Still the warrior asserted
12
194 belden: the white chief.
he had it, and that it was hidden away. The warriors de-
clared that they would kill him unless he instantly told them
where he had hid it, and upon his not being able to do so, they
rushed into his lodge and murdered him before the eyes of his
squaw, tearing off his scalp and stamping upon his body. This
so alarmed the white squaw she attempted to run out of the
lodge, and, as she came to the door, a warrior struck her on the
head with his tomahawk, and she fell down as though she were
dead.
The chief made a great speech, saying that now, as the trader
was dead, they would burn his lodge and take back all their
robes and ponies. So the lodge was fired, and as it burned a
Crow squaw saw by its light the white squaw lying before the
door, and that she was not dead, and she took her to her lodge,
sewed up her wounds, and gave her something to eat. The
squaw lived and got well, but she was crazy, and could not
bear the sight of a warrior, believing every one who came near
her was going to kill her.
One day the white squaw was missing, and the whole village
turned out to look for her. They followed her tracks far down
the river, but could not find her. Some women out gathering
berries a few days afterward, said the white squaw came to
them and asked for food, showing them, at the same time,
where she was hiding in the bluffs near by. She begged them
not to tell the warriors where she was, or they would come and
kill her. The squaws tried to dissuade her from a notion so
foolish, but they could not get her to return to the village.
Every day the squaws went and took her food, and she lived
for many months, no one knowing where she was but the
women. When the warriors came about she hid away, and
would not stir out until they were gone.
BELDEN : THE WHITE CHIEF. 195
One day, however, a warrior out hunting antelope came sud-
denly upon her, and she fled away, but he followed her, wish-
ing to bring her to the village. All day she ran over the hills,
and at night tlie warrior came back, being unable to catch her.
She was never seen again, and what became of her is not
known, although it is likely she died of hunger, or that the
wild beasts destroyed her.
Ever after, when the Indians came here to camp, they told
the story of the crazy woman, and the place became known as
" the place of the crazy woman, " and the name of " Big
Beard " was almost entirely forgotten. *
* The moral pointed in this tale, and the language that adorns it, are, in
my judgment, both admirable. The story is probably entirely true, and an
actual occurrence. The '* Big Beard " grass mentioned still grows in the
valley, and the stream, though yet far beyond the most remote cabin of the
white man, is known to all frontiersmen, and is laid down on all maps as
" Craay Woman. "
The conduct of the chief and warriors after drinking the black water,
the fate of him of the " unsteady hand, " and the death of the trader, are
all thrillingly told by Mr. Belden, and with a naturalness and adherence
to truth that is quite surprising in an Indian tale. — ^Editor.
196 belden: the white chief.
CHAPTER XXVII.
STEALING PONIES FROM THE INDIANS — NELSON, MY COMPANION — A SHORT
BIOGRAPHY — DANGEROUS SITUATION — DISCOVERY OP THE INDIAN VILLAGE
— nelson's COOLNESS — WATCHING THE VILLAGE FROM THE HILLS — IN THE
INDIAN CAMP — THE OLD SQUAW — THE ALARM — STAMPEDING THE PONIES
THE PURSUIT — A NIGHT MARCH — FIGHTING THE INDIANS — A FRIENDLY
GROVF ANOTHER NIGHT MARCH THE SURPRISE — THE RESULT — A SAFE
ARRIVAL AT HOME.
TJEFORE returning home, I made up my mind to steal
-■-^ some ponies from our enemies, who had given us so much
annoyance. Nelson, whose name I have not before mentioned,
was a white man, and had accompanied us for the purpose of
hunting, and having a share in such adventures as might fall
to the lot of our party. He had a Sioux wife and two chil-
dren, but was a roving, reckless, dare-devil sort of fellow, who
always needed to be led, and who could never be intrusted to
lead in any expedition, on account of his rashness and indis-
cretion.
Nelson and I set out alone to steal some ponies from our In-
dian foes, little caring whether they were Pawnees, Cheyennes,
Arrapahoes, or Sioux, so we got their horses. We rode on for
several days, and finally halted one evening by a clear running
stream. While I fixed up the camp. Nelson took a jog down
the creek to see that all was (dear, and, if possible, shoot a deer
for our supper. He soon returned with plenty of game, re-
BELDEN: THE WHITE CHIEF. '197
marking he had seen no Indian signs, but thought he had, from
the top of a hill beyond the stream, discovered smoke rising,
far down to the east. We made but little fire, and, then putting
it out after supper, circled around the adjacent hills once, and
seeing nothing, returned and lay down to rest.
1 was up before daylight, for I felt uneasy, and rousing
Nelson, told him to go out on the hills and keep a lookout while
I kindled the fire and cooked breakfast. He soon disappeared
over the bluff with his pony, and I hurried to prepare the morn-
ing repast of fresh antelope, broiled over the coals. The
breakfast was ready, but no Nelson was there. I ate heartily,
and waited for him an hour, but still he did not come, and I
was preparing to mount my pony and follow his trail when,
just as the first rays of the sun were streaming over the hill-
tops, he came riding leisurely into camp, and reported that he
had gone over to the hill from which he thought he saw smoke
the night before, and sure enough, he saw it again rising dis-
tinctly against the sky, not more than three miles distant. He
rode down the creek-bottom, and was soon able to discover a
large party of Indians preparing their breakfast ; and, leaving
them to enjoy their meal in peace, he had returned to tell me all
about it, and get his own breakfast. The coolness of the fellow
nettled me not a little. One would have thought, to have looked
at him, that he was dining in a first-class restaurant in a peace-
ful town, instead of eating within a few miles of a band of
hostile Indians, who might at any moment dash down upon us
and put a stop to our ever eating again. I said to him, " Hurry
up. Nelson, and let us get out of this, for a straggling Indian
mav, at any moment, discover our camp, and lead the whole
band down upon us.^' "Well, 'Squire,^' he replied, as was his
custom to call me, " I reckon you would n't turn a fellow out to
lUb BELDEN: THE WHITE CHIEF.
such hot work, as we are likely to have, without givin* him a
square meal, would ye ? " I bade him again hurry, but was
forced to wait until he gorged himself to his heart's content.
Then we rode out into the hills to reconnoiter, and consult what
was best to be done.
We crawled along behind the bluffs, until we got sight of the
Indian encampment. It was quite large, and evidently per-
fectly at rest. All day we lay in the bluffs, keenly scrutinizing
every party of warriors that left the camp. Once a party struck
out in a direction that we knew must cross our trail, and we felt
much anxiety, but as hour after hour wore away, and we heard
nothing of them, we concluded they must have crossed with-
out observing it. During the day, we discovered that the
encampment was a temporary one, and that from the scarcity
of men, most of the warriors were out hunting, or on the war-
path ; intelligence not a little gratifying to us, and favorable
to our design. From the signs, we also concluded, the village
was composed of the families of warriors, and that they had
been left behind with a very small guard.
As soon as it was dark, Nelson and I crept down from the
bluffs and crawled to the village. This we did early, to pre-
vent the dogs from noticing us, for it is a peculiarity of Indian
dogs, that they seldom become vigilant until some houis after
dark. We lay for some time, and then began to move about
among the ponies. Nelson went to the right and I to the left.
Several times warriors passed and repassed, but whenever they
came near me, I wrapped my blanket closely about me, and
pretended I was asleep, when, no doubt thinking I was one
of the warriors who had been out hunting all day, and was
tired, they passed on, leaving me to my repose. Every oppor-
tunity I got, I cut a lariat, or hopple, and after working
belden: the white chief. 199
industriously for an hour with my butcher-knife, I had
loosened some twenty ponies. Nelson had, meantime, been
busy, and having a side of the town that was not subject to
interruptions from strolling warriors or squaws, he had suc-
ceeded in severing some forty horses from their pickets. We
were succeeding admirably, when an old squaw came out to
change the grazing-ground of her pony and found him gone.
She ran to the picket-stake, and picking up the end of the rope,
felt it, and finding it had been cut, set up a howl, that brought
the warriors tumbling from their lodges. Nelson gave me the
signal to "run,^' and springing on a little black pony that
stood near me, I swung my blanket around my head, flirted
it in the faces of the ponies, and shouting, '* Hoo-yah-hoo ! ''
at the top of my lungs, started some twenty of them toward
the bluffs. Nelson was equally lucky, and in the confusion
that ensued in the village, we managed to get together. All
was noise and excitement throughout the town ; children
screamed, women shouted, men whooped, while the dogs set
up a dismal howling. Shots fell thick and fast around us,
but we succeeded in reaching the bluffs unhurt with all our
ponies.
We pushed along smartly for a mile or two, each moment
getting deeper into the hills. Turning now to the right, then
to the left, we kept very quiet, hoping in the darkness to
throw the pursuers off our trail, and before daylight be far to
the eastward. Just as we began to hope we were not to be
followed, we heard the Indians directly behind us, and, judging
by the clatter of the ponies' hoofs, the party was a strong one.
They, however, approached with great caution, not knowing our
strength, and fearing an ambush. Twice they made ineffectual
attempts to stampede the herd by sending warriors ahead and
iVAJ BELDJiN : THE WHITE CHIEF.
concealing them on the line of our march, but the extreme
cowardice of the savages caused them to run away almost as
soon as they shouted at the ponies. So we jogged along until
near daylight, hoping each moment that our pursuers would
turn back, for we did not wish them to know our weakness^
and it was evident the first streaks of morning woukl disclose
to them our numbers. Having kept remarkably quiet for
nearly an hour, the Indians had become quite bokl, when sud-
denly Nelson and I turned and charged them. They were in
a gulch at the time, and, believing they were cut off, rode
furiously for the mouth of the gorge, nearly a mile in their
rear. We did not pursue them, but returned to the herd,
leaving them to continue their flight until their fears" should
subside. We had not gone far, however, until we heard them
coming on again close behind us. Nelson said he knew of
some timber not far to the north, and we drove hard, hoping
to reach it before day would break, but as we were crossing
the prairie, streaks of red shot up the eastern sky, and soon ob-
jects were distinguishable all around us. We saw we had lost
many of the ponies in the darkness during the night, but still
had some twenty left. Telling Nelson to drive these on, I
halted on a rise in the prairie to wait for our enemies to come
up. They soon appeared over a bluff, and I saw they num-
bered twelve by actual count. The odds were fearful, but 1
felt relieved, for I had thought not less than twenty were in
the pursuit, and I now sincerely regretted Nelson and I had
not ambushed them during the night. They continued to fol-
low cautiously, until, seeing there were but two of us, they set
up a great shout, and came on whooping and howling like
demons. I dismounted behind a little hill, and, taking delib-
erate aim with my Henry rifle, as the foremost Indian came
belden: the white chief. 201
around the turu of the hill, I dropped him from his pony. I
now pumped the shot at them as fast as I could, until I had
nearly emptied the chamber of my gun, and had the satisfac-
tion of seeing them turn back, carrying two of their wounded
companions with them.
Rejoining Nelson, we pushed on for the timber, which was
now only a few miles distant, and had nearly succeeded in
reaching it when the Indians charged down upon us again.
There were but eight left in the pursuit, and, taking my shot-
gun, I loaded each barrel with a powerful charge of powder
and nine buckshot ; then, waiting until the Indians were quite
close, and as much together as possible, I wheeled and fired
both barrels at them. The shot raked them like grape and
canister, and I could see three or four of them were slightly
wounded. They could not understand where so many balls had
come from when they saw but one man fire, and so became
more cautious than ever. At sunrise we reached the friendly
shelter of the grove, and driving in the tired ponies, left them
to graze, while Nelson and I sallied out, and, boldly attacking
the Indians, chased them over the plain, firing as rapidly as we
could with our Henry's. We succeeded in wounding one fel-
low, but Nelson got a ball through the arm, nearly disabling
him, and we returned to the grove.
"We lay all day in the woods resting, but saw nothing more
of the Indians. Nelson's wound was quite painful, but not
dangerous, and we dressed it with green leaves and cold
water.
As soon as it was dark we set out again, and drove along
cautiously, fearing the Indians were up to some devilment, as
they had been so quiet all day. The night wore away, how-
ever, and we began to feel assured there would be no attack,
202 BELDEN: THE WHITE CHIEF.
when, while we were driving along a narrow cafion, a shout
ing arose in front, followed by a few rapid shots, and the ter-
rified ponies, turning suddenly, nearly ran over us. "We suc-
ceeded in keeping seven in the cafion, but the rest escaped to
the open prairie, where we saw the Indians driving them
off. We made no attempt to pursue them, contenting ourselves
with the seven we had left, and finding it all we could do to
keep them, as the little fellows were disposed to escape and fol-
low the rest of the herd.
We now drove rapidly to the east, hoping the Indians would
be satisfied with what they had got, and leave us to pursue our
way in peace ; but, elated by their success, they came on again,
and charged the herd, apparently determined to get the remain-
ing seven. My blood was now up, for I thought they were
acting a piggish part in wanting all, and riding over a little rise
in the prairie, I dropped from my pony, and as the first In-
dian came on the crest of the divide, I shot him dead as a
door nail. His companions ran to him, and I gave them a
round dozen of Henry balls, causing them to dodge and scatter
in all directions. After this they came on again several times,
but when I turned and presented my Henry, as much as to
say, " Keep off, '' they would run fit to break their necks. All
day the red devils followed us, but at sundown gave up the
chase, and in the twilight we saw them galloping over the hills
far to our rear on their return to the village. We were not
again disturbed, and on the evening of the seventh day en-
tered our own village, bringing in safely all our seven ponies,
and finding our friends, whom we had left on the " Crazy
Woman, " at home to welcome us.
m^
BELDEN: THE WHITE CHIEF. 205
CHAPTER XXyill.
LEGFND OF THE WHITE BUFFALO — THE CROW CHIEf's DAUGHTER — UNREASON-
ABLE CONDUCT OF HER FATHER THE YOUNG CHIEF HIS SUIT DENIED THH
WHITE BUFFALO — THE MAIDEN's SHA3IE A DEATH COUNCIL STORY OF THE
GIRL ANOTHER COUNCIL — THE YOUNG CHIEF AND THE MAIDEN CONDEMNED
TO DEATH BATTLE WITH THE WHITE BUFFALO —LED OUT TO DIE DISCOV-
ERY OF THE WHITE BUFFALO — THE PRISONERS SATED DEATH OF THE WHITE
BUFFALO — A ^APPY MARRIAGE.
DURING the dull days we lay in camp, waiting for the
buifalo vseason to begin. I heard many curious tales and
legends related by the Indians, and some of these I will
repeat.
Once there lived on the Big Horn River, at the place where
'Fort Smith was afterward built, a Crow chief who had a most
beautiful daughter. Many of the -young men in the tribe
courted her and were anxious to marry her, but her father
would not part with her unless he received a hundred ponies ;
and, as no warrior was able to give so much for a wife, she
was obliged to remain single. A young chief, who loved tlie
maiden dearly, and desired to possess her, urged the old chief,
her father, to reduce the number of ponies, but he only became
more morose, and finally declared no one should marry his
daughter unless he had a hundred ponies that had been cap-
tured in battle. As such a thing was impossible, the young
warrior despaired, and shut himself up in his tent and refused
206 BELDEN: THE WHITE CHIEF.
to eat. The girl, who loved him dearly, sent him word to bt
of good heart and persevere, for she would be faithful to him,
and die rather than marry any other warrior. Greatly encour-
aged by this message, the young man ate again, and all went
along smoothly for several months.
The lodge of the maiden was pitched close beside that of her
father's, and occupied by her alone. Often at night the wily
old chief thought he heard strange noises in his daughter's
lodge, but, when questioned, she always denied that she had
heard any noise, or that any thing unusual had occurred.
One day, however, she could no longer conceal her shame
from her mother, and confessed that she was about to bear a
child. When the old chief heard of it he was greatly enraged,
and assembled his council, that measures might be taken for
putting her to death, and thus wiping out the disgrace of his
family.
When the council was assembled, the girl was brought before
it, and her father sternly commanded her to explain the cause
of her disgrace. To the astonishment of every one, she came
not as a guilty wretch, but with head erect, and a clear, flash
ing eye. When any of the old men questioned her, she looked
disdainfully at them, and bade them hold their peace, for she
was a chief's daughter, and would answer only to her august
father. Her conduct greatly pleased the chief, and he said,
aside, that whatever might be her fault she was a real Crow,
and fit to be his daughter. When commanded by her father
to relate all that had happened to her, she arose and said :
"Venerable fathers, and you, my noble chief, some moons ago,
one night, a strange thing happened to me, such as perhaps
never happened before to any maid in the world. I was sleep-
ing in my lodge, by the side of my noble father there, when
BELDEN: THE WHITE CHIEF. 207
suddenly I heard a most peculiar noise as of hoofs and some
animal walking. I became conscious of something being in my
teepee, and, being greatly frightened, I lay still. Presently I
heard the coals being scraped together on the hearth, and
blown into a flame. When it was light I looked, expecting to
see a man, when I would have called my father, but, strange
to relate, I saw, not a man, but a white buffalo. He walked
upon his hind feet, and I was so terrified I could neither
speak nor move. He came to my bed and sat down, and I
fainted away. When I awoke, he was gone. So he came
every night to see me, and each time I was as much frightened
as before, and entirely unable to call out for help. The animal
was very careful not to hurt me with his hoofs or horns, and
how it came about I can not tell, but in a few months I found
myself in the condition you now see me, and I have no one to
blame for my misfortune but the white buffalo."
The chiefs had listened to this harangue with great patience,
and when she had done, the chief asked her when the white
buffalo had last visited her, and she replied, " When the moon
was full, and that he would come again the first full moon."
When her story was finished, she was conducted back to her
lodge, and the old men fell to debating about the matter. Most
of the chiefs did not believe the story, for they said that such
a thing as a white buffalo they had never seen in all their
lives. An old man rose, however, and said there was once a
white buffalo on the plains, and that he did strange things,
often being seen in the clouds and walking on water. This
statement greatly confused the council, and they fell to debat-
ing anew. At last a chief, who was very old and wise, said
that it must be possible for a woman to bear children without
being with a man, for many years ago, when he went to see
208 belden: the white chief.
the Great Father at Washington, the whites took him to heai
their great medicine man, and the medicine man told of a
woman who had brought forth a child without lying with any
man, and this all the white people believed. The child was
not only born, but had lived many years, and became a very
great medicine man.
At last "it came the turn of the young warrior, who had
wished to marry the girl, and he rose and said :
" I do not doubt the story of the girl, nor question her chastity.
Undoubtedly a most extraordinary thing has happened, but all
things are possible to the Great Spirit, and if he came and vis-
ited our daughter in the form of a white buffalo, it is no more
than was related by our brother about the daughter of the
white chief."
This speech was received by all with much favor, and the
great chief, who had not spoken a word, adjourned the council,
stating he would call them together at some future day, to talk
further concerning the matter.
The next council had little talk, and almost unanimously
agreed the young girl should be put to death, when the young
chief, her lover, rose and said, as it was near the full of the
moon, when the white buffalo would come again, he begged
that the execution of the sentence of the council might be
delayed until after the full moon, when, if nothing occurred to
corroborate the girPs story, she should die. This was readily
agreed to, and the pipe was passed around, to see in whose
hands it would go out, that he might be selected to mount guard
over the girPs teepee, and watch for the white buffalo. The
pipe went out in the young chief's hands, and the council
adjourned.
When the moon was at its full, the chief took up his position
BELDEN: THE WHITE CHIEF. 209
BO he could see the door of the girPs lodge, but could not be
seen himself. He also instructed her, if she saw the buffiilo,
to call out, and he would immediately rush to her assistance.
On the third night of the watch, he heard her scream, and
rushed into the lodge with his battle-ax, when, sure enough,
there was a white buffalo standing on his hind legs. As the
chief came up, the beast raised its forefoot to strike him, but
the chief brought his ax down with such force that it com-
pletely severed the hoof from the leg. The next moment,
however, the chief was struck senseless by the other forehoof,
and when he recovered his senses the buffalo was gone. The
old chief, who had heard the noise of the conflict, had risen and
was dressed, when the young chief, who was still suffering from
the blow he had received, came to him, and said that the
white buffalo had indeed appeared, and that he had fought with
him, and cut off one of his hoofs, which was produced, and an
examination of the maiden's teepee showed a pool of blood,
where the buffalo had bled from the effect of his wound. Great
excitement spread in the village when the news was made
known, and nearly all remained up, being afraid to sleep.
Early next morning the old chief assembled the council, and
the debate began. The father of the girl was greatly exas-
perated, and pronounced the whole affair a lie, a fraud, and
swindle. He said he had examined the ground around his
daughter's lodge, but could find no footprints of a buffalo, yet
every one must know that, if so heavy an animal as a buffalo
had passed that way, he must have left deep hoof-marks in the
sofl soil. It was also absurd that the buffalo could have
got itito the girl's lodge without being seen by the young chief.
In his opinion, both the girl and the chief were a lying pair,
aud he more than hinted*^that the young chief was himself the
white buffalo. He recommended, that both the girl and the
chief be shot to death with arrows, at sunrise in the morning.
This speech had great effect, and the council almost unani-
mously voted to put the girl and her supposed paramour to
death. They were led away, placed under a guard, and bade
prepare for their fate on the morrow.
Now it so happened, that there was a warrior in the village
who had been very sick, and many feared he would die. This
warrior was greatly admired and feared, on account of his
bravery and prowess. No other warrior in the village had
slain so many of the enemy, no one was so strong, andnone so
willing to go to battle. His sickness excited much talk in the
tribe, for all hated to lose so valuable a defender. He would
not tell what ailed him, but lay all the day long, his hands
placed under his robe, and apparently suffering great pain.
On the morning of the execution, a girl of the village passed
by the sick warrior^s lodge, and stopped in to tell him about
the fate of the chief's daughter and the young chief. She found
the warrior asleep, and his hands lying on top of the robe.
The bandages had fallen off, and to her surprise, she saw he
had but one hand, the other being gone. Quickly it flashed
through her mind, that the warrior had something to do with
the affair of the white buffalo, and she ran with all her might
toward the hill beyond the village, where the execution was to
take place. As she drew near the hill, she feared she would be
too late, for she saw the crowd part, the prisoners led out, and
the bowmen take their places. When she came up, 'the young
chief was making his last speech, and the bowmen, with arrows
on their strings, were ready to fire as soon as he should con-
clude. The girl rushed up to the great medicine man, who
was conducting the execution, and wliispered something in hia
BELDEN: THE WHITE CHIEF. 211
ear, at which he was greatly astonished. Then he listened, and
the girl repeated what she had said. When she had done
speaking, the medicine man walked between the condemned
prisoners and the bowmen, and, raising his hands, bade them
put up their arrows. He then told the crowd, bowmen, pris-
oners, and all, to follow him, and see what they should aee.
He walked down to the village, and entering the sick warrior^a
lodge, bade him hold up his hands. At first he refused to do
60, but seeing he was found out, he held up his arms, and ex-
hibited one hand and a bloody stump. The medicine man
asked where the hoof of the white buffalo was, and being told
it was at the old chief's lodge, he bade them go and fetch it.
When it was brought, he took his knife, and, splitting open the
skin of the hoof, to the surprise of every one, drew forth a
human hand, which had been neatly sewed up in the hoof.
Holding it up, so all could see it, he placed it on the stump
beside the warrior's other hand, and it fitted exactly. Every one
now knew who was the white buffalo, and all cried out, " Kill
him ! kill him ! " The old chief hastily assembled an informal
council, and the young warrior was at once condemned to death.
So the bowmen who were to shoot the young chief and the girl,
shot him as he lay in his tent.
The old chief was so pleased when he knew his daughter had
told him the truth, that he conferred her in marriage on her
defender, the young chief. The child of the white buffalo was
born and strangled, after which the young chief and his wife
lived many years happily together, and raised a large family of
handsome daughters and brave young men.
13
212 BELDEN: THE WHITE CHIEF.
CHAPTER XXIX.
STORY OF THE STOEM-CHILD — A FA3IINE AilONG THE CROW INDIANS — THB
JOURNEY TO THE MOUNTAINS PLENTY OF GAME ARE THREATENED WITH
STARVATION AGAIN THE BIG RING HUNT — A STORM — THE HANDS IN THE
CLOUDS — THE GREEN CHILD — DEATH OF THE CROW WARRIOR WHO TOUCHED
IT — BIRTH OF THE STORM-CHILD — ^A SINGULAR SUPERSTITION — THE STORM-
CHILD LIVES AND GROWS TO BE A WOMAN.
MANY years ago, there was a great famine among the
Indians who lived along the eastern slope of the Big
Horn Mountains. The fall hunt of the Crows had proved
unsuccessful, and they knew not what to do. A winter of ter-
rible severity came down upon them, and starvation stared them
in the face. They were at last reduced to great extremity, and
runners were sent out in all directions to find game. One of
them returned one day with the joyful intelligence that he had
found a locality in which game of all kinds abounded. The
village was hastily packed up, and all left the Big Horn, and
journeying for several days under the guidance of the young
warrior, they at length came to a thickly-wooded country full
of bears, deer, elk, and antelope. The encampment was pitched
on a plain by a stream, and soon the teepees were filled with
meat. For a time, all went well, but presently the game, being
hunted so much, began to move off, and the Crows saw starvation
again before them. They determined to make a big hunt, and,
if possible, take enougTi game to last them through ihe cold
BELDEN: THE WHITE CHIEF. 215
weather. Men, women, and children turned out, and surround-
ing a vast extent of forest, they drove the game toward a
common center, where it was to be slaughtered. The hunt was
very successful, and much game had been taken, when suddenly
it began to blow; then black clouds gathered, the thunder
rolled, and the lightnings flashed overhead, while strange noises
were heard in the earth. The Crows were greatly frightened,
for they never had heard it thunder before in midwinter, and
from the rocking and trembling of the earth, they thought it
was about to fall to pieces and swallow them up. Presently an
inky, black cloud covered the peak of the mountain where they
had driven the game, and after resting on the earth a few mo-
ments, it rose and hung over the mountain top. Then, two long
arms were seen to reach out of the cloud and lay something on the
earth, after which the cloud rose in the air and drifted swiftly
away. The sky cleared off, the sun shone again brightly, and the
killing of the game went on. When all the elk, deer, antelope,
and bears were slaughtered, two warriors went up to where the
cloud had been seen to lay something on the earth, and there,
resting on a flat rock, they discovered a young female child,
perfectly green in color. They called up several squaws, but
none of them could be induced to touch it ; on the other hand,
they begged the warriors to come away and leave it. When no
one would take it up, one of the warriors said, " I will care for
it ;" and lifting it in his arms, he carried it down the mountain
and toward the village. As he was crossing the plain, and
when quite near the encampment, all heard a great noise, and
looking up, they saw the black cloud coming back and rapidly
approaching the warrior; again the thunder rolled, the light-^
nings flashed, and the earth shook. Suddenly the warrior was-
enveloped in a bright flame and fell to the ground; then, the
216 bp:lden : the white chief.
two hands were seen to reach out of the cloud and grasp the
child, which disappeared in the vapor, and the whole, lifting
into the sky, drifted away to the eastward. The warrior was
found quite dead, and his skin as black as the cloud that had
enveloped him. He was taken to the village, and the next day
buried.
While the warrior was being enveloped in the cloud, an old
squaw, who had Hot borne children for years, stood looking at
him. No sooner did she see the child disappear in the vapor,
than she felt herself seized with violent labor-pains. All night
she suffered, and, in the morning, was delivered of a female
child, perfectly green, like live grass. The Indians all said it
was the same child that had been in the cloud, and that the
mysterious hands had no sooner taken it from the warrior than
they transferred it to the woman. The squaw persisted that it
was not the child of a man, though she had a husband. In
token of its strange birth, the Indians named the infant
" A-pa-ka-her-ra-ris ! " the one who dwells in the clouds, or,
" The Storm-Child." The pappoose lived and grew finely, and,
in course of time, became a woman, married, and had a large
family.*
*Mr. Belden says, "I often saw the squaw named 'The Storm-Child/
and truth compels me to say, that I have seen few uglier Indian women."
Note. — ^This story originated in a natural phenomenon. There was a
storm, and a squaw, frightened by it, gave premature birth to a child. The
warrior was killed by lightning, and the color of the child, and the hands
seen in the clouds, are purely Indian exaggerations. It frequently thun-
ders in the Rocky Mountains in the winter time, though seldom so far
north as the lands of the Crows. The " Storm-Child " is still living, and
greatly feared and respected by her tribe, on account of her supposed
mysterious birth. — Editor.
belden; the white chief, 217
CHAPTER XXX.
THE PLTJM-STONB GAMB — HOW IT IS PLAYED MANNER OF COUNTING THE
DICE — HOW THEY ARE MADE — SHAKING THEM UP — ^A PAIR OF OLD GRUM-
BLERS — DEAD BROKE — STORY TELLING — GEORGE WASHINGTON — THE MIS-
SIONARY AND HIS BOOKS — INTELLIGENCE OF THE INDIANS — THEIR LOVE OF
READING ^HOW THEY IMPART INFORMATION TO EACH OTHER — FAMILIARITY
WITH THE CHARACTER OF WASHINGTON — THE CAUSE — PREPARATIONS FOR
THE OLD man's STORY.
rilHE day was very warm, and I had been lying down in ray
-■- teepee, sleeping most of the time, for want of something
to do, or for lack of energy to do any thing, if I had it to do.
I had seen but few of the Indians out of their teepees that day,
and, though the squaws worked incessantly in warm as well as
cold weather, their liege lords and masters took the warm
weather to be too much for even their warm natures ; so they
stretched themselves out on the grass-rush mats of their teepee
floors, and went to sleep till eating time should come round
again (which meant whenever they got hungry), and were com-
pelled to undergo the cruel exertion of raising themselves to a
sitting posture, and be waited upon by their squaws, who
handed each one a wooden bowl of boiled meat and corn. No
coffee or tea was used, nothing but the beverage provided by
nature, cold water, and at that season the water was not very
cold, as it was procured from the Missouri River.
I had been awakened by a jabbering outside my teepee door,
LLO iJiJiljJJJliJN : TMJIJ WMlTJi; UMlJiJb,
and, raising the bottom of the teepee cloth, I saw five men, and
some two or three squaws, seated under my shade (some forks
stuck up in front of the teepee door, over which was laid a
quantity of green w^illow brush to answer the wants of a porch),
busily engaged in gambling for silver earrings and bead neck-
laces with plum-stone dice. I lay still and watched them for
a little while, when, finding sleep impossible, and not wishing
to afiront the company by ordering them to keep quiet, I got
up and crawled out to where they were, and, declining to ac-
cept their invitation to join the game, contented myself in
quietly watching and learning it.
They used a kind of dice made of the stones of the wild
plum, which grew very plentifully in the deep ravines and
caiions a mile or two back from the Missouri Eiver at this
point. These stones were first dried hard, then polished by
scraping them with a knife. Six were used for the game, four
of them being spotted on one side, and blank on the opposite,
and the other two striped or checked on one side, and left blank
on the other. These spots and stripes were made on the stones
by means of a small iron instrument which they used to paint
buffalo robes with. The iron was heated, and the spots and
stripes then seared or burned in the stone. The Indians used
a wooden bowl, small and light, for shaking the dice, and never
threw them out of the bowl. To play the game, they sat on
the ground in a circle, and a blanket, or robe, was doubled up
and placed in the middle of the ring — the bowl containing six
dice, being placed on the folded blanket. The stakes usually
were two or four silver earrings, put up by those who engaged
in the game, and the sport commenced by some one of the
players seizing the edge of the bowl with his thumb outside,
and the ends of his forefingers inside the rim, and, raising it an
belden: the white chief. 219
inch or so, bumped it down on the folded blanket three or four
times, causing the light plum-stones to jump around in the
most lively manner. After the player had shaken the bowl
thoroughly, he sat down and allowed the stones to settle on the
bottom, and then they were counted, thus : if all the spotted
and striped sides were uppermost, the player won, unless some
one else tied him. If he threw four spotted ones, it was the
same as four aces in cards, in the game of bluff; but if he
threw three spotted and two striped ones, it was equivalent to
a full hand of bluff, and so on, the only difference being, that
when all the spotted and striped sides were turned up, it
showed a higher hand than four aces, and when all the blank
sides were turned up it showed a flush that ranked next to the
highest hand, and above the four aces.
During the game there was considerable quarreling between
a couple of old men, who were proverbial throi%hout the vil-
lage for their cross, crabbed natures, but, aside from using their
tongues very freely in ridiculing and maligning each other,
nothing more serious occurred. Each repeatedly referred to
me as a responsible arbitrator in the cause at dispute, but I
pleaded utter ignorance of the game, and, therefore, inability
of judging. For this, I did not fail to get my share of their
abuse, for having lived so long among as respectable a tribe as
the Santee Sioux, and not knowing the celebrated plum-stone
game. I took all their abuse good-naturedly, as I knew no
one in the village ever minded any thing these two old boobies
said. While they played dice, the squaws sat by smoking and
laughing at each one's losses. Presently, all but one were
dead broke ; the game stopped, and, good nature being once
more restored, all joined in a smoke. As the day advanced,
and evening came on, the atmosphere became more endurable^
ZZO belden: the white chief.
and conversation became lively. One of the young men
asked me to tell a story, and all joined in the request, urging
so hard, that I agreed to do so, provided one of the old men
would, in return, favor us by telling some old story of the San-
tees who had lived before the present generation. I knew the
old men in almost every tribe were full of such stories, and
they were always agreeable. I inquired what I should tell
them, whether of some other Indian tribe, or of the white
people? "Of the whites," they all at once replied. My
supper was now ready, and, inviting those present to join with
me in eating a limited number of dishes, I ordered served some
coifee, dried elk meat and corn, boiled together, for which I had
to thank the good missionary of the tribe. The invitation was
accepted by all, and supper was brought outside the teepee
where we were sitting. After the meal was finished, and
another smok# indulged in, one of the young men said, "Now
for the story." I seated myself, and, in as concise a manner as
possible, related to my auditors the history of the discovery
of America; the sailing of Columbus; his trials and reverses;
his landing in triumph ; his meeting with the first Indians ok
the Atlantic coast, and the growth of the present nation ; wind-
ing up with a description of Washington, his battles, and the
success of the struggle for independence. When I had con-
cluded, I read the interest betrayed in my narrative by the
upturned faces of my audience, which had augmented in num-
bers to some fifteen or twenty persons, and among whom was
the old medicine man of the tribe. The pompous old fool, to
show his wisdom, said, as soon as I had done, "Me know
him, Washi'ton ; me see him, Washi'ton, heap o' times. Him
good man, Washi'ton. No tell um lie. One little lie no tell
um ! " All acquiesced in this statement, and " How'd " in an
BELDEN: THE WHITE CHIEF. 221
assenting manner at the end of each sentence. I then told
them of Washington's boyhood; the old story of the apple
tree ; the heroic truthfulness of the young first President, and
his father's pride in his honest boy. To all this the Indian':
repeatedly assented, by saying, " How ! ^' as if they all knew
of the circumstances quite as well as I did. I soon found,
however, a solution of this enigma, by learning from the mis-
sionary that he had brought several Sabbath-school books up
with him, among them a condensed history of George Wash-
ington. He occasionally loaned these books to such as took
care of them, and he said that several Santees could speak,
read, and write English in a very good manner. To these
persons he loaned books, and the contents were, very nat-
urally, told to the balance of the tribe by the fortunate readers.
They always listened with avidity to the tales of the readers.
When I had finished my story, night had fallen over us, and
the stars were coming out, one by one, illuminating the sky
with their tiny spangles of diamonds. A large circle of dusky,
quiet, red men were seated in front of my lodge, waiting to
catch the words of the old man, who was about to begin his
story. It was an expectant crowd, and every noise was hushed
save the soughing of the night winds among the tops of the
stately cot ton woods that overshadowed our camp. The quick
rush of the Missouri broke with a hollow sound on the shore,
as it sped toward the south to meet the Mississippi, and bear
up the great white trafficking ships of the white men. Here,
far away from the haunts of civilization, the river's waters
were as clear as crystal, and no noise or bustle disturbed the
culm and tranquil scene.
•zzz
^rjAjX^xLix-M i xixrj vrxixxxi v;rtxrir,
CHAPTER XXXI.
THE OLD man's STORY — HIS GRANDFATHER'S TALE — EARLY HISTORY OP THH
SIOUX NATION — THEIR POWER AND GLORY — FIRST TISIT OP THE WHITE
MAN HIS GUN DESCRIBED — ^ASTONISHMENT OP THE INDIANS AT ITS POWER —
THE COUNCIL — THE WHITE MAN ALLOWED TO REMAIN THE BUFFALO
HUNT — HOW THE WHITE MAN KILLED GAME — ^ALARM OP THE BUFFALO AT
THE NOISE OP HIS GUN — ^THE BUFFALO ALL RUN AWAY — ^ANOTHER COUNCIL —
THE WHITE MAN SENTENCED TO DEATH — ^DBATH OP THE SQUAW — DEATH OP
THE WHITE MAN — HIS PREDICTION — DIVISION OP THE TRIBE ^WHERB THH
■^ BANDS WENT — THE BRULE, OGALLALLA, SANTEE, AND YANKTON SIOUX.
npHE fire bad gone out, and the ashes were knocked from
-■- the bowl ; leaving the sacred pipe lying upon his blanket,
which he had folded and laid upon the ground, the old, gray-
headed warrior got upon his feet, in the center of the circle,
and began his story. I managed to get as near to him as
possible, in order that I might not lose a word of what he
said. The old man seemed to feel sorrowful, as he looked at
the ground near his feet for a few moments, evidently trying
to recall to memory events of many years gone by. Then,
raising his head, and looking around upon his hearers, he
spoke :
*' Many years ago, many moons, many winter's snows, and
summer's grasses have come and gone, and many a Santee
warrior has come into the world, and, after a brilliant and
noble life, left it again. Many a parent and child have been
BET.DEN: THE WHITE CHIEF. 223
carried to the grave, since the men lived of whom my father's
father told me when I was a boy, and of whom I will now
tell you. You see my hair is gray, but it was not so when
my father's father told me this story, of things that happened
when he was young. In those days the Sioux all lived to-
gether, and were a large and powerful tribe. They were then
one nation of brave warriors, feared by all the tribes, who
sought their favor, and neglected no opportunity to cement a
friendship with the most powerful band, that owned hunting-
grounds for hundreds and hundreds of miles in every direction.
No tribe ever dared to insult or provoke them to battle; no
other tribe dared to trespass on their hunting-grounds; no
other tribe ever owned such beautiful and accomplished women,
such upright and brave warriors, as the Dakotas. They were
rich in ponies and silver earrings, their herds covered the
valleys of the great rivers, their teepees were as white and
numerous as the snow-flakes in winter, and every stream and
grove was peopled by them. If any other tribe had occasion
to go to war with their neighbors, they first courted the coun-
tenance and favor of the Dakotas, and, if they obtained it,
they were sure of winning a victory, sometimes without any
apparent resistance from their enemies, who had been informed
that the Dakotas favored the other side. Times then were not
as they now are. When a foreign chief's embassy called upon
the Dakotas, to ask for permission to fight on their grounds,
or to ask for assistance in the battle they premeditated, their
speeches were heard by upright and honest men, who would
never recognize a war for plunder or gain, and who never
refused assistance to the injured or oppressed of other nations.
Thus they were loved, feared, and respected by all, and the
decision of the Sioux chiefs, in every case, was irrevocable law.
So there was but little war, and year after year the tribes in-
creased in numbers, and the warriors lived to great old age,
and died, some over a hundred years old. Time went on, and
one day a stranger was brought into the village, whose face was
white, his hair brown, and his eyes the color of his hair. This
man's whole body was white, and he could not understand us
when we spoke to him, nor could we understand him, though
he talked and made a noise with his mouth, and sometimes
laughed. He had been found on the high prairies, walking
alone, and had a bow without any strings to it, and the arrows
he used were very little, but heavy and round. He fired off
his bow, and it so frightened our people that several squaws
dropped to the earth, stunned by the noise which the arrow
., made in the air. This bow would shoot one of the little
arrows many steps distant, and send it through the stoutest
shields of buffalo hide that our warriors owned. The white
warrior could also shoot very straight, and never missed what
he aimed at. So, many of our people revered this white man,
who they believed had been sent to show them how to make
and shoot with the strange bows that made a noise. Some,
however, said he was a bad man, and used the Great Spirit's
thunder in his bow, that he had no right to do so, and if the
man was to be allowed to live in the village among our people,
we would be visited by great calamities. These were for im-
mediately driving him away from our teepees, and not allow-
ing him to return. The council-house drum was beaten, and
the chiefs called to deliberate the question whether we would
keep the white man or send him away. After a whole day
and night's consultation, it was decided that the man should
stay in the village, and so it was. He had been called in dur-
ing the council, and laid his bow down on the ground, when it
BELDEN: THE WHITE CHIEF. 225
was with great fear and reluctance taken up and examined by
one of the boldest of the warriors, who said it was made of
iron, and was very heavy, and not a bow, but a hollow rod.
The chief then motioned to the man to fix it ready to fire, but
not to fire it. He did so, and all saw, what they had not bo-
fore observed, that the white warrior first put some black,
shining sand in the iron, and then put a little iron ball in the
end of the rod, which he forced down with a long stick. This
stick he drew out of a case under the hollow iron, and put one
end of it on the ball and then pressed with all his might on
the other, until the ball was pushed to the lower end of the
hollow. Next he withdrew the stick, and put it back in the
case, and then he took up the iron and put some of the black
sand in a little cup on the side of it, and covered up the sand
with a flat, crooked piece, which was fast to the iron. Just
behind this crooked iron was another one, in which was fast-
ened a flat piece of stone, which was made to strike fire when
the man pulled on a little wire under the hollow iron. When-
ever this stone made fire, the same noise was heard, and fire
and smoke came out of the end of the iron. None could see
the little iron ball as it went to the mark, and some who
watched, said that the ball struck the tree before the fire came
out of the iron.
" So the man stayed and was given a teepee, and he soon mar-
ried a squaw, and was suffered to live with us for several moons,
until the hunting moons came, when the tribes were to go out
to kill and dry their winter's meat. The buffalo ranged all
around, near at hand, and every season yielded the necessary
amount of food for the great tribe on whose hunting-grounds
the buffalo could not be counted, so great was their number.
A day's journey from the village always took our people into
20
LLK} BELDE^ ; THE WHITE CHIEF.
the midst of the buffalo country, and, pitching their teepees,
men and women set to work, and in a few days' time had pre-
pared sufficient fat and buffalo to last them until the next
season came.
" The hunting moon was now at hand, and all the village
was active, preparing to go out upon the hunt. Among others
was the white man, with his hollow iron. He had learned to
talk our language, and could now speak and understand every
thing. He was also well liked by nearly every one, and was
especially a favorite with the young women, who constantly
envied the white man's squaw her position. Some of those who
had predicted calamities if the white man was permitted to live
among them, though they never abused him, never had any
thing to do with him, but held themselves aloof and kept their
peace, though they did not like him.
" So all went to the hunting-grounds, and there it was ob-
served that the white man's hollow iron would bring down a
buffalo at the distance of two arrow flights, twice as far off as
the best warrior of the tribe could shoot an arrow, and where
sometimes it took a dozen arrows to kill a buffalo, the white man
always shot but once and killed him dead in his tracks. In
two days' time a sufficient number of buffalo had been killed to
last the tribe the season, and many of our people now thought
the white man and his hollow iron were gifts from the Great
Spirit, sent to make them more powerful as a tribe, and render
them invincible in war against other nations.
"All the following year the white man lived with the
Dakotas, but when the buffalo season came again, and the tribe
made preparations to go out upon the annual hunt, the parties
of warriors who had always been sent out in advance a day or
two, to see where the buffalo cows were feeding (because they
belden: the white chief. 227
are beti-^r and more tender meat than the bulls), came back and
brought tidings that, no buffalo could be found. When this
was made known in the village, the warriors were derided and
scoffed at, as being lazy, good-for-nothing fellows, who had not
taken the trouble to go far enough, and they were sent back
again by the chief, together w^ith several other young men.
After several days' absence, they returned, and brought back
the same intelligence. Great was now the consternation in the
village, and starvation stared all in the face. It was remem-
bered, that when the white man had shot his hollow iron, the
buffalo jumped and bounded with surprise and fear at the
thunder of the noise, and immediately ran away. But a short
time was necessary to convince every one that the white man's
hollow iron had driven off all the buffalo, which had always
before been easily found. Now, also, were the predictions of
calamity remembered, and the council was again called. While
the chiefs were debating in the council-house, the warriors and
women of the tribe rent the air with their lamentations, so that
their shrieks reached the ears of the chiefs in the council-house,
and urged them to prompt action. It was determined that
the white man was an evil spirit, who had used the Great
Spirit's thunder to scare away the buffalo. All knew they did
not fear a mounted warrior of the Dakotas, but turned and
fought with hoof and horn, while arrows in great numbers
pierced their sides, but when the white man fired his gun they
made off. It was, therefore, solemnly declared, that the Great
Spirit was offended at the killing of buffalo with stolen thunder,
and the council decided that the white man's blood should be
offered up as an atonement for the sin of the tribe in eating
the meat which had been killed by the hollow iron.
" The white man sat in his lodge apparently unconscious of
DEjjjjjsidir* , xxixi vvxxAXXi v^njjiir,
what was going on without, until he heard voices crying,
' White man ! White man ! come out ! ' He then got up, and
came to the door, when, as soon as he was observed, a dozen
arrows were fired at him. Just as the bows were bent to
send the arrows again, the white man's squaw, * An-pe-tu-
Sa-pa-U-wQ-a' (black day woman), threw herself before him,
snd fell pierced by a dozen shafts. The white man ran inside
the teepee, got his hollow iron, and coming back to the door,
shot at the medicine man, who stood way off by the council-
house, and he immediately fell dead, not even uttering a single
word. The white man then pushed down another ball, and
called out to the warriors, ' Go away ! or I will have to kill you
all ! Go away ! ' Most of the warriors went away, and pres-
ently the white man came outside, carrying the hollow iron in
his hand. His face was white as snow, and he said he was
very angry. He took up the body of the dead squaw, and
putting her face close to his, held it there several moments,
then placing her body on his shoulder, he started toward the
river bank. He walked fast, occasionally turning around to
see if any one followed him. When he had gone some distance,
no one thinking of running to certain death by following him,
the leader of those who had predicted evil from the white man,
raised his voice and demanded his death. * Do you not see him
going off? He has killed the old medicine man ! He is
carrying off one of our women ! Why do you stand staring
at him ? after him, all of you ! Kill him ! ' he cried. * Yes,
kill him ! ' all shouted, as they ran after the white man, who
saw them coming, and made every effort to gain the waterV
edge, where he had a canoe hidden in the willows, and in
which he hoped to escape, if he could but reach it unharmed.
His pursuers, however, were too numerous and swift. They
belden: the white chief. 229
were not loaded down with a burden as he was, and so ran
faster. Soon they neared him, when he gently laid the squaw
on the grass, and raising his hollow iron, pointed it at the
crowd. lie held the iron aimed, but did not fire. Many ran
away, and all stopped and stood looking at him, when he said :
'Why do you follow me? Have I stolen your ponies, or
taken any thing from you, that you should seek my life?'
' Yes, you are a thief, though you never stole from us,' an-
swered the chief, who disliked him, ' you have not stolen from
us, but you have stolen from the Great Spirit, and for this you
must die ! ' * What is it I have stolen from the Great Spirit ? '
inquired the white man. ' You have stolen his thunder, and
used it to scare away our game,' replied the chief. The white
man laughed, but suddenly becoming serious, said, ' You are
all a pack of fools, and I swear by the Great Spirit, that I have
never done what you accuse me of. Do you see this poor girl ?
She was of your people, and I loved her with all my heart, yet
you have killed her. For this, the Great Spirit will one day
thin your tribe; he will punish you with diseases, hunger, and
degradation. Your tribe will decline in glory day by day, and
my people will take away your hunting-grounds, and drive your
game beyond the setting sun ; then you will be poor in num-
bers, and weak-hearted. Now, let me go back to my people^
and before I go, let me bury the poor girl, who has given up
her life for me, and when I have done it, I will leave you, and
never come near you any more.' When he had spoken, the
chief urged the warriors to shoot together, and fill him with
arrows ; at the same time declaring his words were lies, in-
tended to frighten them from doing their duty. No one obeyed
him, and the chief, becoming angry, snatched a bow and arrow
fi'om the nearest warrior, saying. ' I will kill hijn ! ' and im-
14 .
mediately placed an arrow upon the bow-string, but as he sought
to bend it, a loud noise came from the hollow iron, and the
bow dropped from his hands, the chief fell forward on his face,
and died without uttering so much as a groan. In an instant
twenty arrows were shot at the white man, and several of them
struck him, and stuck in his flesh. But he did not mind them,
and, stooping, picked up the dead girl, and ran toward the
river. He soon disappeared from sight under the bank, and
in a few minutes more was seen jumping from stone to stone,
at the very edge of the great falls. He had dropped the hollow
iron over the falls, and now carried the dead girl in his arms.
He leaped along until he suddenly came to a wide gorge, over
which the water had washed for many centuries, wearing a
passage in the solid rocks. Could he but once get upon the
other side of this gorge, the white man knew he would be out
of reach of the arrows of his pursuers. He looked first at the
water, then at the angry crowd on the shore, and holding up
the body of the dead girl, cried out, * You see her ? She and
I will come to see you again, and you will know us, when
your spirit is broken, and your hearts fail you under great
oppression. Then disease and death will appall you, and you
will die.' So saying, he threw the girl in the river, and im-
mediately jumped in after her. For a few moments he was
seen to struggle, and then floated down and passed over the
falls. The Indians searched for the bodies, but they never
were found.
" After this, the tribe sent out runners in every direction to
see if they could find game, but all were unsuccessful. All in
the village were in a starving condition, when an old chief,
assembling his band, started in search of new hunting-grounds,
saying, if he found game he would send back word to the rest,
BKLDEN: THE WHITE CHIEF. 231
and they might come and join him. Accordingly, he left the
village with his party and traveled to the westward, toward
the mountains. For many days no tidings reached the vil-
lage of the chief and his party, and the small game and corn
beginning to give out, it was determined to send another party
to find the first. This was done, and the village rested, until the
time came when the last party should return, or send tidings
of their success. Days and weeks passed, and as no messenger
reached the village, all began to mourn the absent as lost.
" The tribe at length moved farther west to the great river,
and here, finding game, built a village and remained.
" A year passed, and there were still no tidings of the two lost
bands. At the end of another year, fears of starvation having
subsided, and prosperity being restored in the village, it was
determined to send out a third party to try, if possible, and
obtain tidings of the absent bands. They were accordingly
sent, and returned at the end of half a year, with the intelli-
gence, that they could not find or even hear of them.
" For many years the tribe lived along the river, hunting and
warring with other nations, who were angry, because the Sioux
had come to their country to live, without so much as asking
their permission. The small-pox broke out in the tribe, and
carried off many of the people. Then, it had hardly left
them, before the warriors quarreled among themselves upon the
subject of moving to the mountains, and the tribe dividing,
half of them went to the mountains, and the other half
remained.
" So the white man's prediction came true ; disease, quarrels,
and starvation had split and divided the nation, until its num-
bers and strength were so reduced, the warriors had no heart to
go to war.
it>^ nj^i-txfXjr* ', xtitu vvjixi-cj k^xil^jc ,
" After many years, the tribe was visited by many white men,
who all came armed with hollow irons, killed our people, and
drove away our game. From them we learned to use the hollow
iron, and our young men traded for some to hunt with, as well
as to use in war. But since the day the white man was drowned,
the tribe has slowly been decreasing in power and glory, until
now, it is but the wreck of what it once was.
" The lost tribes were, after a Jong time, heard from ; they had
learned to speak another language, and though we could under-
stand them, yet our languages were very different.
" The first party, after leaving the village, had gone toward
the setting sun, and meeting with no considerable quantities of
game, had traveled on until they came to the mountains ; they
learned from a tribe they found there, that on the west side they
would find plenty of game, and accordingly they started to cross
the chain. The women and children could not travel very fast,
and by the time they reached the middle of the mountains, they
found so much time had been consumed on the road that their
provisions would soon run out. They pushed along, however,
through snow and ice, and at length their eyes were gladdened
by coming upon a deep-seated, green, and fertile plain, where
streams meandered through pleasant vales, and where the deer
and elk were in numerous herds. Here they pitched their vil-
lage, and lived for a long time, none being so hardy as to feel
inclined to risk finding their way back through the mountains.
So the tribe grew up, and, in course of time, began imper-
ceptibly to make changes in the language they spoke.
"The second band traveled toward the mountains, but did not
attempt to cross them, having kept to the southward along
their foot, until they came to a broad stream, very shallow,
and full of treacherous sands, and they saw great herds of
BELDEN; THE WHITE CHIEF. 233
buffalo feeding upon its banks. Here the tribe stopped, and,
as the first party had done, built a village, and finding every-
thing conducive to their comfort, contented themselves to live
in peace, and the band was raised from the small numbers to
a great multitude.
" Their language was also changed in the course of time, and
was different from either the original tongue, or that spoken
by the band which had gone across the mountains.
*^The half of the tribe which had moved to the mountains,
after the small-pox had decimated the village, were also com-
])elled to change their language.
" All these bands, though once strong, powerful tribes, through
division and contentions, disease, and the white man's poisons,
have become suddenly weak, and are constantly at war to
defend themselves, or gain sufficient ground upon which to
live and hunt.
"Thus the white man's prediction has been fulfilled, and hun-
ger and disease have made us weak as women. We have often
looked to see if the white man and the dead girl were beside
us. but though we have never seen them, we have seen the efftfcts
of what he of the hollow iron, prophesied. We murdered a
woman of our own race, and then murdered him who came to
aid us ; so none of his people, who have come among us since,
have been kind, but all are angry, and avenge his death.
" This was my father's father's story, as he told it to me, and
when he had done telling it, he cautioned me to try and be
friendly, with the white men, for they were powerful, and could
do me and my people much harm."
The old man ended his tale, and sat down for a moment,
with his head between his hands; then silently taking up his
pipe and blanket, he moved away toward his teepee, and the
21
ZH'i
j>j'^ijj>/jLiX'^ . xixsu }i7xx±i.i:u y^xn-sur ,
rest of his audience, one by one, followed his example without
saying a word.
It was very late, and I went into my lodge, and rolling
myself in my blankets, lay down to sleep and dream of the
four bands that had become so separated and divided. I followed
them over again, through their superstitions and wanderings,
and saw clearly their reasons for attacking the white man.
Though my sleep was not refreshing, to my delight I awoke,
in the morning, to find my squaw had not been filled with
arrows on my account, but had cooked a kettle of elk and
corn, upon which she was regaling herself, and I soon joined
her.
I have since discovered that the party which went over the
mountains, were the Brule Sioux — those who went to seek
them, and built a village on the Platte River, the Ogallalla
Sioux — the band that disagreed and went to the mountains,
the Santee Sioux, and the other half of the band, that remained
on the river, the Yanhton Sioux. These four bands comprise
the four great divisions of the Dakota, or Sioux nation, as it
is now known.
BELDEN: THE WHITE CHIEF. 235
CHAPTER XXXII.
INDIAN PASTIMES JUGGLERS AND MOUNTEBANKS — CURIOSITY OP THE SAVAGES —
THE GUN TRICK CATCHING BULLETS A DANGEROUS TRICK THE TRIUMPH-
ANT JUGGLER A JUGGLER OUT-JUGGLED FIRING A GUN WITH ASHES — THE
TRICK SUCCESSFULLY PERFORMED ASTONISHMENT OF THE INDIANS HOW IT
WAS DONE THROWING THE PONY — A FAILURE THE OWNER THROWS THE
PONY TO SHOW HOW IT WAS DONE — ^END OF AN INDIAN SHOW.
"XTTHILE in the Indian camp, I witnessed many strange
' * feats of strength and dexterity practiced by the young
warriors, who, when not engaged in the chase or on the war
path, were constantly exercising their muscles.
In a large circle of squaws, children, and old men, were
seated about twenty warriors, witnessing the performances of
four young men. First, let me tell you, that any tricks of a
marvelous nature, such as practiced by mountebanks or jug-
glers, are always very attractive to Indians, who will sit for
hours quietly, wondering how this or that thing is done. One
of the young men presently took a single-barreled shot-gun, of
the flint-lock pattern, and, pouring down powder, held up a
bullet, and, apparently, placed it in the muzzle ; then, with a
rammer, pushed the ball down, as it seemed, to the bottom of
the barrel ; he next primed it, and gave it to a bystander, who
was known to be a good shot, and requested him to shoot at
his breast. The warrior at first hesitated, saying he might kill
236 BELDEN: THE WHITE CHIEF.
him, but, on being urged, the man suddenly jumped up, seized
the gun, and fired it at the juggler's breast. All expected to
see him fall, but he stood perfectly still, as he did before the
shot was fired, and very coolly took the bullet out of his
mouth, saying, as he showed it to all around him, " You are a
poor shot, my friend ; you see I have caught it. " This feat
brought forth loud cheers of approval from his audience, much
to the chagrin of the warrior who had failed to hit the juggler.
I said, "That is well done; but why do you use powder?"
He inquired, " Can you do as I have done without using
powder?" "Of course," I replied. He immediately handed
me the gun, and I stepped into the ring, and gave it to several
old men . to examine, and see if it was loaded. They blew
down the barrel, thoroughly testing the emptiness of the arm.
While they Avere examining it, I took the opportunity to pour
a little powder into my left hand, over which I closed my
fingers tightly, and, as the gun was handed back, I seized it
by the muzzle with my left hand, allowing the powder to run
down unperceived, while, at the same time, I stooped to the
ground, and called their attention to my right hand, with which,
having first opened the fingers, I seized a handful of ashes
that laid on the ground where an old fire had gone out. I
then held the ashes to the muzzle, and slowly poured the whole
down the barrel. "Shoot that if you can," said the juggler,
in an exultant manner. I struck the gun several hard blows
near the lock, to jolt some powder into the pan, and, raising
the hammer, pulled the trigger, when a loud report followed,
throwing a cloud of ashes all around. The surprise of the
savages was very great, and, bowing, I retired as a juggler
while my credit was good. The juggler then performed
several very good feats with bullets, successfully shifting them
BELDEN: THE WHITE CHIEF. 237
from one to the other of three or four moccasins placed about a
foot apart. This was well done, no one seeing how it could
possibly be accomplished without detection. Several young
men next carried each other around the circle by a small belt
placed about the waist, and which they seized with their teeth.
One powerful warrior, who wore a small belt, took a heavily-
built man in his arms, and lifted him off the ground, holding
him thus while a third Indian seized the belt in his mouth,
and carried both men around the ring. This brought forth
loud applause from the spectators, and, indeed, it was merited.
Presently, a little pony, stout and sturdy, was led into the ring,
and its owner offered to give him to any one who would throw
him down and hold him long enough to put on the bridle.
This, I thought, was a chance for me, and I walked into the
ring to try if I could throw him. I tried hard several times,
but was finally compelled to give it up and retire, amid loud
cheers and laughter from the lookers-on. Two or three
warriors attempted to throw the pony, the little fellow standing
quiet all the time, and never biting or kicking, as I had at first
expected he would do. The owner of the animal, a light,
active Indian, then came forward and said he would throw
him, and actually did so, by seizing him by the fore legs, and
raising his fore parts as high as three feet from the ground,
then pulled him suddenly forward, and, quickly pushing him
backward with a sidling motion, he fell on his back, and was
instantly pinned to the ground by the agile Indian, who placed
his knee on the animal's neck, and held him quiet until the
bridle was put on and adjusted. He then allowed him to rise
to his feet, and, leaping nimbly on his back, he galloped off.
This ended the performances for one day.
238 belden: the white chief.
CHAPTER XXXIII.
A VISIT TO THE MISSIONARY — HIS ANXIETY FOR MY WELFARE — A PROPOSITION
TO GO HOME, OR BECOME A MISSIONARY — I RESPECTFULLY DECLINE — A VISIT
TO AN INDIAN SCHOOL — SINGULAR METHOD OP TEACHING THE CHILDREN —
THE OBJECT OP IT — PROMISE TO VISIT THE MISSIONARY OFTEN — FRENCH
PETE, THE TRADER — VISIT TO HIS STORE — I RELATE TO HIM MY HISTORY,
AND HE TELLS ME A STORY.
X WAS invited to visit the missionary, and upon going up
-*- to the Mission House, was cordially welcomed by the good
man, who took me to his rude study, where we conversed for
several hours. The burthen of his discourse seemed to be the
expression of a desire that I should renounce my Indian mode
of living, and either go back to my people again, or go into
some business which would have for its object, the conversion
of the savages to white men's ways. I pleaded my inability
to handle such affairs as they should be, and stated, my present
object in living among them was, to learn their language, man-
ners, habits, and customs, as well as to have some little ex-
perience of wild life. He finally dropped the subject, and
presently asked, if I would like to visit the natives' school.
I eagerly accepted his offer, and together we went to the
banks of the creek, near which was a rude corral, with a shed
over part of it, under which were seated, on the ground, some
twenty little Indian boys and girls. In their midst stood a
BELDEN : THE WHITE CHIEF. 239
tall young Indian with a book in his hand, and I noticed that
all the children had books. When recitation began, none of
the children got up to their feet, but remained sitting, the
teacher walking slowly around among his pupils, asking ques-
tions of this one, and that one, indiscriminately. Their books
were printed in Washington by the Indian Bureau, and the
letters were in Roman type, on ordinary printing paper. But
all the words were spelled in the original Sioux language, and
no English words were used at all. The recitations were
altogether in Sioux. This surprised me very much, and I in-
quired, why they did not teach the children English? and what
was the object of teaching them what every child of any Indian
tribe learns from infancy, by hearing it from its parents ? The
missionary explained, that they quickly learned to read and
pronounce words of their own language, and that religious
books were printed in the Sioux tongue, which were intended
to be read by these same pupils, who were now just taught the
meaning of these Roman hieroglyphics, that they might know
them when they were again seen in religious works. This was
one of the plans, he said, for conversion of the Indians.
After listening to the proceedings of a Sioux school for over
an hour, we walked back to the village, and while passing by
the trader^s store, I was warmly censured for neglecting of
late my visits to the good man. Leaving the missionary to go
to his home, I talked a little while with the trader, whom I
had found to be quite an intelligent man, who knew many
legends, and had had many adventures among the Sioux,
which he said he would " trade," or exchange, for some narra-
tions of mine. The proposition pleased me, and I said I would
come down in the evening when he had closed the store, and
we would have a talk in the back room, where we often sat.
240 BELDEN: THE WIIIThl CHIEF.
The trader acquiesced, and asked me to bring tlie old man
along who had been talking in front of my lodge the night
before, "for," said he, "as I was coming up from the river, 1
heard part of his story, which was very interesting, but could
not stay to hear it out." I promised I would bring the old
man, and hurried home as fast as I could, for it was growing
late, and I was very hungry.
After supper, I went to the old man's teepee, but he would
not then go with me to the trader's store, promising, how^ever,
he would be over by and by. So I walked over alone.
I was shown into the back room, where many bales of
beaver skins were stacked against the walls, and in a corner
was spread a thick bed of buffalo robes. Throwing down a
couple of beaver bales for seats, I sat down upon one of them
and explained the cause of the old Indian's absence. My
friend Pete (or French Pete), as the trader was called, had
a good-looking squaw, who came to him, and he told her
something in an undertone, when she left the room, and pres-
ently returned with a bottle of ginger wine — " medicine," as
Pete called it — and we both took a dram. Then, as my friend
cut off some tobacco, to mix with willow-bark for a smoke, he
asked me to tell him how I came to live with the Santees,
and where 1 had come from. I complied with his request;
told him of my history and of the Pawnee raid ; after which,
I lit ray })ipe, and settled myself to hear the trader's story.
BELDEN: THE WHITE CHIEF. 241
CHAPTER XXXIV.
THE TRADER'S STORY — ST. PAUL IN EARLY TIMES — FAILURE OF THE INDIAN
TRADE PANIC AMONG THE INDIAN TRADERS OFF FOR THE SAVAGE TRIBES
— PURCHASING INDIAN GOODS — FORT RANDALL — MEETING WITH THE LA
FROMBE BROTHERS WHAT THEY SAID CAMPING IN THE OLD RANCHE —
STRANGE VOICES A FRONTIER SUPPER — SINGULAR NOISES — THE ALARM A
* HEAD ABOVE THE WALL — WAITING FOR THE ENEMY — IMAGINED SECURITY —
INTERVIEWING THE SAVAGES — DEATH OP THE MAN ON THE WALL — PREP-
ARATIONS FOR THE BATTLE — THE INDIAN WAR-WHOOP.
" X WAS living up in St. Paul (Minnesota), about six
-*- years ago," he began, ''and the Indians having gone
elsewhere to do their trading that season, business was very-
dull.
" St. Paul, at that time, was only a big trading post, and
but few settlers had moved there. The Indian trade was the
life of the place, and one season's failure in this trade caused
quite a panic among the traders, many of whom had put
every cent of cash they could get into large stocks of goods, on
which they expected to double their money. Their disappoint-
ment was very great, therefore, and several of them boxed up
their stores and moved back east, while others sold out for what
they could get, fully believing that the Indian trade at St. Paul
was at an end. Whole stocks of goods were sacrificed at small
figures, and I concluded to give up my situation as clerk in a
trader's store, and with what cash I had saved up, buy some
242 BELDEN: THE WHITE CHIEF.
goods and go where the Indians lived. This I did, and having
three ponies already, I purchased another, to be paid for when
I returned, and loading my stock of blankets, squaw-cloth,
beads, paint, looking-glasses, hawk-bells, wampum, necklaces,
shells, brass wire, and sheet silver, started for the Missoun
River country. I got along well enough until I reached the
Yankton village (near where Fort Randall now stands), and
did a little trading there, after which I started up the river,
when I met, on the second day's journey, two of the La Frombe
boys, and as I knew them both well, when they were with their
brother, Frank La Frombe, a trader at St. Paul, I was, of
course, glad to meet them, and they were also glad to see me
again. They were going down to Sioux City, on no particular
business, and I tried to get them to go along with me, but they
said that the Sioux and they were not on very good terms, and
they had concluded to stay away from them, lest they might
have trouble. I endeavored to ascertain the cause of the ill-
feeling between the boys and the Sioux, but both of them kept
very mum, and would not tell me. Presently, I changed the
subject, and began asking them for information which might
enable me to easily find the Indian villages. By the time we got
through talking, it was getting on toward night, and Baptiste,
one of the boys, said we had better go back for about a mile
and a half, on the road they had just come, where we should
find an old log shanty, built by a man named Bremer, some two
or three years before, and in which we could all pass the night.
I would find, they said, four walls to inclose my ponies for
safety, and a good fire-place to cook in. So Baptiste, Louis,
and myself, moved leisurely along the road, conversing all the
way, until we reached the old house. By this time it was dark :
80 dark, that if the boys had not known exactly where the
belden: the white chief. 243
house stood, we might have passed within a few feet of it and
not seen it.
'' I tied my ponies' lariats all together, and allowed them to
feed just outside the building. The boys hunted around for
sticks to build a fire with, and had soon raked together an
arm-load of weeds and brush. We found no fire-place, how-
ever, and had to tramp down the weeds for three or four feet
inside the house to make sufficient room to build our fire.
" Soon a bright blaze rewarded our efforts, and leading the
ponies up to the door, one at a time, I unloaded them, and
laid my packs down inside the house. Then hoppling their
feet, I let them get some more grass before tying them up for
the night. I now went inside to get something to eat, and
found the La Frombe boys had the hind-quarter of an ante-
lope on one of their saddles, and as I had some coffee, a little
sugar, and some Indian bread, we soon made a hearty meal.
I ate fast and got through as quickly as I could. The La
Frombes were but half done eating when I finished, and then
sat waiting for the bone of one of the antelope quarters to roast
a little more for Baptiste. Presently, as I was busy untying
the hopples, and bringing my own and the boys' ponies inside, I
thought I heard some one talking out on the prairie, a hundred
or a hundred and fifty yards distant. I was just untying the
hopples on the last pony, when I again heard voices distinctly,
and I raised up to my feet and listened, but hearing nothing
more, concluded I had been mistaken, and went into the house
with the ponies. I did not say any thing to the boys about
having heard the voices, for fear it might turn out to be a false
alarm, and I would get laughed at. Lighting my pipe, I drew
the buckle of my belt a little tighter, and went to the opening,
which had once been a door-place, and, leaning against the wall,
244 BELDEN: THE WHITE CHIEF.
smoked and listened. The La Frombes were still eating away
and conversing to each other, and I began to think of what
harm could attend us, even if Indians were in the vicinity,
for they were not at war with tlie whites, and I liad heard
lately of no depredations being committed by them. P'shaw !
there was nothing to fear after all,' I said to myself, ' but
might they not be around trying to steal stock ? '
"Here was food for my thoughts, and I was busily turning
the matter over, when I noticed a sudden cessation of the
conversation between the La Frombe boys. Each sat by
the fire, their mouths open, their eyes half closed, and appa-
rently listening to sounds outside. In a moment more, Louis
La Frombe got up very cautiously, and carefully avoiding
to break any of the tall weeds as he stepped, went to the
corner farthest from the fire, where all our rifles were, and
quietly removing his own from the stack, came back to the
fire, and spoke a few words to Baptiste, who got up and
went for his rifle. I now had my sus})icions aroused, and mo-
tioned for Baptiste to bring my gun with him, which he did.
When he got to the door, where I was still standing, my ears
stretched to catch any sound that might betray the existence of
an enemy outside. Baptiste whispered to me, and asked if I had
heard it. * Heard what?' I inquired. ^ Some one talking out-
side the wall, on the side opposite the door,' Baptiste replied.
' Louis heard it,' he added, ^ but when I listened, I could n't
hear any thing but the sucking of your pipe.' I led Baptiste
over to where Louis was, and told both of them what I had
heard myself. * They've followed us, Baptiste!' said Louis,
' let us put something in the doorway, for they 've found us,
sure as we live, and we must fight.' In a few minutes, we had
arranged my packs, and the saddles, so as to form a tolerable
BELDEX: THE WHITE CHIEF.
245
hirricade in the door, and each of us arranged our arms and
a '^munition so as to have them at hand in case of sudden need.
Then we waited in silence for something to transpire. After
we had been quietly watching and listening for a long time, and
the fire had gone down until the blaze died out, and the coals
only remained gleaming in the ashes, I began to feel more
easy, and to believe that the night breeze which rustled the tall
weeds around the old house, had made the noise imagined by
all of us to be human voices. So I took out my pipe, cut
some tobacco, and filling it, went to the fire to get a light.
Going back to the boys, who sat leaning against the wall, their
gung in their hands, I said, * Louis, what did you mean, when
you said awhile ago, that the Indians had found you out, and
had followed you?' *We had a little difficulty with some
Santees about two days Hgo, and Baptiste killed a girl by acci-
dent, Avhile shooting at a warrior, who was the brother of
Baptiste^s squaw,' he replied. He then said, * The warrior and
Baptiste had a quarrel about a pony trade, and the wind-up of
the affair was, each tried to killed the other, the Indian firing
first, missed Baptiste, who, instead of taking steady aim, as he
had plenty of time to do, jerked up his gun, and fired at the
fellow, missing him, and hitting a girl in the throat, killing
her almost instantly.' ' That 's the whole of it, and the cause
of our traveling eastward,' added Baptiste.
"'The confounded brutes are after us, or I thought they
were only a little while ago,' said Louis.
" ' Well, it 's a tough piece of business, boys,' said I, ' and
I am surprised at Baptiste using his rifle to settle a quarrel
about such an affair as a pony trade.'
" ' Oh, this is not the first time his hot-headedness has got us
both into trouble,' said Louis; 'he had to get on a bender
15
246 BELDEN: THE WHITE CHIEF.
down at Sioux City last fall, when we went with the Sioux tc
do some trading, and Baptiste quarreled with a white man,
and drew his revolver and shot him four times, killing him
dead. The man also shot Baptiste through the leg, and he
was laid up for two months from it.'
" ' Boys,' said I, ' one thing is clear : you and I have been
mistaken about hearing voices outside, for if there had been
any Indians close, we would have heard from them an hour
ago. Let us spread out our blankets and lie down, then we
can listen, and all stay awake as long as we want, or take
turns in watching.' This was readily agreed to, and still
keeping our guns with us, laid down on our backs, wjth
our coats doubled up under our heads for pillows. We lay
thus for over an hour, when suddenly, I thought I saw
something like a bunch of grass waving near the corner
of the wall, on the side of the house opposite the door.
There was no roof on the house, only the walls being left
standing. So we laid under the sky. I watched the corner
very closely, where I thought I had seen the grass move,
and in a minute saw the same thing again; this time I made
it out against the sky to be a bunch of feathers. Slowly it
rose above the wall, and then a head covered with long, black,
shining hair, appeared, peering cautiously down inside the old
house to see if we were there.
"After a moment's survey of our quarters, the head as slowly
and silently withdrew. 'Did you see that?' I whispered to
Baptiste, who laid near me. *Yes,' he replied, 'only let it
come up there again ! ' He raised the muzzle of his rifle, for
the purpose of having it ready for instant use, when the head
should appear ; but Louis seized the barrel, and told Baptiste
to hold up, and not to shoot too quickly, or he might repent it.
BELDEN: THE AVHITE CHIEF. 247
I told the boys that 'as we are now positive our fears are not
without foundation, and that, beyond a doubt, the Indians are
around us in large numbers, as they would not start on the trail
of two such men as the La Frombe brothers; without having
superior numbers and arms, so as to ensure their success, I
will go outside and try to find out what they are after, and see
if talking can not send them ofi*.'
" ' It will be of no use, I can tell you,' said Baptiste, ' they
are after me, and \^ill do their utmost to get me. All your
ponies and stock would not tempt them to leave us alone/
" ''I will try it anyhow,' I said, ' only I want you to promise
not to use your rifle until I first see what can be done.' Louis
and Baptiste both agreed to this, and, leaning my rifle against
the door within easy reach, I put my two revolvers in my belt,
and jumping over the barricade, I called out:
" ' Sioux ! my friends.'
" ' What is it ? ' answered two voices.
" ' I wish to talk with you in. peace, and find out why you
are here, and what you want ; I have left my gun in the house
and do not want to shoot you, or have you shoot me. Will you
talk with me ? '
" * We do not know you. You have a strange voice ; yet,
you speak our language. What do they call you?'
" * I am a trader from the big trading place in Minnesota,
and am on my way to visit your people to trade with them. I
have four ponies loaded with fine goods,' I replied.
" * We are your friends ; and, if you are ours, you must pack
up your ponies and go on your road to the village, which is
only two days' travel. AVe want you to leave the men inside
of the house, for we have been hunting them for two days, and
have now just found them.'
248 BELDEN: THE WHITE CHIEF.
"'I am an old friend of theirs and their brother, and
would wish to know why you are after them.'
" ' They killed one of our tribe, and we come for revenge.
We must kill them ; will you go on toward the village to-
night, or remain with them and be killed? If you start now,
you will be safe ; but, if you stay, you will die, for there are
twenty-two of us, and we declare we will kill all we find in
the house, after the fight begins.'
*^ ' If I give you a blanket apiece, and some presents, will
you leave us and go away ? ' I asked.
"'No, we want the men, and do not care for ponies or
presents,' the speaker replied.
"'Don't talk with the durned skunks any longer, Pete,'
said Baptiste, ' come inside, or what would be better for you,
tell them you will go on to their village to-night, and go.
Ijouis and I can either clean them out, or get away from
them before morning.' I refused to entertain the proposition
of going on, and leaving them to fight their enemies alone,
and immediately told the Sioux, that ' I had traveled a long
way to visit them, and had always been friendly with all other
branches of their tribe, but I could not think of leaving my
own countrymen to fight such an unequal battle, when I
might aid them by remaining.' I said, I would rather lose
every thing I possessed, than shoot one Indian, yet, if they
would attack the two men, I would stay and assist them. I
had just concluded this reply, when 'crash,' went a rifle
inside the building, and I heard the heavy thud of a body
dropping on the ground, below the corner where I had seen
the head peering over the wall. Quickly I leaped over the
barricade, and gained the inside of the building, where Bap-
tiste was engaged hastily reloading his rifle, having just
BELDEN: THE WHITE CHIEF. 210
added one more to his long list of notches on the stick. I
seized ray trusty rifle, and placed myself beside Louis, who
was guarding the door. There was now a great jabbering
among the Indians, who were carrying away their dead com-
rade; then, after a few moments' silence, the most unearthly
yells, which ever met human ears, arose in the still midnight
air.
22
250
belden: the white chief.
CHAPTER XXXV.
THH ATTACK — THE REPULSE — FIRING THE. PRAIRIE — STRENGTHENING OITB
WORKS — LOUIS IS WOUNDED — ^A BROADSIDE AT THE INDL^^S GOOD EFFECTS
OP A DOUBLE-BARRELED GUN — A TRUCE — CARRYING OFF THE DEAD — INDIAN
STRATEGY — ALL READY AGAIN — RENEWAL OF THE BATTLE — TOMAHAWKED —
DEATH OP BAPTISTE — ESCAPE OF LOUIS — RETURN TO CONSCIOUSNESS — KIND-
NESS OF THE INDIANS — I JOIN THE TRIBE AND GET BACK MY GOODS — TRAD-
ING IN THE INDFAN CAMP — THE PROFITS — OFF TO ST. LOUIS FOR MORE
GOODS — END OF THE TRADER'S STORY.
" A MOMENT of painful silence succeeded the yell of the
-^-^ savages, and then we could hear their suppressed breath-
ing, as the red devils crawled under the old walls of the shanty.
I held a position on the left of the doorway, where I could
have an opportunity of seeing any one who approached from
the right, and Louis remained on the right side, where he could
command the left of the doorway. "While we were straining
our eyes and ears to hear every sound, Baptiste suddenly fired,
and shot another Indian from the top of the old wall, where he
had climbed. We heard the body drop with a thud outside,
where the first had fallen. The noise of voices, all talking
together, and much excited, as on the previous occasion, was
heard, and we felt that a great struggle was at hand.
. " For about a minute not a sound was heard, not even the
breathing of the villains outside the walls. Suddenly the sky
BELDEN: THE WHITE CHIEF. 251
grew red with the light of burning prairie grass, which had
been heaped up around the old building, not with the intention
ot roasting us out, for that was impossible, but to make a
light, so the savages could see where to attack to the best ad-
vantage. They also wished to prevent us from seeing where
they kept themselves outside the blazing circle. Had they not
attacked us immediately, the fire would have been to our ad-
vantage, for we could see and have time to strengthen the bar-
ricade.
" With a small hatchet, which I carried with me for camp use,
and a butcher-knife, I dug up sufficient earth to fill one of the
cracks in the door, and had almost done working at it, when a
shower of arrows came rattling over the top of the barricade
into the shanty, several of which struck, the ponies, causing
quite a panic among them. We had no time to trouble about
the ponies, however, for, while I watched the door, Baptiste tied
a piece of calico around Louis's leg, an arrow having slightly
wounded him, just below the knee. His wound was not dan-
gerous or painful, but bled profusely. While Baptiste was
tying on the bandage, I saw several savages leap over the
smoldering fire near the building, and rush in a body at our
barricade. I quickly called to the boys to come on, and we
raised our guns, and, taking deliberate aim — Baptiste at those
on the left, Louis at those on the right, and myself at the cen-
ter of the yelling mass — we fired. The boys each got his
man, and my old double-barreled rifle knocked down one In-
dian dead, and badly wounded two more. I still had a load
in reserve, but not long, for, believing our guns to be empty,
they came yelling on with bows and hatchets in their hands.
I quickly fired again, and five of them were badly wounded
by my second shot. In alarm and astonishment, they gave
252 BELDEN : THE WHITE CHIEF.
Avay, evidently having never seen or felt the effects of a double
barreled gun before.
" They were now so weak in force, and so badly demoralized,
that they waved a blanket, and called out: 'No fire again —
little while.' This was a truce we were not sorry to accept,
hoping they would, in a short time, go away. I told the boys
to grant th'eir request, and soon saw the dark shadows busily
engaged dragging off the dead and wounded, who lay in front
of the building. I called out, and asked them to tell ns when
they were ready to begin again, that we were now impatient
to have a good fight, and wished them to hurry, as it was only
amusement for us. The answer to my request was, that they
would notify us when they were ready, or, as they expressed
it, 'Good! tell you by and by.' The dusky forms were seen
flitting now and then in front of us, and stealthily moving
over the ground, as if searching for some article they had
dropped during the advance upon the building. While we
Avere quietly watching these shadows, one of them called out,
* Ready ? ' ' Yes ! ' I answered. ' Well, all right,' he said ;
and just as we laid our guns over the barricade to repulse
them from the front, where the speaker stood, a dozen big
fsavages dropped from the top of the wall into the house, and
rushed upon us before we had time to take our rifles off the
]>:irricade. Smash! crash! bang! went the heavy rifle butts,
and over rolled the warriors, one after another, until five laid
on the ground, where the frightened ponies kicked and tramped
them so badly that two were killed outright. The rest of the
party, who were outside, now dashed over the door barricade,
and then some one from l)ehind knocked" me down with a
hatchet. I must have been unconscious for several hours, for,
when I. recov(Ted, the moon was up very high; and it had not
m
belden: the white chief. 255
yet begun to rise when the fight was going on. I found my-
self lying on a buffalo robe outside the old building, and sev-
eral Indians squatting on the ground about ten feet distant,
dividing my goods and trinkets, which they had found inside
the ranche. One of the Indians saw me turn over, or,
perhaps, heard me groan, as I endeavored to turn my head
in the direction they were, for he said : ' 'Merican man,
he awake ; what shall we do now ? ' A low conversation was
held among them, which I could not hear, when presently
a warrior came to me, and said : ' Brother, you have acted
very foolishly in helping those two bad men against us.
You have been nearly killed, and would have been killed
outright, only that we knew the two bad men had cast a spell
on you, and you could not help doing what you did. Are you
very sick ? '
" ' No,' I replied ; ' where are the Frombes ? '
" ' There is one of them,' said the warrior, pointing to poor
Baptiste, whose body dangled from the wall, over which he
had been hung with his own lariat. His head looked white
on the top, in the moonlight, and I knew it was because the
scalp had been removed. 'The other one got away,' continued
the warrior, ' but he can not escape, for good hunters are after
him ; and we are waiting here until they return. He was badly
wounded before he got on his pony, so badly, that if any one
had noticed him in time, we could have caught him before
he mounted.'
" * What are you going to do with me ? ' I inquired.
" ' You told us you were going to our village,' he answered ;
'and you can go with us.'
" ' But what is the use of my going to the village, when you
have taken away all my goods?'
256 belden: the white chief.
" *If you will join our tribe, and help us fight our enemies,
we will give you back every thing we have taken/
"'I will do it/ I said, Mf you do not ask me to fight my
own people/
" ' We will not ask that of you/ the warrior answered, as he
brought me my ponies, and assisted me to pack my things on
the saddles. Then, bringing me my double-barreled gun,
he stooped down and tied up my head with a piece of tanned
elk-skin, and bound some cooling leaves over the wound,
which made me feel quite comfortable.
"In about half an hour we heard a shout, apparently a long
distance to the westward, and the Indians with whom I had
been conversing answered it, and then hurriedly directed me to
'mount and come on.' All jumped on their ponies, and, get-
ting behind my pack animals, whipped them into a fast pace.
We soon came upon the party who had been pursuing Louis,
and I saw that the leader, a petty chief, held in his hand Louis's
rifle. I was sure he had killed him, but could not account for
the absence of the pony he had rode. My fears were soon set
at rest, hoWever, by the chief telling my Indian friend that
Louis had swam the river on his pony, and had shot at them
just before he went into the water's edge, and then dropped his
rifle, which they had fished out. They said they fired some
twenty arrows at Louis as he swam beside his pony, but they
could not tell whether he was struck or not, as they did
not see any one coming out on the other bank of the river,
but admitted it was too dark to see him, even if he had
emerged.
" I felt thankful for Louis's escape, but discreetly said noth-
ing. We now tramped along about a mile further, and then
halted and encamped for the night. While we were lying
BELDEN: THE WHITE CHIEF. 257
around the fire, and I was asleep, an Indian came and shook
me, and said: MVhy do you groan and make such a noise?'
I told him I did not know I had done so, as I was asleep, and
that my wounded head was probably the cause of it. He said,
'Your wounds are nothing — look at those six warriors over
there! they are every one worse hurt than yourself, yet they
do not groan or make such a fuss; we can not sleep/ I
got up and went to one of the Indians who was awake, and
who was the same one I had hurt with the buckshot of my
double-barreled gun. Presently all awoke, and I asked one
of them if I could do any thing for him. He said he
wanted water, and I immediately brought him some. They
all drank prodigiously, their wounds making them feverish
and thirsty.
'' Next morning, we moved out early, and by night reached
the village. I bought a teepee, and put my goods up for trade,
and, in a, short time, sold out, at good prices, all I had. I
then went to Sioux City, where I got on a steamboat, and hur-
ried to St. Louis for more goods. I found Indian trading very
profitable, and ever since then I have engaged in it, more or
less, among the different tribes.
*' About a year ago, while at old Fort Pierre, on the west
side of the Missouri, I met Louis La Frombe, and found him
Avell and hearty. He said he had been badly wounded, and,
after fording the river, in which he received an arrow in the
shoulder, the shaft remaining in for two days, he had lain down
on the opposite bank, utterly exhausted and helpless. He fell
asleep, and his pony strayed off a mile or two, putting him to
a great deal of trouble to find him; but he finally succeeded,
and moved up the river to the fort, where the traders had ex-
tracted the arrow and attended him until his wounds were
23
258 BELDEN: THE WHITE CHIEF.
healed. They had to keep him concealed all the time, how-
ever, for fear the Sioux, who came there occasionally, would
find him."
Thus ended the trader's story, with which I was much
pleased; and, after tasting the "medicine'^ again, and having
a little conversation about his goods, prospects in trade, and
other matters, we parted for the night.
BELDEN: THE WHITE CHIEF. 259
CHAPTER XXXVI.
TRADITIONS OV THE SIOUX NATION — THEIR ORIGIN AND EARLY HISTORY, AS
TOLD BY THEMSELVES — DIVISION OF THE ASSINIBOINES FROM THE SIOUX —
THE LOVE OP A FAITHLESS WOMAN CAUSES WAR.
ONE evening I had a long conversation with some old men
of the tribe, during which the missionary was present,
about the Sioux and Santees. I learned that they had, as far
back as the oldest warrior could remember, been a separate
band. Their forefathers had told them they originally lived in
Minnesota ; but they could not tell me any thing beyond that,
and believed . they had always lived there. This idea has
some foundation in the word Minnesota, which is a Sioux word,
meaning " minne,'' water, " sota," bleared or turbid, i, e., tur-
bid water. This I readily ascertained from knowing that the
word " blear-eyed,^' or, as the Sioux call it, " an eye with
troubled water,'' is, in their language, " ees-ta " (eye) " so-to "
(bleared or turbid), that is, " blear-eyed."
The Sioux never call themselves Sioux, but Da-ko-ta. ' The
term Sioux is a mere nickname given them many years ago by
the first white men that came among them, who were French-
men.* The language they speak is called " La-co-ta," a word
*The name of Sioux that we give to these Indians is entirely of our
own making, or, rather, it is the last two syllables of the name Nadoues-
Bioux, as many nations call them. — (Extract from letter of Charlevoix, in
1721. See Neill's History of Minnesota, page 51.)
2G0 BELDEK: THE WHITE CHIEF.
of their own, the " la '' being substituted for " da '^ to distin-
guish the word man from language. The word Da-ko-ia, b>
\Nhich they prefer to be called, signifies "allied, or joined to-
gether in love,'' and is the same as our motto, E pluribus unum.
A writer of a mission history, published over two hundred
years ago, says: "For sixty leagues from the extremity of the
upper lake, toward sunset, and, as it were, in the center of the
western nations, they have all united their forces by a general
league."
The Da-ko-tas, as far back as we have any record of them
up to the present time, are called Soos, Scioux, and Sioux.
For many hundred years the Indians of Lake Superior were
at war with the Dakotas, and when they speak of them they
call them the Na-do-way Sioux, which, in Ojiboway lan-
guage, means " enemy." From this we have the derivation for
Sioux.
I also learned from the missionary, who had made the origin
and early life of the Sioux nation his study, that from a very
early period the tribe had been divided into three great nations
or bands — the I-san-ya-ti, or the Is-sa-ti, the name of one of
the lakes where they lived. The principal band of the Is-sa-tis
was the M'de-wa-kan-ton-w^an, pronounced " Meddy-waw-
kawn-twawn." The second great band was the "I-hank-ton-
wan," or Yankton. They formerly lived north of the Minne-
sota River, and are now on the eastern banks of the Missouri
Elver, near Fort Randall, B. T. The third band was the "Ti-
ton-wans," who lived farther west than the I-hank-ton-wans.
This tribe was sometimes called the " Tin-ton-wans," a corrup-
tion of the original name. The pronunciation of the name is
Tee-twawons. In the last great band is embraced the bands
known as Santees, Ogallalas, and Brules, who never appear
belden: the white chief.
261
in sight of emigrants' wagons on the prairies, but their hearts
fill with painful apprehensions.
North of the Dakotas, on Lake of the Woods, which is con-
nected with Lake Superior, are the Assiniboines. They were
once a band of the
Sioux nation, and
speak the language at
this day. An old San-
tee said he remembered
a story, which had been
handed down for many
generations in his tribe,
relating to the Assini-
boines. According to
this tradition, they are
Sioux, and had always
been, but the whites
called them by another
name. The following
was given as the cause
of their separation from
flf.UtlSI?^^''"'
AssiuJboiiie Warrior.
the main Sioux tribe :
A young warrior loved the wife of another warrior, and
whenever the latter was absent from home the young man went
to the warrior's teepee, and talked to his squaw. She began to
like him ; and they enjoyed each other's company for many
days, till at last the warrior, having noticed unmistakable signs
of the faithlessness of his wife, threatened her with instant
death unless she dismissed her lover. He then went to the
council house ; and, as soon as he had gone, the guilty woman
hurried to her lover's lodge, and acquainted him with all that
262 BELDEN: THE WHITE CHIEF.
had passed. While she still talked to him the husband came
*into the tent for his squaw ; and a quarrel ensued between the
young man and the warrior. They came to blows; which
were soon exchanged for weapons; and the husband met his
death at the hands of the young man. The husband^s relations,
among whom was his aged father, went to get the body of the
warrior, which still lay in the young man's lodge, where it
had fallen ; and, on the way to the teepee, the father's party
were met by some friends of the young man, and a fight en-
sued, in which three of the guilty man's friends were killed.
The father then went back, and raised a party of sixty warri-
ors, who declared war against the seducer and his friends.
Several battles were fought; and the whole tribe finally joined
in the war, the sides being almost equal in numbers. The af-
fair ended in a revolt upon the part of the seducer and his
adherents, who in time became a separate people, and are now
called the Assiniboines. So ended the tradition, which is th
story of another woman who caused a war.
BELDEN: THE WHITE CHIEF. 2C3
CHAPTER XXXVII.
f HB INDIAN SWEAT-LODGE — HOW IT IS BUlhT — MANNER OF USING IT — HOW
THE INDIANS TREAT THEIR SICK — OLD MEN AND WOMEN OF NO ACCOUNT
INDIAN SCIENCE OF MEDICINE — I GET SICK — THE MISSIONARY'S MEDICINE — I
GROW WORSE — ANXIETY OP MY SQUAW — SHE CONSULTS WITH THE OLD MED-
ICINE MAN — WHAT THEY DID — ^A STUBBORN DOCTOR AND WIFE — I AM TO BB
KILLED OR CURED TERRIBLE SWEAT — I FAINT FROM EXHAUSTION — THEY
TRY TO DROWN ME — RAPID RECOVERY WONDERFUL BENEFICIAL EFFECTS OP
THE SWEAT-BATH CASES IN WHICH THE SWEAT-BATH IS NEVER USED.
ON many occasions, when traveling over the Indian coun-
try, I found old deserted camps, in nearly eve/y one of
which, where the Indians had staid any time, were the skeleton
or bent poles of the sweat lodges. These were not peculiar to
any tribe, but alike in the camps of Arrapahoes, Cheyennes,
Pawnees, and Sioux. A description of this curious institution
will not be out of place. Unlike any other teepee, it is made
of stout willows, two and three .inches in thickness, which are
bent, and both ends pushed into the ground firmly. When all
the poles are thus set, they are in the shape of a large wire rat-
trap. This lodge is only about four feet high, and is covered
with good elk or buffalo hide, devoid of holes or open seams.
The circumference of the lodge at its base is usually eighteen
feet. When the canvas or hide covering is well stretched over
it, the edges next the ground are firmly held to the earth by
large heavy stones. On the inside of the lodge the ground is
16
264 belden: the white chief.
smoothed, and in the center a hole Is dug for a fire-place, in
which some ten or twelve large stones are always kept in readi-
ness should any person need a sudden sweat.
If the science of medicine is not known, or there is na med-
icine man present with the band, the Indians are very solici
tou3 and superstitious about their sick. The Sioux are well
versed in anatomy, but the great secret of the causes and eifecta
of circulation of the blood is not known among any of these
Indians. All they know is, that it is essential to life that the
blood should be kept in the body. This they have discovered
from simple causes, such as seeing persons bleed to death from
wounds, or becoming weak from some slight accident, causing
little or no pain. They know that when they kill an encmv,
unless he is shot through the heart or brain, he generally lives
till his blood is all gone, when he dies, but why, they can
not tell.
The young people who get sick are well taken care of, in
nearly every instance, but the old men and women are often
neglected, because, whenever they have any thing ailing them,
the people of the tribe think it is sinful to try and cure them.
They say whenever the Great Spirit calls for an aged person,
" whose days have been long on the earth, they should go."
So they allow nature, in such cases, to take its course. If the
aged person gets well, it is all right, but if he dies, it is all the
same. To eifect a cure for many maladies, the Indians prac-
tice what is known as the '^ steaming process." The sick
person is stripped, taken into the tent just described, and the
opening or door firmly closed, to exclude all air. A fire is then
built in the middle of the lodge, and a dozen stones heated as
hot as they can be made. Wat^r is next poured on these stones,
which creates a great deal of vapor. The sick person is kept in
BELDEN: THE WHITE CHIEF. 265
the lodge until the vapor subsides, when he is taken out com-
pletely exhausted, and repeatedly plunged into cold water.
This is done as quickly as possible after taking the patient from
the sweat-house. The sweat-hduse is always built near the
banks of a body of cold water, so that the patient may not be
subjected to the air but a moment or two before being soused.
I became very unwell, one day, from the effects of the hot
weather and tepid water we always had to drink, having been
used to the water of the Missouri River, which is tolerably
cold. I kept in my teepee all day, and ate but little. But the
following night I had a violent attack of pain in my stomach,
and I sent my squaw, about one o'clock in the morning, to the
missionary's, to see if he had any laudanum or cathartics. She
returned with a small phial of laudanum, of which I took pretty
large doses. My pain was relieved for about an hour, but re-
turned again. All the next day I experienced violent pains,
and I suppose they would have killed me had not my solicitous
squaw gone over to the old medicine man and told him of my
condition. He came into the teepee with the squaw, and, not
heeding my remonstrances, they gathered up the corners of the
robe I was lying on and started off with me.
I abused the squaw and medicine man outrageously, and
promised the squaw a good thrashing when I should get well;
but the old medicine man, who seemed to be used to cross pa-
tients, only said, " He very sick ; he be better by and by. We
sweat him heap." So, not minding my ravings and abuse, they
carried me to the sweat-lodge and laid me down on the ground,
when the squaw left me and went into a teepee, and brought out
a burning stick, which she carried into the little house built
close under the banks of the river. I saw smoke issuing from
the crevices, and p'^^sently the medicine man was told all was in
266 BELDEN: THE WHITE CHIEF.
readiness. The squaw then went with a sheet-iron kettle to the
river, and returned with it full of water. She set the bucket
down by the little house, and, at the direction of the old man
brought a long lariat, which he tied around my body under the
arms. After this, he and the squaw completely stripped me
and, holding to the lariat, the old man said, " Get up now, if
you can."
I tried, but I was too weak to rise. He and the squaw then
pulled me to my feet, and, lifting me off the ground, carried me
into the sweat-house. Here they placed me on my feet again,
the old man holding me up while the squaw spread out a
buffalo robe on the ground. I was next laid down on the robe,
close by the fire, and as soon as this was accomplished, the old
man received the kettle of cold water from the squaw, and
poured it on the hot stones, which hissed and fumed until a
dense vapor and smoke filled the place.
The old man hastily retired, and the opening in the lodge by
which I had entered was securely closed from the outside. The
hissing and sputtering of the water upon the stones was any
thing but pleasant to me, and in a little while I could scarcely
breathe, so dense was the steam, and the great drops of perspi-
ration oozed from every pore; then my whole body began to
grow clammy with moisture, and I called out to the old man,
whom I heard walking around the outside of the lodge, shak-
ing a couple of rattling gourds, that I had enough of it, and to
take me out or I should die. He paid no attention to my cries,
and I began to believe I really should die, so I called the
squaw to help me, but she would not answer me. Then I lost
all consciousness, for how long I know not, but I was revived
by experiencing a drowning sensation, and in a moment felt
myself raised to the surface of the water by means of the rope
BELDEN: THE WHITE CHIEF. 267
around my body, one end of which the old man, who was stand-
ing on the trunk of a cottonwood tree, held in his hands.
With wonderful rapidity I felt myself reviving- and my for-
mer strength returning, and, after receiving one or two extra
douches, I struck out for the shore. I was seized at the bank
by the old fellow, who helped me out, and he and the squaw
began a series of heavy rubbing with a buffalo-skin towel, which
almost curried the hide off my back and ribs. After being
completely dried, I put on my limited wardrobe, and, singularly
enough, felt all right ; in fact, as well as if I had never expe-
rienced a day's sickness in my whole life.
I have many times since seen the sweat remedy employed for
nearly all the diseases the Indians have, and in most instances
it relieved the sufferer. The exceptions where the swoat-bath
is not used, is where the person is dying, or a warrior has been
wounded in battle.
268 BEL.DEN: THE WEITE CHIEF.
CHAPTER XXXYIII.
NIGHT SCENES IN AN INDIAN VILLAGE — CHANTS OF THE MEDICINE MEN —
SMOKING, STORY TELLING, AND DANCINO WILD YOUNG MEN — A STORY TELL-
ING PEOPLE — GOOD LISTENERS — PRESERVATION OF HISTORICAL EVENTS AMONG
THE SIOUX REMARKABLE CORRECTNESS OF THEIR NARRATIVES — WHAT NIEL
SAYS ABOUT THEM — WAR SONGS DEEDS OF THE FOREFATHERS WHAT THK
YOUNG MEN ARE TAUGHT INDIAN GIRLS THEIR COQUETRY CHILDHOOD OF
THE INDIAN GIRL — HER MARRIED LIFE ONE OF SLAVERY — THE WAR PATH —
CONSECRATION OF ANIMALS WAR AND CHASE DANCES.
TF you strolled through an Indian village at night, you
-■- would be sure to hear the unearthly chanting of the med-
icine man endeavoring to exorcise some spirit from a sick
man; or you would see a group lounging about, whiffing,
out of their sacred red-stone pipes, the smoke of red willow
bark.
A common sight, too, is that of young men sneaking
around a lodge, and waiting for the lodge fire to cease blazing
before they perpetrate some deed of mischief. You would also
hear a low, wild drumming, and observe a group of men naked,
with the exception of a girdle about their loins, and daubed
with vermilion, engaged in some of the grotesque and exciting
dances of the nation, and others, again, praying for the suc-
cess of the expedition which they proposed making on the
morrow.
Again would be seen and heard the groups of story tellers,
BELDEN: THE WHITE CHIEF. 269
arid the occasional song sung by the hearers at the end of each
narrative.
The Sioux are the greatest people in the world for story-
telling, and their attention, when others are telling stories, is
quite as remarkable as their colloquial powers. Some of their
tales and legends are very beautiful, and many of them are
marvelous. 1 shall find occasion to repeat a few of them in
another part of this work.
As before related, the manner in which historical events and
traditionary legends are preserved among the Indians, is by
their old men retaining the facts in their memory ; and occa-
sionally in the cool evenings of summer, when the people
are lying around their villages, without having any hunt-
ting or warfare on their hands, telling them to listening
groups. ■
The Indians are possessed of peculiarly retentive memories,
and are always respectful and attentive listeners to the narra-
tives of their old men. A tale once heard is remembered by
the hearers for years, and, in like manner, is handed down by
them to another generation. Thus, events of many centuries
are transmitted to posterity, and all the facts are remarkably
well preserved, and, what is still more wonderful, are nar-
rated without comparatively any change from the original
version.
As Neil, the historian, says, " You might enter a Da-
kota village at midnight, and you would be almost sure
to see some few huddled around the fire of a teepee, listen-
ing to the tale of an old warrior who has often been en-
gaged in bloody conflicts with their old and present enemies,
the whites;'^ or you might hear some legendary tale of
deeds and events of the forefathers of the nation, who lived
270 belden: the white chief.
several hundred years before white men were known to the
Indians.
The earliest songs to which an Indian boy listens are those
of war, and his delight is in hearing, during the long sum-
mer evenings, stories of bloodshed, and the deeds his forefathers
did before he was born.
As soon as the child begins to walk about, if a male, he is,
as has already been said, furnished with a little bow and some
blunt-headed arrows, which are the only playthings he is
allowed.
The little girls are early instructed in the art of paint-
ing their faces, ornamenting their ears with rings, their necks
with beads, and their little moccasins with porcupine quills.
They soon become adepts in the art of coquetry, and cause
many a bashful youth to rue the day of his birth.
The days of her childhood are the only happy or pleasant
days the Indian girl ever knows. As soon as she is wedded
to a warrior, her life of toil and drudgery begins, which ends
only at her grave. This subject will be treated of more fully
in a subsequent chapter. With the boy it is quite different.
The first thing he is taught, as being truly noble and manly,
is taking a scalp, and he is eager until it is done. At the age
of sixteen he is frequently on the war path. When his friends
think he has arrived at the proper age to go to war, he is pre-
sented with weapons, one giving him a bow, another arrows,
another a knife, and still another a horse. He makes his own
war-club. He then consecrates certain animals, or parts of
animals, which he vows never to eat until he has slain an en-
emy. After he has killed one enemy, he is at liberty to eat a
certain portion of the animal from which he agreed to abstain.
If he kills another enemy, the prohibition is taken off another
BELDEN: THE WHITE CHIEF.
2'7f
part, until finally, by deeds of bravery, he has emancipated
himself from his oath.
Before young men go out on a war party, they endeavor to
propitiate their patron deity by a feast, music, and dancing.
During the night, before they are to start, they perform the
" Shield Dance," and follow the wild performance by feasting,
drumming, dancing, and singing, interspersed with fierce shrieks
and yells.
272 BELDEN: THE WHITE CHIEF.
CHAPTER XXXIX.
▲ SIOUX DOCTOR — DERIVATION OP THE TERM MEDICINE MAN — SUPERSTITION
ABOUT TAILS — SUCKING DISEASE OUT OP A PATIENT — SENDING FOR THE DOC-
TOR — WAR PROPHETS — FUNNY WAY OF VISITING A PATIENT — SYMBOLS AND
CHARMS — CASTING THE BAD SPIRIT OUT OF A SICK MAN — A WATER-CURE — THE
IMAGE — SHOOTING THE IMAGE — PERILOUS POSTURE OF A WOMAN — ^BURYING
THE IMAGE — WA-KAN TON-KA — ANOTHER KIND OP INDIAN DOCTOR — THE
PROPHETS — THEIR FUNCTIONS AND EGOTISM RECEPTION OF WAR PARTIES
PAINTING AND DYEING SCALPS — DANCING THE SCALPS — HOW THE CERE-
MONY IS PERFORMED GOURD-RATTLES — A MISTAKEN THEORY ABOUT SCALP
DANCING— WHAT BECOMES OF THE SCALP AFTER IT IS DANCED — HOW
THE WARRIOR WEARS IT — THE. EAGLe's FEATHER WITH A RED SPOT —
THE RED AND BLACK HAND — THE MEDICINE MEN OP THE m'dEWANKANTON-
WAN TRIBE — FREEMASONRY OF THE OANKTAHEE — IMITATION OF A MEDICINE
MAN — A SEVERE ORDEAL — ^DESCRIPTION OF THE CEREMONY — CHANTS OP THE
MEDICINE MEN — THEIR TRANSLATION — ^AN ABSURD CONCEIT — WHAT A MEDI-
CINE BAG IS MADE OUT OF THE CONTENTS OF ONE EXPOSED.
"TTNTIL the past few years, the Sionx, whenever any sick-
^^ ness happened, believed they were possessed by the spirit
of some snake, bird, or animal. The Crow story of the super-
stitions of that tribe, as narrated in this book, shows that, if the
Sioux have in time come to banish such erroneous beliefs about
animals, insects, and reptiles, taking possession of people^s
bodies, the Crows still hang to it, and hence, their superstition
about " tails " of animals, which are said, and believed, to in-
habit the stomach.
BELDEN: THE WHITE CHIEF. 273
The medicine men of tbe Sioux are supposed to have unlim-
ited strength and suction power of the mouth, so that by sucking,
alone, they can draw away the evil spirit from the sick man,
and thus cure him.
Before going any fai'ther, it will, however, be best to explain
what kind of fellow the Sioux medicine man is. Any thing
mysterious and wonderful, or for which he can not account, is
always called AVa-can, or Wa-kah, (medicine). The early
French explorers called a doctor "mecZici'n," and all Indians
have thereby called their doctors " medicine men," or Wii-ka,
Pa-zhir-tii, We-cha-sa (spirit medicine man). "A medicine
man " means, then, in the broadest Indian sense, ^^ a doctor "
who calls to his aid charms and incantations to cure the sick.
The medicine men are divided into conjurers; or spirit doctors,
and war prophets. These latter are greatly feared by all the
tribes.
They have some very curious customs and ceremonies, which
to me seemed ridiculous, but my good sense and knowledge
of what was best for me, never allowed me to witness any of
their freaks of foolishness, except with a grave countenance,
and apparent respect and confidence in the power and ability
of the medicine man to do whatever he wished. Iliave seen
several cases of sickness under the hands of medicine men, and
a description here of the general mode of procedure may not
be uninteresting.
The doctor is always to be found seated in the medicine
lodge, unless attending a feast, or dance, or when out of an
evening walking for his health. As he never sends around
his "bills for professional services," he must receive his fees
in advance. Some one is sent to notify him that he is wanted,
and the request is accompained by a present of a pony, blanket,
24
274 belden: the white chief.
or something useful and valuable, for dress or ornament. The
messenger sometimes has a gourd-rattle, which he shakes at tht
medicine man's door till he comes out ; again he takes a pipe,
lights it, goes into the medicine man's lodge, and hands him
the pipe ; then .sits down in front of him, and rocking back-
ward and forward, cries and groans, as though he were sick.
Again, the messenger strips himself to his breech-cloth and
moccasins, and carries the gourd-rattle in his hand. On en-
tering the lodge, he shakes the rattle vigorously, walks up to
the medicine man, and unceremoniously kicks him. He then
jumps for the door, and having gained the outside, shakes his
rattle and runs for the sick person's teepee as fast as he can —
the medicine man following close after him. If the medicine
man overtakes the messenger in his chase, and kicks him, the
doctor is at liberty to return to his teepee w^ithout having seen
the sick person, even if the messenger is overtaken within a
few feet of the sick man's door. The sick person then sends
another messenger, and so keeps on sending runners, with
presents, until one is fast enough to outrun the medicine man
and reach the sick lodge first. As soon as the messenger
beats the doctor to the sick man's teepee, the physician enters,
but, before going into the teepee, he strips himself, and wears
only his breech-cloth and moccasins. He now sends to his
lodge, where, in front of the doorway outside, hangs a large
rattle of the kind just mentioned, ^nly this one is covered with
painted heiroglyphics, and ornamented with eagle's feathers at
the handle. The rattle, or gourd, with the drum, medicine
shield, and box containing roots, teeth, bear's and other
animal's claws, hangs on a pole outside the door of every medi-
cine lodge in an Indian village. The rattle is brought to the
sick man's teepee, and the doctor begins to shake it, and sing
BELDEN: THE WHITE CHIEF. 275
in a wild, chanting voice. This he continues for a few min-
utes, when he gets down on his hands and knees and . crawls
up to the patient. He hangs over the breast of the putient a
moment or two, and then rises to his feet, gags and makes
ugly faces, as if he was sick at his stomach and trying to
vomit. Presently he goes to a bowl of water and puts his
whole face into it, and, by blowing, causes bubbles to rise thick
around his face. He makes all believe (for it is their business
to believe) that he has blown into the bowl of water the spirit
which has been troubling the patient. The doctor next care-
fully examines the water while carrying on a slow and almost
inaudible chaunt, and at length decides what species of animal
has possessed tho patient. He now makes out of bark an
image of the animal he has discerned in the bowl, and plunges
it in a kettle of water, set outside the door of the teepee. The
animal of bark is to be shot, and two or three Indians are in
waiting, with loaded guns, ready to kill it, whenever the doctor
tells them to do so. To make sure that the conjuring has the
desired effect, a woman must stand astride the kettle, with her
dress raised as high as the knees. The executioners are in-
structed how to act by the doctor, and as soon as he makes his
appearance out of the lodge, they all fire into the kettle, and
blow the little bark image to pieces. The woman then steps
aside, and the doctor goes to the bowl on his hands and knees,
and commences blubbering in the water as he did in the teepee.
While this is going on, the woman has to jump on the doctor's
back with her feet, and stand there for a moment ; when she
gets off, and as soon as he has finished his incantations, the
woman takes him by the hair of the head and pulls him back
into the sick man's lodge. If there are any pieces of the little
bark image left, after it is shot, they are buried under ground.
276 BELDEN: THE WHITE CHIEF.
If this does not cure the patient, a similar ceremony is per-
formed; but some other animal is shaped out, each time, until
the patient gets well or dies; and if he dies, the conclusion is
arrived at, that the Great Spirit, or Wa-kan Ton-kii, was the in-
habiting one in the patient, and, of course, could not be cast out.
There is another class of Indian medicine men I have as yet
barely mentioned, called prophets, or priests, who, by relating
stories of dreams they have had, or pretended to have had, and
by making exciting speeches or exhortations, endeavor to incite
the tribes to«war against each other.
If a party is successful in securing scalps, they generally
paint their faces black and come home wild with delight. As
they approach the town or village, the people run out to meet
them and hear the news. They then conduct the warriors to
the council house, when the war prophet, or medicine man, meets
them at the door. He assumes great importance, and seems to
say, " Did n't I tell you so ? I brought you all this good
fortune, and the credit is mine.'' The scalps are then pre-
pared for exhibition, by being stretched on a small willow hoop
or ring, and painted red on the flesh side. They are next tied
to the top of a long pole, and set in the ground on some open
space, suitable for accommodating a dance, in which the whole
tribe can engage. If the scalp is a man's, they fasten an
eagle's feather to the hair ; but if it is a woman's, no ornament
of any kind is attached to it. The warriors who were on the
expedition, in which the scalp was taken, form a large or small
circle around the pole, and dance. If any of their party have
been killed, an equal number of other warriors who remained
at home, are selected for the dance, and their faces painted
black from the eyes to the edge of the hair. They are then
placed nearest to the pole, and do not dance, but stand per-
BELDEN: THE WHITE CHIEF. 277
fectly still. They represent, the Indians say, the dead men
who fell in the battle where the scalps were taken. The war
party now form a circle outside of the representatives of the
dead, and the villagers form another circle outside of the war.
partv. Then the «^quaws, in two circles, are outside of the
warriors — the olde«^t squaws forming the inner circle. The
members of the war party have each a gourd-rattle, or a small
drum, which they shake and play incessantly, singing all the
time the scalp song, which varies in almost every tribe. I have
heard three or four different scalp songs among the Sioux, and
believe there are several which I have never heard. Some
writer has stated, that "if a scalp is taken in the summer, the
Indians dance, and celebrate the event until the leaves fall, and
if it is taken in winter, they dance until the leaves come in
spring." This may be so with the Pawnees, but it is not the
case among the Sioux. The scalp is danced for only three
days and nights, the Indians stopping to feast and rest, a few
at a time for some moments, and then renewing the dance.
At the end of three days, the scalp is taken down and claimed
by the warrior who took it from the wearer's head. The
owner hangs it up in his teepee as a proof of his bravery, and
often wears it attached to his belt, or, if he has one there
already, hangs one on each side of his body.
An eagle's feather, with a red spot painted on it, worn by a
warrior in the village, denotes, that on the last war-path he
killed an enemy, and for every additional enemy he has slain,
he carries another feather, painted with an additional red spot
about the size of a silver quarter.
A red hand painted on a warrior's blanket, denotes that he
has been wounded by the enemy, and a black one, that he has
been unfortunate in some way.
278 BELDEN : THE WHITE CHIEF.
The medicine men, in the M'dewahkantonwan tribe, have
a sort of freemasonry among them, of which they are the
founders, and this tribe is the only one of all the many tribes
that can initiate a warrior to the mysteries, superstitions, be-
liefs, and rites, which all real medicine men are supposed to
In addition to their many other secret ceremonies, the
MMewankantonkas initiate a candidate for the honors of
" M. D.'' as follows : The candidate is first introduced to the
chief medicine m^n by participating in " the medicine dance."
This dance is said to have been instituted by Oanktahee, the
patron of all medicine men. The editor of the "Dakota
Friend," says truly, in his description of the dance : " When
a member is to be received into this society, it is his duty to
take a hot bath, four days in succession." In the mean-
time, some of the elders of the society instruct him in the
mysteries of the medicine and Wam-noo-hah (shell in the
throat). He is also provided with a dish (Wajate) and spoon.
On the side of the dish, is sometimes carved the head of some
voracious animal, in which resides the spirit of " Eo-yah " (an
abbreviation for " Glutton God "). This dish is always carried
by its owner to the medicine feast, and it is his duty, ordina-
rily, to eat all which is served up in it. "Gray Iron" (a
noted chief of former times), had a dish, which was given him
at the time of his initiation, on the bottom of which was
carved a bear, complete. The candidate is instructed with
what paints, and in what manner, he shall paint himself,
which must always be the same, when he appears in the dance.
There is supernatural virtue in this paint, and the manner in
which it is applied; and those who have not been furnished
with a better, by the regular war prophets, wear it into battle
belden: the white chief. 279
as a life-preserver. The bag contains, besides the claws of
animals, the "Toanwan^' (influence or power), with which
they can, it is believed, inflict painful diseases and death on
whomsoever they choose.
The candidate being thus duly prepared for initiation, and
having made the necessary offerings for the benefit of the
institution, on the evening of the day previous to the dance, a
lodge is prepared, and from ten to twenty of its more sub-
stantial members pass the night in singing, dancing, and
feasting. In the morning, the tent is opened for the dance.
After a few appropriate ceremonies, preliminary to the grand
operation, the candidate takes his place on a pile of blankets
which he has contributed for the occasion, and is naked, except
the breech-cloth and moccasins, duly painted and prepared for
the mysterious operation.
An elder having been stationed in the rear of the novice, the
master of the ceremonies, with his knee and hip-joints bent to
an angle of p,bout forty-five degrees, advances, in an unsteady,
unnatural step, with his bag (containing medicine) in his hand,
uttering, " Heen ! Heen ! Heen ! " -with great energy, and rais-
ing the bag near a painted spot on the breast of the candidate,
gives the discharge, the person stationed in the rear gives him
a push forward at the same instant, and as he falls headlong,
throws the blankets over him. Then, while the dancers gather
around him and chant, the master throws off the covering, and,
chewing a piece of the bone of the Oanktahee, spirts over him,
and he revives and resumes a sitting posture. All then return
to their seats except the master; he approaches, and, making
indescribable noises, pats upon the breast of the novice, till
the latter, in agonizing throes, throws up the wamha (or shell),
which falls from his mouth upon the bag which had been pre-
17
280 belden: the white chief.
viously spread before him for that purpose. Life being noTV
completely restored, and with the mysterious shell in his open
hand, the new-made member passes around and exhibits it to
all the members and to the wondering bystanders, and the cere-
monies of the initiation are closed. The dance continues,
interspersed with harmlessly shooting each other, smoking, and
refreshments, till they have danced to the music of four sets
of singers. Besides vocal music, they make use of the drum
and gourd-shell rattle.
The following chants, which are used in the dance, will best
exhibit the character of this mysterious initiation of the
Oanktahee :
" Wa-du-la o-na me-c*d-ga,
Wa-du-l'd o-n*d me-ca-ga,
Nim-ne yft-ta e-te wa-can de m'dgQ
Ton-k*d ixdan.
n.
" Ton-ka ixdan pe-gi-hoo-ta Wd-ca me-cU-ga,
He we-ca-ke.
Min-ne ya-ta o-i-ca-ga wa-k'd ke magu ye,
Ton-ka ixdan e-te ke u-win-t*d wo,
Wa-hoo-to-pa yu-ha e-te u-win-t*d -wo."
{Translation.)
" He created it for me inclosed in red down,
He created it for me inclosed in red down,
He in the water with a mysterious visage gave me this,
My grandfather.
belden: the white chief. 281
n.
" My grandfather created for me mysterious medicine,
That is true.
The mysterious being in the water gave it to me ;
Stretch out your hand before the face of my grandfather,
Having a quadruped* stretch out your hand before him.'*
The medicine-bag is made of the skin of an otter, fox, or
Bome other animal of long shape — sometimes a skunk skin,
containing certain articles held sacred. f
* Quadruped is the only word we can substitute for " Wa-hoo-to-pa,'*
which is " four" (to-pa) "legs" (Wa-hoo).
■j- A waj-rior, leaving the village to go on a perilous hunting trip, left his
pouch with a friend of the writer. The owner having died, he retained it,
and being at his teepee one day, it was at my request opened. The con-
tents were .some dried mud, a dead beetle, a few roots, and a scrap of
an old letter, which he had probably picked up near some old fort
25
282 BELDEN: THE WHITE CHIEF.
CHAPTER XL.
OLD INDIAN DEEDS — RASCALITY OF WHITE MEN — ^JONATHAN CARVER's DEBI>—
HOW THE INDIANS ARE CHEATED OUT OP THEIR LANDS— INDIAN SIGNATURES —
DEEDS AND CONVEYANCES TO DUCHARME — CHEAP LANDS— BITTER RECOLLBO-
TIONS — WHY THE SIOUX ARE DISTRUSTFUL OP THE WHITE MEN.
AS, no doubt, nearly all the readers of these pages are ig-
norant of the modus operandi by which an Indian sale
or transfer of land is made, and as I have been at considera-
ble trouble to collect every thing novel or entertaining about
Indians for this book, I will here insert some verbatim copies
of deeds made long ago by the savages to certain white persons.
That rare old historian, Neill, has given us much that is curi-
ous, but he has by no means covered the ground;. and what I
give will at least have the merit of being new.
The following is a true copy of the great Carver deed, over
which Congress wrangled for months in 1806, and which they
finally decided to be a valid conveyance :
CARVER DEED.
To Jonathan Carver, a chief under the most mighty and
potent George the Third, King of the English, and other na-
tions, the fame of whose courageous warriors has reached our
ears, and has been more fully told us by our good brother
Jonathan aforesaid, whom we rejoice to see come among us
BELDEN: THE WHITE CHIEF. ' . 283
and briDg us good news from his country, We, chiefs of the
Nandowissies, who have hereto set our seals, do, by these
presents, for ourselves and heirs forever, in return for the
many presents, and other good services done by the said Jona-
than to ourselves and allies, give, grant, and convey to him,
the said Jonathan, and to his heirs and assigns forever, the
whole of a certain tract or territory of land bounded as fol-
lows (viz.): From the Fall of St. Anthony, running on the
east banks of the Mississippi, neairly south-east, as far as the
south end of Lake Pepin, where the Chippeway River joins
the Mississippi, and from thence eastward five days^ travel,
accounting twenty English miles per day, and from thence
north six days' l^ravel, at twenty English miles per day, and
from thence again to the Falls of St. Anthony, on a direct,
straight line. We do, for ourselves, heirs, and assigns forever,
give unto the said Jonathan, his heirs and assigns forever, all
the said lands, with all the trees, rocks, and rivers therein, re-
serving for ourselves and heirs the sole liberty of hunting and
fishing on land not planted or improved by the said Jonathan,
his heirs and assigns; to which we have affixed our respective
seals, at the Great Cave, May the first, one thousand seven
hundred and sixty-seven.
HAW-NO-PAW-JA-TIN.
His Mark.
0-TOH-TON-GOOM-LISH-E-AW.
His Mark.
284 BELDEN: THE WHITE CHIEF.
In order to show in what way, and for what consideration
or price, Indian titles and claims were procured by the early
French traders and settlers in the north-west of Wisconsin, the
following extract is made from the records of Brown County,
of that State (Record-book B, pp. 110, 111) ;
(No. 1.)
En mille sept cent quatre vingt treize, trouvent present Wa-
bisipine et le Tabac noir, lesquels ont voluntairement abandonnez
et c^d^z a Monsieur Dominique Ducharme, depuis le haut de
portage de Cacalin j usque du bout de le Prairie d'enbas, sur
quarante arpens de profondeur; et sur Fautre cot^ vis k vis le
dit portage, quatre arpens de large, sur trent de profondeur.
Lesquels vendeurs se sont trouv^s contents, et satisfaits pour
deux barrils de Eum. Enfois de quois, ils ont faits leur
marques le vieux Wabisipine etant aveugle, les Tremoins ont
fait sa marque pour lui.
J. Harrison,
J. Marrison, 1
Lambert Macaulay, | ^'•^^'^-
Maraue de Wabislpine.
De la Attribute de
Marque du Tabac noir.
belden: the white chief. 285
(No. 2.)
Des servenants aiant reclaims droit qu'ils avoient aussi dans
le Portage, ont vendues aussi leurs pretensions, et guarranti de
touts troubles. Ont acceptur pour leur part, cinque galons de
Rum, lesquels se sont trouv^s contents et satisfaits. En fois de
quois ont fait leur marques.
J. Harrison, Tremoin.
L'AIGLB.
PB CA MEa yj\ J SON FILS.
CHE AIEa \ ,/ 'i\\ BITTB.
I/BGLEET. C _ I- I ^'X-ys LE CASTRE
(No. 3.)
Ratifi^ au' Portage du Cacalin PAnn^e de notre Seigneur mil
sept cent quatre vingt seize; le 31me jour de Juillet, en mil cep
cent quatre vingt dix sept pour parte du portage une barrille
rum.
AouT 8.
En mil cep cent quatre vingt dix huit, un barrille de rum
mefe pour contenter les filles souscritant.
Juillet 16.
Et en quatre vingt dix neuf un barrille de rum mde% d me
286
belden: the white chief.
sines pour contenter les differan entre eux. Lesquels se son
trouve comptemps et satisfaite.
D. DUCHAKME.
CASTOR.
LE TABA NOIR.
WACHITTB.
WABISIPINE.
LE BUEUR.
D'L'AIGLE.
[Translation of the above Deeds and Entries.]
(No. 1.)
In one thousand seven hundred and ninety-three, are found
present Wabisipine and the Black Tobacco, who have volunta-
rily given up and ceded to Mr. Dominique Ducharme from the
head of the portage of Kakalin to the end of the prairie below,
by forty arpens in depth; and on the other side, opposite the
said portage, four arpens wide, by thirty in depth. The said
vendors are contented and satisfied for two barrels of Rum. In
faith of which, they have made their marks. The old Wabisi-
pine being blind, the witnesses have made his mark for bi;n.
J. Harrison, |
Lambert Macatjlay, J TTt^nmes.
Mark of the Wabisipine of the attribute of the Eagle.
Mark of the Black Tobacco.
BELDEN: THE WHITE CHIEF. 287
(No. 2.)
The undersigned, having claimed a right which they also
have in the portage, have also sold their claims, and warranted
from all troubles. They have accepted, for their part, five gal-
lons of Rum, with which they find themselves content and sat-
isfied. In faith of which, they have made their marks.
J. Haeeison, Witness.
THE EAGLE.
PE CA IklES. HIS SON.
CHE MES. BITTE.
THE EAGLET. THE BEA\"ER.
(No. 3.)
Ratified at the Portage of the Kakalin, in the year of our
Lord one thousand seven hundred and ninety-six; the 31st
day of July, in one thousand seven hundred and ninety-seven,
on account of the portage, one barrel of rum.
August 8.
In one thousand seven hundred and ninety-eight, one barrel
of rum, mixed, to content the sons subscribing.
July 16.
And in ninety-nine, one barrel of rum, mixed d me sines, to
settle the difference between them, with which they find them-
selves content and satisfied,
THE EAGLE. THE BLACK TOBACCO. D. DUCHARME.
WACHITTE. THE BEAVER.
WABISIPINE.
THE DRINKER.
288 . BELDEN: THE WHITE CHIEF
Land was cheap in those days, and the Indians of the Sioux
tribe often sold theirs for a mere trifle — such as a keg of pow-
der, or a few gallons of whisky. These swindles afterward
caused great dissatisfaction, and the rascality of the whites was
remembered against them even to the third and fourth genera-
tion. So well has the history of these transactions been pre-
served, that the Sioux yet know all about them, and, to this
day, speak bitterly of the folly of their fathers in allowing the
white men to cheat them out of their ancient hunting-grounds.
It is this that causes the Sioux to be suspicious of the whites,
and to always sign treaties with the greatest reluctance.
BELDEN: THE WHITE CHIEF. 289
CHAPTER XLI.
HOW THE INDIANS COMPUTE TIME — NO MONTHS IN THEIR TEAKS — NUMBER AND
DESIGNATION OF THEIR MOONS — ^A SUPERSTITION ABOUT THE EVIL SPIRITS
EATING THE MOON UP — HOW THE GREAT SPIRIT REPLACES IT — THE SIOUX
ALPHABET — PRONUNCIATION OP THE LETTERS — THE DOG DANCE — WHY IT IS
SELDOM PERFORMED — ^MANNER OF PERFORMING THE CEREMONY — EATING RAW
DOG ^WHAT PART THE SQUAWS GET — IN WHOSE HONOR DOG DANCES ARE
MADE — THE FISH DANCE — ORIGIN OP THE CEREMONY — THE SIOUX CHIEF — A
SINGULAR DREAM — ^MODB OP CONDUCTING THE FISH DANCE — ^NO ONE BUT
CHIEFS ENTITLED TO SO GREAT AN HONOR.
ri^HE Indians compute their time very much as white men
-■- do, only they use moons instead of months to designate
the seasons, each moon answering to some month in our cal-
endar. The word " we '' in the Indian tongue always means
" moon," though it is often transposed in their sentences.*
I. — January.
We-ter^-i— " The Hard Moon."
XL — February.
We-ca-ta-we^— "The Raccoon Moon."
in. — March.
Ee8-ta''-we-ca''ya-za,''we — "Sore-Eye Moon,"
♦Many Indians add one moon to every twelve, which they call the
"lost moon." A day is a "sleep," and half a day mid-noon, which is in-
dicated by pointing at the sky over one's head.
290 BELDEN: THE WHITE CHIEF.'
IV. — ^April.
M'1-gtlV-ka-de-we — " The Moon in which the wild geese lay eggs." Also
called Wo-ca-da-we, and sometimes Wa-to^pa-pe-we — " The Moon when
the streams are navigable again.*'
v.— Mat.
Wo-ju-^pe-we — " The Planting Moon.
VI. — June.
Wa-jus-te-ca-sa-we — " The Moon when the strawberries are red."
VII.— July.
Ca-pa-sa-pa-we or Wa-su''-pa-we — " The Moon when chokeberries are ripe,"
or " The Moon when the geese shed feathers."
VIII. — August.
Wa-su''-to-we — "The Harvest Moon."
IX — September.
Psinh-nd-ke-tu-we — " The Moon when rice is laid up to dry."
X. — October.
We-wa-ju-pe or Wa-zu^-pe-we — " The rice-drying Moon."
XI. — ^November.
Ta-ke''-u-ra-we — " The deer-killing Moon."
XII. — ^December.
Ta-he''-ca-psu-we — " The Deer Moon."
The Indians believe that when the moon is full evil spirits
begin nibbling at it, to put out its light, and eat a portion each
night until it is all gone. Then the Great Spirit, who will not
permit them to take advantage of the darkness and go about
the earth doing mischief, makes a new moon, working on it
every night until it is completed, when he leaves it and goes
to sleep. No sooner is he gone than the bad spirits return and
eat it up again. The savages think all evil deeds are com-
mitted in the dark of the moon, and that it is a good time to
go upon any prowling or stealing expedition. They generally
will not start on the war path in the dark of the moon, but
BELDEN: THE WHITE CHIEF. 291
time their departure so as to arrive in the country of the enemy
between moons.
I will here introduce brief accounts of two curious ceremo-
( nies, called respectively the Dog Dance and the Fish Dance,
i The dog dance is seldom performed, most Indians thinking
too much of their dogs to give them up for a feast. The dance
begins as on ordinary occasions, when suddenly some one
throws a dog into the middle of the crowd of dancers, and be-
fore the unfortunate animal can make his escape, he is toma-
hawked, cut open, his liver and heart taken out and tied to the
pole round which the Indians dance.
The dancers now hop around very lively, the mouth of each
watering for a bite of the delicious morsel hanging against the
pole. After three circles have been accomplished about the
pole, the highest in authority among the dancers steps up to it,
and, without touching the body with his hands, seizes a mouth-
ful of the liver and then takes his place in the circle.
After the dancers have described another round, the next
warrior in rank comes up, and in like manner takes his mouth-
ful of dog, and so on until all have had a bite of liver, when the
squaws come in for the heart, which they eat in the same man-
ner. Should any person be generous enough to throw in an-
other dog, the operation is repeated.
There is no special meaning or importance attached to this
feast on. ordinary occasions, but it is often performed at wed-
dings, and when unexpected arrivals occur. The people then
dance to demonstrate their high esteem for the new comers, or
to show good-will for the warrior and his bride. The bride-
groom, or the person in whose honor the dance is held, is ex-
pected to contribute two or three dogs for the feast, and the
dancing is kept up as long as the supply lasts. The capacity
292 BELDEN: THE WHITE CHIEF.
of an Indian stomach for dog meat is as infinite as it is
wonderful.
The Fish Dance, — A Sioux chief was very sick, and the med-
icine men could not cure him, when one night, while the hot-
wind (fever) was upon him, he dreamed that a spirit told him,
if he would make a feast of raw fish, he would live until the
young cranes were grown. So he summoned his warriors,
related to them what had happened, and they all agreed to
make a ceremony and assist the chief in eating his raw fish.
After one or two days spent in the sweat-house and in danc-
ing the '* Shield Dance," a tent was prepared, with the door
set toward the east. A long fence of willow bushes was then
built from one side of the door, around a considerable space to
the other side of the door, and within the inclosure was planted
a bush for each person who was to participate in the dance.
Nests were next built in the bushes, and early in the morning
of the day on which the feast was to take place, the master
informed two warriors where the fish were to be caught, how
many, and of what kind. These persons went out, and as the
chief desired, brought in two pike, each about one foot in
length, which they had speared in the river.
The chief then painted the pike with vermilion, and orna-
mented their bellies and lower jaws with strips of wild-goose
down dyed red, and when complete they were laid on some
willows in the center of the inclosure, where they were left to
dry. Near the fish were a number of birch-bark dishes filled
with sweetened water, and the implements of war belonging to
the participators were placed in the tent. When all was in
readiness, the dancers, who were almost naked, fantastically
painted, and ornamented with down dyed red, yellow, black,
and white, formed in four ranks, and commenced to sing,
BELDEN: THE WHITE CHIEF. 293
each rank in its turn accompanying the song witn drum and
rattles.
The drums are used by only the fourth rank, the first, sec-
ond, and third ranks being singers. The dancers rest when
each rank has had a turn and ceased singing. Presently the
fourth rank begins to sing, the drums beat furiously, the
dancers leap, yell, and make frightful contortions of the face
and body, acting as much like demons as possible. Suddenly
the music changes, the dancers dash at the fish, and tear them
with their teeth, eating the head, body, and entrails. Then
they swallow some mouthfiils of the sweetened water, and
each, taking one of the large bones of the fish which are left,
deposit them in the nests made in the bushes, and the feast is
ended.
The Indians allege that the chief in whose honor this dance
was instituted lived until the cranes had become full-grown
birds, and then he died. Since then this feast is only prepared
for a chief who can not be cured of his sickness by the medi-
cine men. A medicine man, however, if he is a chief also,
may have the benefit of a fish dance, but no one else except
chiefs are entitled to so great an honor. »
The feasts and dances of the Indians are so near alike that
I do not deem it necessary to repeat the same details for each,
and will hereafter only describe them generally, when I have
occasion to refer to them at all.
294
BELDEN; THE WHITE CHIEF.
CHAPTER XLII.
MO-TOaOA S SADDLE — ^HOW IT WAS MADE — ^MY ANXIETY TO POSSESS IT— MA-TO-
SCA REFUSES TO SELL IT — EFFORTS TO GET MY SQUAWS TO MAKE MB A
SADDLE — THE RESULT — MA-TO-SOa's GUN — THE GUN COVER — HOW IT WAS
MADE.
TTAPPENING into the teepee of Ma-to-sca (White Bear),
-'--'- one day, I saw one of his squaws working on a piece
of red cloth, garnishing it in a most tasteful manner with cut-
glass beads of different colors. Not knowing what the cloth
could be used for, being of a different shape from any thing I
had before seen, I inquired, and was told it was a saddle skirt.
The squaw had almost completed it, and I asked her who it
was for, when she told me it was a present for her husband.
She promised to bring it to my teepee when it was completed,
and let me see it, and three days afterward she brought it for
my inspection. The Indian saddle was made of buckskin,
having no frame, but being simply a
pad of doubled soft leather, stuffed
with antelope hair. The skirts were
long, very beautiful, and ornamented
with fringe. This saddle was only
used for riding on important occasions,
and was fastened to the pony's back
Ma-to-sca's Saddle, by a girth or band of rawhide three
BELDEN: THE WHITE CHIEF.
295
inches broad, which was attached to the buckskin pad. No
buckles were used. A strong buckskin string fastened the
girth to the pads. There were no stirrups, but soft loops for
Ma-to-sca's Saddle.
the feet. I tried to purchase this beautiful horse gear of White
Bear, but, he said, as it was a present from his squaw, he did
not like to part with it. I asked my squaws if they thought
they could make me one like it, and offered to give them each
a new dress of squaw cloth if they would do so; but they told
me frankly it was " heap o' work,'' and they did not know how
to lay off the patterns. Each of them, however, made me a
present of a pair of dancing moccasins, finely beaded, with little
urass hawk bells attached to the instep, and a magnificent pair
of beaded leggings, so I felt compelled to give them the new
dresses.
White Bear's saddle had a crupper made of buffalo hide
tanned soft, over which was laid blue squaw cloth hand-
18
296 belden: the white chief.
somely beaded and embroidered, and to the end of which was
attached long buckskin fringe. His bridle was made much in
the same fashion as those used by the whites, only that, in place
of being leather it was rawhide covered with red cloth, and
ornamented with diamond-shaped silver pieces, two of which
were placed on each side of the cheek pieces, and two on the
brow and nose-band.
There was no throat-latch, and I believe I have never
seen any used by the Indians. The tit was a straight-
armed curb of Spanish pattern, and ornamented at the ex-
tremities of the* curb by pendant chains about nve inches
long, to which was attached a silver plate. This swung back
and forth, glittering in the sun as the pony galloped. The
bridle alone was valued at thirty dollars, and, together with
the saddle, would have cost sixty-five dollars.
"White Bear was fifty-five years of age, and a great dandy,
and very vain of his dress and ornaments. Though maimed,
he was always anxious to appear to advantage in the eyes of
the women.
Gun Case.
He carried a gun of great length, and seemed to think a deal
of it. This gun was protected from rain and dampness by a
gaudy cover made of tanned elk hide, gorgeously beaded, and
ornamented with fringe cut from buckskin.
belden: the white chief. 297
He always carried his gun across the pummel of the saddle
when riding, and the fringe was so long it hung down on
each side in front of the rider's knees. These gun cases' I
have seen many times among the Sioux, but had never seen
so fine a one as Ma-to-sca's.
26
298 belden: the white chief.
CHAPTER XLIII.
THE OLD MAN — HIS AGE — A SINGULAR PERSON — ^A JOVIAL PARTY — ^TOUNG MEN
AND WOMEN— GIVING THE OLD MAN HIS LAST SMOKE — WHAT THE SQUAW
SAID ABOUT HIM — DEATH OF THE OLD MAN.
X HAD often observed in the teepee of a good-natured old
-^ squaw, wKbm I used to visit almost every day, a warrior,
whose hair was silvery white, and who was so old that no one
in the village knew his age. Several of the Indians told me
he was more than a hundred years old, and I would have
guessed him to be over that age, so venerable was his appear-
ance. He was a paralytic, and always lay in the same posi-
tion when I entered the teepee. He never looked at me or
any person in the lodge, and seemed barely alive. He could
not so much as move a finger, and always lay stretched out on
his back, being fed and attended by his daughter, who was
the old squaw I have just mentioned.
No one seemed to pay any attention to him, every one mak-
ing the casual inquiry of " How is the old man to-day ? '' and
the answer invariably was, " About as yesterday." Nothing
could disturb the poor old fellow. Young, boisterous girls
and squaws would laugh, scream, and cut up pranks in the
lodge, but the old man never heeded them. He was very tall,
over six feet high, I should think, but was a mere skeleton,
his skin and bones being yellow and transparent. He eagerly
BELDEN: THE WHITE CHIEF. 299
sucked at a pipe whenever any of the company were good
enough to present the end of the stem to his withered lips ;
but he never spoke or thanked them for what he seemed to
relish so much ; indeed, I believe he was never heard to speak,
though he could talk when he wished to do so.
One evening some four or five girls and a couple of young
warriors were with me at the old woman's lodge, and all were
laughing and enjoying themselves ; some of the girls quizzing
the young men as to whom they liked best among the females
of the village, and the warriors retorting by joking the girls.
All were noisy and boisterous, never heeding the old man, who
lay in one corner of the lodge. They had been laughing
heartily at a remark made by the old womailfwhen I hap-
pened to look over to where the old man was lying, and tak-
ing pity on him, I turned to one of the young men, and asked
him to let me have his pipe and kinnikinnick, and I would
give the old fellow a smoke. He handed me the pipe and to-
bacco, and while I was cutting off some to fill the bowl, one
of the young men remarked, " I gave him a smoke a few
minutes ago, and he can not be very bad off." The old wo-
man spoke 1^ hastily, and said: "He'd smoke all the time if
some one would hold a pipe, bother on him ! " I filled the
pipe and passed it to the young men to give them a few puffs
first, as courtesy demanded, then held it to the old man's lips,
saying : " Fathei*, here is the pipe, smoke in peace." He
deigned no reply, but drew in one or two long puffs, and I saw
his lips moving as if he was praying. I smoked the pipe a
little to keep it lit, and put it to the old man's lips again and
again, but noticed that he did not press the stem, nor draw
away the smoke. Supposing he did not want to smoke any
more, I went back to the company, and remarked, " We will
300 belden: the white chief.
Lave to finish this pipe, for the old man does not seem to want
any more." The old woman said : " You put the stem in hia
lips and he '11 smoke any time.'' I replied he had smoked at
first, but the last time I offered him the pipe he did not draw
away any smoke. I also told them of his moving his lips as
if in prayer ; and, having aroused the curiosity of all, we went
over to the old man's bed, and his daughter, lifting up his
hand, said; "He is dead." He was, indeed, dead, having
passed away without a struggle while he had been smoking.
This singular as well as unfortunate man was much rever-
enced in the village ; and the old woman told me he had been
lying as I saw him for fifteen years, having apparently lost the
use of his limbs through age. She put his years at one hun-
dred and eight.
belden: the white chief. 30I
CHAPTER XLIV.
SIOUX WOMEN — THEIR LIFE — POLYGAMY AMONG THE SIOUX — PRICE OP WIVES —
COURTING A SIOUX GIRL — THE BRIDE GOING TO THE GROOM — BUYING A
WHOLE FAMILY TO GET A WIFE — ^WHAT CONSTITUTES AN ACCOMPLISHED IN-
DIAN AVIFB — LABORS OP A SIOUX MOTHER — SEVERE TREATMENT OP INDIAN
WOMEN — ^AN EXAMPLE OP INDLiN CRUELTY — SUICIDE AMONG THE INDIANS.
AS before stated in these pages, the happy days of a Sioux
woman is her childhood. When she arrives at the age of
puberty she is sold to a warrior for his wife, and then her life
of hardship commences. No matter how kind or loving her
husband may be, his quality as a warrior, and his superiority
-as a man, will not permit him to depart from the old rules of
the tribe, which marks the weaker sex as the hewers of wood
and drawers of water. All that is unusual for a white woman
to do, the Indian wife must do. She cuts wood, butchers,
dries meat, and waits on her liege lord.
The Sioux are notorious polygamists, and a warrior obtains
his wife — or, more generally, another wife — by a practice as old
as the Book of Genesis, that of purchase. When a young
man courts a girl, and (which he seldom does) gets her to love
him, he then obtains her consent, and buys her from her
parents.
As a rule, when a warrior wants a wife, or an additional
wife, he announces the fact to his friends, and begs them to use
their influence to procure him one. When she is found, he ia
302 BELDEN: THE WHITE CHIEF.
notified of the fact, and he then goes to her lodge to see her,
the girl, in most cases, being ignorant of the object of his visit.
She generally, however, has a suspicion, for every girl, after
arriving at the age of maturity, is constantly expecting some
one to come for her. After the warrior has seen his future
wife, he leaves the lodge, and, if he is satisfied with her, takes
an early opportunity to consult her parents, when the price to
be paid for her is agreed upon. If all is satisfactory, the girl
is then notified she has been sold, and is, thereafter, to be con-
sidered the wife of so and so. She immediately packs up her
little keepsakes and trinkets, and, without exhibiting any emo-
tion, such as is common to white girls, leaves her home, and
goes to the lodge of her master. On entering his teepee, where
he is waiting for her, he orders her to sit down on a blanket,
folded up for a seat and laid on the floor, and, if she obeys, she
thereby acknowledges him as her husband, and henceforth be-
comes his willing slave. I have read somewhere that the an-
cestors of many of the first families of Virginia purchased their
wives from a London company for one hundred and twenty
pounds of tobacco; but the Sioux pays a higher price for his
wives, and takes more of them.
The usual price for an Indian girl is an American horse, or
its equivalent, two ponies, four or eight blankets — indeed, any
thing amounting in value to one hundred dollars. A warrior
sometimes falls in love with several sisters, and, in that case,
buys the whole family. I once knew a young man who had
about a dozen horses he had captured at difierent times from
the enemy, and who fell desperately in love with a girl of nine-
teen. She loved him in return, but said she could not bear to
leave her tribe, and go to the Santee village, unless her two
eisters, aged respectively fifteen and seventeen, went with her.
BELDEN: THE WHITE CHIEF. 303
Determined to have his sweetheart, the next time the warrior
visited the Yankton village he took several ponies with him,
and bought all three of the girls from their parents, giving
five ponies for them. A squaw wife can be sold by her hus-
band to any one who wishes to buy her, but at a greatly re-
duced price. Thirty or forty dollars is considered a large sum
for a second-hand wife. The squaws are valued by the middle-
aged men only for their strength and ability to work, and no
account whatever is taken of personal beauty. The girls are
always adepts in the art of beading and porcupine-quill em-
broidering, and this is often of great assistance in selling them,
as most Indians like to have accomplished wives. Well indeed
does the Sioux woman deserve the sympathy of every tender
heart, for, from the day of her marriage until her death, she
leads a most wretched life. They are more than the hewers of
wood and drawers of water, for they are the servants of serv-
ants. On a winter day the Sioux mother is often obliged to
travel eight or ten miles, and carry her lodge, camp-kettle, ax,
child, and several small dogs on her back and head. * Arriving
late in the afternoon at the appointed place of camping, she
clears the snow off the ground where the teepee is to be erected,
and then, in the nearest grove, cuts down some poles twelve or
fourteen feet in length, which she forms into a skeleton, or
frame-work, for the teepee cover ; she next unstraps her packs,
unfolds the teepee, and brings the bottom part to the base of
the poles, where she pins it fast to the ^th with little wooden
pins cut for the purpose.
She next obtains a long pole, fastens the small end of the
* Young puppies are treated as tenderly as children, and, in £ict, often
inhabit the same wicker baskets with the children.
304 BELDEN: THE WHITE CHIEF.
teepee cloth to it, then raises it up around the poles, pushing it
to the top, and stretching the cloth as tight as possible without
pulling the pins out at the bottom. The two edges of the
teepee cloth are then drawn around the poles until they meet,
when a seam is formed by sewing it with little wooden pins.
This seam extends from the bottom to the top of the cover.
She next goes inside the teepee, takes each pole in turn, and,
raising it, pushes the butt end out as far toward the center of
the lodge as the cloth will admit. When it is perfectly taut,
she makes a small opening at the top for smoke to escape.
This done, she rolls her baby in a robe, and leaves it in the
teepee while she goes to the timber for wood. Presently
she returns with about one-fourth of a cord on her back,
builds a fire, and then goes for water. The camp-kettle is
put on, and while it boils she cuts the meat and prepares sup-
per. By the time the meat is done her husband arrives, jumps
off his pony, goes in and sits down to rest or eat, while his
•wife takes off the pony's saddle and bridle, and pickets him out
to graze. When supper is over she gets an ax and cuts a
bundle of wood for the night. This done, if she receives no
further orders from her husband, she nourishes her child, and
sits down silent and tired to doze away an hour or two until
her master goes to sleep, when, having assured herself, that he
is asleep, she folds her babe to her bosom, and, drawing her
blankets around her, lies down for a few hours' repose, only to
wake to repeat her rou^d of toil on -the morrow.
The Sioux wife is subject to all the whims and caprices of
her husband, and woe be to her if he is a bad-tempered man.
So severe is their treatment of women, a happy female face is
hardly ever seen in the Sioux nation, and the few met with
belong to single women.
BELDEN : THE WHITE CHIEF. 305
Often they become callous, and take a beating much as a
horse or ox does; but sometimes one of the more spirited
women rebels against the cruel treatment of her husband, and
resorts to suicide to put an end to her sufferings. An incident
occurred some years ago at a lodge which was pitched at the
mouth of the St. Croix Eiver, which will serve to show the
desperation to which Indian women are sometimes driven.
A warrior was continually drunk whenever he could get any
liquor, and he was seldom without it, often keeping a keg in
his lodge. Whenever he drank he was very abusive to his
wife, often beating her and her children unmercifully. One
day he went hunting, and, while he was gone, the poor woman
hid the keg of liquor, and upon his return he could not find it.
He demanded to know where it was, but she refused to tell him,
when he beat her cruelly, and so distressed was she that she
went to a grove of timber near by and hung herself with a
lariat rope.
Suicide is very common among Indian women, and con-
sidering the treatment they receive, it is a wonder there is not
more of it.
27
306 belden: the white chief.
CHAPTER XLY.
NE\^S FROM THE WAR — STARTLING INTELLIGENCE — WHAT THE INDIAN RUN
NEE SAID — DETERMINE TO JOIN THE UNION ARMY — ^PACK UP AND LEAVH
FOR THE STATES — ^ARRIVAL AT FORT RANDALL — PART WITH MY SQUAWS —
THEIR RETURN TO THEIR TRIBE — REACH OMAHA — JOIN THE FIRST NEBRASKA
CAVALRY COL. BROWn's EXPEDITION — HOSTILE SIOUX — CAMPING ON THE
REPUBLICAN — THE SIOUX DEFEAT LIEUT. MURIB — AFTER THE INDIANS —
OUR CAMP ON THE SOLOMON — A BUFFALO BULL IN CAMP HE KILLS TWO
HORSES — DEATH OF THE BUFFALO — EATING DEAR BEEF — WHAT COL. BROWN
SAID.
"VTTE had heard occasionally of the great war being waged
' ^ for the Union, but had received no very definite in-
formation until one evening, an Indian, who had been far
down the Missouri, at one of the forts, came into camp, and
brought the intelligence that the rebels were gaining victory
after victory, and that all the soldiers were leaving the plains
and going east to help fight the rebels. The Indian also said
the Government was going to raise volunteer troops on the
border to replace the regular soldiers who were going east, and
many Omaha, Winnebago, and Pawnee Indians were joining
the whites at the forts. I can not describe how these tidings
affected me. I could not sleep, and all night long walked up
and down the camp. Next morning my mind was thoroughly
made up to return to the east and help fight for the Union.
Ordering my squaws to pack up the lodge, we at once set
BELDEN : THE WHITE CHIEF. 307
out down the Missouri. After many days patient journeying
we arrived at Fort Randall, and there, bidding my squaws
good-by, I left them to make their way with my property to
their tribe, which was not far distant, while I continued my
journey alone to Omaha.
On arriving at Omaha I learned a mounted regiment was
being fitted out for service on the frontier, and presenting my-
self, was duly enrolled a soldier of the United States army in
the First Nebraska Cavalry. The Indians, under the cele-
brated Sioux chief, Spotted Tail, had become very troublesome,
and our regiment was ordered to join the expedition of Col.
Brown, then rendezvousing near North Platte, on the Platte
River. The expedition consisted of the First Nebraska Cav-
alry, Twelfth Missouri Cavalry, and a detachment of the Sec-
ond United States, and Seventh Iowa Cavalry — Col. Brown,
the senior officer, commanding the whole force.
The snow was quite deep on the plains, and knowing that
the hostile Indians, who were then encamped on the Repub-
lican River, were encumbered by their villages, women, and
children, it was thought to be a favorable time to strike them
a severe blow. There were many Indians in our command,
among others a large body of Pawnee scouts. Early in Janu-
ary the expedition left the Platte River, and marched south-
ward toward the Republican. When we reached the river a
depot of supplies was established and named " Camp Wheaton,"
after the general then commanding the department of the
Platte. This done, the scouting began, and we were ready for
war. Nor were we long kept waiting, for Lieut. James
Murie, who marched out to Short Nose Creek with a party of
scouts, was suddenly attacked by a large body of Sioux, and
six of his men wounded. Col. Brown considered this an un-
308 BELDEN: THE WHITE CHIEF.
fortunate affair, inasmuch as tlie Indians, having learned by ii.
the presence of troops in their country, would be on the alert,
and, in all probability, at once clear out with their villages.
He determined, if it were possible, still to surprise them, and
ordered the command immediately into the saddle. We pushed
hard for Solomon's Fork, a great resort for the savages, but
arrived only in time to find their camps deserted and the In-
dians all gone.
One evening, as we were encamped on the banks of the
Solomon, a huge buffalo bull suddenly appeared on the bluff
overlooking the camp, and gazed in wonder at a sight so un-
usual to his eyes. In a moment a dozen guns were ready to
fire, but as the beast came down the narrow ravine washed by
the rains in the bluff, all waited until he should emerge on the
open plain near the river. Then a lively skirmish was opened
on him, and he turned and quickly disappeared again in the
gulch. Several of the soldiers ran up one of the narrow water-
courses, hoping to get a shot at him as he emerged on the open
prairie. What was their surprise to meet him coming down.
He ran up one ravine, and being half crazed by his wounds,
had, on reaching the prairie, turned into the one in which the
soldiers were. As soon as he saw him, the soldier in front
called out to those behind him to run, but they, not under-
standing the nature of the danger, continued to block up the
passage. The bull could barely force his great body between
the high and narrow banks ; but before all the soldiers could
gst out of the ravine, he was upon them, and trampled two of
them under his feet, not hurting them much, but frightening
them terribly. As the beast came out again on the open bank
of the river a score of soldiers, who had run over from the
camp with their guns, gave him a dozen balls. Still he did
belden: the white chief. 309
not fall, but, dashing through the brush, entered the cavalry
camp, and running up to a large gray horse that was tied to a
tree, lifted the poor brute on his horns and threw him into the
air. The horse was completely disemboweled, and dropped
down dead. The buffalo next plunged his horns into a fine
bay horse, the property of an officer in the Seventh Iowa Cav-
alry, and the poor fellow groaned with pain until the hills re-
sounded. Exhausted by his exertions and wounds, the bull
laid down carefully by the side of the horse, as if afraid of
hurting himself, and in a moment rolled over dead. "We
skinned and dressed him, and carried the meat into camp for
our suppers ; but it was dearly bought beef, at the expense of
the lives of two noble horses; and Col. Brown notified us he
wished no further contracts closed on such expensive terms.
310 BELDEN: THE WHITE CHIEF.
CHAPTER XLYI.
FIVE HUNDRED DOLLARS REWARD — ADVENTURE OP SERGEANTS HILES AND
ROLLA — ^A DANGEROUS ENTERPRISE — ^NELSON AND I HUNT FOR AN INDIAN
VILLAGE— PERILOUS POSITION — THE DISCOVERY — THE FLIGHT — AN INDIAN
TRAIL A RACE FOR LIFE — SAFE RETURN TO CAMP— SERGEANT HILES's STORY —
DEATH OF ROLLA — CORRALLED IN A SNOW DRIFT — A NARROW ESCAPE — A
LONG WALK — ALL RIGHT ONCE MORE.
AlTHILE we lay encamped at the depot of supplies, on the
* ^ Republican, Colonel Brown called for volunteer scouts,
stating he would give a purse of five hundred dollars to any
one who would discover a village of Indians and lead the com-
mand to the spot. This glittering prize dazzled the eyes of
many a soldier, but few had the courage to undertake so haz-
ardous an enterprise. Sergeant Hiles, of the First Nebraska,
and Sergeant Rolla, of the Seventh Iowa, came forward and
said they would go upon the expedition provided they could go
alone. Both were shrewd, sharp men, and Colonel Brown
readily gave his consent, well knowing that in scouting, where
the object is not to fight, but to gain information and keep
concealed, the fewer men in the party the better their chances
of escape.
On the day after Hiles and Rolla had left camp, Nelson, who
had come down and joined the army as a guide, proposed tc me
that we should go out and hunt an adventure. My old love
of Indian life was upon me, and I joyfully accepted his prop-
BELDEN: THE WHITE CHIEF. 311
osition. I applied to Colonel Brown for permission to set out
at once, but he declined to grant my request, on the ground
that it was not necessary or proper for an officer to engage in
such an enterprise. I, however, coaxed the colonel a little,
and he finally told me I might go.
Packing several days supplies on a mule, as soon as it was
dark Nelson and I started, he leading the mule, and I driving
him from behind. We traveled over to the Little Beaver,
then up the stream for some distance, when we crossed over
and camped on Little Beaver. Here we expected to find In-
dian signs, but were disappointed. We rested for a short time,
and then traveled down the Beaver until opposite Short Nose
Creek, when we crossed the divide and camped on that stream.
Two days later we pushed on to Cedar Creek, and then crossed
over to Prairie Dog Creek. We had traveled only at night,
hiding away all day in the brush that lined the creeks, and
keeping a sharp lookout for Indians. So far we had seen no
Indian signs, and began to despair of finding any, when one
morning, just as I was lighting the fire to cook our breakfast,
I heard several shots fired, apparently four or five miles up
the creek. Nelson run out on the bluff, and, applying his
ear to the ground, said he could distinctly hear the reports
of many rifles. We could not imagine what this meant, and
withdrew into the bluffs to " make it out,'^ as the old trappers
say.
Nelson was the first speaker, and he gave it as his opinion
that Colonel Brown, who had told us before leaving camp he
would soon start for the Solomon,, had set out earlier than he
expected, and was now crossing above us. I set my compass,
and, finding we were nearly on the line where Brown would
cross, readily fell in with Nelson's reasoning. So sure was I
19
312 BELDEX: THE WHITE CHIEF.
that the guns we had heard were Colonel Brown's soldiers out
hunting, that I proposed we should saddle up and go to them.
This move came near proving fatal to us, as will presently ap-
pear. We rode boldly up the stream, in broad daylight, some
live miles, when, not finding any trail, I began to express my
surprise at the long distance we had heard the reports of the
guns, but Nelson told me it was no uncommon thing, when snow
watt on the ground, to hear a rifle shot ten to twenty miles along
a creek bottom, and, incredible as this may seem, I found out
afterward it was nevertheless true.
We rode on about five miles further, when suddenly Nelson
halted, and, pointing to an object a long distance ahead, said he
believed it was a horseman. We lost no time in getting into
the bluffe, where we could observe what went on without being
seen, and soon saw an animal coming rapidly down the creek
bottom. As it drew near, we discovered it to be a horse, evi-
dently much frightened, and flying from pursuers. The horse
galloped past, but stopped half a mile below us and quietly
went to grazing, every now and then raising his head and look-
ing up the creek, as if he expected to see some enemy following
him. We lay for several hours momentarily expecting to see a
body of Indians coming down the creek, but none came, and at
noon Nelson said I should watch, and he would crawl down the
creek and see if he could discover any thing from the horse. I
saw Nelson approach quite near the animal, and heard him
calling it, when, to my surprise, it came up to him and followed
him into the bluffs. The horse was the one Sergeant Hiles had
ridden from the camp a few days previous, and was well known
to Nelson and me as a superb animal, named "Selim."
It did not take us long to come to the conclusion that Hiles
and Holla had been attacked, and that the firing we had heard
BELDEN: THE WHITE CHIEF. 313
iu the morning was done by Indians. From the fact that Hiles's
liorse tiad no saddle on when found, we conchided he had been
in the hands of the Indians, and probably broken away from
them, and we doubted not that at least Hiles was dead.
Fearing the savages would come down upon us next, we lost
no time in getting down the creek. We soon passed where we
had encamped the night before, and, finding the fire still burn-
ing, put it out, and, covering up the ashes, pushed on for sev-
eral miles and camped among the bluffs. Nelson carried up
several logs from the creek, with which to make a barricade in
case of attack, and, Nelson taking the first watch, I laid down
to sleep, without fire or supper, except a piece of raw pork.
At nine o'clock I arose to watch, and soon after midnight,
the moon coming up bright and clear, I awoke Nelson, and
suggested to him we would saddle up and cross over to Cedar
Creek, for I had a strong presentiment that some misfortune
would befall us if we remained longer where we were. It is not a
little singular, but true, that man has a wonderful instinct, and
can nearly always divine coming trouble or danger. This instinct
in the frontiersman, of course, is wonderfully developed by the
perilous life he leads; but, call it presentiment or what you will,
this instinct exists in every beast of the field, as well as in the
human breast, and he who follows it can have no safer guide.
Several times have I saved my life by obeying the dictates of
that silent monitor within, which told me to go, and yet gave
no reason for my going.
We had not ridden far when we came upon a heavy Indian
trail, and found it not more than four or five hours old. The
tracks showed some fifty ponies, and all going in the direction
of the Republican. We were now convinced that Rolla had
f^scaped and the Indians were pursuing him. Following on
314 BEL.DEN: THE WHITE CHIEF.
the trail for some distance, until we came to a bare spot on the
bluflP where our horses would leave no tracks in the snow, we
turned to the left, and, whipping up the ponies, struck out foi
a forced march. We knew the Indians might return at any
moment, and if they should find our trail they would follow
us like blood-hounds.
All night long we pushed on, halting only at sunrise to eal
a bite and give our poor ponies a few mouthfuls of grass.
Again we were off, and throughout the day whipped and
spurred along our animals as rapidly as possible. At night
we halted for two hours to rest, and then mounted the saddle
once more. On the fifth day we met a company of cavalry that
had been sent out by Col. Brown to look for us, and with them
we returned to camp.
We learned from the cavalrymen that Sergeant Hiles
had been attacked by Indians, and Sergeant Rolla had been
killed. Hiles, though he had lost his horse, had managed to
work his way back to camp on foot, where he had arrived
the morning they left camp, nearly starved. We had gone
much out of our way to escape the Indians who had followed
Hiles; but since we had succeeded in avoiding them and sav-
ing our scalps, we did not care a fig for our long and tiresome
journey.
Sergeant Hiles related to me his adventures after leaving
camp, and I will here repeat them as a sequel to my own. He
said : " Rolla and I traveled several days, and finally pulled up
on Prairie Dog Creek. We had seen no Indians, and were be-
coming careless, believing there were none in the country. One
morning just about day-break I built a fire, and while Rolla
and I were warming ourselves we were fired upon by some
forty Indians. Rolla fell, pierced through the heart, and died
belden: the white chief. 315
instantly. IIow I escaped I know not, for the balls whistled
all around me, knocking up the fire, and even piercing my
clothing, yet I was not so much as scratched.
" I ran to my horse, which was saddled and tied near by,
and flinging myself on his back, dashed across the prairies.
The Indians followed, whooping and yelling like devils, and
although their ponies ran well, they could not overtake my
swift-footed Selim. I had got well ahead of them, and was
congratulating myself on my escape from a terrible death,
when suddenly Selim fell headlong into a ravine that was
filled with drifted snow. It was in vain I tried to extricate
him; the more he struggled the deeper he sank. Knowing
the Indians would be up in a few minutes, I cut the saddle*
girths with my knife, that the horse might be freer in his
movements, and then, bidding him lie still, I took my pistols
and burrowed into the snow beside him. After I had dug
down a little way, I struck off in the drift, and worked my
way along it toward the valley. I had not tunneled far before
I heard the Indians coming, and, pushing up my head, I cut
a small hole in the crust of the snow, so I could peep out. As
the savages came up they began to yell, and Selim, making a
great bound, leaped upon the solid earth at the edge of the ra-
vine, and dragging himself out of the drift, galloped furiously
across the prairies. Oh ! how I wished then I was on his back,
for I knew the noble fellow would soon bear me out of reach
of all danger.
" The Indians divided, part of them going up the ravine
and crossing over to pursue Selim, while the rest dismounted
to look for his rider. They carefully examined the ground all
around to find my trail, but not finding any they returned and
searched up and down the ravine for me. Two or three tiraea
316 BELDEN: THE WHITE CHIEF. .
they punched in the snow near me, and once an Indian passed
within a few feet of my hole. Great drops of perspiration
stood on ray forehead, and every moment I expected to be dis-
covered, dragged out, and scalped, but I remained perfectly
still, grasping my pistols, and determined to sell my life as
dearly as possible, and make it cost the red-skins at least three
of their number.
"After awhile the Indians got tired searching for me,
and drew off to consult. I saw the party that had gone in
pursuit of Selim rejoin their companions, and I was not a
little gratified to observe they did not bring back my gal-
lant steed with them, from which I knew he had made his
escape.
'' The Indians mounted and rode down the ravine, examin-
ing every inch of ground for my trail. As I saw them move
off hope once more revived in my breast ; but in an hour they
came back and again searched the drift. At last, however,
they went off without finding me, and I lay down to rest, so
exhausted was I, from watching and excitement, that I could
not stand. I knew I did not dare to sleep, for it was very
cold, and a stupor would come upon me. All that day and
night and the n^xt day I lay in the drift, for I knew the In-
dians were watching it.
"On the second night, as soon as it was dark, I crawled
out, and worked my way to the foot of the ravine. At first
I was so stiff and numb I could hardly move hand or foot,
but as I crawled along the blood began to warm up, and soon
I was able to walk. I crept cautiously along the bluffs until
I had cleared the ravine, and then, striking out on the open
prairie, steered to the northward. Fortunately, the first day
out I shot an antelope and got some raw meat, which kept me
BELDEN: THE WHITE CHIEF. 317
from starving. In two days and a half I reached the camp,
nearly dead from fatigue and hunger, and was thoroughly glad
to be at home in my tent once more with a whole scalp on my
head.^'
We had not found an Indian village, and none of us got the
$500, but we had all had a glorious adventure, and that to a
frontiersman is better than money.
318 BELDEN: THE WHITE CHIEF.
CHAPTER XLYII.
HUNTING TVILD TURKEYS ON THE MEDICINE — THE LOST TRAIL — WAITING FOR
THE COMMAND BAG A FINE ELK HUNTING FOR THE TRAIL TWO INDIANS —
WE CAMP OUT— AN ADVENTURE WITH WOLVES— CAYOTES AND BUFFALO
WOLVES — NINE DEAD WOLVES — THE FATAL LEAP — A BUSY NIGHT — ON THE
MARCH — THE TRAIL LOST CAMP OUT AGAIN MORE WOLVES CANNIBALS —
STRIKING FOR HOME— THE CA3HP FOUND — IN MY OWN TENT — PLEASANT EH-
FLECTIONS AND REST.
\1THILE we lay in camp on Medicine Creek, Colonel
' ' Brown sent for me, and ordered me to look up and
map the country. I was detached as a topographical engineer,
and this order relieved me from all company duty, and en-
abled me to go wherever I pleased, which was not a little grat-
ifying to one so fond of rambling about.
Packing my traps on my pony one day, I set out down the
Medicine ahead of the command, intending to hunt wild tur-
keys until near night, and then rejoin the command before it
went into camp. The creek bottom was alive with turkeys,
the cold weather having driven them to take shelter among the
bushes that lined the creek. I had not gone far when a dense
fog arose, shutting out all objects, even at the distance of a few
feet. It was a bad day for hunting, but presently as I rode
along I heard a turkey gobble close by, and, dismounting, I
crept through the bushes and peered into the fog as well as I
BELDEN: THE WHITE CniEF. 319
could. I saw several dark objects, and drawing up my double-
barreled sbot-guH) fired at them. Hardly had the ncffse of the
explosion died away, when I heard a great flopping in the
bushes, and on going up to it found a large turkey making his
last kicks, I picked him up and was about to turn away,
when T saw another fine old gobbler desperately wounded, but
trying to crawl off. I ran after him, but he hopped along so
fast I was obliged to give him the contents of my other barrel
to keep him from getting away into the thick brush.
I had now two fine turkeys, and, as the day was bad, de-
termined to go no further, but ascend the bluffs and wait for
the command. I went out on the prairie, and made a diligent
search for the old trail, but, as it was covered some seven
inches deep with snow, I could not find it. Knowing the
command would pass near the creek, I went back to hunt,
thinking I would go up after it had passed, strike the trail,
and follow it into camp.
I had not gone far down the creek when I ran into a fine
elk, and knocked him over with my Henry rifle. I cut off the
choice pieces, and, packing them on my pony, once more set
out to find the trail. I knew the command had not passed,
and ascended the highest point on the bluff, straining my eyes
to see if I could not discover it moving. I waited several
hours, but not finding it, I concluded it had not marched by
the old trail, but struck straight across the country. I now
moved up the creek, determined to keep along its bank until
I came to the old camp, and then follow the trail. I had not
gone far when I came upon two Indians who belonged to my
company, and who were also looking for the command.
Night was coming on, the wind rising, and the air growing
Litter cold, so I said to the Indians we would go down tne
320 BELDEN: THE WHITE CHIEF.
creek where there was plenty of dry wood, and make a night
camp. They readily assented, and we set out, arriving at a
fine grove just before dark.
While one of the Indians gathered wood, the other one and
I cleared away the snow to make a place for our camp. The
snow in the bottom was nearly three feet deep, and when we
had bared the ground a high wall was piled up all around
us. The wood was soon brought, and a bright fire blazing.
After warming ourselves we opened a passage through the
snow for a short distance, and, clearing another spot, led our
horses into this most perishable of stables. Our next care
was to get them some Cottonwood limbs to eat, * and then we
gathered small dry limbs and made a bedstead of them on
which to spread our blankets. Piling on more wood until the
fire roared and cracked, we sat down in the heat of the blaze,
feeling quite comfortable, except that we were desperately
hungry. Some coals were raked out, the neck of the elk cut
off and spitted on a stick to roast. When it was done we
divided it, and, sprinkling it with a little pepper and salt from
our haversacks, had as savory and wholesome a repast as any
epicure might desire. After supper, hearing the cayotes howl-
ing in the woods below, I had the Indians bring in my saddle,
to which was strapped the elk meat, and, cutting the limb off a
tree close by the fire, we lifted the saddle astride of the stump
so high up that the wolves could not reach it. All being now
*The Indians often feed their horses on cottonwood limbs. Officers
on the plains give their horses cottonwood to eat when they can get
no feed or grass, and say the bark of the cottonwood is almost as
nutritious as hay. A horse will chew up limbs as thick as a man's
thumb, and in winter-time eat the bark off every cottonwood tree he can
reach. — Editor.
belden: the white chief. 321
in readiness for the night, we filled our pipes and sat down to
smoke and talk.
At nine o'clock the Indians replenished the fire, and, feeling
sleepy, I wrapped myself in my blankets and lay down to rest.
T soon fell asleep, and slept well until near midnight, when I
was awakened by the snapping and snarling of the wolves near
the fire. The wood had burned down to a bed of coals, and
gave but a faint light, but I could see a dozen pair of red eyes
glaring at me over the edge of the snow-bank. The Indians
were sound asleep, and, knowing they were very tired, I did not
awake them, but got my gun, and, wrapping myself in my
blankets, sat up by the fire to watch the varmints and warm my
feet. Presently I heard a long wild howl down in the woods,
and knew by the "whirr-ree, whirr-ree^' in it that it proceeded
from the throat of the dreaded buffalo wolf, or Kosh-6-nee, of
the prairies. There was another howl, then another, and
another, and, finally, a loud chorus of a dozen. Instantly
silence fell among the cayotes, and they began to scatter. For
a time all was quiet, and I had begun to doze, when suddenly
the coals flew all over me, and I opened my eyes just in time
to see a great gray wolf spring out of the fire and bound up
the snow-bank. I leaped to my feet and peered into the dark-
ness, where I could see scores of dark shadows moving about,
and a black cluster gathered under my saddle. I called the In-
dians, who quietly and nimbly jumped to their feet, and came
forward armed with their revolvers. I told them what had
happened, and that we were surrounded by a large pack of gray
wolves. We had no fear for ourselves, but felt uneasy lest
they might attack our horses, who were pawing and snorting
with alarm. I spoke to them kindly, and they immediately
became quiet. At the suggestion of the Indians I brought
28
322 belden: the white chief.
forwara my revolvers, and we all sat down to watch the var-
mints, and see what they would do.
In a few minutes, a pair of fiery, red eyes, looked down at
us from the snow-bank ; then, another and another pair, until
there were a dozen. We sat perfectly still, and presently one
great gray wolf gathered himself, and made a leap for the elk-
meat on the saddle. He nearly touched it with his nose, but
failed to secure the coveted prize, and fell headlong into the fire.
We fired two shots into him, and he lay still until one of the
Indians pulled him out to keep his hair from burning and
making a disagreeable smell. In about five minutes, another
wolf leaped at the elk-meat and fell at our feet. We dispatched
him as we had done the first one, and then threw him across
the body of his dead brother. So we kept on firing until we
had killed eight wolves, when, tired of killing the brutes with
pistols, I brought out my double-barreled shot gun, and load-
ing each barrel with nine buck-shot, waited until they were
gathered thick under the tree on which hung my meat, and then
let them have it. Every discharge caused some to tumble
down, and sent the rest scampering and howling to the rear.
Presently they became more wary, and I had to fire at them at
long range.
The Indians now went out and gathered some dry limbs,
and we kindled up a bright fire. Next we threw the car-
casses of the nine dead wolves, that were in our camp,
over the snow-bank, and knowing that the beasts would
not come near our bright fire, two of us lay down, to
sleep, while the third remained up to watch and keep the fire
burning.
The cayotes now returned, and with unearthly yells, attacked
their dead betters, snapping, snarling, and quarreling over their
belden: the white chief. 32«i
carcasses as they tore the flesh and craunched the bones of the
dead wolves.
We rose at daylight, and, through the dim light, could see
the cayotes trotting off to the swamp, while near the camp lay
heads, legs, and piles of cleanly licked bones, all that was left
of the gray wolves we had killed.
After breakfast, we set out to find the command, striking
across the country, expecting to come upon the trail. We
traveled all day, however, and saw no trail. At night we
camped out again, and were scarcely in camp, when we again
heard the wolves howling all around us. They had followed
us all day, no doubt expecting another repast, such as had been
served to them the night before. We, however, kept a bright
fire burning, and no gray wolves came about; so the cayotes
were disappointed, and vented their disappointment all night
long in the most dismal howls I ever heard. At times, it
seemed as though there were five hundred of them, and join-
ing their voices in chorus, they would send up a volume of
sound that resembled the roar of a tempest, or the discordant
singing of a vast multitude of people.
While we cooked breakfast, a strong picket of wolves
watched all around the camp, feasting their greedy eyes from a
distance on my elk-meat. When we started from camp, a hun-
dred or more of them followed us, often coming quite close to
the pack-pony, and biting and quarreling about the elk that waa
never to be their meat. When we halted, they would halt,
and sitting down, loll out their red tongues and lick the
snow. At length, I took my shot-gun, and loading the
barrels, fired into the thickest of the pack. Two or three
were wounded, and no sooner did their companions discover
that they were bleeding and disabled, than they fell upon
324 belden: the white chief.
them, tore them to pieces, and devoured every morsel of theii
flesh. I had seen men who would do the same thing with
their fellows, but until I witnessed the contrary with my own
eyes, I had supposed this practice was confined to the superior
brute creation.
The third day out, finding no trace of the command, we
concluded to go back to the Medicine and seek the old camp,
from which place we could take the trail and follow up until we
came upon it. "VYe reached the Medicine at sun-down, and
there, to our satisfaction, found the troops still in camp, where
we had left them, they not having marched in consequence of
the cold and foggy weather.
I was soon in my own tent and sound asleep, being thoroughly
worn out with the exposure and fatigue of my long journey.
BELDEN: THE WHITE CHIEF. 325
CHAPTER XLVIII.
HUNTING MY PONY ON THE PEAIRIE — OAUGHT BY INDIANS — HOW I FOOLSa)
THEM — WAYLAYING THE STAGE-COACH — ^A NICE OCCUPATION FOR A UNITED
STATES OFFICER — ^A DISAPPOINTMENT TO THE INDIANS, BUT NOT TO ME — THE
INDIANS BECOME IMPATIENT AND LEAVE — LEFT BEHIND — RUNNING TO THE
RANCHE — THE COACH — ITS CONDITION — THE ATTACK — THE RESULT — SAFE
AT THE RANCHE.
I WAS sent down from Camp Cottonwood (now Fort
McPherson), with thirty men, to Oilman's Ranche, fifteen
miles east of Cottonwood on the Platte, where I was to re-
main, guard the ranche, and furnish guards to Ben Holliday's
overland stage coaches. In those days. Oilman's was an
important place, and in earlier times, had been a great trading
point for the Sioux. Two or three trails led from the Repub-
lican to this place, and every winter the Sioux had come in
with their ponies loaded down with buffalo, beaver, elk, and
deer skins, which they exchanged with the traders at Oilman's.
War had, however, put a stop to these peaceful pursuits ; still
the Sioux could not give up the habit of traveling these favorite
trails. The ponies often come in from the Republican, not now
laden with furs and robes, but each bearing a load of beastiality
called a Sioux warrior. The overland coaches offered a great
temptation to the cupidity and vices of the Sioux, and they
were not slow to avail themselves of any opportunity to attack
326 BELDEN: THE WHITE CHIEF.
them. The coaches carried the mails and much treasure, and
if the savages could now and then succeed in capturing one,
they got money, jewels, scalps, horses, and not unfrequently
white women, as a reward for their enterprise.
Troops were stationed in small squads at every station,
about ten miles apart, and they rode from station to station on
t he top of all coaches, holding their guns ever ready for action.
It was not pleasant, this sitting perched up on top of a coach,
riding through dark ravines and tall grass, in which savages
were ever lurking. Generally, the first fire from the Indians
killed one or two horses,, and tumbled a soldier or two off the
top of the coach. This setting one's self up as a sort of target,
was a disagreeable and dangerous duty, but the soldiers per-
formed it without murmuring. My squad had to ride .up to
Cottonwood, and down to the station below, where they waited
for the next coach going the other way and returned by it to
their post at Oilman's. All the other stations were guarded in
like manner; so it happened that every coach carried some
soldiers.
One evening I found my pony missing, and thinking he had
strayed off but a short distance, I buckled on my revolvers and
went out to look for him. I had not intended to go far, but
not finding him, I walked on, and on, until I found myself
some four miles from the ranche. Alarmed at my indiscretion,
for I knew the country was full of Indians, I hastily set out to
return, and as it was now growing dark, I determined to go up
a ravine that led to the post by a nearer route than the trail. I
had got nearly to the end of the ravine, where the stage-road
crossed it, and was about to turn out into the road when, on
looking up the bank, I saw on the crest of the slope, some dark
objects. At first, I thought they were ponies, for they were
BELDEN : THE WHITE CHIEF. 327
moving on all fours, and directly toward the road. I ran up
the bank, and had not gone more than ten yards, when I heard
voices, and looking roiind, saw within a dozen steps of me, five
or six Indians lying on the grass, and talking in low tones.
They had noticed me, but evidently thought I was one of their
own number. Divining the situation in a moment, I walked
carelessly on until near the crest of the hill, where I suddenly
came upon a dozen more Indians, crawling along on their hands
and knees. One of them gruffly ordered me down, and I am
sure I lost no time in dropping into the grass. Crawling care-
fully along, for I knew it would not do to stop, I still managed
to keep a good way behind and off to one side. AYe at last
reached the road, and the Indians, gun in hand, took up their
position in the long grass close by the road-side. I knew the
up-coach would be due at the station in half an hour, and I
now found myself in the unpleasant position of waylaying one
of the very coaches I had been sent to guard. Perhaps, one of
my own soldiers coming up on the coach would kill me, and
then what would people say ? how would my presence with the
Indians be explained? and how would it sound to have the
newspapers publish, far and near, that an officer of the United
States army had deserted his post, joined the Indians, and
attacked a stage-coach ? However, there was no help for it, and
I lay still waiting for developments. It was now time for the
coach, and we watched the road with straining eyes. Two or
three times I thought I heard the rumbling of the wheels, and
a tremor seized me, but it was only the wind rustling the tall
grass. An hour went by, and still no coach, when the Indians,
becoming uneasy — one who seemed to be the leader of the
expedition, rose up, and motioning the others to follow him —
started off down the hill toward the ravine. I made a motion
20
328 BELDEN: THE WHITE CHIEF.
as if getting up, and seeing the Indians backs turned, dropped
flat on my face and lay perfectly still. Slowly their footsteps
faded away, and raising my head, I saw them mount their
ponies and disappear over the neighboring hill, as if going
down the road to meet the coach.
As soon as they were out of sight, I sprang up and ran aa
ast as I could to the ranche when, relating what had happened,
I started with some soldiers and citizens down the road to meet
the stage. We had not gone far when we heard it coming up,
and on reaching it, found it had been attacked by Indians a few
miles below, one passenger killed and two severely wounded.
The coach had but three horses, one having been killed in the
fight. The Indians had dashed at the coach mounted, hoping
to kill the horses, and thus cut off all means of retreat or flight,
but they had only succeeded in killing one horse, when the
passengers and soldiers had driven them off, compelling them to
carry two of their number with them, dead or desperately
wounded.
I was more careful after that, when I went out hunting
ponies, and never tried again to waylay a coach with Indians.
belden: the white chief .329
»
CHAPTER XLIX.
3APTURIXG TWO SIOUX WARRIORS AT GILMAN's RAKCHE — MY PET INDIANS —
WAR DANCES AND SONGS — THE ENTRAPPED OGALLALAS — ESCAPE OF THB
WARRIOR AND PONIES — MORE DANCING — AN UNPLEASANT REQUEST — THBS
REFUSAL — WHAT CAME OF IT — SPRINGER's ADVICE — FATE OP THE TWO
SIOUX — THEIR HEROISM AND ENDURANCE — TERRIBLE BARBARITY OF SAVAGES
— WHAT THBY HAD TO SAY ABOUT IT.
AMONG the soldiers stationed at Gilman's Ranche, were a
number of Omaha and Winnebago Indians, who belonged
to my company, in the First Nebraska Cavalry. I had done all
I could to teach them the ways of civilization, but despite my
instructions, and their utmost endeavors to give over their wild
and barbarous practices, every now and then old habits would
become too strong upon them to be borne, and they would in-
dulge in the savage customs of their youth. At such times
they would throw aside their uniforms, and, wrapping a blanket
about them, sing and dance for hours.
, One evening they were in a particularly jolly mood, and hav-
ing obtained permission to have a dance, went out in front
of the building, and for want of a better scalp-pole, assembled
around one of the telegraph poles. One fellow pounded lustily
on a piece of leather nailed over the mouth of a keg, while the
others hopped around in a circle, first upon ciie leg, then the
29
330 BELDEN: THE WHITE CHIEF.
other, shaking oyster-cans over their heads, that had been filled
with pebbles, and keeping time to the rude music, with a sort
of guttural song. !N"ow it would be low and slow, and the
dancers barely move, then, increasing in volume and rapidity,
it would become wild and vociferous, the dancers walking very
fast, much as the negroes do in their " walk arounds/' We had
had all manner of dances and songs, and enough drumming and
howling to have made any one tired, still the Indians seemed
only warming up to their work. The savage frenzy was upon
them, and I let them alone until near midnight. Their own
songs and dances becoming tiresome, I asked them to give me
some Sioux songs, for I had been thinking all the evening of
the village up the Missouri and my squaws. The Indians im-
mediately struck up a Sioux war song, accompanying it with
the war dance.
All the Indian songs and dances are terminated with a
jump, and a sort of wild yell or whoop. When they had danced
the Sioux war song, and ended it with the usual whoop, what
was our surprise to hear the cry answered back at no great'
distance, out on the prairie. At first I thought it was the echo,
but Springer, a half-breed Indian, assured me what I had heard
"was the cry of other Indians. To satisfy myself, I bade the
Indians repeat the song and dance, and this time, sure enough,
when it was ended the whoop was answered quite near the
ranche. I went inside, lest my uniform could be seen, and
telling Springer to continue the dance, I went to a back window
and looked out, in the direction from which the sound appeared
to come.
The moon was just rising, and I could distinctly see three
Indian warriors sitting on their ponies, within a few hundred
paces of the house. They seemed to be intently watching
belden: the white chief. 331
what was going on, and were by no means certain as to tlie
character of the performers or performance. At a glance, I
made them out to be our deadly enemies, the Ogallala Sioux,
and determined to catch them. I quickly called Springer, and
bid him kindle a small fire, and tell the Indians to strike up
the death song and scalp dance of the Sioux. This, as I ex-
pected, at once re-assured the strange warriors, and, riding up
quite close, they asked Springer, who was not dancing, and who
had purposely put himself in their way,
" What are you dancing for ? ''
" Dancing the scalps of four white soldiers we have killed,^'
replied Springer.
"How did you kill them,'' inquired the foremost Indian
warrior.
" You see," said Springer, who, being part Sioux, spoke the
language perfectly, " we were coming down from the Neobarrah,
and going over to the Kepublican to see Spotted Tail and our
friends the Ogallalas, when some soldiers fired on us here, and
seeing there were but four of them, we attacked and killed them
all. They are now lying dead inside," added Springer; '^ come,
get down and help dance their scalps."
Two of the warriors immediately dismounted, giving their
ponies to the third one to hold, who remained mounted.
Springer seemed to take no notice of this, but leading the
warriors up to the dance, joined in with them, the other Indiana
making room in the circle for the new-comers.
When the dance was ended. Springer said, " Come, let us bring
out the scalps," and turning to the two Indians, inquired, "Will
you look at the bodies?" About half the Indians had already
gone into the ranche, under pretense of getting the scalps, and
332 belden: the white chief.
the two Sioux walked in with Springer, apparently without
suspicion that any thing was wrong.
As soon as they had crossed the threshold the door was closed
behind them, and two burly Omahas placed their backs against
it. It was entirely dark in the ranche, and Springer proceeded
to strike a light. When the blaze of the dry grass flared up it
revealed every thing in the room, and there stood the two Sioux,
surrounded by Omahas, and a dozen revolvers leveled at their
heads.
Never shall I forget the yell of rage and terror they set up,
when they found they were entrapped. The Sioux warrior
outside, who was holding the ponies, heard it, and plunging
his heels into the sides of his pony, made off as fast as he
could. Notwithstanding my men fired a dozen shots at him,
he got off safely, and carried away with him all three of the
ponies.
The two Sioux in the ranche were bound hand and foot, and
laid in one corner of the room ; then my Indians returned to the
telegraph pole to finish their dance. Feeling tired, I lay down
and feel asleep.
Near morning I was awakened by most unearthly yells,
and looking out, saw my Indians leaping, dancing, and yelling
around the telegraph pole, where they now had a large fire
burning. Presently Springer came in and said the Indians
wanted the prisoners. I told him they could not have them,
and that in the morning I would send them to Col. Brown,
at McPherson, as was my duty. Springer, who was a non-
commissioned officer, communicated this message to the Indians,
when the yelling and howling redoubled. In a short time
Springer came in again, and said he could do nothing with the
BELDEN: THE WHITE CHIEF. 335
Indians, and that they were determined to have the prisoners,
at the same time advising me to give them up. I again refused,
when the Indians rushed into the ranche, and, seizing the
prisoners, dragged them out. Seeing they were frenzied I
made no resistance, but followed them closely, keeping con-
cealed, however.
They took the Sioux to an island on the Platte, below the
ranche, and there, tying them to a tree, gathered a pile of wood
and set it on fire. Then they thrust faggots against the naked
bodies of the prisoners, stuck their knives into their legs, arms,
and finally into their bowels. They next cut off their ears and
noses, and then their hands, after which they scalped and dis-
embowled them. The Sioux uttered not a complaint, but en-
dured all their sufferings with that stoicism for which the Indian
is so justly celebrated, and which belongs to no other race in the
world.
Sick at heart, I crept back to the ranche and went to bed,
leaving the Indians engaged in a furious scalp dance, and
whirling the bloody scalps of the Sioux over their heads, with
long poles to which they had them fastened.
Next morning, when I awoke, I found the Indians wrapped
in their blankets, and lying asleep all around me. The excite-
ment of the night had passed off, and brought its corresponding
depression. They were very docile and stupid, and it was with
some difficulty I could arouse them for the duties of the day.
I asked several of them what had become of the Sioux prisoners,
but could get no other answer than, " Guess him must have got
away."
I was sorely tempted to report the affair to the commanding
officer at Fort McPherson, and have the Indians punished, but
330 BELDEN: THE WHITE CHIEF.
believing it would do more good in the end to be silent, I said
nothing about it. After all, the Omahas and Winnebagoes had
treated the Sioux just as the Sioux would have treated them,
had they been captured, and so, it being a matter altogether
among savages, I let it rest where it belonged.
BELDEN: THE WHITE CHIEF. 337
CHAPTER L.
GUARDING JACK MORROw's RANOHK — AN ADVENTURH WITH WOOD-HAUIKRS—
CAMPAIGNING ALONG THE PLATTE — MY INDIAN SOLDIERS — HOW WB OPENED
THE STABLE — WHAT THE WOOD-HAULERS SAID ABOUT IT — A SURPRISE SAD
ATTEMPT AT JOKING FIXING UP JACK MORROW's PROPERTY — OFF FOR
OMAHA.
T WAS for a time, in 1865, on duty at Fort Cottonwood,
-■- Nebraska, as adjutant of my regiment, the First Nebraska
Vol. Cavalry, when the scarcity of officers at the post made it
necessary for the commanding officer to detail me, with thirty
Indian soldiers, to proceed to, and garrison Jack Morrow^s
ranche, twelve miles west of the fort, on the south side of the
Platte River. The Sioux were very hostile then, and it was
an ordinary occurrence for ranches to be burned and the owners
killed.
Morrow's ranche, unlike the little, low, adobe ranches every-
where seen, was a large three-story building, with out-buildings
adjacent, and a fine large stable for stock, the whole being well
surrounded by a commodious stockade of cedar palisades, set
deep in the ground, and projecting to the height of about ten or
twelve feet above the surface.
Upon arriving at the ranche, late at night, ray usually noisy
Indians were quietly sleeping in the huge ox-wagons, which
had been provided for transportation. I found the front of the
338 belden: the white chief.
ranche lit up by fires built between the stockade and the build-
ings on a narrow strip of ground, serving for a front yard. I
had been informed by the commanding officer at Cottonwood,
that Mr. Morrow was not living at his ranche, but was away,
East, and the object in sending me there was to prevent the
Indians from burning so valuable a property. I was not pre-
pared to find a party encamped at the ranche, and not knowing
but that they might be Indians, waiting in so favorable a spot
to waylay travelers or emigrants passing the road in front of
the stockade, I told my drivers to halt their teams, and,
quietly awakening my Indians, I bade them be in readiness to
rush up if I should give them a signal by yelling, but to remain
in the wagons until I called them, and to make no noise. I
then quietly rode forward to reconnoiter, and as the stockade
timbers were set very close together, I had to crawl up to the
loop-holes cut in the timbers to see what was going on inside.
Standing on the ground, and holding my pony's nose with my
hand to keep him quiet, I stood on my tip-toes, and could see,
through one of the loop-holes, a curious sight, but one natural
enough on the frontier.
Grouped around three small fires, built close to the front of
the ranche, sat some ten or twelve browned and weather-beaten
men, whose hair hung to their shoulders, and each one of whom
wore a slouched hat, a pair of revolvers, and a good stout knife,
the inseparable companions of a western prairie man. All were
intent on eating supper of fried bacon, slapjacks, and coffee.
They had no guard, doubtless feeling secure in their number
and means of defense, against any Indian attack that might be
made. "Hello!" I shouted, "have you got supper enough for
one more ? " " Yes, if you are white or red ; but if black, no,"
was answered back, with an invitation " to show " myself. I
belden: the white chief. 339
led the pony across the narrow trench which ran around the
stockade, and, mounting him, rode into the yard. As I ap-
proached the party I overheard remarks, such as, "An army
cuss;" "One of those little stuck-up officers." But not ap-
pearing to have heard them, I got down, and asked what party
they were. " Wood-haulers," they replied ; " taking building
logs down the road ; " followed by " Who are you, and where
are you going this late at night ? " I told them who I was,
and that I had now finished my journey, as I intended to stop
there. I was immediately informed in a curt manner that
they guessed it was rather " mixed " about staying there, if I
had any stock along, for the stables were full, and the ranche,
too; and they had no room for any additional people or stock.
I told them that I had two teams standing outside, and that it
was my intention to put the mules and my pony in the stable ;
and if there was no room there, I should make room by turning
out some of their animals. To this I was plainly told that I
could neither turn a mule out or put an animal in, nor could
I remain at the ranche, which they had occupied for their own
quarters. Jack Morrow having left and gone East, probably
never to return. They said they were a little stronger in num-
bers than myself and my two drivers, and I must move on or
they would make me. I told them that I was a United States
officer, acting under orders, and that it would be an easy matter for
me to ride back to Cottonwood and get men enough to enforce
my orders unless they submitted. Several of the rough-look-
ing fellows said that they each carried good revolvers, and that
it was an easy matter to stop me if I attempted to return to
Cottonwood, and swore they would do so. I remained quiet
for a moment, and the leader of the party, looking at me,
asked: " What are you going to do about it?" " I am going
340 BELDEN: THE WHITE CHIEF.
to open the stables and put my animals in shelter/' I replied,
at the same time mounting my pony and riding out to the
sfables, a short distance in front of which stood my teams.
Several of the frontiersmen got up, and, without saying a word,
walked to the stables, and went up close to the doors. I or-
dered the teamsters to drive to the stables, unharness from the
heavy ox-wagons, place their teams inside, and if they could
not find vacant stalls enough, to untie and turn loose mules to
empty the required number for my teams. The teamstera
obeyed by driving up, and when they had dismounted and were
about to unhitch from the wagons, one of the wood-haulers at
the stable door said : " You can save yourself the trouble, mis-
ter, of unhitching them mules, for you aint agoing to put them
in this stable ; and the first man that attempts it I '11 fix.''
" Suppose I wish to open that door and put up my teams,"
said I, 'Svithout any trouble; wouldn't it be better for all
of us ? " " You go to h — 1 ! " he replied ; and added, " you
won't get in this ' stable ; that 's settled." " I '11 see about
that ! " and yelling Turn out I Turn out ! in the Indian lan-
guage, my soldiers jumped from the canvas-covered wagons,
yelling like demons, and brandishing their carbines and re-
volvers in a threatening manner. Never were men so taken
back as the wood-haulers. They were sure we were Sioux, and
started to run, but I called them back. Not a word was then
spoken while my Indians led the mules, that were now un-
hitched, into the stables.
Leaving the teamsters to feed and water their animals, I
turned my pony over to an Omaha, to unsaddle, and marched
my soldiers up to the house, of which I took possession. The
roughs changed their tune, and tried to laugh the matter off,
saying they knew all the time the wagons were full of sol-
BELDEN: THE WHITE CHIEF. 341
diers, and they only wanted to see if I had " nerve." I told
them they could leave their teams in the stables, as my team-
sters told me there was room enough yet remaining for all the
mules, but that in the morning they must leave. At early
light they were off, not, however, before I had found out the
names of the leaders of the gang. The doors of the house
had been taken off the hinges, and the framed pine used to
sleep and chop meat on, all being marked with gashes chopped
in them with axes. The windows were also broken, the glass
and sashes gone, and the building as much damaged as if In-
dians had been there a month. I did all I could to save the
property scattered over the grounds, and remained at the ranche
pome weeks, until an order came for me to go to Omaha as a
witness before the United States Court.
342 belden: the white chief.
CHAPTER LI.
MASSACRE OF COTTONWOOD CA5fON — THE SCUR7Y AMOXG THE TROOPS — LACK OF
ANTI-SCORBUTICS — THEY ARRIVE AT LAST — THE DOCTOR'S ADVICE — THE PLUM
GROVE — CAPTAIN MITCHELL'S PARTY THE INDIAN ATTACK — ESCAPE OP
WISE DEATH OP BENTZ A RACE FOR LIFE — CORRALLED — UNFORTUNATE
ACCIDENTS — PERILOUS POSITION OF CAPTAIN MITCHELL — SPOTTED TAIL — DIS-
COVERY OF ANDERSON A DESPERATE BATTLE DEATH OF ANDERSON IN-
DIAN BARBARITY — MASSACRE OF THE SICK MEN THE ESCAPE AND PURSUIT
A BOOTLESS CHASE.
WHILE the troops lay at Camp Cottonwood, now Fort
McPherson, the scurvy broke out among the men and
caused terrible suffering. There were no anti-scorbutics nearer
than Leavenworth, Kansas, which could be had for issue to
troops, and before these could be received, the disease increased
to an alarming extent. At last, however, the remedies arrived,
and the men began rapidly to convalesce. The doctor advised
them to eat wild fruit and berries, and to take plenty of exer-
cise in the open air. There was a plum grove about four miles
from the camp, and as this wild fruit was very wholesome, the
sick men went out nearly every day to gather it.
One morning, Captain Mitchell, of the Seventh Iowa Cav-
alry, procured an ambulance, and, taking with him a driver
named Anderson, an orderly named Cramer, and seven hos-
pital patients, started for the plum grove. They arrived at the
belden: the white chief. 343
first grove about ten o'clock, and, finding that most of the
plums had been gathered, drove on to another grove some three
miles farther up the cailon. They were now about seven miles
from camp, too far to be safe, but, as no Indians had been seen
lately in the country, they did not feel uneasy. At the upper
grove they found two soldiers of the First Nebraska Cavalry,
named Bentz and Wise, who had been sent out by the quarter-
master to look for stray mules, and they had stopped to gather
some plums. As both these men were well armed. Captain
Mitrhell attached them to his party, and felt perfectly secure.
Bentz and Wise went up the cafion a little way, and while
eating fruit were suddenly fired on from the bushes by almost a
dozen Indians. At the first volley, Bentz had his belt cut
away by a ball, and lost his revolver. The soldiers turned to
fly, but, as they galloped ofi*, another ball entered Bentz's side,
desperately wounding him. They now rode down the cailon,
hoping to rejoin Captain Mitchell's party, but soon saw a body
of Indians riding down the bluff ahead of them, evidently with'
the design of cutting them off. Wise told Bentz to ride hard,
at the same time handing him one of his revolvers, to defend
himself in case of emergency. Bentz was very feeble and
dizzy, so much so, indeed, that he could barely sit in the
saddle.
Wise was mounted on a superb horse belonging to Lieutenant
Cutler, which he had taken out to exercise, and, seeing that the
Indians would head them off, and that Bentz, who was riding
an old mule, could not keep up, he gave the powerful brute rein,
and shot down the cafion like an arrow. He passed the inter-
vening Indians in safety, just as three of them dashed out of a
pocket in the bluff and cut off poor Bentz.
Wise saw Bentz knocked from his mule, and, knowing it
344 BELDEN: THE WHITE CHIEF.
was useless to try to save him, left him to his fate, and thought
only of saving his own life. He rode hard for Captain Mitchell,
who was not far distant, but before he could reach him another
party of Sioux headed him off, and he turned and rode up the
bluffs to the flat lands. The Indians pursued him, and made
every effort to kill or capture him, but his fine horse bore hira
out of every danger. Three times he was cut off from the
camp, but, by taking a wide circuit, he managed to ride around
the Indians, and at last succeeded in reaching the high road
above the camp. As many settlers lived on this road, the In-
dians did not venture to follow him along it, and he was soon
safely housed in the log-cabin of. a frontiersman, and relating
his adventures.
Meanwhile Captain Mitchell, having seen the fate of Ben tz
and escape of Wise, made haste to assemble his party, and,
lifting those who were too weak to climb into the wagon, they
set off for the camp. Mitchell and Anderson were the only
two of the party who had arms, but they assured the sick men
they would defend them to the last. Anderson took the lines
and drove, while Mitchell seated himself in the rear end of the
ambulance, with a Henry rifle to keep off the Indians.
They had not gone far before they came upon a large force
of warriors drawn up across the cafion, to cut off their retreat.
The bluffs were very steep and high on both sides of them, and
escape seemed impossible, nevertheless Mitchell ordered Ander-
son to run his team at the right hand bluff and try and ascend
it. The spirited animals dashed up the steep bank and drew
the wagon nearly half way up, when one of the wheelers balked
and nearly overturned the wagon. A loud yell from the sav-
ages, at this moment, so frightened the horses that they sprang
forward, and before they could appreciate it they were over the
y.
belden: the white chief. 347
bluff on the level prairie, and flying toward the camp at the
rate of ten miles an hour.
They now began to hope, but had only gone as far as the first
plum grcve when they saw the Indians circling around them,
and once more getting between them and the post. Still they
hoped that some soldiers might be in the first grove gathering
p'ums, or that Wise had reached the post and given the alarm,
60 that help would soon come to them. Captain Mitchell fired
his rifle once or twice, to attract the attention of any persons
who might be in the plum grove, but there was no response,
and Anderson drove rapidly on.
The Indians now began to close in upon the ambulance from
all sides. They would ride swiftly by a few yards distant, and,
swinging themselves behind the neck and shoulders of their
ponies, fire arrows or balls into the wagon. Two of the sick
men had already been wounded, and Captain Mitchell, finding it
impossible to defend them while the ambulance was in motion,
the shaking continually destroying his aim, ordered Ander-
son to drive to the top of a hill near by, and they would fight
it out with the red-skins. Cramer now took the lines, when,
either through fear or because he did not believe in the policy
of stopping, he kept straight on. Captain Mitchell twice or-
dered Cramer to pull up, but, as he paid no attention, he told
Anderson to take the lines from him. In attempting to obey
the captain's order, Anderson lost his footing and fell out of the
wagon. The captain now sprang forward, put his foot on the
brake to lock the wheels, when a sudden lurch of the wagon
caused him to lose his balance, and he fell headlong on the
prairie. Fortunately, he alighted near a deep gully, where the
water had cut out the bank, and, rolling himself into it, he
looked out and saw Anderson crawling into a bunch of bushes
21 ^
348 BELDEN: THE WHITE CHIEF.
near by. When these accidents happened, the ambulance had
just crossed the crest of a little hill, and, as the Indians had not
come over it yet, they did not see either of the men fall from
the wagon. The captain had only two revolvers, but Ander-
son's gun, a Spencer rifle, had been thrown out with him, and
he picked it up and took it into the bushes.
In a few moments the Indians came up, riding very fast,
and the main body crossed the ravine near where Captain
Mitchell lay. Some of them jumped their horses directly over
the spot where he was concealed, but in a few moments they
were gone, and soon had disappeared behind the neighboring
divide, leaving the captain and Anderson to their own reflec-
tions. What to do was the next question. That the Indians
would overtake the ambulance, kill all its occupants, and re-
turn, the captain had not a doubt. He determined to go down
the ravine, and, calling to Anderson to follow, started off. He
had already crawled some distance when, hearing the clatter of
horses' hoofs, he peeped over the edge of his cover, and saw
about seventy-five Indians riding directly up to where he was
concealed. Giving himself up for lost he laid down, drawing
his revolvers and preparing them for action, for he was de-
termined not to let the savages have his scalp without making
a desperate resistance. The warriors came up, and, dismount-
ing within thirty yards of him, began a lively conversation.
The chief walked up close to the brink of the ravine, and almost
within arm's length of the captain, and stood gazing on the
ground. Mitchell now saw the chief was blind of an eye and
wore a spotted head-dress ; and he knew by these marks he was
none other than the celebrated Sioux warrior, Spotted Tail.
On making this discovery the captain leveled both his revolvers
at the chief's breast, and was fully determined to firr. He
BELDE^: THE WHITE CHIEF 34S
believed that the loss of five captains would be a small matter,
if by their death they could secure the destruction of the great
leader of the Sioux. Just as he was about to pull the triggers
a loud shout from the warriors caused Spotted Tail to start for-
ward and run rapidly up the hill. The ponies were led down
the ravine and the warriors scattered in all directions, seeking
cover. One of them ensconced himself in the ravine not more
than thirty feet from Mitchell. Raising his head so he could
see out, the captain endeavored to ascertain what caused all the
excitement among the Indians. At first he had thought he was
discovered, then that re-enforcements from the fort had arrived,
and a battle was about to begin ; but now he saw Anderson was
discovered. "When the captain had started down the ravine
Anderson had followed him, and just emerged from the bushes
when the Indians suddenly came up. He had dropped on the
ground, and endeavored to roll himself back among the sage
brush, when an Indian saw him and gave the alarm. The
warriors, not knowing how many white men might be in the
brush, with their usual caution, had immediately sought cover.
A hot fire was opened on Anderson's position, and at first
he did not respond at all. A warrior, more bold or indiscreet
than the rest, ventured to go closer to the bushes, when a small
puff of white smoke was seen to rise, a loud report rang out
on the air, and the warrior fell, pierced through the heart. A
yell of rage resounded over the hills, and three more Indians
ran toward Anderson's cover. Three reports followed each
other in rapid succession, and the three Indians bit the dust.
There was now a general charge on Anderson, but he fired so
fast and true that the Indians fell back, carrying with them two
more of their number.
The captain now felt it his duty to help Anderson, and was
350 BELDEN: THE WHITE CHIEF.
aoout to open fire with his revolvers, when Anderson, who, n;
doubt, expected as much, yelled three or four times, saying, in
a sort of cry, " My arm is broken ; keep quiet ; can't work the
Spencer any more." The brave fellow no doubt intended this
as a warning to the captain not to discover himself by firing,
and he reluctantly accepted the admonition and kept quiet.
A rush by some thirty warriors was now made on Ander-
son, and, notwithstanding his disabled condition, he managed
to kill three more Indians before he was taken. He was over-
powered, however, dragged out of the bushes, and scalped in
full sight of the captain. He fought to the last, and compelled
them to kill him to save their own lives. Nothing could exceed
the rage of the Indians, and especially old Spotted Tail, as he
saw the body of warrior after warrior carried down the hill,
until nine dead Indians were laid beside Anderson. In his
grief for the loss of his braves, the old chief kicked the corpse
of poor Anderson, and the other Indians, coming up, stuck
knives into it. Then they rolled it over, cut nine gashes in
his back, one for each warrior he had killed, and stabbed it
nine times. Next, they drove a stake in the eye, drew it out,
and filling the hole with powder, blew his skull to pieces.
In a few minutes after the death of Anderson, a mounted
party was seen coming over the hills, and about thirty warriors
rode up to Spotted Tail, and reported that they had captured
the ambulance and killed all who were in it. They exhibited
to Spotted Tail the scalps of all Captain Mitchell's late com-
panions, except that of Cramer. The ambulance horses were
brought back, each carrying a greasy mass of brutality, known
down east as a " noble red man."
In a few moments the warriors had their dead comrades se-
curely strapped to ponies, and, mounting their own, set out
fiELDEN: THE WHITE CHIEF. 351
toward the Republican. As soon as they were out of sight,
and it became dark, Captain Mitchell started for the camp,
where he arrived about 10 o'clock, and told the story of the
" Cottonwood Massacre," as I have here related it.
Early the next morning I was sent *out with a strong force
to pursue and, if possible, overtake and punish the Indians.
For two days I followed them hard, and, on the evening of
the second day, came upon a small party as they were crossing
a stream, but, in attempting to charge them, they scattered over
the prairie and were soon lost in the darkness. The trail now
divided in every direction, and it would have been impossible
to follow it unless each soldier had pursued some half a dozen
warriors, when it is not likely he would have returned. So we
turned back, and marched for Cottonwood. The bodies of the
dead had been brought in and buried, and every thing had
been found just as Captain Mitchell had stated.
Private Wise was severely censiu-ed for not immediately go-
ing to the camp and giving the alarm, but he said he had no
idea the wagon and its sick men had ever left the cafion, for
there were at least one hundred and fifty warriors around it
when he came away, so he thought he might as well rest until
morning before bearing such dismal news as he had to commu-
nicate to his fellow-soldiers.
352 BELDEN: THE WHITE CHIEF.
CHAPTER LII.
CAPTAIN Hancock's adventure with the sioux — the stage coach attack —
DEATH OF CINNAMON — A WESTERN STAGE DRIVER — WHAT HE DID WHEN
THE C0A6h was attacked — THE DEAD HORSE — ^A PRED1CA3IENT AMPUTA-
TION OF A LEG — HOW TO FIGHT SIOUX INDIANS — OFF FpR THE RANCHE — A
FUNERAL PROCESSION — ARRIVAL AT OILMAN 's — ALL ABOARD OFF AGAIN
BURIAL OF CINNAMON — RECOVERY OF THE WOUNDED — THE SIOUX TRAIL — THB
SIGNS — WHERE THEY WENT.
DURING the time when we were guarding Ben Holliday's
stage coaches, and when attacks on them were of fre-
quent occurrence, I had an adventure which I think is worth
relating.
I was at one of the lower ranches, and the Indians
were very troublesome. Our guards were nearly all sick or
wounded, and the coaches had to go out insufficiently .pro-
tected.
One evening the coacli was late, and, as to be behind time
was a sure sign that something was wrong, we all felt very
uneasy. The drivers made it a rule to get from one station to
another on time, and if they did not arrive parties were imme-
diately started out to the next ranche, ten miles below, to see
what the matter was, the stations being all eight, ten, and
twelve miles apart.
On the particular evening in question, I had got tired wait-
BELDEN: THE WHITE CHIEF. 35»S
ing, and gone over to the stable-keeper to see if we had not
better take the change horses, go down the road, and try if we
could not find the coach. It was due at the station at 8 : 30
P. M , and it was now ten, so I was confident it had been at-
tacked or had broken down. While we were talking, flbe sen-
tinel on the outpost, whose business it was to look out for the
stage and give notice of its approach, signaled the coach was
coming. We all ran down the road to meet it, and soon saw
it coming slowly along with three horses instead of four, and
the driver driving very slowly, as if he were going to a funeral
or hauling wounded.
When we came up to the coach we learned that he was in-
deed both conveying a corpse and wounded. On the arrival
of the party at the ranche. Captain Hancock, who was a pas-
senger, related to me all that had happened, and I repeat the
story as it fell from his lips.
^' We were, " said the captain, " driving along smartly in
the bottom, about four miles below, when, just as we crossed a
little ravine, some twenty Indians jumped up out of the long
grass and fired on us. The first volley killed Mr. Cinnamon,
a telegraph operator, who was a passenger, and was on his way
from Plum Creek to some point up the river. He was riding
on the box with the driver at the time when he received the
fatal shot, and the driver caught his body just as it was falling
forward off the coach on the rear horses. He put Cinna-
mon's corpse in the front boot among the mail bags, where it
now is.
" The first fire had also killed our nigh wheeler, and, as the
coach was going pretty fast at the time, the horse was dragged
a considerable distance, and his hind leg becoming fast be-
tween the spokes of the fore-wheel, his body was drawn up
81
351 belden: the white chief.
against the bed of the coach, and all further progress com
plete^y blocked.
" The driver took it very coolly, first swearing ftarfully at
the Indians, toward whom he cracked his whip repeatedly, as
if flaying their naked backs, and then, having vented his
spleen, he quietly descended from his box and stripped the
harness off the dead horse.
" Meanwhile the Indians had been circling around us, firing
into the coach every few minutes, and I had got under the
wagon with ray clerks, the better to be protected and to fire at
the Indians, who could be seen best from the ground, as they
moved against the horizon.
" The driver tried in vain to extricate the leg of the dead
horse from the wheel, but it was firmly wedged in, and after
uniting my strength to his I found it necessary to take
ray knife and amputate the leg at the knee-joint. The
body was at length removed, and, mounting the box, the
driver bid us get in, and we were off once more. One of
the clerks had been severely wounded, and, as his wound was
quite painful, we had to drive very slowly; so we were late
getting in. "
While the captain was talking the driver came to the door
to say the coach was waiting, for on the plains stages stop not for
accidents or dead men. I bade my friend good-night, hoping
he would not again be interrupted on his journey by the red
skins, and, the driver cracking his whip, the four fresh bays
bounded forward at a gallop, and soon carried the coach out
of sight of the valley.
Next day we buried poor Cinnamon, and sent the wounded
man to McPherson, where he could have medical attendance,
and we were pleased to learn he speedily recovered.
belden: the white chief. 355
I rode down to where the coach had been attacked, and saw
the dead horse and the ravine from Avhich the Indians had
sprung. The fight had evidently been a sharp one, and I could
see by the trail that the savages had followed the coach nearly
to the ranche, and then struck across toward the Republican,
never stopping, in all probability, until they reached it, ninety
miles distant.
356 belden: THE white chief.
CHAPTER LIII.
tt^SNERAL SULLY's EXPEDITION AGAINST THE SIOUX — THE MARCH UP THfl
MISSOURI — ARRIVAL AT FORT SULLY — OLD KEG, THE GUIDE — INHUMANITY
OF HIS TRIBE— SCOUTING FOR INDIANS — HOT WEATHER — THE INDIANS
FOUND — RACE FOR THE BATTLE-FIELD A DESPERATE BATTLE — HORRIBLE
TREATMENT OF THE WOUNDED — LIEUT. LEVITT HIS DESPERATE ENCOUNTER
WITH SQUAWS — ^A NIGHT OF HORRORS — DEATH OF LEVITT — ESCAPE OF THE
SAVAGES — THE PURSUIT — THEIR DEAD AND WOUNDED LOSS OF THE WHITES.
rriHE bloody engagements between the expeditionary forces,
-"- under General Sully, and the Sioux tribes of the Upper
Missouri, have, perhaps, never been equaled in the history of
Indian warfare on this continent. The incidents of that expe-
dition, I believe, have never been published, and, as I was
present and engaged in it, I will here relate some of them —
General Sully's official report, as is always the case in such
documents, being necessarily brief, and omitting those minor
details which are of most interest to the general reader.
The troops consisted of the Second Nebraska Cavalry, Col.
Furnas commanding; a battalion of the Sixth Iowa Cavalry,
Major House commanding; two companies of the Seventh
Iowa Cavalry, and two companies of infantry with the train,
for guarding the supplies.
The forces moved up the Missouri, and established at Fort
Sully a supply depot. This place is nearly opposite old Fort
Pierre.
BELDEN : THE WHITE CHIEF. 357
Early in August, 1863, we marched for the Indian country,
with instructions to punish the savages, who had been com-
mitting horrible outrages on the whites in Minnesota. The
weather was intensely hot, and we toiled slowly along, march-
ing early in the day and lying by during the afternoons. We
had reached Cannon Ball River, and were moving on to
Painted Wood River, when our scouts found an old Indian,
by tJie name of " Keg," and brought him in. This old fellow
had been left by his inhuman companions to die by the side of
a stream. He related that he had frozen his feet during the
past severe winter, and the hot weather having inflamed his
sores so he could not travel, his tribe had stolen all his ponies
and blankets, and cast him out to die of starvation. Gen. Sully
had his wounds dressed, gave him clothing and food; and this
kind treatment so deeply touched him, that he felt bound to
answer all the generaPs inquiries concerning his ungrateful
tribe.
He said they had gone to the lakes, some hundred miles dis-
tant, to hunt buffalo, and would be there a long time, as they
wished to take enough meat to last them during the fall and
winter. On this intelligence, the general moved forward, tak-
ing with him old " Keg " as a guide.
Every day the sun poured down his intense rays from nine
o'clock in the morning until four o'clock in the ^ternoon, and so
great was the heat that we could only march very early in the
morning and late in the evening; nevertheless, we made good
days' journeys. The nights were so cold we had to wear thick
woolen clothing and sleep under blankets. This condition of
the weather kept us constantly peeling off to keep from roast-
ing, or shivering in great overcoats.
Scouts were out daily looking for Indian camps, and fresh
358 belden: the white chief.
trails and skeletons of recently-killed bufiklo warned us that
the Indians were not far off. One evening we came to a lot of
fr«sh carcasses that had evidently been slaughtered but a few
hours before, and General Sully, halting, sent out Major House
to scout.
We were now moving among a tier of beautiful little lakes,
some ten miles apart; and these were the ones alluded to by old
" Keg '^ as the hunting-grounds of his tribe. The general had
instructed the scouts to move with great caution, and not alarm
or engage the Indians, but simply report what they saw.
On the day in question, after Major House had gone out, I
lay down in my tent to sleep, and, as was the custom, the whole
camp, except the guards, was asleep, for we had been marching
nearly all night. About three o'clock I was awakened by a
great uproar, and, rushing out of my tent, saw troops stream-
ing over the prairie to the westward. It took but a moment
to learn the cause of all this excitement, and it was to the effect
that Major House had found the Indians posted in force on a
ridge not far off, and a great battle was about to begin. Not
waiting to dress, I buckled on my revolvers, and, mounting
my pony, placed myself at the head of a squad of my men,
and galloped hard for the battle-field, eleven miles distant. It
was a long ride on that hot day, but we reached it at last just
as the sun was going down over the western hills. "VVe found
the Indians drawn up on a jutting ridge, with their women,
children, and ponies corralled behind them in a hollow. Gen-
eral Sully was already on the ground, and directing the move-
ments of the troops as they came up. The savages were soon
completely surrounded, and we impatiently waited for the ac-
tion to begin. The Indians kept falling back on a spur that
put into a deep ravine, and were, in a short time, closely
BELDEN : THE WHITE CHIEF. 359
crowded together on the extreme point. They liad evidently
only halted to fight Major House's force, and were appalled on
seeing our great numbers.
The troops were dismounted, and. No. 4 holding the horses,
Nos. 1, 2, 3, of each set of fours in the cavalry advanced to
fight on foot. We had approached quite near the savages and
halted, when an orderly was seen to gallop up to Major House
and deliver an order from General Sully.* We saw House's
men slinging their carbines, and in a moment we knew it was
an order not to attack. A murmur of disappointment ran
along the lines; and, at that moment. Captain Bayne, of the
Second Nebraska Cavalry, stepped out in front of the men,
and said :
" Boys, we have come a long way to fight the Indians, and
now, that we have got them, I am in favor of whaling them.
Shall we advance?" "Yes! yes!" ran along the lines, and
Bayne cried out : " Each mcin pick his Indian." There was
no order to fire, but every soldier leveled his carbine. An
Indian was now seen advancing, wrapped in a garrison flag,
and crying, " How ! how ! " moving his hand up and down, as
if shaking hands. As yet not a gun had been fired, and the
Indians stood wrapped in their blankets, their arms concealed,
and only the top of a bow in sight here and there. They were
very cool, and stood perfectly still. The Indian in the flag
continued to advance, and when he was close to our line, a
little Dutchman on the left fired and killed him, he gathering
the flag about him as he fell, and making of it a winding
sheet. There were two or three more shots along the line,
* The order referred to was from General Sully, to hold the Indians in
check and not attack until he had concluded the council he was then hold-
ing with some of their chiefs.
360 belden: the white chief.
then a scattering volley; and the Indians on the hill throw-
ing off their blankets, nearly every one was seen to have a
gun. The action soon became general along our line, and
Major House^s battalion wished to join in the battle, but their
officers, stepping in front of them, declared they would cut
down the first man who fired a shot. About one hundred and
twenty-five Indians had gone up on the hill where General
Sully was, and were holding a council with him when the
battle began. They immediately b^gan to withdraw, but Gen-
eral Sully ordering his body-guard, two companies of cavalry,
to surround them, they w^ere all taken prisoners.
The Indians were now fighting desperately, most of them
having mounted their ponies, charging and yelling furiously.
It was growing dark, and, as the darkness increased, the sav-
ages became more bold, dashing among our men and toma-
hawking them as they forced their ponies through the lines.
The soldiers, with clubbed guns, resisted them, and many a
pony, Indian, and white man went down together in death in
that bitter hand-to-hand struggle. House's men had become
engaged, and the battle surged and roared over the hills, the
flashes of the guns lighting up the darkness of the fearful
scenery. Despite our exertions, many of the Indians escaped,
and the remainder held firmly to the hill. We lost a little
ground after dark, and the battle lulled. All night we lay on
the ground near where we had fought, and within hearing of
the cries of our wounded, many of whom had been left behind
in the hands of the Indians. Little did we know of the fear-
ful tragedy that was enacting on the hill above us under cover
of night; for if we had, we would have advanced and ended it,'
though it had cost the lives of one-half the men in the command.
As soon as it was dark the squaws had descended from the
BELDEN; THE WHITE CHIEF. 361
hill, and attacking our helpless wounded with long-handled
tomahawks, beat their brains out, after which they took a
butcher-knife and cut out their tongues.
Lieut. Levitt was wounded early in the action, and his
horse at the same time being shot, and falling on his leg, held
him fast, so that when the men fell back he was, unfortunately,
left behind. He said next day, he saw the squaws come down
the hill and attack our wounded and dying men, nearly all of
whom bravely defended their lives, wounding many of the
squaws. He lay close to his dead horse, partly hidden by his
saddle, and he hoped they would not discover him. Presently,
however, he saw a squaw approaching, evidently with the de-
sign of rifling the saddle-bags. While she was engaged in this
occupation she saw the lieutenant, and, springing quickly back,
struck at him with her tomahawk. He made a thrust at her
with his saber, but could not reach her. After trying for some
time to kill him with her long-handled weapon, she screeched,
and brought half a dozen other squaws to her assistance.
They all now attacked him, making feints and motions, and
then suddenly striking him. Using his saber as well as he
could in his cramped and disabled condition, he, for a long
time, kept them at bay. He held his left hand over his head,
and with his right thrust out with the sword. The fingers of
his left hand were nearly all broken, and the flesh on his arm
so gashed and bruised, that it was laid bare to the bone all the
way from the wrist to the shoulder, and the tendons severed at
the elbow. At length, making a desperate thrust, he severely
wounded a squaw, and. she set up a fearful howling; the rest
carried her off", and did not again return to molest him. So
weak was he, from fatigue and loss of blood, that he fainted as
soon as the squaws left him. Next day we found the poor
862 BELDEN: THE WHITE CHIEF.
fellow in a terrible condition, and brought him to camp, where
every thing was done for him that kindness could suggest, but
he died after a day of great suffering.
To return once more to the battle-field. After the fighting
for the day had ceased the Indians crept away, and before
morning nearly all had escaped. "VVe followed them up, and
found nearly every buffalo wallow, filled with their -dead and
wounded. They would carry them along until they came to a
wallow, and then, depositing them, leave them to their fate.
We counted in all two hundred and twenty-five dead Indians,
and we had one hundred and twenty-five prisoners. There were
also seven hundred head of Indian stock killed, wounded, oi
captured. Our own loss amounted, in killed and wounded, to
fifty-eight men, eighteen belonging to the Second Nebraska
Cavalry, and forty to the Sixth Iowa Cavalry.
BELDEN: THE WHITE CHIEF. 365
CHAPTER LIV.
AN INDUK ATTACK — ATTEMPT TO RESCUE THE PRISONERS — LIEUT. BATNE's
SCOUT — THE WARNINU MISTAKEN PRIDE — SURROUNDED BY SAVAGES — ^A
DESPERATE SITUATION — ^BATNE's IRRESOLUTION — A BRAVE SERGEANT- •
DREADFUL CHARGE — FIGHTING FOR LIFE — THE COMMAND SAVED— THE SER-
GEANt's HORSE WOUNDED — HE IS LEFT BEHIND INGRATITUDE OF HIS COM-
RADES — NOBLE SACRIFICE — HEROISM OP THE SERGEANT — HE KILLS EIGHT
INDIANS — DEATH OP THE SERGEANT — THE RETURN TO CAMP — BAYNe's RE-
PORT — HONORS TO THE DEAD SERGEANT' S BODY.
SEVERAL of us were standing by the bed-side of poor
Lieut. Levitt, who had just finished his story of suffering
and honor on the battle-field, and now lay dying. It was sad in
the extreme, for we all loved him dearly, and not a man of us,
as we watched his heavy and painful breathing, could refrain
from hating the authors of so much misery. As for myself, I
made a resolve I would not rest until I had at least two scalps
at my girdle for Levitt's death, and I fear there were many
similar resolves made by the hardy and hardened men who
surrounded that death-bed.
Scarcely had we reached our tents, when " bang ! " " bang ! "
went the guns of the pickets on the hill, and the cry of " In-
dians! Indians!" resounded through the camp. There was
rushing to and fro, and mounting in hot haste; but, in less
time than it takes to record it, a hundred horsemen were flying
to the support of the pickets. I did not go out, thinking it a
22
366 BELDEN: THE WHITE CHIEF.
feint ; it proved, however, to be a real attack of the red rascals,
who had returned, hoping to surprise us, and, by a dash, suc-
ceed in liberating the 125 of their people we held prisoners.
The assault was a feeble one, and soon repelled, not an Indian
escaping from our camp to reward the savages for their enter
prise.
As soon as the Indian attack was over. General Sully ordered
the Indian camp and supplies to be destroyed. It was a very
large camp, well stocked with provisions and robes, and the
burning of it was no small job. Teepees were pulled down
and heaped up on the lodge-poles, and on top of these were
thrown bales of robes, parfleshes of meat, and pieces of wood.
The whole was then fired, and stirred up until it burned down.
Thousands of articles were consumed, and the soldiers, in the
light of this burning town, looked like real fire fiends as they
ran about in their red shirts thrusting their torches in every
combustible pile.
While the town was burning a most lamentable sight was
witnessed. The Indian dogs that had been left in the village
with the property, as was customary, trotted about, howling
most dismally. They had little shafts strapped to their sides,
and on these were tied cooking utensils, and, not unfrequently,
Indian babies. During the battle many of the dogs had be»
come frightened, and hid away in the rocks and ravines, and
the Indian mothers, making their escape in the night, had to
go away without their babies. The dogs, true to their charges,
would not allow the soldiers to approach their loads, but fled
over the hills when any one went toward them. In a little
while they would return, and, sitting on a hill-top, gaze at the
burning town and cry piteously. The little babies, that the
dogs were dragging about on their travaises, never cried, but
BELDEN: THE WHITE CHIEF. 367
lay perfectly still, though the dogs galloped over ditches and
gullies, shaking and jolting them at a terrible rate. The sol-
diers, not being able to catch the dogs, shot them, and it some-
times happened the dog would move, or the aim not be good,
when the baby, instead of the dog, would receive the ball. It
was, perhaps, well it was so killed, for if left out on the prairie
it would have starved to death; if brought in, we had no way
to keep it or take care of it, but if dead it was at rest. Poor
little creatures, however much we pitied them we could not
help them.
When the camp was burned, General Sully determined to.
follow up the Indians and administer still further punishment,
as they exhibited no signs of coming to terms. It was deeply
to be regretted they had not been attacked in the first fight, but
the only way now was to fight it out and conquer if possible.
The general detached Lieut. Bayne, with sixty men, to scout
and find the Indians. Taking the old trail, Bayne pushed on,
and the first day out came upon two Indians who were making
their way on foot to the blufls. One of them seemed to be
wounded, and was leaning on the shoulder of his companion,
who pretended to be helping him along. When first noticed
they were moving slowly, but, on Lieut. Bayne calling out to
his men, " There are two of the rascals, let us go for them,
gallop, march,'^ the Indians began to run. The guide, who
was an old and experienced frontiersman, no sooner saw the
Indians set off than he rode up to Bayne, and called out:
" Look out, lieutenant, they are a decoy ; see how that lame
Indian mends his pace."
'^ Silence, sir," retorted Bayne, angrily, to this well-meant
admonition ; " I, not you, command here."
The guide, without uttering a word, reined up his horse and
368 BELDEX: THE WHITE CHIEF.
allowed the column to pass him, and then turning toward the
camp, plunged the rowels into his steed^s flanks, and in a mo-
ment had disappeared behind a protecting bluff.
Bayne kept straight on following the two Indians up a
narrow cafion, and gaining on them every moment. He was
now within pistol shot of them, and they were running for
dear life, when suddenly they disappeared, and instantly the
hills swarmed with Indians.
" They are in our rear," shouted several soldiers, and, halt-
ing the command, Lieut. Bayne looked down the cafion and
saw three or four hundred savages coming out of the bluff,
and completely closing the passage along which he had just
marched.
*^Look! look!" shouted the sergeant, and directing his
eyes up the valley, the lieutenant discovered two solid lines
of savages advancing upon him, stretched out from bluff
to bluff.
" We are lost ! " cried Bayne, and, for the moment, seemed
completely prostrated by the sad predicament into which he
had got himself and his devoted troopers. "Fours, right-
about, wheel," shouted the sergeant, and the men mechanically
obeyed the order. " Now," cried the brave sergeant, " ones and
fours, cut right and left, and twos and threes, go ahead ; steady
column! forward! gallop, march!"
Away went the troopers, and dashing at the solid lines of
Indians, rode or cut them down. Fast and furious fell the
saber strokes, and the savages, appalled at the sudden and ter-
rific onset, parted in twain, and allowed the column to pass
through to the open plain. Many horses were wounded, but
strange to relate, not a man was killed. Lieutenant Bayne
fought desperately at one time with his single saber, holding
BELDEN: THE WHITE CHIEF. 369
the Indians in check, until some troopers, who had got behind,
came up and passed through tlie gap.
Once out on the plain the column headed for camp and rode
swiftly forward. Suddenly the brave sergeant^s horse was seen
to stagger and reel under his weight, and then fall to his knees.
He reined him up and allowed the column to pass, then calling
to some troopers, who were behind, to stop and take him up
behind on one of their horses, he dismounted, but the demoral-
ized soldiers paid no attention to his request, and the column
swept on. Once more mounting his steed, the sergeant pushed
him to his utmost speed, hoping to overtake the column, but
seeing he was each moment losing distance, and the noble
horse becoming more and more feeble, the sergeant turned him
off the trail and rode him across the prairie. This he did for
the purpose of drawing as many of the Indians as possible after
him and thus, by sacrificing his life, increase the chances of
escape for his comrades. "We saw the gallant fellow dashing
over the prairie, followed by a horde of hooting savages. Sud-
denly the horse stopped, sank to the ground, and rolled over
dead. The sergeant lay down behind his horse, and taking
deliberate aim at the foremost Indian in the chase, killed him at
the first fire from his Enfield rifle. Quickly loading, he fired
again, and another Indian fell. He now drew his revolvers, and
sheltering his body from the arrows and bullets of his savage
assailants, fired away at them. It was not until he had killed
eight Indians, and fell weak and bleeding from wounds, that
they could get him from behind his horse ; then they dragged
him out and scalped him, but seeming to respect his bravery,
refrained from mutilating his body.
The guide, after leaving Lieutenant Bayne, had waited only
to see the attack begin, and then rode straight to camp, where
82
370 BELDEN: THE WHITE CHIEF.
he informed General Sully of all that had happened. Generaj
S. lost no time in sending re-enforcements to Lieutenant Bayne
who was met a short distance from camp, quietly returning, the
Indians having given up the pursuit after killing the brave
sergeant.* The whole party returned to camp, and Lieutenant
Bayne was immediately ordered to make out a full report of
the affair. He did the sergeant justice, and when General
Sully read the report, he sent out a strong force, brought in
the body of the sergeant, and buried it with all the honors of
war.
* The sergeant here referred to, was Sergeant Bain, of the Second Ne-
braska Cavalry. A short time before Lieutenant Bayne' s scout took place,
Sergeant Bain had been reduced to the ranks for having scalped twenty-
seven Indians. The circumstances were these : Sergeant Bain, while out
following the Indians after the battle fought by General Sully, near Goose
Lake, on the third of September, 1863, came upon a buffalo-wallow, filled
with sick and wounded Indians, some of whom were in a dying condition,
and otliers barely able to sit up. With a ferocity unparalleled, he sprang
into the wallow, tomahawked twenty-seven of the Indians with their own
tomahawks, and scalped them with their own scalping-knives. He did this,
he said, in revenge for the squaws cutting the tongues out of the mouths
of our wounded the night before, and in order, as he observed, that the
Indians might know how it went to have their own barbarity applied to
themselves. He was, undoubtedly, influenced by honest, but, nevertheless,
mistaken motives ; but, for his cruelty, he was broken by General Sully, and
reduced to the ranks as a private.
After Bayne' s scout, in consideration of the signal services he had ren-
dered the command on that occasion, the order was revoked reducing him
as sergeant ; he was reappointed a sergeant, and then his poor body was
laid to rest, and there was not an officer or soldier in the command, but
felt a regret for his untimely and sad death. — Editor.
belden: the white chief. 371
CHAPTER LV.
SCOUTING ON THE REPUBLICAN — HIDING ALONG THE CREEKS — SALLY OUT TO
KILL A BUFFALO— THE WOUNDED CALF — HUNTING BUFFALO WITH TWO IN-
DIANS — EACE AFTER THE HERD — ANOTHER FRIGHTENED HERD THE CAUSB
OP ITS ALARM — PERILOUS SITUATION — HIDING IN THE BLUFFS — RETURNING
TO CAMP — UNEXPECTED GAME — SOME STEAKS AFTER ALL — ^A HASTY SUPPER —
THE FLIGHT — SAFE IN CAMP,
\
IT was while I was with Colonel Brown that I had an ad-
venture which came near being my last, and, as I have
omitted to relate it in its proper place, I will here insert it.
We were camped on a tributary of the Republican, and I
had been sent out with a small party to scout. Our numbers
were too few to travel by daylight, and, besides, it was not our
business to be seen, but to see. We had been traveling through
a buffalo range, and one evening, unable to resist the tempta-
tion to hunt, I sallied out down* the little creek on which we
had been hiding, hoping to stalk a buffalo calf. I had not
gone far when I saw a fine fellow grazing near the water's
edge, and, firing, broke his shoulder. He made off for the
herd, which was feeding near by, and thinking I could soon
overtake and finish him, I mounted my pony and made after
him. Notwithstanding his three legs, he ran along so smartly
that, before I could overhaul him, he had joined his dam and
mbgled in the herd. The buffaloes started across the prairie^
372 BELDEN: THE WHITE CHIEF.
and, chagrined and excited, I followed, determined to get some
buiFalo meat before I returned to camp. I knew I was get-
ting too far from the camp for safety, but still on we went, up
hill and down, my little pony each moment gaining on the
herd. I had got quite close, and was about to shoot, when I
saw another herd coming in the opposite direction at a full
run. Knowing buffalo did not move so rapidly unless fright-
ened, I stopped and looked hard at them, but seeing nothing,
I concluder' they had been started by prairie wolves, and,
plunging the iDwels into my pony, continued the pursuit after
my own herd. They soon swung round to the left, and joined
the herd I had seen flying across the flat. I was on the right
of the herd, which was now very large, and had just singled
out a fine young bull, and was about to fire, when, seeing the
head of the drove suddenly lurch to the left and change the
direction of the whole body, I looked, and, to my horror, saw
two Sioux Indians hunting on the right of the herd. Quickly
reining my pony up, I dodged into a ravine in rear of the
buffalo, and, riding around the bluff, waited with fear and
trembling the events of the next few minutes. I scarcely
dared hope I had not been seen, and yet, singular as it may
appear, such was the case. Kiding up on the bluff when I
found no one was after me, I saw the buffalo in full flight, and
a dozen Indians firing arrows into the now thoroughly fright-
ened beasts. I at once took the back track, and as my route
to camp carried me along the trail the second herd had run, I
fortunately found the carcasses of two fine buffaloes sticking
full of Sioux arrows. I cut out some choice steaks, and then,
haggling the meat so as to make the Indians think a wolf had
been at their game, I rode back to our hiding-place, taking
good care to keep in the ravine? mtil I reached the creek.
BELDEN: THE WHITE CHIEF. 373
Hastily broiling some of the buffalo on the coals, we saddled
up and left the place, well knowing that the Sioux would re-
turn to skin and dress their game, and fearing they might dis-
cover it was a two-legged wolf that had been cutting up their
beef for them.
Had I fired a single shot at the herd, it would probably
have proved my last buffalo hunt, as subsequent events showed
I was near an Indian village, and in the midst of a large
Sioux hunting party.
Under cover of night we crept away, and by building only
small fires, eating sparingly, and riding hard, we succeeded in
making our escape, and returning in safety to the military camp.
374 belden: I-he white chief.
CHAPTER LVI.
appointed a second lieutenant in the regular army — go to wash-
ington— call upon my old friends in ohio — join my company — hunt-
ing deserters — ^with general sweitzer — ^extraordinary sportsman-
ship — prairies on fire — a beautiful sight — indian attack on lieut.
McCarthy's command — the phil. kearney massacre ground — lieut.
SHIRLY'S INDIAN BATTLE — ^MARCH TO HIS RELIEF — SCOUTING ON THE POWDER
RIVER — ^A STORM — BLUE SKIES AGAIN — THE CROW INDLANS — A NATION OP
BEGGARS — NOBLE CHIEFS — RETURN TO THE FORT.
IT was on the 10th of July, 1867, that I was informed 1
had been appointed Second Lieutenant in the regular
army, the appointment to date from the 9th day of June.
This commission was given me for services rendered during
the war, and was not a little gratifying to me, as a position
in the army would enable me to continue, in a more regular
form, the wild life on the frontier, of which I had become
so fond.
As the law then required all officers to be examined before
being assigned to duty, I immediately set out for Washington,
to report to General David Hunter, who was President of the
Board of Examiners. In due time I passed the ordeal, and
was assigned to the Second United States Cavalry, then serv-
ing in the Department of the Platte. On my return home to
the West, I stopped for a short time at New Philadelphia,
BELDEN: THE WHITE CHIEF. 376
Ohio, to visit some relatives and friends, and spent several
delightful days with them. All the way through the East,
I could not help noticing how crowded together the people
lived, and I can not to this day understand how it is possi-
ble for men to be contented where there are no prairies or
wild game.
On the 8th of September I started to join my company,
which was stationed in the Powder River country of the Rocl^y
Mountains. Our route lay up the Platte River to Julesburg,
and thence to old Fort Laramie, where I was placed on tem-
porary duty, with Company F of the Second Cavalry. We
marched to Fort Fetterman, and then to Reno, where I met
the command of General Sweitzer, and reported to that
officer.
My first military duty was to pursue three deserters, but, after
searching several trains, and following them thirty-three miles,
I lost all trace of them, and returned, having made a dead fail-
ure, for which I received the comforting assurance of the com-
manding officer that I ^' would do better next time.^'
General Sweitzer sent me to Fort Phil. Kearney, and imme-
diately on my arrival there, I wa;^ ordered out, with forty sol-
diers, to guard some workmen who were cutting hay near the
post. The country abounding in game, I amused myself by
hunting, and the first day out killed four elk, one black-tail
deer, and an antelope. The next day I killed three wolves,
one of which was a large gray fellow, and the day after that
shot a black-tail deer and a fine young antelope. Going into
the garrison to draw rations for my men, I carried in my game
with me, having several hundred pounds of meat, which I gave
to the officers. From the 10th to the 27th of October, during
which time I was stationed near the hay-fields I killed the fol-
376 belden: the white chief.
lowing extraordinary quantity of game : two buffalo, four elk,
four Rocky Mountain sheep, eight black-tail deer, seven ante-
lope, five wolves, five prairie chickens, one mountain grouse,
one jack rabbit, one small rabbit, and one fox squirrel, besides
wounding nineteen animals, which I did not get. This was
considered good hunting, even in that prolific country.
In the last days of the month the Indians fired the grass all
around the post, and for a time we thought we should be burnt
up. The slopes of the hills, as far as the eye could reach, were
covered with lines of fire, and tall sheets of flame leaped up
from the valley or run crackling through the timber. The
parade ground of the garrison was lighted up at night so one
could see to read, and for a distance of many miles every tree
and shrub could be distinctly seen. The crackling of the fire
sounded like the discharge of thousands of small arms, and
every few moments the bursting of heated stones would resound
over the valley, resembling the booming of distant cannon. In
all my life I had never seen so grand and imposing a sight,
and never expect to witness one like it again. For three days
the flames raged over a vast extent of country, and then, hav-
ing consumed all the grass and dry trees, went out, doing us
no harm, owing to the streams around the fort, which com-
pletely checked the advance of the destroying element.
The first day of November a horseman approached the fort,
riding at full speed, and his horse covered with foam. The
officers gathered around the head-quarters, to learn what was
up, and we were soon informed that the messenger had brought
a note from Lieutenant McCarthy, which stated that his whole
command, while escorting a train to Big Horn, had been sur-
rounded by Indians, and that he was then hard pressed, but
would endeaver to hold out until forces could be sent to his
BELDEN: THE WHITE CHIEF. 377
relief. The messenger said he had cut his way through the
Indians, and had to ride for his life all the way to the fort.
General John E. Smith, who commanded the post, ordered me
to take Company D, Second United States •Cavalry, and go
immediately to the assistance of Lieutenant McCarthy. In
an ho'ir we were well on the road, and soon reached the be-
leaguered command, which had driven off the Indians before
our approach, and was then moving on its journey.
As we returned to the fort, we rode over to the Phil. Kear-
ney massacre ground, and Major Gordon pointed out to me the
places where the hardest fighting had -taken place. There, on
the 21st of December, 1866, three thousand Sioux, Cheyenne,
and Arrapahoe warriors, under the noted Sioux chief. Red
Cloud, surrounded Colonel Fetterman and his command, and
killed every one.
The ground was still covered with the debris of the fight.
Skeletons of horses and mules, human bones, pieces of skulls,
knapsacks, torn uniforms, and broken guns lay scattered over
the ground for a mile or more. Major Gordon showed me
where Fetterman made his last stand, and where eighty-six
soldiers and citizens lay dead in one pile. He also pointed
out to me the rock behind which Jim Wheatley, the guide,
and Captain Brown had taken shelter, and in front of which
fifteen Indians lay dead. This massacre was unparalleled in
the history of savage warfare. The fight was desperate in the
extreme, each soldier firing until his ammunition gave out,
and then defending himself with rocks and the butt of his
gun. One bugler boy was seen to knock two Indians down
with his bugle before he was run through by an Indian
lance. Tlie stones and rocks were still stained with blood
and covered with hair where the Indians had beat out the
83
373 BELDEN: THE WHITE CHIEF.
brains of* the white soldiers with their war clubs. I pickea
up an old flint-lock Indian gun, and it bore the brand, "Lon-
don, 1777." The history of that gun would certainly be cu-
rious could it be written — how many battles and skirmishes
had it been in ? where had it traveled, and how many wild an-
imals, Indians, and white men had it slain? These and many
other questions suggested themselves to my mind while looking
at this relic of by-gone days.
I now remained in the fort for several days, engaged in mil-
itary duties, but found time to ride out occasionally and shoot
a bufiklo or elk, these animals often coming down in full sight
of the post.
It was the 5th of November when a runner came hastily
into the fort to announce that Lieutenant Shirly, who had been
sent out with a detachment of men, had been attacked by two
hundred Indians, and a severe battle had been fought. The
lieutenant had been shot through the foot and severely
wounded, one soldier killed, and seven wounded. It was late
in the evening when the news of the battle reached us, and at
one o'clock at night Colonel Green left the fort with two com-
panies of cavalry, and arrived at the scene of the battle about
daylight the next morning. We found wagons overturned,
and sacks of flour, sugar, rice, and bacon scattered over the
ground. Boxes of crackers, packages of stationery, pipes, to-
bacco, books, belts, scabbards, swords, and broken guns lay
every- where. A dead horfee, and a mule with a saddle yet on,
lay on the road, and further out on the plain were a dozen dead
ponies, where the Indians had charged. All the savages had
left, but the trail was only a few hours old, and leading east-
ward. While most of the soldiers went in pursuit of the In-
dians, the rest of us busied ourselves in looking aft^r th«
BELDEN: THE WHITE CHIEF. 379
wounded. One corporal had his thigh broken, and another
his hand shattered, rendering amputation necessary in both
'^ases A soldier was shot through the lungs, another in the
knee another in the shoulder, and still another in the arm. A
citizen, who had acted as postilion to a mounted howitzer, re-
ceived a ball in the thigh. Lieutenant Shirly's wound was
very severe and painful, the ball having passed through the
instep and flattened against the sole of the boot. Shirly said
the principal object of attack by the Indians was the howitzer,
they having killed or wounded every man around it in their
efforts to capture it. They no doubt wished to secure the
piece, so as to shell and annoy the forts with it.
We gathered up the stores as well as we could, and, taking
the wounded men, returned to the fort. Soon afterward the
cavalry came in, having failed to overtake the Indians.
I started out to scout with Major Gordon's company of cav-
alry, and the second day a violent rain and snow-storm broke
upon us. The wind blew a gale, and we went into camp as
soon as we could find shelter. Toward evening the wind fell,
the rain ceased, and the sun came out bright and warm, dis-
persing the gloomy clouds. Next morning, however, it was
very cold, and we took the road as soon as it was light, push-
ing on smartly until we reached Fish Creek, a distance of four-
teen miles. During the day I shot several prairie grouse, and
some birds. In the evening, after we had pitched our camp, a
band of Indians appeared on the hills to the west, and, on being
hailed, answered they were friendly Crows, and asked permis-
sion to come in and' visit us. Major Gordon said they might
come, but they soon annoyed us so the major was obliged to
drive them off.
We marched to Muddy Creek the following day and en-
380 BELBEN: THE WHITE CHIEF.
camped, Avhere the Crow Indians again visited us, and begged
every thing they could, even to small pieces of straps. The
chiefs : Bad Elk, Little Wolf, and Bird-in-the-Neck were with
them, and these noble red men were not too proud to beg, or
so honest they would not steal.
Our march now lay to Big Horn, and, on the third day,
which was the evening of the 13th of November, 1867, we
reached the post.
belden: the white chief. 381
CHAPTER LVII.
OARRISOS LIFE — ^HUNTINa ROCKY MOUNTAIN SHEBP — A CHASE AFTER INDIANS
—HOW THEY CARRY OFF THEIR DEAD — SIEGE OF MCPHERSON's TRAIN — THE
RELIEF — JOY OF THE RESCUED — THE BATTLE-FIELD— MARCH HOMEWARD —
THE DESERTED LODGE — INDIANS AGAIN — WOLVES AND THE OLD BUFFALO
BULL — ^AT PHIL KEARNEY — BASACHE, THE RUNNER — HER HISTORY — HOW
. SHE KILLED THE BEAR — WHY SHE RECEIVED HER NAME
HUNTING, scouting, and reading occupied my time till the
end of the month, when I went out to kill buffalo and
Rocky Mountain sheep. We soon saw three sheep standing on
some shelving rocks, far up the mountain side, and leaving the
corporal,. who was with me, to hold the horses, I climbed for an
hour among the rocks, and at the end of that time found my-
self within three hundred yards of a fine buck. I fired, and
he fell over, when the ewes that were with him started to run
away, and, although I succeeded in putting two balls into one
of them, she got off. The buck had both his fore-shoulders
broken; but was very anxious to fight me, striking with his
horns, and kicking like a mule with his hind feet. I soon
laid him out with my big butcher, and started in pursuit of
the wounded ewe. Following her trail for over a mile, often
getting heavy falls, she at last had ascended che rocks, where
it was impossible for me to climb, and I turned back to secure
and dress my buck. His horns were enormous, and cutting
off his head, I carried it to the fort, where I presented it to
382 BELDEN: THE WHITE CHIEF,
our accommodating quartermaster, Gen. Dandy, who wished tc
send it to some friends in the East.
Next morning I again started out, accompanied by Colonel
Smith, Dr. Gisedorf, and some soldiers. It was snowing, and
the thick undergrowth made so much noise that, although we
saw several deer, we did not succeed in killing any. Leaving
my companions, to see if I could not scare up something by
myself, I soon came upon a fresh bear track, and followed it
for six miles, when I gave out, and sat down. Fortunately,
one of the soldiers had followed me with my horse, and mount-
ing, I rode back to camp, having shot nothing during the day
but a mountain grouse. This was the poorest day's hunting I
had ever done in that country.
On the 29th of November the pickets on the hill overlook-
ing the fort signaled " Indians," and a few minutes afterward
reported that they were attacking the ox train, three miles dis-
tant. I immediately saddled up some horses, and, accompanied
by a small party of cavalrymen, set out for the train. On our
approach the Indians, ten in number, made off, and we gave
chase. After following them about seven miles, we overhauled
four savages, and killed them. A dozen times we got within a
hundred yards of the others; but could not get any more of
them.
It was wonderful to see the coolness and agility of the sav-
ages. "When one would get wounded or killed, the rest would
halt, and, in a moment, lash him to his horse, when they would
set off again at a full gallop. We succeeded in getting two
ponies ; but the Indians put the dead bodies of their comrades
on other ponies, and carried them off. One Indian was tied by
the neck to the bow of his saddle, and by one leg to the cantle,
the other one dragging on the ground.
BELDEN: THE WHITE CHIEF. 383
Early in December a messenger came to the fort, and re-
ported that, a train belonging to Mr. McPherson ha(} been
attacked and corralled, about forty miles out on the Phil
Kearney road. The same nighj; Mr. McPherson^s herder came
in, and confirmed the report, stating that the men with the train
had been fighting since Sunday morning, and when he left one
had been killed and seven wounded. I was ordered out with
the cavalry company and one mountain howitzer, and directed
to go, with all possible haste, to the assistance of the train.
We had not marched more than ten miles from the fort,
when, near Rock Creek, we were fired upon by a small party of
Indians, who were concealed in the bluffs. Their fire did no
harm ; and we pushed on until near morning, when we were
challenged with "Who goes there?" and upon answering,
" Relief from the fort," cheer after cheer burst from the throats
of the besieged men. They were wild with joy, and many sat
down, and cried like children, when they knew they were really
delivered from a horrible death. Over two hundred Indians
had surrounded them, and only left when they learned of our
approach. So closely had they watched, that it was impossible
to get word to the fort, and one man was killed while attempt-
ing to steal through the Indian lines. The herder had only
escaped at great risk, and by keeping in a ravine until he got
among the rocks, where he crawled for over a mile on his hands
and knees.
The battle-field bore marks of a desperate conflict, arrows,
guns, blankets, dead oxen, and ponies lying thick over the
ground. We saw white human bones, where the wolves, in the
night-time, had dragged the bodies out on the prairies, and
eaten every particle of flesh off of them. Even the skulls were
broken in, and the brains sucked out by the ravenous beasts.
384 BELDEN: THE WHITE CHIEF.
Gathering up the wounded, we set out with the besieged
train fdi* the fort; and on the first night of the march campeid
on Clear Creek, where we saw, in the evening, signals being
made by the Indians on the raou'ntain sides with poles and red
feathers attached to the end of them. Pushing out a small
jjarty in the direction of the savages, they soon came upon a
lodge the Indians had just left, and which still contained cook-
ing utensils, pipes, tobacco, and some robes. Destroying the
lodge, the party returned to camp ; and we saw nothing more
of the Indians. In the morning I witnessed a curious contest
between an old buffalo bull and a pack of wolves. Nearly a
hundred of these fierce brutes had attacked the old fellow, and
were endeavoring to pull him down. They had torn open the
scrotum, and terribly lacerated his hams. After watching the
unequal battle for some time, we put an end to it by firing a
volley into the wolves, who scampered off. We then killed
the old buffalo, and started on our march for Shell Creek. We
camped there all night, and the next day reached the fort, the
day being very cold and a rain falling at the time we entered
the stockade.
I now busied myself in making a suit of buckskin, taking
my tour as officer of the day, and occasionally shooting a few
sage hens and rabbits.
So time passed until the 9th of December, when I went out
one morning to hunt blacktail deer ; and on my return to the
fort in the evening, I learned that the Indians had been there,
and attempted to run off the herd. I determined to be more
careful in the future, and remain in the fort, lest I should lose
my scalp.
I had employed, as cook, an Indian girl named Basache; and
«s she was good looking, I was constantly annoyed by young
BELDEN: THE WHITE CHIEF.
385
warriors of the friendly Crow tribe, who came to court her.
Basache had a history, which is worth relating. She was a
Crow ; and one fall, when her tribe was out hunting, a startling
adventure befell her, she
then being a mere child.
The village was pitched in
a valley, beside a heavily-
timbered stream; and the
men were killing buffalo,
while the squaws were en-
gaged in cutting up and
preserving the meat and
hides, Basache had gone
out into the woods to gather
berries, and was climbing
up a vine on an old tree,
to pick some grapes, when,
through an opening in the leaves above her head, she saw two
great eyes glaring at her from a hole in the trunk. In a mo-
ment she knew it was a bear, and began to descend as rapidly
as possible ; but the bear also slid rapidly down the inside, and
came out just as Basache reached the ground. She started to
run, the bear following close at her heels. When she emerged
from the timber several warriors, who were strolling near the
village, saw her, and aimed their guns to shoot the bear, but
feared to fire, lest they should hit the girl. Seeing the bear
would catch her, they called out to her to lay down ; and instantly
she dropped as though she was dead. Bruin came up, smelt
her face, and, taking his paw, rolled her over and over. She
kept her eyes shut ; and presently the bear sat down beside her,
as if to meditate upon the matter. Bears will not touch a dead
386 BELDEN: THE WHITE CHIEF.
human body; but Bruin seemed to have his doubts as to
whether Basache was really dead. Meanwhile, the warriors
resorted to various artifices to attract the attention of the bear,
and, if possible, draw him off in pursuit of themselves. At
length they succeeded, and told the girl to run for the village ;
but no sooner did she rise to her feet than Bruin left the war-
riors, to pursue Basache. She ran as fast as she could ; but the
bear was soon again close upon her ; when, seeing no chance
of escape, she stopped, drew her tomahawk, and, as he came up,
dexterously struck him between the eyes, sinking the sharp
blade deep into his brain. The brute turned around, fell to
his knees, and, roaring furiously, rolled over on his side, and
died. So the Indians named the girl, who, before this occur-
rence, had no name, Basache, " the bear-runner."
belden; the white chief. 387
CHAPTEE LVIII.
lyDIAN ALARMS — THE SIOUX — STANDING TO ARMS — ^ATTACK ON THE WOOD-
CHOPPERS — BATTLE AT PINEY — DEATH OP THE WOOD-CHOPPERS — PURSUING
THE INDIANS— THEY WON't FIGHT THE SOLDIERS — ANOTHER ALARM — FIRE —
SUSPICIONS OF TREACHERY — TO FORT RENO AND BACK — NEW YEARS IN
CAMP — THE INDIANS ON THE HILLS — A COUNCIL— SPEECH OF DR. MATTHEWS
TO THE CHIEFS — THEIR REPLY — THE COUNCIL ENDS IN SMOKE AND BAD
BLOOD — TRADING WITH THE INDIANS — A BRIDAL ROBE — THE UPPER AND
LOWER CROWS — BASACHE DETERMINES TO LEAVE ME — SHE GOES TO JOIN
HER TRIBE.
ON the 13th of December we had a serious alarm, the
friendly Crows reporting a large body of Sioux warriors
approaching the post, evidently with the intention of making
an attack, as they were in war paint, and had sent all their
pack-horses and women to the rear. The companies were all
got out, the cannon and arms cleaned, and every preparation
made for battle. We remained under arms all night, but
morning came and we were still unattacked. About eight
o'clock it was announced that our outpost, at Piney Creek,
near the fort, where the wood-cutters were, had been attacked,
five Indians killed, and six wood-choppers wounded, four of
whom had since died. The Indians had captured all the oxen
and wagons, and driven them off. A half-breed, who came
into the fort, said a number of Crow Indians were in the fight
with the Sioux, and, on going out, we picked up several Crow
388 BELDEN : THE WHITE CHIEF.
arrows, which had been fired at the wood-cutters. This was
not, however, considered conclusive evidence against the Crows,
as we knew the wily Sioux had, in all probability, fired the
arro;vs, in order to get the Crows into trouble, they having,
of late, made several efforts to induce the Crows to join them
in their war against the whites.
We marched out to the relief of the wood-cutters, and,
although the hills were full of Indians, we could not induce
any of them to come down and give us battle. "We found
most of the cattle, and brought in the wood-men, five of whom
were dead.
' Sioux, Cheyennes, and Arrapahoes in great numbers continued
around the fort, causing us much uneasiness^ — as we knew, from
their sullen deportment, they were bent on mischief. One night,
just as we were going to bed, several shots were fired by the
sentinels, and we all sprang from our beds, anticipating every
moment an Indian attack. The alarm proved, however, to be
caused by a fire, which had broken out in the barracks, near
the corrall. The wind was blowing stiffly at the time, and,
for awhile, the whole garrison was in danger of being burned,
but the prompt exertions of the soldiers extinguished the
flames, and restored safety. To add to our troubles, while the
fire was burning, the Indians came around, and we were by no
means certain that it was not a ruse to get us off our guard
and then attack us. The gates were closely watched, however,
and the savages finally retired without making any hostile
demonstrations.
In the last days of December I was ordered down to Fort
Reno with the mails, and set out, taking with me thirty men
and two wagons. In three days I reached my destination in
safety, having had a pleasant journey, and without seeing any
belden: the white chief. 389
Indians. After waiting three days for the return mails, I
started for Kearney, and reached that place on the 31st of De-
cember, thus closing the' year with a most dangerous, but suc-
cessful trip.
Next day 1 ate a New Year's dinner with Lieut. Warrens
and his accomplished lady, and spent some delightful hours.
On the second of January, the Indians again appeared around
the fort, and Dr. H. W. Matthews, one of the Peace Commis-
sioners on the part of the United States Government, called
them to meet him in council. A number of chiefs and prin-
cipal warriors came in, and, after they were all assembled,
Dr. Matthews rose, and said :
"Chiefs and warriors: There was a time when the Indian
and white man were friends. The Great Spirit and the white
father at Washington desires they should still be friends.
Your father has sent me to tell you this, and to try and in-
duce you to listen to his words. He is anxious to please you,
and wishes you to live at peace with his children. Yesterday
was a great medicine day among the whites. Resolutions and
good intentions made on that day are sacred, and will be kept
throughout the year. We resolved to be at peace with you,
and have sent for you, that we might talk together and under-
stand one another. I hope that the peace we now make will
be a lasting one, and kept, not only throughout the year, but
forever. I would like to make a treaty now, but the great
father will not permit me to do so, as I am but a subordinate
chief. He has authorized me, however, to say to you, that if
you will cease from war on his people during the winter, early
in the spring he will send his commissioners, who are great
chiefs, to sign your treaty at Laramie. This offer he makes
you as a last offer, and if you reject it, the white father will
390 BRLDEN: THE WHITE CHIEF.
be very angry. He loves you, but is not afraid to punish you
I hope you will consider well what I have said, and decide
wisely on peace.''
When this speech had been translated into Sioux, Cheyenne,
and Arrapahoe, so that all the Indians understood it, the doctor
sat down, and a Sioux warrior, named " Stabber,'' addressed the
council as follows :
" Whoever our father, who has just spoken, is, I believe he is
a good man. We are told that the great father (President)
sent word some time ago for his soldiers to leave the country,
and I want to tell you that we want them to hurry and go.
Send word to the great father to take away his warriors with
the snow, and he will please us. If they can go right away,
let it be done, so that we can bring our old men, women, and
children to live on these grounds in peace, as they did before
you all came here. The Sioux, Arrapahoes, and Cheyennes
never fought each other until you came and drove away the
game (meaning in the whole West), and then attempted to
drive us away. Now we fight each other for sufficient ground
to hunt upon, though all the lands to the East were once ours.
We are talking to-day on our own grounds. God Almighty
made this ground, and when he made it he made it for us.
Look about you, and see how he has stocked it with game.
The elk, the buffalo, and deer are our meat, and he put them
here for us to feed upon. Your homes are in the East, and
you have beef cattle to eat. Why, then, do you come here to
bother us ? What have you your soldiers here for, unless it is
to fight- and kill us? If you will go away to your homes and
leave us, we will be at peace ; but if you stay, we will fight.
We do not go to your homes; then why come to ours? You
say we steal your cattle and horses; well, do you not know
belden: the white chief. 391
that wlien you come into our lands, and kill and drive away
the game, you steal from us? That is the reason we steal your
stock. I am done."
When " Stabber " sat down, " Black Hawk " came forward,
and said:
" Where was I made? I was raised in the West, not in the
East. I was not raised in a chair, but grew upon the ground.
(He then sat down on the earth, and continued :) Here is my
mother, and I will stay with her and protect her. Laramie
has always been our place for talking, and I did not like to
come here. You are getting too far West. You have killed
many of our young men, and we have killed some of yours
in return. I want to quit fighting to-day. I want you to take
pity on us and go away."
A Cheyenne chief next addressed the council. He said :
"We have been told that these forts are to be abandoned
and the new road given up, and we have come in to see about
it. If this is true, tell me so. I never thought we would
come to a Council so far west; but the old men prevailed, and
we are here. All last summer we heard that Gen. Harney
wanted to see us at Laramie; but we would not go. Gen.
Sherman also sent for us ; but we would not listen while yoii
were here. I do n't know the name of my father there (point-
ing to Dr. Mathews), nor who at present is my great father
(President) at Washington; but this I do know, my father
(his parent), when he raised me, told me to shake hands with
the white man, and try to live at peace with him, for he was
very powerful. But my father also told me to fight my ene-
mies, and since the white man has made himself an enemy, 1
6ght him. How are you our enemy ? You come here, and
drive away our game; and he who does that steals from us our
392 BELDEN : THE WHITE CHIEF.
bread, and becomes the Indian's bitterest enemy, for tlie Indiaii
must have food to live. I have fought you, and I have stolen
from you ; but I have done both to live. The only road you
have a right to travel is the Platte road. We have never
crossed it to fight you. I am a soldier. I have q great many
young men here who are soldiers, and will do my bidding. It
is our duty to protect and feed our old men, women, and chil-
dren, and we' must do it. If you are friendly, why do n't you
give us powder and bullets to shoot game with? We will not
use them against you, unless you do us harm. I want ten
kegs ; and when the other tribes know that you have given
them to me, they will know we are good friends, and will come
in and treat, and we will all live at peace. I came here to hear
talk ; not to make talk. We are poor. Take pity on us, and
deal justly by us. I have done."
The next speaker was a Crow chief, who, standing by the
council table, said :
" Sioux, Cheyennes, Arrapahoes, Crows, Father : I have
been listening to your words, and they sound good. I hope
you are not lying to each other. The Crows have long been
the friends of the whites, and we want peace for all. We want
powder; and when the white father makes us presents, I
want him to give us a good deal of ammunition."
An Arrapaho chief said :
I want to say this I'Tou are here with your soldiers ; and
what for? Soldiers are your fighting men. Do you then
want to fight ? If so, tell us. If you desire peace, send yom
soldiers away. I have some of your stock. I would like to
see you come, and try to get it back."
This closed the speaking on the part of the Indians, and Dr.
Matthews replied. He said that the Peace Commissioners
BELDEN; THE WHITE CHIEF. 393
would as willingly meet at Laramie as at any other place; but
that it was more convenient for the Indians to come to Fort
Kearney. He did not say when the posts would be abandoned,
or the country and roads given up. He made no reply to the
demands for powder ; but simply said : " If the Indians cease
fighting, and keep the peace during the winter, the Commis-
sioners will meet them in the spring, and make a treaty which
will be satisfactory to both parties."
The council broke up, having effected no good result; and
the Indians left more dissatisfied than ever. When asked why
Bed Cloud did not attend the council, a chief replied : " He
has sent us, as the great father has sent you. When the
great father comes, Red Cloud will be here." This evidently
meant that the haughty chief would only treat through his
agents or ministers, unless the President was present in person.
After the council I went down to the Arrapahoe camp to
trade for some buffalo robes, and finally succeeded in getting a
fine bridal robe ; but had to pay the enormous price of $98 for
it. I brought it up to the post, and showed it to the officers,
some of whom had never seen so fine a robe ; and all wanted
to buy it. Gen. Smith wished me to get him one, and seeing
he had taken a great fancy to the one I had, I presented it to
him ; but had hard work to prevail upon the good old man to
accept so valuable a present. Next morning I went into the
Sioux camp to buy another robe ; but could not induce the In-
dians to sell any for money, though they offered me any thing
they had for powder and bullets. A single charge of powder
was worth $4, and four ounces of the little black grains would
bring $40. The officers were not allowed to sell the Indians
ammunition, however ; and so I failed to make any trades.
One day Basache, my Indian cook, came to me in great glee,
84
394'^ BELDEN: THE WHITE CHIEF.
and announced that the Upper Missouri Crows, who had not
visited the Montana Crows for some years, were coming down
to live with them. She said her father was the head chief of
the Upi^er Crows ; and she must go immediately on their ar-
rival, and join her tribe. I readily acquiesced, and gave the
happy girl a present of a new dress to wear on the occasion. 1
asked her to stay a few days longer, and tan some skins for
Gen. Smith, which she said she would be pleased to do. On
the eighth day she went away ; and I was sorry to part with
her, for she really was a very kind-hearted and useful servant.
belden: the white chief. 39r)
CHAPTEK LIX.
RED OLOn> ABOUT — BASACHE RETURNS — SHE IS TIRED OF BEING A GHIBF's
DAUGHTER WITH NOTHING TO EAT — INDIAN ARTICLES OP VALUE — THEIR
PRICE — LETTERS FROM HOME — STARTLING NEWS A CURIOUS CEREMONY —
CHRISTENING AN INDIAN CHILD — SUPERSTITION ABOUT CRYING THE DOG
LAW — INDIANS EATING DOGS — AN AMUSING OCCURRENCE — NO FAVOR AMONG
CURS — THE SPRING COMING ^BIRD SHOOTING.
ABOUT the middle of Januaiy, Red Cloud came down
and encamped within ten miles of the fort, sending word
he was for peace, but would not come to the post, or talk with
any of the officers. At the same time, Basache came back and
begged me to take her again into my service. She found it
much pleasanter, and far preferable, to being even a great chief's
daughter. These chiefs had little else for women, she said, than
plenty of hard work ; so I returned her to my pots and kettles,
and* she was once more happy. She had been with me but a
short time, when her father sent her word to return to the tribe,
and notified me that Basache must not live any longer with the
whites. I advised her to go back to her father's lodge, but this
she positively declined to do.
I had, by trading with Indians, secured a great many curi-
ous and valuable things, and as the list of articles in my
cabinet shows the variety and cost of Indian goods, I will here
append it :
596
BELDEN: THE WHITE CHIEF.
One Lance, . . •
Two Bows, .
One Pipe-tomahawk,
Seven Arrows,
Thirty Arrows,
One Arrow,
Fifteen Arrows,
Ten Arrows,
One Bow-case and Quiver,
One Gun-cover — beaded.
Two Knife Scabbards,
One set Scalp Feathers,
One pair Mocca°ins,
One pair Moccasins,
One pair Moccasins,
Two Tobacco Pouches,
One Gun Case,
One Saddle Cover,
One Hundred Brass Beads,
One Squaw Dress,
One Double-knife Scabbard,
One Single-knife Scabbard,
One Beaded Belt, .
One Beaded Buffalo Eobe, .
One Painted Buffalo Eobe,
One Painted Buffalo Eobe,
One Porcupine Garnished Eobe,
Two other fine Eobes, .
One tanned Grizzly Bear Skin,
One Eed Stone Pipe, ,
One pair Leggings — beaded, .
Six Arrapahoe Arrows^
Three Buffalo Eobes — plain, .
One Indian Blanket — painted,
Twenty-seven Strings Beads, .
Thirty-five Strings Beads, .
One Indian Pony, .
One Garnished Bridal Eobe,
One Garnished Bridal Eobe, .
Sioux, ,
Sioux,
Sioux, .
Arrapahoe,
Sioux, .
Nee Perce,
Crow,
Cheyenne,
Crow, •
Sioux,
Sioux, .
Sioux,
Sioux, .
Cheyenne,
Crow,
Sioux,
Sioux,
Sioux,
Nee Perce,
Sioux,
Sioux, .
Sioux,
Crow,
Sioux,
Sioux, r
Cheyenne,
Sioux, .
Sioux,
Sioux, .
Sioux,
Sioux, ,
Arrapahoe,
Sioux, .
Sioux,
Sioux, .
Sioux,
Crow,
Sioux,
Cheyenne,
The routine of garrison duty occupied us until the fifth day
of February, when I received letters from home informing me
of the marriage of my eldest sister, and the death of a lady
belden: the white chief. 897
who was an old and esteemed friend of the family. The letter
of the husband of this lady, written to a brother then at our
post, was, to me, one of the most touching epistles I had ever
read, and it made a deep impression upon my mind.
While at Fort Phil. Kearney, I was called upon to partici-
pate in the curious ceremony of christening an Indian child.
The father, Raphael Galleges, was a half-breed, and the mother
a Sioux Indian. A Sioux warrior stood up on the mother^s
part, and I represented the father. All the women, except the
mother, were excluded from the building, and then a bunch of
sweet-scented grass was rolled up with some " Indian medicine,*'
in a piece of elkskin, and set on fire. The room was soon filled
with smoke, and the mother, taking the child, held him over the
fire until the little fellow was completely smoked, when the
father, taking him by the left hand, called him by name,
"George Galleges.'' The mother next dropped some clear
water on his face, and rubbing him thoroughly, the ceremony
was ended. It was considered a good omen, that during the
ceremony the child did not cry, for if he had, it would have
been emblematical of a troublesome life, and that he would
become an enemy of his ''godfather." I was thoroughly glad,
therefore, when the little fellow thus showed his good temper,
for it would have given me great pain to reflect that, in after
I'fe, I should be obliged to kill my Indian namesake.
About this time there was an amusing occurrence at the gar-
rison that will bear relating. . The post had become filled with
dogs, and General Smith, the commanding officer, determined
to get rid of the nuisance. An order was accordingly issued to
shoot all dogs found running at large during the daytime ; and
soon several curs who had no masters to tie them up were killed
and thrown outside the stockade. The Indians, who were
24
398 BELDEN: THE WHITE CHIEF.
camped near, were not long in learning of the order; and,
every morning, presented themselves to receive the dead car-
casses. One day, the officer of the day shot a large dog near
the guard-house, and, on turning around, to his horror saw his
own favorite dog following him. He ordered the sentinel not
to shoot him, and immediately sent him home and had him tied
ip; but the officer to whom the dog that had been shot be-
longed, watched his chance, and threw the dog belonging to the
officer of the day over the stockade, when he was immediately
nabbed, killed, and cooked by the Indians. This created a
great row about the dog-law, but it was finally decided that it
would not do to be partial, and that, if one loose dog was killed,
all must share the same fate.
It was now well along in the month of March, and the sun
was becoming quite warm, so that we knew the spring was
approaching. Birds were numerous, and I often went out
hunting near the post and met with good success, but did not
dare venture far enough away to kill larger game than rabbits,
sage hens, and occasionally an antelope or deer.
BELDEN: THE WHITE CHIEF. 399
CHAPTER LX.
THP SIOUX THRRATEN FORT KEARNEY — ATTACK ON INFANTRYMEN — RUN INTO
THE FORT — GENERAL SMITH's INTERVIEW WITH THE SIOUX — WHO THEY
WERE AND WHAT THEY SAID — A CAVALRY SCARE — THE INDIANS ENCAMP
NEAR THE FORT — THEIR DEFIANCE — ^A TRAIN SIGNALED — ^WB GO OUT TO
MEET IT — CORRALLED BY INDIANS — DESPERATE SITUATION A FIGHT —
TWENTY AGAINST TWO ^A STRUGGLE FOR LIFE — THE GATES OF THE FORT
THROWN OPEN SAVED PUNISHMENT OF THE INDIANS — RETURN TO
■/
FRIENDS — A JOYFUL EVENING.
ON the 8th day of April the Sioux, mounted on fleet 'horses,
appeared in large numbers on the bluffs north of the fort,
and rode furiously around the hilltops, yelling and brandishing
their weapons in a hostile manner. Many of them carried scalp
poles, and were dressed in feathers and war paint. Most of the
former parties had professed friendship, but these fellows would
not come down to the fort, and were defiant in their actions.
Some of the officers went outside of the stockade to see the In-
dians, but the savages would not allow them to approach the
hill on which they were. General Smith then signaled them
to come into the fort, but they refused. Three or four of them
crossed the creek and galloped toward the fort, but wheeled
suddenly and made off. Presently we saw three infantry sol-
diers, who had been out hunting, running for the fort, and a
long line of Indians, stretched out like skirmishers, following
400 belden: the white chief.
close in pursuit of them. The men were nearly exhausted, and
the Indians could easily have overtaken them, but seemed only
desirous of giving them a good fright. "We opened the gates
and let the poor fellows in, who, perhaps, never were so happy
in their lives as when they saw the gates of the fort close be-
tween them and their enemies. The stockade was crowded with
men, and the Indians sat quietly on their horses, apparently
watching to see what we would do. General Smith ordered
the cavalry to saddle up and stand to horse, and then, taking
Boyer, the interpreter, rode out of the fort and approached the
hill where the Indians were. He wished to go up to the sav-
ages, but Boyer advised him not to do so, and, yielding to his
advice. General Smith told him to call to the Indians to come
down and talk with him, which he did, but for some time could
succeed in getting no reply, when General Smith, advancing a
few steps, cried out, " How ! " This was immediately answered
by some one on the hill with " How ! '* The general then
directed Boyer to repeat again that he wished to talk with
them, and an Indian, who seemed to be a chief, inquired,
" What do you want to talk about ? ^'
Gen, Smith (to Boyer). "Ask him who they are and what
they want.''
The Chief. " We are part of Red Cloud's warriors, and come
to see when you are going to leave our country with your
soldiers."
Gen, Smith, "Ask them where they have come from, and
where they are going."
The Chief, " We have been fighting the Snakes on the
Laramie road, and are going north.''
The chief and three or four warriors then rode down quite
near the general, and the interview continued.
BELDEN: THE WHITE CHIEF. 401
Gen. Smith, ''Tell them they have been expected for some
time by the Peace Commissioners at Laramie, to sign the treaty
about these lands."
ITie Chief, " We have been at the big talk at Laramie, and
the Commissioners promised us the forts should be pulled down
and the country abandoned in two months.''
G&r, Smith. " Ask him if the time is up.''
The Chief. " It is, and we want to know why you stay here
with your soldiers."
Gen. Smith. " We have made preparations to go, and will
leave as soon as we are ready, but if your warriors commit
depredations or kill any more white men, we will not go at
all, but stay here, kill you, and drive off your game."
The Chief. " We are not afraid, but I want you to go, and
meantime give me some food for my young men to eat. Do
you see that creek over there? Give me something to eat, and
I will go over and encamp on its banks to-night."
Gen. Smith. " I have nothing to give you, but I want to
warn you to restrain your young men from committing any
depredations around here."
At this stage of the interview, the cavalry company, which
i:
General Smith had ordered to saddle up and stand to horse,
but not to show themselves, was seen marching out of the gates
of the fort, and as soon as the Indians caught sight of it they
wheeled their ponies, and, putting the whip to them, never
stopped until they were out of sight.
General Smith ordered the company bacl!, and was much
provoked at the interruption of his" talk, as well as the false
impression it had made on the minds of the Indians of treach-
ery on his part. Toward evening the Indians again returned
to the hill, but they could not be induced to come down or
36
402 BEI.DEX: THE WHITE CHIEF.
talk. One of tliem, who was Red Cloud^s son, rode down,
and, passing around the fort, minutely examined the works,
but would not come in, or talk.
Near sunset the Indians were seen crossing the flat towara
the creek where the chief had indicated that he would camp.
The evening gun was fired as they crossed the stream, and the
whole party halted and looked at the fort. After consultation,
they seemed to think some sort of defiance had been given
them, and a warrior, aiming at the fort with his gun, fired.
The ball struck on the parade-ground, but did no harm. The
Indians then went into camp, but left the next morning for Red
Cloud's head-quarters, which were supposed to be near by.
Two days later, another party of Sioux came down near the
fort, and, on the day following, a large band of Arrapahoes
encamped within a mile of us. There was no doubt now in
our minds that the Indians meant mischief, and were gather-
ing around the fort with the intention of attacking it as soon
as their numbers should be sufficiently strong.
All remained quiet, however, until the 10th of June, when,
about five o'clock in the evening, the pickets signaled a train
was approaching, and I rode out with Lieutenant McCaulley,
of the Twenty-seventh Infantry, to meet it. We had gone
across a small knoll to the south of the pickets, and passed out
of sight of them but a short distance, when suddenly we saw
ten Indians riding down upon us. I called out to McCaulley
that they were hostile, and we must ride for the fort as hard as
we could. Turning our horses, we set off at full speed, and had
got within full sight of it, and only about a mile and a half
from the gates, when we observed some twenty Indians passing
directly between us and the fort, evidently with the design of
cutting us off. We were passing along the base of a steep hill
BELDEX: THE WHITE CHIEF. 403
at the time, and I told McCaulley we must climb the hill and
fight it out until help could reach us. Dismounting, we clam-
bered up the hill, dragging our horses after us, who made the
ascent with the utmost difficulty. When we had got about half
way up, several Indians came to the foot of the bluffs and fifed
at us. We had no guns, but I could easily have killed one of
them with my revolver, and was about to fire, when McCaulley
called out not to shoot until they came closer.
We had now got to the top of the hill, and took up our posi-
tion on the very crest. The Indians, going around to where the
ascent was not so steep, were soon seen coming up, so as to sur-
round us on three sides. Sheltering our horses behind the crest,
on the side where there were no Indians, I told McCaulley to
hold the animals while I drove back the enemy. Covering a
big savage with ray revolver, I was again about to fire, when
McCaulley said, " Do n't shoot until they charge," and at the
same time the Indian, seeing my pistol pointed at him, turned
and ran down the hill, followed by several others. I now
brought it to bear on other parts of the line, and the cowardly
rascals ran whenever I aimed at them.
We were in full sight of the fort, and anxiously looked for
help, but as yet could s^e no one coming to our assistance. I
now examined my revolvers, and to my horror, discovered I
had but two charges in the barrels, and no ammunition with
rae. The situation was perilous in the extreme, and I almost
gave myself up for lost, but determined not to die without a
struggle.
Suddenly McCaulley called to me to look out, and turning
my head, I saw an In lian crawling on the ground within
twenty feet of the hoises. As McCaulley spoke, the savage
fired an arrow, which barely missed the lieutenant, and buried
404 BELDEN: THE WHITE CHIEF.
itself deep in the shoulder of his horse. The animal reared^
and plunged with pain, but McCaulley hung to him, while 1
pointed my revolver at the Indian, who sprang, to his feet and
ran down the hill, leaping twenty feet at a jump.
I now had to be very active, and bring my pistol to bear in
every direction, but observing I did not fire, the Indians be-
came more bold, and approached within a few yards of us.
Then, taking deliberate aim, I pulled the trigger, and an In-
dian dropped from his pony and rolled down the hill. The
other savages fell back some eighty yards and commenced
firing at us. The wounded horse was very restive, and I told
McCaulley to let him go, which he did, when the animal
bounded down the hill, and, to our delight, most of the sav-
ages put after him. About a dozen, however, again began to
ascend the hill, and borrowing one of McCaulley's revolvers,
I waited until they were within thirty feet of us, when I fired,
and one fellow fell, but clung to the neck of his pony, and with
the help of his comrades got away.
They were close upon us again, when a shout of joy burst
from the lips of McCaulley, and turning my eyes toward the
fort, I saw the gates swing open, and the cavalry come stream-
ing out. The Indians had seen it, too, and were preparing to
charge, when I called out to McCaulley, if we could hold on
a few minutes longer, we would be saved, at the same time
directing him to let the remaining horse go and give me his
other revolver. He did as I desired, and, running around the
hill-top, I fired seven shots in rapid succession, with such good
effect as to cause the Indians to take to their heels. The
shouts of the approaching troopers could now be distinctly
heard, and the Indians, putting whip to their ponies, soon dis-
appeared over the hills.
BELDEN: THE WHITE CHIEF. 4u7
During the fight, one red rascal, who had a rifle, had gone
up on the ridge opposite us, and which commanded our posi-
tion, and taking shelter behind a rock, had amused himself by
firing at us fi^r over an hour. One of his balls ripped open
my jacket, and another cut Lieutenant McCaulley's sleeve. I
also got an arrow through my collar, and one struck the vizor
of my new uniform-cap, completely ruining it. We lost one
horse which belonged to me, and had on when captured, a
fifty-dollar saddle, and a Mexican hair-bridle, that I had paid
one hundred and twenty-five dollars for, but a few days be-
fore.
The cavalry that rescued us, pursued the Indians and over-
took them, when they had a sharp fight, but it is not known
how many were killed, as it was took dark to see. We had
had a narrow escape, and late in the evening, when we returned
to the fort, and received the congratulations of our friends, I
felt happier than I had done for many a day.
408 belden: the white chief.
CHAPTER LXI.
MT ARMY DUTIES — TROUBLES CUSTOMS OP SERVICE — TUB WRITTEN AND UN-
WRITTEN LAW — MODERN SLAVERY — PERPLEXITIES OP A YOUNG OFFICER'S
LIFE — GUARD MOUNTING — OLD ARMY OFFICERS — MILDNESS OF THEIR MAN-
NERS — HOW THEY TREAT YOUNG OFFICERS — VENERABLE BUFFERS — GUARC
CEREMONY — THE OFFICER OF THE GUARD — POST ADJUTANTS OLD AND NEW
GUARDS — RELIEVING THE GUARD — POSTING THE SENTINELS — MINUTENESS OP
MILITARY DUTY — ERRORS — THE PUNISHMENT.
I DID not get along very smoothly in the army, the wild
life I had led having in a great measure unfitted me for
the duties of a soldier. Thus, one day, after finishing my nice
new buckskin suit, I put it on and went out to show it to my
friends, when the Adjutant of the post placed me under arrest
for not wearing the United States uniform. On another occa-
sion I was caught with a pair of moccasins on, and imme-
diately sent to my quarters and threatened with arrest. Then
I could not be at roll-calls at the precise moment I should have
been there, and this enraged that peculiar old clock, Major
Gordon, who was constantly blowing me up. Other sources
of annoyance, such as omissions to cross a ^ or dot an i in pro-
ceedings of courts-martial and boards, constantly presented
themselves, so it did not take me a great while to become
thoroughly disgusted with the service. Those who think an
officer has an easy time of it are most wofully mistaken, for I
- BELDEN: THE WHITE CHIEf'. 409
certainly know of no harder or more thankless labor than serv-
ing in the army of the United States. Every man who ranks
you is your master, and you are, to all intents and purposes, his
slave, though they call it by the polite names of senior and jun-
ior. I did not like the dry old " Blue-book," and still less that
excellent and entertaining cobweb of Hardee's, called " Tactics,"
while as to the unwritten " customs of service," there was no
end to them, and they were, if any thing, more obnoxious
than the written ones.
A single example will serve to show some of the difficulties
that beset the young officer on entering service, and I can
assure the readei the problem given is only one of many more
difficult that the youthful soldier is compelled to work out im-
mediately on joining his regiment. A day or two after report-
ing at the garrison, he receives a neatly-folded three-cornered
note, elaborately done in red ink, informing him that he has
been detailed for " Officer of the Guard to-morrow." The cer-
emony of " Mounting the Guard " generally takes place in the
cool hours of the morning, in the presence of the commanding
officer, the old officers, and the ladies. If a new lieutenant is
to mount guard for the first time, the turnout is always unusu-
ally large, and should the poor devil make a single mistake in
the long rigmarole that follows, he is not only laughed at by
his comrades, but severely scolded by the commanding officer.
There is a form in the " Blue-book " for mounting the guard,
which is about as clear as the " Rule in Shelly's Case," but much
of what takes place is the " custom of service," or the whim of the
commanding officer, who wishes his guard mounted in a " pae-
TICULAR manner J^ These old bummers, who sail through the
world under the general title of "commanding officer," are
mostly dried up with age, and as cross as a Texas cow. They
410 BELDEN: THE WHITE CHIEF.
scrutinize every movement, and a saber held a little out of tlie
perpendicular, or a hand half an inch too high upon the piece,
will cause them to rear and charge like a bull in a china-shop.
As to a downright mistake, should you be so unfortunate as to
make one, they no sooner observe it than they grow purple in
the face with rage, and if they did n't swear they certainly
would burst.
I give the problem of guard mounting in the regular army,
as I worked it out when in the service, though it is a long time
since I " mounted a guard," and it is probable I may have for-
gotten something.
The line has been formed, and the officer of the guard takes
his post in front of the center of his guard and about four paces
from it. At the command, "Front!" given by the adjutant,
the officer of the guard marches forward eight paces, and at
the command given by the adjutant, " Officers and non-commis-
sioned officers ! About fece ! Inspect your guard ! March ! " the
officer of the guard makes an about-face, stands fast until the
sergeants and corporals reach their stations, when he commands,
" Order arms ! Inspection arms ! " and, returning his saber,
marches to the center of the guard, faces to the left, and, march-
ing to the right of the guard, inspects the arms from right to
left of the front rank, then passes in rear of the rank from left
to right, scrutinizing the uniforms of the front rank men. Next
he goes to the rear rank, which is inspected from right to left,
and the uniforms of this rank are examined, and then the ser-
geants and corporals are inspected. He then marches frem the
rear to the right of the front rank, draws his saber, and, step-
ping one pace to the front, faces to the left, and commands,
" Open boxes ! '' If there is cavalry in the front rank, he passes
it, going down the front line, and inspecting only the boxes of
belden: the white chief. 41",
the infantry. The rear rank is then inspected, and, afler all is
done, he takes post four paces in front of the guard, and the
adjutant commands, " Parade rest ! '^ when the officer of the
guard lowers the point of his saber to the ground, places the
center of the right foot in rear of the left heel, and, crossing his
hands on top of the hilt of his saber, stands still. The adjutant
next commands, " Troop beat off ! " when the musicians march
to the front, turn to the left, and play down in front of the
officer of the guard. When they have returned to the right
again, the adjutant commands, " Attention guard ! Carry arms !
Close order, march ! ^^ at which the officer of the guard brings
his saber to a carry, and, facing his guard, marches to the center,
then turns to the left, and takes his position on the right of the
guard. The adjutant, seeing his last orders complied with,
commands, " Present arms ! ^' when both the officer of the
guard and the adjutant salute with the saber, and the adjutant,
facing about, reports to the officer of the day : " Sir, the guard is
formed." The officer of the day then instructs the adjutant how
he shall march the guard, generally commanding, " March the
guard in review, sir! " when the adjutant faces about, and com-
mands, " Carry arms ! " at which the officer of the guard also
comes to a carry with his saber. The adjutant then commands,
" Platoons right wheel, march ! " and the officer of the guard
repeats the command, and then steps to the left of the first
platoon, and commands, after it has wheeled, " First platoon
left dress ! " and, seeing it dressed, takes his position in front
of the center of the leading platoon and one pace from it.
The adjutant now commands, " Forward, guide left, march ! "
and, as the guard marches in review past the officer of the day,
the officer of the guard salutes with his saber. He also must
command the guard in its march, and give all necessary orders.
412 BELDEN : THE WHITE CHIEF.
When he leaves the parade ground, he will command, " Hight
snoulder shift arms ! " and march his guard to the guard-house.
The old guard has turned out and formed in line, and, on ap-
proaching the left of it, the old guard will present arms, at
which the new officer of the guard will command, ^* Carry
arms!" and march down the front of the old guard. Arrived
on the right, he will halt and dress on the old guard, and com-
mand, " Present arms ! " and salute the old officer of the guard.
Both guards now come to an order arms, and await the approach
of the old and new officer of the day, and when they come near,
the new officer of the guard will command, "Old and new
guard carry arms! Present arms! " at the same time saluting
with the saber. The guard is then brought to a carry and an
order arms, when the prisoners are turned over, the reports ex-
amined, the old guard relieved, details for the day made, and
the posts relieved, all of which, without going further into
details, takes about as long as what has gone before.
All this duty has to be done with a minuteness and precision
wonderful to behold, and if an error is committed, the unfor-
tunate officer is sure to catch it from the commanding officer.
UELDEN: THE WHITE CHIEF. 413
CHAPTER LXII.
THE REGULAR ARMY — ITS USE IN SETTLING AND DEVELOPING THE COUNTRY —
HOW ARMY PEOPLE LIVE, AND WHAT THEY DO — OCCUPATION OF NEW LINES OF
COUNTRY — THE REGULAR ARMY ON THE MARCH — CAMPING OUT — WHAT IS
CARRIED, AND HOW SOLDIERING IS DONE IN PEACE TIMES— BUILDING FORTS —
GETTING UP SDPPLIES — FIGHTING INDIANS — SETTLING THE COUNTRY— WHAT
THE CAVALRY DOES — HARDSHIPS OF A SOLDIER's LIFE — THE UNCERTAINTIES
OF SERVICE — WHAT ARMY OFICERS ARE PAID.
A S soon as the traveler crosses the Missouri, and enters the
-^-^ territories, he begins to find the blue jackets, and the far-
ther west he goes the more numerous they become. It is only
just to the army to say that it has ever been the pioneer of
civilization in America. Ever since Washington crossed the
Alleghanies, and, with his brave Virginians, pushed to the
Ohio, the work has been steadily going on. From Pittsburg,
far down the Ohio to the Mississippi, and thence along the
Father of Waters to New Orleans ; next west to the Miami,
and far up the lakes; then to the Missouri, and so on for thou-
sands of miles until the other ocean was reached through
Oregon and California. A line of forts are pushed out into
the new and "uninhabited country, and presently people come
in and settle near the posts. A few years elapse, and there are
hundreds of citizens in all directions. Then the forts are sold
or pulled down, and the troops march farther west to found
new postff.
414
BELDEN: THE WHITE CHIEF.
The knapsacks are packed, the cavalry are mounted, and we
are ready to occupy a new line of country. " Head of column
west, forward, march ! " and away we go. What an outfit !
The long lines of cavalry wind over the hills, and then follows
the compact column of infantry. Then come a few pieces of
artillery and the train. What a sight ! Hundreds of wagons,
filled with every conceivable article of food and implement of
labor : steam-engines, saw-mills, picks, shovels, hoes, masses of
iron, piles of lumber, tons of pork, hard bread, flour, rice,
sugar, coffee, tea, and potatoes, all drawn in huge wagons. Six
mules or ten oxen are seen tugging the monster wheeled ma-
chines along. The train is generally preceded by a score or
two of carriages, ambulances, and light wagons, containing the
families of officers, women, children, and laundresses. In rear
of the train are driven the herds of cattle and sheep, and, last
of all, comes a company of infantry, and, perhaps, one of
cavalry.
Day after day the living, moving mass toils on toward the
setting sun. Bridges are built, gulleys filled, hill-sides dug
down, and roads cut along precipices. We wonder how the
pioneer corps can keep out of our way ; but each day we go
steadily forward, seeing only their work, never overtaking them.
A ride to the front will show us how this is done. It is mid-
day, and a company is going out to relieve the pioneers. The
knapsacks are lightened, and ofi* we go at a quick pace. At
sundown we come upon the pioneers, and find some building a
bridge, while others cut down the hill so the wagons can pass.
We relieve them of their shovels, picks, and axes, and one-
half of the company goes into camp, and the other half goes
to work. At midnight we are aroused by the beating of the
drum, and the half of the company that is in camp goes out
BELDEN; THE WHITE CHIEF. 41^
to relieve the working party. At daylight we are relieved in
turn ; the work, goes on day and night, and that is the way
the pioneers keep ahead of the train.
Let us return to the column. It is near sunset, the bugles
sound the halt, and the columns file off into camp. The cav-
alry horses are sent out to graze, the tents put up, fires lighted,
and the suppers put on to cook. The white canvas gleams in
the setting sun, and the camp resounds with mirth and laugh-
ter. Water is brought from the brook, and soap and towels
are in great demand to remove the dust and stains of travel.
Folding chairs, tables, beds, mattresses, are opened out, and car-
pets spread on the ground. The butchers have slaughtered a
beef or two, and the fresh meat is brought in for distribution.
The commissary wagons are opened, and sugar, coffee, rice,
hominy, and canned fruits dealt out. In an hour we sit down
to a smoking hot dinner and supper of roast beef, hot coffee,
fried potatoes, fresh biscuit, and canned peaches. If the air is
cool the little peaked Sibley stoves are put up, and the even-
ing is spent in telling stories, playing at cards, and singing
songs. Here is heard the thrumming of a guitar, and the
sweet voice of woman; there are a lot of officers playing
euchre, and yonder a group of soldiers gathered about their
camp-fire telling tales of how they campaigned in Oregon, or
foiiglit the Comanches and Apaches in Texas and New Mexico
twenty years ago.
The bugles sound tattoo, the rolls are called, taps blow, the
lights are put out, and the busy camp sinks into stillness.
Only here and there a light is left burning, where the quarter-
master, in his tent, is busy over his papers, the adjutant
making the orders for the morrow's march, or a noisy trio of
officers continuing to an unseasonable hour their jests and
25
416 belden: the white chief.
songs. No soldier is allowed to have his light burning aftei
taps, but the officers can do as they please.
Every one sleeps soundly, for each knows he is well guarded.
It is near midnight, and, if you like, we will walk about the
camp a little. Here is the officer of the day, and we will ac-
company him. ^Ye go out to the edge of the camp, where a
large group of men are gathered about a blazing fire. " Who
comes there ? " rings out upon the still night air. " Friends, "
is answered back. " Advance one and be recognized. " This
is done, and then comes the cry of " Officer of day, turn out
the guard. " There is a rattling of muskets, a hurrying and
bustling to and fro, and the guard falls into line and is in-
spected — so far as to ascertain that all are present and every
thing right. Frequently an officer, but most generally a ser-
geant of experience, commands the guard, and all the sentinels
are posted according to the directions of the officer of the day,
who receives his instructions from the commanding officer of
the camp.
The wagons are drawn up in long lines or semicircles, with
the tongues inward, to which are tied the mules and oxen.
Sentinels pace up and down to see that all goes right, and
rouse the teamsters to tie up the mules that are constantly
getting loose. The cry of " loose mules " will bring a dozen
teamsters out of their wagons, and at least a hundred oaths
before the animal is caught and secured. The cavalry wagons
are placed twenty or thirty feet apart, and long ropes drawn
through the hind wheels, to which are picketed the horses.
Guards are every-where, and the sentinels are keenly on the
alert. Each hill-top has its silent watcher. The herds are
kept where there is as much grass as possible, and mounted
herders constantly watch them, ready for an Indian alarm
BELDEN; THE WHITE CHIEF. 4X7
or a stampede. A cry of " Indians, Indians, " produces great
life and commotion among the herders, guards, and sentinels,
but the body of the camp does not deign to move unless the
firing is very heavy, and the order given to " turn out." This'
is the Regular Army on the march.
When the troops enter the Indian country, and the attacks
become frequent, the column marches more compactly; the
herds and wagons are kept well up ; the women and children
put among the infantry; flankers thrown out, and a howitzer
sent to the front to throw shells and frighten off the savages.
The boom of a cannon seems to be the voice of advancing
civilization, and greatly terrifies the Indians.
At last the line of country that is to be occupied has been
reached, and a fort is built. This consists of a stockade, log-
houses, and shelters for the stores. Then the troops are
divided, and another fort is built fifty or a hundred miles from
the first, and so on until the whole line is " occupied." If
there is danger, earthworks are thrown up, and one or two
pieces mounted. Now begins the work in earnest; keeping
open the communication between the forts ; getting up supplies
from the rear, and securing the way for immigration. The
country is mapped, the land surveyed, the streams looked up
and named, and saw-mills built. Settlers come in and open
farms near the forts, and they creep up and down the valleys,
and over the hills, until they stretch away for hundreds of
miles. Meanwhile, there are Indian battles, surprises and
massacres by scores. Hundreds lose their lives, but the set-
tlements go on. There is a little grocery, a rum shop, a town,
and by and by a city.
Every spring, as soon as the grass grows, the cavalry takes
the field and scours over the country for hundreds of miles.
418 BELDEN: THE WHITE CHIEF.
The infantry remains in the posts, or guards trains to and fro
From April until December, the cavalry is on the go con-
stantly, and the officers separated from their families. When
the snows fall they come into the forts to winter, but are
often routed out by the approach of their savage foes, and made
to march hundreds of miles when the thermometer is far below
zero. It is this that makes the troops so savage, and often
causes them to slaughter the Indians without mercy. After a
long and hard summer's campaign, the officers and men come
in tired, weary, and only too glad to rejoin their families and
rest, when scarcely have they removed the saddles from their
horses' backs, when murders, robberies, and burnings, announce
the approach of the fierce foe, and they are ordered out for a
winter campaign. Full of rage and chagrin, they go forth
breathing vengeance on all Indians, and after toiling a month
or more, through ice and snow, with freezing hands, feet, and
ears, they overtake the savages and punish them with terrible
severity.
The soldier's life is, indeed, one of danger, exposure, and
trouble. The hard-earned reputation of twenty years, often, is
lost by the misfortunes of an hour. Old gray-headed officers,
who have gained a score of Indian fights, are surprised once,
lose their stock, and if they survive the conflict, are dismissed
the service for " neglect of duty." Others, after years of toil,
in a moment of rage, utter some hasty words, and are dismissed
for " disrespect to their superiors," and others, again, for, in an
unhappy mood, taking too much barleycorn.
Nothing will give a man more aches, make him feel old
sooner, or is a more uncertain business than soldiering. I
know that a different opinion prevails in the east, but it ia
founded wholly in error, and is dispelled the moment one
belden: the white chief. 419
arrives on the frontier, and sees what an important part our
little army plays in the great work of civilizing and develop-
ing our country.
Even in winter time, when in quarters and resting^ the sol-
diers are kept very busy. At day-break there is reveille, and
immediately afterward, grooming of horses for one hour and a
half. After stables, three-quarters of an hour for breakfast;
then fatigue call and sick call. At 10 o'clock drill for one
hour. Dinner call at 12 o'clock; fatigue call at 1 o'clock;
drill at 2 o'clock ; stables at half-past 3 o'clock to half-past 4 ;
supper and retreat at 5 o'clock, and to bed at 9 o'clock, to go
through the same routine to-morrow. Besides these duties,
there are boards of survey, boards of inspection, schools of
instruction in tactics, signals, and various other matters.
Where is the business man, or the professional man, who
works more steadily?
For these services, it is generally supposed the officers receive
large pay, yet, the fact is, they get but a miserable pittance, as
the following list of salaries will show : A second lieutenant of
infantry gets §1,368 per year ; a first lieutenant of infantry,
$1,428 ; a captain of infantry, |1,648 ; a second lieutenant of
cavalry, $1,467.96 per year; a first lieutenant the same as
second; a captain, $1,648; majors of infantry, cavalry, and
artillery, $2,160; lieutenant-colonels, $2,460; colonels, $2,748.
This does not include service rations, quarters and fuel in kind,
or commutation of quarters and fuel when not with troops. An
officer receives a service ration for every five years he has re-
mained in the service; it is worth $9 per month, or $108 per
year. When officers are serving with troops they are provided
by the Government with quarters and fuel free of charge, but
when they are stationed in a city, or on staff duty, they are
420 belden: the white chief.
allowed to commute tlieir quarters and fuel money, at a price
fixed by the army regulations. If an officer is married, it is
cheaper for him to be with troops, and be furnished with quar-
ters and fuel in kind for himself and family; but, if he is a
single man, then he can board in a family in the city, and hia
money allowance for quarters and fuel will go a long way in
paying his expenses.
belden: the white chief. 421
CHAPTER LXIII.
rUBTHEB ACCOUNT OP HOW INDIANS GET THEIR NAMES — ^MOCK-PE-LUTAH — TA-
8HUNK-AH-K0-KE-PAH-PE — CIN-TA-GEL-LES-SCA, SPOTTED TAIL's DAUGHTER —
CLOSED HAND — ^WHITB FOREHEAD ^NO KNIFE — SUPERSTITION AMONG THE
CROWS ABOUT TAILS — TICKLING A CROW GIRL, AND WHAT CAME OP IT
BASACHE — ^BA-RA-WE-A-PAK-PEIS — PBN-KE-PAH — CLEAVING THE POWDER RIYEB
COUNTRY — ARRIVAL AT RENO, FETTER MAN, AND FORT STEELE — RETURN TO
FBTTERMAN — FINE HUNTING.
ONE day at Fort Kearney I sent for my cook Basache, and
. asked her the meaning of Mock-pe-Lutah. She said it
was the Indian name for Red Cloud or Bloody Hand, and that
this terrible warrior had derived his name from his deeds of
blood and the red blankets his warriors wore, who never moved
on their enemies without appearing as a cloud, so great were
their numbers. Sweeping down with his hosts on the border,
he covered the hills like a red cloud in the heavens, and never
returned until he had almost exterminated the tribe or settle-
ment against which his wrath was directed.
Basache then went on to give me some most interesting in-
formation concerning the manner in which Indians obtained
their names.
Ta-shunk-ah-ko-ke-pah-pe was " Man-Afraid-of-His-Horses,"
and obtained his name from having captured a great many
horses, which he was constantly afraid he would lose. On one
occasion, when the Shoshonee Indians attacked his camp, Ta-
422 belden: the white chief.
shunk-ah-ko-ke-pali-pe left his family in the hands of the
Snakes, to carry oiF his horses.
As has been said in another chapter, most Indians receive
their names from some peculiarity of person or costume, or from
some misfortune. Thus, Ba-oo-Kish, or Clo&ed Hand, a noted
Crow Indian, was so named from the fact that when young
his hand was so badly burned as to cause his fingers to close
into the palm, and grow fast. Another was called White
Forehead, because he always wore a white band across his fore-
head to conceal a scar that had been given him by a squaw.
The Omaha Indians name nearly every child from some inci-
dent or event that occurs at the time of its birth. Thus, a
child was born on the march, and the mother having no knife
to cut the naval string, broke it, and the child was ever after-
ward known by the singular name of No Knife, and became
a noted man in his tribe.
I will here give place to a touching incident concerning a
daughter of the noted chief Spotted Tail, the origin of whose
name has been given in a preceding chapter. This girl, who
was said to be very beautiful, fell deeply in love with an officer
stationed at Fort Laramie. He did not reciprocate her passion,
and told her he could never marry her ; but the poor girl came
day after day to the fort, and would sit on the steps of the offi-
cer's house until he came out, when she would quietly follow
him about like a dog. She seemed to ask no greater pleasure
than to see him, and be near him, and was always miserable
when out of his sight. Spotted Tail, who knew of his
daughter's love, remonstrated with her in vain ; and, when he
found he could not conquer her foolish passion, sent her to a
band of his people several hundred miles away. She went
without murmuring ; but, arrived at her destination, she re-
belden: the white chief. 423
fused food, and pined away, until she became a mere skeleton.
Spotted Tail was sent for, to come, and see her die ; and being
a favorite daughter, he hastened to her side. He found her
almost gone but, with her remaining strength, she told him
of her great love for the whites, and made him promise that he
would live at peace with them. Then she seemed very happy,
and, closing her eyes, said ; "This is my last request, bury me
at Laramie;'^ and then died. The old chief carried the body
to Laramie, and buried it with the whites, where she wished
to lie. The grave has been carefully marked, and is still an
object of great interest to people who visit the fort. Spotted
Tail, since the death of his daughter, never speaks in council
with the whites but he mentions her request, and declares it
to be his wish to live at peace with the people she loved so
well.
Several romping Crow girls being present, at my quarters
one day, one of them, for sport, commenced tickling another,
who could not bear to have any one touch her under the arms.
The poor girl screamed frantically, and rolled over and over,
but the other kept on poking her in the ribs until she fainted
outright. Basache then, in great alarm, raised her up and called
to me to bring quickly the scented grass; for the girPs tail was
coming up in her throat and choking her to death. I brought
the grass, of which Basache always kept a good supply on hand,
and lighting some of it, one held the fainting girl over it while
the other threw a shawl about her head. She soon revived and
took her departure, when I asked Basache to explain to me wha<
she meant by saying the girPs tail had come up in her throat.
She said very gravely, " Every human being has a tail in his
stomach, and it is this that always makes him sick. Some
have fox tails, others cow tails, others again tails of birds, and
424 belden: the white chief.
still others dog, mink, beaver, raccoon, and horse tails. The lattei
are very dangerous, and constantly liable to get out of ordei.
No one can be sick while their tail is in order, but as soon a&
any thing gets the matter with it then they are sick. If a man
hag cold, it is his tail ; if he has fever, vomit, rash, boils, and,
above all, pains in his stomach, there is something wrong with
his tail."
This theory was so absurd I could not help laughing, at which
Basache was very angry, and left my presence, but I called her
back to inquire what kind of a tail she had in her stomach,
when, to my surprise, she promptly answered, " A wolPs tail,
sir." I said, " Do each of you indeed know what kind of a tail
is in your stomach ? " "Oh yes," she replied, " every body
knows that, and there is my sister, Ba-ra-we-a-pak-peis, who has
a cow's tail, and Pen-ke-pah, whom you know very well, has a
horse tail, which is constantly making her sick. When Ba-
ra-we-a-pak-peis was younger, her tail troubled her a great deal,
and mother says it often came up in her mouth, and sometimes
protruded from her throat, but it never does so now, since the
Indian doctor gave her some bitter herbs to swallow."
All this was very curious and ridiculous to me, but, upon in-
quiry among the Crows, I learned it to be a well-founded super-
stition, and nearly every Crow believed a tail of one kind or
another dwelt in his stomach, which was the sole cause of his
ills, aches, and pains.
On the 29th of June, 1868, 1 received orders to escort a train
over the mountains, to Fort Steele, on the Platte, and as it was
understood we would not return, this order occasioned no little
joy. We signalized the event by starting on the 4th of July,
and in due time arrived at Fort Reno. From Reno we marched
to Fort Fetterman, where Major Gordon left me, and I con-
belden: the white chief. 425
tinued to march toward Steele with Major Gregg. We arrived
safel} at Steele, on the 29th of July, and went into camp.
On the 6th of August I set out to return to Fort Fetterman,
and had marched as far as Elk Mountain, by the 8th of the
same month. Here I found the lumber-men had just lynched a
white man, and I went up to see the body, but it was gone,
though a tripod with a hangman's noose at the top was still
standing. Under this rude scaffold was a fresh grave, and
in it the unfortunate man slept his last sleep.
While marching up to Fetterman we found the hunting ex-
cellent, and killed in all forty-three antelope, three white-tailed
deer, five elk, besides an immense number of prairie-hens, rab-
bits, and mountain grouse.
We remained at Fetterman until late in September, and
while the command was out cutting hay, guarding trains, and
scouting, I had some splendid hunting, and enjoyed myself
better than I had at any time since joining the army.
37
426 BELDEN: THE WHITE CHIEF.
CHAPTER LXIV.
THE SHOSHOXEE INDIANS — THEIR FIRST INTRODUCTION TO THE WHITES-
LEWIS AND Clarke's expedition up the Missouri in 1806 — their recep-
tion BY THE SNAKES — THEIR EARLY HISTORY AND POSSESSIONS — WARS OP
THE SNAKES — THEIR ALLIES : THE BANNACKS — WHERE THE BANDS OP SNAKES
ROAM — Washakie's band — his reservation — how he keeps his treaties
GOOD INDIANS — WHAT IS LIKELY TO BECOME OF WASHAKIE AND HIS PEOPLE.
THERE is a. people of more than common interest, living
in the west, called the Shoshonees, or Snakes. They in-
habit a belt of country lying on the north-west border of the
territory of Wyoming. Their earliest recollection of the whites
dates from 1806, when Lewis and Clarke made their famous
expedition up the Missouri. In a battle with the Minnetarees,
of Knife River, the Shoshonees were defeated, and several of
their women and children captured. One of these, Sacajawca, the
wife of a warrior, was carried far down the Missouri, and there
Lewis and his companions found her. She showed them the
way up the Missouri, to where the Jefferson Fork empties,
which was the place where the battle had been fought. Cap-
tain Lewis, with three men, proceeded up the Jefferson, in search
of the tribe, but could not find them. This was on the first day
of August, 1806. On the third day of the same month, Lewis
niade another attempt to find the Snakes, and, although he saw
fresh moccasin tracks, and knew the Indians Were near at hand,
and hiding among the hills, he could not induce any of the
BELDEN : THE WHITE CHIEF. 427
savages to show themselves. On the eleventh day of August,
however, he saw an Indian on horseback, near the river, and
spreading down a blanket, which is the sign of friendship among
the Indians, the captain motioned the warrior to come and sit
by him, but he fled swiftly away into the hills. Taking some
provisions, Lewis set out on the track of the Indian, and on the
third day saw several men and women gathering berries. The
men sprang upon their horses and made off, and the women hid
in a ravine; but Lewis and his men captured one old squaw
and a little girl. When the woman saw them near her she sat
down, as is their custom, and holding out her neck, waited for
death. Lewis raised her up, and cried ^Habha honCy^ which
means white roan, at the same time stripping up his sleeve and
showing her his arm, for his hands and face were as bronzed as
an Indian's. Little by little the poor woman took courage, and
looked up when Lewis put beads on her neck, and gave the
little girl a pewter mirror. Then he told her to call the women
who were hiding in the ravine, and she did so, but only two
young squaws had the courage to come out. Lewis painted the
cheeks of all three women red, with vermilion, and showed them
their faces in the pewter mirror, which pleased them mightily.
Presently a troop of sixty warriors were seen riding at full speed
toward Lewis and his companions. The women ran out to meet
them, and showed the warriors the presents they had received.
A parley took place, and after some explanations, three Indians
advanced, and embracing Lewis cried out, Ah-hi-e, ah-hi-e. " I
am glad to see you," or, "I am pleased you have come.'' All
the warriors embraced Lewis's men, and then they smoked the
shoshonee, taking off their moccasins, which means, " If we are
false, may we be barefooted forever," a terrible penalty on the
thorny plains.
428 BELDEN : THE WHITE CHIEF.
The whole party soon set off for the village, and when withiu
two miles of it, they were met by the great chief, who made a
friendly speech, welcoming the whites.
In the village, Captain Lewis and his party were given leathern
lodges, which were nicely fitted up with the skins of wild animals,
and young men came to build fires, bring water, and wait upon
them. The chief came in state to smoke with the white men,
first removing his moccasins, as a token of his good faith toward
them. Lewis remained several days with the Shoshonees, and
was hospitably entertained and pressed to stay longer, but hear-
ing his boats had ascended to the Jefferson, he set off for the
river, accompanied by the chief and his whole tribe, all wishing
to see the boats. This branch of the Snakes was under a chief
named Cameahwait, and numbered about four hundred, but
Captain Lewis learned that the whole nation then contained some
thirteen thousand souls, and was scattered over a vast extent
of territory. They claimed all the lands between the Missouri
valley and the Columbia River. They spread over the upper
Platte, and roamed along the Green, Bear, Sweetwater, Colorado,
and Wind rivers. Their eastern neighbors were the Dakotaa
(Sioux), and their northern lands extended to the country* of the
bloody Blackfeet. West and south of them ranged the Coman-
ches. At the time, however, of Captain Lewis's visit, the Sho-
shonees were at war with the Pawnees and Minnetarees, who were
found as far north as the mouth of Jefferson River, on the Missouri.
Lewis found the Snakes armed with bows, arrows, and shields,
but a few had fusils, which they had obtained from the Yellow-
stone Indians, who had got them from the North-west Fur
Company's traders. Though they had often heard of them,
and had guns, it is doubtful if ever the Shoshonees saw a white
man before Lewis and Clarke's expedition.
BELDEN: THE WHITE CHIEF. 429
The supposition by Schoolcraft and other Indian writers, that
the Snakes are one of the primary stocks of the llocky Mount-
ain Indians is a mistake. They speak the sanie language as
the Comanches, and are undoubtedly an off-shoot of that tribe.
So says General Alvord, on the testimony of an American, who
had lived thirty years west of the mountains ; and Colonel Cady,
who has been in the United States service since 1829, confirmed
the statement, at Fort Laramie, in 1863^
"When the division of the Snakes and Comanches took place
is not so clear, but probably about 1 780. Nothing is known as
to the cause of separation. The Snake Indians found by Lewis,
lived in the rugged and cold country bordering on the Jefferson
River, and they were extremely poor and miserable, being com-
pelled to live at times for weeks without meat, subsisting upon
roots and fish. They had but few horses, but were fierce and
war-like, their enemies greatly fearing them on account of their
hardihood and bravery. Notwithstanding their wretched con-
dition, they were honest, polite to strangers, and dignified in
their bearing.
In 1845, we find the Snake, or Shoshonee nation, divided
into the Yam-pal ick-ara, or Root Eaters, and Bo-na-acks, or
Bannacks. They then, with the Utahs, inhabited the basin of
the Great Salt Lake, and extended as far south and west as the
borders of California and New Mexico. Their numbers at this
date is not known. In 1850, we find them divided into the
assimilated tribes of Bannacks ; Yam-palick-ara, Root Eaters ;
Kerlsatik-ara, Buffalo Eaters; and Penentik-ara, or Honey
Eaters. Their whole number then was four thousand and five
hundred souls.
General Fremont, in his expedition, came upon the Snakes
first in the north latitude 42°, and longitude 109°. They had
430 BELDEN: THE WHITE CHIEF.
no horses, and lived principally upon roots. In the topo>
graphical maps of 1846, the land between Red Buttes, in North
Platte River, and junction of Big Sandy with Green River, is
laid down as " War ground of the Sioux and Snake Indians J*
The distance between the two points thus marked was one
hundred and ninety-two miles, and it was the dark and bloody
ground of the west. There raged the terrible contests of the
great Dakotas and the fierce Shoshonees for more than half a
century. The Snake lands then began, as they claimed, at the
mouth of the Sweetwater, but they seldom ventured so far east,
even in time of war. Their western boundary was at the Co-
lumbia and along the Snake River, or Lewis's Fork. The breadth
of these lands was one hundred and fifty miles. The eastern
part consisted of sandy plains covered with sage brush, except
the Sweetwater and Wind River valleys, which were rich and
tolerably well timbered. The central moiety lay across the
summits of mountains; and the western lands, for one hundred
and forty miles, consisted of small valleys and bristling spurs
of volcanic formation, through a fissure of which the Bear River
wound, and then poured into Salt Lake.
The Shoshonees, as we before said, extended under various
names as far north as the sources of the Missouri, and south to
New Mexico, Texas, and Arkansas. The overland route, first
opened by the Mormons to the west, lay directly through the
Snake lands, aild, mustering all their force, the Shoshonees
sought for years to drive back the pale faces. From the Sweet-
water to the Great Salt Lake Basin the road is marked with
graves. Here, on this lonely plain, they killed a straggler,
there, by the little stream, they surprised the encampment;
and yonder, in the gorge, they pounced down upon the train
and murdered men, women, and children. A rude pile of
belden: the white chief. 431
stones, or a rough cross, marks where the boues of the emi-
grants molder with the dust.
In 1864, we find the Snakes greatly reduced in numbers
(not over fifteen hundred in all), but still scattered over a vast
extent of territory. Their ancient allies, the Bannacks, still lived
with them, and had intermarried with the Shoshonees, but spoke
a difierent language. Who the Bannacks are, or where they
come from, is not certainly known, but, most probably, they are
one of the numerous branches of the Dakota or Sioux family.
At present, the Bannacks are divided into two bands, the
most numerous of which is Ti-gee's. This chief and his war-
riors roam in summer from Soda Springs, Idaho, to Fort Hall,
and in winter live with the Snakes, on Wind River, in AVyom-
ing. Pivi-a-mos, or Big Finger, who leads the other band of
Bannacks, lives in summer, near Virginia City, Montana, and
in winter they go to the Yellowstone Riv^er. They have fine
trout fishing during the warm months, along the Snake River,
and in the cold months, live on buffalo and dried salmon.
The Snakes proper are the Ho-can-dik-ara, or Lake Diggers,
who live near Salt Lake City, in Utah. On the 19th of Jan-
uary, 1863, this band having become hostile. General Conner
made a forced march with the Second Regiment of California
Volunteers to Bear River, where he surprised them and almost
annihilated the band. The Aga-dik-ara, or Salmon Eating
Snakes, live on Snake River, and subsist on salmon.*
The largest band of Snakes is Wash-a-kees, which roams in
summer on Green River, and winters on Wind River. They
eat deer, antelope, and fish in summer, and buffalo in winter.
The Salmon River Snakes, called Took-a-rik-aras, or Sheep"
Eaters, live on Salmon River. As indicated by their name,
they subsist on musmen, or musimen, or muffon, or wild sheep.
26
432 belden: the white chief.
It closely resembles the wild sheep of Barbara, Corsica, and
Sardinia, and is supposed by Buffon " to be the sheep in a wild
state."
It is of the Eastern Snakes or Wash-a-kees band I wish
more particularly to speak. The chief is sixty years old, tall
of stature, and of dignified manners. This noble old Indian
maintains his treaty with an exactitude that would be credit-
able to the most enlightened ruler. Several years ago he ceased
from war, and since then has done all he agreed to perform in
the treaty with the whites. In 1864, some of his young men,
having become dissatisfied, wished to go and fight the whites ;
Wash-a-kee made a speech, and tried to dissuade them.
Among other things, he said : " I am not only your chief, but
an old man, and your father. It, therefore, becomes my duty
to advise you. I know how hard it is for youth to listen to
the voice of old age. The old blood creeps with the snail, but
the young blood leaps with the torrent. Once I was young,
my sons, and thought as you do now. Then my people were
strong, and my voice was ever for war. We fought long years,
and at length, when wasted by the bullet and torn by disease,
the nation sought for peace. Go count, the graves of the slain,
and you will learn my reasons for being anxious to save you
who are still left me. Behold our women and children ; if you
go to battle, who will hunt and feed them ? Make no more
enemies, but save your valor for the Sioux, who come every
year to fight us. We said it in the council, and we wrote it
on the paper, that we would war no more. What we have
signed we will keep; what we have said to the white father
we would do, that we will do. No, a Shoshonee can not lie.
You must not fight the whites ; and I not only advise against
it, but I forbid UJ* Seeing the young men were determined on
belden: the white chief. , 433
war, the old chief covered his head with a blanket, that he
might not see them depart. For three days he mourned for
them as for the dead, and then arose and denounced them as
rebels against their chief.
Soon after their departure the rebel band was caught by the
whites and nearly all the warriors killed. Those who escaped
came back, and humbly begged to be taken into the tribe again,
but Wash-a-kee refused, and bid them begone, for rebels. For
a whole year he would not see them ; but, at last, softened by
the lapse of time and the petitions of his people, he said :
"Wash-a-kee knows his duty, but his heart is too weak to
withstand your voices. Tell the rebellious warriors to come
home.'' He, however, deprived the chief who had led them,
of his authority, and appointed a new chief over" them. All
this Wash-a-kee did from convictions of duty, to comply
strictly with the terms of his treaty, and, as he said, " show
the white father that I would do what I had promised him in
the council, and written on the paper."
The present reservation of the Shoshonees commences at the
mouth of Owl Creek, runs due south to the middle of the
divide between the waters of Wind River and the waters of
the Sweetwater; thence west along the divide and crest of
Wind River Mountains to the longitude of the north fork of
Wind River ; thence north to the north Fork, and up the same,
thirty miles ; thence east to the south bank of Owl Creek, and
down Owl Creek to its mouth, to the point of beginning.
The belt of land lying within these lines is ninety miles
wide and about one hundred and ten miles long. It was set
aside two years ago by the Peace Commissioners, for the sole
and exclusive use of the Shoshonees and Bannack Indians ; but
white men have already gone in and opened several fine farms.
434 belden: the white chief.
The beautiful valleys, pure water, ricli soil, excellent timber, and
delightful climate of the reservation make it a particularly de-
sirable region for agriculture. It is, undoubtedly, the best por-
tion of Wyoming Territory ; and the Sweetwater gold mines,
lying on the edge and partly in the reservation, have brought
together thousands of miners, who readily buy up all the veg-
etables, corn, and grain that can be raised in the valleys be-
yond. South Pass City, Atlantic City, and Miner's Delight
are fine towns, and furnish ready markets for produce. Miner's
Delight is on the reservation, and husbandmen are every year
coming in and opening farms. The increasing immigration
will soon repeat the old story, and the white man will have the
Indian's land.
Wash-a-kee, when told that the whites would soon want his
land, bowed his head, and replied, with trembling voice, " I
feared it, but I had hoped it would not come in my day. Look
at me; I am old, and won't trouble the white father long. My
people are rapidly passing away. Every year I see them fall-
ing around me. They will soon be gone. Once we owned all
the mountains and valleys to the Missouri. See what a little
mite we have left. We are weak; we are poor; we can not
resist the wrongs that are put upon us. Let the white father
have pity. Let him spare us this great sorrow, and leave us
our last home ! "
And what reply did the white father make to this sad and
touching appeal? In their last convention, "The People" of
Wyoming " Resolved : That the proper development of the ter-
ritory requires that the lands known as the Snake Indian Res-
ervation, should be opened as speedily as possible for settlement
by white men."
That was the answer sent back to the old chief and his peo-
BELDEN: THE WHITE CHIEF. 435
pie, and the governor of "Wyoming reiterates the cry of the
people, in his message, and then goes to "Washington to have the
Indians removed from his territory. So it has been for more
than two hundred years: civilization touches barbarism, and
barbarism recoils like a burnt child from fire.
The face of the white man, like an insatiable fiend, presents
/tself constantly before the Indian, and a voice cries, " Back,
back, to the setting sun. I want your land, your game, your
home, even the graves of your people ; and I will have all I
all I''
Some nations fight, some implore; but the result is the same —
the white man becomes the possessor. So the beautiful valleys
of the Snake lands will soon teem with population; towns
will spring up, and the iron and coal, plaster and copper, be
dug from the hills; mills will be heard on the clear streams
of the Poppoagie, church bells will ring along the silent waters
of "Wind River, and poor "Wash-a-kee and his children, where
will they be ? Dead ! Under the earth. Gone to the happy
hunting-grounds of their fathers — with King Philip and his
people, the Pawnees, the Minnetarees, the Mohicans, the Man-
dans, and all who have gone before.
4vJ6 BELDEN: THE WHITE CHIEF.
CHAPTER LXV.
THE POWDER RIVER COUNTRY — ITS OCCUPATION BY TJ100P3 IN 1866 — TUB
REASONS FOR OCCUPYING IT — CAUSE OP THE INDIAN MAR THAT FOLLOWED —
ABANDONMENT OF THE BIG HORN TERRITORY — TREATMENT OF THE INDIANS —
WHAT SHOULD BE DONE WITH THEM — THE CROW TKIEE — SETTLING INDIANS
ON RESERVATIONS — HOW IT HAS WORKED — CIVILIZATION OR STARVATION THE
ONLY RESULT — OUR DUTY CONTESTS WITH INDIANS IN 1866-67 — THE PHIL
KEARNEY MASSACRE — THE POWDER RIVER COUNTRY DESCRIBED — CLIMATE,
SOIL, MINERALS, AND GAME — THE GREAT CA5fON OF BIO HORN — ROCKY
MOUNTAIN SHEEP — AGRICULTURAL CAPACITY OF THE 310 HORN COUNTRY.
rfflHE Powder Kiver country, as it lias been known since
-*- 1866, embraces all that unsettled tract between the head
waters of Powder River on the south and the mouth of the
Big Horn on the north, and between the Big Horn Mountains
and the waters of the Missouri, an area that one day will be
divided into several large States. This country was unknown
except as an Indian hunting-ground until 1866, when an emi-
grant road was opened through it to reach the Montana mines,
but trappers and hunters had been familiar with it for many
years, and had found it one of the best fur-producing sections in
the West. Here the buffalo, bear, elk, deer, antelope, beaver,
martin, mink, and white weasel, were found in abundance, and
the pelts of all these wild animals were collected by the bold
trappers or Indian traders, packed on rude boats built in the
forests, and floated down the Big Horn, Yellowstone, and Mis-
souri Rivers to the great fur mart of St. Louis.
BELDEN: THE WHITE CHIEF. 437
e
Just after the war of the rebellion, General Conner was sent
into this country to chastise the Indian tribes, who had taben
advantage of the state of war and the absence of troops from
the border, to commence their raids on the unprotected settle-
ments in Montana and Dakota. Conner had some Western
regiments, raised on the frontier, and, though he possessed a
good deal of merit and ability as a commander, and pushed his
column into the center of the Indian country, he could not do
much toward punishing or quieting the hostile Indians.
In 1866, General Pope, who commanded in the West, ordered
a road opened through the Powder River country, for emigrants
bound to the Montana mines and Oregon. Troops were sent
into the country to protect the route, and they built three forts,
which have become historical on the border, Forts Reno, Phil
Kearney, and C. F. Smith, all named after distinguished officers
of the Union army, who lost their lives during the war of the
rebellion. Reno was built on Powder River, Phil Kearney on
the Piney, and C. F. Smith on the Big Horn.
The building of these forts in the Indian country gave great
offense to the tribes inhabiting it, both hostile and friendly, be-
cause the Government took possession of the country without
the consent of the Indians, and in violation of the common, but
pernicious system, of making treaties before going on to their
lands. After two years of active war with these Indians, during
which one regiment of the army lost one hundred and fifteen
men and three officers killed, in various combats, the Govern-
ment decided, upon the recommendation of a commission of
distinguished officers and citizens, to restore this territory to the
Indians for a hunting-ground, withdrawing the troops, aban-
doning the forts, and giving up to the caprices of a savage race
a vast and fertile region, which had once been occupied in the
438 belden: the white chief.
interests of civilization, and for which many scores of valuabk
lives had been sacrificed. The policy of surrendering this ter-
ritory to the Indians, after occupying it with a military force
for years, has often been questioned, and the discussion of this
matter has produced many sharp criticisms on the conduct of
officials who advised and secured the abandonment of a rich,
fertile, and beautiful country to a few thousand savages, who
can make no use of it but to chase the lessening herds of buffalo
and deer, and fit but from distant camps their yearly raids on
the peaceful settlements of border States and Territories.
In the summer of 1868, the troops and settlers who were in
the Powder Kiver country, left it for the lower settlements, and
since then nothing has been heard of it, except from half-breeds
or friendly Indians. It is known that the Indians burned the
forts almost as soon as they were abandoned, and no white men
would be safe there now, unless in sufficient strength to defy
the Indians.
Those people who are interested in the West will naturally
wonder that the Government should withdraw its outposts, built
for the protection of the border, and restore to the savage tribes
what had been claimed for civilization, and it is a question that
interests all of us : how long fifteen or twenty thousand Indians,
less than the population of a farming county, shall hold for
their exclu&ive use a valuable country as large as three or four
States the size of Illinois ?
So long as the Indians live by hunting alone, they will re-
quire a large country to subsist them of course, and just so long
they will be vagabonds, living a precarious life, often hungry,
and always poor, their hand against every man, and every man's
hand (in the civilized sense) against them.
It is time the Government adopted a policy that should be
BELDEN: THE WHITE CHIEF. 439'
beneficial to the Indians, instead of pursuing the old plan of
taking their lands by treaty, in exchange for a few trinkets, and
then leaving them to decay by the inevitable results of vice
and poverty.
The contest between civilization and savage superstition 13
decided, and it is a problem for this generation to solve, whether
the remnants of the savage tribes can be saved, and reduced to
a state of self-supporting peace. Just how this can be done it
is difficult to say, but it has been done with some tribes, and
undoubtedly can be done with others. A few devoted and self-
sacrificing men are now making efforts among Indians on the
upper Missouri, and meeting with a success which warrants the
belief that all tribes can, by proper effort, be turned gradually
from their wild habits of roving, and living from day to day,
to settle on reservations and live as herders and farmers.
: Until we adopt the policy of putting the Indians upon small
reservations and compelling them to stay there, ^e shall have
constant trouble with them, and they will all the time be grow-
ing poorer in men and the means of living, for it is well known
that large game is growing scarce every year, and before an-
other generation comes on the ground, the buffalo, the Indian^s
meat and bread, will have become as scarce on the Powder, the
Big Horn, and the Yellowstone, as it is now on the Platte.
The Indians understand this, and it is no wonder they are
determined to fight for the Powder River country, for it fur-
nishes the only valuable hunting-ground in the North, and they
see no way but to keep the whites out of it, or starve.
Ked Cloud, chief of the Sioux, one of the ablest and most in-
telligent Indians in the country, lately said, to an officer of the
army, that he knew the white men could wipe out his tribe, but
he was fighting for his home ; it was a question of starving or
440 BELDEN: THE WHITE CHIEF.
being killed, and of the two he had rather be killed. This is
Indian philosophy, and from his stand-point it is right; but
should not the civilization of the nineteenth century find a
better solution to the question than starvation and the destruc-
tion of a race ?
Civilization brings its benefits and its pleasures, but it brings
its duties and penalties also, and the verdict of impartial his-
tory, the verdict of the higher law, in which we all believe, and
to which we defer, will condemn us, unless we save and hand
down to posterity at least a remnant of the race which we have
driven across the continent, and to whom our example has been
evil and not good for over two hundred years.
The Indian tribes inhabiting the Powder River country are
the Sioux, Crows, and small bands of Cheyennes and Arrapa-
hoes. This country properly belongs to the Crows, or rather
the western half of it, and is known in the Indian tongue as
AbsaraJca, '^ The Home of the Crows.'' The Sioux, however,
have driven the Crows from nearly all this country, by their
superior numbers, and now claim it as theirs by right of con-
quest. The principle of meum and tuum is as little regarded
among Indian nations as among white, and they rule very
much as we do, the stronger taking about what it wants.
The Sioux are the strongest tribe in the North, and probably
the strongest in the whole country. The tribe is made up of
eight different bands, under different chiefs. Of these the Ogal-
lalas, Minneconjoes, and Unkpapas are hostile, while the Brule,
Yankton, Santee, Blackfeet, and Saus-arcs bands are friendly
in the main, though they often send out war parties to attack
the settlements and emigrants. The Yankton and Santee bands
are probably as friendly to the whites as any Indians in the
country. They are settled on reservations on the upper Mis-
belden: the white chief. 441
fiouri, and have commenced planting crops and raising stock in
a civilized way. The Government furnishes them agents, who
employ farmers and mechanics to instruct them in the various
branches of industry, and two or three devoted men are living
with them as missionaries, and are gaining a good deal of influ-
ence among them, even inducing them to build school-houses
and churches.
This effort among the Sioux may lead to a solution of the
Indian difficulty, and it is certain it is leading in the only
right direction. The men who are devoting themselves to it
should be sustained, and if they succeed they should be hon-
ored for the signal service rendered two races.
The hostile Sioux are led by chiefs of ability and determina-
tion. Some of them are very capable men, and fully posted
on the Indian situation as affecting them and us, and it will
be difficult to control them unless we can convince the think-
ing men of the tribe that we are sincere in our plans for their
future. The Indian is naturally suspicious, but he is now des-
perate and revengeful, because he feels his poverty and sees no
hope of better times.
The northern Cheyennes, a small band split off from the
southern tribe, are allies of the Sioux, and have joined them in
all their operations against us. The northern Arrapahoes were
allies of the Sioux until 1868, when they separated from them,
and have since been at peace with the whites. 1866-67 were
active years in the Powder River country — the Sioux, Chey-
ennes, and Arrapahoes were on the war-path continually, deter-
mined to drive the white men out of the country, and number-
less combats ensued, involving a large loss of life on both sides.
The odds in numbers were always on the side of the In-
dians, but the troops generally came off victorious, owing to
88
442 BELDEN : THE WHITE CHIEF.
superior arms and discipline. The Indians could numbei
about 2,500 warriors at this time, and there were never more
than 700 troops employed against them. The engagements
w^re always between detachments of troops, one or two com-
panies or less, and bodies of Indians numbering from one hun-
dred to two thousand.
The most important engagement in the Powder River coun-
try, the only one in w^iich the Indians were successful against
an organized force, was what is known as the Phil Kearney
massacre, fought on the 21st of December, 1866, between a de-
tachment of ninety-one men of the Eighteenth and Twenty-
seventh Infantry and Second Cavalry, and 2,000 Sioux, Chey-
ennes, and Arrapahoes. The troops were commanded by
Colonel Fetterman, a gallant man, and most excellent officer,
who had served with distinction during the war, and the In-
dians were led by Red Leaf, Iron-clad, and other noted chiefs.
This fight shows a good example of Indian tactics and cunning.
The garrison of Fort Phil Kearney consisted at this date of
fiive companies of infantry and one of cavalry, commanded by
Colonel Carrington. The Indians knew that trains left the
fort daily for the mountains, to procure timber and wood, and
that they had a small guard to escort them. So, collecting their
forces, they reached the vicinity of the fort the day previous to
the attack, and concealed their men behind the mountains, four
or five miles distant. On the morning of the 21st December
the train went out as usual, and, before it was out of sight of
the fort, was attacked by fifty Indians. The attack was soon
signaled to the fort by the picket on a neighboring height,
and a detachment of ninety-one men, under Colonel Fet-
terman, were sent out to drive off the Indians and relieve the
train.
belden: the white chief. 445
Fetterman, instead of moving directly for the train, took a
line to get in rear of the Indians, and cut off their retreat ; see-
ing this, the Indians fell back, skirmishing with the troops, and
were followed over the hills, being pressed sharply by Fetter-
man, until about five miles from the fort, when he found his.
command suddenly beset by about two thousand savages, part
mounted and part on foot, and all eager to fight. Fetterman's
forre was probably scattered at the moment the ambush was
discovered, and many of his men fell at the first shock, but he
drew back his party, and after retreating a mile, closely followed,
he made a stand on the top of a high ridge, determined to fight
it out ; and here, after two hours of life-and-death struggle, the
whole party of ninety-one men and three officers were killed,
not even a wounded man escaping to tell the story.
All that is known of the fight, after Fetterman's party dis-
appeared from the sight of their friends at the fort, is gleaned
from the reports of the Indians, coming to us through half-
breeds on the frontier, and from the position of the dead bodies
when found after the fight.
The faults which led to the sacrifice of ninety-four men, well
armed and well commanded, were purely military, and should
not be discussed here ; but they were well understood, and were
not repeated. The Indians frequently attacked trains and de-
tached parties of troops in 1867, but were always defeated, a
small company on two occasions defeating seven and eight hun-
dred Indians.
The losses which the Indians suffered in the Phil Kearney
fight, and in other affairs with the troops, have never been
known, as they always carry off the bodies of the dead or wound-
ed as soon as they fall, holding it greater misfortune to lose
the body of one of their men than to lose his life, and they will
444 BELDEN : THE WHITE CHIEF.
often sacrifice two or three in their efforts to carry off one who
has fallen.
The Crows are the peaceful Indians of the Powder River
country, and are old and firm friends of the white man. They
are a fine set of people, and the best specimens of the Indian
race to be found. They are superior to the Sioux in courage
and ability, and often fight them successfully two to one. If
the Crows were enlisted in our cause, armed, and sent against
the Sioux, they would soon take the fight off our hands, and
either subdue the Sioux or drive them out of the country.
The Government has adopted the policy of using friendly
Indians to fight hostile ones, as in the case of the Pawnees, and
they could not do a better thing, if hostilities are to continue,
than to arm the Crows and other friendly tribes to settle the
matter with the Sioux and others, who will not be quiet until
they are soundly whipped.
The Powder River country is destined to be the home of a
large and rich population at no distant day. It possesses all
the elements of wealth, a fine soil and good climate, coal in
abundance, limestone, and superior building stone, and undoubt-
edly great mineral wealth ; iron is found in many places, and
gold has been discovered by chance prospectors, in quantities to
warrant the belief that the Big Horn Mountains and the Black
Hills will prove to be very rich in precious metals, when they
can be safely and thoroughly explored. Abundant streams of
pui*e water run through the country, and they will furnish mora
water power than all the streams of New England, when the
time comes to use them.
The climate of the Powder River country is much finer than
would be supposed from the latitude. From 43° to 45° it is
about like the climate on the line of the Pacific Railroad, but
BELDEN: THE WHITE CHIEF. 445
from 45° to 46° it is much milder, being influenced by almost
constant westerly winds, which bring to it the soft airs of the
Pacific. The Indians call this section "Medicine Ground,"
because it is so pleasant and healthful. Snow falls in small
quantities, and most of the winter the weather is delightful for
out-of-door life.
The average temperature on the Big Horn is about that of
the country bordering the Ohio. Cattle and all kinds of stock
could live out all winter without shelter, and with no food but
what they pick up; the grass, in this pure air, dies on the
ground without losing its nutriment, and is just as good for
food as that cut and cured in the usual way.
For stock raising, no country could be finer than this, for the
conditions are such as to insure the minimum of expense and
labor, and the fine air and water insure health to the herds.
This country, including and bordering the Big Horn Mountains,
is particularly fitted for sheep raising. Sheep like high land
and dry air, and these, with the fine rich grasses of the mount-
ain slopes, would produce fleeces not excelled in any part of the
world. Sheep husbandry is in its infancy with us, but the time
will come when the Big Horn country will be as famous for its
flocks and wool as any parts of the old world, and perhaps as
famous for its looms and mills too.
Game is more abundant on the Powder River than in any
part of our possessions. Here the buffalo range in herds of
twenty to fifty thousand together, sometimes blackening the
country for miles with their huge bodies; but, though they are
found in large masses, still all experience of border men shows
that they are lessening in numbers, and the sections in which
large herds are found are becoming narrower every year. The
tribes in the North subsist almost entirely on bufiklo meat, and
446 belden: the white chief.
they probably kill a quarter of a million of buffalo every
year.
As they kill cows mainly, on account of the better quality of
meat, they reduce the herds much faster than is needful, with
proper management. The elk, the finest of the large game, is
found in large numbers, often one or two thousand in a band.
Black-tail and white-tail deer, antelope; black, cinnamon, and
grizzly bear; beaver, otter, and all the fur-producing animals,
are very abundant. The streams are full of excellent salmon,
trout, catfish, and bass ; and of the feathered game, geese,
brant, ducks, and grouse are as plentiful as any sportsman
could wish.
Wild fruits, such as plums, currants, gooseberries, raspberries,
buffalo berries, and soervice berries, grow almost every-where,
and are excellent. The Indians make-a good deal of use of
them for food, drying large quantities, and mixing them with
the marrow of buffalo bones, for winter use ; the dried berries
are sometimes pounded up with buffalo meat and fat, making
a sort of "pemican,'' which is packed in skins, and called
towro.
The most singular of all the wild animals in the country is
the mountain sheep, which lives in the mountain ranges, the
higher and wilder ihe better, and which are seldom seen in the
low country. The mountain sheep, allusion to which is
made elsewhere, is about the size of the common deer,
weighing from one to two hundred pounds; the flesh is
good, and very much like venison, having no flavor of mut-
ton ; the hair is coarse, like the antelope, and perfectly straight ;
the only resemblance to sheep is in the horns ; these greatly
eclipse any thing seen in domestic flocks, being long, spiral, and
giving the head a massive and imposing look. It is difficult to
BELDEN: THE WHITE CHIEF. 447
see what the animal was furnished such head-gear for, unless,
as the hunters say, he uses them to break his fall when taking
dangerous leaps, striking on his horns instead of his feet;
whether this is so or not, he is a great leaper, and difficult to
kill on acco'int of his inaccessible haunts, and his boldness in
eluding pursuit. If these animals could be caught and tamed,
they would be great curiosities in our parks ; but we have never
heard of their being captured while young, and there are few
opportunities to secure living specimens.*
One of the greatest natural curiosities on the continent is the
Big Horn caflon, where the Big Horn River breaks through
the mountains, and when it is known, it will rival the famous
cailon of the Colorado. It is about sixty miles long, as nearly
as can be ascertained from those who have seen most of it,
but it is not likely that any one has seen its whole length
yet.
Old Bridger, the trapper and guide, has been through a part of
it in a boat, and tells many marvelous stories of its wonders and
dangers ; and in 1867, Mackenzie, an adventurous frontiersman,
saw a good deal of it, in attempting to run timber through for
the use of the fort on the Big Horn, but he came to grief, losing
his timber, which lodged on rocks, and wrecking himself and
companions, with a loss of every thing but their arms. The
canon is more than half a mile high in many places, and
varies in width, like all breaks in the mountains, being nar-
row in places, and in others very wide. It is one of the
* A kid of the Rocky Mountain sheep was caught, about a year ago, on
the Platte River, and brought into Fort Steele, Wyoming Territory. Every
care was taken of the animal, and efforts made to raise it, but it died,
though it became quite tame and would follow the soldiers all around the
fort.— Ed.
27
448 belden: the white chief.
most picturesque spots imaginable ; its perfect seclusion gives
it an air of mystery, and the slight sense of awe which creeps
over one, in threading its wild paths, is not lessened by the
sight of an occasional grizzly.
The chief beauty of the caflon is in the multiform shapes
taken by rock, and tree, and foliage; the rocks take every
shape imaginable : turrets, spires, minarets, towers, and nat-
ural bridges. The timber covers the slopes sometimes from
the bank of the river to where the top breaks abruptly
against the sky, and beautiful streams twine themselves
around the rude masses of rock, until one can often fancy he
sees the old ruins of an abbey, with an English ivy creeping
over it.
Whatever there is of beauty in the wildest scenes of nature,
in the massive grandeur of rock, in the grace of vines and
foliage, and the charm of running water, is furnished by this
lonely canon. And one of these days, when the Yellowstone
and Big Horn are navigated by steamers, the traveler will
seek this spot in pursuit of health and pleasure, as he now
does Niagara and the Alps. ^
The agricultural value of the Big Horn country will be
as great as Minnesota, or any of the Northern States. All
the cereals will grow there without doubt. The valleys are
fertile and well watered, and much of the high land will
raise the small grains.
The valley of the Powder Eiver is the poorest country in
this section, but the valleys of Clear Fork, Piney, Goose,
Wolf, Trout, Tongue, Little Horn, and Big Horn, are as
fine as men need to live in, and much better land than a
majority of farmers cultivate in the East.
belden: the white chief. 449
CHAPTER LXVI.
TEE LANDS WEST OF POWDER RIVER AND NORTH OF THE SNAKE LANDS — THE
CLIMATE AND GRAZING IN MONTANA — INDIANS AND HUNTING GR0T7NDS — AN
INDIAN BATTLE — THE CHIEF's DAUGHTER— rINDIAN CAMPS ALONG BOWLDER
CREEK — HOW SAVAGES AMUSE THEMSELVES — THE CROW NATION — A TRIBE OP
GOURMANDS AND BEGGARS — PRIDE AND IGNORANCE OF THE SAVAGES — THE
ROADS IN MONTANA — SOME REMARKS ON TRADE, STREAMS AND FORTS — TROUT
FISHING — NO HARD WOOD BEYOND THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS — MONTANA
MOUNTAINS — GOLD FIELDS — THEIR YIELD MINES AND MINING NEW DIS-
COVERIES — CHARACTERISTIC LETTERS — EXPENSIVE LIVING ISOLATED POSI-
TION OF MONTANA — HER FUTURE FARMING LANDS COAL FIELDS — THE IN-
HABITANTS OF MONTANA — THEIR PECULIARITIES AND HABITS
XUST west of the Powder River country, and north of the
^ Snake lands is a very rich territory called Montana. The
climate is delightful during the summer months, it not being
too warm, and at night a person finds it necessary to sleep
under one or more blankets. Much of the time the atmosphere
is hazy, not unlike an Indian summer in the Eastern States.
During the winter the weather is extremely cold, and people
easily get frostbitten by exposure. It is never very windy, but
quiet, still, cold weather, which is sometimes exceedingly
pleasant.
The grazing can not be excelled in any country, and much
of the stock runs out all the winter, though there is by no
means any lack of snow. In spring-time the stock is fat, and
it is fair to say that no better beef can be found. Horses and
39
450 belden: the white chief.
cattle thrive, and look fine and sleek. There is plenty of tim-
ber on the mountain sides and in* the canons, and a thick under-
growth of bushes in which there is an abundance of berries.
In such a country game must abound, and here are found the
moose, elk, buffalo, deer, antelope, cinnamon or black bears,
badgers, beavers, martins, mink, and a variety of other wild
animals.
The Upper Crow Indians, who are friendly, live in the
middle of the territory, in the unsettled portion, and seem to
get along pretty well in their wild and savage way. Their
reservation is on the Yellowstone River, in a fine game coun-
try ; and a small, compact fort for the use of the agent has
been built there. Here the Indians live, and hence they make
their way to the buffalo grounds, and return laden with dried
meat and robes.
In November, 1869, there were over three thousand five
hundred Mountain Crows at the agency for the purpose of
receiving the annuities given to them by the Government,
The Crows had had a fight with the Cheyennes, in the country
of the Sioux, in which the Crows were victorious. They killed
six adult Cheyennes and captured four young ones. These they
tortured in the most barbarous manner, cutting off their hands,
then their feet, and finally killing them. One Crow warrior
was badly wounded, and died afterward. The daughter of
"Iron Bull,'' a principal chief, also died at the agency, and
her body was wrapped in furs and placed upon a scaffold in
great pomp. Iron Bull burnt his lodge, destroyed his property,
and killed his horses as a sign of mourning.
Over her and the warrior who died of his wounds, the camp
was in a general state of mourning, black paint was daubed on
many hideous faces, gashes being cut with knives, and hair torn
BELDEN: THE WHITE CHIEF. 451
out by the handful. The Indians were mostly encamped on
Bowlder Creek, near its confluence with the Yellowstone, and
a great many River Crows were encamped below. After con-
siderable difficulty about the character of the goods, the annui-
ties were distributed.
The Crows had a very successful fall hunt, and it was estima-
ted that there were over six thousand buffalo robes in their
camp, which was also bountifully stocked with buffalo meat.
The buffalo at that time were ranging within twenty-five miles
of the agency, and after receiving their goods many of the
Indians returned to the hunting-grounds. Tindoy^s band of
Bannack Indians were out hunting during the whole fall with
the Crows, and brought back many robes and a good supply of
meat.
The lodges of the Crows along the bank of Bowlder Creek
were made of dressed buffalo skins, and presented a picturesque
appearance, half hidden as they were amid the bushes and trees.
It was late in the fall, and the leaves had fallen, but the gray
hues were softened, and the russet of the grass in the creek
bottoms was enlivened by the presence of hundreds, perhaps
thousands, of Indian ponies. Night was made hideous by the
singing of the Indian songs and the howling of Indian dogs.
In the daytime there was a grand display of Indian firing by
the young dandies, and scalp dances over the scalps of the un-
fortunate Cheyennes who had been killed.
The Crows have always been friendly to the whites, with
perhaps a few exceptions. They are arrant thieves, and on
more than one occasion have been accused of cowardice, though
that is not true of them. A more persistent nation of beggars,
however, does not exist upon earth. An Indian always expects
a present of some kind, but it has been remarked that few, if
452 BELDEN: THE WHITE CHIEF.
I
any, Indians make presents in return. " Get all you can and
keep all you get " is the maxim of the Aborigin^es. One of
them never was known to give away any thing that was not
absolutely worthless. A squaw of the Crow tribe, or as they
call themselves Absarcis, never visits a white man's house
without saying in the most pitiful and drawling tones, "Awush-
me; Avmsh-me;^^ meaning, "I am hungry; I am hungry;"
even though she has just eaten enough food to kill a white
woman outright. A more sorrowful and melancholy cadence
can not be given to any language than that given by the Crows
to their own. I had the honor to become acquainted with
some of the big-nosed and nobby-complexioned leaders of this
nation of Indians, among whom I recollect with peculiar feel-
ings the chiefs Iron Bull, Black Foot, Show-his-face, Old "Wolf,
The Coat, Black Bird, and several others whose distinguished
names do not now occur to me. They have an immense idea
of their own importance, " and feel so big," as the Californians
say, " that a very large overcoat would only make for them a
moderate-sized vest." Their highest delight is to smoke kee-
nick — kee-nick from the bowl of a red pipe with a long stem.
They are excessively dignified and correspondingly ignorant.
There are some excellent roads in the territory of Montana.
The one leading from Virginia City to Helena, and thence to
Fort Benton, is a most excellent thoroughfare. A road was
made in the summer of 1869 from Borzeman across the coun-
try to the mouth of the Muscleshell, and thence back to Helena.
It was thought Hhat all freight would be brought up to the
mouth of the river, by boats on the Missouri * River, and
freighted across the country to such points as it might be des-
tined for, but this has been superseded by the railroad ; and
now, unless the cost of carriage is too high, the freighting will
BELDEN: THE WHITE CHIEF. 453
all be done that way, and from Corinne it will be carried up
into the territory. It may cost somewhat more this way,
but it is more expeditious, and on the whole far more satis-
factory.
Montana has within her borders several rivers, the largest of
which are the Missouri, Clarke's Fork of the Columbia, and the
Yellowstone. The former is navigable as far as Fort Benton,
but this is only for an exceedingly limited portion of the year,
and ordinarily boats can make but one trip from St. Louis to
Fort Benton and back again during the season. In some ex-
ceptional cases, however, two trips have been made. Clark's
Fork is on the west side of the Rocky Mountains, and is formed
by the junction of the Bitter Root and Flat Head Rivers, the
Bitter Root being itself formed by the junction of the Big
Blackfoot, Missoula, and the Hellgate Rivers. The whole in-
terior of Montana is remarkably well watered, and there are
gold placers on many of the creeks, the names of which it would
be useless to give, as it would only lead to confusion in obtain-
ing a knowledge of the country. The Missouri is formed by
the junction of the " Three Forks," called Respectively the
Jefferson, the Madison, and the Gallatin Rivers, so named by
Lewis and Clarke.
These ai'e all noble and beautiful streams, lined with fine
growths of timber, and abounding in trout. In the Madison
are found the "half trout," a peculiar kind of a fish, which has
specks and scales, being half trout and half whitefish. The
timber and underbrush along these streams is a favorite resort
for Indians who are now friendly. It is somewhat singular
that no hard wood, such as hickory and maple, is found west
of the Rocky Mountains.
There are several ranges of mountains, as the name of the
454 BELDEN: THE WHITE CHIEF.
territory indicates, and long before the whites came it was
known to the Snake or Shoshonee Indians as ^^ To-yahe-shock-
wp," or " the Country of the Mountains/' The only consider-
able body of water is Flat Head Lake, in the north-western
corner, and the source of the river of the same name.
As the main importance abroad given to Montana is wholly
connected with the gold mines, an account of them may be in-
teresting, though it is exceedingly diflficult to convey to the
reader a good idea of them. Gold is not picked up by the
handful, even in the best of diggings ; and long lines of sluice
boxes, piles of cobble stones, and thick beds of mud in the
shape of " tailings," have all to be taken into account when
thinking of getting out gold in the placers. To this must be
added the heavily-booted and thickly-bearded miners, who are
a distinct class of people, having their own peculiar phrases,
their own laws, their own amusements, and their own ways of
dressing, living, and working. That they do work is certain :
in no country on earth do they work so hard, and all the
mining that has ever been done in the United States has not
paid in coin more than ten cents per day. When people think
of going to the gold mines, it would be well to bear this fact
in view.
It would be useless to go into dry mining details, which at
best are unsatisfactory, and therefore only the general results
will be given in round numbers. It must be said that this
statement has been drawn up by a warm friend of the Mon-
tana mines, and must be received with some caution. Since
the discovery that gold has been found in the territory, it is
supposed the following-named sums have been taken out of the
placer mines in the several counties of the territory :
belden: the white chief. 455
Madison County, $40,000,000
Lewis & Clarke County, 19,360,000
Deer Lodge County, . . . . . 13,250,000
Meagher County, 6,949,200
Jefferson County, 4,500,000
Beaver Head County, 2,245,000
Emigrant Gulch on the Yellowstone Neighbor-
ingburg, 80,000
$86,384,200
Yield for Quartz, 6,000,000
Total, $92,384,200
In addition there are Choteau, Missoula, Musclesliell, and
Gallatin Counties from which there are no returns.
In the autumn of 1869 rich gold discoveries were made in
Missoula County. The new diggings are said to be very ex-
tensive, and a large mining camp sprung up there during the
winter of 1869-70. A great many people left Helena and
other towns on both sides of the range, and the roads leading
in the direction of Missoula were dotted with eager gold-seek-
ers bound for speedy fortunes.
As all gold discoveries run about the same course, the follow-
ing characteristic letters are given relative to these mines :
LETTEE TO W. H. TODD.
}
" Fish Creek Fbkry, Missoula County,
Montana TBRRiTORr, Dec. 4, 1869
"About two weeks since a few Frenchmen passed here, and
the report was a ' big strike ' had been made somewhere near
Losa's Ranche, situated some twenty miles below Frenchtown.
Two or three days more and the stampede was up in earnest,
456 BELDEN: THE WHITE CHIEF.
men passing at all hours of the day and night. ] started at
dark, and reached Losa's Ranche at 2 o'clock. Next morning
we followed our guide across the Missouri River, thence five
miles down, crossed a stream, and followed it up about four
miles. Here we left our horses, took a little grub and cur
blankets, and footed it nine miles up the creek, and were in the
diggings. They were discovered last summer by French, who
panned out over three hundred dollars in six days' time, from
different places up and down the gulch. One nugget of eight-
een dollars was found. I located claim 63 below discovery.
Ten cents to the pan has been taken out of the top gravel for
two thousand feet below my ground, and, in one instance, as
high as fifty-eight cents was taken out of two pans. It is
thought the whole length of the main creek is good ; also, the
right-hand fork, which is seven or eight miles long, and empties
in below discovery. Respectfully, etc.,
"Nelson J. Cocheane.
A Missoula correspondent, writing under date of December
6, 1869, communicates the following :
" I will now come to another excitement, which, I am Sure,
will be of more interest to the public. I refer to the stampede
now going on to the new Eldorado of Montana, and located on
the west side of the Missouri River, some seventy-five miles
below here, and to which place every body has gone or is going
as soon as he can. The excitement commenced last week, but
little was then thought of it. Last week parties arrived in
town from there, when the news spread like fire, and never,
since the memorable stampede from Bannack to Alder Gulch, in
1863, have I seen the like. Every one who can get a horse
Jias gone. A creek ten or twelve miles long has been pros-
belden: the white chief. 457
pected, and the result shows it to be of fabulous richness — even
too rich to be told by a newspaper correspondent. Suffice it tc
say that it bids fair to rival Alder Gulch in its best days. I
saw and talked with the discoverer to-day, and others direct
from there. The gulch or creek proper was discovered by a
Canadian named Louis Bassette, and the majority of the men
in there are Canadians. I have seen some of the gold, and it
much resembles that from McClellan Gulch — quite coarse and
of good quality. Runners have been sent to the camps in
Deer Lodge, and a general stampede from the other country ia
expected to commence in a few days, as men can not hold
ground unless they are there in person.
"J. N. RiNGOLD."
In April, 1865, flour sold in Virginia City for one hundred
and ten dollars a hundred pounds, or one dollar and ten cents
in gold per pound. It must be confessed this was a high price,
and every thing else was in proportion. At that time men
liv^d on " beef straight," and gave the flour to the women and
children.
The largest nugget yet found in the territory was one which
was discovered in Nelson's Gulch, on the 3d July, 1863, which
was worth two thousand and sixty-three dollars. Near this
gulch the outline of the mountains present a most singular
appearance. In Arizona a bold outline on the mountain side,
a short distance west of Maricopa "Wells, is called " Montezu-
ma's Face," and is, indeed, a most perfect representation of the
face of a man lying on his back, dead. It is looked upon with
awe by the neighboring Indians.
Montana is now almost isolated from the great and stirring
events which are going on in the new path of commerce which
stretches across the continent. It seems to be, and really is,
458 BELDEN: THE WHITE CHIEF.
one of the most remote portions of our country, blocked in by
the far Western States and those of the Pacific, and having foi
its boundary on the north the bleak and almost limitless Brit-
ish Possessions. It is a majestic, wild, and solitary land.
Embracing that region lying between the 45th and 49th
parallels of north latitude, and the 27th and 39th meridians
west from Washington, it contains an area of one hundred and
forty-three thousand seven hundred and seventy-six square
miles, equal to ninety-two million sixteen thousand six hun-
dred and forty acres, extending from east to west about seven
hundred and fifty miles, and from north to south about two
hundred and seventy-five miles. This area is nearly equal to
that of California, and three times that of New York.
Of this region the Surveyor-general, in his report for 1869,
estimates that fully thirty millions six hundred and seventy-
two thousand two hundred and sixteen acres are susceptible of
cultivation. This is about one-third of the territory; the
other two-thirds comprise the main range of the Rocky Mount-
ains, running north and south across the territory, and numer-
ous subordinate spurs, whose peaks often surpass in altitude
those of the main range.
Among the spurs may be mentioned the Coeur d'Alene and
Bitter Root Mountains, making the dividing line between
Montana and Idaho on the west, between which and the main
range lies the rich and productive country embraced in Deer
Lodge and Missoula Counties; the Belt and Judith Mount-
ains, separating the sparsely settled Musleshell County on the
north-east, and Choteau County on the north-west, from the
rich mining regions of Meagher County on the south, extend-
ing to the Missouri River, which is also the north-eastern
boundary of Lewis & Clark County ; the Bear's Paw and
belden: thb white chief. 459
Little Rocky Moun|ains, still to the north; the Big Horn
Mountains extending into Dakota, in the south-east, north and
east of which lies the unorganized county of Big Horn or
Vaughan, embracing the Yellowstone region, with Gallatin
County to the north-west, and Madison and Beaver Head lying
west and south-west ; and the western spurs of the Wind
River Mountains, on the extreme eastern border.
Coal of a good quality has been found in Montana, and as
rapidly as the country settles up, and it becomes necessary to
develop this source of wealth, it will no doubt be found in
great abundance, and perhaps of a superior quality. Near
Borzeman a fine vein of bituminous coal has been developed.
Just above Benton a promising vein has been opened ; above
Bannack, and also near Virginia City, and on the Dearborn,
veins from four to five feet have been discovered.
The inhabitants of Montana are a generous, open-hearted
people, full of life and activity, and noted for that boundless
hospitality which is peculiar to the frontiers. They change
their places of abode readily, build up a town rapidly, and with
little or no ceremony, and abandon it as readily with no symp-
toms of regret. Wherever mines are there they are also. They
believe in themselves ; take an immense amount of stock in the
Great West ; do not object to " whisky straight ; " are always on
hand to assist a friend in distress, and take kindly to theaters
and hurdy-gurdy saloons. " Plug " hats and store clothes are
their abomination. A buckskin rig is considered the height of
the ton, with a broad-brimmed soft hat " reared back " in front.
Supplementary Chapters,
A.N INDIAN ELOPEMENT.
rllHE British traveler, Atkinson, has already told the tale
-■- of Souk, and had he laid his story among the Ogallala
Sioux, instead of the wild Kirghis, and dated it about the
middle, instead of the beginning of the present century, he
would have been entirely correct.
Souk, was the son of the great chief of his tribe, and a
young man of remarkable ability. His father had great con-
fidence in the sagacity of his son, and intrusted him with all
impoi'tant expeditions of war and diplomacy. So great, indeed,
was the belief of the old chief in his son, that he would under-
take no enterprise without first consulting him.
The Ogallalas and Brules had sprung from the same parent
stock, and had long been friendly. They were the two most
powerful tribes on the plains, and by uniting their councils and
forces, gave law to all the weaker tribes. At the head of the
Brules was an old and experienced chief, who often met Souk's
father to consult about the welfare of their tribes, and, on all
such occasions. Souk was present as the prime minister of his
chief and father. The old Brule frequently noticed the young
Ogallala, and seemed mightily pleased with him. On one or
two occasions, he spoke to Souk encouragingly, and one day
went so far as to invite him to visit his tribe, and spend a few
28 (463)
464 BELDEN : THE WHITE CHIEF.
days at his lodge. These visits were often repeated, and it
during one of them, Souk met the daughter of his friend, who
was the belle of her tribe, and, besides her great personal
charms, was esteemed to be the most virtuous and accomplished
young woman in the nation. It did not take long for her tc
make an impression on the heart of Souk, and soon both the
young people found themselves over head and ears in love with
each other.
The Indian girl was proud of her lover, as well she might
be, for he was only twenty-eight years of age, tall, handsome,
good-tempered, and manly in his deportment. Besides these
considerations in his favor, he was virtually the head of his
tribe, and no warrior was more renowned for deeds of valor.
A born chief, the idol of his aged father, prepossessing in his
appearance, already at the head of his tribe, and its chief war-
rior, he was just such a person as was likely to move the heart
and excite the admiration of a young girl.
Atchafalaya* was the only daughter of the Brule chief, and
the spoiled pet of her father. She was tall, lithe, and agile as
an antelope. She could ride the wildest steed in her father's
herds, and no maiden in the tribe could shoot her painted bow
so well, so daintily braid her hair, or bead moccasins as nicely
as Atchafalaya. Giving all the love of her passionate nature to
Souk, he loved her with the whole strength of his manly heart
in return. Day after day, the lovers lingered side by side, sat
under the shade of the great trees by the clear running brook,
or hand in hand, gathered wild flowers by the shadows of the
tall hills.
Sometimes Souk was at the village of his father, but he
* Pronounced — Chaf-fa-ly-a.
AN INDIAN ELOPEMENT. 465
always made haste to excuse himself, and hurried back to the
camps of the Brule chief; indeed, he was never content, except
when by the side of the bewitching Atchafalaya. The old men
knew of the growing attachment between their children, and
seemed rather to encourage than oppose it. Atchafalaya was
buoyantly happy, and a golden future seemed opening up before
her. Souk often reflected how happy he would be when he
and his darling were married ; and, frequently, at night, when
the stars were out, the young lovers would sit for hours and
plan the future happiness of themselves, and the people over
whom they would rule.
One day. Souk returned to his father's camp, and formally
notified him of his love for Atchafalaya, and demanded her in
marriage. The old chief listened attentively, and at the close
of Souk's harangue, rose and struck the ground three times
with his spear, declaring that he knew of no reason why hLs
son should not be made happy, and have Atchafalaya to wife.
The grateful Souk was so overjoyed, that forgetting his position,
and the rank of his chief, he fell upon his neck, and kissing
him again and again, actually shed tears. Putting him kindly
aside, the father, well knowing the impatience of young lovers,
hastily summoned three of his most distinguished chiefs, and
said to them, " Mount your swiftest horses ! go to the camps of
the Brule, and when you have come to him, say. Souk, the son
of his old friend, loves his only daughter, Atchafalaya, and that
I demand her of him in marriage to my son. You will also say,
that, according to the ancient customs of our tribes, I will pay
to him whatever presents he may demand for the maiden, and
that it is my desire, the friendship long existing between our-
selves and our people may be cemented by the marriage of our
children."
40
466 BELDEN: THE WHITE CHIEF.
Bowing low, the chiefs retired, and were soon on their wa*
to the Brule village, which was three days' journey distant.
Rather than wait impatiently in the camp until the chiefs
would return, Souk proposed to go on a short hunting excur-
sion with some young warrior friends to whom he could
unbosom himself.
Meantime, the chiefs had proceeded on their errand, and on
the evening of the third day, caught sight of the Brule camp.
They were hospitably received by the venerable chief, who did
all in his power to make them comfortable after their fatiguing
ride. On the following morning, the chief assembled his coun-
selors, and making a great dog- feast, heard the request of the
embassadors. When they had done speaking, the Brule rose
and announced his consent to the marriage, saying, he was
delighted to know that his daughter was to be the wife of so
brave and worthy a young man as the son of his friend. He
then dismissed the chiefs, stating that he would shortly send an
embassy to receive the promised presents, and conaplete the
arrangements for the marriage of the young couple.
When the chiefs returned to their camp and announced the
result of their mission, there was great rejoicing, and Souk,
who had cut his hunt short and returned before the chiefs, was
now, perhaps, the happiest man in the world. There was still,
however, one thing which greatly troubled him. He knew his
father was very proud, and considered the honor of an alliance
with his family so great that but few presents would be re-
quired to be made. On the other hand, the old Brule was
exceedingly parsimonious, and, no doubt, would take this
opportunity to enrich himself by demanding a great price for
his daughter's hand.
Determined not to wait the pending negotiations before see-
AN INDIAN ELOPEMENT. 467
ing his sweetheart, Souk summoned a band of his young
warriors, and burning with love, set out for the Brule camp.
It being the month of June, Souk knew the old chief would
have removed from his winter encampment to his summer hunt-
ing-grounds and pasture, on the Lower Platte. This would
require some seven or eight days more travel, and carry him
through a portion of the territory of his enemies; but love
laughs at danger, and selecting eight tried companions, he set
out. The evening of the second day brought him to the bor-
der of his father's dominions, and, selecting a sheltered camp
by the side of a little stream, they determined to rest their
animals for a day before crossing the country of the hostile
Cheyennes.
As soon as it was dark they saddled their horses, and, swim-
ming the Upper Platte, set out to cross the enemy's lands.
Their route lay in a south-easterly direction, and led them over
a fine hilly country, almost destitute of wood, except in the
deep valleys and narrow ravines. The sun had long passed
the meridian, the horses had rested, and th(. cravelers taken
their midday meal, but as yet had seen nothing to indicate that
man was anywhere in this vast region.
The sun was fast going down, and they were endeavoring to
reach a good camping-ground known to several of the party,
when suddenly, as they were descending a mountain, they saw
below them smoke curling up, and, in the distance, two objects
which looked like ants on the plain. From their position they
could not see the fires from whence the smoke arose, but the
eight of it caused them hastily to dismount and lead their
horses under shelter of the projecting rocks, that they might
not be discovered.
Two advanced on foot to reconnoiter, creeping cautiously
468 beIiDen: the white chief.
round the base of the rocks, and then onward among fallen
masses that completely screened them. At length they reached
a point from which they beheld, about half a mile below them,
an encampment of over one hundred men. Three large fires
were blazing, and while groups were gathered around them,
others were picketing out the horses, and evidently preparing
to encamp for the night. Souk's men had not long been in
their observatory when they saw two men riding furiously
down the valley toward the camp, and they instantly surmised
that these were the two black spots they had seen on the plain,
and that Souk and his party had been discovered. They were
not long left in doubt, however, for as soon as the horsemen
reached the camp they rode to the chiefs lodge, commenced
gesticulating violently, and pointing toward the cliffs where
Souk and his men were. A crowd gathered around the new-
comers, and presently several were seen to run to their horses
and commence saddling up. The scouts now hastily left
their hiding-place, and hurried back to Souk, whom they in-
formed of all that w^as transpiring below.
Not a moment was to be lost, and, ordering his men to
mount. Souk turned up the mountain along the path he had
just come. He knew he had a dangerous and wily enemy to
deal with, ten times his own in numbers, and that it would re-
quire all his skill to elude them, or the greatest bravery to de-
feat them, should it become necessary to fight.
Fortunately he knew a pass further to the west that was
rarely used, and for this he pushed with all his might. On
reaching the mountain-top, and looking back, black objects
could be seen moving rapidly up the valley, and they knew the
enemy was in pursuit of them. All night Souk toiled along,
and, when the morning began to break, saw the pass he was
AN INDIAN ELOPEMENT. 46S
seeking still several miles ahead. Reaching the mountain's
edge at sunrise, they dismounted and began the perilous descent
into the gorge. In two hours it was accomplished, and they
entered the somber shadows of the great cafion. They had
begun to feel safe, when suddenly the man in front reined up
his horse and pointed to several pony tracks in the sand. Souk
dismounted and examined them, and, on looking round, saw
where the animals had been picketed, apparently, about two
hours before.
Could it be possible that the enemy had reached the pass
before him, and were waiting to attack him higher up in the
gorge? He could hardly credit it, and yet it must be so,
for who else could be in that lonely ^len. Kecollecting that
the caiion to the right would carry him into the great pass
some ten miles higher up, he still hoped to get through be-
fore the enemy reached it, and, hastily mounting, they galloped
furiously forward. They had come in sight of the great pass,
when, just as they were about to enter it, they saw a man sit-
ting on a horse a few hundred yards ahead of them, and
directly in the trail. On observing the Ogallalas, the horse-
man gave the Cheyenne war-whoop, and, in a moment, a dozen
other mounted men appeared in rear of the first.
Grasping his spear. Souk shouted his war-whoop, and, or-
dering his men to charge, dashed down upon the enemy.
Plunging his spear into the nearest foe, he drew his battle-ax
and clove open the head of the one in rear, and before his
comrades could come up with him had unhorsed a third. A
shout down the great cafion caused Souk to hurriedly look
that way, when he saw about fifty warriors galloping toward
him. He now knew he had reached the pass ahead of the
main body, and encountered only the scouts of the Cheyenues.
470 BELDEN: THE WHITE CHIEF.
Ordering his men to push on up the pass to the great valley
beyond, he, with two companions, remained behind to covei
their retreat. On coming to their dead and wounded warriors
the Cheyennes halted and held a conference, while Souk and
liis friends leisurely pursued their journey. In the gorge in
which he then was. Souk knew ten men were as good as a hun-
dred, and he was in no hurry to leave the friendly shelter of the
rocks. Taking up a position behind a sharp butte, he fortified
the place, and quietly waited for the Cheyennes. Hour after hour
passed, but they did not appear. The shadows of evening were
beginning to creep into the ravines, and several of Souk's party
were anxious to quit their retreat and continue their journey,
confident that the Cheyennes had returned to their camp, but
the wily young Sioux told them to be patient, and he would
inform them when it was time to go. The evening deepened
into twilight, the moon rose over the peaks and stood overhead,
indicating that it was midnight, but still Souk would not go.
His men had begun to grumble, when suddenly a noise was
heard in the gorge below, and presently voices and the tramp
of horses could be distinguished. Souk ordered four of his
men to mount and be ready to leap the rude rock breastworks
when he gave them notice,' and to cheer and shout as loudly as
possible. He then lay down with the other four, and waited
for the foe. To his delight he noticed, as the Cheyennes came
up, many of them were dismounted, and leading their ponies.'
They came within a few feet of the barricade before they per-
ceived it, and then Souk and his comrades commenced a rapid
discharge of arrows into their midst. Three or four shots had
been fired before the Cheyennes knew what the matter was, or
where the whizzing shafts came from. Then Souk shouted his
battle-cry, and the four mounted Sioux, repeating it from }>e-
AN INDIAN ELOPEMENT. 471
hind the butte, dashed over the barricade and charged the
enemy, who broke and fled in the utmost confusion down the
gorge. In a moment Souk, with his remaining Sioux, wa3
mounted and after them. The animals of the Cheyennes
broke loose from some of the dismounted warriors before they
could mount, and left them on foot. Several hid among the
rocks, but four. Souk overtook and killed. The pursuit was
kept up for nearly five miles, when Souk turned back and
hastily continued bis journey to the Brule camp, where he ar-
rived in safety on the evening of the seventh day.
He was kindly received by the father of his bride, and given
a dozen fine lodges for himself and friends. The meeting be-
tween Souk and his sweetheart was as tender as that of lovers
could be, and now, that they were once together, both were
perfectly happy. Near the Brule encampment were some
mountain vines covered with flowers, and here Souk and
Atchafalaya each day spent hour after hour in sweet com-
munion with each other. The stream was dotted for miles
with hundreds of richly-painted teepees ; thousands of horf^es
and ponies were constantly to be seen grazing in the green
valley, and scores of warriors in their gay and various-colored
costumes galloped to and fro among the villages. It was a
pleasant sight at the home of the old Brule, and one that filled
their young hearts with pride and joy, for all these herds and
people were one day to be theirs.
After lingering a month in the camp, the old Brule one day
announced to Souk he was about to send the chiefs to receive
the presents for Atchafalaya's hand, and if the young man and
his friends wished to return home it would be a favorable op-
portunity for them to do so. Souk took the hint and mao«
preparations accordingly.
472 belden: the white ohief.
By the advice of the old chief, the party took another route,
and, although it was two days longer, it brought them in safety
to the Ogallala encampment.
At Souk's request, his father immediately assembled the coun-
cil, and the negotiations for Atchafalaya's hand began. An aged
Brule made the first speech, expatiating on the power of his
chief, the richness of the tribe, and the beauty of Atchafalaya.
This was followed by an Ogallala, who dwelt at length upon
the power of his chief, his rank, and age, and upon the noble-
ness, bravery, and skill of Souk. Several other speeches were
made on each side, in which the young man and woman were
alternately praised, and the glory of their fathers extolled to the
skies. The council then adjourned until the following day, the
important point of the conference — the price of the lady's hand —
not having been touched upon at all.
Next day the conference continued, and toward evening the
Brule chiefs, after having spoken a great deal, abruptly demanded
fifty horses and two hundred ponies, as the price for Atchafalaya.
The friends of Souk were a good deal surprised at the ex-
travagant demand of the Brules, it being about three times more
than they expected to give. Souk's father could not conceal his
indignation, and saying he would give but twenty-five horses
and one hundred ponies, adjourned the council, directing the
Brule chiefs to return home and inform their venerable head of
his decision.
Souk returned to his lodge with a heavy heart, for he clearly
foresaw trouble, and that his love, like all other " true loves,"
was not to run smoothly. Summoning his friends, he desired
them to make as many presents as possible to the Brule chiefs,
and before they started he added five fine horses of his own,
hoping by this liberality to secure their good will. He also
AN INDIAN ELOPEMENT. 473
caused them to be secretly informed, that if they could induce
the Brule chief to accept his father's offer he would, on the day
of his marriage, present to each of them, a fine American horse.
Before leaving the Brule camp, Souk and Atchafalaya had
vowed a true lover's vow, that, come what would of the council,
they would be faithful to each other, and die rather than break
their plighted troth. Souk had also promised his betrothed he
M'ould return in the fall and make her his wife, with or with-
out the consent of the tribes.
As the summer months wore away, and no word was received
from the Brule camp, Souk became each day more restless, and,
finally, calling together a few of his friends, started once more
for the Brules' home.
He was received most cordially by the old chief, and as be-
fore, given most hospitable entertainment. Often, however, he
thought he detected sadness on the old man's face, and on ques-
tioning Atchafalaya as to the cause of her father's trouble, the
poor girl burst into tears and confessed she was about to be
sacrificed f )r her father's good. She said that the Cheyenne
chief, with whom her fath^ had long been at war, had asked
her hand, and promised, on receiving her as one of his wives,
to cease from warring with the Sioux. Her father, actuated by
a desire to do his people and friends good, had, after the refusal
of Souk's father to furnish the required presents, given the
Cheyenne a promise, and they were to be married the fol-
lowing year, when the grass grew gr^en on the earth. The old
chief preferred greatly to have Souk for a son-in-law, but he
wished also to serve his people and old friends. The treaty
was to be binding on the Cheyennes, for the Ogallalas as well
as the Brulcs, and therefore Souk and his father would be greatly
benefited bv her marriage to the Cheyenne.
41
474 BELDEN: THE WHITE CHIEF.
This astounding intelligence came near upsetting Souk's bettei
judgment, and for awhile he was nearly demented. Taking
the fond girl in his arms, he swore, rather than see her the wife
of the hated Cheyenne, he would spill both his own and her
blood, and they would go to the happy hunting-grounds to-
gether. Atchafalaya begged him to be calm, and she would make
her escape with him and fly to his people. It was agreed that,
early in the spring, before the encampment moved to its sum-
mer pastures. Souk, with a chosen band, should come over the
mountains, and in the confusion, when the tribe was on the
march, they would seize a favorable opportunity to escape into
the mountains, from which they could make their way to Souk's
father and implore his protection.
Cautioning him to conceal, even by a look, all knowledge of
her engagement to the Cheyenne, the lovers parted, and next
day Souk set out for his home, apparently utterly indifferent
as to the result of the negotiations for his marriage.
Slowly the winter months dragged along, and to the impatient
Souk they seemed interminable, but at length the water began
to come down from the mountains, ^nd the ice grew soft on the
streams. As soon as he saw these indications of returning
spring, Souk called his bravest friends together and set out from
the camp. He did not tell any one where he was going, and it
was only when they began to ascend the mountains they sus-
pected they were on their way to the Brule camp. In eight days
they descended the plain into the old chiefs home.
He was greatly astonished to see Souk, for he believed it im-
possible, at that season of the year, for any one to cross the
mountain. However, he gave Souk and his friends a hearty
welcome, and again provided them with every thing they
needed.
AN INDIAN ELOPEMENT. 475
Next day the chief rode down the river to prepare the camps
for moving, and Souk and Atchafalaya, being left alone in the
camp, had all the oppportunity they desired for laying their
plans. Atchafalaya said the camp would move in four days,
and that in the meantime they must make every preparation for
iheir flight. There was one horse in the herd, she said, that
was the swiftest in the tribe, and he must be either killed or
she would ride him. Her father had always objected to her
mounting this animal, because he was so vicious, but, now that
he was away, it would be a good time for her to ride the ani-
mal, and show to her father that she was a better horsewoman
than he thought. Once upon him, she could pretend a fond-
ness for the beast, and thus secure him to ride on the trip.
Souk agreed to all she said, and the wild horse was at once
sent for. He reared and plunged fearfully, but at length he
was conquered, and Atchafalaya mounted his back. Souk rode
by her side, and they galloped down the river, to meet the old
chief, who they knew must by that time be returning home-
ward, as it was nearly evening. They soon met him, and
when he saw his daughter on the wild horse, he was greatly
surprised, but not displeased, for all Indians are proud of their
horsemanship. Cautioning her to be very careful, and hold
him fast. Souk, the old chief, and Atchafalaya rode back to-
gether to the village.
Next day Atchafalaya again rode the wild horse, and in the
evening slyly extracted a promise from her father that she
should be permitted to ride him when the village changed its
camping-ground.
On the morning of the fourth day the herds were gathered,
the teepees pulled down, and the village commenced its march
to the summer pastures. The men had got the herds fairly on
476 BELDEN: THE WHITE CHIEF.
the way, and the sun was just tipping the icy peaks of the
mountains, wlien Souk and Atchafalaya mounted their steeds
and galloped swiftly forward. Atchafalaya rode the wild horse,
and Souk was mounted on a splendid stallion. All of Souk^s
warriors had been sent the day before to Pole Creek, a day in
advance, under the pretense of hunting.
Biding on until they reached the head of the herd, they were
about to pass, when the herders informed the young couple that
it was the chiePs orders no one should go ahead of the herd,
and they could proceed no further. Giv.ing the men a pleasant
answer, Atchafalaya said she was only trying the mettle of hei
horse, and at once turned back. They had gone but a little
distance, when they entered the sand-hills, and, making a wide
circuit, came out far in advance of the herd. They were now
on the banks of a little lake, and, giving their horses full rein,
sped by its clear waters.
Long before night the young people reached Pole Creek, and
found Souk's warriors. He hastily explained to them what had
happened, and, charging them to remain, and if possible draw oft*
the enemy from the trail. Souk and his sweetheart again set
forward.
One of the warriors who remained behind was to personate a
woman, and, if possible, make the old chief's people think he
was Atchafalaya. Souk said he knew a pass through the Black
Hills that would bring them to his father's country two days
sooner than by any other route, and, although the way was
somewhat dangerous, they must take all risks, and depend on
the swiftness of their horses for escape.
All night they rode on, and at sunrise halted on the top of a
high hill, to breakfast on cold roast antelope and wild arti-
chokes. Atchafalaya's horse bore her light weight without
AN INDIAN ELOPEMENT. 471
seeming fatigue, but Souk was heavy, and his steed began to
show signs of distress.
Far in the distance they could see the blue line of the gap
that still lay between them and safety, and, hurriedly refresh-
ing themselves from a spring of pure water, they again set out,
hoping to reach it before night.
It was near sundown when they began to ascend the high
ridge that led into the gap, and they had just reached the crest
when Atchafalaya, scanning the valley below them, descried
horsemen following on their trail. They had hoped they were
not yet discovered, and under cover of night might still reach
the pass in safety, but the horsemen soon divided, and one-half
went up the valley, while the others continued to follow the trail.
Souk knew in a moment that those who went up the valley
were going to head them off, and, although they had nearly
double the distance to ride, their road was comparatively smooth,
while Souk's lay along precipices and over crags. Calling to
Atchafalaya that they must now ride for their lives. Souk
whipped up the horses, and they began to climb rapidly the
rugged pathway.
All night they pushed along, and at daylight found themselves
quite near the pass. Souk scanned the valley through the hazy
light, but could detect no traces of the Brules people. He began
to hope that they had not yet arrived, and spoke enpouragingly
to Atchafalaya, who, pale with fatigue, now sat upon her horse
like a statue. Descending into the deep canon. Souk directed
Atchafalaya to ride rapidly for the pass, while he followed close
in the rear, ready to attack any enemy that might appear.
They had gone half a mile, and were just entering the jaws of
the great gorge, when a cry of distress rose from the lips of the
girl, and, looking to his right, Souk saw about twenty Brules
478 BELDEN: THE WHITE CHIEF.
rapidly closing on the pass. The noble girl whipped up hei
horse, and, darting forward like an arrow, shot through the
pass full fifty yards ahead of the foremost Brule warrior.
Souk grasped his battle-ax, and, reaching the pass just as
the first Brule came up, struck his horse on the head, dropping
him on the ground and sending the rider rolling over the rocks.
The second warrior, seeing the fate of his companion, swerved
his steed to one side and strove to pass Souk, but he quickly
drew his bow and drove an arrow through the horse behind
the fore-shoulder, causing him to drop to his knees and fling
his rider on the ground.
The lovers were now ahead of all their pursuers, and, urging
their gallant steeds to their utmost, they soon had the satisfac-
tion of hearing the shouts of the Brules dying in the distance
behind them. In an hour they halted, refreshed themselves,
and rested their horses. In the distance they could see the
Brules halting by a stream, and apparently resting also. The
lovers were the first to move on, and, when once in the saddle,
they lost no time.
It was past noon when Souk saw some objects several miles
off on the left, and soon made them out to be part of the
Brules, who were making for the river, to cut him off from
the ford. The race was a long one, but the lovers won it,
and crossed in safety.
On the third day they entered the great mountains, and
drew near the borders of the country of Souk's father. At
sunset they crossed a little creek, which Souk pointed out to
Atchafalaya as the boundary of the Ogallala lands. Riding
forward a dozen miles, they halted in a wild, mountainous re-
gion, and, for the first time since starting, prepared to take
some rest. Souk comforted Atchafalaya with the assuran(»
AN INDIAN ELOPEMENT. 483
that another day would take them to his home, and that they
were now well out of danger.
A sheltered spot was selected for their camp, near a t^tream,
and, while Souk gathered some sticks to make a small fire, his
bride walked down to the water's edge. He saw her turn up
the stream, and in a moment more she was lost to view. The
fire was soon lighted, and Souk busy preparing the evening
meal, when suddenly he heard a fearful shriek at no great
distance.
Seizing his battle-ax, he rushed toward the spot from whence
the sound proceeded, but could see no one. Calling the name
of his bride, he dashed forward through the thicket, but could
see or hear nothing of her. He called loudly again, but re-
ceived no response. The silence was agonizing, and he listened
for several moments, when he heard the crackling of some
branches in the distance. He rushed frantically to the spot, but
his career was quickly stopped by an object on the ground. It
was the torn and now bloody mantle of his beloved. The
mystery was in part explained: she had retired to this secluded
spot to offer up a prayer to the Great Spirit for their safe dc;
liverance, and, as was her custom, had taken off her mantle
and spread it on the earth. On this she had knelt, when a
grizzly bear, those terrible beasts of the Rocky Mountains, had
rushed upon her and killed her before she could utter a second
cry. His huge paws were deeply imprinted on the sand, and
the trail was distinctly visible along which he had dragged
his victim. Souk, taking the rent garment, plunged into the •
brushwood.
He crossed the thicket in several directions, but in vain ; it
was dark, and he could not follow the trail. He returned to
the camp in a frame of mind bordering on despair. Raising
29
484 belden: the white chief.
his hand to heaven, he swore by the great Wa-con Ton-ka to
track the beast to his den and slay him, or perish in the con-
flict. It seemed to him an age before the light appeared, but
at length the gray streamers began to streak the east, and Souk
was on the trail. Again and again he lost it, but the growing
light enabled him to find it, and lie pushed on. He found the
lair half a mile out, where the beast had eaten a part of his
beloved, and, as he looked at the blood stains on the ground,
his brain seemed about to burst from his skull. Pieces of gar-
ments were left on some of the bushes where the bear had
dragged the body along. Far up iuto the mountains Souk
followed the trail, but at length lost it among the rocks. All
day he hunted for it in vain, and when night came he returned
to his camp. He expected the enemy had come Up during his
absence, but he found the horses where he had left them,
and the camp undisturbed. Plow he wished the Brules would
come and kill him. He cursed himself, and wished to die, but
could not. Then he slept, how long he knew not, but the
sun was far up in the heavens and shining brightly when he
awoke.
Mounting one of the horses, and leading the other, he started
at full speed. He wished to leave as quickly as possible, and
forever, the cursed spot that had witnessed the destruction of all
his earthly happiness. It afforded him some relief to ride fast,
and he dashed onward, he neither knew nor cared where. His
well-trained steed took the road for him, and as the evening
-shadows were beginning to creep over the valley, he saw far
ahead the teepees of his father's village. He lashed his horse
and rode like a madman into the town. His faithful warriors
had returned, but they hardly knew their beloved young
chief^ so changed was he. At the door of his father's lodge
AN INDIAN ELOPEMENT. 486
bis brave borse fell dead, and Souk rolled over on tbe ground
insensible.
He was carefully lifted up and laid on bis own bed, wbere
for many days be remained in a raging fever, at times delirious,
and calling wildly on tbe name of Atcbafalaya. Little by lit-
tle be recovered, and at lengtb went about the village again,
but be bardly ever spoke to any one ; and for years tbe Brule8
and Ogallalas never visited eacb otber.
486 belden: the white chief.
II.
THE HUNTER^S DKEAM.
{From the Ottawa.)
THERE was once a beautiful girl, who died suddenly on
the day she was to have been married to a handsome
young hunter, who had also proved his bravery in war, so
that he enjoyed the praises of his tribe, but his heart was not
proof against this loss. From the hour his betrothed was
buried, there was no more joy or peace for him. He went
often to visit the spot where the women had buried her, and
sat musing there for hours, when, it was thought by some of
his friends, he would have done better to try and amuse him-
self in the chase, or by diverting his thoughts in the war-path.
But war and hunting had lost their charms for him. His heart
was already dead within him, and he wholly neglected both his
war-club and his bow.
He had heard the old people say, that there was a path that
led to the land of souls, and he determined to follow it, and
accordingly set out one morning, after having completed his
preparations for the journey. At first he hardly knew which
way to go. He was only guided by the tradition that he must
go south. For awhile, he could see no change in the face of
the country. Forests, and hills, and valleys, and streams, had
the same look which they wore on his native plains. There waa
THE hunter's dream. 487
snow on the ground when he set out, and it was sometimes seen
to be piled and matted on the thick trees and bushes. At
length, however, it began to diminish, and, as he walked on,
finally disappeared. The forest assumed a more cheerful ap-
pearance, the leaves put forth their buds, and before he was
aware of the completeness of the change, he found he had left
behind him the land of snow and ice. The air became mild
and balmy ; the dark clouds had rolled away from the sky ; a
pure field of blue was above him ; and, as he went forward in
his journey, he saw flowers beside his path, and heard the
song of birds. By these signs he knew that he was going the
right way, for they agreed with the traditions of his tribe. At
length he spied a path, which led him through a grove, then up
a long and elevated ridge, on the very top of which, he came to
a lodge. At the door, stood an old man with white hair, whose
eyes, though deeply sunk, had a fiery brilliancy. He had a
long robe of skins thrown loosely around his shoulders, and
a staff in. his hands.
The young man began to tell his story ; but the venerable
chief arrested him before he had spoken ten words. " I have
expected you," he replied, '^ and had just risen to bid you wel-
come to my abode. She, whom you seek, passed here but a
short time since, and being fatigued with her journey, rested
herself here. Enter ray lodge and be seated, and I will then
satisfy your inquiries, and give you directions for your journey
from this point." Having done this, and refreshed himself by
rest, they both issued forth from the lodge door. " You see
yonder gulf," said the old man, "and the wide-stretching
plain beyond : it is the land of souls. You stand upon its
borders, and my lodge is the gate of entrance. But you can
not take your body along. Leave it here with your bow and
488 BELDEN: THE WHITE CHIEF.
arrows, your bundle and your dog. You will find them safe
upon your return." So saying, he re-entered the lodge, and
the freed traveler bounded forward as if his feet had suddenly
been endowed with the power of wings. But all things re-
tained their natural colors and shapes. The woods, and leaves,
and streams, and lakes, were only more bright and comely
than he had ever witnessed. Animals bounded across his path
with a freedom and confidence, which seemed to tell him
that there was no blood shed there. Birds of beautiful plu-
mage were in the groves, and sported in the waters. There
was but one thing which he noticed as unusual. He noticed
that his passage was not stopped by trees and other objects.
He appeared to walk directly through them; they were, in
fact, but the images or shadows of material forms, and he be-
came sensible that he was in the land of souls.
When he had traveled half a day's journey, through a coun-
try which was continually becoming more and more attractive,
he came to the banks of a broad lake, in the center of which
was a large and beautiful island. He found a canoe of white
shining stone tied to the shore, and was now sure that he had
come to the right path, for the aged man had told him of this.
Immediately entering the canoe, and taking the shining paddles
ju his hands, to his joy and surprise, on turning round, he
beheld the object of his search in another canoe, exactly the
counterpart of his, in every respect. It seemed, in fact, to be
the shadow of his own. She had exactly imitated his motions,
and they were side by side, and they at once pushed out from
the shore and began to cross the lake. Its waves seemed to be
rising, and, at a distance, looked ready to swallow them up;
but, just as they entered the whitened edge, they seemed to melt
away, as if they were but the images of waves. But no sooner
THE hunter's dream. 489
was one wreath of foam passed, than another, more threatening
still, rose up. Thus they were in perpetual fear; which was
increased by the clearness of the water, through which they
could see heaps of the bones of persons who had perished
before.
The master of life had, however, decreed to let them pass,
for the thoughts and acts of neither had been bad. But they
saw many others struggling and sinking in the waves. Old
men and young men, males and females, of all ages and ranks,
were there ; some passed, and some sank. It was only the little
children, whose canoes seemed to meet no waves. At length
every difficulty was gone, as in a moment, and they both leaped
out on the happy island. They felt that the very air was food.
It strengthened and nourished them, and they wandered together
over the blissful fields, where every thing was formed to please
the eye and ear. There were no tempests; there was no ice,
nor chilly winds; no one shivered for the want of warm
clothes; no one suffered for hunger; no one mourned for the
dead. They saw no graves ; they heard of no wars. Animals
ran freely about, but there was no blood spilled in hunting
them: for the air itself nourished them. Gladly would th«
young warrior have remained there forever, but he was obliged
to go back for his body. He did not see the Master of Life,
but he heard his voice, as if it were a soft breeze. " Go back,"
said this voice, "to the land from whence you came. Your
time has not yet come. The duties for which I made you, and
which you are to perform, are not yet finished. Return to your
people, and accomplish the acts of a good man. You will be
the ruler of your tribe for many days. The rules you will
observe will be told you by my messenger who keeps the gate.
When he surrenders back your body, he will tell you what to
42
490 * BELDEN: THE WHITE CHIEF.
do. Listen to him, and you shall afterward rejoin the spirit
which you have followed, but whom you must now leave be-
hind. She is accepted, and will be ever here, as young and as
happy as she was when I first called her from the land of
snows." When this voice ceased, the narrator awoke. It wa**
the fancy work of a dream, and he was still in the bitter land
of snows and hunger, death and tears.
JIM BAKER. 491
III.
JIM BAKER.
BAKER was born in Illinois, and lived at home until he
was eighteen years of age, when he enlisted in the Amer-
ican Fur Company, went to. the Rocky Mountains, and re-
mained there foi many years. He married an Indian wife, ac-
cording to the Indian custom, from the Snake tribe, and lived
with the Indians several years, adopting their habits, ideas, and
superstitions. He firmly believed in the efficacy of charms,
and incantations of the medicine men. He contended zealously
that they could cure diseases, divine where the enemy was to
be found, and foretell the result of war expeditions. Unfor-
tunately he would occasionally take a glass or two too much
whisky, and, while under its influence, would commit many in-
discretions. When sober. Baker was a noble, generous, big-
hearted man, as, indeed, are nearly all trappers, hunters, and
guides on the border. He was the friend and companion of
Kit Carson, Jim Bridger, and Jack Robinson, and would
divide his last crust with an associate or stranger.
*' Jim Baker, ''as he was familiarly known all along the
border, accompanied General Marcy, in 1857-58, in his expe-
dition over the Rocky Mountains, from Fort Bridger to New
Mexico, and proved himself a most valuable assistant, guide,
and interpreter. Marcy had engaged a Digger Ute Indian as
492 belden: the white chief.
guide, and promised him many presents as soon as they should
reach New Mexico. On the first day out the Indian pretended
not to believe he would receive the promised presents, and iu
the evening announced his intention of returning to Fort
Bridger. Marcy told the Indian he had the presents with
him, but still seeming not to be satisfied; Baker advised the
general to show him the presents. This was done, and, know-
ing their propensity to steal, Marcy ordered the presents to be
closely guarded ; yet, notwithstanding every precaution, the
wily savage managed, during the night, to get hold of the most
of them, and then deserted. Next morning, when Baker learned
of his treachery, he was so enraged that he wished to follow
the Digger Ute and scalp him, but General Marcy restrained
him.
During the expedition Marcy came upon a baud of Utes at
the western base of the Rocky Mountains, and, as he was
scarce of ponies, he tried to buy some, but, although these
people subsisted on rabbits, bugs, and crickets, they could not
be induced to part with their ponies at any price. The gen-
eral then tried to hire one of them as a guide across the mount-
ains, but in this he also failed, when Baker came to the rescue.
He said to the chief, " Come, show us the way to New Mex-
ico, '^ and upon the chiefs replying that the snow was too deep
for any human being to attempt the passage of the mountains,
Baker slapped his breast and said, " Do you think we are old
women ? I at first took you for a warrior, but I see now you
are a squaw, " and the Indian becoming very much enraged
at this taunt. Baker added : *' Go home now, and cover up
warm, or assist your squaw in taking care of the babies. '' The
Ute was beside himself with rage, but still he pointed to the
mountains, and said : " You think I dc not tell you the truth,
JIM BAKER. 493
but look, you can see the white snow upon the peaks from here.
When I crossed in the autumn the leaves were beginning to
fall, and the snow was then a foot deep in the passes, but it is
now above my middle, and I could not possibly wade through."
Nevertheless, General Marcy undertook the passage of the
mountains, and, afler losing nearly all his animals, and endur-
ing months of suffering and privation, he forced his way to
Fort Massachusetts, and accomplished what General Fremont
had failed to do. This was really one of the most remarkable
marches on record, and entitles its conductor to lasting fame.
In saying that Baker, Tyburn, and Mariano were invaluable,
and probably saved the expedition, I am only repeating what
General Marcy has often himself said in both public ancj
private.
When General Marcy first met "Jim," he inquired if he
had traveled much in the States before coming out into the
mountains, to which he replied : " Right smart, Cap. " Marcy
asked :
" Where have you been ? "
" To Chicago, " was the reply.
" Have you ever been to New York ? "
" No, sir."
"To New Orleans?"
' No, Cap, I has n't been to Horleans, but I'll tell you whar
I have been. I've traveled mighty nigh all over four counties
in UlinoiSj " and this, it appeared, was the extent of his wan-
derings before leaving home.
When sober. Baker was a mild and sensible man, but when
in liquor he was violent, boisterous, and dangerous. He ap-
peared to be very fond of his squaw and children, but on one
occasion, coming into his house and finding a friend there, he
494 BELDEN: THE WHITE CHIEF.
pretended to get jealous, and abused his wife. His friend, see-
ing he had a drop too much liquor, tried to appease him and
convince him of the injustice of his suspicions, but " Jim ''
only became more indignant and furious, and, seizing a hunt-
ing-knife, swore he would cut oiF one of her ears, and it was
with the greatest difficulty his friend could prevent him from
doing so. This was one of the Indian methods of punishing a
truant spouse, and it seemed to Jim the most appropriate for
that occasion.
"When Marcy's expedition reached New Mexico, Baker con-
cluded it would be a good opportunity to cast aside his leg-
gings, moccasins, and other mountain gear, and adopt the ha-
biliments of dvilization. He accordingly bought a full outfit of
citizens clothing, and when the general met him soon after-
ward, so great was the change that he hardly knew him.
" Why, '^ said Marcy, " Jim, you are so metamorphosed I
hardly knew you. ''
" I do n't know what you call it, '* replied Baker, " but con-
found these store clothes, they choke my feet like . '^ It
was the first time in twenty years Jim had worn any thing
but moccasins, and his feet were not prepared for the torture
of breaking in new boots. In a little while he was seen walk-
ing along in his bare feet, and carrying his boots in his hand,
and when asked about it, he said, '* I specks these store clothes
makes me look kind o' 'spectable, but they hurt, and I feel
like a durned fool. " An hour afterward he came out in his
mountain rig and moccasins, and said he would never again
" attempt to wear store clothes, or act the gentleman. "
Baker had been in at the death of many a grizzly bear, and
related many stories of his terrible encounters with these mon-
sters of the mountains, but he had one great bear fight that he
w
"g-
JIM BAKER. 497
loved most to recount. He and his friend Bridger were one day
setting traps on the head waters of Grand River, when they
came suddenly upon two young grizzly bears, about the size of
well-grown dogs. Baker remarked that if they could pitch in
and scalp the varmints with their knives, it would be an ex-
ploit to boast of. They accordingly laid aside their rifles anc
went at them, Bridger attacking one, and his companion the
other. He says the bears immediately raised on their hind
feet, and, squatting upon their haunches, were ready for battle.
He ran around, endeavoring to get an opportunity to give a
blow from behind with his long sharp knife, but the young
brute was too quick for him, and turned, as he passed around,
so as always to confront him face to face. He knew, if he
came within reach of him, though young, he could strike ter-
rible blows and inflict severe wounds with his claws ; moreover,
he felt great apprehensions that the piteous howls of the cub
would bring the old dam to its rescue, when the chances of es-
cape from death would be small. Anxious to terminate the
contest as soon as possible, he made several passes at the bear,
who warded off his strokes with the skill of a pugilist. Several
of the lunges cut the cub's paws, and the pain greatly enraged
him. At length, exasperated, the grizzly took the offensive,
and sprung at his antagonist. Baker grappled with him,
and, after a most terrible conflict, in which his arn;s and legs
were torn and lacerated nearly to the bone, the mountaineer
succeeded in giving the animal a death wound.
Meanwhile Bridger was fighting a terrible battle with his
bear, and had become greatly exhausted, and the odds were
turning decidedly against him, when he entreated his companion
to come to his relief, and, although Jim said he did not like to
" meddle with another man's bar fite,'' he finally went in, when,
43
498 belden: the white chief.
to his surprise, Briclger immediately retired from the contest^
and left him to fight it out alone. In vain Baker begged him
to help him by shooting or stabbing the bear, but Bridger only
replied, " Go ahead, Jim ; you kin kill and skulp him your-
self." After a severe struggle, Jim was again victorious, and,
when he demanded an explanation of his conduct, Bridger re-
plied, " Yer tarnal fool, Jim, yer got me into yer scrape, and 1
got meself out. Yer wanted ter kill and skulp bars with
butcher-knives, and I made up my mind I'd jest shoot mine;
so as the bar fite were yours, I thort I would 'nt interfere."
Baker reflected a moment, and then responded, " Dod rot it,
Jim, if yer aint rite,- and I '11 never fite nary 'n other grizzly
without I have a good shootin' iron in my paws."
Like most mountaineers. Baker was liberal to a fault, and
consequently was very improvident. He had made a great deal
of money in trading and trapping, but, at the annual rendez-
vous of traders he would spend the earnings of a whole season
in a few days. He had been particularly lucky one year, and
laid up the snug sum of nine thousand dollars, when he made
up his mind he would abandon his mountain life, return to the
States, purchase a farm, and settle down. He accordingly made
his preparations to start, and was on the point of departure,
when he concluded to have a little blow out with some friends,
whom he never expected to see again. They got some grog, and
finally wandered into a monte-bank, which had been opened in
the camp. He was easily persuaded to take some more drinks
and try his luck, and the result was, that the next morning
Baker found himself without a cent. To a friend whom he met
soon afterward, he said, " Guess I won't buy a farm this year,"
and next day returned to his hunting-grounds.
After a time Baker left the Indians, and established a little
JIM BAKER. 499
Store on the old Mormon trail, at the crossing of Green River.
Here for some years he did a fair business in trading with In-
dians and trafficking with passing emigrants, but one day a
Frenchman appeared and set up a rival establishment, which
greatly reduced Baker's profits. This terribly enraged the old
frontiersman, who claimed the exclusive " rite to trade on them
crossin'/' and he posted a "notis" for the Frenchman "tew
quit." The Frenchman, however, went on with his business,
and soon all intercourse of a friendly nature ceased between the
neighbors. One day Baker declared war, and sent a challenge
to the Frenchman, which was promptly accepted. They both
retired to their cabins, which were facing each other, and
prepared for battle. Baker had no liquor, and the polite
Frenchman sent over his antagonist a quart. After liquoring
up, they appeared at the doors of their cabins and fired with
revolvers. Between each round they would go in and drink,
and soon got so drunk and unsteady there was little danger of
their hitting each other. This peculiar duel had lasted for sev-
eral hours, when Baker's old friend Marcy happened by, return-
ing from Utah to the States. He asked Baker what was up,
and he replied, " Yer see, Cap, that thar yaller-bellied, toad-
eatin' parly-voo over thar come here to trade agin me, and we
have had a bit of a skrimmage to-day."
Marcy lectured him on the sin of monopoly, but Baker only
replied, " This yer 's my crossin', I reckon, Cap, and I '11 raise
the har o' that sneakin' pole-cat yet. I '11 skulp him, Cap, if
he do n't leave these diggin's, darned if I do n't."
He then gave notice to Marcy to stand aside, for he waa
going to blaze away, but Marcy stepped up to Baker, and took
his pistol away, telling him he was greatly astonished to see a
man of his sense make such a fool of himself. Baker submit-
500 BELDEN: THE WHITE CHIEF.
ted quietly, but upbraided Marcy, saying he wished to disgrace
him by making him take insults from a cowardly, frog-eating
Frenchman.
Next morning, however, he called on Marcy, and apologized
for what had taken place the day before, said he was drunk;
and when he allowed himself to drink whisky he had "nary
sense." He also said he would leave the country, and the
" cussed toad-eater might keep the durned old crossin."
Baker is still living in Colorado, but has left the mountains,
and, being very old, is waiting to take the long journey whence
no mortal has yet returned.
THE MAGIC CIRCLE. 501
IV.
THE MAGIC CIRCLE ON THE PRAIRIE.
4 YOUNG hunter, following the trail of a deer on the
-^^^ prairie, suddenly came upon a circular path trodden
smooth by long use. It gave evidence of recent footsteps,
made by dainty feet, but nowhere could he discover a trail
leading to or from it. This puzzled him not a little, and he
resolved to ferret out the mystery. Accordingly he concealed
himself in the tall prairie grass near by, and patiently awaited
the coming of the being or beings who had trodden the path
so smoothly, for he knew this could have been done only by
long-continued and frequent use. After a short time his vigil
was broken by music, very faint at first, but exceeding sweet,
which seemed to descend out of the heavens. Guided by the
melody, his keen eye discovered a speck far up in the sky.
Soon the speck grew larger, and the music plainer and sweeter
still, and it was evident that the bird-like speck and the music
were approaching the earth together. Never for a moment did
the young hunter take his eye off the object that seemed com-
ing right down upon him, and soon he discovered it was a very
large basket, but, as it was made of ozier, very light. But he
forgot the basket when he saw its wonderful burden. Twelve
charming maidens sat upon cushions in the basket, and each
had -a little drum which she beat with the grace of an angel.
30
502 belden: the white chief.
Lower and lower came this magic car, with its precious freight,
until it rested exactly in the center of the ring formed by the
mysterious path. Scarcely had it touched the ground, when
the twelve maidens sprang out and began to dance around the
circle, and to strike a shining ball from one to another.
The young hunter had seen many a gay dance among all
the tribes of the prairie, but never had he seen any thing to
compare with this. The music had at first delighted him, but
now the matchless beauty and charming grace of the maidens
made him forget all the world beside. All of them charmed
him, but one, the youngest and loveliest, completely entranced
him, and he resolved to seize and carry her home at any risk.
Slowly and quietly he crept toward the circle, and succeeded
in getting entirely up to it without making the least noise, or
in any way attracting attention. . Then, when his idol ap-
proached the side where he lay hid, he attempted, by a sudden
spring, to capture her. But no sooner did the maidens see
him, than they all sprang nimbly into the basket, and were
sped, with the quickness of thought, back to the skies and out
of sight.
Poor Algon, the hunter, was completely foiled. He stood
gazing upward after his new love till the music of the singing
maidens faded from his ear and the car vanished from his sight.
Then he who an hour before was the bold hunter, brave, and
fancy free, began to bewail his fate. " She is gone, forever
gone, and I shall see her no more ! " he said, and sadly turned
away. He hunted no more, but went home to his lodge. All
night he thought of this new wonder, and he determined to go
back to the prairie next day, and once more try to win the fair
maiden, the youngest of the twelve. Warned by his former
failure, he did not attempt to seize her openly, but, by his magic
THE MAGIC CIEOLB. 503
power, changed himself into an opossum. He did not wait
long before he heard again the sweet music, and saw the car
descend into the center of the ring. Again the maidens com-
menced the same gay dance and play. They seemed even more
beautiful than the day before, and she, the youngest, was the
perfection of grace. Slowly and cautiously the opossum crept
toward the ring, but even this disguise could not deceive the
wary maidens. The instant they saw him they sprang into the
basket and rose in the air. The car stopped when a little way
from the earth, however, and one of the older maidens spoke.
" Perhaps," said she, " it is come to show us how the game is
played by mortals;'' but the youngest replied, "Oh no! quick!
let us ascend," and, all joining in a heavenly chant, they rose
out of sight.
Algon returned to his lodge again, sadder and more dejected
than ever, but still resolved not to give up his new-found
treasure. The night seemed an eternity to him, and early in
the morning he set out over the prairie again, his head full of
expedients to decoy and capture the cause of all his rapture
and of all his uneasiness. Directly in his path lay an old hol-
low stump, in which a number of mice had made their nest.
Surely, thought he, these diminutive forms can not create alarm,
I will be one of them. So, moving the stump as near the circle
as he dared, he became a little, harmless mouse, and mingled
with the rest in the old stump. He had not been long in his
new character, when the car descended and the sports began.
"But see!" cried the youngest sister, "that stump was not
there yesterday," and she ran, affrighted, to the car. The others
only smiled, and, gathering around the stump to show her there
was no danger, began to strike it in jest, when the mice all ran
out and Algon among them. The sisters killed them all but
504 BELDEN: THE WHITE CHIEF.
one, whicli the youngest pursued out into the prairie, where
she was no longer protected by the charm of the circle. Just
as she raised her stick to kill the mouse, it changed to a brave
hunter before her eyes, and she was clasped in the arms of
Algon. The other sisters all sprang into the ozier basket, and
were drawn up to the skies, but the youngest was carried, an
unwilling captive, to the hunter's lodge.
The young hunter exhausted all his skill and invention to
win the affections of his fairy bride. He wiped the tears from
her eyes, told in pictured words his adventures in the chase,
painted all the charms of life on the earth, and told his never-
dying love. He was incessant in his attentions, and picked out
the smoothest path as he led her toward his home. How hia
heart beat with joy and love as she entered his lodge ! From
that moment he was the happiest of men. Winter and sum-
mer quickly sped away, and another joy came. A little boy,
pledge of their love, was added to the lodge-circle. The nov-
elty of the scenes at first amused the young bride, and the lov-
ing devotion of Algon made her content to live on earth, but
by and by she began to pine to see her sisters once more, and
to visit her father — for she was the daughter of one of the
stars. But she was obliged to hide these feelings from her
husband, and to appear cheerful and contented before him, for
she knew he would thwart any attempt she might make to
leave the earth. She remembered the charm that would carry
her up, and secretly made a wicker basket, large enough to hold
herself and her son, and kept it hid away. Now she collected
all the rare and beautiful things of earth that she thought would
please her father, together with the most dainty kinds of food.
At last all was ready, and she only awaited an opportunity to
escape. Taking her child and her treasures, with the basket,
THE MAGIC CIRCLE. 505
one day while Algon was absent in the chase, she set out across
the prairie to the magic circle. Taking her little son in her
arms, she sat down in the basket and commenced her song.
The charm was still potent, and as her song rose on the air the
basket began to ascend.
Algon was hunting on the prairie, and, as the song was borne
by the winds, it struck his ear with ineffable sweetness. In a
moment he recognized the voice, and, in an agony of surprise,
realized that his wife and son, all that he cared for on earth,
were being wafted to the skies. Wild with suspense, he ran
with the swiftness of the deer toward the fatal spot, but, before
he could reach the ring, the basket, with its precious burden,
was high in the air. Loudly and anxiously he cried to his
dear ones to come back, but all of no avail. Higher, higher
went the basket, the happy song of his wife, dirge of all his
hopes, grew fainter and fainter, and finally died away. He
watched the receding speck, straining his eyes until it entirely
vanished ; then, gazing up into heaven where his loved ones
had gone, long after they had disappeared, he stood alone on
the prairie, alone in the world. Then he bowed his proud
head in agony to the ground and wept like a child.
A long, dreary winter and a cheerless summer passed, and
still Algon bewailed his loss. The chase had lost its charm to
him now, and he loathed his food since the loving hands that
were wont to prepare it were absent. He mourned the loss of
his beautiful wife, but his son, who was all his hope and who
was to perpetuate his race, was still a greater loss. His smile
was gone, and he who had been the life of the village was now
sad and gloomy.
Meanwhile his wife had reached her starry home, and almost
forgot, in the renewed joys and blissful employments of her child-
44
506 BELDEN: THE WHITE CHIEF.
hood's home, that she had left a husband on the earth. Bui
her son, true to his race, longed to visit the place of his birth,
and to see his father, whom he could just remember as the
proud hunter. The little fellow's entreaties so won the heart
of his grandfather that, calling his daughter to him one day,
" Go, my child," he said, " take your son down to his father,
and ask him to come up and live with us, and tell him to
bring a specimen of every bird and animal he kills in the
chase."
So she took the boy and returned to earth. Algon, who
ever hovered near the enchanted spot, heard her voice, singing
as she had sung the first time he saw her. How slow the de-
scent of the car seemed to him ! His heart beat with impa-
tience and hope as he saw the forms of his wife and child, and
soon he clasped them in his arms, and was happy once more.
He heard the message from the star, and accepted the invita-
tion with alacrity. Now he began to hunt with the utmost
activity, that he might collect the presents for the grandfather
of his son. Whole nights as well as days he spent on the
prairie, searching for every curious and beautiful bird and use-
ful animal. He only kept a foot, tail, or wing of each, and
when he had collected specimens of all that was beautiful or
useful in the chase, he took them with his wife and child, and
was wafted up in the wicker-basket, to the music of his wife's
voice.
Great joy was shown when they arrived on the starry plains.
The star-chief summoned all his people to a great feast, and,
when they had assembled, he proclaimed aloud that each one
of the guests might take of the earthly gifts whatever he liked
best. Immediately a very strange scene of confusion com-
menced. One chose a foot, another a wing, another a tail,
THE MAGIC CIRCLE. 507
and another a claw, until all the guests had chosen gifts. Then
those who had chosen a tail or a foot became animals and ran
off; the others chose a wing or a claw, and became birds and
flew away. Algon chose a white hawk's feather, which was
his token. His wife and son followed his example, and all
three became white hawks, and flew down to earth and mingled
with the feathered tribes. From that day the white hawk be-
came the boldest of birds.
SOS BELDEN: THE WHITE CHIEF.
STRIKING THE POST.
WH( )EyEE has observed the varying phases of Indian
so« jiety, as it exists both in the forests and in the plains,
must hav*3 become sensible that the feature of military glory
constitutor the prime object of savage attainment. It is not,
indeed, sach glory as is gained among civilized nations at the
cannon's mouth, or in charging the enemy in well-drilled squad-
rons, but it is none the less gratifying to the savage hero.
There are no walled towns to batter down or moats to scale,
but the object to be attained is the same, viz., that of renown.
It is to j)rove that one set of men are braver or stronger than
another. The civilized warrior receives a badge of honor, and
the Indian is content to wear an eagle's feather in his hair,
which marks him as a brave man to all his tribe. His step ia
proud, and his satisfaction for the honor as great as that of any
civilized warrior.
One of the principal means of cultivating a heroic spirit in
the Indian is the public assemblage for reciting deeds of bravery
done in the tribe. For this purpose a post is erected on some
eligible spot where the whole village (ian observe the ceremony.
This post is painted red, the usual symbolic color of war.
Music is provided by the Indian drum and rattles, and by
having present a corps of singers. After a few preliminary
i ;> |: f
STEIKINQ THE POST. 511
flourishes, a sharp yell gives notice that one of the warriors
present is about to recite his exploits. The music immedialcly
ceases, and he receives the most profound attention of the as-
semblage. Dressed out in his finest robes, and wearing all his
marks of war and honor, the warrior steps forward and, with
his club or lance, strikes the painted post. He then recites,
with all the enthusiasm of an orator, his deeds, accompanying
every word with appropriate gestures and actions, and when he
has finished his recital all the warriors join in yells of victory
and defiance. The music then recommences, and is continued
until some other warrior signifies his willingness to tell of his
deeds. Hours on hours are thus employed, and the music and
singing is continued until all who wish have spoken. Striking
the post is the forest school in which the young boys learn
their first lesson of war. They are always seen in large crowds
at the ceremonies, eagerly drinking in the words of the speak-
ers, and their stories fill their youthful bosoms with an ambi-
tion that is never satisfied till they have torn the bloody scalp
from the head of an enemy.
512 BELDEN: THE WHITE CHIEF.
SUPPLEMEIsrT,
Fort Steele, Wyoming Territory, July 4, 1870.
Mr. C. F. Vent, Publishers, Cincinnati, 0. —
Dear Sir: The Belden MSS. have abruptly terminated. Mr. Belden hag
quit the army and returned to the wild life of a mountaineer. I doubt if I
shall be able to secure from him any more manuscript for several months,
and I have determined not to wait, but forward you what I have for pub-
lication. In March last I received the following note from Belden, which
will explain itself:
Old Fort Kearney, Neb., March 1, 1870.
Dear General: Yesterday, on my return from the Kepublican Kiver, I
received your two letters, which had been forwarded to me from Wind
River. I am out of the army, and once more a free man. My ponies are
packed, and I am about to be off for the trapping and hunting-grounds.
For the present, pen-writing with me is over. If you can make a book
out of the diaries and manuscripts I have sent you, do so, but I shall
hardly be able to add any thing to them. Good-by, and ho for the mount-
ains 1 Yours truly, Geo. P. Belden.
Later I heard from Mr. Belden, who was trapping alone on the Repub-
lican, in the country of the hostile Indians ; and in May last an officer who
visited my camp told me he saw, on the Union Pacific Railroad, at Kearney
station, a wild white man dressed in buckskin, with an eagle's feather
braided in his hair and a huge rifle on his shoulder. This was Belden,
who had come to get ammunition and sell his pelts. A few days afterward
1 heard of a white man being on Medicine Creek, whom the Indians had
repeatedly attacked and in vain attempted to drive away. Two or three
rude lines scrawled on the fly-leaf of a book, and sent by the hands of a
hunter, informed me who this was, and they ran thus :
SUPPLEMENT. 513
I am trapping and hunting on the Medicine, and while over at the Ke-
publican and Loup Fork met with a couple of splendid adventures. Ail
safe and sound yet, and my hair in the proper place.
Yours, Belden.
In sending you Mr. Belden's life, I have thought it best to re-write the
whole of it, but have only made such changes as would enable me to place
it in a connected form, and in most cases have allowed the manuscript to
retain the exact words of the adventurous chief, soldier, hunter, trapper,
and guide.
It is only fair to Mr. Belden to say that his career has been more varied
and remarkable than that of any pale-face west of the Missouri; and in
taking leave of him I can not refrain from expressing the wish, in which I
am sure all the readers of his narrative will join me, that he may Long live
to pursue the wild life he seems to enjoy so much.
Yours truly, James S. Brisbin, U. S. Army.
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