 | CHAPTER III. Dahcotah, or, Life and legends of the Sioux around Fort Snelling |  |
3. CHAPTER III.
The elder of the two wives escaped from the murderous
Chippeways. Again and again, in the darkness of the
night, she turns back to flee from her deadly foe, but far
eyes. She knew the direction in which the Dahcotahs who
had left the party had encamped, and she directed her steps
to find them. One would think she would have asked
death from her enemies—her husband loved her no more,
her children were dead—but she clung to life.
She reached the teepees at last, and hastened to tell of
her sorrows, and of the treachery of Hole-in-the-Day. For a
moment the utmost consternation prevailed among the
Indians, but revenge was the second thought, and rapidly
were their preparations made to seek the scene of the murder.
The distance was accomplished in a short time, and
the desolation lay before their eyes.
The fires in the teepees were not gone out; the smoke
was ascending to the heavens; while the voices of the murdered
Dahcotahs seemed to call upon their relatives for
revenge. There lay the warriors, who, brave as Hole-in-the-Day,
had laid aside their weapons, and reposed on the
faith of their enemies, their strong limbs powerless, their
faces turned towards the light, which fell upon their glassy
eyes. See the mother, as she bends over the bodies of her
innocent children!—her boy, who walked so proudly, and
said he would kill deer for his mother; her infant, whose
life had been taken, as it were, from her very heart. She
strains them to her bosom, but the head leans not towards
her, and the arms are stiff in death.
Red Face has asked for his young wife. She is alive,
but, far worse than death, she is a prisoner to the Chippeways.
His children are dead before his eyes, and their
mother, always obedient and attentive, does not hear him
when he speaks to her. The remains of the feast are scattered
them.
In the course of the morning the Rev. Mr.—, missionary
among the Dahcotahs, with the assistance of an
Indian named Round Wind, collected the bodies and buried
them.
Of the fourteen persons who were in the three teepees,
no more than four escaped; two young men and two
women.
The Chippeways fled as quickly as possible from the
country of the Dahcotahs, with their prisoner—sad change
for her. A favorite wife finds herself in the power of ten
warriors, the enemies of her people. The cries of her murdered
friends are yet sounding in her ears; and she knows
not how soon their fate may be hers. Every step of the
weary journey she pursues, takes her farther from her country.
She dares not weep, she cannot understand the language
of her enemies, but she understands their looks, and
knows she must obey them. She wishes they would take
her life; she would take it herself, but she is watched, and
it is impossible.
She sees by their angry gestures and their occasional
looks towards her, that she is the subject of their dispute,
until the chief raises his eyes and speaks to the Chippeways—and
the difference ceases.
At length her journey is at an end. They arrive at the
village, and Hole-in-the-Day and his warriors are received
with manifestations of delight. They welcomed him as if
he had performed a deed of valor instead of one of cowardice.
The women gaze alternately upon the scalps and upon
one thought that makes her tired limbs shake with terror.
She sees with a woman's quickness that there is no female
among those who are looking at her as beautiful as she is.
It may be that she may be required to light the household
fires for one of her enemies. She sees the admiring countenance
of one of the young Chippeway warriors fixed
upon her; worn out with fatigue, she cannot support the
wretched thought. For a while she is insensible even to
her sorrows.
On recovering, food is given her, and she tries to eat.
Nothing but death can relieve her. Where are the spirits
of the rocks and rivers of her land? Have they forgotten
her too?
Hole-in-the-Day took her to his teepee. She was his
prisoner, he chose to adopt her, and treated her with every
kindness. He ordered his men not to take her life; she
was to be as safe in his teepee as if she were his wife or
child.
For a few days she is allowed to remain quiet; but at
length she is brought out to be present at a council where
her fate was to be decided.
Hole-in-the-Day took his place in the council, and ordered
the prisoner to be placed near him. Her pale and
resigned countenance was a contrast to the angry and excited
faces that lowered upon her; but the chief looked unconcerned
as to the event. However his warriors might
contend, the result of the council would depend upon him;
his unbounded influence always prevailed.
After several speeches had been made, Stormy Wind
rose and addressed the chief. His opinion was that the
been enemies, and it was the glory of the Chippeways to
take the lives of those they hated. His chief had taken
the prisoner to his teepee; she was safe; she was a member
of his family—who would harm her there? but now
they were in council to decide upon her fate. He was an
old man, had seen many winters—he had often travelled
far and suffered much to take the life of an enemy; and
here, where there is one in their power, should they lose the
opportunity of revenge? She was but a woman, but the
Dahcotah blood flowed in her veins. She was not fit to
live. The Eagle spoke next. He was glad that the
chief had taken the prisoner to his teepee—it had been always
customary occasionally to adopt a prisoner, and the
chief did well to keep up the customs of their tribe. The
prisoner was young, she could be taught to love the Chippeway
nation; the white people did not murder their prisoners;
the Chippeways were the friends of the white people;
let them do as they did, be kind to the prisoner and
spare her life. The Eagle would marry the Dahcotah girl;
he would teach her to speak the language of her adopted
tribe; she should make his mocassins, and her children
would be Chippeways. Let the chief tell the Eagle to
take the girl home to his teepee.
The Eagle's speech created an excitement. The Indians
rose one after the other, insisting upon the death of their
prisoner. One or two seconded the Eagle's motion to keep
her among them, but the voices of the others prevailed.
The prisoner saw by the faces of the savages what their
words portended. When the Eagle rose to speak, she recognized
the warrior whose looks had frightened her; she
her husband took away the fear of death. Death with a
thousand terrors, rather than live a wife, a slave to the
Chippeways! The angry Chippeways are silenced, for
their chief addresses them in a voice of thunder; every
voice is hushed, every countenance is respectfully turned
towards the leader, whose words are to decide the fate of
the unhappy woman before them.
“Where is the warrior that will not listen to the words
of his chief? my voice is loud and you shall hear. I
have taken a Dahcotah woman prisoner; I have chosen to
spare her life; she has lived in my teepee; she is one of
my family; you have assembled in council to-day to decide
her fate—I have decided it. When I took her to my
teepee, she became as my child or as the child of my friend.
You shall not take her life, nor shall you marry her. She
is my prisoner—she shall remain in my teepee.”
Seeing some motion of discontent among those who
wished to take her life, he continued, while his eyes shot
fire and his broad chest heaved with anger:
“Come then and take her life. Let me see the brave
warrior who will take the life of my prisoner? Come! she
is here; why do you not raise your tomahawks? It is
easy to take a woman's scalp.”
Not a warrior moves. The prisoner looks at the chief
and at his warriors. Hole-in-the-Day leads her from the
council and points to his teepee, which is again her home,
and where she is as safe as she would be in her husband's
teepee, by the banks of the Mine So-to.
| CHAPTER III. Dahcotah, or, Life and legends of the Sioux around Fort Snelling | |