[Illustration: Cover art]
WOLF EAR THE INDIAN
A STORY OF THE GREAT
UPRISING OF 1890-91
BY
EDWARD S. ELLIS
Author of "Captured by Indians," "A Hunt on Snow Shoes,"
"The Mountain Star," etc. etc.
WITH FOUR FULL-PAGE ILLUSTRATIONS BY
ALFRED PEARSE
SEVENTEENTH THOUSAND
CASSELL AND COMPANY, LIMITED
London, New York, Toronto and Melbourne
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
CONTENTS
CHAPTER I.
"The bullet had passed startlingly near him"
CHAPTER II.
"He's up to some mischief, I'll warrant"
CHAPTER III.
"There are fifty hostiles"
CHAPTER IV.
"We are enemies"
CHAPTER V.
"What will be their next step?"
CHAPTER VI.
"Ay, where were they?"
CHAPTER VII.
"It came like one of them Kansan cyclones"
CHAPTER VIII.
"The bucks were coming up alarmingly fast"
CHAPTER IX.
"He has made his last scout"
CHAPTER X.
"Oh, there is Wolf Ear?"
CHAPTER XI.
"I'm off! Good-bye!"
CHAPTER XII.
What happened to Wolf Ear
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
"I'm off! Good-bye!" . . . _Frontispiece_
"The figure of a Sioux Buck"
"Hurrah!"
"Oh, there is Wolf Ear!"
[Transcriber's note: the first three illustrations were missing from
the source book.]
WOLF EAR THE INDIAN
CHAPTER I.
"THE BULLET HAD PASSED STARTLINGLY NEAR HIM."
Before relating to my young friends the incidents which follow, I
think a few words of explanation will help them.
Perhaps some of you share the general mistake that the American
Indians are dying out. This is not the fact. There are to-day more
red men in the United States than ever before. In number, they
exceed a quarter of a million, and though they do not increase as
fast as the whites, still they are increasing.
It is true that a great many tribes have disappeared, while others
that were once numerous and powerful have dwindled to a few hundreds;
but on the other hand, tribes that were hardly known a century ago
now include thousands.
The many wars between the United States and the Indians have been
caused, almost without exception, by gross injustice towards the red
men. They have been wronged in every way, until in their rage they
turned against their oppressors. The sad fact at such times is that
the ones who have used them so ill generally escape harm, while the
innocent suffer. The Indian reasons that it is the white race that
has wronged him, so he does them all the injury he can, without
caring whether the one whom he slays has had a hand in his own
persecution.
The Indian, like all savages, is very superstitious. He loves to
think over the time, hundreds of years ago, when the red men roamed
over the whole continent from ocean to ocean. He dreams of those
days, and believes they will again return--that the pale faces will
be driven into the sea, and the vast land become the hunting ground
of the Indians.
Some years ago this strange faith took a wonderfully strong hold upon
those people. The belief spread that a Messiah was coming in the
spring of 1891, who would destroy the pale faces and give all the
country back to the red men. They began holding wild dances, at
which the dancers took hold of hands and leaped and shouted and
circled round and round until they dropped to the ground, senseless
and almost dead. These "ghost dances," as they were called, were
carried on to please the new Messiah. When the dancers recovered,
they told strange stories of having visited the other world. All who
listened believed them.
The craze spread like wildfire, and before the Government understood
what was going on, the Indians were making ready for war. They were
well armed, eager to attack the whites. The principal tribe was the
Dakota or Sioux, the most powerful on the American continent.
The leading chief or medicine man was Sitting Bull. He was a bad man
who had made trouble for more than twenty years. He could not endure
the white men, and, when not actively engaged against them, was
thinking out some scheme of evil.
As soon as the new Messiah craze broke out, he turned it to account.
He sent his friends among the tribes and urged them to unite in a
general war against the whites. The officers and soldiers were very
patient, and did their best to soothe the red men, but matters grew
worse and worse. Trouble was sure to come if Sitting Bull were
allowed to keep up his mischievous work.
So it was decided to arrest him. In the attempt several people were
killed, among them Sitting Bull himself. Danger still threatened,
and many believed that it would require a great battle to subdue the
Indians.
Now, if you will look at your map of the United States, you will
notice that the Missouri River runs across the middle of the new
State of South Dakota. On the southern boundary of the State, a
large tract of land, reaching one-third of the way westward to
Wyoming, and with the White River forming in a general way the
northern boundary, makes what is known as an Indian reservation.
There are many of these in the West. They belong to the Indians, and
the Government has an agency at each, to see that no white people
intrude. The Indians are forbidden to leave these reservations
without obtaining permission, and at the agencies they receive the
annuities or supplies paid to them by the United States Government
for the lands elsewhere which they have given up.
Half of the reservation directly west of the Missouri is the Rosebud
Agency, and the other half the Pine Ridge Agency. It was at the
latter that the grave trouble threatened.
When the discontent was so general, the danger extended hundreds of
miles north and west. That section is thinly settled, and the
pioneers were in great peril. Most of them hurried to the nearest
forts for safety, while others waited, hoping the cloud would soon
pass by.
If your map of South Dakota is a complete one, it will show you a
small stream to the westward of Pine Ridge, named Raccoon Creek, a
tributary of Cherry Creek, itself a branch of the Big Cheyenne River.
At the time of the troubles, the Kingsland family, consisting of
Hugh, a man in middle life, his wife Molly, his daughter Edith, eight
years old, and his son Brinton, a little more than double her age,
were living on Raccoon Creek.
The family had emigrated thither three years before from Kansas, and
all would have gone well in their new home, but for the illness of
Mr. Kingsland.
Something in the climate disagreed with him, though the rest of the
family throve. He was first brought low with chills and fever, which
after several months' obstinate fight finally left him weak and
dispirited. Then, when he was fairly recovered, the slipping of an
axe in his hands so wounded his foot that he was laid up for fully
two months more.
It looked as if ill-fortune was to follow him so long at least as he
stayed in South Dakota, for sickness, accident, and misfortune
succeeded each other, until he would have despaired but for those
around him.
His wife was well fitted to be the helpmate of a pioneer, for she was
hopeful, industrious, strong, and brave. She carefully nursed him,
making light of their afflictions, and declaring that all would soon
come right, and that prosperity would prove the sweeter from having
been deferred so long.
Edith, bright-eyed, pretty, affectionate and loving, was the comfort
of those hours which otherwise would have been intolerably dismal,
when confined in his small humble home. He read to and taught her,
told her delightful fairy stories, listened to her innocent prattle
and exchanged the sweetest of confidences.
Sometimes Hugh Kingsland wondered after all whether he was not the
most fortunate individual in the world in being thus blessed in his
family relations.
And there was another from whom the meed of praise must not be
withheld. That was Brinton, now close upon seventeen years of age.
The ill-fortune to which we have alluded made him in one sense the
virtual head of the family. He was strong, cheerful, and resembled
his mother in his hopeful disposition. The difficulties in which his
father was continually involved brought out the real manhood of his
nature. He looked after the cattle and live stock, galloped across
the plains to Hermosa, Fairburn, Rapid City, and other points for
supplies or on other business, or, fording the Big Cheyenne, White,
and smaller streams, crossed the reservation to Pine Ridge.
The youth was indispensable, and did his work so well, that the
father, in his occasional moments of rallying, remarked that he
thought of continuing to play the sick man, since it was proved that
he was of no account.
"I hope you will soon become well," said the red-cheeked lad one
evening, as the group gathered around the fire; "but stay here in the
house as long as you wish, for mother and Edith and I can get along
without your help."
"Yes, husband; don't fret over that. Only become well, and until you
do so, be assured that everything is going along as it should."
"I have never had a doubt of that; but, ah me," he added with a sigh,
"this is tiresome after all, especially when it begins to look as
though I shall never be well again."
"For my part," said Edith very earnestly, "I don't want you to get
well, and I am praying that you will not."
"Why, Edith!" exclaimed the mother reproachfully, while her brother
did not know whether to laugh or be shocked at the odd expression.
As for the father, he laughed more heartily than he had done for
weeks.
Edith looked wonderingly in their faces, and felt that some
explanation was due to them.
"I mean to say--that is I don't mean anything bad, but if papa gets
well enough to ride out to look after the cattle, and is working all
day, why, I won't have anyone to tell me stories and read to me and
do so many funny things."
"Your explanation is satisfactory," said her father, smiling. "I
shall have to stay in the house for some weeks--that is certain, and
perhaps longer."
"Oh, I am _so_ glad!"
But with the first clapping of the chubby hands, Edith realised that
she was doing wrong again, and she added in a gentler voice--
"If papa feels bad when he is ill then I am sorry for him, and will
pray every night and morning that he may get well."
It was winter time, and the Kingslands in their humble home could not
be ignorant of the alarming state of affairs around them. They had
been urged to come into the agency while it was safe to do so, for
the revolt among the Indians was spreading, and there was no saying
when escape would be cut off. The family had considered the question
with the seriousness due to so important a matter.
Naturally, they were reluctant to abandon their home now, for it
would be virtually throwing away everything they owned in the world;
but when it became a question of life and death, there could be no
hesitation.
On the very night, however, that the decision to remove to the agency
was made, Sergeant Victor Parkhurst, who was out on a scout, with a
squad of men from Pine Ridge, called at their home and stated his
belief that no trouble would occur. He said it would be better if
the family were at Pine Ridge, and he offered to escort them thither.
But, he added, that in Mr. Kingsland's feeble condition it would be
as well for him to stay where he was, since he must run great risk by
exposure in the depth of winter.
The next caller at the cabin was Nicholas Jackson, who had been a
scout under General Crook, and was now serving General Miles in the
same capacity at Pine Ridge. He brought news of Sitting Bull's
death, and assured the pioneer that every day spent by him and his
family away from the agency increased their peril.
"You shouldn't delay your start a single hour," was his remark, as he
vaulted upon his pony and skurried away.
Before deciding the all-important question, it was agreed that
Brinton should gallop down to the reservation and learn the real
situation. It was a long ride to Pine Ridge, and involved the
crossing of the Cheyenne, White, and several smaller streams, but the
youth was confident he could penetrate far enough to ascertain the
truth and get back by sunset. If it were necessary to go all the way
to the agency, this was impossible, for the days were at their
shortest, but he must penetrate that far to find out what he wished
to know.
When Brinton flung himself into the saddle of Jack, his tough and
intelligent pony, just as it was beginning to grow light in the east,
after his hasty breakfast and "good-bye," he was sure he would be
caught in a snow-storm before his return. The dull heavy sky, and
the peculiar penetrating chilliness, left no doubt on that point.
But with his usual pluck, he chirruped to his pony, lightly jerked
his bridle rein, and the gallant animal was off at a swinging pace,
which he was able to maintain for hours without fatigue. He was
heading south-east, over the faintly marked trail, with which the
youth was familiar and which was so well known to the animal himself
that he needed no guidance.
Two hours later, the young horseman reached the border line of Custer
and Washington counties, that is between the county of his own home
and the reservation. This was made by the Big Cheyenne River, which
had to be crossed before Pine Ridge was reached. Brinton reined up
his horse and sat for some minutes, looking down on the stream, in
which huge pieces of ice were floating, though it was not frozen over.
"That isn't very inviting, Jack," he said, "but the ford is shallow
and it's no use waiting."
He was in the act of starting his pony down the bank, when on the
heavy chilly air sounded a dull explosive crack. A nipping of his
coat sleeve showed that the bullet had passed startlingly near him.
He turned his head like a flash, and saw, not more than a hundred
feet distant, the figure of a Sioux buck or young warrior bareback on
his horse, which was standing motionless, while his rider made ready
to let fly with another shot from his Winchester rifle.