A war party of seven young men, seeing a lone tepee standing on the edge
of a heavy belt of timber, stopped and waited for darkness, in order to
send one of their scouts ahead to ascertain whether the camp which they
had seen was the camp of friend or enemy.
When darkness had settled down on them, and they felt secure in not
being detected, they chose one of their scouts to go on alone and find
out what would be the best direction for them to advance upon the camp,
should it prove to be an enemy.
Among the scouts was one who was noted for his bravery, and many were
the brave acts he had performed. His name was Big Eagle. This man they
selected to go to the lone camp and obtain the information for which
they were waiting.
Big Eagle was told to look carefully over the ground and select the best
direction from which they should make the attack. The other six would
await his return. He started on his mission, being careful not to make
any noise. He stealthily approached the camp. As he drew near to the
tent he was surprised to note the absence of any dogs, as these animals
are always kept by the Sioux to notify the owners by their barking of
the approach of anyone. He crawled up to the tepee door, and peeping
through a small aperture, he saw three persons sitting inside. An
elderly man and woman were sitting at the right of the fireplace, and a
young woman at the seat of honor, opposite the door.
Big Eagle had been married and his wife had died five winters previous
to the time of this episode. He had never thought of marrying again, but
when he looked upon this young woman he thought he was looking upon the
face of his dead wife. He removed his cartridge belts and knife, and
placing them, along with his rifle, at the side of the tent, he at once
boldly stepped inside the tepee, and going over to the man, extended his
hand and shook first the man’s hand, then the old woman’s, and lastly
the young woman’s. Then he seated himself by the side of the girl, and
thus they sat, no one speaking.
Finally, Big Eagle made signs to the man, explaining as well as possible
by signs, that his wife had died long ago, and when he saw the girl she
so strongly resembled his dead wife that he wished to marry her, and
he would go back to the enemy’s camp and live with them, if they would
consent to the marriage of their daughter.
The old man seemed to understand, and Big Eagle again made signs to him
that a party were lying in wait just a short distance from his camp.
Noiselessly they brought in the horses, and taking down the tent, they
at once moved off in the direction from whence they had come. The war
party waited all night, and when the first rays of dawn disclosed to
them the absence of the tepee, they at once concluded that Big Eagle had
been discovered and killed, so they hurriedly started on their trail for
home.
In the meantime, the hunting party, for this it was that Big Eagle
had joined, made very good time in putting a good distance between
themselves and the war party. All day they traveled, and when evening
came they ascended a high hill, looking down into the valley on the
other side. There stretched for two miles, along the banks of a small
stream, an immense camp. The old man made signs for Big Eagle to remain
with the two women where he was, until he could go to the camp and
prepare them to receive an enemy into their village.
The old man rode through the camp and drew up at the largest tepee in
the village. Soon Big Eagle could see men gathering around the tepee.
The crowd grew larger and larger, until the whole village had assembled
at the large tepee. Finally they dispersed, and catching their horses,
mounted and advanced to the hill on which Big Eagle and the two women
were waiting. They formed a circle around them and slowly they returned
to the village, singing and riding in a circle around them.
When they arrived at the village they advanced to the large tepee, and
motioned Big Eagle to the seat of honor in the tepee. In the village was
a man who understood and spoke the Sioux language. He was sent for, and
through him the oath of allegiance to the Crow tribe was taken by Big
Eagle. This done he was presented with the girl to wife, and also with
many spotted ponies.
Big Eagle lived with his wife among her people for two years, and during
this time he joined in four different battles between his own people
(the Sioux) and the Crow people, to whom his wife belonged.
In no battle with his own people would he carry any weapons, only a long
willow coup-stick, with which he struck the fallen Sioux.
At the expiration of two years he concluded to pay a visit to his own
tribe, and his father-in-law, being a chief of high standing, at once
had it heralded through the village that his son-in-law would visit his
own people, and for them to show their good will and respect for him by
bringing ponies for his son-in-law to take back to his people.
Hearing this, the herds were all driven in and all day long horses were
brought to the tent of Big Eagle, and when he was ready to start on his
homeward trip, twenty young men were elected to accompany him to within
a safe distance of his village. The twenty young men drove the gift
horses, amounting to two hundred and twenty head, to within one day’s
journey of the village of Big Eagle, and fearing for their safety from
his people, Big Eagle sent them back to their own village.
On his arrival at his home village, they received him as one returned
from the dead, as they were sure he had been killed the night he had
been sent to reconnoiter the lone camp. There was great feasting and
dancing in honor of his return, and the horses were distributed among
the needy ones of the village.
Remaining at his home village for a year, he one day made up his mind
to return to his wife’s people. A great many fancy robes, dresses, war
bonnets, moccasins, and a great drove of horses were given him, and his
wife, and he bade farewell to his people for good, saying, “I will never
return to you again, as I have decided to live the remainder of my days
with my wife’s people.”
On his arrival at the village of the Crows, he found his father-in-law
at the point of death. A few days later the old man died, and Big Eagle
was appointed to fill the vacancy of chief made by the death of his
father-in-law.
Subsequently he took part in battles against his own people, and in the
third battle was killed on the field. Tenderly the Crow warriors bore
him back to their camp, and great was the mourning in the Crow village
for the brave man who always went into battle unarmed, save only the
willow wand which he carried.
Thus ended the career of one of the bravest of Sioux warriors who ever
took the scalp of an enemy, and who for the love of his dead wife, gave
up home, parents, and friends, to be killed on the field of battle by
his own tribe.