Across America; Or, The Great West and the Pacific CoastRusling, James Fowler
History
Across America; Or, The Great West and the Pacific Coast
Rusling, James Fowler
Overland journeys to the Pacific; Pacific States -- Description and travel; West (U.S.) -- Description and travel
"Yes! So! Much true! Ooray and Big-Chief understand, and know Utes
must go on Reservation some day--raise beef, pony, and barley--or
perish. But young braves no understand; hard to make 'em. Some, too,
say, if Utes go on Reservation, Cheyennes and Comanches--enemies
of Utes always--will know where to find. Then some night, when
Utes all asleep, will come like a squaw and kill a heap. Utes hate
Cheyenne--Comanche--God dam!"
"But our Great Father will prevent that. He will build forts, and
station his blue coats near you, and they will keep off the Cheyennes
and Comanches."
When this was interpreted to Ooray, for the first time he lost his
savage dignity, and laughed outright. When he reinterpreted it to the
Utes, there was a general chorus of laughter, which lasted several
minutes. Evidently, they had little respect for the average soldier
of the Plains, whether infantry or cavalry. Presently, however, Ooray
recovering his dignity replied:
"Why don't our Great Father's blue-coats keep off the Cheyennes
and Comanches some now? Last snow the Comanches came right by the
forts, found the Utes in one place, and killed many. Utes killed
Comanches back a heap. Now Utes move about much--hunt buffalo on the
prairie--build wigwam in the mountains--fish in Del Norte. Utes stop
not in one place, and Comanches no find. But Utes settle down; then
Comanches come and kill. Tell Great Father, Cheyennes and Comanches
go on Reservation _first_; then Utes will. But Comanches first."
This was about the same answer substantially, that they had given Gen.
Sherman down at Fort Garland; and with all his diplomacy, Gov. C. could
not extract more from them. There was a deal of good common sense in
it, too--the instinct of self-preservation--and the governor could
not help admitting this, much as he desired to enforce the views of
the Government. He rehashed his arguments, and presented them anew in
various ways; but to all of them, Ooray steadily made answer:
"Ooray has spoken!" And there the matter ended.
Subsequently, after some considerable talk with his brother chiefs,
Ooray resumed:
"Suppose Utes go on Reservation, and bad pale-face come and shoot
Indian; what will our Great Father do then?"
"Why," answered Gov. C., "Our Great Father will have him arrested
and tried in his courts; and, if found guilty, will hang him. If the
Great Father's own brother, he would hang him all the same."
Ooray had great difficulty in understanding this. Gen. Carson had to
repeat and explain it a number of times, before he could comprehend
what a court and jury were, and even then he seemed somewhat dazed.
Doubtless he found it hard to believe, that we would hang any white man
for killing an Indian, let alone our Great Father's brother, after what
he had seen and heard of law and justice on the border. But after much
questioning back and forth, he appeared to catch some glimpse of the
idea, and after pondering it awhile, sorrowfully answered:
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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