Indian Heroes and Great ChieftainsEastman, Charles A.
History
Indian Heroes and Great Chieftains
Eastman, Charles A.
Dakota Indians -- Biography; Heroes; Indians of North America -- Biography
Another story told of his boyhood is that when he was about twelve he
went to look for the ponies with his little brother, whom he loved much,
and took a great deal of pains to teach what he had already learned.
They came to some wild cherry trees full of ripe fruit, and while they
were enjoying it, the brothers were startled by the growl and sudden
rush of a bear. Young Crazy Horse pushed his brother up into the nearest
tree and himself sprang upon the back of one of the horses, which was
frightened and ran some distance before he could control him. As soon
as he could, however, he turned him about and came back, yelling and
swinging his lariat over his head. The bear at first showed fight but
finally turned and ran. The old man who told me this story added that
young as he was, he had some power, so that even a grizzly did not
care to tackle him. I believe it is a fact that a silver-tip will dare
anything except a bell or a lasso line, so that accidentally the boy had
hit upon the very thing which would drive him off.
It was usual for Sioux boys of his day to wait in the field after a
buffalo hunt until sundown, when the young calves would come out in the
open, hungrily seeking their mothers. Then these wild children would
enjoy a mimic hunt, and lasso the calves or drive them into camp. Crazy
Horse was found to be a determined little fellow, and it was settled
one day among the larger boys that they would “stump” him to ride a
good-sized bull calf. He rode the calf, and stayed on its back while it
ran bawling over the hills, followed by the other boys on their ponies,
until his strange mount stood trembling and exhausted.
At the age of sixteen he joined a war party against the Gros Ventres. He
was well in the front of the charge, and at once established his bravery
by following closely one of the foremost Sioux warriors, by the name of
Hump, drawing the enemy’s fire and circling around their advance guard.
Suddenly Hump’s horse was shot from under him, and there was a rush
of warriors to kill or capture him while down. But amidst a shower of
arrows the youth leaped from his pony, helped his friend into his own
saddle, sprang up behind him, and carried him off in safety, although
they were hotly pursued by the enemy. Thus he associated himself in his
maiden battle with the wizard of Indian warfare, and Hump, who was
then at the height of his own career, pronounced Crazy Horse the coming
warrior of the Teton Sioux.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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