“My father woke me at daybreak and told me to go with him
to take the horses out to graze, and when we were out there he
said: “We must have a long rope on one of them, so that it will be
easy to catch; then we can get the others. If anything happens,
you must bring the horses back as fast as you can, and keep
your eyes on the camp.”
Several of us boys watched our horses together until the sun
was straight above and it was getting very hot. Then we thought
we would go swimming, and my cousin said he would stay with
our horses til we got back. When I was greasing myself, I did
not feel well; I felt queer. It seemed that something terrible was
going to happen. But I went with the boys anyway. Many people
were in the water now and many of the women were out west
of the village digging turnips. We had been in the water quite a
while when my cousin came down there with the horses to give
them a drink, for it was very hot now.
Just then we heard the crier shouting in the Hunkpapa camp,
which was not very far from us “The chargers are coming! They
are charging! The chargers are coming!” Then the crier of the
Oglalas shouted the same words; and we could hear the cry
going from camp to camp northward clear to the Santees
and Yanktonais.
Everybody was running now to catch the horses. We were
lucky to have ours right there just at that time. My older brother
had a sorrel, and he rode away fast toward the Hunkpapas . I had
a buckskin. My father came running and said: “Your brother has
gone to the Hunkpapas without his gun. Catch him and give it
to him. Then come right back to me.” He had my six-shooter
too– the one my aunt gave me. I took the guns, jumped on my
pony and caught my brother. I could see a big dust rising just
beyond the Hunkpapa camp and all the Hunkpapas were run-
ning around and yelling, and many were running wet from the
river. Then out of the dust came the soldiers on their big horses.
They looked big and strong and tall and they were all shooting
[This was Reno’s detachment attacking from the southern end
of the village]. My brother took his gun and yelled for me to go back.
There was brushy timber just on the other side of the Hunkpapas,
and some warriors were gathering there. He made for that place, and
I followed him. By now women and children were running in
a crowd downstream. I looked back and saw them all running
and scattering up a hillside down yonder.
When we got into the timber, a good many Hunpapas were
there already and the soldiers were shooting above us so that
leaves were falling from the trees where the bullets struck.
By now I could not see what was happening in the village below.
It was all dust and cries and thunder; for the women and children
were running there, and the warriors were coming on their ponies.
Among us there in the brush and out in the Hunkpapa camp
a cry went up: “Take courage! Don’t be a woman! The helpless
are out of breath!” I think this was when Gall stopped the Hunk-
papas, who had been running away, and turned them back.
I stayed there in the woods a little while and thought of my
vision. It made me feel stronger, and it seemed that my people
were all thunder- beings and that the soldiers would be rubbed out.
Then another great cry went up out in the dust: “Crazy Horse
is coming! Crazy Horse is coming!” Off toward the west and
north they were yelling “Hoka hey!” like a big wind roaring,
and making the tremolo; and you could hear eagle bone whistles screaming.
The valley went darker with dust and smoke, and there were
only shadows and a big noise of many cries and hoofs and guns.
On the left of where I was I could hear the shod hoofs of the soldiers’
horses going back into the brush and there was shooting everywhere.
Then the hoofs came out of the brush and I came out and was
in among men and horses weaving in and out and going
up-stream, and everybody was yelling, Hurry! Hurry!
The soldiers were running upstream and we were all mixed there
in the twilight and the great noise. I did not see much; but once
I saw a Lakota charge at a soldier who stayed behind and fought
and was a very brave man[probably Captain French].
The Lakota took the soldier’s horse by the bridle, but the soldier
killed him with a six-shooter. I was small and could not crowd in
to where the soldiers were, so I did not kill anybody. There were
so many ahead of me, and it was all dark and mixed up.
Soon the soldiers were all crowded into the river, and many
Lakotas too; and I was in the water a while. Men and horses were
all mixed up and fighting in the water, and it was like hail falling
in the river. Then we were out of the river, and people were
stripping dead soldiers and putting the clothes on themselves.
There was a soldier on the ground and he was still kicking.
A Lakota rode up and said to me: “Boy, get off and scalp him.”
I got off and started to do it. He had short hair and my knife
was not very sharp. He ground his teeth. Then I shot him
in the forehead and got his scalp.”
Excerpted from “Black Elk Speaks”,
as told through John G. Niehardt, author.
Publisher: University of Nebraska Press, Lincoln and London.
Islander. TO BE CONTINUED.
there