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Lorsque le document est trop grand pour Atre reproduit en un seul clichA, 11 est f limA A partir de Tangle supArieur gauche, de gauche A droite, et de haut en has, en prenant le nombre d'images nAcessaira. Les diagrammes suivants illustrent la mAthode. by errata led to int ine pelure, apon A 1 2 3 32X 1 2 3 4 5 6 r • 1% I ',-. k i •V. i!:-. V':;#.- • I I f THE STORY Or OHIEI' JOSEPH. -■ BY MARTHA PERRY LOWE. ILLUSTRATED. BOSTON: D. LOTHROP & COMPANY. FRANKLIN ST., CORNER OF HAWLEY. Otiav';ei"^^ - Copyright, 1881, By D. Lothrop & Company. PS aid I i ,ins7 f I tk PRESS OP DEL>ND AND BARTA, B05T0N. PREFACE. The following story Is a poetic version of Chief Joseph's narrative, as given by Bishop Hare of Niobrarain the April number of the North American Review^ 1879. Its dignity and pathos seemed worthy of being preserved in a form less diffuse and more artistic. The author trusts that the story has not lost in power by her attempt, as she has endeavored to preserve the simple and direct style of the Indian. If this little book shall do anything to excite sympathy and justice for the Red Man, the author will be abundantly rewarded. $i i! I! h THE STORY OF CHIEF JOSEPH. Good friends, you ask to see my heart; And here it is: I have no art; Some of you think an Indian man Is like a wikl beast, to be sliot; Now I will show yon, if I can, Whether he is a man or not; For what I here shall say to you Will come out from my very heart ; I speak with a straight tongue and true, And lying has in me no part. The eyes of the Great Spirit always see ; Ah-cum-ken-i-ma-me-hut looks at me. 8 THE STOltV OF CHIKF JOSEl'H. T ain fi cliief of tlio Nez IVrces band. So iiuiiied by Freiifliiucii in our land. You call me Joseph. Good, ii" you like that. My true njinie is In-niut-too-yuh-liit-lut. You'd like to know the meaning of my name? This is the way, tliey tell me, tliat it came : My mother gave me birth on stormy niojit : It means the thunder on the mountain Jieidit between the sudden flaslies of the light. ^fy fjither did not leave a single spot To stain my noble birthright, not a blot. Our chieftains left us many a solemn law, That we should give men whut they bargained for, That Ave should scorn to tell a lie; They told us the Great Spirit lived on liio-h. And had a spirit home above the skv ; That he woidd give a good j^lace to the good, i THE STORY OF CHIEF JOSEPH. 1.1 A bad place to the bad : we understood, This, I believe; and all my fathers do. Do white men think so too ? They never knew that there were other men, With whiter faces, till the morning when The Frenchmen came among them long ago, — How long it is j^ou know — And brought them pipes and guns, Which scared the women and the little ones. The good priests told them what was true, And they were gentle in their speech. And fatherlv and wise ; The trappers told them many lies ; They did not like the holy fathers' preach ; When first the reverend men they saw, They told them of the spirit law, They said no word about t lie land ; 12 THE STORY OF CHIEF JOSEPH. But twenty years ago a stranger band Came seeking dwelling-places there, For there was room, and some to spare. M}' father had the sharper eye, He knew what all this meant, Although he made no murmur nor complaint. He was afraid of men who buy And sell, and talk of loss and gain. Next came an officer to make it plain ; Our Council sat, that he might sliow his heart ; His business he at length began to tell: He said your nation thought it would be well To have an Indian country set apart, And bade us sign away our right. My father pushed him from his sight, u •s.5e MY FATHER HAD THE SllARPER EYE. THE STORY OF CHIEF JOSEPH. 15 And round the room did angry stalk. "What is't you ask?" and grim he smiled. *' It is your business to come liere and talk About the spirit matters, not of land. You can go where you please, sir, understand, And so will I, for I am not a child, That you should tell me where I am to walk I " And then they stole around among Our men, and tried the flattering tongue. They brought us blankets red and blue, Our people took them from their hand : "Touch not their presents, old or new," My father cried with stern command, And so he never sold away his land. When he at last was old and blind, A coward chieftain of our kind Gave up the Wallc w- Walla ; this we call f 16 THE STORY OF CHIEF JOSEPH. The countiy of the winding water-fall. They bade us take our wives and little ones. And move along to southern suns. And then I took my father's place, And made my first speech to the white men's face. I told them I would never leave the graves Where lay our fathers and where sleep our braves. My father called me to his dying-bed, And warned me, lifting up his head, " Behold the white men come around : Let them not touch the ground Where all your fathers sleep." His word I vowed to keep ; • v And then he smiled, and went to meet The great, good Spirit, Chief of Men. I laid him in the glen, ' The winding water at his feet. THE STORY OF CHIEF JOSEPH. 19 I love the sile.it spot; And he deservf3S to be forgot, Who holds not dear the stones Where rests his father's bones. We had a little time of rest, And then the white men pressed Closer and closer on onr path. With softest words tliat fired our wrath. We were but few, and they a mighty band; We were contented with the land Just as it came from the Great Father's hand. But they would pull the mountains down To make room for the town. Their generals came, and harried us with talk, And strutted in their walk, 'i ■■a:T—-.in.a )"j«m v,-„ iS^aaastsa 20 THE STORY OF CHU^^ JOSEPH. And bade 113 move our people back Along the Reservation track. Then Too-hoot-hool-suit answered, " Who are you ? " And looked as he would stare them through, "That you should talk, and tell us to keep still? Are you the mighty will? Can you create the rivers that we drink, Or make the grass grow, do you think ? ** They sprang and put him under guard. My young men could not keep their seat, They leaped up to their feet; My young braves pressed me hard. Such insult they could never brook: They would have killed your generals at one look, One look from me. I told them to forbear. And so they harmed them not a single hair. THEN TOO-HOOT-HOOLpSUIT ANSWERED, "WHO ARE YOU?" j»*«tt-jim.:u»-j- •nr-^"trjMrx-iKiiams:tsm^B,'':-M':fXi:3mr" ■;■'?¥"■*'* I "*f THE STORY OP CHIEF JOSEPH. 28 I held them still, I kept the pence, And got, ere long, our prisoner's full release. "What for my trouble did I gain? Fresh insult. Yes, 'twas all in vain. We had the very worst to fear: New tidings went from ear to ear. We must set out upon our way. Our stock was scattered on tiie plain, The river running high and strong. We begged to wait the closing year, To bring our cows and sheep along. They answered, "Let a single day Go by beyond the time of grace. And we will drive you to your place, And all outside shall be oui* prey." <^" ■■-■:'■-• ■v-xf:r:-m\< mmmTfs yv-- i:..- .,_,-...:*jfi.jj. ^ THE STORY OP CHIEF JOSEPH. My young men said that we must fight, That blood alone couhl wash us white From such an insult to our race. I tried in vain to keep them still: The Indian blood would have its will. Panting and swift the war to wage, They killed four white men in their rage, I would have given my very life To stop this hateful, bloody strife. If you had treated us like men. There would have been no war between us then. It was too late, and war we had, — You know the rest. You were not glad. But, for ourselves, this I will say : The Nez Perc(^s no women slay. fit' THE STORY OF CHIEF JOSEPH. Nor little children at their play. We scalp our foemau's head, And bury decently our dead: Yon dug our kindred up again, And cast dishonor on the slain; You cared not where your footsteps trod, Mangling the bodies in the sod. We held a woman prisoner. And never offered wrong to her. Can your white soldiers say as much? Know you their insults to the Indian maid ? Say, were we guilty even once of such? Have \\ e a woman's confidence betrayed ? I thought of all my little ones, Trembling and wild with sudden fright : I leapt along the line of guns, I forced my way amidst the thickest fight, •^%^^yv'^^h>^-^ . ■^^i'tyf^li^- ^v-fv^-t^.;^ 28 THE STORY OF CHIEF JOSEPH. And reached my lodgings at a bound. My wife ran out, — my gun she found, — "Take it, and shoot them down!" she said. 1 seized tlie gun, and I obeyed; And vso the battle raged that day. • , 1 / • .•"*■"-,"" _ ... * '_./., ■ •■ THE ^STORY OF CHIEF JOSEPH. 31 We fought them twenty steps away, We fought like tigers, down tliey dropped, And, tired of it, the white men stopped. The next day came a flag of truce, They parleyed earnestly with me, * Twixt war and peace they bade mo choose. The generals promised solemnly We should go back again and live Upon our lands, if I would give My arms to them. I tlioiight of all My men around, how they might fall: The sick and dying came before My soul, and smote me to the core. And I believed the general's oath. So I surrendered to them both. 32 THE STORY OF CHIEF JOSEPH. How v^id your chieftains keep their troth? Not like i 11 Indian, I do swear. They stole our cattle roaming there, And turned our faces to the bound You please to call the Indian Ground. They moved us downward from the North. New chiefs and captains now came foi'th, And talked and argued without end, Each one spoke different from his friend. I said, "You gave your solemn word That we should not again be stirred." Some said, "You cannot now go back, / The law is following on your track, ' Because your men began the fight." I knew not which one had the right, M H K w o c > so O > O H S n THE STORY OF CHIEF JOSEPH. 85 And some said all would come out well: Each had a different tale to tell. Too many chiefs you sent to me, ' Twas plain that they did not agree. And, while they talked, my people died, Sickened, and fell down at my side. The land they gave us was not good, The little children loathed their food. The water made our spirits sink, M}^ fainting people could not drink. And now, to end it, I have been With Yellow Bull to Washington ; And I have shaken hands with every one. Your Father Chief, and all the mighty men. They say that justice shall be done ; But words will never give us back our dead; Words, empty words, will never pay '^ l\ 86 THE STORY OF CHIEF JOSEPH. For all our goods you took away: Words will not keep my fatlier's ^rave, And I am sick of all that you have said. The great, good Spirit made us two ; The same blood is in me and you. You might as well expect to see The rivers run back to the hills, Or chain the little mountain rills. As that a being lithe and free, An Indian-born, sliould be content Within a patch of forest pent. I asked one of your men, a chief, If 'twas his true belief That white men should go where tliey And red men in one place must stay ? may, X > n o o M {/) H THE STOKY OF CHIEF JOSEPH. He dared not answer yea or nay. No answer could I ever find To questions pressing on my mind. 39 I know my race must soon decay ; I know that we shall fade away, Unless we march the road you take, And drink the knowledge which your tliirst doth slake. So be it, then : We ask, we ask, That you shall set us to your task. We will accept it at your hands, But give us back our lands I Give us our freedom, give us law, And there shall be no war. The white and red men shall abide As loving brothers, side by side, Cod tent and strong and free *S^amemiiMmi^^nssiti&mmM 40 THE STORY OF CHIEF JOSEPH. Forever we shall be I In-miit-too-yali-lat-lat Has spoken for his race to-day, In-niut-too-yah-lat-lat Has finished what he has to say. BIBLIOTHECA OttaviensN*.