the passing of the frontier-第20章
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led by half…breeds who knew the country； surprised the Piegans in their winter camp on the Marias River； just below the border。 He； like Custer； attacked at dawn； opening the encounter with a general fire into the tepees。 He killed a hundred and seventy…three of the Piegans； including very many women and children； as was unhappily the case so often in these surprise attacks。 It was deplorable warfare。 But it ended the resistance of the savage Blackfeet。 They have been disposed for peace from that day to this。
The terrible revenge which the Sioux and Cheyennes took in the battle which annihilated Custer and his men on the Little Big Horn in the summer of 1876； the Homeric running fight made by Chief Joseph of the Nez Percesa flight which baffled our best generals and their men for a hundred and ten days over more than fourteen hundred miles of wildernessthese are events so well known that it seems needless to do more than to refer to them。 The Nez Perces in turn went down forever when Joseph came out and surrendered； saying； 〃From where the sun now stands I fight against the white man no more forever。〃 His surrender to fate did not lack its dignity。 Indeed； a mournful interest attached to the inevitable destiny of all these savage leaders； who； no doubt； according to their standards； were doing what men should do and all that men could do。
The main difficulty in administering full punishment to such bands was that after a defeat they scattered； so that they could not be overtaken in any detailed fashion。 After the Custer fight many of the tribe went north of the Canadian line and remained there for some time。 The writer himself has seen along the Qu'Appelle River in Saskatchewan some of the wheels taken out of the watches of Custer's men。 The savages broke them up and used the wheels for jewelry。 They even offered the Canadians for trade boots； hats； and clothing taken from the bodies of Custer's men。
The Modoc war against the warriors of Captain Jack in 1873 was waged in the lava beds of Oregon； and it had the distinction of being one of the first Indian wars to be well reported in the newspapers。 We heard a great deal of the long and trying campaigns waged by the Army in revenge for the murder of General Canby in his council tent。 We got small glory out of that war； perhaps； but at last we hanged the ringleader of the murderers； and the extreme Northwest remained free from that time on。
Far in the dry Southwest； where home…building man did not as yet essay a general occupation of the soil； the blood…thirsty Apache long waged a warfare which tried the mettle of our Army as perhaps no other tribes ever have done。 The Spaniards had fought these Apaches for nearly three hundred years； and had not beaten them。 They offered three hundred dollars each for Apache scalps； and took a certain number of them。 But they left all the remaining braves sworn to an eternal enmity。 The Apaches became mountain outlaws； whose blood…mad thirst for revenge never died。 No tribe ever fought more bitterly。 Hemmed in and surrounded； with no hope of escape； in some instances they perished literally to the last man。 General George Crook finished the work of cleaning up the Apache outlaws only by use of the trailers of their own people who sided with the whites for pay。 Without the Pima scouts he never could have run down the Apaches as he did。 Perhaps these were the hardest of all the Plains Indians to find and to fight。 But in 1872 Crook subdued them and concentrated them in reservations in Arizona。 Ten years later； under Geronimo； a tribe of the Apaches broke loose and yielded to General Crook only after a prolonged war。 Once again they raided New Mexico and Arizona in 1885…6。 This was the last raid of Geronimo。 He was forced by General Miles to surrender and； together with his chief warriors； was deported to Fort Pickens in Florida。 In all these savage pitched battles and bloody skirmishes； the surprises and murderous assaults all over the old range； there were hundreds of settlers killed； hundreds also of our army men； including some splendid officers。 In the Custer fight alone； on the Little Big Horn； the Army lost Custer himself； thirteen commissioned officers； and two hundred and fifty…six enlisted men killed； with two officers and fifty…one men wounded； a total of three hundred and twenty…three killed and wounded in one battle。 Custer had in his full column about seven hundred men。 The number of the Indians has been variously estimated。 They had perhaps five thousand men in their villages when they met Custer in this； the most historic and most ghastly battle of the Plains。 It would be bootless to revive any of the old discussions regarding Custer and his rash courage。 Whether in error or in wisdom； he died； and gallantly。 He and his men helped clear the frontier for those who were to follow； and the task took its toll。 Thus； slowly but steadily； even though handicapped by a vacillating governmental policy regarding the Indians； we muddled through these great Indian wars of the frontier； our soldiers doing their work splendidly and uncomplainingly； such work as no other body of civilized troops has ever been asked to do or could have done if asked。 At the close of the Civil War we ourselves were a nation of fighting men。 We were fit and we were prepared。 The average of our warlike qualities never has been so high as then。 The frontier produced its own pathfinders； its own saviors； its own fighting men。
So now the frontier lay ready； waiting for the man with the plough。 The dawn of that last day was at hand。
Chapter VIII。 The Cattle Kings
It is proper now to look back yet again over the scenes with which we hitherto have had to do。 It is after the railways have come to the Plains。 The Indians now are vanishing。 The buffalo have not yet gone； but are soon to pass。
Until the closing days of the Civil War the northern range was a wide； open domain； the greatest ever offered for the use of a people。 None claimed it then in fee； none wanted it in fee。 The grasses and the sweet waters offered accessible and profitable chemistry for all men who had cows to range。 The land laws still were vague and inexact in application； and each man could construe them much as he liked。 The excellent homestead law of 1862； one of the few really good land laws that have been put on our national statute books； worked well enough so long as we had good farming lands for homesteadinglands of which a quarter section would support a home and a family。 This same homestead law was the only one available for use on the cattle…range。 In practice it was violated thousands of timesin fact； of necessity violated by any cattle man who wished to acquire sufficient range to run a considerable herd。 Our great timber kings； our great cattle kings； made their fortunes out of their open contempt for the homestead law； which was designed to give all the people an even chance for a home and a farm。 It made； and lost； America。
Swiftly enough； here and there along all the great waterways of the northern range； ranchers and their men filed claims on the water fronts。 The dry land thus lay tributary to them。 For the most part the open lands were held practically under squatter right； the first cowman in any valley usually had his rights respected； at least for a time。 These were the days of the open range。 Fences had not come； nor had farms been staked out。
From the South now appeared that tremendous and elemental forcemost revolutionary of all the great changes we have noted in the swiftly changing Westthe bringing in of thousands of horned kine along the northbound trails。 The trails were hurrying from the Rio Grande to the upper plains of Texas and northward； along the north and south line of the Frontierthat land which now we have been seeking less to define and to mark precisely than fundamentally to understand。
The Indian wars had much to do with the cow trade。 The Indians were crowded upon the reservations； and they had to be fed； and fed on beef。 Corrupt Indian agents made fortunes； and the Beef Ring at Washington； one of the most despicable lobbies which ever fattened there； now wrote its brief and unworthy history。 In a strange way corrupt politics and cor
