The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1909-08-12

fore the embellishments of old age took the
strength from his arm.
Two Strike was great warrior He had fought
on many a field and he had won his from
the overcoming of two warrior foes who had at
tackled him when he alone the prairie
Single handed he had fought and killed them and
Two Strike" he had been from that day. He was
the leader in the last battle which took place be-
tween hostile bands of savages the plains of
America For years without number the two ma
tons the Sioux and the Pawnees. had hated each
other.
In OF Cooper's novels Hard Heart. Paw
nee. taunts Sioux thus: "Since waters and
trees grew, the Sioux has found the Pawnee on his
warpath" The fight i'm which Two Strike was
the leader of the Sioux fought against the
Pawnees the banks of a little stream known
"The Frenchman." in Nebraska in the year
1874
In the valley Of the Platte river the buffalo were
plenty. but the Pawnees had said that the Sioux
should not hunt there and they defed them to
The Pawnee dogs called the Sioux wom-
en-" said the storyteller and old Two Strike
sneered.
1t was when the grass was at its best that the
Sioux started for the country of the Pawnee. The
teller of the tale made no secret of the intention
of the Sioux to exterminate the Pawnees. sparing
neither women children IL the chance for their
killing presented itself.
Two Strike and his Sioux reached the edge Of
the buffalo country and there they waited oppor-
tunity. They did not have to wait long. Runners
told them that the Pawnees in full strength had
started great hunting expedition led by Sky
Chief, a noted warrior When the name of Sky
Chief fell from the lips OF the interpreter old Two
Strike smiled and closed his fist The Sioux left
their encampment and struck into the heart of the
hunting country There scout told them that
the enemy was encamped la prairie gulch and
that their women and children with them
to care for the hides and for the drying of the
meat Of the buffalo.
Two Strike led his men by "a way around" as
the interpreter put 1t, coming finally to point
less than half suns distance from the camp in
the valley. The Sioux struck small herd of buff
falo and they goaded the animals before them
right up to the mouth of the gulch. When the
buffalo we're headed straight into the valley the
Sioux pricked the hindmost with arrows and the
herd went headlong toward the encampment OF
the Pawnees. who were foolish men" and did
not watch for an enemy.
When the Pawnees the buffalo they mount
ed their ponies and followed them out through the
far end of the valley to the level plain leaving
the women and children behind
Then the Sioux went in TO the slaughter spar
ing neither infancy nor age. and they had almost
ended the killing when the Pawnee braves re-
turned.
Then followed the last great battle which has
been fought the plains between tribes OF red
The storyteller in the tepee at Pine Ridge
did not say so, but it is known from the account
of a white man, Adabel Ellis, who knew the cir.
cumstances. that the Pawnees fought that day as
they had always fought, bravely and to the death
Sky Chief. the Pawnee rode out in front of
his men, shook his hand and called out that Two
Strike, the Dakota, a coward. Then Two
Strike called back that the Pawnee was dogs
whelp and he rode out, armed with his knife
which the only weapon Sky Chief held
The two leaders met and fought They dis
mounted. turned their ponies loose and grappled
The story-teller fingered not the details of the
fight. He said simply the Pswnees heard Sky
Chiefs death cry"
The tale ended Two Strike rose barred his
right arm, drove his hand downward and then
upward, and smiled.