While we know our northern friends may not feel it, in the South, Spring is
here. So we thought we'd share a few of our gardening sites appropriate
for this time of the year. Along with gardening, there's grilling, and getting
ready to diet so that you can fit back into that bathing suit this summer!
You all remember how the
Indian chiefs went with me to see the great American chief,
President Grant, in Washington, and what a long ride we had
before we took a train. Well, during that trip we rested for
two days at Fort Wingate in New Mexico, and here for the
first time I saw some Navajo Indians. They are cousins of
the Apaches, and the language of the two tribes is so much
alike that they can easily understand each other. Some
people have said that the word Navajo comes from the Spanish
word for knife, but probably it is an Indian word meaning
"well-planted fields." There were about 7000 in the tribe
and they lived in log huts and raised corn, but their chief
living was from large flocks of sheep and goats. From these
they got plenty of wool which they dyed in soft colors and
from which the women made splendid blankets known the world
over for their beauty. 'These are the famous Navajo blankets
you have heard about.
Now the Apaches and Navajos are cousins, but they have not always
been friendly cousins, and just about this time they had been fighting each other rather
hard. I am sorry to say that some of the white people thought it was a good thing for
Indians to fight each other; it would help kill them off, they said. Of course it was a
good thing for Indians to stop fighting white men, but the more they fought Indians the
better. Now I thought this was all wrong, so I made up my mind to help the Indians to make
peace with the Indians as well as with us. I had talked with my four Apache chiefs about
this, and Santos was heart and soul with me. Pedro agreed with us, but Eskeltesela was
doubtful, and Miguel made many objections. He said the Navajos had behaved badly to his
Indians, had broken up their lodges and stolen their corn, and must be punished. Miguel
had a good deal of the old war spirit left in him.
Well, here we were at Fort Wingate in New Mexico within ten miles
of the principal Navajo village, and were resting for the night. We had taken the packs
from our tired mules and let them loose to roll in the dust or run to the neighboring
stream for water. We had unsaddled the horses and tied them near by. Our driver, Dismal
Jeems, was getting supper and looked as happy as I ever saw him as he thought of the good
things which would soon be ready. Then of a sudden we heard a loud whoop, as loud and long
as any you ever heard in Buffalo Bill's show. One-Eyed Miguel was quickest to catch the
sound and he knew what it meant. "Indian horsemen!" he cried, and sure enough
there they were. Navajos in full gala costume; the men with bright blankets, streaming
hair, and feathered hats, the horses with braided manes tied with red and yellow. To see
them charging toward us was enough to make our hearts beat very fast, but the Indians only
laughed and said:
"Good, good! it is only a
Navajo visit! "
The brilliant Navajos rode up at a trot, halted all together and
came to the ground at once, each holding his bridle and resting his right hand upon the
pommel of his saddle. The leader's horse stood waiting while he came toward me and
stretched out his right hand, saying: "Buenos dial" (Good day).
This was Manuelito, the Navajo war chief. He was over six feet tall and
weighed perhaps two hundred pounds. He was dressed all in deerskin with fringes on his
coat and trousers and had on new leggings, buttoned at the side, and moccasins on his
small feet. His hair was worn in many short braids and he had on a Mexican hat with a
feather tucked into the brim and tassels hanging over. He wore many strings of beads
around his neck, too, and was as fine a looking fellow as you ever saw.
Mr. Cook and Louis hastened to help Dismal Jeems, and we brought
fresh stores from our packs and added a piece of canvas to our table-cloth. Then we sat
down to supper and Manuelito was given the seat of honor at my right.
I think Miguel was not quite pleased at this, for he looked at me
with a sly twinkle in his one eye and said, "Bad Manuelito, he has not been war chief
of the Navajos very long."
After the supper Manuelito shook hands again, said good night,
and then they all mounted and were off, but not before we had planned for a council the
following day at the Navajo village.
The next morning the sun rose clear and bright, and peace seemed to be in all that
beautiful land. By eight o'clock we were in motion, but the Indians were thoughtful and in
no haste to lead the way. It took us two hours to ride the ten miles. Some Navajo scouts
met us half-way and guided us to a
good spring. Here was a pretty grassy knoll and we camped beneath a group of pine-trees
whispering in the summer breeze.
The principal chief, Juanito, was an old man, lame and feeble. He
limped over to pay his respects to me, but pretended not to see my Apache Indians. I asked
him to be present at the council, but he whispered something about my having the wicked
Miguel with me, and would not promise.
Everything was ready at the hour appointed for the council and I
went to a small grove where a platform had been made of rough boards large enough for the
Indian chiefs and myself. Mr. Cook, Louis, and Captain Wilkinson were with me, but the
Indians did not appear. We waited and waited, till at last I remembered that neither party
wanted to be first at the council. Then I asked Captain Wilkinson to go to Juanito and ask
him to come and see me and bring his war chief with him.
Mr. Cook went to Miguel and told him I wanted to see him and the other chiefs, and Louis
took my message to Santos. To be sure they all knew what it meant, and they came, watching
each other carefully so that they should all arrive at the same moment. Miguel and
Manuelito were both laughing when they stepped on the platform and soon all were talking
cheerfully to each other. Santos took great pains to make friends with Juanito and I began
to feel sure of a good peace.
All Indian councils are very ceremonious if you know what that big word means-and every
one puts on his very best manners for the occasion.
Mr. Cook opened the meeting with prayer. I explained that the
great chief at Washington had sent me on a peace mission and then Juanito said he always
wanted peace, for he planted fields, raised sheep, ponies, and cows, and made blankets and
many other things. His young men hunted in the mountains too, but the Apaches made
wars. Then Manuelito-splendid fellow that he has-stood up and spoke, for he was the
war chief. He said he was all for peace. Of course he had had to fight the Apaches, Miguel
knew that, but now he wanted a solid peace and to be friends with Apaches and all the
Indians of New Mexico and Arizona. Santos spoke in the same spirit and so did Miguel
and the others.
After all had spoken Manuelito rose and asked to speak again. He
had been thinking, and he said he was sure that he could stop all the badly disposed
Navajos from hurting Indians or white men. He asked me to appoint twenty Navajo policemen
and dress them in United States uniform, for then every Indian would know them and every
white man would respect them. He asked me to give them the same pay as soldiers and then
they would be proud and obey their leader and there would be no more trouble from the
Navajos. This I agreed to do and Manuelito chose and commanded a fine body of Indians. So
ended the council, but a month later on our return from Washington, we reached that same
old Fort Wingate just before sundown and were met by Manuelito and his special policemen.
They wore soldiers' hats with grand army cords and tassels, blue blouses and belts with
two pistols to show their authority.
"Buenos dias, signori Bueno bueno," cried Manuelito,
as he sprang to the ground and with bridle in hand stood ready to embrace me. Nearby the
Navajos had a bivouac, and that night we camped near them. In the morning Manuelito rode
beside me and told me that peace had prevailed.
When, after riding ten miles, we reached a beautiful spring we lunched together beneath
some shady cottonwood trees and then Manuelito bade us farewell. As he and his men rode
away my eyes followed this splendid leader, and I rejoiced that so fine a man was using
every energy to bring joy and happiness to all about him-a war chief no longer, but a man
of peace.
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