sed him to be the leader, because he stood up in
full view, swinging his big knife [sword] over his head, and talking
loud. Some one unknown afterwards shot the chief, and he was probably
killed also; for if not, he would have told of the deed, and called
others to witness it. So it is that no one knows who killed the
Long-Haired Chief [General Custer].

"After the first rush was over, coups were counted as usual on the
bodies of the slain. You know four coups [or blows] can be counted on
the body of an enemy, and whoever counts the first one [touches it for
the first time] is entitled to the 'first feather.'

"There was an Indian here called Appearing Elk, who died a short time
ago. He was slightly wounded in the charge. He had some of the weapons
of the Long-Haired Chief, and the Indians used to say jokingly after we
came upon the reservation that Appearing Elk must have killed the Chief,
because he had his sword! However, the scramble for plunder did not
begin until all were dead. I do not think he killed Custer, and if he
had, the time to claim the honor was immediately after the fight.

"Many lies have been told of me. Some say that I killed the Chief, and
others that I cut out the heart of his brother [Tom Custer], because he
had caused me to be imprisoned. Why, in that fight the excitement was
so great that we scarcely recognized our nearest friends! Everything was
done like lightning. After the battle we young men were chasing horses
all over the prairie, while the old men and women plundered the bodies;
and if any mutilating was done, it was by the old men.

"I have lived peaceably ever since we came upon the reservation. No one
can say that Rain-in-the-Face has broken the rules of the Great Father.
I fought for my people and my country. When we were conquered I remained
silent, as a warrior should. Rain-in-the-Face was killed when he put
down his weapons before the Great Father. His spirit was gone then; only
his poor body lived on, but now it is almost ready to lie down for the
last time. Ho, hechetu! [It is well.]"

TWO STRIKE

It is a pity that so many interesting names of well-known Indians have
been mistranslated, so that their meaning becomes very vague if it is
not wholly lost. In some cases an opposite meaning is conveyed. For
instance there is the name, "Young-Man-Afraid-of-His-Horses." It does
not mean that the owner of the name is afraid of his own horse--far from
it! Tashunkekokipapi