Native-Indian tribes nurtured a society of personalities diverse as was the physical appearance of the nomads; some were “friendly” to the interloper “white”-man; others showed a healthy-skepticism; some avoided any contact with the “white”-eyes. Some hated him outright!
Ogallala-Sioux openly and habitually warred with settlers and raided wagon-trains offering little compassion for women and children captured or outright killed in the altercations; the Sioux were not of a “prisoner-of-war” persuasion. Comanche Indians liked to steal horses from their red-brother enemies and especially the newly arrived hated “blue-bellies” of the United States Cavalry; it was rumored around myriad campfires, Indian and white, that these thieves could slip into camp like grey-wraiths in the midnight-dark, walk among the sleeping inhabitants, take anything they wanted, at their leisure, and get away without a sound; seemed they “carried” the horses away on silent-clouds. Such fantasy-“entertainment” tales delighted both red-man and white audiences, alike! In any legend resides a fair-modicum of truth!Navajos of the southwest seemed mostly
tranquil; they would fight, but, preferred Peace!
Mescalero Apache stretches across the
southwest from Texas to the Llano Estacada and down into old-Mexico eventually
into Arizona-Territory; they hated all-people,
regardless of color. Often, these rapscallions fought just for the
pure-pleasure of breaking the boredom-of-Peace.
They stole from neighboring tribes; occasionally, an Apache would slay another
member of his own tribe just to acquire the other’s horses or weapons or wives;
even brother against brother!
Sturdy-built of muscular-short stature, they were pernicious-adversaries who would die, rather than yield or quit the altercation. They could run all-day, going without food or water for a week
(Part 6 of 8 Tomorrow).
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