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Updated: June 14, 2025
Not a soul dreamed of the terrible calamity that each passing moment was bringing nearer and nearer. Tawasuota stepped aside, and took up his pipe. He seemed almost oblivious of what he had done. While the massacre still raged about him in all its awful cruelty, he sat smoking and trying to think collectedly, but his mind was confused, and in his secret thoughts he rebelled against Little Crow.
Occasionally Tawasuota heard at a distance the wagons of the fugitives, loaded with women and children, while armed men walked before and behind. These caravans were usually drawn by oxen and moved slowly toward some large town. When the dawn appeared in the east, the chief soldier was compelled to conceal himself in a secluded place.
If you fall to-day, there is no better day on which to die, and the women of our tribe will weep proud tears for Tawasuota. I leave it with you to lead my warriors." With these words the wily chief galloped away to meet the war-party. "Here comes Little Crow, the friend of the white man!" exclaimed a warrior, as he approached.
None can say that Tawasuota is a coward. I have done well; so well that our chief, Little Crow, has offered me the honored position of his chief soldier, ta akich-itah!" he said to himself with satisfaction.
Tawasuota continued to sit and smoke in the shade while the carnage and plunder that he had set on foot proceeded on all sides of him. Presently men began to form small parties to cross the river on their mission of death, but he refused to join any of them. At last, several of the older warriors came up to smoke with him.
Soon loud yells were heard along the road to the Indian village. "Ho, ho! Tawasuota u ye do!" The famous war-chief dismounted in silence, gun in hand, and walked directly toward the larger store. "Friend," he exclaimed, "we may both meet the 'Great Mystery' to-day, but you must go first." There was a loud report, and the unsuspecting white man lay dead.
The lesser braves might now satisfy their spite against the traders to their hearts' content, but Tawasuota had been upon the best of terms with all of them. Suddenly a ringing shout was heard. The chief soldier looked up, and beheld a white man, nearly nude, leap from the roof of the larger store and alight upon the ground hard by him.
Just outside of a fine large wigwam of smoke-tanned buffalo-skins stood Tawasuota, very early upon an August morning of the year 1862. Behind the wigwam there might have been seen a thrifty patch of growing maize, whose tall, graceful stalks resembled as many warriors in dancing-dresses and tasseled head-gear. "Thanks be to the 'Great Mystery, I have been successful in the fortunes of war!
"Atay! atay!" Tawasuota took each boy in his arms, and held him close for a few moments; he smiled to them, but large tears rolled down his cheeks. Then he disappeared in the shadows, and they never saw him again.
"Come in, come in; let us eat together once more; for I have a foreboding that it is for the last time. Alas, what have you done?" Tawasuota silently entered the tent of his widowed mother, and his three sisters gave him the place of honor. "Mother, it is not right to blame our brother," said the eldest.
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