The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1904-04-29
TheReYOltOfTWo-Strike.

YES said Kelly, the post trader,
.refiectively, 81 think that McLaren
was the best Indian agent l have
known-best for the Indian and the
government If we'd had more agents
like him, we should have had fewer
Indian wars.
after the trouble with Two-Strike,
-McLaren had things his own way with
the Sioux here. Ever hear about
that? No? Well, that happened be-
fore the Wounded Knee trouble. and
some years after had secured my
license as agency trader,
"There'd been change in the ad-
-ministration, shift of party power
in Congress, and as result Indian
appropriations were slow, and Nc
Laren had run short of rations for his
Sioux. The Indians here hadn't learn
ed much about farming yet. The
buffalo had all been killed off or driv-
zen away, so that for time they were
ION short rations, half starved in fact.
They had to kill some of their ponies
for subsistence.
Finally Two-Strike and his band,
to the number of about three hun
.dred, moved across the agency near
ITO the ledge of the cattle-range and
began to kill beeves. This of course
made trouble, and soon lot of cow
amen, as hot as hornets, rode in at
the agency to warn Mac that if he
didn't take care of his Indians and
get them home, they would see after
"em themselves.
MAC knew what that meant. II
Two-S Strikes party were attacked, ev-
cry man of his four thousand would
be up in arms. He said what he
could to pacify the angry cow-men,
and promised remuneration for the
damage dozen their herds.
"I'll get my Indians back he said,
tand very soon.'
"He sent courier across the river
with dispatch to the Secretary of
the Interior, asking, not for soldiers,
but for emergency supplies. Then he
came to me. 'Aleck,' he said. I
want you to go with me tomorrow
and bring in Two-Strike.' You may
guess how l liked the prospect of
that job!
Il suppose I really had more in
Auence with the Sioux here at that
time than any other white man; I'd
been with them SO long and spoke
their language readily, but-Iell, l
knew old Two-Strike pretty well, and
my faith in the undertaking wasn't
strong. Yet l agreed to go and do
what / could to help Mac out.
''The cattlemen had hardly got out
of sight, though. when Sioux run
ner came in with the news that Two
Strike had pulled hlg teepee stakes
and cut loose for the Bad Lands.
'Still McLaren didn't waver.
-Aleck,' he said, we must go after
them at once
Thirty minutes later three of the
swiftest ponies on the reservation
were brought in for us. We packed
one with our blanket rolls and five
days rations, mounted the others, and
set out on an errand that seemed
TO me risky and hopeless enough.
at took us all night to cross the
reservation, and about sunrise we
found ourselves at Two-Strike's camp.
which had been abandoned some
twenty-four hours. Here We grazed
our ponies and took three hours of
sleep.
"Two-Strike had made no attempt
to conceal his trail, but was dragging
his 'travvies' at headlong rush for
the Bad Lands. We followed the sec
ond day in ride which covered sew.
enty miles. We were now in the
heart of a big cattle-range. and just
before sunset we found near to their
trail the heads and refuse of eleven
steers. which had been corralled ana
shot down in bunch The Indians
had camped here and cooked meat
within two miles Of the Honeycomb
Ranch.
Mac looked sober enough, and I
ventured to say that we might as well
turn back. for old Two-Strike was
surely burning his bridges behind.
But Mac Wouldn't turn back. and |
went ON with hiia. We slept the
whole of that night. for our ponies
were sadly in need Of rest.
~Ahout noon the next day we came