The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1905-04-27

to carry out his order to the letter and
summoned the old fellow to the agency
to give him lecture and to try to rea-
son him out of his stubborn stand.
On the day appointed he appeared, not
alone, but with retinue that showed
the faith of his followers. An hour
for his meeting with the agent was set
which was soon communicated to the
officers at the adjacent military post,
thence to the rank and file. So when
the party gathered in the agents office
number of officers were on the inside
and large number of buck-soldiers
outside, for we thought there might
be something doing"
After a lengthy harangue by the
Indian agent, in which he pointed out
the advantages of being treated by
man who had made disease a life study
and who used remedies known to be
beneficial in the right hands, and the
folly of trying to cure disease by pound
ing on drum, Spotted Hawk then
took the floor. He could not speak
any but his own tongue so the services
of an interpreter were required.
"My friends" said he, "many winters
have silvered the hair of our agent
and his docter. They are old men and
have learned much, but 1, too, am an
old man and my years have not been
wasted. You call upon me to give up
the practice of medicine and say that L
have died while under my treatment.
That they died is no reason that l am
not wise nor that my remedies are
worthless, but it was the will of the
Great Spirit. Do you treat your own
doctor thus if he loses patient ?
Then why is he wiser than L? Why
; not dispose of him as you would Of
Ee?" "How! Howl" chorused his fol-
lowers, in approval.
81 am here to defend myself and my
. ways and will show you some of the
power given me by the Great Spirit.
You all know of the stone called The
Standing Rock from which this agency
takes its name You all know that
while it stood upon the top of yonder
hill some of these idle soldiers (here
we all became interested in something
down the road) would start it down
the hill simply to see how far it would
60. That stone is endowed with the
power of the Great Spirit and in the
cover of darkness would 60 back to its
resting place on the brow of the hill
Let me tell you its legend and you too
may believe as we do, for in many
points your people and mine are
brothers. Long before the whites were
known to us that stone was an Indian
. woman, the mother of sons. My peo'
pie we're at war with our enemies the
+ Arickaras, and this woman's sons were
s in war-party then away in the
s Arickara country. On its return the
4 first to greet the victorious warriors
r was this mother. Her loving eyes
g looked in vain for her sons and with
i sorrowful face the chief told her o1
3. their death, brave, strong and skillfu
q though they were, their scalps were
J. now drying in front of an Arickacs
!. lodge. Turning slowly that mothe
q sought her own lodge and for man.
It days sat with bowed head. Friendl,
It voices sympathized and tried to con
Is sole her in vain. She told them tina
j. her grief had turned her heart to ston
n and she prayed the Great Spirit woult
J. be merciful and change also her body
IS Her prayer was answered and sine
% then my people have looked upon tina
" stone with reverent eyes"
le Here he raised his arms, turned to
70 wards the sun and intoned monotc
7e nous song or prayer which tn
IL interpreter informed us was reques
I'd &c the "Standing Rock" to come to hi
1T aid, to show itself in the room in proc
Of of his power. Still no stone appeare
ID and we were getting tired of listenin
O. to his chant. One of our fellow
I'd picked up handful of gravel an
ne threw it into the room at Spotte
as Hawks feet. The noise brought b
a eyes to the floor and excitedly he erie,
cd "See! See! The little ones come tt
to large one will soon follow" "Hov
Id Howp yelled the chorus.
This was too much for the dignity