The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1906-12-14

a notion that they had been turned
out of their homes, and, despite the
fact that 1t was an old process with
which they were familiar by expert
ence. they were not any the more re-
eonciled.
Then Appah recalled the saying of
Old Red Cloud, all those years ago.
He gathered a small band of followers
and set out, looking for the beautiful
Big Horn country, where he was to
find the great hunting ground and
could have room to make a new set
thing place for himself and his band.
They were well fixed" as far as out
fit goes. They had plenty of ponies
In good condition, and they had a
good supply of guns and ammunition.
OF the 300 or more in the band that
left the Uintah reservation with Ap-
pah at least half are able-boided men,
and every one Of them has a good
rife. with plenty of cartridges.
They drifted east at first, over into
Colorado and, turning north from their
old stamping ground along the White
river, worked up on to the headwaters
Of the South Fork of the Platte. They
did no damage. harmed nobody, and
nobody paid any attention to them.
They occupied themselves principally
In hunting, and the only laws they
violated were the game laws Of
Wyoming. They did kill deer and
other game, but they neither molested
settlers nor stole horses or cattle.
The settlers, more or less accustomed
to seeing rowing bands of Indians "off
the reservation" did not worry about
them. But in August Captain Hale,
the Indian agent on the Uintah reser-
walton. reported to the Indian Bureau
that considerable band of his peo-
pie had pulled out and were then
working over toward the Pine Ridge
agency in South Dakota. AS a mat
ter of fact, some 30 of them did go
through to Pine Ridge, and left APP
pah, settling down with the Sioux at
Pine Ridge. Appah and the rest Of
his band continued north, and finally
got up to Gillette, in Northwestern
Wyoming.
About this time the settlers began
to think that maybe the Indians were
not going back to their reservation,
and some complaints came in to the
bureau. Special Inspector Frank Nc
Laughlin, one of the best Indian men
In the government service, was sent
out to have a talk with Appah and find
out what was the matter. He found
the Indians in Wyoming and had it all
out with Appah. They were very sore
over their treatment on the Uintah
reservation, refused to go back and
take their allotments and declared
their intention of going on into the
Big Horn country, or possibly of going
farther north and joining the Nor
them Cheyennes and Crows on their
joint reservation in Montana.
The Big Horn country was out of
the question for them for the reason
If for no other-that 1t has been set
aside as national forest reserve and
Is printed in green on the land office
maps. AS the cold weather came on
the settlers became more anxious
about the movements of the band, and
at last Governor Brooks of Wyoming
telegraphed Mr.. Roosevelt, and the
war department began to take notice
Troops were dispatched to head of
the Indians. and the situation wan be-
coming grave when, as a result Of
negotiations. Chief Red Cap and
Black Whiskers agreed to go to Wash
ington and lay their complaints before
the president.