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

hide at the crossing and kill them all
without much trouble. We did this to
discourage the whites from coming
into our country without our permits
sion. 1t was the duty of our Great
Father at Washington, by the agree
ment of 1868, to keep his white child
rem away.
During the troublesome time after
this treaty, which no one seemed to
respect, either white or Indian (but
the whites broke it first) was like
many other young men-on the war
path, but with little honor l had not
yet become noted for any great deed.
Finally, Wapaypay and l waylaid and
| killed white soldier on his way from
the fort to his home in the east.
There were few Indians who were
liars, and never on the warpath, play
ing good Indian with the Indian ag-
ents and the war chiefs at the forts.
Some of this faithless set betrayed me
and told more than l ever did. l was
seized and taken to the fort near Bis
marck, North Dakota (Fort Abraham
Lincoln,) by brother (Tom Custer)
of the long-haired war chief, and i'm
prisoned there. These same lying In
dians who were selling their services
as scouts to the white man, told me
that was to be shot to death or else
hanged upon tree. l answered that
[ was not afraid to lie.
However, there was an old soldier
who used to bring me my food and
stand guard over me-he was a white
man, it is true, but he had an Indian
heart! He came to me one day and
unfastened the iron chain and ball
with which they had locked my leg
saying by signs and what little Sioux
he could muster:
Go, friend! take the chain and
ball with you. l shall shoot, but the
voice of the gun will lie
when he had made me understand
you may guess that l ran my best! 1
was almost over the bank when he
fired his piece at me several times,
but l had already gained cover and
was safe. l have never told this be-
fore, and would not now lest it should
do him harm, but he was an old man
then, and l am sure he must be deao
long since. That old soldier taught
me that some of the white people have
hearts," he added quite seriously.
Il went back to Standing Rock in
the night and had to hide for several
days in the woods, where food was
brought me by my relatives. The In
dian police were ordered to retake me
and they pretended to hunt for me,
but really they did not, for if they
had found me would have died with
one or two of them, and they knew
it! In few days departed with
several others, and we rejoined the
hostile camp on the Powder River and
made some trouble for the men who
were building the great iron track
north of us Northern Pacific.)
I'm the spring this hostile Sioux got
together again upon the Tongue river.
1t was one of the greatest camps of
the Sioux that l ever saw. There
were some Northern Cheyennes with
us, under Two Moon, and few Santee
Sioux, renegades from Canada, under
Inkpaduta, who had killed white peo-
pie in Iowa long before. We had de-
cided to fight the white soldiers until
no warrior should be left!"
At this point Rain-In-The-Face took
up his tobacco pouch and begain again
to fill his pipe.
OF course the young warriors were
delighted with the prospect of great
fight! Our scouts had discovered piles
of oats for horses and other supplies
near the Missouri river. They had
been brought by the white mans fire
boats. Presently they reported a great
| army about days travel to the south
with Shoshone and Crow scouts.
There was excitement among the
people, and great council was held
and many spoke. was aked the con-
| dition of those Indians who had gone
upon the reservation and l told them
truly that they were nothing more
than prisoners. 1t was decided to go
out and meet Three Stars General
| Cook at a safe distance from our
| camp.
| 1--WE met him on the Little Rosebud.
l believe that if we had waited and
allowed him to make the attack he
| would have Jared no better than Gust
err. He was too strongly fortified
where he was, and l think, too, that
he was saved partly by his Indian al
lies, for the scouts discovered us first
and fought us first, thus giving him
time to make his preparations. l think
he was more wise than brave! After
we had left that neighborhood he
might have pushed on and connected
with the Long-Haired Chief That
would have saved Custer and perhaps
won the day
when we crossed from Tongue riv-
err to the little Big Horn, on account
of the scarcity of game, we did not
anticipate any more trouble. Our run
ners had discovered that Cook had
retraced his trail to Goose Creek,
and We did not suppose that the white
men would care to follow us further
into the rough country.
Suddenly the Long-Haired Chief
appeared with his men. 1t was sur
prise"
What part of the camp were sou
H. u,