Year: 1874




ARVDE ALARM TO THE QUIET VILLAGE.


All was quiet and peaceful in the little village.
The squaws were sitting in their teepees the
papooses PLAYING around the door; the bucks had
gone up in the woods to hunt They were all alone
in this beautiful valley with their wives and chill
dren No harm could come to them for the white
man was far away and the hostile Ree.
Neither of them ever came to this lovely hunting
ground So the village rested in fancied security.
Imagine the surprise and fright of the unsuspecting
women and children when man, half Indian ana
half white mounted on an Indian pony with
white tlsg in his hand came riding into the village
and close behind him. almost reaching the village
before he had time to assure them OF his 1rlehdiy
mission, band Of 25 Rec Indians dreSSeu III war
garb and looking murderously cruel. Inc chliuieh
were struck with CONSERVATION ana neu 10 Tue
bushes The squaws almost dumb with fright
ryard,s word, did little TO reassure them. Slow
Rail one of their warriors near by and bravery
came forward. But what was he against so many
Egard pointed up the valley: Here comes the
White Chief himself" he said in Sioux. the one III
the blue shirt galloplng at the head OF the gray
horses he will protect YOU"


Fearful that the Rees might not be able TO con-
trol themselves. we coming down the valley at
,yhot "a cayalrvman calls rattlnC pace" Our gait
and appearance were not calculated to allay alarm
And not until We had reached the village, and Gen
Custer. first of his horse had said " How ana TOOK
tie hand of Slow Bull, did the sQuaws breathe
fr,er. soon the children began to peep out OF the
bushes and then timldly TO come forward ana looH
q; the new comers. Slow Bull was hospitable, and
after little talk on the outside of the teepee, in
which the pipe of peace was lighted and smoked, he
invited us inside Meanwhile some of the older
children were sent to call One Stab, the chief of the
band and three other bucks who were IN the woods
hunting near neighboring deer-lick.


MRS SLOW BULL AND HER HOUSEKEEPING.


From Slow Bull we learned that the party were
mostly Uukpapas. from the Red Cloud Agency,
which "a the Indians reckon, could be reached IN
about ten days by their lodges, or man could go
there or a pony in two days from which we calcu-
lated that il was co or 50 miles away. He and his
flmily had never been in this part of the Black
Hills before He could not tell us the name of the
stream we were on and didnOt think IT had any name
They did not know that were In the Hills. and
had not even heard that we were coming. He did
not think there were many Indians in the noun
tains. They had sent runners to the Red Cloud
Agency a few days before to learn the news, but
they had not returned yet.


Then we went into the teepee while Slow Bull
went ont to watch tor the other Indians Slow
Bills squaw we found was daughter of Bed Cloud
A not uucomely squaw she was, with broad full
face and straight nose, little hooked at the end
long black hair braided into pair of tails" dark
bright eyes, and fine set of teeth which just then
were cOmpOsedly chewing the gum of the pine tree
Nrs Red-Cloud Slow Bull had with her neighbor
squaws been very much frightened at first but she
had now recovered and was so glad that her hus-
band and little ones were not going to be killed that
she became very agreeable, and entertained us in
the most lively Her teepee was the cleanest
and upafpSf of the five. fact of the few
Indian teepces that invite entrance The
family effects, such as were not needed
for immediate use packed mp in clean
skins tied with thongs and disposed around the tent.
Other skins were spread on the ground TO lie upon
In one corner a long dress or gown of buckskin.
completely covered with beads. the evidence of great
Industry well as vanity. Mrs. Il. G. Slow Bull
had given a pony for it. Therefore it was worth
some 80 or so. Mrs. Slow Bull is evidently a
fashionable woman, though very domestic
She had an eve for the kitchen as well the paror
for of the first things she told the General after
the ice was broken was that she had not bit of
coffee and sugar in the house and that her little
children had been crying for some for days. The
General promised that this deficiency should be
remedied. Then she chatted the more freely, Egard
acting as Interpreter. i amused myself by taking
o Photographic report of the conversation, being
tie first Photographic report ever made IN the
Black Hills and am sure on looking it over that.
in point of intelligence and interest it is painfully
superior TO the senseless twaddle which so often
distinguishes social entertainment in civilized cir
Cles. Mrs. Slow Bull then sent for some water We
al! took a drink. Then the inevitable little dog
came in and sat down in the middle of the people
and went to sleep as though nothing had happened.
Mrs. Slow Bull then took up one of her children and
began to study its craniolOgy with more minuteness
q ln siderpd nolite GOOD society
the presence of company but no doubt the examna-
tiOn necessary.


rRIENDLY TALK BETWEEN GENERAL AND CHIEF.


Que Stab the chief, an old man with dllaptated
telt hat which would have branded him as pauper
anywhere. breech -cOut and colored cotton agency
shirt came in, and we smoked the pipe of peace
again. He told us all he knew about the country.
the course of the streams the bend of the hills and
gave us some suggestions about a road, He told us
flat there were twelve men and women and fifteen
children in his village they were going to move
the next day.


Tell him said the General to the interpreter,
"tbat we have come down on a friendly visit to
look at this country and that when we get through,
which will be in few days, are going back
home We do not want TO make war on anybody,
and we do not want anybody TO make war on US.
Ask him if they do not want to along with us for
a few days Tell him that making short
marches not longer than they make with Their
lodges aud if they will go with us until we get out
of the Black Hills will give rations every day to
all of the party If they cannot all 60, perhaps some
OF the men can 60"


One Stab replied: "We have only five Indians
here but if you want me TO send one OF my young
men to-day can do it. l can show you the way
clear up this creek here and then You can go your-
haxra anu lp "