IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) ^ >. 1.0 ^ttil^ ■tt IM 12.2 u 1.1 S lit 12.0 Photogrdphic Sdenoes Corporalion ^ rO- \ <^ 23 WIST MAIN STMIT WI*STIR,N.Y. I4SM (716) •72-4503 CIHM/ICMH Microfiche Series. CIHM/ICMH Collection de microfiches. Canadian Institute for Historical Microraproductions / Institut Canadian da microraproductions hiatoriqi Tachnicai and Bibliographic Notaa/Notas tachniquaa at bibilographiqu« Tha Inatituta haa anamptad to obtain tha baat original copy avallaMa for filming. 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Tous las autras axamplairas originaux sont filmAs m% commandant par la pramiAra paga qui comporta una amprainta d'imprassion ou d'illustration at mn tarminant par la darniAra paga qui comporta una talla amprainta. Un das symbolas suivants apparattra sur la darniAra Imaga da chaqua microficha. salon la cas: la symbols -^ signifia "A 8UIVRE". la symbols V signifia "FIN". Las cartan. planchas. tablaaux, ate. pauvant Atra filmAs A das taux da rAduction diff Arants. Lorsqua la document ast trop grand pour Atra raproduit an un saul clichA, il ast filmA A partir da I'angia supAriaur gaucha. da gaucha A droita. at da haut mn bas. an pranant la nombro d'imagas nAcsssaira. Las diagrammas suivants illustrant la mAthoda. 1 2 3 4 5 6 / rrSTEirS LAST BATTLE. BY CAPTAIN niARLKS KINO. ^^8.A. IT is bard to say how many years apro tlie Dakotas of tlie upjier Mississippi, after a reutury of warrinp with ll>e Chip- pewa nation, hejfan to swarm across tlio Missouri in search of the hiiffalo, and there became enibroiletl witli other tril)es claiininp: the country farthi»r west. Da- kota was the proper tribal name, but as they crossed this Nortliwestern Rul)icon i^to the ti^rritory of "unknown foemen they bore witli them a title piven tliem ns far east as the banks and blutfs of the Father of Waters. The Chippewas had called tliem for years "tJie Sioux "' (Soot, and by that stran^re un-Indian-soundinp title is known to this day the most nu- merous and powerful nation of red |>eo- ple — warriors, women, and cliildren — to be found on our continent. They were in stronp force when they launclied out on their career of conquest west of tlie Missouri. The Yellowstone and its l)eautiful and romantic tributaries all l)elonjred to the Altsnrakas. or Crows; the rollinpf prairies of Nebntska wei-e the homes of the Pawn<'es: the pine -crested lieiphts of the Black Hills were claimed as the head - quarters of the Cheyennes and Arrapahoes; tlie western slopes of the Bijr Horn range and the broad val- leys between them and the Rockies wei-e owned by the Shoshones. or Snakes; while roviiiff bands of Crees swarmed down alon^ the north shore of the Mis.souri it- self. "Witli each and all of these, with the Chipjiewas }>ehind them, and eventually with the white invaders, the Dakotas waged relentless war. They drove the Pawnees across the Platte far into Kan- sas ; they whipi)ed the Cheyennes and Arrapahoes out of the Black Hills, and down to the head watei-s of the Kaw and the Arkansas; they fought the Shoshones b.'ick into the Wind River Valley, with orders never again to cross the "dead line" of the Big Horn River: and they sent the Crows "whirling" up the valley of the Yell«»wstoiie (which they pi-oceetled to call the Elk); and when our great war broke out in 18f»l they lent valuable aid and comfort to the rel)ellion by swooping down on o»ir settlements 'n Minnesota without the faintest warning, and slaugli- tering hundreds of defenceless women anest — the north- eastern slope and foot-hills from the Big Horn to the Yellowstone; and far up in this unsettled region, surrounded bj- sav- ages, little wooden stockaded forts had been placed and garrisoned by pitifully small detachments of cavalry and in- fantry. From Fort Laramie down on the Platt^e far up to the rich and populous Gallatin Valley of Montana only those little forts, Reno, Phil Kearny, and C. F. Smith, guarded the way. One day vast hordes of Sioux gathered in the ravines and cafions around Phil Kearny. Mach- w I ■^th Ij I I CUSTER'S LAST BATTLE. ^ 379 pcalota (Red Cloud) was tlioir loader. They sent a small party to attack the wood-choppers from the fort, wlio were workiiijf with their little escort. Two conipaiiies of infantry and onservations the De- partment of the Interior strove to gather all the Sioux nation, in the vague hope of keeping them out of mischief. But the young Iiulian takes to mi.schief of that description as the young duck to the water. The traditions of his people tell of no case where respect was accord- ed to him who had not killed his man. Only in deeds of blood or battle could he hope to win distinction, and the vacilla- ting policy of the government enabled him to sally forth at any time and return at will to the reservations, exhibiting to the admiring eyes of friends and relations tiie dripping scalps of his white victim.s. The fact that the victims were shot from ain- bush, or that the scalps were solely those of helpless women and child, en, detracted in no wise from the value of the trophies. The perpetrator had won his spurs accord- ing to the aboriginal code, and was a " brave " henceforth. Eub there were those who never Avould come in, and never signed a treaty. Here- in they are entitled to far more respect than tiiose who came, saw, and conquered — by fraud; and one of those who per- sistently refused, and whose standard was a rallying- point for the disaffected and treacherous of every tribe, was a shrewd "medicine chief" of the Uncapapas, a seer, projjhet, statesman, but in no .sense a war chief, the now celeb'-ated Tatonka- e-Yotanka — Sitting Bull. Far out in the lovely fertile valleys of the Rosebud, the Tongue, the Little Big Horn, and the Powder rivers, Sitting Bull &\)d his devoted followers spent their di ys. Sheltered from storm and tempest bj' the high bluffs through long, hard winters, living in the midst of untold thousandsof buffalo, elk, mountain sheep, antelope, and deer, rejoicing in the grand- est scenery on the continent, and in a cli- mate that despite it? rigor during the midwinter montlis i* unparalleled for life-giving qualities, it is no wonder they loved and clung to it— their "Indian story land" — as they did to no other. But here flocked all the renegades from other tribes. Here canie the wild and untamable Ogalalla, Brule, Minnecon- jou. Sans Are, Uncapapa, Blackfoot; here were all warriors welcomed; and from here time and again set forth the expedi- tions that spread terror to settler and em- 3fi.'i37 vh4 380 HARPER'S NEW MONTHLY MAGAZINE. ijfraiit, and checked the survey of the Nortlierii Pacililand prairie stretches to the horizon. West- ward, the eye roums over what seems to be a broad flat valley beyond the stream ; but the stream itself— the fatal "Greasy Grass," as the Sioux called it — is hidden from sight under the steep bluffs that hem it in. Coming from the mountains, it swings into sight far to the left front, conies rippling toward us in its fringe of cottonwoods and willows, and suddenly disappears under or behind the huge roll- ing wave of bluff that stretches right and left across the path. For nearly six miles of its tortuous course it cannot be seen from the point where Custer drew rein to get his first view of the village. Neither cait its fringing willows be seen, and — • fatal and momentous fact — neither could hundreds of the populous "lodges" that clustered along its western bank. Eager- ly scanning the distant "tepees" that lay beyond the northern point where the bluff dipped to the stream, and swinging his broad-brimmed hat about his head in an ecstasy of soldierly anticipation, he shouted: "Custer's luck! The biggest Ind- ian vi'lage on the continent!'' And he could not have seen one-third of it. But what he saw was enough to fire the blood of any soldier. Far to the northwest and west huge clouds of dust rose billowing from the broad valley. Far across the hidden stream could be seen the swarming herds of ponies in excited movement. Here, there, and everywhere CUSTER'S LAST BATTLE. 383 tiny (lots of horsomen sciirrj'injf away could Ih3 readily distiiiguisiied, and down to tlie rifflit front, down alon^f wliut could be »ecn of the villaf^e around that shoul- der of hlutf, all was lively turmoil and confusion; lodges were beinjf hurriedly taken down, and tlieir occupants were flee- ing from the wrath to come. Wo know now that the warriors whom he sjtw dash- ing westward were mainly the young men hurrying out to "round up" the pony herds; we know now that behind those sheltering bluffs were still thousands of fler'ie warriors eager and ready to meet "Long Hair"; we know that the signs of panic and retreat were due mainly to the rush to get the women and little cliildren out of the way; ponies and dogs, hastily hitched to the dust- raising travoia, dragged the wondering pappooses and frightened squaws far out over the west- ward slopes; but seeing the scurry and panic, Custer seems to have attached only one meaning to it. Tiiey were all in full retreat. The whole community would be on the run before he could strike them. Quickly he determined on his course. Reno should push straight ahead, get down into the valley, ford the stream, and at- tack the southern end of the village, while he witii his pet companies should turn into the long winding ravine that ran northwestward to the stream, and pitch in witli wild cha:'ge from the east. To Reno these orders were promptly given. A courier was sent to Ben teen, far off to the left, notifying him of the "find"; and another galloped to Macdougall with or- ders to hurry up with the pack trains where the extra ammunition was carried. Custer knew it would be needed. Thon the daring commander placed himself at the head of his own column, plu..ged down the slope, and, followed by liis eager men, was soon out of sight, per- haps out of hearing of what might be tak- ing place over in the valley behind the bluffs that rose on his left higher with every furlong trotted. The last that Reno and his people ever saw of them alive w^s the tail of the column disappearing in a cloud of dust; then the cloud alone was to be seen, hanging over their trail like a pall. Pushing forward, Reno came quickly to a shallow "cooley" (frontierism for gully) that led down through the bluff to the stream. A brisk trot brought him to the ford ; his troopers plunged blithely Vol. LXXXr.— No. 483—37 through, and began to clamber the low bank on the westi'rn shore. lie exiM'cted from t)ie tenor of his orders to (ind an open, unobstructed valley, down which, five miles away at least, he could see the lodges of the Indian village. It was with surprise, not unmixed with grave con- cern, therefore, that, as he urged his horse through the willows and up to the level of the low "bench" beyond, he suddenly rode into full view of an immen,so town- ship, whose southern outskirts Avere not two miles away. Far as he could see, the dust cloud rose above the excited villages; heitls of war ponies were being driven in from the west on a mad run; old men, squaws, children, draught ponies, and travoia were scurrying off toward the Big Horn, and Reno realized that he was in front of the assembled warriors of the whole Sioux nation. What Custer expected of Reno was, is generally believed, a bold, dashing charge into the heart of the village— just such a charge as he, Custer, had successfully led at the Washita, though it cost the life of Captain Hamilton, and eventually of many others. But Reno had no dash to speak of, and the sight that bui'st upon his eyes eliminated any that might be latent. He attacked, but the attack was nevertheless spiritless and abortive. Dis- mounting his men, he advanced them as skirmishers across the mile or more of prairie, firing as soon as he got within range of the village. No resistance of any consequence was made as he pushed northward, for the sudden appearance of his command was a total surprise to the Uncapapas and Blackfeet, whose villages were farthest south. Their scouts had signalled Custer's column trotting down the ravine, and those who had not I'ushed for .safety to the rear were apparently rushing toward the Brule village in the centre as the point which Custer would be apt first to strike. Reno could have darted into the south end of the village, it is believed, before his approach could have been fairly realized. As it was, slowly and on foot, he traversed the prai- rie without losing a man, and was upon the lodges when a few shots were fired from the willows along the stream, and some mounted Indians could be seen swooping around his left fiank. He had had no experience in Indian fighting, lie simply seemed to feel that with his little command of two hundred men he could 884 HARPER'S NEW MONTHLY MAOAZINK. not drive the whoh^ valley full of war- riorH, and in ntucli ])ortiirl)ution and wor ry lie Hounded tlie lialt. rjilly, and mount Then for a few monnMits, that to hiH olli- cers and men must Iiave seemed liours, hi' paused irresohite, not knowing- wliat to (to. The Indians settled it for liim. Tliey well interpreted liis hesitation. " TIk; White Chief was scared"; and now was their chance. Man and hoy they came tearinpr to the spot. A few well-aimed shots knocked a luckless trooper or two out of the saddle. Reno hurriedly ordered a movetnent hy the flank toward the high hluffs acro,ss the stream to his rig-ht rear, lie never thought to distnount a few cool hands to face about and keep off the ene- my. He placed himself at the new head of column, and led the backward move. Out came the Indians, with shots and trium- phant yells, in j)ursuit. The rear of the column began to crowd on the head ; Reno struck a trot; the rear struck the gallop. The Indians came dashing up on both flanks and close to the rear; and then — then the helpless, horribly led troopers had no alternative. Discipline and order wei*e all forgotten. In one mad rush they tore away for the stream, plunged in, sputtered through, and clambered breath- lessly up the steep blutf on the eastern shore— an ignominious, inexcusable panic, due mainly to the nerveless conduct of the major commanding. In vain had Donald Mcintosh and "Benny " Hodgson, two of the bravest and best-loved olficers in the regiment, striven to rally, face about, and fight with the rear of column. The Indians were not in overpowering numbers at the mo- ment, and a bold front would have "stood off" double their force; but with the ma- jor on the run, and foremost in the run, the lieutenants could do nothing— but lose their own gallant lives. Mcintosh was surrounded, dragged from his horse and butchered close to the brink. Hodg- son, shot out of saddle, was rescued by a faithful comrade, who plunged into the stream with him; but close to the far- ther shore the Indians picked him off . a bullet tore through his body, and the gal- lant little fellow, the pet and pride of the whole regiment, rolled dead into the mud- dy waters. Once well up the bluffg, Reno's breath- less followers faced about and took in the situation. The Indians puraued no fur- ther, and even now were rapidly with- drawing from range. The major fired liis pistol at the distant foe in paroxysmal defiance of the fellows who had stam- ])eded him. He was now up some two hundred feet above them, and it was safe —as it was harmless. Two of his best (»f- floej-s lay dead down there on the banks Iwlow ; so, too. lay a dozen of his men. The Indians, men and even boys, luid swarmed all around his people, and slaughtered them as they ran. Many more w^ere wounded, but, for the present at least, all seemed safe. The Indians, except a few, had mysteriously withdrawn from their front. What could that mean i And then, what could have l)ecome of Cus- ter { Where, too, were Ben teen and Mac- dougall with their commands ? Over toward the villages, which they could now see stretching for five miles down the stream, all was shrill uproar and confusion; but northward the bluffs rose still higher to a point nearly op|)o- site the middle of the villages — a jioint some two miles from them— and beyond that they could see nothing. Thither, however, had Custer gone, and suddenly, crasiiing through the sultry morning air, came the sound of flei'ce and rapid mus- ketry — whole volleys — then one continu- ous rattle and roar. Ijouder, fiercer, it grew for full ten minutes. Some thought they could hear the ringing cheers of their comrades, and were ready to cheer in reply; some thought they heard the thrilling charge of the trumj)ets; many were eager to mount and rush to join their colonel, and with him to avenge Hodgson and Mcintosh, and retrieve the dark for- tunes of their own battalion. But, almost as suddenly as it began, the heavy volley- ing died away; the continuous rattle broke into scattering skirmish fire, then into sputtering shots, then only once in a while some distant rifle would crack fee- hl}' on the bi-eeze, and Reno's men looked wonderingly in each other's faces. There stood the villages plain enough, and the firing had beguji close under tlie bluft's, close to the stream, and had died away far to the north. What could it mean ? Soon, with eager delight, the little com- mand.s of Benteen and Macdougall wei*e hailed coming up the slojws from the east. "Have you seen anything of Custer?" was the first anxious inquiry. Benteen and Weir had galloped to a point of bluff a mile or more to the north, CUSTER'S LAST BATTLE. 385 Imd scpn swarmn of Indiann in tlio vaUey b«low, Init not a sign of Ciistor's people. Tliey ronld oxjiect no aid from Cnt*ter, tlien, and there was only one thing left— intrenrli themselves, and hold out as l>est they could till Terry and Gibbon should arrive. Reno had now seven " troops " and the pack train, abundant ammunition and supplies. The chances were in his favor. Now wliat had become of Custer? For liim and his there was none left to tell the story except the Crow scout "Curley," who managed to slip away in a Sioux blanket during the thick of the fight, and our sources of information are solely Ind- ian. The very next year a battalion of the Fifth Cavalry passed tlie battle-ground with a number of Sioux scouts wlio but a twelvemonth previous were lighting there the Seventh Cavalry. Half a dozen of them told their stories at different times and in different places, and as to the gen- eral features of the battle, they tallied with singular exactness. These fbllows wei*e mainly Brules and Ogalalla.'t. After- ward we got the stories of the Uncapapas — most interesting of all — and from all tliese sources it was not hard to truce Custer's every move. One could aln)ost portray his every emotion. Never realizing, as I believe, the fear- ful odds against him, believing that he would find tlie village "on the run," and that between himiself and Reno he could "double them up" in short order, Custer had jauntily trotted down to his death. It was a long five-mile ride froin where he sighted the northern end of the village to where he struck its centre around that bold point of bluff, and from the start to the moment his guidons whirled into view, and his troopers came galloping "front into line" down near the ford, he never fairly saw the great village— never dream- ed of its depth and extent. Rounding the bluff, he suddenly found hiniself face to face with thousands of the boldest and most skilful warriors of the prairies. He had hoped to chai'ge at once into the heart of the village, to hear tlie cheers of Reno's men from the south. Instead he i "greet- ed with a perfect fury of flame and hissing lead from the dense thicket of willow and Cottonwood, a fire that had to be answer- ed at once. Quickly he dismounted his men and threw them forward on the run, each fourth man holding, cavalry fashion, the horses of the other three. The line seems to have swept in parallel very near- ly with the general course of the stream, but to no pur|M The foe was ten to one in their fn. i.. Boys and squaws were shooting from the willows ("Oh, we had plenty guns!" said our story-tellers); and worse than that, hundreds of young warriors had mounted their ponies and swarmed across the stream below him, hundreds more were following and cir- cling all about him. And then it was that Custer, the hero of a hundred daring charges, seems to have realized that he must cut his way out. "Mount!'' rang the trumpets, and leaving many a poor fellow on the ground, the troopers ran for their horaes. Instantly from lodge and willow Ogalallas and Brult^s sprang to horse and rushed to the ford in mad pursuit. "Make for the heights!" must liave been the order, for the fii-st rush was eastward; then more to the left, as they found their progress barred. Then, as they reached higher ground, all they could see, far as they could see, ciraling, swooping, yelling like demons, and all the time keeping up their furious fire, were thousands of the mounted Sioux. Hemmed in, cut off, dropping fast from their saddles, Custer's men saw ihat re- treat was impossible. They sprang to the ground, "turned their horses loose," said the Indians, and by that time half their number had fallen. A skirmish line was thrown out down the slope, and there they dropped at five yards' in- terval; there their comrades found them two days after. Every instant the foe rode closer and gained in numbers; ev- ery instant some poor fellow bit the dust. At last, on a mound that stands at the northern end of a little ridge, Cus- ter, with Cook, Yates, and gallant "Bro- ther Tom," and some dozen soldiers, all that were left by this time, gathered in the last rally. They sold their lives dearly, brave fellows that they were; but they were as a dozen to the leaves of the forest at the end of twenty minutes, and in less than twenty-five — all was over. Keogh, Calhoun, Crittenden, had died along the skirmish lines; Smith, Porter, and Reily were found with their men ; so were the surgeons, Lord and De Wolf; so, too, were "Boston" Custer and the Herald correspondent; but two bodies were never recognized among the slain — those of Lieutenants Harrington and "Jack" Sturgis. Down a little "cooley" BRA HAUl'KUa NKW MONTHLY MAGAZINK. RoniP thirty met) hiul niadn i> imirIi for tlioirlivoH; tlioHionx had simply tiifoiiffed tho hiiiild to l)rniik tliroiiKh their ciivlo, th» only white man who did, iinapa, who liung- to tlie chase. At last, when even this one was ready to draw rein and let him g'o, the hunted cavalryman glanced over Ins shoulder, fancied him- self nearly overtaken, and placing the niu//,le of his rovolvcsrat his ear, pu'leil the trigger, and sent his own hullet through his brain. His skeleton was pointed out to the offlcers of the Fifth Cavalry the following year by one of the pursuers, and so it was discovered for the first time. Was it Harrington ? Was it Sturgis ? Poor "Jack's" watch was restored to his father some two years after the battle, having l>een traded otF by Sioux wIjo es- caped to the British possessions; but no mention was made by these Indians of a watcli thus taken. Thi-ee years ago there came a story o\ a new skeleton found still further from the scene. Shreds of uni- form and the heavy gilding of the cav- alry buttons lying near, as well as the expensive filling of several teeth, seem to indicate that this too may have been an oflicer. If so, all the missing are now accounted for. Of the twelve troops of the Seventh Cavalry, Custer led five that hot Sunday into the battle of the Little Big Horn, and of his portion of the regi- ment only one living thing escaped the vengeance of the Sioux. Bleeding from many wounds, weak and exhausted, with piteous appeal in his eyes, there came straggling into the lines some days after the fight Myles Keogh's splendid sorrel horse Comanche. Who can ever picture his welcome as the soldiers thronged around the gallant charger ? To this day they guard and cherish him in the Seventh. No more duty does Comanche perform ; no rider ever mounts him. His last great service was rendered that Sun- day in '76, and now, sole living relic of Custer's last rally, he spends his days with the old regiment. But I have said that Sitting Bull was not the inspiration of the great victory won by the Sioux. With Cu.ster's peo- |)le slauglitered, the Indians left their ixHlies to the plundering hands of the squaws, and once more crowded upon Ueno's front. There were two nights of wild triumph and rejoicing in the vil- lages, though not one instant was the watch on Heno relaxed. All day of the 2(Uh they kept him penned in the ritle l)its, but early on the 27th, with great commotion, the lodges were suddenly taken down, and trilw^ after tril)e, \ illage after village, six thousand Indians p:issed befor«! his eyes, making off toward the mountains. Terry and GiblK)n had come; Reno's relic of the Seventh was saved. Together they explored the field, and hastily buried the mutilated dead; then hurried back to the Yellowstone while the Sioux were hiding in the fastnesses of the Big Horn. Of the rest of the sum- mer's campaign no extended mention is needed here. The Indians were shrewd enoi' I to know that now at least the commands of Crook and Terry would be heavily re-dnforced, and then the hunt would be relentless. Soon as their scouts I'eported the assembly of new and strong bodies of troops upon the Yellowstone and Platte, the great confederation quiet- ly dissolved. Sitting Bull, with many chosen followers, made for the Yellow- stone, and was driven northward by Gen- eral Miles. Others took refuge across the Little Missouri, whither Crook i)ursued, and by dint of hard marching and fight- ing that fall and winter many bands and many famous chiefs were whipped into surrender. Among these, bravest, most brilliant, most victorious of all, was the liero of the Powder River fight on Pat- rick's Day, the warrior Crazy Horse. The fame of his exploit had reached the Indian camps along the Rosebud before this young chief, with his followers, Oga- lalla and Brule, came to swell the ranks of Sitting Bull. Again, on the 17th of June, he had been foremost in the stir- ring fight Avith Crook, and when the en- tire band moved over into the valley of the Little Big Horn, and the Brul6s, Oga- lallas, and Sans Arcs pitched their tepees in the chosen ground, the very centre of the camp, it is safe to say that among the hest and experienced fighters, the ti'ibes from the White River and their neigh- bors the Cheyennes, no chief was so hon- ored and believed in as Crazy H r; 3. In pitching the new camp, »lio Black- feet were farthest south— up streju.i ; next CUSTKR'S LAST BATTLE. came tho UncupapaH, witli thoir r»Mi(iwnwl niedicine-niHii, Sitting Itiill ; tlicn lh«> (>);u- lalliiH, Hi'ulcH, and C'li(\y(>iiii<>H, t!(>v(M'iiiK liio whole " bottom " opposilt* tli«^ slioul- der of hlutr around wliurh Custer liov<» in sijflit; fartlipst north worn tho Minnocon- joux; and the g'rcat vilhififn contained at least 8ix thousand alMiri^inal houIm. Now up to this time Hitting' l^ill )iad no real chiims as a war chief. Kloven days before the Hjfht there was a "sun dance." His own peopU; liave since tohl us these particulars, and tlie best story- teller among tliem was that bright- faced squaw of Tatonka-he-gle-ska — Spotted Horn Bull — who accompanied the party on their Eastern trip. She is own cou- sin to Sitting Bull, and knows whereof she speaks. The chief had a trance and a vision. Solemnly he ansuit •! Iiis peo- ple that within a few days they \' ild be attacked by a vast force cf whl*."! holdiers, but that the Sioux should iriumpli over them; and when tlie Cro s and Crook's command appeared on the 17th, it was a partial redemption of his pronii.se. Wary scouts saw Reno's column turn- ing back down the Rosebud after discov- ering the trail, and nothing, they judged, would come from that quarter. All around Ci'ook's camp on Goose Creek the indications were that the "Gray Fox" was simply waiting for mo:e soldiers be- fore he would again venture forth. Sit- ting Bull had no thought of new attack for days to come, when, early on the morning of the 25th, two Cheyenne Ind- ians who had started eastward at dawn came dashing back to the bluffs, and wav- ing their blankets, signalled, "White soldiers — heaps — coming quick." Instant- ly all was uproar and confusion. Of course women and children had to be hurried away, the great herds of ponies gathered in, and the warriors assembled to meet the coming foe. Even as the chiefs were hastening to the council lodge there came the cx'ash of rapid vol- leys from the south. It was Reno's at- tack — an attack from a new and utterly unexpected quarter — and this, with the news that Long Hair was thundering down the ravine across the stream, was too much for Sitting Bull. Hurriedly gathering his household about him, he lashed his pony to the top of his speed, and fled westward for safety. Hiles he galloped before he dare stop for breath. Behind him he could hear the roar of bat- flu, and on hn would liavosped but for tho sudden discovery that one of his twin children was misNing. Turning, he was surpri.sed to find the firing dying away, soon ceasing altogether. In half an hour moi'e he numaged to get back to camp, where the missing child was found, but tho battle had been won without him. Without him the Bhickfect and Uncujui- ])as had repelled l{un(»and penned him on the bluffs. Without him the Ogalallas, Brul(?s, and Cheyennes had turned back Custer's daring assault, then ruslnul forth and completed the death-grip|)ing cir(!le in which he was held. Again had Cra/.y Horse been foremost in the fray, riding in and braining the bewildered soldiers with his heavy war club. Fully had his vision been realized, but — Sitting Bull was not there. For a long time it was claimed for hini by certain sycophantic followers that from the council lodge he directed the battle ; but it would not do. When the old sinner was finally starved out of her Ma- jesty's territory, and came in to accept the terms accorded him, even his own people could not keep straight faces wiien ques- tioned as to the cause of the odd names given those twins — "The-One-tluit- wa.s- taken " and " The ■ One - that - was ■ left:' Finally it all leaked out, and now "none so poor to do him reverence." Of course it was his role to assume all the airs of a conqueror, to be insolent and defiant to the " High Joint Commission," sent the following winter to beg him to come home and be good ; but the claims of Tatonka-e-Yotanka to the leadership in the greatest victory his people ever won are mere vaporings, to be classed with the boastings of dozens of chiefs who were scattered over the Northern reservations during the next few years. Rain-in-the-Face used to brag by the hour that he had killed Custer with his own hand, but the other Indians laughed at him. Gall, of the Uncapapas, Spotted Ea- gle, Kill Eagle, Lame Deer, Lone Wolf, and all the varieties of Bears and Bulls were probably leading spirits in the bat- tle, but the man who more than all others seems to have won the admiration of his fellows for skill and daring throughout that stirring campaign, and especially on that bloody day, is he who so soon after met his death in desperate effort to escape from Crook's guards, the warrior Crazy- Horse. '