436 The Wilderness Htmtei\ 



Sword-Bearer, announced himself as the Messiah of the 

 Indian race, during one of the usual epidemics of ghost 

 dancing. Sword-Bearer derived his name from always 

 wearing a medicine sword — that is, a sabre painted red. 

 He claimed to possess magic power, and, thanks to the 

 performance of many dextrous feats of juggling, and the 

 lucky outcome of certain prophecies, he deeply stirred the 

 Indians, arousing the young warriors in particular to the 

 highest pitch of excitement. They became sullen, began 

 to paint, and armed themselves ; and the agent and the 

 settlers nearby grew so apprehensive that the troops 

 were ordered to go to the reservation. A body of cavalry, 

 including Captain Edwards' troop, was accordingly 

 marched thither, and found the Crow warriors, mounted 

 on their war ponies and dressed in their striking battle- 

 garb, waiting on a hill. 



The position of troops at the beginning of such an 

 affair is always peculiarly difficult. The settlers round- 

 about are sure to clamor bitterly against them, no matter 

 what they do, on the ground that they are not thorough 

 enough and are showing favor to the savages, while on 

 the other hand, even if they fight purely in self-defence, a 

 large number of worthy but weak-minded sentimentalists 

 in the East are sure to shriek about their having brutally 

 attacked the Indians. The war authorities always insist 

 that they must not fire the first shot under any circum- 

 stances, and such were the orders at this time. The 

 Crows on the hill-top showed a sullen and threatening 

 front, and the troops advanced slowly towards them and 

 then halted for a parley. Meanwhile a mass of black 



