848 THE GHOST-DANCE RELIGION [eth.abh.14 



suspend the dance until he could come and talk the matter over with 

 the agent, but this promise he failed to keep. Considering Sitting 

 Bull the leader and instigator of the excitement on the reserva- 

 tion, McLaughlin again advised liis removal, and that of several other 

 mischief makers, and their confinement in some military prison at a 

 distance. (G. /'., 25.) 



The two centers of excitement were now at Standing Rock reserva- 

 tion, where Sitting Bull was the open and declared leader, and at Pine 

 Ridge, where Red Cloud was a firm believer in the new doctrine, 

 although perhaps not an instigator of direct opposition to authority. 

 At Rosebud the movement had been smothered for the time by the 

 prompt action of Agent Wright, as already described. At the first 

 named reservation McLaughlin met the emergency with bravery and 

 ability reinforced by twenty years of experience in dealing with Indians, 

 and, while recommending the removal of Sitting Bull, expressed confi- 

 dence in his own ability to allay the excitement and suppress the da nee. 

 At Pine Ridge, however, where the crisis demanded a man of most 

 positive character — somebody of the McGillycuddy stamp — Gallagher 

 had resigned and had been succeeded in October by D. F. Royer, a per- 

 son described as "destitute of any of those qualities by which he could 

 justly lay claim to the position— experience, force of character, cour- 

 age, and sound judgment." (Welsh, 2.) This appears in every letter 

 and telegram sent out by him during his short incumbency, and is 

 sufficiently evidenced in the name by which the Sioux soon came to 

 know him, Lakota Kokipa-Koshkala, " Young-man-afraid-of-Indians." 

 Before he had been in charge a week, lie had so far lost control of his 

 Indians as to allow a half dozen of them to release and carry off a pris- 

 oner named Little, whom the police had arrested and brought to the 

 agency. On October 12 he reported that more than half of his 6,000 

 Indians were dancing, and that they were entirely beyond the control 

 of the police, and suggested that it would be necessary to call out the 

 military. (G. />.. 26.) 



- About the same time Agent Palmer at Cheyenne River reported to 

 the Department that Big Foot's band (afterward engaged at Wounded 

 Knee) was very much excited over the coming of the messiah, and 

 could not be kept by the police from dancing. In reply, both agents 

 were instructed to use every prudent measure to stop the dance and 

 were told that military assistance would be furnished if immediate 

 need should arise. ( /-. />'., /.) Instructions were also sent to agents in 

 Nevada to warn the leaders of the dance in that quarter to desist. A 

 lew days later the agent at Cheyenne River had a talk with the dancers, 

 and so far convinced them of the falsity of their hopes that he was 

 able to report that the excitement was dying out, but recommended 

 the removal of Hump, as a leader of the disaffection. (G. />., 27.) 



By the advice of the I >epartment, Royer had consulted < ieneral Miles, 

 at that time passing on his way to the west, as to the necessity for 



