uooney] AFTER SITTING BILLS BAND 8(j3 



for the purpose was Mr Angell, the single white man who had remained, 

 and who had learned some of the Sioux language dining his residence 

 among them. While thus waiting, a report came that the Indians had 

 raided a ranch about 1<> miles up the creek. Not hearing from his 

 scouts, the lieutenant determined to go alone and find the camp, and 

 was just about to start, when Hump, the late dangerous hostile, but now 

 an enlisted scout, rode in with the uews that the Sitting Bull Indians 

 were approaching only a short distance away, and armed. Although 

 from the reports there was every reason to believe that they had just 

 destroyed a ranch and were now coming to attack the town, the officer, 

 with rare bravery, kept his determination to go out and meet them, 

 even without an interpreter, in the hope of preventing their hostile pur- 

 pose. Hump volunteered to go with him. The two rode out together 

 and soon came up with the Indians, who received them in a friendly man- 

 ner. There were 40 warriors in the party, besides women and children, 

 wagons and ponies. Says the officer : " I appreciated the importance of 

 the situation, but was absolutely powerless to communicate with the 

 Indians. I immediately formed the opinion that they could be easily 

 persuaded to come into the agency if I could but talk with them. 

 While I was trying by signs to make them understand what I wanted, 

 Henry Angell rode into the circle and took his place at my side. This 

 generous man had not liked the idea of my going among these Indians, 

 and from a true spirit of chivalry had ridden over to 'see it out.'" 

 Verily, while such men as Ewers, Hale, and Angell live, the day of 

 chivalry is not gone by. 



With Angell's assistance as interpreter, the officer told the Indians 

 that if they would stay where they were for one day. he would go back 

 to the agency and return within that time with the chief (Captain 

 J. H. Hurst) and au interpreter and no soldiers. They replied that 

 they would not move, and, having directed Angell to kill a beef for 

 them, as they were worn-out and well-nigh starving, and leaving Hump 

 with them to reassure them, the lieutenant rode back to Fort Bennett, 

 40 miles away, notified Captain Hurst, and returned with him, Sergeant 

 Gallagher, and two Indian scouts as interpreters, the next day. Know- 

 ing the importance of haste, they started out on this winter ride of 4(1 

 miles without blankets or rations. 



On arriving Captain Hurst told them briefly what he had come for, 

 and then, being exhausted from the rapid ride, and knowing that an 

 Indian must not be hurried, he ordered some beef and a plentiful sup- 

 ply of tobacco for them, and said that after he and they had eaten and 

 rested they could talk the matter over. In the evening the principal 

 men met him and told him over a pipe that they had left Standing 

 Eock agency forever; that their great chief and friend Sitting Bull 

 had been killed there without cause: that they had come down to talk 

 with their friends on Cherry creek about it, but had found them gone, 

 14 eth — pt 2 15 



