MooNEY] ACCOUNT OF SET-t'aINTE 207 



by throwing himself from an upper story of the prison, October 11, 1878 

 ( Wluitley letter). 



Set-t'aiiite, whose name among the Kiowa is still one to conjure by, 

 first acquired liis title of "Orator of the Plains" in eoiiiiection with the 

 events which led to the treaty of Medicine Lodge, in 1S67. He was 

 already suf3Bciently distinguished among his own people as a leader on 

 the warpath. In May preceding the treaty he visited Fort Larned, 

 and, confronting General Hancock, he denounced agent Leavenworth 

 and complained of the aggressions of the white men in a fiery speech, 

 which is described as a masterly effort, from its opening, when he called 

 the sun to witness that he would "talk straight," to the close, when, 

 looking around over the prairie, he said that it was large and good, and 

 declared that he did not want it stained with blood. 



A few months later he escorted General Harney and the commission- 

 ers from the jjost to the spot where the Indians were gathering for the 

 treaty. In spite of stringent orders before starting, the soldiers and 

 camp followers soon began an indiscriminate slaughter of the buffalo 

 along the line of march. As described by a correspondent — 



They recklessly shot down the buftalo, simply that they might boast of it. After 

 cuttiiij; out their tongues, they left tho carcasses where they fell. The reader will 

 readily perceive that when the Indians complain at every council of tlie decrease 

 of the buffalo, such wanton waste of good meat could not be a pleasing sight to 

 tho greatest chief ou the American plains. Satauta, never backward in speech, 

 resented in strong terms the shooting of his game on his own ground. Said he, 

 while his eyes flashed and his lips curled with scorn : "'Has the white man become a 

 child, that he should recklessly kill and not eat? When the red men slay game, they 

 do so that they may live and not starve." Sound logic! Only persons devoid of 

 sense or honor could have been guilty of such conduct in the enemy's country, espe- 

 cially when the commissioners were endeavoring to conciliati^ them with presents 

 and reconcile them to the propositions about to be propounded. 



The protest had its effect, no more shooting was allowed, and those 

 responsible for the outrage were i)laced under arrest. 



On behalf of the confederate tribes, he made the leading speech in 

 reply to the commissioners. It is thus given by the correspondent of 

 the New York Times : 



" You, the commissioners, have come from afar to listen to our grievances. My heart 

 is glad and I shall hide nothing from you. I understood that you were coming down 

 to see us. I moved away from those disposed for war, and I also came along to see 

 you. The Kiowas and Com.anches hiive not been fighting. We were away down 

 south when we heard you were coming to see us. The Cheyennes are those who 

 have been lighting with you. They did it in broiid daylight so that all could see 

 them. If I had been fighting I would have done it by day and not in tho dark. 

 Two years ago I made jjeace with (ienerals Harney, .Sanborn, and Colonel Leaven- 

 worth at the mouth of the Little Arkansas. That jieace I have never broken. When 

 the grass was growing in the spring, a large body of soldiers came along on the 

 Santa ¥6 road. I had not done anything and therefore I was not afraid. All the 

 chiefs of the Kiowas, Comanehes, and Arapahos are here to-day ; they have come to 

 listen to good words. We have been waiting here a long time to see you and are 

 getting tired. All the land south of the Arkansas belongs to the Kiowas and 

 Comanehes, and I don't want to give away any of it. I love the land and the buffalo 



