164 YEARBOOK, PUBLIC MUSEUM, MILWAUKEE [Vol. II. 



mine. It is finished." With a jesture he waived her out and the audi- 

 ence was all but over. 



Eagle Woman, gazing about at the council which was assembled, 

 saw on each the war paint of her people, which she knew too well. She 

 must act and act quickly, else her whole party would probably pay the 

 last penalty. 



"But, my uncle, is it not strange that you, a great chief of the 

 Unkpapa, one of my own kin, should be the one of all to deny me the 

 wish I have traveled so far to fulfill? But two summers gone by, I 

 left my native land and went into the country of our old enemies, the 

 Blackfoot. There my little son came to me and there he left me. He 

 could not rest in peace in the enemy's country and I have come, this 

 long journey, day and night, that his little body might be privileged to 

 rest peacefully in the land of his forefathers, the great Sioux people. 

 Down the bosom of the great, brown river have I borne him that he 

 might rest. Day and night have we traveled, through the hostile lands 

 of the Blackfoot, the Cree and the Mandan, where of old no Sioux 

 dared set foot, unless on a hostile mission. Everywhere have we re- 

 ceived the sign of peace on our mission of sorrow, but now, arrived in 

 our own land, I and my little son, are denied by our own kin, the great 

 chief White Lodge. Our fate is in his hands and he denies us, he whom 

 I should fly to for relief and protection." 



"It is enough. Your wish shall be granted. Go with your party. 

 Even though you have forsaken the ways of our fathers. White Lodge 

 shall not be the one to cause unrest to the departed, to one who is inno- 

 cent. You have passed through the country of our enemies and have 

 everywhere received the sign of peace. You shall now receive it from 

 White Lodge." So saying, he raised the sign of peace and Eagle 

 Woman left the lodge and walked unmolested down to the bull boat, 

 where the other captives awaited her. Without a word, the boat pushed 

 off and floated silently out down the stream. 



But, what was that? A shriek from the farther side of the camp 

 circle. It was the voice of a woman, but no Sioux woman would ever 

 utter such a sound. It would not befit her tribal heritage. It was all 

 clear now, White Lodge and his warriors had raided some white settle- 

 ment.-*) The voice was that of a captured white woman. Perhaps 

 there were other captives. -'^ Perhaps they were being put to death ; 

 perhaps only tortured, in which case they might yet be saved. 



^''After the massacre at New Ulm, Minnesota, White Lodge's band was 

 driven westward to the Missouri by Brigadier General H. H. Sibley. 



2'Four white women were captives at that time in this camp. 



