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JOHN GRASS, CHIEF JUSTICE AND LEADING 

 STATESMAN OF THE SIOUX. 



war when they chose if the buffalo 

 returned, as the Messiah had prom- 

 ised. 



Sitting Bull then held up before 

 their mind's eye the spring-wagon, 

 knowing that, next in desire in the 

 Sioux Indian's heart, is this same 

 modern vehicle, many of which are 

 given to deserving ones by the Gov- 

 ernment. Finally, he pictured the 

 money, heaps and heaps of it, money 

 without limit, in process of manu- 

 facture by the Messiah, and all for 

 them, if they followed his teachings. 



Now comes the point from which 

 the old chief expected gain for him- 

 self. He told the Sioux they must 

 be prepared to go to the Messiah in 

 the spring ; they must go peaceably 

 if possible ; if not, then forcibly. 

 He knew that if an attempt should 

 be made by the Messiah adherents 

 to quit the Sioux lands for the north, 

 an Indian war would result, and in 

 such a war lay his only hope of 

 restoration to power; for he was a 

 warrior as well as a medicine-man. 



The old chief had received word 

 from various tribes of the West re- 

 garding the prospective uprising of 

 their people with the return of spring. 

 He seemed to have no fear of pun- 



ishment for inciting the Sioux to dis- 

 obedience of the laws, for he ha< 

 ways escaped before and hoped to be 

 equally fortunate now. 



He lived about 45 miles from I 

 Yates, and his cabin was headquar- 

 ters of the ghost dancersof his ti 

 Men and women, old and voi 

 even little children, joined in tin- 

 dance, which they performed 1>\ 

 holding hands and dancing around 

 in a circle, in the centre <>i which 

 they had placed one of the "ghost 

 shirts" on a high pole. This was a 

 white cotton garment, rudely painted 

 and fringed, and it was supposed 

 to render invulnerable any person 

 who was so fortunate as to wear it. 



The Sioux nation had become 

 sadly demoralized. The army women 

 and children no longer were allowed 

 to walk outside the garrison. The 

 agent at Standing Roek ordered tin- 

 leaders to have the ghost dance 

 stopped, but they refused to obey. 

 Many of Sitting Bull's old follow- 

 ers had returned to him, led on anc* 

 on by his alluring promises regarding 

 the Messiah;by the fever of war, and 

 by the prospect of the wiping out 

 the hated white people. 



EAGLE-MAN, PROMINENT IN IHL LAI. 

 GRAND RIV1 



