im strong while he talked. I
have seen him in my dreams--I am afraid."

Weasel Bear continued:

"You hear our young scouts who come in tell us how the white
soldiers are coming in droves this grass. There are walking-soldiers,
pony-soldiers, big guns on wheels and more wagons than they can count.
Many of their scalps shall dry in our lodges, but, brother, we cannot
kill them all."

In accordance with the tribal agreements the Chis-chis-chash joined
their camp with the Dakota, and together both tribes moved about the
buffalo range. Every day the scouts came on reeking ponies to the
chiefs. The soldiers were everywhere marching toward the camps. The
council fire was always smoldering. The Dakota and Chis-chis-chash
chiefs sat in a dense ring while Sitting Bull, Gall, Crazy Horse and all
the strong men talked. They regarded the menace with awe; they feared
for the camp with its women and children, but each voice was for war. It
was no longer poor beaver-men or toiling bull-wagons; it was crowds of
soldiers coming up every valley toward the villages which before had
been remote and unmolested. If any soothsayer could penetrate the veil
of the future he held his peace in the councils. The Indians tied
up their ponies' tails for the struggle and painted for war. Three
cartridges were all a fine buffalo robe would bring from a trader and
even then it was hard to get them; but though the lodges had few robes
many brass-bound bullets reposed in the war-bags.

The old thrill came over the Fire Eater in these agitated times. He
could no longer leap upon his pony at full gallop, but rode a saddle.
The lodge chafed him until he gathered up a few young men who had been
acting as spies and trotted forth on a coyote prowl. For many days they
made their way toward the south. One day as he sat smoking by a small
fire on a mountain-top, somewhat wearied with travel, the restless young
men came trotting softly back over the pine needles saying:

"Come out and you will see the white soldiers." He mounted and followed,
and sitting there amid the mountain tangle he saw his dreams come true.
The traders and the talking men had not lied about the numbers of their
people, for his eye did not come to the rear of the procession which
wound up the valley like a great snake. There were pony-soldiers,
walking-soldiers, guns on wagons, herds of the white men's buffalo,
and teams without end. The Fire Eater passed his hands across his eyes
before