heir lives, among them the one who had fired the fatal shot
at the medicine man.

The remaining members of Sitting Bull's command fled to the "Bad Lands"
of Dakota, but a number were persuaded to return to Pine Ridge Agency.
There were so many, however, who refused to come in that the peril
assumed the gravest character. The only way to bring about a real peace
was to compel the disarming of the Indians, for so long as they had
weapons in their hands they were tempted to make use of them.

[Illustration: INDIAN AGENCY.]

It was the time for coolness, tact, and discretion, and the American
officers displayed it to a commendable degree. They carefully avoided
giving the Indians cause for offense, while insisting at the same time
upon their being disarmed.

On December 28th, a band of malcontents were located near Wounded Knee
Creek, by the Seventh Cavalry, who had been hunting several days for
them. They were sullen, but, when ordered to surrender their weapons,
made a pretense of doing so. Emerging from their tepees, however, they
produced only a few worthless weapons. Being sharply ordered to bring
the remainder, they suddenly wheeled and began firing upon the soldiers.
In an instant, a fierce fight was in progress, with the combatants
standing almost within arm's reach of one another.

SQUAWS AS VICIOUS AS WILDCATS.

Twenty-eight soldiers were killed and thirty wounded, while fully as
many of the Indians were shot down. In the fighting, the squaws were as
vicious as wildcats, and fought with as much effectiveness as the
warriors. A wounded officer was beaten to death by several of them
before he could be rescued. Finally, the Indians fled and joined the
malcontents, already assembled in the Bad Lands.

This affair made the outlook still darker. The Seventh Cavalry had just
reached camp on the morning of December 30th, when a courier dashed up
to Pine Ridge, with word that the Catholic Mission building was on fire
and the Indians were killing the teachers and pupils. The wearied
troopers galloped hurriedly thither, but found the burning building was
the day school, a mile nearer Pine Ridge. A strong force of Indians were
gathered beyond, and the Seventh attacked them. The Sioux were so
numerous that the cavalry were in great danger of being surrounded, when
a vigorous attack by the Ninth Cavalry (colored) on the rear of the
Indians scattered them.

Warriors continued to slip away from the agency and join the