ort Meade, in the Black Hills, were some high-mettled
fellows, cavalry and infantry, who were eagerly watching the
indications, one burly major of Horse fairly losing his temper over the
situation, and begging the powers to let him take his capital squadron,
with one or two companies of infantry, and, between his horsemen, his
"walkaheaps," and himself, sturdy "Napa Yahmni," as the Sioux had named
him, swore he'd bring Big Foot to his senses and back to the agency.
Napa yahmni meant "three fingers," that being all that were left on one
of his hands after a scrimmage with Southern sabres during the great
Civil War. Really, there was reason why something should be done, or
surely the settlers and ranch folk would be made to suffer. And with
troops there at Fort Meade, in the Hills, and over at Fort Yates, on
the Missouri, and at Fort Robinson off to the southwest, or Niobrara
here to the east, it was high time Mr. Big Foot was made to behave, and
still the government stayed its orders and held its hand.

One cool-headed, nervy, mild-mannered young officer had taken his life
in his hands, and a half-breed interpreter in civilized clothing,
visited Si Tanka's big village and had a talk with his turbulent
braves, to the end that as many as forty decided to quit, go home and
be good, give up evil spirits, intentions, and ghost-dancing, to the
rage of Black Fox and the amaze of Napa Yahmni, but it wasn't a week
before another Messiah broke loose among the sand-hills of western
Nebraska, and braves by the dozen sped thither to hear him; and
presently both agencies had another influx of outsiders, urging revolt
and uprising, and the old men counselled vainly, and preachers and
teachers pleaded without avail. The young wards of the nation were
ripe for mischief. The day of their deliverance had come. The Messiah
was calling his chosen to the wild wastes of the Bad Lands, where they
could sing and shout and dance till they dropped, and then if they went
mad with religion, and away to the warpath, it meant woe for western
Nebraska and for the Dakotas far and near. This was the situation that
called for a scout from Fort Niobrara, and thus it happened that for
over a fortnight a little column of cavalry had been patrolling the
breaks and the valleys away to the northwest, peering into the old
haunts of the Sioux along the headwaters of the pretty streams rising
among the hills beyond the weather-beaten landmark of Eagle's Nest.
They