some of the Arapahoes and Cheyennes.

In January, 1868, quite a _scare_ was gotten up at Phil. Kearney by the
sudden appearance of several hundred Sioux, Cheyennes, and Arapahoes,
along with some friendly Crow Indians, and an attack was supposed to be
meditated.

Dr. Matthews, one of the special peace commissioners, was there at the
time, and he sent a message to the chiefs to meet him in council on the
hill above the fort. Most of the Indians came, and after prayer by
post-chaplain White, and a long smoke, the doctor made them a speech.
After this, an old Sioux Indian, named the "Stabber," got up and said,--

"Whoever our father who has just spoken is, I believe he is a good
man. We are told that the Great Father (President) sent word some
time ago for his soldiers to leave the country, and I want to tell
you that we want them to hurry and go. Send word to the Great
Father to take away his warriors with the snow and he will please
us. If they can go right away, let it be done, so that we can bring
our old men, women, and children to live on these grounds in peace,
as they did before you all came here. The Sioux, Arapahoes, and
Cheyennes never fought each other until you came and drove away the
game (meaning in the whole West), and then attempted to drive us
away. Now we fight each other for sufficient ground to hunt upon,
though all the lands to the east were once ours. We are talking
to-day on our own grounds. God Almighty made this ground, and when
He made it He made it for us. Look about you, and see how He has
stocked it with game. The elk, the buffalo, and deer are our meat,
and He put them here for us to feed upon. Your homes are in the
East, and you have beef cattle to eat. Why, then, do you come here
to bother us? What have you your soldiers here for, unless it is to
fight and kill us? If you will go away to your homes and leave us,
we will be at peace, but if you stay we will fight. We do not go to
your homes, then why come to ours? You say we steal your cattle and
horses; well, do you not know that when you come into our lands,
and kill and drive away the game, you steal from us? That is the
reason we steal your stock. I am done."

When "Stabber" sat down, "Black Hawk" (now _en route_ for Washington)
came forward and said,--

"Where was I made? I was raised in the West, not in the East. I was
not raise