oud, a head chief, lives in what is called the Powder River
country, above Fort Fetterman. But the Sioux nation roam for hundreds
of miles all over the plains, and are sure to turn up just when and
where they are least expected.

These Sioux, the most numerous of all the Indian tribes, have a festive
performance, which is regarded by all civilized people with horror and
abhorrence, and one which few can look upon with nerve enough to see
the end.

It is a sort of religious dance, in which the young braves test their
fortitude and stoicism in resisting pain and torture without wincing. A
young officer, who witnessed the "Sun Dance" last year, at the Cheyenne
agency, a few miles above Fort Sully, on the Missouri River, gives the
following account:

"The Indians manifested considerable opposition to having any
whites present. When several officers belonging to the 17th United
States Infantry came up, Red Leaf--a chief of Red Cloud's
band--leaped over a breastwork of logs and ordered the troops away.
After parleying with the chief some time, the soldiers fell back
and took a position which was not objectionable to the Indians, but
from which they could obtain only a partial view of the
performances. There was a large lodge, built in shape of an
amphitheatre, with a hole in the centre. The sides and roof were
covered with willows, forming a tolerable screen, but not so dense
as to obstruct entirely the view. The performances began with low
chants and incantations. Five young men were brought in and
partially stripped, their mothers being present and assisting in
the ceremony.

"Then the 'Medicine-man' began his part by cutting slits in the
flesh of the young men and taking up the muscles with pincers. The
old squaws assisted in lacerating the flesh of the boys with sharp
knives. The squaws would at the same time keep up a howling,
accompanied with a backward-and-forward movement. When the muscles
were lifted out by pincers on the breast, one end of a kind of
lariat (used for fastening horses while grazing), or buffalo thong,
was tied to the bleeding flesh, while the other end was fastened to
the top of the pole in the middle of the lodge. The first young
man, when thus prepared, commenced dancing around the circle in a
most frantic manner, pulling with all his might, so as to stretch
out the rope, and by his jerking m