lustration: SPOTTED TAIL.]

I had seen Spotted Tail's camp when he came from the north and I knew the
kind of lodge he was living in. As I entered the village I wrapped a
blanket around my head so that the Indians could not tell whether I was a
white or a red man. In this way I rode around until I found Spotted
Tail's lodge. Dismounting from my horse I opened his tent door and looked
in and saw the old chief lying on some robes. I spoke to him and he
recognized me at once and invited me to enter. Inside the lodge I found a
white man, an old frontiersman, Todd Randall, who was Spotted Tail's
agent and who had lived a great many years with the Indians. He
understood their language perfectly and did all the interpreting for
Spotted Tail. Through him I readily communicated with the chief and
informed him of my errand. I told him that the warriors and chiefs would
greatly please General Sheridan if they would meet him in about ten
sleeps at the old Government crossing of the Red Willow. I further
informed him that there was a great chief from across the water who was
coming there to visit him. Spotted Tail replied that he would be very
glad to go; that the next morning he would call his people together and
select those who would accompany him. I told Spotted Tail how I had
entered his camp. He replied that I had acted wisely; that although his
people were friendly, yet some of his young men had a grudge against me,
and I might have had difficulty with them had I met them away from the
village. He directed his squaw to get me something to eat, and ordered
that my horse be taken care of, and upon his invitation I spent the
remainder of the night in his lodge.

Next morning the chiefs and warriors assembled according to orders, and
to them was stated the object of my visit. They were asked:

"Do you know who this man is?"

"Yes, we know him well," replied one, "that is Pa-he-haska," (that being
my name among the Sioux, which translated means "Long Hair") "that is our
old enemy," a great many of the Indians, who were with Spotted Tail at
this time, had been driven out of the Republican country.

"That is he," said Spotted Tail. "I want all my people to be kind to him
and treat him as my friend."

I noticed that several of them were looking daggers at me. They appeared
as if they wished to raise my hair then and there. Spotted Tail motioned
and I followed him into his lodge, and thereupon the Indians dispersed.
Having the a