s he chose.

So this talk and other talks amounted to nothing new. The white chief
told him to prepare for war, and there was a battle. At one moment,
the Sitting Bull warriors had the soldiers surrounded; but the cannon
shells were too much to face, the walking soldiers stood stanch, and
finally the Sioux had to retreat with their families.

The white chief, Miles, proved to be a stubborn fighter. He pursued
and captured almost all the camp supplies. This broke the hearts of
the Sitting Bull band. His medicine had grown weak. Five chiefs, with
two thousand of the warriors and women and children, surrendered, so as
to be kept warm and to be sure of food. But Sitting Bull and Gall went
on, leading four hundred northward.

The weather got very cold and snowy. They stayed for a time near the
Missouri River in northern Montana. Sitting Bull's medicine failed
entirely. The soldiers marched upon them right through the blizzards,
and no place seemed safe.

The other bands were being captured. The walking soldiers and the
big-guns-that-shot-twice were everywhere, to south, east and west. The
Crazy Horse Cheyennes and Oglalas were taken. They agreed to go upon
the reservation.

When Sitting Bull heard of this, he resolved to get out of reach of the
Americans altogether. He and Gall headed north again, and crossed into
Canada.

This was Sioux country, too. The Sioux never had had any dispute with
the Great White Mother; she seemed better than the Great White Father.
Accordingly Sitting Bull plumped himself and his band down upon Canada
ground, and defied the United States to meddle with him.

Other runaways joined him. It was now spring. Some of the runaways
were from the reservation. They reported that they had almost starved,
there, during the winter.

So when the United States sent up after Sitting Bull, he laughed.
General Terry, his old enemy, was in the American party, and did the
talking.

The President invited the Sioux to come back into the United States,
and give up their arms and their horses, in exchange for cows. Sitting
Bull replied scornfully.

"For sixty-four years you have kept me and my people, and treated us
bad. What have we done that you should wish us to stop? We have done
nothing. It is all the people on your side who have started us to do
as we did. We could not go anywhere else, so we came here. I would
like to know why you come here? I did not give you that country;