this　time；　the　presence　of　many　Mormon　emigrants　on　their　way　to
  the　settlements　in　Utah　and　Wyoming　added　to　the　perils　of　the
  situation；　as　they　constantly　maneuvered　for　purposes　of　their　own
  to　bring　about　a　clash　between　the　soldiers　and　the　Indians。　　Every
  summer　there　were　storm…clouds　blowing　between　these　two　　clouds
  usually　taking　their　rise　in　some　affair　of　the　travelers　along　the
  trail。
  In　1854　an　event　occurred　which　has　already　been　described　and
  which　snapped　the　last　link　of　friendship　between　the　races。
  By　this　time　Spotted　Tail　had　proved　his　courage　both　abroad
  and　at　home。　　He　had　fought　a　duel　with　one　of　the　lesser　chiefs；
  by　whom　he　was　attacked。　　He　killed　his　opponent　with　an　arrow；　but
  himself　received　upon　his　head　a　blow　from　a　battle…axe　which
  brought　him　senseless　to　the　ground。　　He　was　left　for　dead；　but
  fortunately　revived　just　as　the　men　were　preparing　his　body　for
  burial。
  The　Brules　sustained　him　in　this　quarrel；　as　he　had　acted　in
  self…defense；　and　for　a　few　years　he　led　them　in　bloody　raids
  against　the　whites　along　the　historic　trail。　　He　ambushed　many
  stagecoaches　and　emigrant　trains；　and　was　responsible　for　waylaying
  the　Kincaid　coach　with　twenty　thousand　dollars。　　This　relentless
  harrying　of　travelers　soon　brought　General　Harney　to　the　Brule
  Sioux　to　demand　explanations　and　reparation。
  The　old　chiefs　of　the　Brules　now　appealed　to　Spotted　Tail　and
  his　young　warriors　not　to　bring　any　general　calamity　upon　the
  tribe。　　To　the　surprise　of　all；　Spotted　Tail　declared　that　he　would
  give　himself　up。　　He　said　that　he　had　defended　the　rights　of　his
  people　to　the　best　of　his　ability；　that　he　had　avenged　the　blood　of
  their　chief；　Conquering　Bear；　and　that　he　was　not　afraid　to　accept
  the　consequences。　　He　therefore　voluntarily　surrendered　to　General
  Harney；　and　two　of　his　lieutenants；　Red　Leaf　and　Old　Woman；
  followed　his　example。
  Thus　Spotted　Tail　played　an　important　part　at　the　very　outset
  of　those　events　which　were　soon　to　overthrow　the　free　life　of　his
  people。　　I　do　not　know　how　far　he　foresaw　what　was　to　follow；　but
  whether　so　conceived　or　not；　his　surrender　was　a　master　stroke；
  winning　for　him　not　only　the　admiration　of　his　own　people　but　the
  confidence　and　respect　of　the　military。
  Thus　suddenly　he　found　himself　in　prison；　a　hostage　for　the
  good　behavior　of　his　followers。　　There　were　many　rumors　as　to　the
  punishment　reserved　for　him；　but　luckily　for　Spotted　Tail；　the
  promises　of　General　Harney　to　the　Brule　chiefs　in　respect　to　him
  were　faithfully　kept。　　One　of　his　fellow…prisoners　committed
  suicide；　but　the　other　held　out　bravely　for　the　two…year　term　of
  his　imprisonment。　　During　the　second　year；　it　was　well　understood
  that　neither　of　the　men　sought　to　escape；　and　they　were　given
  much　freedom。　　It　was　fine　schooling　for　Spotted　Tail；　that
  tireless　observer　of　the　ways　of　the　white　man！　　It　is　a　fact　that
  his　engaging　personal　qualities　won　for　him　kindness　and　sympathy
  at　the　fort　before　the　time　came　for　his　release。
  One　day　some　Indian　horse　thieves　of　another　tribe　stampeded
  the　horses　and　mules　belonging　to　the　garrison。　　Spotted　Tail　asked
  permission　of　the　commanding　officer　to　accompany　the　pursuers。
  That　officer；　trusting　in　the　honor　of　a　Sioux　brave；　gave　him　a
  fast　horse　and　a　good　carbine；　and　said　to　him：　〃I　depend　upon　you
  to　guide　my　soldiers　so　that　they　may　overtake　the　thieves　and
  recapture　the　horses！〃
  The　soldiers　recaptured　the　horses　without　any　loss；　but
  Spotted　Tail　still　followed　the　Indians。　　When　they　returned　to　the
  fort　without　him；　everybody　agreed　that　he　would　never　turn　up。
  However；　next　day　he　did　〃turn　up〃；　with　the　scalp　of　one　of　the
  marauders！
  Soon　after　this　he　was　returned　to　his　own　people；　who　honored
  him　by　making　him　the　successor　of　the　old　chief；　Conquering　Bear；
  whose　blood　he　had　avenged；　for　which　act　he　had　taken　upon　himself
  the　full　responsibility。　　He　had　made　good　use　of　his　two　years　at
  the　fort；　and　completed　his　studies　of　civilization　to　his　own
  satisfaction。　　From　this　time　on　he　was　desirous　of　reconciling　the
  Indian　and　the　white　man；　thoroughly　understanding　the　uselessness
  of　opposition。　　He　was　accordingly　in　constant　communication　with
  the　military；　but　the　other　chiefs　did　not　understand　his　views　and
  seem　to　have　been　suspicious　of　his　motives。
  In　1860…1864　the　Southern　Cheyennes　and　Comanches　were　at　war
  with　the　whites；　and　some　of　the　Brules　and　Ogallalas；　who　were
  their　neighbors　and　intimates；　were　suspected　of　complicity　with
  the　hostiles。　　Doubtless　a　few　of　their　young　men　may　have　been
  involved；　at　any　rate；　Thunder　Bear　and　Two　Face；　together　with　a
  few　others　who　were　roving　with　the　warring　tribes；　purchased　two
  captive　white　women　and　brought　them　to　Fort　Laramie。　　It　was；
  however；　reported　at　the　post　that　these　two　men　had　maltreated　the
  women　while　under　their　care。
  Of　course；　the　commander　demanded　of　Spotted　Tail；　then　head
  chief；　that　he　give　up　the　guilty　ones；　and　accordingly　he　had　the
  two　men　arrested　and　delivered　at　the　fort。　　At　this　there　was　an
  outcry　among　his　own　people；　but　he　argued　that　if　the　charges　were
  true；　the　men　deserved　punishment；　and　if　false；　they　should　be
  tried　and　cleared　by　process　of　law。　　The　Indians　never　quite　knew
  what　evidence　was　produced　at　the　court…martial；　but　at　all　events
  the　two　men　were　hanged；　and　as　they　had　many　influential
  connections；　their　relatives　lost　no　time　in　fomenting　trouble。
  The　Sioux　were　then　camping　close　by　the　fort　and　it　was　midwinter；
  which　facts　held　them　in　check　for　a　month　or　two；　but　as　soon　as
  spring　came；　they　removed　their　camp　across　the　river　and　rose　in
  rebellion。　　A　pitched　battle　was　fought；　in　which　the　soldiers　got
  the　worst　of　it。　　Even　the　associate　chief；　Big　Mouth；　was　against
  Spotted　Tail；　who　was　practically　forced　against　his　will　and
  judgment　to　take　up　arms　once　more。
  At　this　juncture　came　the　sudden　and　bloody　uprising　in　the
  east　among　the　Minnesota　Sioux；　and　Sitting　Bull's　campaign　in　the
  north　had　begun　in　earnest；　while　to　the　south　the　Southern
  Cheyennes；　Comanches；　and　Kiowas　were　all　upon　the　warpath。
  Spotted　Tail　at　about　this　time　seems　to　have　conceived　the　idea　of
  uniting　all　the　Rocky　Mountain　Indians　in　a　great　confederacy。　　He
  once　said：　〃Our　cause　is　as　a　child's　cause；　in　comparison　with　the
  power　of　the　white　man；　unless　we　can　stop　quarreling　among
  ourselves　and　unite　our　energies　for　the　common　good。〃　　But　old…
  time　antagonisms　were　too　strong；　and　he　was　probably　held　back
  also　by　his　consciousness　of　the　fact　that　the　Indians　called　him
  〃the　white　man's　friend〃；　while　the　military　still　had　some　faith
  in　him　which　he　did　not　care　to　lose。　　He　was　undoubtedly　one　of
  the　brainiest　and　most　brilliant　Sioux　who　ever　lived；　and　while　he
  could　not　help　being　to　a　large　extent　in　sympathy　with　the　feeling
  of　his　race　against　the　invader；　yet　he　alone　foresaw　the
  inevitable　outcome；　and　the　problem　as　it　presented　itself　to　him
  was　simply　this：　〃What　is　the　best　policy　to　pursue　in　the　existing
  situation？〃
  Here　is　his　speech　as　it　has　been　given　to　me；　delivered　at
  the　great　council　on　the　Powder　River；　just　before　the　attack　on
  Fort　Phil　Kearny。　　We　can　imagine　that　he　threw　all　his　wonderful
  tact　and　personal　magnetism　into　this　last　effort　at　conciliation。
  〃'Hay；　hay；　hay！　　Alas；　alas！'　　Thus　speaks　the　old　man；　when
  he　knows　that　his　former　vigor　and　freedom　is　gone　from　him
  forever。　　So　we　may　exclaim　to…day；　Alas！　　There　is　a　time
  appointed　to　all　things。　　Think　for　a　moment　how　many　multitudes　of
  the　animal　tribes　we　ourselves　have　destroyed！　　Look　upon　the　snow
  that　appears　to…day　　to…morrow　it　is　water！　　Listen　to　the　dirge
  of　the　dry　leaves；　that　were　green　and　vigorous　but　a　few　moons
  before！　　We　are　a　part　of　this　life　and　it　seems　that　our　time　is
  come。
  〃Yet　note　how　the　decay　of　one　nation　invigorates　another。
  This　strange　white　man　　consider　him；　his　gifts　are　manifold！
  His　tireless　brain；　his　busy　hand　do　wonders　for　his　race。　　Those
  things　which　we　despise　he　holds　as　treasures；　yet　he　is　so　great
  and　so　flourishing　that　there　must　be　some　virtue　and　truth　in　his
  philosophy。　　I　wish　to　say　to　you；　my　friends：　Be　not　moved　alone
  by　heated　arguments　and　thoughts　of　revenge！　　These　are　for　the
  young。　　We　are　young　no　longer；　let　us　think　well；　and　give　counsel
  as　old　men！〃
  These　words　were　greeted　with　an　ominous　silence。　　Not　even
  the　customary　〃How！〃　of　assent　followed　the　speech；　and　Sitting
  Bull　immediately　got　up　and　replied　in　the　celebrated　harangue
  which　will　be　introduced　under　his　own　name　in　another　chapter。
  The　situation　was　critical　for　Spotted　Tail　　the　only　man　present
  to　advocate　submission　to　the　stronger　race　whose　ultimate
  supremacy　he　recognized　as　certain。　　The　decision　to　attack　Fort
  P