Rex E. Beach

“ Once a dashing leader led his troop against a subtle foe, was outgeneraled, and his men annihilated in fair fight, leaving naught but a blood-soaked hillside and a shining memory. This was "Custer's Massacre." ”

“ The man rode back down the line, passing the word, whereupon our squaws threw out the tepee poles, one by one, and dropped every heavy thing, scattering the goods for a long way. When he saw this, the officer rode up to Big Foot.
"Why do your people throw away things?"
"The ponies are weak," said our chief.
When the sun was two fingers high, the old man spoke again.
"Our horses can go no farther. We will camp here where there is good water." Giving the sign, we suddenly turned out in a body, leaving the soldiers, at which they looked foolish. ”

“ That one stopped singing and began to cry to the Great Spirit, gathering handfuls of dust and throwing them toward the sky, while he waved his blanket beneath, as they did in the ghost dance when calling for the Messiah. While he did this I saw the officer emerge from a tepee with a gun in his hand, and I looked at it sharply, for I thought it was my own. While I looked I heard a soldier cry:
"Look out! Look out! Run back!" ”

“ The next day the soldiers came again and pitched their tepees near us, while the officer said to big Foot:
"You must move back to your old camp."
"We are not cattle to be put in a pen," said our old chief, speaking very slowly, and then in a great voice he cried, "We will pray where we please." That day the soldiers left. ”

“ Some of our people attempted to go to the agency, but the soldiers turned them back, which added to our uneasiness.
Nobody in our camp slept much that night, except the children, for we went from tepee to tepee, talking of our situation. We agreed to give up our guns, if commanded, although I intended to hide mine and come back for it again; while some of the young men, who had good magazine rifles they had recently bought, would say nothing. My father asked the medicine man what he could do, telling him that if his Messiah was of any account, now was the time for help ”

“ Word was passed to the braves who rode ponies to put blankets over their shoulders, so they would look like women, and then to build many small fires. While this was being done the squaws in the wagon farthest away from the soldiers were told to move on. When they were gone for a little time, the next wagon was told to follow, and so on, one by one, till there remained only the two nearest the whites. When these drove off, an under officer came to Big Foot. ”

“ While doing so, an under officer, with four soldiers, advanced toward Black Fox and Yellow Turtle, who stood at some distance. As they advanced, the two young men retreated toward the creek, while the medicine man came forth, standing between them and the white men. My father cried:
"You do not need a gun, medicine man! Your ghost shirt will be enough. Bullets cannot hurt you."
He replied: "My friend, I am afraid." At this point Philip Wells spoke, saying:
"When the soldiers have taken your rifles, you must march past in a line, and they will hold out their guns toward you." ”

“ There were young women who took part, also, and these stood in a line within the circle, then at a signal ran toward a goal, pursued by the medicine men, who struck them with a great ball so that they fell. ”

“ Kill as many as you can before you go."
They had three belts of cartridges which they had stripped from soldiers, and when we saw that Pursued was gone we crawled behind a little knoll where the ditch turned, from which we could see our enemies. We fired at them many times, till they turned the fast-firing cannon at us. ”