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48

THE SITUATION IN THE INDIAN COUNTRY A MARVEL OF MILITARY
STRATEGY.

COL. W. F. CODY ("BUFFALO BILL") who is at Pine Ridge, telegraphs the following for
the "New York Sun," which expresses his views of the present critical situation:

"The situation to-day with a desperate band corraled and the possibility of any individual fanatic
running amuck is most critical, but the wise measure of holding them in a military wall, allowing them time to
quiet down and listen to the assurance of such men as Young Man-Afraid0of-His-Horses, Rocky Bear, No Neck,
and other progressive Indians, relieves the situation, so that, unless some accident happens, the military end of
the active warfare seems a complete, final, and brilliant success, as creditable to General Miles' reputation as it
is to the humane and just side of his character.

"Neither should praise be withheld from Gens. Brook, Carr, Wheaton, Henry, Forsythe, and the other
officers, and men of the gallant little army, who stood much privation. in every instance when I have heard
them speak they are expressed great sympathy for their unhappy foe, and regrets for his impoverished and
desperate condition. They are the thoughtful people here are now thinking about the future. In fact, the
Government and nation are confronted by a problem of great importance as regards remedying the existing
evils.

"The larger portion of the Ogallalla Sioux have acted nobly in this affair, especially up to the time of the
stampede. The Wassaohas and Brules have laid waste the reservation of the Ogallallas, killed their cattle shot
their horses, pillaged their houses, burned their ranches; in fact, poor as the Ogallallas were before, the Brules
have left them nothing but the bare ground, a white sheet instead of a blanket, with winter at hand and the
little accumulations of thirteen years swept away. This much as well as race and tribal dissensions and
personal enmity, have they incurred for standing by the Government. These people need as much sympathy
and immediate assistance as any section of country when great calamities arouse the sympathy of the philan-
thropist and the Government. This is now the part of the situation that to me seems the most remarkable.
Intelligent and quick legislation can now do more than the bullet.--COL. W. F. CODY ("BUFFALO BILL")."

THE GREAT ARTIST, FRED REMINGTON, WRITES FROM LONDON TO "HARPER'S WEEKLY."

The most noted depicter of Western scenes of the present day is without doubt the eminent artist Mr.
Frederic Remington. His study of the subject renders him a most competent judge. In returning from an
expedition in Russia, passing through London, he visited Buffalo Bill's Wild West, and it is with pride that the
projectors point to his indorsement, standing side by side in artistic merit as he does with the grand artistic
Rosa Bonheur:

The Tower, the Parliament and Westminster Abbey are older institution in London than Buffalo Bill's
show, but when the New Zealander sits on the London bridge and looks over his ancient manuscripts of Mur-
ray's Guide-Book, he is going to turn first to the Wild West. At present every one knows where it is, from the
gentlman on Piccadilly to the dirtiest coster in the remotest sium of Whitechapel. The cabman may have to
scratch his head to recall places where the traveler desires to go, but when the "Wild West" is asked for he
gathers his reins and uncoils his whip without ceremony. One should no longer ride the deserts of Texas or
the rugged uplands of Wyoming to see the Indians and pioneers, but should go to London. It is also quite un-
necessary to brave the fleas and the police of the Czar to see the Cossack, or to tempt the waves which roll be-
tween New York and the fact off Argentine to study the "guachos." It is all in London. The Cossacks and
"gauchos" are the latest addition, and they nearly complete the array of wild riders. There you can sit on a
bench and institute comparisons. The Cossacks will charge you with drawn sabres in a most genius way will
hover over you like buzzards on a battle field--they soar and whirl about in graceful curves, giving an uncanny
impression, which has doubtless been felt by many a poor Russian soldier from the wheat fields of Central
Europe as he lay with a bullet in him on some distant field. They march slowly around over imaginary steppes
singing in a most dolorous way--looking as they did in Joseph Brandt's paintings. They dance over swords in
on their heads, vault on and off, chase each other in a game called "chasing the handkerchief," and they reach
down at top speed and mark the ground with a stick. Their long grip on the horse is maintained by a cheer use
of the stirrups, which are twisted and crossed at will. They are armed like "pincushions," and ride on a big
leather bag, which makes their seat abnormally high.

The "gauchos" are dressed in a sort of Spanish costume, with tremendous pantaloons of cotton and
boots made of colt's skin, which in their construction are very like Apache moccasins. They carry a knife at
their back which would make a hole which a doctor couldn't sew up with less than five stitches, if indeed, he
was troubled at all. They ride a saddle which one of the American cowboys designated as a " feather
bed," and they talk Spanish which would floor a Castillian at once. They ride bucking horses by pairs, and
amuse the audience by falling off at intervals.