| 203man. He would join the army and fight against
his own people if he was told to, and if he died, why, all
right. Mr. Cody stated that the chief had great influence
with his people; that he had always been
friendly to the whites, and that during last summer he
acted as guide to General Sheridan in his journey
from the Union Pacific Railroad to the Yellowstone
river.
AN OLD WARRIOR.
The reporter then applied the thumb-screw figuratively
to Two Bears, and found the old fellow a ready
talker. He said in substance that he was a fighting
chief and thought only of war. He was born and
raised to it. Lieutenant Clark, who had charge of his
tribe a the agency, induced him to come east. Everybody
had treated him well, and so far all was good.
His wife was dead and had left him five children, and
although a warrior himself he would bring them up
like white people. Whenever Mr. Cody went back he
would go with him.
The reporter asked Mr. Cody how the Indians took
to making their appearance in drama, and his reply
was that they went into it with their whole soul.
They were supposed to be his friends in the play; indeed,
it would hardly be politic to use them in any
other way. Since they left home, Man-that-carries-the-
Sword had become very studious, and had succeeded
in mastering the alphabet, besides being able to write
his name in English. He was in the fight which resulted
so disastrously for Custer and his men, and enjoyed
the confidence of the officers in the Indian
army. Two Bears, on the other hand, was of a saturnine
disposition, and although he could not be styled
treacherous, he was like the Major-"Sly, sir; devilish
sly."
A SCOUT ON THE INDIAN QUESTION.
The reporter next turned his attention to Buffalo
Bill, Mr. W. F. Cody, and asked his opinion as to the
present Indian campaign, and whether, in his opinion,
General Howard merited the adverse criticisms which
had been passed upon him. He replied that he did not,
that he believed General Howard had done the best he
possibly could do under the circumstances and with the
small force at his command. In his opinion, however,
if the Fifth Regiment of cavalry of the Department
of the Platte had been utilised the Nez Perces would
before bow have been forced to surrender. He had
all his life been engaged in fighting the Indians and
had-well, had done the best he could, but he did not
think the Nez Perces had been properly treated.
They were at one time semi-civilized, followed agricultural
pursuits, and were fast becoming educated
and intelligent, and if a proper course had been pursued
towards them much bloodshed would have been
spared.
Mr. Cody is a most intelligent conversationalist.
His long experience in frontier life had made him a
keen observer of men and things, and his reminiscenses
are interesting and romantic. He is now
thirty-nine years of age. His father was killed in
the Border Ruffian war of 1856. He himself
accompanied General Sidney Johnson across the
plains in 1857 in that officer's expedition against the
Mormons. The train to which he was attached was
burned by the notorious Bill Hickman and a band of
Danites eighteen miles east of Green Water. He has
hunted buffalo with English tourists, acted as a Government
scout, has fought Indians single-handed, has
suffered from cold and starvation, has had his life often
hanging on a thread, and yet stands as lithe, erect and
manly as ever. In such talk as this the time passed
swiftly by. When the reporter started to leave the
two chiefs rose, extended a hand, bowed as gracefully
as courtiers, and said in English, "Good-bye." As
the writer passed out he heard Two Bears say something
which he did not understand, but which he
thinks if it was to be interpreted would read, "Pale
face talk too much; make Indian sick, ugh!" | 203man. He would join the army and fight against his own people if he was told to, and if he died, why, all right. Mr. Cody stated that the chief had great influence with his people; that he had always been friendly to the whites, and that during last summer he acted as guide to General Sheridan in his journey from the Union Pacific Railroad to the Yellowstone river.
AN OLD WARRIOR.
The reporter then applied the thumb-screw figuratively to Two Bears, and found the old fellow a ready talker. He said in substance that he was a fighting chief and thought only of war. He was born and raised to it. Lieutenant Clark, who had charge of his tribe a the agency, induced him to come east. Everybody had treated him well, and so far all was good. His wife was dead and had left him five children, and although a warrior himself he would bring them up like white people. Whenever Mr. Cody went back he would go with him.
The reporter asked Mr. Cody how the Indians took to making their appearance in drama, and his reply was that they went into it with their whole soul. They were supposed to be his friends in the play; indeed, it would hardly be politic to use them in any other way. Since they left home, Man-that-carries-the-Sword had become very studious, and had succeeded in mastering the alphabet, besides being able to write his name in English. He was in the fight which resulted so disastrously for Custer and his men, and enjoyed the confidence of the officers in the Indian army. Two Bears, on the other hand, was of a saturnine disposition, and although he could not be styled treacherous, he was like the Major-"Sly, sir; devilish sly."
A SCOUT ON THE INDIAN QUESTION.
The reporter next turned his attention to buffalo Bill, Mr. W. F. Cody, and asked his opinion as to the present Indian campaign, and whether, in his opinion, General Howard merited the adverse criticisms which had been passed upon him. He replied that he did not, that he believed General Howard had done the best he possibly could do under the circumstances and with the small force at his command. In his opinion, however, if the Fifth Regiment of cavalry of the Department of the Platte had been utilised the Nez Perces would before bow have been forced to surrender. He had all his life been engaged in fighting the Indians and had-well, had done the best he could, but he did not think the Nez Perces had been properly treated. They were at one time semi-civilized, followed agricultural pursuits, and were fast becoming educated and intelligent, and if a proper course had been pursued towards them much bloodshed would have been spared.
Mr. Cody is a most intelligent conversationalist. His long experience in frontier life had made him a keen observer of men and things, and his reminiscenses are interesting and romantic. He is now thirty-nine years of age. His father was killed in the Border Ruffian war of 1856. He himself accompanied General Sidney Johnson across the plains in 1857 in that officer's expedition against the Mormons. The train to which he was attached was burned by the notorious Bill Hickman and a band of Danites eighteen miles east of Green Water. He has hunted buffalo with English tourists, acted as a Government scout, has fought Indians single-handed, has suffered from cold and starvation, has had his life often hanging on a thread, and yet stands as lithe, erect and manly as ever. In such talk as this the time passed swiftly by. When the reporter started to leave the two chiefs rose, extended a hand, bowed as gracefully as courtiers, and said in English, "Good-bye." As the writer passed out he heard Two Bears say something which he did not understand, but which he thinks if it was to be interpreted would read, "Pale face talk too much; make Indian sick, ugh!" |