13

"RED SHIRT" ON MR. GLADSTONE.

A BIG INDIAN BATTLE.

THE FUTURE OF THE RED MAN.

The Sioux Chief Red Shirt has, since Mr. Gladstone's visit, been receiving a number of distinguished visitrs daily at the American Exhibition, at West Brompton, upwards of a thousand privileged persons callin at his tent on Sunday last, including Lord Hillington, the Hon, Baillie Cochrane, M.P., Lord Newport, Colonel Hughes Hallet, M.P., Mr. Henniker Heston, M.P., and several other members of both Houses of parliament. Red Shirt, whose intelligence is of a very high order, is a shrewd observer, and his good sense has been demonstrated again and again in his replies to the questions put to him.

In an interview with a correspondent of the Central News, Broncho Bill acting as an interpreter, Red Shirt said of Mr. Gladstone:-"When I saw the Great White Chief, I thought he was a great man. When I heard him speak then I felt sure he was a great man. But the White Chief is not as the big men of our tribes. He wore no plumes and no decorations. He had none of his young men (warriors) around him, and only that I heard him talk he would bave been to me as other white men. But my brother (Mr. Gladstone) came to see me in my wigwam as a friend, and I was glad to see the Great White Chief, for though my tongue was tied in his presence my heart was full of friendship. After he went away they told me that half of this great nation of white men have adopted him as their Chief. Thus I am right, for if he were not both good and wise so many young men of this nation would never have taken him for their leader."

Red Shirt, who only left the Indian Reservation of March 15th of this year, agreed to join Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show after a Grand Council of his nation, the United States Government giving their consent to his leaving.

"But did you never see Buffalo Bill until you joined this show?"

"Yes, I saw him long ago, but we never spoke until a little while since. All the men of the Sioux nation know Buffalo Bill by reputation. The first time I saw him was at the fight at War Barnard Creek, when the white men were too many for the poor Indians. It was twelve or thirteen years ago, but (and here his bloodshot eyes twinkled ominously) that fight I can see now. Buffalo Bill in the struggle killed Yellow hand, a great Indian brave, and took his scalp. I tried to fight my way to the white man to revenge my brother, and although we got very near I could not reach him. Had we met one would have died. But the soldiers were encircling us, five of our men were shot down, and we fled. Then we would have killed each other, but now we have the same heart, and we are brothers, Colonel Cody is awfully good to me and my people."

"Will you tell me another fight in which you were engaged?"

"Yes, I will tell you of a great fight of the Sioux nation with the Pawnees, who were always bad Indians. They had met our people on the hunt and killed them ; they had attacked our villages and carried away our squaws and children, and their young braves came like serpents in the grass and stole away our horses. The Sioux nation offered to make a treaty of peace with the Pawnees, but the bad Indians refused, and the Grand Council of the Sioux sat down to discuss how we should punish these bad people, and every chief there spoke for going on the war path. Then we made ready to fight it. It is 15 years ago, and I was a young chief then, but my father, who was a great chief, was on the war path, and I was eager to prove myself a great warrier in his eyes. I collected my young men and we set out, altoether 1300 strong, under 16 big chiefs. The most experienced warriers were sent on two days' march in advnace to scout, and scouts were thrown out on every side to guard against surprise.