rough the cheek, and the enemy ran right in behind us. He got hold of
my friend's horse's tail and shot him through the back with his revolver
and he fell right over my horse. I got off my horse, holding my friend
tight, and one of my friends saw the enemy at this time and shot him.
This man who had been shot by my friend got up again as his wound was only
a skin wound. I let go of my dead friend and got off my horse and charged
at this fellow. Just as I charged at him there were two angry Sioux who
laid their coup sticks on him. They went on by him and that left him for
me to fight. Just as I reached him the enemy was very close behind me.
They had shot at me at very close range. I could smell the smoke. He
aimed his gun right at me, but he was so bewildered that he did not fire.
I took the gun away from him and knocked him down. I got on my horse,
taking his gun with me, at which time my horse was shot across the nose,
but he kept on going toward my friends. The bullets whizzed around me,
bewildering me for a moment. At this time it seemed as though the enemy
were defeated, but the rest of our band came up at this moment. The enemy
retreated when they saw our friends, but they pursued us all the way back
to the Yellowstone. The dead numbered about a hundred in this battle. I
did not go back, because my horse was exhausted. I have five more just
such thrilling stories, including the one in which I was wounded."

[The Swirl of the Warriors]

The Swirl of the Warriors

"The greatest event in my life, leaving behind the story that I have told,
is to be found at the time the Indians received allotments of land, and
were given a home so they could not roam around; and above all, the time
when I found religion and became a Christian. I was baptized and
confirmed in the Episcopal Church. I married my wife under the holy bonds
of matrimony, and am trying to live an upright life. In the roaming life,
I fought, I took many scalps, and killed many Indians. Now, put alongside
of that the fact that I live in my own home, own my land, have my own
family, and am a church member. I like the last life better than the
first. In the former life while we lived to ourselves, we were always
fighting; in the life now we have peace. The one thing now that is
killing me off is our mode of life. There is too much confinement;
instead of fighting the enemy, I am fighting dis