em were twins
whom the ladies of the garrison had named Kate and Duplicate.

An instance of the wonderful power of Sitting Bull over his people and
his remarkable shrewdness in retaining that power, the following scene
enacted that evening, will illustrate: Paul and some of the army
officers, with the interpreter were seated in the tepee conversing
with Sitting Bull, when a deputation of Indians requested an audience
with their chief. It appears they had been arguing among themselves
about the mysterious manner in which Minnewachatcha floated upon the
water without effort, although he appeared to be constituted the same as
other men. Not being able to reach a conclusion, they referred the
matter to Sitting Bull. The great chief had no doubt been ruminating
considerably on the same subject without being able to settle it to his
own satisfaction; but he was too shrewd a politician to display the
least ignorance of the question. In fact, Bull considered no matter too
trivial to use as a means of displaying to his people his own great
store of knowledge and he would feign to know all about things of which
he was ignorant, frequently claiming to have received his information
from the Great Spirit above. So when the question regarding
Minnewachatcha, was propounded, he took it as a matter of course that
when a thing of importance presented itself, his people must come to
him for information. His dignified manner would have done credit to a
great statesman. Facing the deputation, with Paul standing at his
right, he began a harangue in the Sioux tongue, using gestures that were
at once impressive and graceful.

Briefly, his speech as interpreted by Allison, was to the effect that he
was a great chief, that the Great Spirit made known to him all things.
He knew all about Minnewachatcha, who was good medicine. (Then he would
lightly tap Boyton on the shoulder and step back impressively.) In his
examination, he had found that Minnewachatcha, though he appeared like
other men, was not; because he was possessed of no internal arrangements
as other men, hence he could float on the water like an empty can.

The government sometimes issues canned provisions to the Indians. When
they extract the contents and throw the can in the water, it floats
away, and Bull used that as a simile, knowing they would all understand.
The deputation appeared perfectly satisfied with the explanation and
went away thorou