ing. I was ready to move on to a permanent camp when, one
morning, Bear Coat and his soldiers came in sight, and stampeded our
horses. Then I knew that I had made a mistake by not crossing into the
country of the Red Coats; also in not keeping the country scouted in my
rear."

For he was not in Canada. The Canada border lay a day's march of
thirty-five miles northward yet. And he had not known anything about
Colonel Miles, the Bear Coat.

Colonel Miles brought three hundred and seventy-five soldiers, and the
cannon. Chief Joseph had already lost almost one hundred of his men
and women. But his brother Ollicut, Chief White Bird, and the Drummer
Dreamer, old Too-hul-hul-so-te, were still with him; and one hundred
and seventy-five warriors.

The first charge of the Bear Coat cavalry, early in this morning of
September 30,1877, scattered the camp and cut off the pony herd. Chief
Joseph was separated from his wife and children. He dashed for them,
through the soldiers. His horse was wounded, his clothes pierced, but
he got to his lodge.

His wife handed him his gun.

"Take it. Fight!"

And fight he did; his people fought. They dug rifle-pits, the same as
white soldiers would. There was fighting for four days. The Bear Coat
lost one fifth of his officers and men. He settled to a close siege,
shooting with his cannon and trying to starve the Pierced Noses. He
was much afraid that Sitting Bull was coming down, and bringing the
Sioux. He sent messages to notify General Terry, in the east, and
General Howard, in the south.

Chief Joseph's heart ached. His brother Ollicut was dead. Old
Toohulhulsote was dead. Looking Glass was dead. Twenty-four others
had been killed, and forty-six were wounded. He had over three hundred
women and children. Of his own family, only his wife and baby were
left to him. Sitting Bull did not come.

"My people were divided about surrendering," he said. "We could have
escaped from the Bear Paw Mountains if we had left our wounded, old
women and children behind. We were unwilling to do this. We had never
heard of a wounded Indian recovering while in the hands of white men.
I could not bear to see my wounded men and women suffer any longer."

So he rode out, on the morning of October 5, and surrendered. General
Howard had arrived, at the end of his long thirteen-hundred-mile chase,
but the surrender was made to Colonel Miles.

Chief Joseph handed over his gun.

"