"Would the Brave Bear and his people be friends to us? We are friendly— we are generous. We will give tobacco to the Brave Bear, that he and his people may smoke and be our friends. But the Long-knife will not here give him the fire-water. Let him come to the Long-knife's lodge, then shall he have of it a little, that he may bless the Long-knife in his heart. The Brave Bear can have none now.
"The Brave Bear says, his people are generous, but they are brave, —they are all soldiers. Be it so. My people are generous, —they are brave they are all soldiers! Does the Brave Bear wish for fight? My people are ready to either smoke or fight! The Brave Bear says, unless I give him the fire-water for his people, they will nerve their arms for conflict, and take it! Will they? Let them try! The Long-knife says, let them try!"
The conclusion of this reply was received with a bad grace by those to whom it was addressed, and created great excitement among them. Several left for the
8 Silver. This phrase is the Sioux mode of expressing the act of paying money for any article.
village, obviously for the purpose of arming and returning with increased numbers to the meditated attack.
Meanwhile our arms were put in a proper condition for resistance, and all needful arrangements made to give the assailants a warm reception should they commence upon us. This done, our commandant brought a few plugs of tobacco, and, laying them before the Brave Bear, said:
"It is good that the Brave Bear and his people should smoke. Here is tobacco, —let him take it to his warriors that we and they be friends; —or would he rather fight?"
Bull Tail, (Tah-tunga-sana,) who had had hitherto remained silent, now arose and addressed his companions:
"Tah-tunga-sana is grieved at the words of the Brave Bear. Would my brothers fight the Long-knife, and rob him of what he has brought to us, that they may become fools by drinking the fire-water?
"Who shall then bring us medicine-irons (guns) to kill our meat; or knives to butcher it; or blankets and beads for our squaws; or the red-earth (vermilion) to paint our faces when we arm for war? And, who shall bring us all the other things so needful for us?
"The Long-knife will not do it. You rob him. No one will bring them to us. We shall be without them! We shall be poor indeed!
"Brothers: Why would you drink the fire-water, and become fools? Would it not be better that the Long-knife no more bring it to us? We give for it our robes and our horses;—it does us no good. It makes us poor. We fight our own brothers, and kill those we love, because the firewater is in us and makes our hearts bad! The fire-water is the red man's enemy!
"Brothers: Tah-tunga-sana is old;—will you listen to him. He has been always the friend of the pale-face. When first the Yellow-hair (Gen. Clarke) came to the red man's lodge, Tah-tunga-sana took him by the hand. He will always take the pale-face by the hand. He loves the pale-face. The pale-face is his brother, —he is our brother! —He brings us many good things.
"Brothers: The Long-knife has spoken well. It is good that we smoke, —that we, and the Long-knife, and his people may be friends. Let us accept
