Every redskin believed that he could not be injured. None of them had
any fear of battle, or any suspicions that he could be injured in the
course of the great holy war that was to come.
CHAPTER XII
In November, 1890, I was returning from Europe with my Wild West
Company. When the New York pilot came aboard he brought a big packet of
papers. That was before the days of wireless, and we had had no tidings
of what was going on in the world since we had left the other side.
As he came up the ladder he recognized me, and shouted: "Colonel,
there's a big Indian war started! I guess you'll be needed out there."
I seized the papers and eagerly read the details of the threatened
outbreak. I was not surprised when, on arriving at Quarantine, I was
handed a telegram from General Miles.
I was requested to come to Chicago as soon as possible, and to
telegraph the time of my arrival. Canceling all New York engagements, I
caught the first train for the West, and in thirty-six hours reported
to General Miles in his headquarters.
He briefly described to me what had been happening and went over with
me the maps of the Western States where the Indians were getting ready
for war. He said that it was his understanding that the Bad Lands of
North Dakota had been selected as the battle-ground by the Indians, and
asked me to give him all the information I possessed about that country
and its accessibility for troops.
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