The camp is located on a plateau, 130 feet above the valley. But one approach is observed—a narrow path. Louis claimed the Indians had piled stones, or made breastworks. They possessed much ammunition and food; two springs afforded plenty of water, and their situation appears to have been secure. Some little way off, in the valley, was a large village. “When we entered there were about 262 lodges present. One hundred and seventeen of these remained and 145 returned with us to the agency. The squaws and men came forward to greet us, and all seemed very friendly. They supposed at first that we had come to join them, but when they learned our true mission they seemed very suspicious, and refused for some time to have anything to do with us. Just before we began the council, which lasted the greater part of four days, the high-priest and his helpers came forward and announced that there would be a Ghost-dance. They formed a circle about the sacred tree and began their chant.
“Of all the wild dancing I saw on Wounded Knee, this beat the record. People went into trances by the dozen, and the priests were kept busy relating the experiences of the fainters. Several remained in trances as long as twelve hours, and gave evidences of utter exhaustion when the directors aroused them.
“Short Bull said: ‘I see the Messiah coming from the West. He is riding in a plain-wagon drawn by two mules and looks very much like a black man. If he is our Messiah we are greatly fooled. Now I see him again, and he is an Indian. Ah! wait; I see him the third time, and he is a white man. He tells me to send my children to school, to make large farms, and not to fight any more. Do not fight, my children, unless the soldiers first fire upon you.’
“People were so excited they trembled all over, their eyes rolled, and the muscles of their faces twitched. They were the most crazy Indians I ever beheld.”
The dancing continued for nearly thirty hours; then there was an intermission of several hours, during which a council was held in order to give audience to the friendlies. Short Bull and Two Strike (his real name is Nompagahpa, and a literal translation is, “Knocks down Two”), aided by Crow Dog, championed the cause of the hostiles, while No Neck and Louis Shangraux spoke on behalf of the friendlies. Louis does not remember what he said in the first council, but the substance of his remarks could be put into one sentence:
“The Agent will forgive you if you will return now, give you more rations, but not permit you to dance.”
Short Bull’s (Tatankaptecelan) reply was so forcible as to remain in Louis’s memory in the exact words of the speaker, and ran as follows:
“I have risen today to tell you something of importance. You have heard the words of the brothers from the agency camps, and if you have done as myself, you have weighed them carefully. If the Great Father would permit us to continue the dance, would give more rations, and quit taking away portions of the reservation, I would be in favor of returning. But even if you (turning to Louis) say that he will, how can we know whether you are telling the truth? We have been lied to so many times that we will not believe any words that your Agent sends to us. If we return he will take away our guns and ponies, put some of us in jail for stealing cattle and plundering houses. We prefer to stay here and die, if necessary, to loss of liberty. We are free now and have plenty of beef, can dance all the time in obedience to the command of the Great Wakantanka. We tell you to return to your Agent and say to him that the Dakotas in the Bad Lands are not going to come in.”
No Neck rejoined:
“Think, my people, how foolish is this action! Do come in, and all will be well; remain out here and you will be killed.”