The commander of the post
demanded that the murderers be given up. The chiefs said that they were
very sorry, that this could not be done, but that they were willing to
pay over any reasonable number of ponies to make amends for the death.
This offer was of course promptly refused, and the commander notified
them that if they did not surrender the murderers by a certain time he
would hold the whole tribe responsible and would promptly move out and
attack them. Upon this the chiefs, after holding full counsel with
the tribe, told the commander that they had no power to surrender the
murderers, but that the latter had said that sooner than see their tribe
involved in a hopeless struggle they would of their own accord come
in and meet the troops anywhere the latter chose to appoint, and die
fighting. To this the commander responded: "All right; let them come
into the agency in half an hour." The chiefs acquiesced, and withdrew.
Immediately the Indians sent mounted messengers at speed from camp to
camp, summoning all their people to witness the act of fierce self-doom;
and soon the entire tribe of Cheyennes, many of them having their faces
blackened in token of mourning, moved down and took up a position on
the hill-side close to the agency.
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