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Show 164 REPORT OF THE COMBfI88IONEB OF INDIAN AWAIRB. On April 29 I ordered Qook brought to the agency, the police starting after him on the 30th. Instaad of coming in quietly, about twenty of the worstelementon the Rosebud came in with him. They refused to go into the council mom when told to do so, saying that they could talk outside on the prairie. They were then outside in front of the office, and were all armed. A short diabnce away Roach, a son of Killa Ni-ght.. fi red a revolver, whereupon this amed band charg- ed down upon the w- ncv... with their horse3 runniug their faatest. This fact aloneshowed theirevil intentions. * * * Tho wife of Whitc walked up and down the line, eayinc that if an? of the men ransbe would push them back. -8he was baring arm; supposed to belong to her hushand and to Crook, her son. Cmok was reported to have said that the Great Father in heaven had directed him to procure the blanket he was then wearing-* , bright red one--which wa bullet-proof. * * * There are about forty, probably, of these Indians who are firm believem in Porou-pine and hi8 power, and they are, of course, the worst ones to do anything with in the way of advancing them, for they will pay no attention to what they are told after they get out of sight. I am still of the opinion that thebest interests of the Northern Cheyennes and the service would be subserved by the removal of at least Porcupine and Crook from the rwmeand their being held in custody until such time as they are thorouahly cured of their hgerous ideas. This man Porcupine is a smooth talker and a cunning Indian. Crook is a yoanger man and easily led, and he has been in trouble before. * * * June 27,1900, Agent Clifford reported that Porcupine had left the reservation without permission, taking with him several of his follow-ers; that it was said he had gone to visit the '' Great Messiah," and that the party ought to be arrested and returned to the reservation. About two weeks later he advised the o5ce that the destination of Porcupine was the Fort Hall Reservation, Idaho, where he no doubt intended to inculcate his doctrines. The Fort Hall agent was there-fore instructed to keep the o5ce fully advised as to the movements of this fanatic. in order that if he attempted to make trouble among the Bannocks at Fort Hall he could be properly dealt with. August 1,1900, the Tongue River agent forwarded to this o5ce the formal proceedings of a council held July 26,1900, with the Indians under his charge and signed by 328 &'headmen and members of the Northern Cheyenne Indians." They condemned the disrespectful lan-guage used against Inspector McLaughlin by a few of Porcupine's band, and said: "Porcupine has been for years tryin& to lead the young men on the road which has made trouble for us, and if he is not stopped we fear trouble will come as soon as he returns." They earnestly requested that Porcupine be taken away from the reservation and put "in prison at some place far away for two or three years, until he learns some sense and quits his Messiah teachings and attempts at ghost dancing." October 10,1900, the agent reported that, with the cooperation of the agents of the Fort Hall and Shoshoni agencies, Porcupine and party had been arrested among the Bannocks in Idaho and brought back to the Tongue River Agency under charge of the Indian po!ice, "with-out seeing the ' Great Messiah' or even aecuring the ' medicine arrows' |