The inhabitants of Dakota (not then divided into the two present States) wished to open a highway through the Sioux reservation, and have it settled by white men. The work would have been of advantage to the Indians themselves. It was not hard to make them see this fact, and they seemed willing to sell their lands. All they wanted was that they should not be cheated, and if they had not been cheated, they never would have raised a hand against the United States. Negotiations went on for several years, until at last a new Commission, of which General Crook was chairman, persuaded the Sioux to sign a treaty by which they gave up about 11,000,000 acres of their reservation, reducing it one-half. The chiefs signed their names with misgiving. They had seen so much deception that they had grown suspicious, even though they were argued with by a leading military officer--a class who are always more honest than civilians. We hear of the Messiah craze about this time. It was the strange belief that the Great Spirit was soon coming to destroy the white people, and to give back the lands they had stolen from the Indians. The faith spread like wildfire, and seemed to rob nearly all the Sioux tribe of their senses. The bucks quickly reached that state of frenzy in which they were eager to attack the whites. To Sitting Bull this was the golden opportunity for which he had been waiting for years. He could turn the fanaticism of his people to his own account, and he determined to do so. He sent out his runners to the different branches of the Sioux. They made numerous converts everywhere. The heart of the old, brooding pagan must have glowed when he saw everything working out as he wished it to work. Very soon he would be able to launch his warriors against the settlements and agencies, and spread desolation and death among those whom he hated with unspeakable hatred. [Illustration: SITTING BULL] The camp of Sitting Bull was about forty miles southeast of the Pine Ridge Agency. In December, 1890, General Ruger telegraphed from St. Paul to Colonel Drum, commandant at Fort Yates, ordering him to arrest the chief. General Ruger wished to have the military and civil officers join in the act, but the agent believed less friction would follow if the matter was placed in the hands of the Indian police. These men, as the name shows are Indians. They are the sole agents of the Interior Department for the enforcement of its regulations, and for preserving the peace. They are taken from the best men, physically and mentally, and, though their pay is moderate, they have done fine service, and shown a bravery in many instances, which none of our own race could surpass.