Next morning the chiefs and warriors assembled according to orders, and to them was stated the object of my visit.  They were asked: 

“Do you know who this man is?”

“Yes, we know him well,” replied one, “that is Pa-he-haska,” (that being my name among the Sioux, which translated means “Long Hair”) “that is our old enemy,” a great many of the Indians, who were with Spotted Tail at this time, had been driven out of the Republican country.

“That is he,” said Spotted Tail.  “I want all my people to be kind to him and treat him as my friend.”

I noticed that several of them were looking daggers at me.  They appeared as if they wished to raise my hair then and there.  Spotted Tail motioned and I followed him into his lodge, and thereupon the Indians dispersed.  Having the assurance of Spotted Tail that none of the young men would follow me I started back for the Red Willow, arriving the second night.

There I found Captain Egan with a company of the Second Cavalry and a wagon train loaded with tents, grain, provisions, etc.  The men were leveling off the ground and were making preparations to put up large wall tents for the Grand Duke Alexis and his suite, and for General Sheridan, his staff and other officers, and invited guests of the party.  Proceeding to Fort McPherson I reported what had been done.  Thereupon Quartermaster Hays selected from the five or six hundred horses in his charge, seventy-five of the very best, which were sent to the Red Willow, to be used by Alexis and his party at the coming hunt.  In a day or two a large supply of provisions, liquors, etc., arrived from Chicago, together with bedding and furniture for the tents; all of which were sent over to Camp Alexis.

[Illustration:  GRAND DUKE ALEXIS.]

At last, on the morning of the 12th of January, 1872, the Grand Duke and party arrived at North Platte by special train; in charge of a Mr. Francis Thompson.  Captain Hays and myself, with five or six ambulances, fifteen or twenty extra saddle-horses and a company of cavalry under Captain Egan, were at the depot in time to receive them.  Presently General Sheridan and a large, fine-looking young man, whom we at once concluded to be the Grand Duke came out of the cars and approached us.  General Sheridan at once introduced me to the Grand Duke as Buffalo Bill, for he it was, and said that I was to take charge of him and show him how to kill buffalo.

In less than half an hour the whole party were dashing away towards the south, across the South Platte and towards the Medicine; upon reaching which point we halted for a change of horses and a lunch.  Resuming our ride we reached Camp Alexis in the afternoon.  General Sheridan was well pleased with the arrangements that had been made and was delighted to find that Spotted Tail and his Indians had arrived on time.  They were objects of great curiosity to the Grand Duke, who spent considerable time in looking at them, and watching their exhibitions of horsemanship, sham fights, etc.  That evening the Indians gave the grand war dance, which I had arranged for.