rtermaster's agent will ever circulate any more false stories about
me."

"No," said the general; "he hasn't recovered yet from the beating you
gave him."

When the command reached the north fork of the Beaver, I rode down the
valley toward the stream, and discovered a large fresh Indian trail. I
found tracks scattered all over the valley and on both sides of the
creek, as if a large village had recently passed that way. I estimated
there could not be less than four hundred lodges, or between
twenty-five hundred and three thousand warriors, women, and children in
the band.

When I reported my discovery to General Carr, he halted his regiment,
and, after consulting a few minutes, ordered me to select a ravine, or
as low ground as possible, so that the troops might be kept out of
sight of the Indians until we could strike the creek.

We went into camp on the Beaver. The general ordered Lieutenant Ward to
take twelve men and myself and follow up the trail for several miles.
Our orders were to find out how fast the Indians were traveling. I soon
made up my mind by the frequency of their camps that they were moving
slowly, hunting as they journeyed.

After we had scouted about twelve miles, keeping our horses well
concealed under the bank of the creek, Ward and I left our horses and
crept to a high knoll where there was a good view for some distance
down-stream. As we looked over the summit of the hill we saw a whole
Indian village, not three miles away. Thousands of ponies were grazing
on the prairie. To our left, on the opposite side of the creek, two or
three parties of Indians were coming in, laden with buffalo meat.

"This is no place for us, Lieutenant," said I. "I think we have
business at the camp which must be attended to as soon as possible."

"I agree with you," he returned. "The quicker we get there the better."

We came down the hill as fast as we could and joined our men.
Lieutenant Ward hurriedly wrote a note and sent it to General Carr by a
corporal. As the man started away on a gallop Ward said: "We will
march, slowly back until we meet the troops. I think General Carr will
soon be here."

A minute or two later we heard shots in the direction taken by our
courier. Presently he came flying back around the bend of the creek,
with three or four Indians in hot pursuit. The lieutenant, with his
squad of soldiers, charged upon them. They turned and ran across the
stream.

"This will not do," said Ward