and one company of
the Second Cavalry. The infantry was mostly recruits. Their guns were
old style muzzle loaders; but the band had the new Spencer
breech-loaders.

He asked for better guns and more ammunition. The Government was not
certain that the Sioux could do much against soldiers of a country
which had just been trained by a four years' war, and Carrington was
left to prove it.

Chief Red Cloud had his first chance to prove the opposite on December
6. He had been amusing his warriors by letting them gallop past the
fort and shout challenges to the soldiers to come out and fight; then
when the cannon shot at them, they dodged the shells--but did not
always succeed.

The big guns that shot twice surprised them.

On the morning of December 6 Red Cloud struck in earnest, and had
planned to strike hard. He had a line of signal flags seven miles
long, by which to direct his army. Then he sent a company to attack a
wood train.

The attack on the wood train brought the troops out of the fort. One
detachment of thirty-five cavalry and a few mounted infantry was
commanded by Captain William J. Fetterman. He was very anxious to
fight Indians; in fact, the officers all had set their hearts upon
"taking Red Cloud's scalp."

Captain Fetterman rescued the wagon train, by chasing the Sioux away;
but in about five miles Red Cloud faced his men about and closed. It
was an ambuscade. The troopers of the cavalry were stampeded, and the
captain found himself, with two other officers and a dozen men,
surrounded by yelling warriors.

Colonel Carrington arrived just in time to save him; but young
Lieutenant H. S. Bingham of the Second Cavalry was killed, and so was
Sergeant Bowers.

When Captain Fetterman had returned to the fort he had changed his mind
regarding the prowess of the Sioux, whom he had thought to be only
robbers.

"I have learned a lesson," he remarked. "This Indian war has become a
hand-to-hand fight, and requires great caution. I'll take no more
risks like that of today!"

Red Cloud was not satisfied. His warriors had not done exactly as he
had told them to do. He bided his time.

On the morning of December 21 he was again ready. His men were
stationed, waiting for a wood train to appear. It appeared, starting
out to chop timber in the pine woods, and haul the logs to the fort.

It was an unusually strong train--a number of heavy wagons, and ninety
armed men.

Red Cloud let it get abo