ntic and had withstood charge after charge
ten times as determined. Most unluckily for Lo the infantry company was
armed with the new Springfield breech-loader, and when the band came
exultantly on, having, as they supposed, drawn the fire when full four
hundred yards away, they were confounded by the lively crackle and
sputter of rifles along the timber in front of them, toppling many a
dashing warrior to earth and strewing the ground with slaughtered
ponies. That charge failed, but they rallied in furious force. There
were only forty soldiers: they had five hundred braves, so on they came
again from three different points, and again did Powell's sheltered blue
coats scatter them like red autumn leaves before the storm. Thrice and
four times did they essay to stampede the soldiers and sweep off their
own dead and wounded, and each time were they soundly thrashed, thanks
to cool courage and the new breech-loaders. And Red Cloud, cursing his
medicine men, drew off his baffled braves and the hills that night
resounded to their vengeful war-whoops and echoed back the wailing of
the Indian women mourning over the slain. "All well enough so far,
lads," cried Folsom, when he heard the news. "Machpealota is unmasked.
It's war to the knife now, so for God's sake send all the troops you can
muster to the aid of those already up there in the Big Horn. Next time
he hits he'll have all the Northern Sioux at his back, you mark my
words!"

But, who the devil is John Folsom? said the Bureau again. Arrest Red
Cloud. Bring his band in prisoners, were the orders to the agents, and
the agents called for troops to go and do their bidding. It's one thing,
as I've had occasion to say before, to stand off with breech-loaders a
thousand Indians armed only with old percussion cap muskets, squirrel
rifles, bows, clubs and lances; it's another thing for soldiers armed
even with the best the market affords, to march into an Indian position
and arrest an Indian chief. There were not soldiers enough north of the
Platte to do it, and the War Department knew it if the Bureau didn't.
Hence the mustering in force along the river, and the mounting in hot
haste of perhaps ten more troops and companies, nowhere near enough for
the work in hand, but all the nation had within a month's march that
could possibly be spared from other work and work more important.

And there was wrath at Emory, where the colonel found himself ordered to
send all his transporta