reat
renegade bands gathering under Crazy Horse and Gall to reinforce Sitting
Bull, Hawk had held aloof. "The people of Red Cloud," said he, "have no
grounds for war. The Great Father has done everything he promised them
and more," and Red Cloud called him dastard and squaw; but when an
Indian girl was missing from her lodge, and the gossips told how she had
been lured by a white soldier to the distant banks of the Laramie, Hawk
rode thither, rode into the presence of the post commander and told her
story and his, and found and brought her back to her people. He strove
to find the man for whose sake she had abandoned her father's lodge and
forfeited her good name. Hawk well knew how futile was her trust that
the white chief would ever claim her as his wife, but among so many
comrades he was concealed, and Hawk left his message. Sooner or later
his people should find the white man who had wrought the wrong and his
days were numbered. Every knife in all his band was whetted for that
particular scalp. And now again, when Indian blood had been fired by the
insult to the son of White Wolf, he stepped forward to interpose between
his people and the fury of the Great Father's man. He had repressed, not
incited the wrath of his brothers, but the agent in authority ruled
otherwise and demanded his surrender. His people would have fought to
save him. He would suffer willingly rather than that one drop of blood
should be spilt on his account. Refusing Red Dog's clamorous offer,
Thunder Hawk mounted his pony and, despite the wails and lamentations of
his village, rode forth in calm dignity to meet the coming soldiery, to
offer in silent submission his hands to the clinch of the steel.

The recall had sounded at the cantonment, and mounted orderlies had
galloped out to bring in such troops as might have trotted too far away
for the sound. The infantry battalion, practising skirmish drill, had
quickly rallied, re-formed, and was marched within the log walls to
exchange blank for ball cartridge and await orders. The four cavalry
troops galloped back to their stables and dismounted, while their
officers gathered about the major commanding. Cranston to him had
briefly recounted the story of the excitement as he had heard it from
McPhail's lips. "I am bound to say, sir," said he, "that Mr. Davies did
not seem to agree with the agent in either his statements or his
conclusions. He considers the agent to have been the aggressor, and if
he