des pushed ahead as
rapidly as by daylight, yet with ever increasing caution. Suddenly one
of the Osages signalled for a halt, averring that he smelled fire. The
scouts dismounted and crept forward, discovering a small campfire,
deserted but still smouldering, in a strip of timber. Careful
examination made it certain that this fire must have been kindled by
Indian boys, herding ponies during the day, and probably meant that the
village was very close at hand. The Osage guides and the two white
scouts again picked up the trail, the cavalry advancing slowly some
distance behind. Custer, accompanied by Hamlin, rode a yard to the
rear and joined the scouts, who were cautiously feeling their way up a
slight declivity.

The Osage in advance crept through the snow to the crest of the ridge
and looked carefully down into the valley below. Instantly his hand
went up in a gesture of caution and he hurriedly made his cautious way
back to where Custer sat his horse waiting.

"What is it? What did you see?"

"Heap Injuns down there!"

The General swung down from his saddle, motioned the Sergeant to
follow, and the two men crept to the crest and looked over. The dim
moonlight was confusing, while the shadow of timber rendered everything
indistinct. Yet they were able to make out a herd of ponies,
distinguished the distant bark of a dog and the tinkle of a bell.
Without question this was the Indians' winter camp, and they had
reached it undiscovered. Custer glanced at his watch--the hour was
past midnight. He pressed Hamlin's sleeve, his lips close to the
Sergeant's ear.

"Creep back, and bring my officers up here," he whispered. "Have them
take off their sabres."

As they crept, one after the other, to where he lay in the snow, the
General, whose eyes had become accustomed to the moon-gleam, pointed
out the location of the village and such natural surroundings as could
be vaguely distinguished. The situation thus outlined in their minds,
they drew silently back from the crest, leaving there a single Osage
guide on guard, and returned to the waiting regiment, standing to horse
less than a mile distant. Custer's orders for immediate attack came
swiftly, and Hamlin, acting as his orderly, bore them to the several
commands. The entire force was slightly in excess of eight hundred
men, and there was every probability that the Indians outnumbered them
five to one. Scouts had reported to Sheridan that this camp of Bl