that they threw
aside their blankets, rations, whatever they might drop. They lost
several ponies and two warriors besides the young chief, but they won
the race and were in their reservation by noon!

Here they hid their guns and their ammunition, washed off their paint;
and when at seven o'clock that evening General Merritt's tired column
filed in, they were strolling about, in their fresh blankets, perfectly
peaceful.

Nevertheless, they and all the other Indians on the reservation were
keen to see Pa-he-haska, the white man who had killed the skillful
young chief Yellow Hand in single combat. They followed Buffalo Bill
about, admiringly. Yellow Hand's father, old Cut Nose, a head chief,
offered four mules in exchange for Yellow Hand's war bonnet, shield and
arms; but that was not to be. Buffalo Bill saved them, and used them
on the stage.

[1] For the story of Sitting Bull, see "Boys' Book of Indian Warriors."

CHAPTER XXIII

THE "SIBLEY SCOUT" (1876)

A FAMOUS ARMY TALE

Meanwhile General Crook and his main column were in camp upon Goose
Creek at the head-waters of the Tongue River, at the east base of the
Big Horn Mountains and Cloud Peak, northern Wyoming. They had come
here from Fort Fetterman, in the southeast, and were impatiently
waiting for their wagon-train and for General Merritt.

The Gray Fox's northward march to meet General Terry had been stopped
by the Sioux in the Battle of the Rosebud, fought June 17. The Chief
Crazy Horse warriors had proved very strong. General Crook rather
believed that he did not have a force large enough to break through to
find the principal villages of Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse, or to join
General Terry, in the Rosebud country south of the Yellowstone River;
so with his wounded he had fallen back from southern Montana into
northern Wyoming. Here he waited for supplies and reinforcements.

Up to July 10 he did not know that General Custer and almost half the
Seventh Cavalry had been killed, to a man; but he felt that, with the
Sioux so bold, something was happening.

His column was composed of five troops of the Second Cavalry, ten
troops of the Third Cavalry, two companies of the Fourth Infantry, and
three companies of the Ninth Infantry: about one thousand soldiers.
The Sioux had attacked him; they were more than he expected; things did
not look good to the Gray Fox.

This waiting was vexatious as well as tiresome. General Crook was a
fi