"Yes, I received your communication yesterday morning, and I feel that we shall capture Big Foot's band before nightfall."
"You will, sir; he is preparing to join the hostiles, and you will have to surround him to capture his braves, as they will make a break, sir, if they discover you are in pursuit of them."
"Major Whiteside, with the first battalion, is already flanking them, and will cut them off before noon."
"Then their capture is assured, sir. They are out of provisions, and the warriors are desperate, while the squaws and children are in an ugly mood. Red Hatchet, who is also a medicine chief, and has a band of able young bucks in the Bad Lands, reached Big Foot's camp last night, and he is using his whole powers of oratory to make them fight. Finding what they intended doing, I slipped out of the camp and came to report to you, sir."
"You did well, Lieutenant Carey; but you took terrible chances in going into Big Foot's camp, good as is your disguise."
"I speak Sioux fairly well, sir, and have practiced playing Indian before," was the modest response, followed by the words:
"I would like to remain with you, sir, until I knew Big Foot and his band were in your hands, for then I can dismiss his force from my mind when I return to my post."
"I shall be glad of your assistance, Carey, I assure you," courteously replied Colonel Forsythe, and after having located the exact position of Big Foot, from a few words with Kit Carey, he turned to the commander of K troop, and said:
"Captain Wallace, you will move on again with the advance, and we must keep near enough to be within call of Major Whiteside, for you remember how Big Foot escaped from Colonel Sumner, and this time there must be no mistake."
"No, sir, there shall not be," said Captain Wallace, as he saluted and rode again to the front, where his troops pressed on toward Porcupine Creek, where it was hoped Major Whiteside would corral the cunning Indian chief.