Fortune favored and he arrived the night before the cavalry orders were to return to the spot near the present Miles City, where Fort Keogh was established.
As he had expected, he received orders that sent him once more into the far country, and his mission, though of a far different nature, led to a series of adventures rivaling any in his experience.
The officer in command of the detachment was glad to receive the prisoner Price, who had once slipped through the army’s fingers, and that Bloody Ike would receive just deserts, after a civil trial, there could be no doubt.
But this particular detachment could not well foresee rapidly approaching events, which not only robbed it of its prisoners, but several of its officers and men of their freedom.
Buffalo Bill’s present order, to offer Sitting Bull and his chiefs one more chance, had been obeyed, and his report was on its way to Washington.
Before the scout took up his next work, he determined to return to Bozeman, and on the way to pay a visit to the Averys and Coreys, and see that the boy, “Little Buffalo Bill,” was safe with his parents.
Old Nomad, Cayuse, Avery, and young Corey expected to make the trip to Avery’s ranch in three days, but in a set-to with a small band of Indians, the trapper was knocked from the saddle by a bullet and Hide-rack galloped away with three Indians in pursuit.
The trapper was not seriously injured, the bullet just grazing along the scalp, but he felt deeply the loss of his famous horse. Nomad determined to recover the horse, if possible. He ordered the party into camp immediately, in a rock-bound gully, which could be easily defended, and then, on Bear Paw, set out alone to recover his horse.
It was late in the afternoon when the trapper parted from his comrades, and he promised to be back before daylight the following morning, whether he recovered Hide-rack or not.