SURROUNDED.
Colonel Forsythe, a man of indomitable pluck, and a skilled officer,
himself ready to do and dare anything for his country, gazed at the
painted face of Kit Carey with a look of considerable interest, for
well he knew that the young officer had not thus disguised, and I may
say disfigured himself, without some good reason.
To be thus in the costume and war-paint of a Sioux chief meant a great
deal for one of Kit Carey's record, and that record was pretty well
known in the army by his brother officers and men alike.
His career as a border boy, then his cadetship at West Point, followed
by his brilliant Indian campaigning in the Black Hills country, and
again fighting the Apaches, to be sent back to his old commander
and friend, Colonel Crandall, had made the name of Kit Carey, first
lieutenant of cavalry, a popular one in the army, and it was respected
by all who knew his record.
Now he had come to the front on special duty, and Colonel Forsythe had
no doubt but that he had already done good service.
"I will make my report, Colonel Forsythe, and then slip out of this
rig, and try and appear as a pale-face," said Kit Carey, amused at the
manner in which the colonel regarded him.
"You have been called a very handsome man, Carey, but, my word for it,
your best girl would deny the impeachment if she saw you now," Captain
Wallace said, with a laugh.
"If we could keep him in that make-up there would be more chance for us
homely fellows with the girls," muttered a handsome young lieutenant.
"I'll hear your report, Lieutenant Carey," Colonel Forsythe said, and
thus commanded the officer-spy responded:
"I disguised myself, sir, to enter the camp of Big Foot, feeling sure
that he was playing a double game. My orders, sir, were to take a squad
of Indian cavalry and scout thoroughly about the Bad Lands, and to
report to the different commanders the actions of the hostiles."
"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.
Having taken off his Indian togs, and bundled them up "for future
reference," as he said, and gotten rid of his war-paint, Kit Carey
reported for duty, looking very youthful without his long mustache,
which had been the envy of so many of his brother officers.
[Illustration: "'I do not bring you a Sioux prisoner, Colonel, but
Lieut. Kit Carey.'"
(See page 75)]
After a halt for breakfast the command moved on once more, and
Lieutenant Carey was sent on after Major Whiteside, to give him the
advantage of his knowledge of the country.
As Colonel Forsythe had expected, the first battalion headed Big Foot's
band off during the day, and the Sioux finding themselves corraled
wisely submitted.
The soldiers encamped to the north of the Indian tepees, while a line
of pickets was thrown out around the Sioux, and as Colonel Forsythe was
within easy reach no one anticipated trouble to follow.
When he found that Big Foot had hesitated too long to carry out his
plot, the daring young chief, Red Hatchet, began to plan deeper
mischief still.
He went to the tepee of the medicine chief, and the two talked long and
earnestly together through the night.
First one brave of prominence would be sent for to come to the medicine
tepee, and he would hear what the two had to say.
Then he would glide away in silence, and in the darkness seek another
warrior, mutter a few words, and he, too, would seek the medicine tepee.
Thus warrior after warrior went through the night to the tepee in which
Red Hatchet was planning a red deed of treachery to be carried out upon
the morrow.
"I don't half like that going one by one of warriors to the medicine
tepee. If Red Hatchet is in there he is plotting mischief, that is
certain," said Kit Carey to Captain Wallace, who met the lieutenant
coming from a closer inspection of the Indian camp than could be
obtained from the position occupied by the soldiers.