526 The Book of Woodcraft 



they raided the settlements for a new supply. Against them 

 were four lines of soldiers, with railroads to keep them 

 supplied and the United States Treasury to draw on, and 

 yet this starving band of heroes fought them in two or three 

 pitched battles every week; fought them when nearly even; 

 eluded them when too strong; fooled them, and caring ever 

 for their wives and families, left all behind; and, at last, on 

 the fourth of October, the grand old warrior led his people 

 across the South Platte and on to the comparative haven of 

 the Niobrara Sandhills. 



This waterless waste of sand gave them a little respite 

 from the troops, but no chance to rest, or food to eat. They 

 must push on, subsisting on flesh of horses, sacrificed as they 

 had need. 



Fresh cordons of troops were made in the country north 

 of the Sandhills, and on the eighth of October army 

 scouts reported Indian signs near Hot Creek. 



On the thirteenth of October a small band of the fighters 

 raided a store and drove off a band of horses from a place 

 one mile east of Fort Robinson. These gave them new sup- 

 plies, but it also gave their enemies the trail, and four troops 

 of cavalry were at once sent to surround Crow Butte, the 

 Cheyenne camp. But the Indians were not caught nap- 

 ping, the next morning dawned to show only that they had 

 quietly passed all lines and were now far on the road to 

 Canada. 



Later it was learned that this was the larger part of the 

 band, but was under Little Wolf not Dull Knife. He safely 

 led them all, and escaped without the loss of a man to the 

 far north and found rest. 



This march is not excelled in the annals of warfare. It 

 covered a distance of more than one thousand miles in less 

 than fifty days, with a column encumbered with women and 

 children, every step of the trail contested by all the troops 



