532 The Book of Woodcraft 



January opened with very bitter weather. Six or eight 

 inches of snow covered the ground. The mercury daily 

 made long excursions below zero. Even the troops in 

 cantonment at Canby were suffering severely from the cold 

 — some with frozen feet and hands. It was all but impossi- 

 ble weather for marching. 



Nevertheless, on January 5th, Captain Wessells received 

 orders from the War Department to immediately start Dull 

 Knife's band, as quietly and peaceably as possible, and un- 

 der proper escort, on the march to Fort Reno, six hundred 

 miles away in the south! This was the decision of the 

 Indian Bureau, and the Secretary of War was requested to 

 have the decision immediately enforced. Hence the order 

 which reached Captain Wessells. 



Captain Wessells sent a guard to the barrack and had 

 Dull Knife, Old Crow, and Wild Hog brought into his pres- 

 ence at headquarters. On the arrival of the Indians a 

 council was held. Captain Wessells advised them of the 

 order of the Department that they were to return to the 

 Indian Territory. 



Dull Knife rose to reply. His whole figure trembled with 

 rage; his bronze cheeks assumed a deeper red; the fires of 

 suppressed passion blazed through his eyes until they glit- 

 tered with the ferocity of an enraged beast at bay. Never- 

 theless, he spoke slowly and almost calmly. He did not 

 have much to say. He made no threats or gestures. 



He said he had listened to what the Great Father had 

 ordered. It was the dearest wish of him and his people to 

 try to do what the Great Father desired, for they knew they 

 were helpless in his hands. But now the Great Father was 

 telHng them to do what they could not do — to try to march 

 to the Indian Territory in such weather. Many would be 

 sure to perish on the way, and those who reached the reser- 

 vation would soon fall victims to the fevers that had al- 



