“Good idea,” Falcon said. “I well remember Myles Keogh. He was a good man, and a good officer.”
After the gate guard was shown their commissioning papers, he saluted, then pointed across the quadrangle to the headquarters building. There were several soldiers out in the quadrangle going through various drills. On one side were a group of black soldiers, and on the other a group of white soldiers.
“The Ninth and Sixth Cavalry share the post,” Cody explained.
Once inside the headquarters building, the adjutant showed them in to the office of the post commander, who was also the commanding officer of the Sixth Cavalry.
“Buffalo Bill Cody, I can’t tell you how pleased we are to have you visiting us,” Colonel Whitehead said.
“Thank you, Colonel,” Cody replied. “May I introduce my friends? This is Falcon MacCallister, and this is Prentiss Ingraham.”
“Falcon MacCallister,” Whitehead said. “You were at the fight at Little Big Horn, weren’t you?”
“Yes,” Falcon said. “I was actually looking for a couple of lost Gatling guns, but wound up with Reno during the fight.”
“Ahh, there is someone here you should see,” Whitehead said. He held up his finger, as if telling Falcon to wait for a moment, then he stepped to the door and spoke to his adjutant. “Mike, would you have the CO of the Ninth come to my office, please?”
“Yes, sir,” the young lieutenant replied.
“We are sort of a forgotten post here,” Colonel Whitehead said, continuing the conversation. “We don’t get many guests, especially guests of your caliber. How long will you be here?”
“Just long enough to catch a boat down to Sheridan,” Cody said.
“Good, that means you will be here for three days at least, for it will be that long until the next boat leaves. Have you a place to stay while you are here?”
“We thought we would get rooms in the hotel,” Cody said.
“Ha. Lots of luck with that,” Colonel Whitehead replied. “Chances are there won’t even be one room available, since the boat passengers stay there until the boat leaves. And even if you could get a room, believe me, it is little better than sleeping in a stable. We can put you up here on the post.”
“We don’t want to intrude.”
“You won’t be intruding. We have enough vacant rooms in the bachelor officers’ quarters to accommodate all three of you. You are welcome to them.”
“Thank you, that is very decent of you.”
“Oh! And tomorrow night, we will have a dance in your honor.”
“Colonel, please don’t go to any trouble on our part,” Cody said.
“Trouble? Believe me, Colonel Cody, it’s no trouble. It is an honor and a privilege. And I know the ladies have been wanting to hold another dance. This will be the perfect opportunity to do so. This is difficult duty here for all of us, isolated as we are, but it is particularly difficult for the ladies.”
There was a knock on the door, and looking toward it, Falcon saw Fred Benteen.
“You sent for me, Colonel?”
“Yes, Major, you have an old friend here I thought you might like to see. Colonel Falcon MacCallister.”
Benteen looked over at Falcon. “I thought your colonel’s rank was temporary from the State of Colorado.”
“It was, then,” Falcon said. “Now I have another temporary rank, this time from the U.S. Army. I see you have been promoted to major.”
“What are you doing here?”
“We’re just passing through,” Falcon said.
“But they are going to be here for a few days,” Colonel Whitehead said. “I have asked them to stay in the BOQ. The ladies will be planning a dance for tomorrow night, and they will be our special guests.”
“I’m sure the ladies will appreciate that,” Benteen said. “Colonel, I must get back to my men. I’ll see you tomorrow night.”
The dance the next evening was held at the Suttler’s Store. For twelve officers, there were six wives present, as well as Colonel Whitehead’s daughter, who was eighteen. Of the thirty non-commissioned officers assigned to the base, there were thirteen wives present. In addition, there were two unmarried laundresses. That meant that, for the dance, there were forty-five men and twenty women. Every woman’s dance card was full.
Falcon danced once with Mrs. Whitehead, once with Elaine, Colonel Whitehead’s daughter, and once with the wife of one of the NCOs. Bill Cody and Prentiss Ingraham were much more active, dancing nearly every dance with the ladies who thought it a great thrill to dance with someone as famous as they both were.
For the most part, Falcon sat at a table with Colonel Whitehead, who graciously allowed his wife to dance with all the soldiers, officers and NCOs who did not have wives of their own.
“Did Sitting Bull shed any light on this Spirit Talking business?” Colonel Whitehead asked.
“Nothing that we didn’t already know,” Falcon said.
“Mean to His Horses is bad news. I suppose you heard about the Kennedy massacre?”
“Yes.”
“Roman Nose, Crazy Horse, Tall Bull, none of them were as brutal to civilians as Mean to His Horses has been.”
