“Sergeant Major Coletrain would be quite capable of mounting a defense if it became necessary,” Benteen said.
“What I want to know is when are you going to go out to that village and clean it out?” one of the men in the audience shouted.
“And just what village would that be?” Benteen asked.
“Hell, you know what village. I’m talkin’ about that nest of crows that’s between here and Yellowstone.”
“I don’t believe that the Crow are our enemy,” Benteen said.
“What do you mean they ain’t our enemy? Didn’t they kill the Barlow family? Ever’ last one of ’em?”
“Indians may have killed the Barlow family . . .” Benteen started, but he was interrupted in mid-sentence.
“What do you mean may have kilt ’em? If you had seen ’em strapped to boards in front of the hardware store, you wouldn’t of said may have. They was all butchered up, exactly the way Injuns do it.”
“Even if it was Indians who killed them, there is no proof that it was Crow. And even if it was Crow Indians, chances are that it was no more than one or two renegades. I just do not believe that the Crow are our enemy.”
“Then who is? Sioux?”
“More than likely it is Mean to His Horses and a few renegades, mostly Cheyenne, though I am willing to admit that he may have attracted Indians from some of the other bands as well.”
“So, what do you plan to do about it?” Bellefontaine asked.
“Our first duty is to provide safety for the town of DeMaris Springs,” Benteen said.
“The best way you can do that is to go after the Injuns and take care of them,” one of the others said.
“I agree,” Benteen said. “It is my intention to establish a very aggressive pattern of scouting. If we find armed Indians wandering around off the reservations, we will deal with them.”
“You’re making a mistake,” Bellefontaine said. “The first thing you should do is attack the Crow Indian village near Yellowstone. Run them completely out of here, back up into Montana somewhere. Then, with that taken care of, you can start your scouting.”
“Thank you, Mr. Bellefontaine,” Benteen replied. “But I am in command, and I will conduct the military operation as I see fit.”
After the meeting broke up, Benteen invited Falcon, Cody, and Ingraham to the bivouac area of his two companies. There they had lunch together, and Benteen discussed his plans with them.
“I intend to send out a couple of scouts in strength,” Benteen said. “I shall want one element to go down to the Graybull River, then follow it up to the Big Horn River. The other group will follow the Stinking Water River up to the Big Horn. Colonel Cody, if you would, I would like you to act as guide for the men who will take the Graybull scout. Colonel MacCallister, if you are agreeable to it, I would like you to act as guide for the group that will take the Stinking Water River scout. Proceed to the Big Horn, then go south until you effect a rendezvous with Colonel Cody, who will be coming north. If for some reason you do not effect the rendezvous then that will probably mean that the other detail is engaged, in which case I want you to continue on until you do make contact.”
“All right,” Falcon agreed.
“Colonel, MacCallister, I will send Sergeant Major Coletrain with you. Colonel Cody, Lieutenant Bond will be with you.”
“Very good,” Cody said.
“I will flip a coin to see which of you I will accompany,” Ingraham said.
“I’m not sure having a civilian along is such a good idea,” Benteen said. “I don’t want any of my men to be distracted by having to look out for you.”
“Major, I will speak for Mr. Ingraham,” Cody said. “He has been in battle all over the world. He is more likely to be looking out for the soldiers than to have one of them looking out for him.”
“Very well, if you say so,” Benteen said.
Ingraham flipped the coin, then looked at Cody and smiled. “I’m going with you,” he said.
“Aren’t I the lucky one?” Cody replied, but his smile ameliorated the response.
“Trumpeter?” Benteen called.
“Yes, sir?”
“Would you please get Lieutenant Bond and the Sergeant Major and ask them to come to my tent?”
“Yes, sir.”
As the trumpeter left to perform his mission, Benteen turned back to the others. “I see no reason for delay,” he said. As soon as Bond and Coletrain arrive, I will instruct them to put together their scout. I think twenty men each will be sufficient. If you encounter an Indian force larger than that, don’t engage, but keep an eye on them. Send one courier back here and another to the other scout platoon. That way we can strike them with maximum force.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
After the meeting, Bellefontaine asked Sam Davis and Lee Regret to come to his office.
“This isn’t working out the way it was supposed to,” Bellefontaine said. “If the soldiers don’t drive the Crow out
