It being bright moonlight we could see each other very plainly, and we crawled right in among them, there being no order whatever in their camp.  When I came to where there were two lying with their backs together, I made up my mind that that was too good a chance for me to let pass; so I looked around to see if the boys had their men selected, and seeing that they had, and that they were all watching me and the Indians also, I raised to my feet, and placing my right foot between the two Indians, I aimed to sever the first one’s head from his body, which I came near doing, for he only just quivered after I struck him.  At that they all began the work of blood and death.

The second one I attacked I had to deal the second blow, as I also did the third one.  Up to this time I had not heard a word from any one of my companions, but there had been a continual ringing of sabres all around me.  Just as I had done up my last Indian George sprang to my side and said:  “Cap, we have got every one of them.”  We counted them and found that we had killed twenty-two, and after examining their blankets and other “traps,” we knew that we had got them all.

They had killed a fine buck deer during the day and had only cooked enough of it for their supper, so we had plenty of fresh meat, for a while, at least; so while George and some of the other scouts went for our horses, which were about a quarter of a mile from camp, the remainder of us built a fire and began roasting venison.  This was the first fresh meat we had on the trip.

The morning following we gathered up the horses and found we had twenty-two, and we started two of the men to headquarters with them, and also sent a message to Lieut.  Jackson to the effect that we were going in east of Black canyon to see what kind of a country it was.  We were out seven days longer, making ten days in all, but we did not make any new discovery.

When we returned to headquarters I learned that Lieut.  Jackson had received a dispatch from Gen. Crook, to the effect that he would soon be on with more supplies and men.

The Lieutenant advised me to work close to quarters, as the General was likely to be on any day, and said it was hard to tell what he would want to do when there.

CHAPTER XXXII.

Some men who were anxious for A fight and got it.—­Gen.  Crook at black canyon.—­Bad mistake of A good man.—­The victims.

After the events of the last chapter I remained in camp most of the time, and sent my assistants out in different directions, with orders to return the same day.

In ten days Gen. Crook made his appearance, with two companies of cavalry and one of infantry.