"Go back to the north and west, where you belong," said Auberry. "You
have no business here on the wagon trails."
"The Sioux hunt where they please," was the grim answer. "But you see we
have our women and children with us, the same as you have--and he
pointed toward our camp, doubtless knowing the personnel of our party as
well as we did ourselves.
"Where are you going?" asked our interpreter.
The Sioux waved his arm vaguely. "Heap hunt," he said, in broken English
now. "Where you go?" he asked, in return.
Auberry was also a diplomat, and answered that we were going a half
sleep to the west, to meet a big war party coming down the Platte, the
white men from Laramie.
The Indian looked grave at this. "Is that so?" he asked, calmly. "I had
not any word from my young men about a war party coming down the river.
Many white tepees on wheels going up the river; no soldiers coming down
this way."
"We are going on up to meet our soldiers," said Auberry, sternly. "The
Sioux have killed some of our men below here. We shall meet our soldiers
and come and wipe the Sioux off the land if they come into the valley
where our great road runs west."
"That is good," said the Sioux.
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