I estimated there could not be less than four hundred lodges, or between twenty-five hundred and three thousand warriors, women, and children in the band.
When I reported my discovery to General Carr, he halted his regiment, and, after consulting a few minutes, ordered me to select a ravine, or as low ground as possible, so that the troops might be kept out of sight of the Indians until we could strike the creek.
We went into camp on the Beaver.

The general ordered Lieutenant Ward to take twelve men and myself and follow up the trail for several miles.
Our orders were to find out how fast the Indians were traveling.

I soon made up my mind by the frequency of their camps that they were moving slowly, hunting as they journeyed.
After we had scouted about twelve miles, keeping our horses well concealed under the bank of the creek, Ward and I left our horses and crept to a high knoll where there was a good view for some distance down-stream.

As we looked over the summit of the hill we saw a whole Indian village, not three miles away.

Thousands of ponies were grazing on the prairie.