We followed it for several days.

From the number of campfires we passed we could see that we were gaining on the Sioux.
Wherever they had camped we found the print of a woman's shoe.

This made us all the more eager to overtake them, for it was plain that they had a white woman as their captive.
All the best horses were selected by the general, and orders were given for a forced march.

The wagon-train was to follow as rapidly as possible, while the command pushed on ahead.
I was ordered to pick out five or six of the best Pawnees and proceed in advance of the command, keeping ten or twelve miles ahead, so that when the Indians were overtaken we could learn the location of their camp, and give the troops the required information in time to plan an effective attack.
When we were ten miles in advance of the regiment we began to move cautiously.

We looked carefully over the summits of the hills before exposing ourselves to observation from the front.