An' General Terry says t' our Old Man--don't forget we just called him that; General Custer was only thirty-eight years old--Terry says, 'You take your Seventh men an' scout ahead an' let Charlie Reynolds go ahead o' you.' 'Cause everybody knowed that Charlie Reynolds savvied Injuns an' Injun ways better'n any white man that ever lived--him that was known as 'Lonesome Charlie.' "An' Terry he says t' Custer, our Old Man, 'When you get t' th' Little Big Horn country you wait for me, as I'm travelin' heavy.

I'll be four days makin' it.' "An' again says Terry t' our Old Man: 'If you see any Injuns in force, halt an' stay there till I come up, but don't start any fight unless they force it on you, an' if they do force it on you, fight on th' defensive'-- which, as you all know, is backin' up.

'Fight on th' defensive till I come up with you, an' then we'll give 'em hell.' "Our Old Man he said, 'You bet,' an' we left.
"General Custer he was in command, and Colonel Benteen an' Major Reno was his officers.

After doin' twenty or thirty miles in th' saddle, we was sure a s'prised bunch o' rookies when we didn't stop.

We didn't stop.