They had discovered that the hostiles were entrenched upon a high plateau, to which only a few passes led, and which they had fortified. The force of the hostiles they could not get an estimate of. Kit Carey sat down, and wrote a note to the nearest commanding officer of the military forces marching forward to hem the Sioux in, and stated what he had done with his Indian police, about where the different squads were stationed, and that he would report any move of the hostiles. He also made known the fact that a settler, Vance Bernard, had refused to leave his home, and had within easy reach of the Indians, should they make a raid upon him, all that could tempt them to pillage and destroy, a well furnished house, filled store-rooms, grain, horses and cattle, while his wife, daughter, and son, comprised the household. "It might be well," the letter continued, "to send an officer and force to remove Settler Bernard and his family from their home, thus preventing a tragedy which will be sure to follow their remaining there, or, at least, to send a troop to camp upon the place." Having written this Kit Carey felt that he had done all he could to force Vance Bernard from the danger his stubbornness kept him in. Kit determined to place his own men in a position, just between the settler's home and the hostiles' retreat, and to draw from the different squads several men, so as to enlarge the party that could, at least, serve as a small barrier to the Sioux making a raid in that direction. Sending his courier off with his report, Kit ordered the others to a suitable point, which he had observed on his ride there, and then started for his next post. This was reached in a couple of hours, and two men were sent to reinforce the squad that was encamped between the Bad Lands and the Bernard home. The third squad was next visited, and from this, too, men were drawn for the party nearest the Bernard ranch, and the news gleaned by his scouts here caused another courier to be dispatched to Colonel Forsythe's command. This Indian courier bore the information that the Sioux chief, Big Foot, with his band, were encamped on Wounded Knee Creek, and expecting to remain there as an advance post of the hostiles, unless driven on into the main retreat in the Bad Lands. The report ended with the words: "I shall take two Indian scouts with me to-night, and send a more definite report of Big Foot's intention, if I can discover it, and the possibility of surrounding him before he can join the others, or do any mischief." The courier departed for the command of Colonel Forsythe, the three men selected went off to join the squad near the Bernard ranch, and Kit Carey and a couple of his Indian scouts went off toward Wounded Knee Creek, leaving but three of the redskin guards on duty at that point to watch the hostiles. FOOTNOTES: [Footnote 2: Called irregular cavalry in the army.] CHAPTER XV. THE OFFICER-SPY.