The three horsemen jogged into camp, and it can hardly be stated who was the more impressed by the sight--John Ermine as he passed through the crowds of soldiers, or the soldiers as they looked at the bare-backed rider with the yellow braids and the glaring handkerchief. They had left their impedimenta with the worn-out ponies back in the hills with little hope of recovering them. The gathering men who had seen the chase gave tokens of their approval by yelling _Ki-yis_ in imitation of the Indians. "Say, Yellow, you're no brevet"--"You wa'n't crazy to wait for them Sioux"--"The general will feed you on mince-pie"--"You'll be a sergeant in the rag-bag troop," and other expressions numerous and 'uncooked' fell on their ears. Ermine felt embarrassed with the attention of so many people centred on him, but his face was cut to stand such shocks. His swift glances about the thronging camp began to illumine the "ten-thousand-men" proposition; he saw lines of tents, wagons without end, but no women; he would have to postpone that feast. The officer leading stopped in front of a tent around which many officers and men were standing or coming and going. He spoke to one who wore a big hat and a split blond beard, a man less pretentious in his garb than any about him, but whose eye arrested Ermine by the commanding keenness. Dismounting, the officer, saluting, said: "General Crook, these two men were just chased into camp by Indians. They say they are Crows, or at least from the Crows, and they want to be made scouts." "What Indians chased you?" asked the general. "We do not know; we were waiting on the hill to come in here by daylight; they surprised us, and we did not stop to talk with them," replied John Ermine. "Where did you come from, my boy?" he continued. "I came from the Stinking Water country to help you fight the Sioux--myself and Wolf-Voice there," replied Ermine. Turning to that waif, the general said, "Who are you?" Patting his chest impressively, Wolf-Voice spoke: "Me? My mother she was Gro Ventre; I am a warrior; I spak de English; I was scout with Yellow Hair.[11] I am brav mans." [11] General Custer. "Umph--no doubt," softly hazarded the Gray Fox. "You were not with him when he died? I suppose you attended to that matter with proper thoroughness. Have you seen any Sioux signs?" "Yaas--day follar de wagon, dey aire leave dar pony-track all roun you." Once fastening his quizzical eyes on the white lad, the general asked, "Do you talk Crow?" "Yes." "Can you make the hand talk?" Ermine gave the sign for "Yes." "Have you ever been to school?" "No, sir." "Who taught you to speak English?" "My old comrade, Crooked-Bear," said Ermine. "Crooked-Bear--Crooked-Bear," mused the general. "Oh, I give it up," as he turned away. "You are not one of the Pike County breed, it seems--Crooked-Bear--Crooked-Bear. Take them to the scout camp, Ferguson." And the general retired to his tent, somewhat perplexed by the young man's make-up.