In the spring came out upon a visit from the East another Custer—Boston Custer, the general’s youngest brother; a thin, pale stripling about the age of Ned the trumpeter. He did not look well, but he expected that the fresh air and the out-door life of the western plains would make him strong. When the spring opened, there had been much talk about the mysterious Black Hills, which the Indians called Pah-sap-pa. The newspapers had contained a great deal of reference to the Black Hills, and now the frontier people of Wyoming, to the southwest of it, and of Dakota, to the east of it, were asking that the Government let explorers in. However, this was Sioux country, guaranteed to them by the United States in the treaty of 1868; and it was very dear Sioux country. “You see,” said Charley Reynolds, in one of the moments when he talked among the men, “it’s like this. Now, I’ve never been in the Black Hills—away in, I mean. I’ve no doubt there’s gold there. The rocks look so, to me; and trappers, and the Injuns too, say there’s gold. But it’s medicine country. The Injuns say those mountains are full of bad spirits who mustn’t be disturbed. The fact is, it’s the only good country the Sioux have. Lots of timber and fine water and grass; both a summer and a winter country; and the Sioux don’t mean to give it up. You can’t blame ’em. They know that as soon as the miners get in there, the game will be scared out or killed, and timber cut, and water spoiled, and the Indians driven off. They watch that region mighty close.” “You’re right, I guess,” agreed Sergeant Butler, and Odell also nodded. “But I’ll wager my buffalo coat against a pipeful of tobacco that the Government isn’t going to let those Black Hills stay unexplored. The army’s got to have a map of this reservation, so that in case of trouble we know where we’re going. Then if the Injuns retreat into the Black Hills, we can follow ’em.” Sure enough, when the plains grew green with grass the report spread that the Seventh Cavalry was to explore the Black Hills, distant 200 miles southwest, in air-line. The orders were issued June 8 from the Department of Dakota headquarters at St. Paul, by command of Brigadier-General Alfred H. Terry, the Department commander. The four companies of the Seventh from Fort Rice were to come up to Fort Lincoln, and all ten companies were to take the field together. There would be “doughboys” or “walking soldiers;” G company of the Seventeenth Infantry and I company of the Twentieth; a squad of army engineers under Captain William Ludlow; General George A. Forsyth who was the famous “Sandy” Forsyth of the island fight with Roman Nose, near the Forks of the Republican; Charley Reynolds the scout; Skunk Head and Bull Bear and other Rees under Bloody Knife; and some Santee Sioux whose chief guides were Goose and “Jo Lawrence.”