When Dull Knife's band reached the sand hills of Nebraska, they scattered into small bands, and the pursuit of any single band resulted in that band breaking into fragments, and if a capture was effected, it was only a single Indian. The soldiers, weary of the long chase, and the baffling tactics of the Indians, went to Fort Robinson ; and after a brief respite, together with re-enforcements of soldiers, and friendly Sioux, the pursuit was resumed

On October 23d, one hundred and forty-nine, which included Dull Knife's fragment of the band, together with Wild Hog, were captured by Captain Johnson. The remainder of the fugitives, under Little Wolf, escaped in a snow storm. These captured were taken, still protesting to Fort Robinson, and were confined in an empty barrack room. They declared that they would die, rather than be taken back to Indian Territory.

Red Cloud requested of the army officers that the knives be taken away from the Indians, for in event that the government should order that they be taken again south, they would, rather than yield to the order, take their own lives. This request was ignored by the military. In. the time that elapsed in getting orders from Washington there was apparently some laxity in vigilence, and the Indians had gotten possession of about fifteen guns and some pistols.

On the 3d day of January. 1879, the order came to return them to Indian Territory, and the next day Wild Hog gave an unequivocal negative to the proposition, saying that the fol-