LOUISVILLE TO THE YELLOWSTONE.



the sutler of the Seventh Cavalry. Dr. Houzinger, the first,
was a corpulent old man of the quietest and most inoffensive
habits, a great favorite with the regiment. Mr. Baliran, the
sutler, was also an elderly man, and a great friend of Dr. Hotn.
zinger. The two were in the habit of straying off from the
main body of the command, picking up natural curiosities, and
so far had experienced no trouble. On the day of Custer's fight,
these two quiet old men were somewhere about two miles be-
hind his party, and ahead of the main body. Their bodies were
found by the advance of the main expedition, where they had
been swooped upon and killed by Indians, some out-lying
members of the main party. Dr. ilouzinger's skull was frac-
tured as with some blunt instrument, but neither body was
mntilated. Who had killed them was of course not known
then. It came to light in a very strange manner, two years
afters as we shall see in its place.
   Another man, a soldier of Company F. Seventh Cavalry,
was also found killed, where he had been surprised at a spring,
and it was the discovery of these bodies, together with the re-
ports of scouts and stragglers that the Indians were up, that had
induced General Stanley to send on help to Custer, arriving in
time as it did. Stanley mentions this fight in very handsome
terms in his report.
   For the next three days after the fight, Indians were to be
seen hovering round the column, and on the 8th of August the
appearance was explained. A lodge pole trail, evidently be-
longing to a very large village, was found leading up the Yel-
lowstone, and Custer was sent out with all the cavalry and scouts
to pursue it, starting at ninie that night. The trail was followed
for thirty-six hours, and on the 10th August, it was found that
the Indians had crossed the Yellowstone in "bull boats," the
old trapper name for the wicker coracle, covered with a bull's
hide, which is the transport of the plains Indians. Custer tried
all day to cross after them, but in vain; the American horses
would not swim the river. Next morning, he was attacked by
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