During the day General Hazen returned from Fort Harker, and he also had some important dispatches to send to General Sheridan.  I was feeling quite elated over my big ride; and seeing that I was getting the best of the other scouts in regard to making a record, I volunteered to carry General Hazen’s dispatches to Fort Hays.  The General accepted my services, although he thought it was unnecessary for me to kill myself.  I told him that I had business at Fort Hays, and wished to go there anyway, and it would make no difference to the other scouts, for none of them appeared willing to undertake the trip.

Accordingly, that night I left Fort Larned on an excellent horse, and next morning at daylight found myself once more in General Sheridan’s headquarters at Fort Hays.  The General was surprised to see me, and still more so when I told him of the time I had made in riding to Fort Dodge, and that I had taken dispatches from Fort Dodge to Fort Larned; and when, in addition to this, I mentioned my journey of the night previous, General Sheridan thought my ride from post to post, taken as a whole, was a remarkable one, and he said that he did not know of its equal.  I can safely say that I have never heard of its being beaten in a country infested with hostile Indians.

To recapitulate:  I had ridden from Fort Larned to Fort Zarah (a distance of sixty-five miles) and back in twelve hours, including the time when I was taken across the Arkansas by the Indians.  In the succeeding twelve hours I had gone from Fort Larned to Fort Hays, a distance of sixty-five miles.  In the next twenty-four hours I had gone from Fort Hays to Fort Dodge, a distance of ninety-five miles.  The following night I had traveled from Fort Dodge thirty miles on muleback and thirty-five miles on foot to Fort Larned; and the next night sixty-five miles more to Fort Hays.  Altogether I had ridden (and walked) 355 miles in fifty-eight riding hours, or an average of over six miles an hour.  Of course, this may not be regarded as very fast riding, but taking into consideration the fact that it was mostly done in the night and over a wild country, with no roads to follow, and that I had to be continually on the look out for Indians, it was thought at the time to be a big ride, as well as a most dangerous one.

CHAPTER XVII.

AN APPOINTMENT.

General Sheridan highly complimented me for what I had done, and informed me that I need not report back to General Hazen, as he had more important work for me to do.  He told me that the Fifth Cavalry—­one of the finest regiments in the army—­was on its way to the Department of the Missouri, and that he was going to send it on an expedition against the Dog Soldier Indians, who were infesting the Republican River region.

“Cody,” continued he, “I have decided to appoint you as guide and chief of scouts with the command.  How does that suit you?”