His family asked to take the body.

The Army agreed.

Worm, his father, prepared the body.

By various accounts, it was placed on a travois — the platform dragged by a horse that was the standard method of transporting heavy objects in the Plains culture.

Touch the Clouds and some others were present.

The group left Fort Robinson in the night, moving southeast, away from the post.

The Army did not follow them.

Whether this was a deliberate decision, a practical acceptance of the situation, or simply the result of nighttime conditions and the uncertain politics of the moment is not fully established.