fall bravely fighting, as does the true
warrior.'

"In the moonlight there I left him, and dashed away in the direction
pointed out.

"My horse was a good one, and carried me along without any stumbling,
although the prairie was rough and uneven. It was well for me that he
was so steady and true, for I was only a boy, and so crushed by my great
sorrow that I was hardly able to care for myself. With this good horse
I was able to get on rapidly. However, in spite of all the progress I
had made, I discovered about the time the day-dawn was coming that I was
being followed. My pursuers were my fierce uncles, who had never
forgiven my mother for marrying my father; and now that they had heard
that she was dead resolved to take vengeance on me, whom they had always
hated. They knew that, as was the custom of our people, they as the
nearest relatives were the avengers of blood. In vain had my father
pleaded for me, and that I was not guilty of her death. They would not
be appeased, even though he had offered, as gifts, about all of his
possessions. When, in anger and sorrow at their unrelenting spirit, he
left them, they cunningly watched him, that they might find where I was
hidden away.

"But my father was too quick for them, and so was able to get me off, as
I have mentioned, before they found my hiding place. However, they were
soon on my trail, but they had to ride many a mile before they overtook
me, as I had sped on as rapidly as I could. Although I was only a boy I
was able to see, when I detected them following after me, that they were
not coming as friends. Then also my father's words had put me on my
guard. They seemed so sure of being able to easily kill me that they
resorted to no trick or disguise to throw me off my guard. So I
remembered my father, and being conscious that I was innocent of my
mother's death I was resolved to die as a warrior. Carefully stringing
my bow, I fixed my quiver of arrows so that I could draw them easily as
I needed them. Fortunately for me, my father had taught me the trick of
riding on the side of my horse and shooting back from under his neck.
Soon with the yells and warwhoops of my pursuers the arrows began to fly
around me. One of their sharp arrows wounded my horse, but instead of
disabling him it put such life into him that for the next few miles we
were far ahead beyond their arrows. But their horses were more enduring
than mine, and so they gradually gained