on me once more. I did not
shoot an arrow until I could hear the heavy breathings of their horses,
which, like mine, were feeling the effects of this fearful race. Then,
swinging quickly to my horse's side, I caused him by the pressure of my
knee to swerve a little to the left, and then, drawing my bow with all
my might, I fired back from under his neck at the horse nearer to me.
Fortunately for me, my arrow struck him in the neck, and so cut some of
the great swollen veins that he was soon out of the race. The uncle on
the other horse stopped for a moment to see if he could be of any
service, but, when he found that the wounded horse would soon bleed to
death, he sprang again upon his own and came on, if possible, more
furiously than ever. His brief halt had given me time to get another
arrow fixed in my bow as on I hurried, but my horse was about exhausted,
and soon again the arrows began to sing about me. One unfortunately
struck my horse in a mortal place and brought him down. I could only
spring to the ground as he fell, and with my bow and arrow quickly turn
and face my pursuer. Very sudden was the end. He drew his tomahawk and
threw it with all the fury of his passionate nature. I did not try to
dodge it, but facing him I drew my bow with all my strength and shot
straight into his face. Our weapons must have crossed each other, for
while he fell dead with the arrow in his brain, I fell senseless with
the blade of the tomahawk, which, cutting clean through my bow, had
buried itself in my face.
"When I returned to consciousness my father was beside me. He had sewed
up the wounds with sinew, and had succeeded in stopping the flowing of
the blood. How he came there seemed strange to me. He told me all
about it when I was better. He had found out that the two uncles, well-
armed and on good horses, had discovered my trail and had started after
me. He was not long in following, and as he had their trail in addition
to mine he was able to push on without any delay, and so caught up to
the one whose horse I had shot in the neck.
"They had no words with each other. They knew that as they joined in
battle it was to be a fight unto the death. My father killed my uncle
and came out of the battle unwounded. Then he hurried on as quickly as
he could, and from a distance saw the fight between my uncle and me.
When he dashed up, at first he thought I was dead, but soon he
discovered that the life was still
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