at the foot of a tree.

"I'd like to let you sleep, Mr. Red-skin, but you'd wake up at the wrong
time, so you must follow your comrades to the happy hunting-grounds," he
muttered, as he bent over and seized the throat of the Indian in his
powerful gripe.

The warrior was almost a giant in size, and he made a fierce fight for
his life.

But the iron hold on his throat did not relax, and at last his efforts
ceased and his grasp upon the scout, which had been so great he could
not use his knife, weakened and there was no more show of resistance.

Then not an instant did Buffalo Bill tarry, but went up the valley,
rounded up the herd of horses and quickly drove them away from the
village, in which he knew slept half a thousand warriors.

Slowly he moved the large brute mass, and they went toward the mouth of
the valley and were soon out upon the prairie.

Then mounting Brigham he urged them on until out of hearing of the camp,
when he headed them for the fort.

It was a hard drive and taxed both Brigham and his rider fearfully; but
at last the herd was driven to a good grazing place a few miles from the
fort and Buffalo Bill left them and rode rapidly on, and just at dawn
reported his valuable capture and that the same horses could be used in
an attack upon the Indian camp.

The colonel at once acted upon his suggestion; the cavalrymen who had no
horses, loaded with their saddles, bridles and arms, went at a quick
march to the grazing place of the horses, and ere the day was three
hours old three hundred men were mounted and on the trail for the
red-skin village, while the remainder of the ponies were driven to the
fort.

Deprived of the greater part of their horses, the red-skins could march
but slowly; but they were in full retreat when Buffalo Bill led the
command in sight of them, and though the dismounted warriors fought
bravely, they were severely whipped and all their village equipage
captured or destroyed, while instead of attacking the white settlements
as they had intended, they were glad enough to beg for relief.

This gallant act made the name of Buffalo Bill, or Pa-e-has-ka (Long
Hair), as they called him, known to every Indian on the north-west
border, and they regarded him with the greatest terror, while it made
him an idol among the soldiers.

CHAPTER XXVI.

THE CHAMPION OF THE PLAINS.

As Buffalo Bill was known to be the most successful hunter on the
prairies, shortly after his cap