ere but a few hundred yards from them, but the thick timber securely
hid them from view. Finally one of them arose and pointed to the timber.
Then leaving his horse in charge of his friend, he descended the butte
and followed the trail of the drove to where they had entered the
timber. Little did he think that he was standing on the brink of
eternity. The young man hiding not more than a hundred yards from him
could have shot him there where he stood, but wanting to play fair, he
stepped into sight. When he did, the enemy took quick aim and fired. He
was too hasty. Had he taken more careful aim he might have killed our
young friend, but his bullet whizzed harmlessly over the young man's
head and buried itself in a tree. The young man took good aim and fired.
The enemy threw up both hands and fell forward on his face. The other
one on the hill, seeing his friend killed, hastily mounted his horse
and leading his friend's horse, made rapidly off down the butte in the
direction from whence he had come. Waiting for some time to be sure the
one who was alive did not come up and take a shot at him, he finally
advanced upon the fallen enemy and securing his gun, ammunition and
scalp, went to his horse and drove the herd on through the woods and
crossing a long flat prairie, ascended a long chain of hills and sat
looking back along his trail in search of any of the enemy who might
continue to follow him.

Thus he sat until the long shadows of the hills reminded him that it
would soon be sunset, and as he must get some sleep, he wanted to find
some creek bend where he could drive the bunch of ponies and feel safe
as to their not straying off during the night. He found a good place for
the herd, and catching a fresh horse, he picketed him close to where he
was going to sleep, and wrapping himself in his blanket, was soon fast
asleep. So tired and sleepy was he that a heavy rain which had come up,
during the night, soaked him through and through, but he never awakened
until the sun was high in the east.

He awoke and going to the place where he had left the herd, he was
glad to find them all there. He mounted his horse and started his herd
homeward again. For two days he drove them, and on the evening of the
second day he came in sight of the village.

The older warriors, hearing of the young man going on this trip alone
and unarmed, told the parents to go in mourning for their son, as he
would never come back alive. When the peo