about ten minutes after, we saw the Wild Man riding slowly forward.
He was a strange sight. It was the first time I had seen him, although
I had often heard of him before.

"Well, on he came, with his head bent and his eyes fixed on the ground.
A dense thicket hid his enemies from him, though not from us, we being
so high above them. The Wild Man was armed with his long rifle slung at
his back, a hunting-knife, and a small shield, such as the Blackfoot
Indians use to protect themselves from arrows. The only unusual sort of
weapon he carried was a long sword.

"Not knowing at the time that the Indians were waiting for him, of
course I gave no alarm to warn him of his danger. When he came within a
hundred yards of the thicket, I saw him push his arm a little further
into the handle of the shield. It was but a slight action such as one
might perform to ease the arm by change of position; but the redskins
are quick-witted. They knew that he suspected they were there, so,
giving one tremendous yell, they sent a cloud of arrows at him, and
sprang out upon the plain at full gallop with their spears lowered.

"Instead of turning to fly from such an unequal combat, the Wild Man
drew his sword and rushed at them like a thunderbolt. His onset was the
most awful thing I ever saw in my life. The plain seemed to shake under
the tread of his gigantic horse. His hair streamed wildly out behind
him, and as he was coming towards me I could see that his teeth were set
and his eyes flashed like those of a tiger. The Indians were appalled
by the sight. The idea of one man attacking twenty had never occurred
to them. They drew up; but it was too late to prevent a shock. There
was a yell from the savages, a shout like the roar of a lion from the
Wild Man, and two horses and their riders lay on the plain. I saw the
long sword gleam for one moment, just as the shock took place, and the
head of a savage rolled immediately after along the ground.

"The Indians, though overawed, were brave men. They turned to pursue
the flying horseman, but they needed not. The Wild Man was not flying,
he was only unable at first to check the headlong pace of his charger.
In a few seconds he wheeled about and charged again. The Indians,
however, did not await the issue; they turned and fled, and they have
ever since remained in the firm belief that the Wild Man is a `great
medicine' man, and that no one can kill him. They say that neither
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