s. This was necessary in order to discourage
the steady concealed advance of the dozen, who, when they had approached
to within as few yards as their god of war would permit, purposed to
rush in and finish their opponents out of hand. And that rush could
never be stopped. The white men knew it perfectly well, so they set
conscientiously to work with their handful of cartridges to convince the
reds that it is not healthy to crawl along ridge-tops on an autumn day.
Sundry outlying Indians, with ammunition to waste, took belly and knee
rests and strengthened the thesis to the contrary.

The brisk fighting had warmed the contestants' blood. Now a cold wind
penetrated through their woollens to the goose-flesh. It was impossible
to judge of the effect of the shots, but both knew that the accuracy of
their shooting was falling off. Clench his teeth as he would, hold his
breath as steadfastly as he might, Alfred could not accomplish that
steady, purposeful, unblinking pressure on the trigger so necessary to
accuracy. In spite of himself, the rifle jerked ever so little to the
right during the fall of the hammer. Soon he adopted the expedient of
pulling it suddenly which is brilliant but uncertain. The ground was
very cold. Before long both men would have felt inclined to risk
everything for the sake of a little blood-stimulating tramp back and
forth. The danger did not deter them. Only the plainsman's ingrained
horror of throwing away a chance held them, shivering pitiably, to their
places.

Still they managed to keep the dozen at a wary distance, and even, they
suspected, to hit some. This was the Indians' game--to watch; to wait;
to lie with infinite patience; to hitch nearer a yard, a foot, an inch
even; and then to seize with the swiftness of the eagle's swoop an
opportunity which the smallest imprudence, fruit of weariness, might
offer. One by one the precious cartridges spit, and fell from the
breech-blocks empty and useless. And still the tufts of grass wavered a
little nearer.

"I wish t' hell, stranger, you-all hadn't edged off south," chattered
Alfred. "We'd be nearer th' Pierre trail."

"I'm puttin' in my spare wishin' on them Injins," shivered the other; "I
sure hopes they aims to make a break pretty quick; I'm near froze."

About two o'clock the sun came out and the wind died. Though its rays
were feeble at that time of year, their contrast with the bleakness that
had prevailed during the morning threw a perce