n
a style that made my skin get up and walk all over me with cold
feet.

How in blazes I'd managed to slip through those Injuns I don't
know. 'Twould have been a wonderful piece of scouting if I'd meant
it. You can 'most always do any darn thing you don't want to do.
Well, there I was, and, oh Doctor! but wasn't I in a lovely mess!
That war-song put a crimp into me that Jack Frost himself couldn't
take out.

It was as dark as dark by this time. The moon just stuck one eye
over the edge of the prairie, and the rest of the sky was covered
with cloud. A little light came from the Injuns' camp-fire, but
not enough to ride by, and, besides, I didn't know which way I
ought to go.

Says I to myself, "Billy Sanders, you are the champion all-around,
old-fashioned fool of the district. You are a jackass from the
country where ears less'n three foot long are curiosities. You
sassed that poor swatty that wanted to keep you out of this,
tooting your bazoo like a man peddling soap; but now it's up to
you. What are you going to do about it?" and I didn't get any
answer, neither.

Well, it was no use asking myself conundrums out there in the dark
when time was so scarce. So I wraps my hankercher around. Laddy's
nose to keep him from talking horse to the Injun ponies, and
prepared to sneak to where I'd rather be.

Laddy was the quickest thing on legs in that part of the
country--out of a mighty spry little Pinto mare by our thoroughbred
Kentucky horse--and I knew if I could get to the open them Injuns
wouldn't have much of a chance to take out my stopper and examine
my works--not much. A half-mile start, and I could show the whole
Sioux nation how I wore my hair.

I cut for the place where the Injuns seemed thinnest, lifting
myself up till I didn't weigh fifteen pound, and breathing only
when necessary. We got along first-rate until we reached the edge
of 'em, and then Laddy had to stick his foot in a gopher-hole, and
walloped around there like a whale trying to climb a tree.

Some dam cuss of an Injun threw a handful of hay on the fire, and,
as it blazed up, the whole gang spotted me.

I unlimbered my gun, sent the irons into Laddy, and we began to
walk.

I didn't like to make for the ranch, as I knew the boys were
short-handed, so I pointed north, praying to the good Lord that I'd
hit some kind of settlement before I struck the North Pole.

Well, we left those Injuns so far behind that there wasn't any fun