desire for
a parley. The firing from the centre was made over the backs of the
ponies and mustangs, who in such emergencies are made to do duty as a
breastwork. The circle of red-skins gradually lessened in diameter, as
the firing on both sides continued, when a shot from the carbine of the
Mexican herder killed one of the Indians.

The circle continued to grow less, until the Indians in a mass rushed on
the three whites, disarmed them, secured them to each other with thongs
at the wrists, and appropriated as their own the mustangs and ponies,
which had been their primary object.

Before yielding, Captain Glazier and his little squad had nearly
exhausted their ammunition, and felt that further resistance was not
only useless, but would certainly cost them their lives. Without loss of
time, the prisoners were compelled to mount, and the entire party--less
one Indian killed--started off in a northerly direction.

Ignorant of their destination, the herders expressed their belief that
they would in a few days find themselves in the presence of Sitting
Bull, when their fate would be decided. They continued to ride at a full
trot till about ten o'clock, when the whole party dismounted and camped
for the night. A fire was speedily built, and some antelope beef
partially roasted for their supper, of which the prisoners also
partook.

The supper over, an animated conversation ensued among the Indians,
while sundry furtive glances were cast in the direction of the Mexican
who had killed one of their party during the attack in the morning. For
a time they shouted and violently gesticulated, while one of them was
observed driving a thick pole into the ground, at about fifty yards from
the fire, around which the party and the prisoners squatted. Presently,
at a sign from one of the Indians, supposed to be a chief named
"Dull-Knife," four of the red-skins seized the Mexican and forced him
towards the stake, where they stripped him to the skin, and then bound
him to it with thick cords. The whole party then, without further
ceremony, proceeded to torture the wretched man to death, as a
punishment for his presumption in killing one of their party while
defending himself from their murderous attack near the Skull Rocks. They
heated their arrow-shafts in the fire, and held them in contact with his
naked flesh, while others, at a distance of a few feet from their
victim, cast at him their sharp-pointed knives, which, penetrating the