day after we had seen Mrs. Box come in, I was praising the braveness
of Lieutenant Hesselberger in venturing to rescue her.

"It isn't all bravery at all," said Brigham. "He's brave as a panther,
but there's more in it than _that_. There is about one man in a hundred,
and not more, who can go among the most God-forsaken devils of Injuns and
never get hurt. The Injuns take to them at a glance and love 'em. _I'm_
such a man, and I've proved it often enough, God knows! Lieutenant
Hesselberger is one, and," he added abruptly, "Mr. Leland, _you're_
another."

"What makes you think so?" I said, greatly surprised.

"'Cause I've watched you. You've got Injun ways that you don't know of.
Didn't I notice the other day, when the gentlemen were buying the whips
from the Kaws, that every Injun took a squint, and then came straight to
_you_? Why didn't they go to one of the other gentlemen? Because
they've got an instinct like a dog for their friends, and for such as
_we_."

We were coming to Fort Harker. I forget how it all came about, but we
found ourselves afoot, with a mile or two to walk, carrying our guns,
carpet-bags, and _petites bagages_, while about fifty yards ahead or more
there was Brigham driving on merrily to the fort, under the impression
that we had secured other conveyance.

Captain Colton fired his carbine. It made about as much noise as a
percussion-cap, and the wind was from Brigham toward us. Carried away by
an impulse, I caught Colonel Lamborn's light rifle out of his hand.

"Great God!" he cried, "you don't mean to shoot at him?"

"If you'll insure the mules," I said, "I will the driver." My
calculation was to send a bullet so near to Brigham that he could hear it
whizz, but not to touch him. It was not so dangerous as the shot I had
fired over Sam Fox, and the "spirit" was on me!

But I did _not_ know that in the covered waggon sat Hassard talking with
Brigham, their faces being, as Hassard declared, just about six inches
apart. I fired, and the bullet passed just between their noses!

Hassard heard the whizz, and cried, "What's that?"

"_Injuns_, by God!" roared Brigham, forgetting that we had left the
Indian country two days behind us. "Lie down in the waggon while I
drive." And drive he did, till out of gunshot, and then putting his face
out, turned around, and gave in full desperate cry the taunting war-whoop
of the Cheyennes. It was a beautiful sight that of Brigham's broad re