ing obedience to my authority. For this reason I selected men
of no great prominence in the tribe, but whom I knew to be good
fighters, to accompany me on these expeditions, so the victories we
achieved might redound mainly to my credit.

"One day I started out to hunt, accompanied by only five young
warriors. After five days journey, during which we found no game, we
ascended a slight eminence, and saw before us a large prairie. At some
distance out a party of about thirty Indians were engaged in killing
buffaloes. We could also see their village at about four miles distance.
Here was an opportunity not to be lost. We passed along behind the crest
of the hill until we had gained a position between them and their
village, and then passed through a gully and concealed ourselves in the
path they must necessarily take. We were able to discover by their
costume that they were Pawnee Picts, a tribe with whom we were generally
at peace, but I considered that fact of no importance.

"The unsuspecting hunters, having finished butchering and dressing the
buffaloes they had killed, began to approach us in straggling parties of
four or five, their horses loaded with meat which they were bearing to
the village. When the first of them came abreast of us, I made a signal,
and five of them fell before our arrows. As the next party came up we
brought down three more, and then rushed from our hiding place, and some
began scalping the dead, while the remainder were cutting the lashings
of the meat in order to secure the horses. Having taken eight scalps, we
sprang upon the horses we had freed from the packs, and retreated
precipitately, fearing to be overpowered by numbers. We made direct for
the timber, and having secreted our horses, took refuge in a rocky
place in the mountain, where we felt protected for a while from their
attacks. To attack us in front they had to advance right in the face of
our fire, while to reach our rear they had to take a circuitous route of
several miles around the base of the mountain.

"The enemy had now gathered in force, and displayed the utmost bravery,
for they made repeated assaults nearly up to the position that sheltered
us. Their arrows showered around us without injury, but we could bring
one man down at each shot. To scalp them, however, was impossible. One
of the enemy, who seemed to be a great brave, charged right into our
midst and inflicted a severe wound on one of my party. Before he could