hill--he notes
everything; he ducks to the far side of his horse and still at full
speed shoots back from under his mount's neck. The bullet almost
grazes General Merritt's cheek!

Down in front there was lively work for a few minutes, as Buffalo
Bill's little command charged in. The Cheyennes scattered, astonished;
they turned for their main body.

"Look!" Lieutenant Forbush cried. "Look to the ridge!"

Pouring down the ridge, all the Cheyennes were coming, to the rescue
and the attack.

"Send in the first company," General Merritt ordered; and with his
adjutant galloped away. The real fight was about to begin.

Out upon the plain the Buffalo Bill men were chasing the Indians,
knowing that the cavalry would soon follow. At a short distance the
Cheyennes made another stand. Their young chief cantered out in front
of them, his hand raised. He called clearly to Buffalo Bill.

"I know you, Pa-he-haska (Long Hair). If you want to fight, come and
fight me."

He rode boldly up and down along his line, waiting. Buffalo Bill
galloped forward alone.

"Stand back," he ordered, of the men. "Fair play."

The young chief saw him coming, and with a shout gladly hammered to the
meeting. They had started one hundred and thirty yards apart. They
each rode at top speed for fifty yards, when from thirty yards, as they
swerved, they fired. Down plunged Buffalo Bill's horse; he had only
stepped in a badger-hole. Down also plunged the chief's pony; but he
was dead and the bullet that had killed him had passed through the
chief's leg, first.

They sprang to their feet. They were now twenty yards apart. The
young chief tottered--they fired together, again; they had to act very
quickly. The chief missed; Buffalo Bill had shot true. He leaped
forward, as the chief reeled, and sank his knife to the hilt. All was
over in a moment.

A great howl of rage arose from the Cheyennes. They charged, for
revenge. They were a fraction of a minute too late; the cavalry were
coming. As Troop K, Lieutenant King's company, tore past, Buffalo Bill
waved his captured war bonnet.

"First scalp for Custer!" he shouted. Custer and the Seventh Cavalry
were to be avenged.

Seeing troop after troop of blue-shirts spurring over the divide and
down, the Cheyennes, every one of their eighteen hundred, turned in
flight. Away they went, the cheering troopers hard after, back up the
trail for the reservation. The pursuit was so hot