n or twenty years old, but he was, in every sense of the
word, a thoroughbred frontiersman.

During the night the besieged scouts threw up their breastworks
considerably higher and piled the dead animals on top. They dug down to
water, and also stored away a lot of horse and mule meat in the sand to
keep it fresh as long as possible. The Indians renewed their firing next
morning, and kept it up all day, doing but little injury, however, as the
scouts were now well entrenched; but many an Indian was sent to his happy
hunting ground.

[Illustration: BATTLE ON THE ARICKAREE]

Night came again, and the prospects were indeed gloomy. An attempt was
made by two more of the scouts to creep through the Indian lines, but
they were detected by the enemy and had to return to their comrades.
The next morning the Indians renewed hostilities as usual. Their women
and children began to disappear about noon, and then the Indians tried to
draw the scouts out by displaying a white flag for a truce. They appeared
to want to have a talk with General Forsyth, but as their treachery was
well-known, the scouts did not fall into this trap. The Indians had
apparently become tired of fighting, especially as they found that they
had a most stubborn foe to deal with.

Night once more threw its mantle over the scene, and under the cover of
the darkness Donovan and Plyley, two of the best scouts, stealthily made
their way out of the camp, and started for Fort Wallace with a dispatch
from General Forsyth, who gave a brief summary of the situation, and
stated that if necessary he could hold out for six days longer.

When the day dawned again, only a small number of warriors could be
seen, and they probably remained to watch, the scouts and keep them
corraled. The uninjured men attended to the wounded as well as they
could under the adverse circumstances, but from want of proper
treatment, evidences of gangrene appeared in some of the wounds on the
sixth day. The mule and horse meat became totally unfit for use, but
they had nothing else to eat, and had to eat it or starve. Under these
trying circumstances the General told the men that any who wished to go
might do so, and take their chances; but they all resolved to remain,
and die together, if need be.

Relief came at last. Tradeau and Stillwell had safely reached Fort
Wallace, and on the morning of the 25th of September, Colonel Carpenter
and a detachment of cavalry arrived with supplies. This