d his own cow and was whipping up close to the other when the
misfortune occurred. Both horses were going at full speed and the arrow
jerked up in the air. Roman Nose caught it and shot the cow for him.

Another curious story told of him is to the effect that he had an
intimate Sioux friend who was courting a Cheyenne girl, but without
success. As the wooing of both Sioux and Cheyennes was pretty much all
effected in the night time, Roman Nose told his friend to let him do
the courting for him. He arranged with the young woman to elope the next
night and to spend the honeymoon among his Sioux friends. He then told
his friend what to do. The Sioux followed instructions and carried off
the Cheyenne maid, and not until morning did she discover her mistake.
It is said she never admitted it, and that the two lived happily
together to a good old age, so perhaps there was no mistake after all.

Perhaps no other chief attacked more emigrants going west on the Oregon
Trail between 1860 and 1868. He once made an attack on a large party of
Mormons, and in this instance the Mormons had time to form a corral
with their wagons and shelter their women, children, and horses. The
men stood outside and met the Indians with well-aimed volleys, but they
circled the wagons with whirlwind speed, and whenever a white man fell,
it was the signal for Roman Nose to charge and count the "coup." The
hat of one of the dead men was off, and although he had heavy hair and
beard, the top of his head was bald from the forehead up. As custom
required such a deed to be announced on the spot, the chief yelled at
the top of his voice:

"Your Roman Nose has counted the first coup on the longest-faced white
man who was ever killed!"

When the Northern Cheyennes under this daring leader attacked a body of
scouting troops under the brilliant officer General Forsythe, Roman Nose
thought that he had a comparatively easy task. The first onset failed,
and the command entrenched itself on a little island. The wily chief
thought he could stampede them and urged on his braves with the
declaration that the first to reach the island should be entitled to
wear a trailing war bonnet. Nevertheless he was disappointed, and his
men received such a warm reception that none succeeded in reaching it.
In order to inspire them to desperate deeds he had led them in person,
and with him that meant victory or death. According to the army
accounts, it was a thrilling moment, and