TWENTY YEARS IN THE ROCKIES. 3! 



gaunt warrior started in the direction of the horses with a 

 bundle of something which I took for bedding ; as he passed 

 a blazing fire Thomas Nickelson sent a bullet through his 

 brutal heart. Fifteen rifles rang out simultaneously. Fire 

 flew and horses plunged headlong through camp, while volley 

 after volley was sent after the Indians. It was sometime be- 

 fore they got out of our range and a deadly fire was kept up 

 until they reached the north side, where they began to return 

 our fire. When one of their rifles flashed we sent fifteen bul- 

 lets after it. I do not think two shots came from the same 

 spot. I received a wound in the foot, and Nickelson's arm 

 was shot through the fleshy part near the shoulder. Wustun 

 had his hat-rim cut off by a bullet which made a terrific 

 noise. We could hear the Sioux tearing through the bushes 

 and dry leaves, but they were soon past our range,, and we 

 hastened back to camp on another branch of the creek. We 

 then placed onr horses on good feed, for on the following 

 day we had a long ride before us. After stationing guards, 

 we lay down to rest. Thus closed one of the hardest day's 

 work of my life. 



We awoke at the gray of morning and our men were 

 soon ready to resume their journey. After a breakfast of 

 salt pork and dried buffalo meat, we examined the battlefield. 

 Several men stood guard on the bluff, while the remainder 

 searched every foot of ground in the vicinity. The bodies 

 of eleven Indians and fifteen horses were discovered. It was 

 not strange that some scalps were taken, for our watchword 

 was "Vengeance." We followed the trail a short distance. It 

 lead away from Spearfish, and, as we *were already in the 

 midst of a savage tribe, with no provisions and tired horses, 

 we left this desolate spot and started for Spearfish. We 

 knew that some of Uncle Sam's wards would not return to 

 the agency for their rations on the next issue-day. These 



