156 BUFFALO LAND. 



most wonderfully. It seemed bristling with un 

 usually long horns, and as we looked the dark cloud 

 suddenly spread out into a fan-like shape, and we all 

 cried, simultaneously, "Indians!" 



There they were, a party of our red brethren 

 bearing rapidly down upon us in pursuit of Dobeen, 

 whose arms and legs were playing like flails on his 

 donkey's sides, with an appeal for speed which had 

 evidently called into action all the reserves of that 

 true conservative. 



Our party would have sold out their interest in 

 the plains for a bagatelle. Our whole outfit had 

 whirled, like a weather-cock, and was pointing back 

 to Hays. The Mexicans were already dodging in 

 and out among their oxen, and firing their old mus- 

 kets furiously, although the foe was yet a fair cannon- 

 shot away. Shamus could not well have been in 

 more danger from foes behind than he was from 

 friends before ; indeed, he afterward said that ask- 

 ing deliverance from the latter made him almost for- 

 get the former. 



The horses of both Sachem and Muggs ran away, 

 taking a straight line for the distant town. This 

 caused a general stampede on the part of all the 

 other horses, much to the regret of their riders, who 

 were thus cruelly prevented from a proper display of 

 latent prowess in rendering protection to the wagons 

 and our cook. From the former came a steady cannon- 

 ade. Squirming like eels among their oxen, the Mexi- 

 cans fired from under the animals' bellies, astride the 

 tongue, from anywhere, indeed, that furnished a barri- 

 cade between the distant Indians and themselves. 



