286 SPORTING ADVENTURES IN THE FAR WEST. 



others spread out so as to completely surround us. A ride 

 of a mile or two showed us that we had drawn nearly all 

 the screaming braves from the rear, and that we might 

 therefore be able to break through the thin line that cov- 

 ered the mountain pass we were anxious to reach. We 

 decided, accordingly, to face about, and put our horses to 

 their best pace, and make it a veritable race for life; but, 

 before we could act on this idea, a line of mounted war- 

 riors rose out of the ground about five hundred yards 

 ahead, and gave us a rattling but harmless volley. We 

 returned the fire hotly for a few moments, and saw several 

 men fall. Not caring to do more to them than show that 

 they could not attack us with impunity, we wheeled about 

 suddenly, and, moving obliquely to the left, where our foes 

 were least numerous, we gave our horses a free though 

 firm rein, and sped over the ground at a pace that was 

 soon carrying us away from the fire of the main column. 

 It was not until we dispersed the Indians in front that the 

 others had any idea of what we were about; but, on di- 

 vining our purpose, their yells of defiance turned into yells 

 of rage, and they commenced firing aimlessly, and trying 

 to surround us ; but this they found a difficult matter, as 

 they were too widely scattered. The race continued at a 

 slashing rate for five or six miles, without any injury to us, 

 when we suddenly met another group of warriors, and a 

 fight then commenced that lasted for three miles. We did 

 not waste a moment in halts to take aim ; we merely placed 

 the rifle to the shoulder and banged away. 



To shoot at distant objects with any degree of accuracy 

 when a horse is at a full gallop is an impossibility; hence 

 we did not expect to do much harm. We did, neverthe- 

 less, have the satisfaction occasionally of seeing a warrior 

 fall, but he would scarcely touch the ground before two 

 of his comrades would run on each side of him and lift 

 him on his horse, or drag him out of the range of our fire. 



As we approached the pass in the mountains, the In- 

 dians redoubled their efforts to head us off; but we had 

 the inner line, and intended to keep it. Seeing that they 



