12 Life of a Fossil Hunter 



rear." This, indeed, they were very willing to do 

 when the order was given, " Fire at will ! " and the 

 soldiers began sending leaden balls whizzing through 

 the air in every conceivable arc, but never in a 

 straight line, toward the enemy, who were supposed 

 to be lying on the ground. 



As soon as it was light my brother and I ex- 

 plored the river and found a place where seven 

 braves, in their moccasined feet, had run across a 

 wet sandbar in the direction of the cottonwoods, 

 as the sergeant had said. Their pony trails could 

 be easily seen in the high, wet grass. 



The party in the stockade were not reassured 

 to hear the tramp of a large body of horsemen, 

 especially as the soldiers had fired away all their 

 ammunition; but the welcome clank of sabers and 

 jingle of spurs laid their fears to rest, and soon a 

 couple of troops of cavalry, with an officer in com- 

 mand, rode up through the gloom. 



After the sergeant had been severely reprimanded 

 for wasting his ammunition, the scout Wild Bill was 

 ordered to explore the country for Indian signs. 

 But, although the tracks could not have been plainer, 

 his report was so reassuring that the whole command 

 returned to the Fort. 



Some hours later I spied this famous scout at the 

 sutler's store, his chair tilted back against the stone 

 wall, his two ivory-mounted revolvers dangling at 



