FIGHTING. 381 



three men, one wounded, stole out of the thicket and 

 made their way to the nearest post, the only survivors of 

 a party of eight or ten. 



Another fatal mistake is to run away. It is a singular 

 but well-established fact, that the mere act of running 

 from an enemy has a tendency to demoralise the 

 person running, and that even the bravest man under 

 such circumstances is liable to ' stampede himself, or 

 lose his head at the very time that all his coolness and 

 judgment are most necessary. Eiding furiously and 

 without discretion, he will either throw his horse down 

 by riding him into some ravine or hole, or tire him out 

 so as to be easily overtaken. Fright has rendered the 

 rider helpless, and he is killed without difficulty, or cap- 

 tured alive, to delight the women with his torture. I 

 have known of one instance where a good plainsman, a 

 citizen, who had been in several fights, a splendid rider 

 and shot, became stampeded, and, when overtaken, stood 

 quiet, pistol in hand, and allowed himself to be shot 

 several times, and finally killed, without attempting the 

 slightest defence. 



A citizen, employed at Fort Dodge as herder, was 

 one day out, fully armed, guarding the herd, when a 

 small party of Indians dashed upon it. One made direct 

 for the herder, who turned his horse and rode direct for 

 the garrison, but was overtaken and killed within 200 

 yards of the quarters, without firing a shot. 



The safest position for a small party is on a perfectly 

 level plain without timber, rocks, holes, or other cover for 

 an enemy, and large enough for the party to be well 

 beyond fair shot from any ravine. If no such place 

 can be got at, then scan the nearest approach to it. 



A good plainsman, when travelling with a small party 

 on unknown ground, is always on the look-out for such 

 favourable positions, and if 'jumped ' by Indians in bad 

 ground he gets back to the last good place without loss of 

 time, horse well in hand, going at a good round rate, but 



