384 INDIANS. 



fished out a lot of narrow red, blue, and white ribbons, 

 which he had tied in his hair, and in the mane and tail of 

 his horse, and which, as he moved, streamed out for yards 

 in the rear. Sitting perfectly naked, with unwonted ease 

 and grace, on his bare-backed horse, with fire in his eye, 

 determination in his face, a Spencer carbine in one hand, 

 the reins and a Colt's revolver in the other, he looked no 

 mean ally in a fight for life. I had hardly time to admire 

 his ' get-up,' when the whole plain in front seemed alive 

 with yelling savages, charging directly down upon us. 

 When they got within about 250 yards I drew up my 

 rifle ; but before I could get an aim the whole band threw 

 themselves on the sides of their horses and, swooping in 

 circles like a flock of blackbirds, rushed back to the limit 

 of the plain (about 600 yards). Here they halted and 

 held a consultation, and some of them, oing off on the 

 flanks, examined all the ground and approaches. Find- 

 ing no line of attack except in front, they again essayed 

 the charge, again to be sent to the rear by the mere rais- 

 ing of the rifle. This was again and again repeated with 

 like result. Finally they withdrew beyond sight, and I 

 wished to start ; but the Pawnee said, ' No, they will come 

 again.' They were absent for nearly an hour ; I believe 

 they were resting their horses. It was very hot, the whole 

 affair was becoming very monotonous, and I was nodding, 

 if not asleep, when the Pawnee said, ' Here they come/ 

 I started up to find them within shot, and brought up my 

 rifle ; whereupon all ducked, wheeled, and went away as 

 before, entirely out of sight. During all the charges the 

 Pawnee had evinced the greatest eagerness for fight, and 

 I had no little difficulty in keeping him by me whenever 

 the enemy ran away after a charge. Answering yell for 

 yell, he heaped upon them all the opprobrious epithets he 

 could think of in English, Spanish, Sioux, or Pawnee. 

 When they wheeled and went off the last time, he 

 turned to me with the most intense disgust and con- 

 tempt, and said, emphatically, ' Dam coward, Sioux ! now 



