370 BUFFALO LAND. 



than fifty white men down in the sand, and most a 

 thousan' Injuns roun' 'em, and more'n a hundred 

 miles to the nearest fort ; the weaker party bein' 

 afoot, too, and the other mounted. 



" But we soon made 'em pitch another tune, beside 

 ther juberlatin' one. We had took notice of a big 

 Injun, with lots o' fixins on him, cavortin' all round 

 ther island, and a spurrin' up the braves. We made 

 certain it wur the medicine man, and found out arter- 

 ward that he 'd been tellin' on 'em ther pale-faces' 

 bullets would melt before reachin' an Injun. Six on 

 us got our rifles together, and as ther old copper- 

 colored Pillgarlic cum dancin' round, we let fly. 

 If Injun carcasses go along with ther spirits, I 

 reckon ther bullets we put into the old sinner, got 

 melted, sure enough. And what a howlin' thur was, 

 as his pony scampered in among the squaws, empty 

 saddled ! 



"It wur an awful sight to look roun' among our 

 little sand-works twenty killed and wounded men, 

 covered with blood and grit. Our leader, Col. For- 

 sythe, was shot in both legs, a ball passin' through 

 the thigh part of one, and a second breakin' the bones 

 of the other below the knee. He wur a knowin' and 

 cool officer. 



"Lieut. Beecher, a nephew of the big preacher, 

 was shot through the small o' the back, and lay thar 

 beggin' us to kill him. He too wur a brave man, and 

 did n't flinch, never, from duty nor danger. They 

 say that his two sisters were drowned from a sail- 

 boat on the Hudson, two years ago, and that the old 

 parents are left now all alone. Doc. Moore was shot 



