212 BUFFALO LAND. 



ahead of the wagon containing his wife and brother- 

 in-hiw. Though mortally wounded at their first voi- 

 le}^, with the desperate effort of a dying man he clung 

 to the saddle for a hundred yards or more, and then 

 rolled upon the prairie a lifeless corpse. Frantic with 

 terror, the horse dashed through the circle of Indians 

 that surrounded him, and fled. The savages, prob- 

 ably fearing longer delay, did not pursue, nor even 

 attack the wagon, and the black pacer was not seen 

 again for some months, when at length some hunters 

 discovered him, freed from saddle and bridle, the 

 leader of the wild herd. 



Buffalo Bill gave us quite an insight into some of 

 the mysteries of plain craft. When you are alone, 

 and a party of Indians are discovered, never let them 

 approach you. If in the saddle, and escape or con- 

 cealment is impossible, dismount, and motion them 

 back with your gun. It shows coolness, and these 

 fellows never like to get within rifle range, when a 

 firm hand is at the trigger. If there is any water 

 near, try and reach it, for then, if worst comes to 

 worst, you can stand a siege. The savages of the 

 plains are always anxious to get at close quarters be- 

 fore developing hostility. Unless very greatly in the 

 majority, and with some unusual incentive to attack, 

 they will not approach a rifle guard. Were they as 

 well supplied with breech-loading guns as with pis- 

 tols;. the case would be different, of course. Bill was 

 the hero of many Indian battles, and had fought 

 savages in all ways and at all hours, on horseback 

 and on foot, at night and in daytime alike. 



As an amusing illustration of the savage abhor- 



