2 4 o SPORTING ADVENTURES 



successful, and in less than ten minutes the whole of our party 

 was assembled. I had, in the meantime, saddled a fresh, and 

 my best horse, and felt so thoroughly confident of outrunning 

 any Indian that I was almost anxious to race with any one of 

 them. AYhcn the position of affairs was explained to the men 

 they were all animation at once, and though the news was 

 exceedingly disagreeable, not one showed the least sign of fear. 

 All displayed in their features the seriousness of the coming con- 

 test, but though their faces might have been a little blanched, 

 yet there was an expression of a thorough determination to 

 fight to death if necessary. 



Some and myself amongst them put a revolver into 

 their boot legs, intending to kill themselves with it if they 

 were captured, or so sei'iously wounded as to be unable to keep 

 with the remainder of the party. After a brief consultation 

 our plan of operations was decided upon. This was, that it 

 would be worse than madness to retreat to camp; and having 

 no other recourse left, we concluded to make for the only passage 

 in the mountains in front, and resort to every strategem we 

 could think of to lead the foe away from that. All were to obey 

 the leader's motions, or take the consequence ; and no person 

 was to leave a wounded comrade until it was evident that he 

 could not escape the red demons, and he was then to be shot in 

 case he could not do it himself. That matter being understood, 

 all mounted fresh horses, and deploying into a long line, so as 

 to prevent the effect of a fusillade, we moved forward as if we 

 were going on a grand drive. The Indians in the coppice in front, 

 on seeing us advancing, sallied out promptly to meet us, and we 

 feigning to be surprised, faced about at the command of our 

 leader, and retreated in the direction whence we came. They 

 dashed after us at once, and when they got within rifle range we 

 let them have a volley which tumbled over some men and horses. 

 Our fire was answered by a fierce yell of defiance and a fusillade 

 that looked dangerous enough, but all the bullets fell short. 

 After a contestof five minutes, wegalloped in an oblique direction 

 to the right, in order to lead them away from the route we in- 

 tended to take, and this ruse was successful, for instead of closing 

 on us, the larger number rode as rapidly as they could to head us 



