144 RETREAT OF THE ENEMY. 
bullet had entered and passed out. Notwith- 
standing I at first apprehended a fracture of 
the scull, it very soon healed, and Dutch was 
‘up and about’ again in the course of a week. 
Although teachers not unfrequently have 
cause to deplore the thickness of their pupils’ 
skulls, Dutch had every reason to congratu- 
late himself upon possessing such a treasure, 
as it had evidently preserved him from a more 
serious catastrophe. It appeared he had taken 
shelter in his wagon at the commencement 
of the attack, without reflecting that the boards 
and sheets were not ball- proof: and as In- 
dians, especially in the night, are apt to shoot 
too high, he was in a much more dangerous 
situation than if upon the ground. 
The enemy continued the attack for nearly 
three hours, when they finally retired, so as 
to make good their retreat before daylight. 
As it rained and snowed from that time till 
nine in the morning, their ‘sign’ was almost 
entirely obliterated, and we were unable to 
discover whether they had received any in- 
jury or not. It was evidently a foot party, 
which we looked upon as another proof of 
their being Pawnees; for these famous ma- 
rauders are well known to go forth on 
their expeditions of plunder without horses, 
although they seldom fail to return well 
mounted. 
lieve, however, that they did not get a single 
ae - 
