THE GEOEGE CATLIN INDIAN GALLERY. 405 



the fatal blow was given ; and exhibiting the wounds inflicted in Ms hand, as the 

 blade of the knife was several times drawn through it before he wrested it from his 

 antagonist. 



A party of about 150 Shienne warriors had made an assault upon the Mandan village, 

 at an early hour in the morning, and driven off a considerable number of horses, 

 and taken one scalj). Mah-to-toh-pa, who was then a young man, but famed as one 

 of the most valiant of the Mandans, took the lead of a party of fifty warriors, all he 

 could at that time muster, and went in pursuit of the enemy ; about noon of the 

 second day, they came in sight of the Shiennes ; and the Mandans seeing their enemy 

 much more numerous than they had expected, were generally disposed to turnabout 

 and return without attacking them. They started to go back, when Mah-to-toh-pa 

 galloped out in front upon the prairie, and plunged his lance into the ground ; the blade 

 was driven into the earth to its hilt ; he made another circuit around, and in that circuit 

 tore from his breast his reddened sash, which he hung upon its handle as a flag, call- 

 ing out to the Mandans, ' ' What I have we come to this ? We have dogged our enemy 

 two days, and now when we liave found them, are we to turn about and go back like 

 cowards ? Mah-to-toh-pa's lance, which is red with the blood of brave men, has led 

 you to the sight of your enemy, and you have followed it ; it now stands firm in the 

 ground, where the earth will drink the blood of Mah-to-toh-pa I you may all go back, 

 and Mah-to-toh-pa will fight them alone !" 



During this maneuver, the Shiennes, who had discovered the Mandans behind them, 

 had turned about, and were gradually approaching, in order to give them battle ; the 

 chief of the Shienne war-party seeing and understanding the difficulty, and admiring 

 the gallaut conduct of Mah-to-toh-pa, galloped his horse forward within hailing dis- 

 tance, in front of the Mandans, and called out to know " who he was who had stuck 

 down his lance and defied the whole enemy alone ?" 



' ' I am Mah-to-toh-pa, second in command of the brave and valiant Mandans." 



" I have heard often of Mah-to-toh-pa, he his a great warrior — dares Mah-to-toh- 

 pa to come forward and fight this battle with me alone, and our warriors will look 

 on?" 



" Is he a chief who speaks to Mah-to-toh-pa V 



"My scalps you see hanging to my horse's bits, and here is my lance with the ermine 

 skins and war-eagle's tail." 



" You have said enough." 



The Shienne chief made a circuit or two at full gallop on a beautiful white horse, 

 when ho struck his lance into the ground and left it standing by the side of the lance 

 of Mah-to-toh-pa, both of which were waving together their little red flags, tokens of 

 blood and defiance. 



The two parties then drew nearer, on a beautiful prairie, and the two full-plumed 

 chiefs, at full speed, drove furiously upon each other, both firing their guns at the 

 same moment. They passed each other a little distance and wheeled, when Mah-to- 

 toh-pa drew off his i>owder-horn, and by holding it up showed his adversary that the 

 bullet had shattered it to pieces and destroyed his ammunition. He then threw it 

 from him, and his gun also, drew his bow from his quiver and an arrow, and his 

 shield upon his left arm. The Shienne instantly did the same ; his horn was thrown 

 off and his gun was thrown into the air — his shield was balanced on his arm— his bow 

 drawn, and quick as lightning they were both on the wing for a deadly combat. Like 

 two soaring eagles in the open air they made their circuits around, and the twangs 

 of their sinewy bows were heard and the war-whoop as they dashed by each other, 

 parrying off the whizzing arrows with their shields. Some lodged in their legs and 

 others in their arms, but both protected their bodies with their bucklers of buU's hide. 

 Deadly and many were the shafts that fled from their murderous bows. At length the 

 horse of Mah-to-toh-pa fell to the ground with an arrow in his heart. His rider sprang 

 upon his feet, prepared to renew the combat ; but the Shienne, seeing his adversary 

 dismounted, sprang from his horse, and driving him back, presented the face of his 



