Part 3 (1/2)

I used to sit for hours and watch hie Without a sound they would carry on long and interesting conversations, tell stories, inquire about ga that

I was naturally desirous of an iven to the ”three R's” back at Salt Creek My wagon-beds becaes, who are very much like other children, despite their red skins

I joined the knowledge of the Sioux language The acquaintance I formed here was to save my scalp and life later, but I little suspected it then

I spent the su, husky boy now, and felt that I had entered on as to be my career--as indeed I had

In January, '59, Siade train- a day apart Because of ular trail was eaten so close that the feed for the bulls was scanty

Instead of following the trail down the South Platte, therefore, Si the North Platte There was no road, but the grass was still long, and forage for the cattle was necessary

We had accon of hostile Indians Then one day, as Si ahead to overtake the lead train, a party of Sioux bore down on us, plainly intent on mischief There was little time to act No cover of any kind was to be had For us three, even with our rifles, to have stood up against the Sioux in the open would have been suicide Si the three le, he drew his six-shooter and dropped them where they stood

”Now there's a little cover, boys,” he said, and we all made ready for the attack

Our plan of defense was now made for us First rifles, then, at closer quarters, revolvers If it came to a hand-to-hand conflict we had our knives as a last resort

The Sioux drehen they sa quickly Sian to fly and a as possible with our shots Most of thelad indeed that I had If ever a boy stood in need of that kind of preparedness I did

Down ca yell which is always a feature of their e Then at Sialloped riderless over the prairie, and our besiegers hesitated, then wheeled, and rode out of range But our rest was short Back they caood fortune to stop three ly on the shoulder ”You're all right, Billy!” he said, and his praise was music to iven their lives for ours, were stuck full of arrows Woods had been winged in the shoulder

Si the wound, expressed his belief that the arrohich inflicted it had not been poisoned

[Illustration: A SHOWER OF ARROWS RAINED ON OUR DEAD MULES FROM THE CLOSING CIRCLE OF RED-MEN]

But we had little ti else Our enee Here and there when they grew incautious we dropped a man or a pony But ere still heavily outnumbered They knew it and we knew it Unless help came it was only a question of tiht caerly we looked to the ard, but no wagon-train appeared We began to fear that so had happened to our friends, when, suddenly one of the Indians junaled to the others In an instant they were all mounted

”They hear the crack of the bull-whip,” said Woods

He was right Without another glance in our direction the Sioux galloped away toward the foot-hills, and as they disappeared we heard the welcoons co up the trail In that day, however, the plainsed into another His days seldoot to Leavenworth, Simpson sent three of us ahead with the train-book record of the men's time, so that their money would be ready for them when they arrived at Leavenworth

Our boss's adht and to lie under cover in daytime was hardly needed We cared for no ood progress till we got to the Little Blue, in Colorado It was an uncoht and lying all day in such shelters as were to be found But the inconvenience of it was far preferable to being ets for Indian arrows

We were sheltered one night from one of the fearful prairie blizzards that ulley washed out by an autuainst the wind

Looking down the ravine I saw poniesI knew there were Indians near, and we looked about for a hiding-place

At the head of the ravine I had noticed a cave-like hollow I signaled to the two -place As ere settling down to rest one of the low of the ht all the Indians in the world had jumped us But the yell had come from rew-some collection of human skulls and bones I have ever seen Bones were strewn on the floor of the cave like driftwood Skulls were grinning at us frorave where some of the Indians had hidden their dead away from the wolves after a battle It ot out of there in a hurry, and braved the peril of the storm and the Indians as best we could