Part 21 (2/2)

Several of the officers, as well as Rube Wood, the post-trader, offered to make side bets with me I took them up until I had my last cent on Tall Bull

I saw from the start that it would be easy to beat the lieutenant's horse, and kept Tall Bull in check, so that no one ht kno fast he really was I won easily, and pocketed a snug su horse race Major Brown said that if Tall Bull could beat the pawnees' fast horse, I could break his whole command

The next day all the troops were paid off, including the pawnees For two or three days our Indian allies did nothing but run horses, as all the lately captured animals had to be tested to determine which was the swiftest Finally the pawnees offered to run their favorite against Tall Bull They raised three hundred dollars to bet on their horse, and I covered the money In addition I took nule dash of a mile Tall Bull ithout any trouble, and I was ahead on this race about seven hundred dollars

I also got up a race forto Major Lute North, of the pawnee Scouts I selected a s at the Post for a jockey, Major North rode his own pony The pawnees, as usual, wanted to bet on their pony, but as I had not yet ascertained the running qualities of Powder Face I did not care to risk much on him Had I known him as well as I did afterward I would have backed him with every cent I had He proved to be one of the swiftest ponies I ever saw, and had evidently been kept as a racer

The dash between the ponies was to be four hundred yards When I led Powder Face over the course he seemed to understand what he was there for North was on his pony; my boy was up I had all I could do to hold the fiery little fellow back He was so lively on his feet that I feared his young rider ht not be able to stick on his back

At last the order to start was given by the judges I brought Powder Face up to the score, and the word ”Go!” was given So swiftly did he juround Nevertheless he went through and won the race without a rider It was an easy victory, and after that I could get noobtained a leave of absence, Colonel Royal was given coo out after the Indians In a few days we set out for the Republican, where, we had learned, there were plenty of Indians

At Frenche, but did not surprise it, for the Indians had seen us approaching and were in retreat as we reached their cah the sandhills, but they made better time than we did, and the pursuit was abandoned

While ere in the sandhills, scouting the Niobrara country, the pawnee Indians brought into caeon of the expedition pronounced to be the thigh bone of a hu The Indians said the bones were those of a race of people who long ago had lived in that country They said these people were three times the size of athat they could run by the side of a buffalo, and, taking the ani and eat it as they ran

These giants, said the Indians, denied the existence of a Great Spirit

When they heard the thunder or saw the lightning, they laughed and declared that they were greater than either This so displeased the Great Spirit that he caused a deluge The water rose higher and higher till it drove these proud giants frorounds to the hills and thence to the ed and the mammoth men were drowned

After the flood subsided, the Great Spirit cae and powerful He therefore corrected his th of the men of the present day This is the reason, the Indians told us, that the iants of old The story has been handed down ain no , in the spring of 1870, a band of horse-stealing Indians raided four ranches near theup horses from these ranches they proceeded to the Fort McPherson herd, which was grazing above the Post, and took about forty Govern these was my favorite little pony, Powder Face

When the alariven, ”Boots and Saddles” was sounded I always kept one of my best horses by me, and was ready for any surprise The horse that I saddled that day was Buckskin Joe

As I galloped for the herd, I saw the Indians kill two of the herders

Then, circling all the horses toward the west, they disappeared over a range of hills I hurried back to the caeneral that I knehere to pick up the trail Company I, commanded by a little red-headed chap--Lieutenant Earl D Thomas--was the first to report, raduated from West Point

His sole instructions were: ”Follow Cody and be off quick” As he rode away General Emory called after him: ”I will support you with more troops as fast as they are saddled”

The lieutenant followed me on the run to the spot where I saw the Indians disappear Though the redskins had an hour and a half start on us, we followed theun to drive their horses in a circle, and then in one direction after another,dark, but I succeeded in keeping on soht the Indians endeavored, by scattering their horses, to throw us off the trail At three o'clock in thefor the headwaters of Medicine Creek, and headed straight in that direction

We found that they had reached the creek, but reh to water their horses Then they struck off to the southwest I infors at the head of Red Willow Creek, thirty-five miles away The Indians, I said, would stop there

Tho so rabbed their sidearms and carbines and ammunition belts, and leaped into their saddles None of us had had anything to eat since dinner the day before In the whole outfit there was not a canteen in which to carry water

I notified Thoo the terrible hardshi+p of riding a whole day without food or water, on the chance of overtaking the Indians and getting their rations and supplies away from them He replied that the only instructions he had received from General Emory were to follow me I said that if it were left to me, I would follow the Indians

”You have heard Cody,” said Thomas to his men ”Noould like to hear what you eant they said they had followed Cody onto follow hiiven, and the trail was taken up Several times that day we found the Indians had resorted to their old tactics of going in different directions They split the herd of horses in bunches, and scattered theood speed