Part 22 (1/2)

Forty hours without food, and twelve hours without water, we halted for a council when darkness set in

I told Thos the et a little sleep, while I pushed on ahead to look for the Indians This was done When we reached the spot I had designated the saddles were reraze and roll I rode on ahead

As I had suspected I should, I found the Indians enca around theot back to the command with my news The horses were quietly saddled and we proceeded, seldoave the lieutenant and first sergeant the description of the caested that it could be best approached just at daylight We had but forty-one e of the herd, while the lieutenant and I charged the camp

The Indians were enca a cavalry charge difficult The Indians numbered as many as we did The safest plan was to dis others to hold the horses, and proceed to the attack on foot The rest of the h, the round mounted, if they could

A halt was called, and this was explained to theto understand We approached very cautiously till we got within a quarter of a e was sounded

We did not find the land asthe Indians, we couns, hich they always slept, and fled to the marsh below the camp Others ran for their horses It was fortunate that we had dismounted ten men These were able to follow the Indians who had escaped to ht was to keep a lookout for my pony, Powder Pace Soon I saw an Indian, h the ca a beeline after Powder Face and his rider Soon another Indian as afoot leaped up behind Powder Face's rider I knew that the little animal was very swift for a short distance, but that he would be badly handicapped by the weight of two men

I realized thatqualities were such that I was sure he would overtake Powder Face, carrying double weight

Though I was not a hundred yards behind the object of my pursuit when the second Indian ht I feared to fire lest I hit h the sandhills before I dared to useat the rear had a revolver hich he kept banging away, but I paid little attention to hi behind with a pistol was likely to hit nothing but air At last I took a steady ai smoothly The bullet not only hit the rear h him and killed the man in front

They both fell I took another shot to'possum As they fell, Powder Face stopped and looked around, to learn what it was all about I called to hi beautiful war-bonnets, of which I took possession, as well as of their fancy trappings Then, taking Powder Face by the rope, I led his to see how the lieutenant had made out

The herd of horses was held and surrounded by a few soldiers The rest were still popping at the Indians Butthehills

I found the lieutenant, and told hiht we had accomplished all that was possible The orderly sounded the recall I have never seen a muddier set of boys than those who ca around the Indian camp We soon discovered two or three hundred pounds of dried meat--buffalo, deer, and antelope, also a little coffee and sugar and an old kettle and tin cups which the Indians had used

All the men by this ti a piece of dried meat Pickets were posted to prevent a surprise Soon coffee was ready In a short time everybody was filled up, and I told Tho out of there

Many of thethe stolen horses, so as to rest their own The lieutenant was eager to remain and rest until the reenforcements that General Emory had promised should arrive

”Your orders were to follow me, weren't they?” I asked

”Yes”

”Well, then, keep on followingout of here”

”All right,” he agreed ”I've heard the general say that in a tight place your directions should always be followed”

Withthe captured horses we started for Fort McPherson I didn't take the trail that we had followed in I knew of a shorter route, and besides, I didn't want toI knew the officer in colory of the capture away from Lieutenant Thomas

Naturally I wanted all the credit for Thomas and myself as ere entitled to

The soldiers that had been sent out after us found and destroyed the village, but we did not ht dead Indians, and there were a few more down in the marsh which they overlooked The major in command sent out scouts to find our trail

Texas Jack, as on this duty, returned and reported that he had found it, and that ere going back to the fort by another route

The major said: ”That's another of those tricks of Cody's He will guide Tholory before I can overtake him”

We rode into Fort McPherson about six o'clock that evening I told Thomas to make his report ihly, and Thoenerously said that all he did was to obey orders and follow Cody A report was made to General Sheridan, and the next day that officer wired Thoratulations