12
THE BATTALION.
warns, and I knew the girl must be in there. I decided to wait
until nightfall and then crawl up in the rear of the wigwam,
and make a slit in the buckskin with my jack-knife. When
night came I crawled up and cut the tent and peeped in. I
was right in my calculations. The girl was sitting just in
front of me. It was a critical moment, but the girl was brave
I knew. So I made known my presence to her. I told her if
there was no one in the tent, I would cut a hole large enough
for her to get out. She nodded assent, so I did; she was out
in an instant, and we were off towards our horse like fright
ened deer.
The nearest fort was twenty-five miles away, and, as we
had a good stare of the Indians, I felt sure that we would
make it safely. Just as we were mounting our horse we heard
a loud whoop from behind, and knew the Indians were after
us. We urged our horse to a steady gallop, but the Indians
gained on us rapidly. When we were about two miles from
the fort I saw that all was lost if I did not get off and face our
pursuers with my winchester; I jumped off. The girl urged
the tired beast forward as fast he could go. The first Indian
I met was a chief and I “put daylight through him in a jiffy.”
Then followed some hard ffghting. I was quickly surround
ed by the demons, and then my recollection faded.
When I again came to my senses, I found that I was safe
in the fort, with that girl nursing me as tenderly as she could.
Well, I was in bed for a good while, but when I was able
to get up I found that all my hair was gone—that the Indians