The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1904-08-12
your trail. Come, let US now 60 home.

Without more ado they turned back,
perfectly understanding each other.
White Hawk did not need to say that
he had gone to the buffalo aunt in q
whirl of excitement, and supposing
that his friend was also furnished
with pony.
The two travelled northward lei
surely. They took turns in Iiliag
stopping to hunt or to rest as they
were hungry or sleepy. They came
to the North Platte River, and crossed
at a ford On the north of this river
they were both riding upon rolling
prairie one afternoon, when three
horsemen appeared upon hill.
The strangers we're indians, who
halted and took careful observation OF
the travellers. After some minutes
during which the youths went forward
trying to appear unconcerned, the
three put the quirt to their ponies and
came on at gallop. BY their long
lances, their dress and their manner
Of riding, the Sioux lads knew that the
strangers were Pawnees. and that they
were at that instant riding to attack.
White Hawk, who was riding be.
hind, at once leaped from his pony.
do you ride on, brother-friend." ne
said. go very quickly and escape! /
shall contend with these people"
While they stood. each urging the
other to escape, the Pawnees came on
swiftly They had recognized the lads
as Dakotas, and they raised war-cry
Neither of the brother-friends would
leave the other to his fate. They could
not hope to escape. riding double; so
they crouched behind their pony and
fitted arrows to their bows.
Although they were but lads Of six
teen or seventeen, they realized fully
their situation. They believed them.
selves about to perish, and lost all
sense of fear in fierce desire to in
fiict injury ON the enemy.
The Pawnees had been quick to dis
cover that they had to contend with
very young warriors-mere boys, as
it appeared-and they charged with
reckless assurance. They refrained
from shooting at the Sioux pony. for
they wished to capture the animal.
To avoid injury to the horse and to
obtain a cross-fire the Pawness sep
arated, two passing round on one side
and one on the other.
do not shoot yet" said Yellow Sun.
Pretend to be afraid, and when they
are very close let US shoot two Of the
dogs"
So they shrewdly withheld their ar.
rows and crouched low upon the
ground, as If covering in fear. The
Pawnees came into full view and boot
ed in derision. They halted their
horses for a moment, crying to the
Dakotas If they were indeed men to
get up and fight. Then, seeing the
youths shrink, apparently in abject
terror, they raised their lances and
charged them.
The Pawnees had come within a
dozen leaps when the Sioux boys
sprang to their feet with taut strung
bows. Their own WET cries were now
launched in the shrill, disconcerting
yell of the Ogallalas.
The Pawnee ponies, thus suddenly
confronted, reared and plunged, and
the lances their riders hurled went
wide of the mark. Good fortune at
tended upon good judgment in this
fight, and the two foremost Pawnees
at the distance of half dozen steps
were stricken out of their saddles by
the Sioux arrows. The third wheeled
his pony and rode rapidly away.
Then, as the young Sioux, wildly
elated, shot their arrows after the run.
ner, they saw upon distant rise q
large party of mounted Pawnees. The
three whom they had fought had been
the advance scouts of this big war
party.
Already Yellow Sun had trodden
upon a dragging horsehair rope and
halted one of the riderless ponies. The
lads now seized upon the lances and
shields of the fallen Pawnees, and az
further trophy, each snatched from a
shaven poll its gaudy headdress. With.
in the minute both were mounted and
riding at speed.
AS they cast backward glances they
saw string of frantic riders-forty-
fifty or more-winding over the hills
like the coils of a huge, swift and
angry snake. The head Of that SER
pentine line, however, was gaining
upon the tail Soon it became evident
that the foremost Pawnees were
mounted upon swifter horses than the
one which Yellow Sun was riding.
Again Yellow Sun called to White
Hawk. urging him to ride on at full
speed and escape.
"You have as good horse az any
one!" he shouted. Ride faster! Tell
the Ogallalas I was not afraid to
| fight!"
White Hawk was holding in his
pony and hugging the flank of the
Pawnee horse.
mot sol" he cried. "Give me your
blanket roll, brother. and cut away
your saddle. We snail outride them
till night comes!"