Those redskins who opposed the way either crumpled up and fell to the rocks or dodged behind the boulders for safety. It seemed as though their numbers were sufficient to make the scouts’ escape impossible; the odds against the white men were all of ten to one!
But the redskins’ shooting was wild, while the accuracy of the white men’s aim was phenomenal. Many a red, just as he had drawn bead upon the scouts, was struck by a pistol ball, and either knocked over completely or his own shot diverted.
The cheering of the garrison as they saw Texas Jack return for his partner inspired the scouts. The last Indian went down before them and was trampled under the hoofs of the charger that bore them both, and as they shot out of sight into the gloom of the cañon’s mouth Buffalo Bill removed his sombrero and waved it to the watchers on the fort stockade, while his well-known war-cry rang over the field of battle!
“I got a couple of nicks from the pesky arrows,” said Omohondreau. “But, shucks! them Injuns can’t shoot with a white man’s gun worth a hoot in a rainwater barrel.... Yuh lost Buckskin, Cody.”
“And sorry enough I am to lose the poor creature. He’s been a good nag.”
“A scratch from a bullet in my left shoulder. It’s bleeding a little, but I won’t stop to fool with it now. And I got four arrows through my clothes. Oh, we were lucky!”
“Betcher life! We’ve been favored mightily.”
“Thank God for it,” said Buffalo Bill devoutly. “I don’t expect often to come through two such circuses in one day--and have nothing worse to show for it.”
“Right. Now, old man, what’s the program?”
“Keep on. I don’t feel safe as long as we’re at the bottom of this hole in the hills.”
“That’s all right. But we haven’t got but one horse----”
“We can’t both ride this horse, good as he is, all the way to Fort Resistence.”
“One of us must push on for help about as fast as the horse can go.”
“There isn’t much danger of the reds following us far, for their ponies aren’t to be compared with this fellow--and they all know what he can do.”
“Then you’d better let me go on, as soon as we come to the creek ahead and shape ourselves up a bit, and you can scout around until I return with help from Fort Resistence.”
“They need every rifle they can git in the fort, yuh know.”