Great Bear doubled up like a jack knife and catapulted in the air, turning a complete somersault, ending up by landing on his head on the hard rocks some distance away.
His heavy boots landed full on the Indian's face, mangling and mutilating it almost beyond human semblance.
But the uncertain footing threw the outlaw from his feet and he fell sprawling over the body of his antagonist.
Again the combatants were locked in a deadly embrace.
It seemed as if human flesh and blood could not stand the terrible gruelling that each desperate man had sustained.
Still the battle waged on as sanguinary as before.
Never had such a desperate fight to the death been known in all that wild, barbarous country, and the story of it has been handed down--told in tepee and at firesides to this day. You can hear it any day should you chance to come across some old trapper or Indian chief when either is in a communicative mood.
But neither man of iron could conquer the other.
Jesse while holding his antagonist down, had pinioned both arms to the ground and with hands in the redskin's hair, was beating his head against the rocks, with an impact that might have been heard for many rods around.
He hoped to wear out his antagonist in this way. Both men's knives had now been lost beyond recovery, and nothing but pure muscular prowess could decide the equal battle.
All at once Jesse sensed that some one was approaching him from the rear, but whether friend or foe, he could not tell, for all behind him was in a deep shadow now.
His guns were still in their holsters, but the sudden strain that the desperado put upon himself to draw them, was futile. The Indian's grasp of iron could not be broken for the infinitesimal space of time that was necessary to give Jesse an opportunity to jerk his "Colts" from their resting place.
With a mighty effort he twisted his antagonist about so that he could partially look behind him.
The discovery that he made was enough to shake the stoutest nerves.
Over him towered the savage, malignant face of a giant Indian.
He held in his hands a club which was descending on Jesse's head with fearful force.
Like a flash the outlaw dodged and the blow fell upon Great Bear's arm, crushing it, and bringing from the warrior a groan of agony.