Answering him with an affirmative shout, I stepped out, forgetting for the moment the Indian who was watching for a shot at me. He failed to take advantage of the opportunity, for he saw that he was trapped and made a dash up out of the ravine and ran for the nearest point of bushes just back of our burned haystack.
I called to Bill, who was on the same side of the ravine as the fleeing Kiowa:
"Head him off, Bill! Kill him! Kill him!"
The scout instantly turned his horse and dashed after the Indian, who, seeing that he could not reach the brush before being overtaken, halted, turned, took deliberate aim at the oncoming horseman, and fired.
Down went horse and rider in a heap. The Kiowa dropped his rifle, drew his knife, and started forward to finish his fallen foe. As Bill was now between me and the Indian I was afraid to fire for fear of hitting my friend, who, I saw, was struggling to free himself from his dead horse. I ran across the ravine to where I thought I could help Bill, and before I reached the top of the bank on the other side I heard a shot and then Bill's war-whoop.
When I got in sight of them again Bill was still lying down, one foot under his dead horse, and the Kiowa was lying a few feet from him.
I rushed to him and helped to free him from his horse. On getting on his feet he assured me that he was not hurt, and then, looking toward the Kiowa and noticing that his enemy was not yet dead, with an exultant war-whoop Bill whipped out his knife, sprang to his dying foe, anxious to scalp him.
I had been so absorbed in this affair that I had not noticed that Captain Saunders with his troopers had turned out of his course and now came galloping up to us; seeing which Bill called out impatiently to the captain, waving him back:
"Don't stop here, Cap! There's only one Injun here, and I've fixed him! We're losing time, and we've lost too much already. I'm afraid them Kiowas out yonder'll get away from us yet. Shove your men along out that way lively."
And then suddenly stopping to listen to a rattle of firearms out toward the wagon, he exclaimed: