The major has offered me a horse, but I don't know how I shall
stand the ride."
I assured him that he would soon feel at home in the saddle, and we set
out. The command headed for the North Platte, which had been swollen by
mountain rains. In crossing we had to swim our horses. Buntline was the
first man across.
We reached O'Fallen's Station at eleven o'clock. In a short time I
succeeded in finding an Indian trail. The party of Indians, which had
come up from the south, seemed to be a small one. We followed the track
of the Indians, to the North Platte, but they had a start of two days.
Major Brown soon abandoned the pursuit, and returned to Fort Sedgwick.
During this short scout, Buntline had plied me with questions. He was
anxious to go out on the next scout with me.
By this time I had learned that my horse, Tall Bull, was a remarkably
fast runner. Therefore, when Lieutenant Mason, who owned a racer,
challenged me to a race, I immediately accepted. We were to run our
horses a single dash of a half mile for five hundred dollars a side.
Several of the officers, as well as Rube Wood, the post-trader, offered
to make side bets with me. I took them up until I had my last cent on
Tall Bull.
I saw from the start that it would be easy to beat the lieutenant's
horse, and kept Tall Bull in check, so that no one might know how fast
he really was.
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