The main force halted when
its leaders beheld the skirmish, and seemed for a time at a loss as to
what was best to do.
We turned toward General Merritt, and when we had made about half the
distance the Indians we had been chasing suddenly turned toward us and
another lively skirmish took place.
One of the Indians, who was elaborately decorated with all the
ornaments usually worn by a great chief when he engaged in a fight, saw
me and sang out:
"I know you, Pa-ho-has-ka! Come and fight with me!"
The name he used was one by which I had long been known by the Indians.
It meant Long-Yellow-Hair.
The chief was riding his horse to and fro in front of his men, in order
to banter me. I concluded to accept his challenge. I turned and
galloped toward him for fifty yards, and he rode toward me about the
same distance. Both of us rode at full speed. When we were only thirty
yards apart I raised my rifle and fired. His horse dropped dead under
him, and he rolled over on the ground to clear himself of the carcass.
Almost at the same instant my own horse stepped into a hole and fell
heavily. The fall hurt me but little, and almost instantly I was on my
feet. This was no time to lie down and nurse slight injuries. The chief
and I were now both on our feet, not twenty paces apart. We fired at
each other at the same instant. My usual luck held.
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