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Show 152 FORTY YEARS AMONG THE INDIANS. Most of the shooting was done with revolvers. The mules soon took the lead of the horses. The prairie had many badger holes and broken spots and my mule came near throwing me several times in dodging them. I had not removed the mule's collar, and when I could scarcely stick on for these side plun-ges I ran my arm under it, taking my gun in my hand and clinching it tight. This steadied me so that I felt safe. After running some distance my mule commenced to act as though he was wounded and about to fall. This continued for several minutes, giving us much uneasiness, but he soon recovered himself. He must have been in pain from excitement, as he was not wounded. Moore and I were now neck and neck on the lead, going at full speed. I asked him to turn to the north and get our right direction of travel. He paid no atten-tion to my words, so I repeated them rather sharply, when he answered, " D n it, turn to the north your-self, I cannot turn my mule any more than a saw- log." We found we were much like the old parson who yoked himself to the calf, we were running away in spite of ourselves. On looking back we saw that the horsemen were about twenty yards in the rear. I called and asked them if their horses were undercontrol. They answered, " Yes." " Then ride up and take the lead." They answered that our mules were too fast for them, so we managed to check their speed a little. The horsemen, whipping up, at length got the lead, when they turned to the north in the direction we wished to travel. Shortly after turning to the north we came to a clump of cedars. Here Moore and I tried hard to per- |