“Well, we’ll have our horses ready,” said the captain. “One thing is quite certain--it can’t last much longer.” He was right. The Snakes were almost all slain, and the few remaining ones were completely disheartened. They only kept up their resistance so that they might die with weapons in their hands. “That warrior’s a great fighter!” exclaimed Buffalo Bill, as he saw a Snake Indian, evidently a chief, dismounted and fighting hand to hand with five or six of the enemy--only falling when struck from behind with a tomahawk after he had slain three of his foes. It was the last of the leader of the Snakes, and soon after he fell the sole survivor of the Snake braves drove his own knife home to his heart rather than let a Ute do it. Then the fierce yells of victory rose louder than ever from the throats of the victorious Utes. But suddenly these were hushed. For Bear Killer and his warriors--his brother had been slain in the battle--saw the troops drawn up in line on the hill, their arms and accouterments glittering in the noonday sun, and the scouts, under Buffalo Bill, on their flank. It looked as if another battle was going to be fought, with fresh and well-armed soldiers against braves who were tired with a long and bloody fight, and most of them wounded in addition. “Now’s the time to wipe them out, captain!” cried Wild Bill, eager to dash forward. “I’d like to see whether we can’t get them to give up the girls without a fight first,” said Buffalo Bill. “If they saw that there was no chance they would be sure to kill them.” “My orders are to save the captives, if I can,” said the captain. “That is the first consideration.” “Then let me try a palaver with the Ute chief,” suggested Buffalo Bill. “Certainly--try it first, by all means.” Wild Bill and some of the other men looked disappointed at this decision, for their hearts had been set on a fight, and they thought they had the Indians at their mercy. But when they saw Buffalo Bill borrow a spear from one of the Pawnee “friendlies” in his band of scouts and tie a white handkerchief on the end of it they realized that the matter was going to be settled by talking instead of by fighting, if it was possible. The arrangements were soon made. Buffalo Bill, with the truce flag, dashed boldly down the hill, followed more slowly by Captain Meinhold and Wild Bill, the lieutenant holding the company ready to charge if a sign of treachery on the part of the Indians demanded it. The Utes, at first astounded at this unexpected demonstration in their rear, were now seen to gather for consultation, and when Buffalo Bill was well down the hill toward them three of them were seen to ride out from the rest. The first was Bear Killer himself, and a little to his rear, on his right and left, rode two Ute braves. The one on his right carried a rather dirty-looking white flag.