Here he pulled the trigger." He picked up a minute piece of the burned wadding of the muzzle-loading rifle.
"The warrior at whom he fired was bound to have been in the thicket beyond the open space," he said, "and it was there that he fell.

He fell because at such a critical time the Great Bear would not have fired unless he was sure of his aim.

We will look into the thicket" They found several spots of blood among the bushes and at another point about twenty feet away they saw more.
"Here is where the warrior fell before Black Rifle's bullet," said Tayoga.
"He and the Great Bear must have fired almost at the same time.

Undoubtedly the warriors retreated at once, carrying their dead with them.

Let us see if they did not unite, and leave the thicket at the farthest point from our two friends." The trail was very clear at the place the Onondaga had indicated, and also many more red spots were there leading away toward the east.
"We will not follow them." said Tayoga, "because they do not interest us any more.