He was a good fighter.

It was rumored that an Indian's bullet could never hurt him.

A cannon-ball, according to report, had hit him in the head without injuring him at all, while another cannon-ball, glancing off his skull, had instantly killed one of the toughest mules in the army! The Pawnee scouts, who had been mustered out of service during the winter of 1869 and '70, were reorganized to accompany this expedition.
I was glad of this.

I had become very much attached to Major North, one of the officers, and to many of the Indians.

Beside myself the only white scout we had in the Post at this time was John Y.Nelson, whose Indian name was Cha-Sha-Cha-Opeyse, or Red-Willow-Fill-the-Pipe.