Right: Inscription: Cursive handwriting on the lines of the ledger: These pictures were drawn by “Wild Hog” and other northern Cheyenne Indian cheifs [sic], while they were confined in the Dodge City jail in May 1879. Candace Greene notes that this inscription was added by James Clayton’s son, and Mrs. Clayton was not sure that it was accurate (personal correspondence with Ramon Powers, 1985). This was a civil, not military, jail, as the governor of Kansas requested jurisdiction over the U.S. Army because of Kansas civilian losses. Legal proceedings are documented in “The State of Kansas V. Wild Hog, Et Al.” by Todd D. Epp (Kansas History 5.2 [Summer 1982]: 139-146).
Left: A man armed with a bow and riding a blue horse shoots an arrow into the black-painted bison. His arms are outstretched in the motion of shooting. The wound is fatal, as the bison bleeds at the mouth. The man wears red shirt and red trade cloth breechclout (with white selvedges). His legs are blue. His left leg is outlined in red against the blue horse.
The blue horse’s ears, reins, and tail are detailed in pencil.
The buffalo is filled in black (ink), with two large curved horns and distinctive split hooves. Two arrows are buried in its unseen flank, with red coloring to indicate the mortal wounds. The blood at its mouth (red coloring) indicates the animal is dying.
Media: Figures are outlined in pencil and filled with blue crayon, black ink, or red watercolor.