CHAPTER IX. 



The Pottowattomie Country An Indian Camp Old Acquaintances Captain 

 Connor's Adventures His Speech The surprise Party The Design 

 Night Attacks Captain Connor's Success The Festivities " Let it 

 alone.'! 



BETWEEN Fort Riley and the Pottowattomie's country 

 nothing of special interest occurred, and immediately upon 

 entering it the escort left us, for they had lost time to make 

 up, while we were wishful to jog easily along and travel by 

 short stages, having taken it out of our animals considerably 

 in our rush from Camp Gibraltar. 



Our road ran through the main Pottowattomie settle- 

 ment, the site of their council lodge and other tribal 

 erections, which towards evening we found ourselves in 

 sight of. That something extraordinary had happened 

 that events of unusual importance were in progress or being 

 prepared for became at once apparent. The whole nation 

 seemed to be assembled. Buffalo-skin " tepees " (Indian 

 tents) were thickly clustered round the council lodge, and 

 dotted up and down near the stream's banks, and the prairie 

 on each side of it was covered with bands of Indian ponies 

 (about two thousand head), then being gathered together by 



