254 ELDORADO 



tion to avoid a collision with the savages, but in vain. 



As they w^ere journeying close to a line of low 

 sand-hills, a large force of Indians, lying behind them, 

 fired upon the party, and in a few seconds all of their 

 animals and several of their men lay dead around 

 them. Though taken by surprise, the survivors 

 fought gallantly, digging shallow rifle pits and piling 

 up their dead animals, packs and baggage as breast- 

 works. 



Here they maintained themselves until they were 

 unable longer to endure the awful agonies of thirst, 

 and taking all the ammunition they could carry and a 

 few dollars from the vast hoards that lay around 

 them, they scattered the remainder of their ammuni- 

 tion, so as to render it useless to the Indians, and 

 choosing the darkest portion of the night, they stole 

 cautiously out of camp and began their toilsome and 

 terrible march towards the nearest Arkansas settle- 

 ments. 



To their surprise the savages did not pursue them, 

 but they found in the frozen and desolate plains, a 

 foe no less to be dreaded. They were unable to secure 

 any species of game ; and wild beans, the roots of 

 weeds and grasses, and even insects, were for sixteen 

 days their only food. Almost frozen, and famished 

 for want of proper sustenance, they wandered despair- 

 ingly onward, regretting that the bullets and the ar- 

 rows of the Comanches had not bestowed upon them 

 a speedy and merciful death. 



Some fell through exhaustion, and tumble to rise, 

 perished where they lay ; others, of stronger frames 

 or more indomitable spirit, staggered wearily along, 

 mere skeletons of men, looking like horrible phan- 



