APPEARANCE OF INDIANS. 215 



camp was on a flat plain covered with bushes, affording capital 

 cover to Indians creeping up to fire at us ; so we hitched up at 

 once and moved on to a ridge, about a mile further on, where 

 we remained till morning, carrying up water in every vessel 

 that would hold it, in case the Indians should come sooner 

 than we expected. 



Morning came, and no sign of the Indians; so we had 

 another talk, and all the men being for an immediate return 

 to Fort Arbuckle, we were at last compelled to agree to it ; so 

 we put the mules in and started about eight o'clock. We cal- 

 culated that we were about seventy-five miles from the Post, 

 and that, unless hindered by the Comanches, we could do it in 

 two days and a half, throwing away some of our load if neces- 

 sary. About ten o'clock F , who was acting rear-guard, 



called to us that they were coming ; and on looking back we 

 saw about forty Indians on some high ground to our right. 

 We kept on as fast as we could go, pulling up when on a bare 

 hill a short distance further on, as it was a good place for a 

 fight if we were to have one. We had nine Winchester repeat- 

 ing-rifles with us and three thousand rounds of ammunition 

 for them, having bought five hundred rounds per man in case 

 we had any fighting ; then we had four double rifles and 

 several hundred rounds of ammunition for them ; and, lastly, 

 we had a double eight-bore duck-gun, which loaded with about 

 two ounces of buckshot in each barrel would be grand at close 

 quarters. 



The Indians galloped up to within two hundred yards of us, 

 when we waved them back, A-sa-ha-be advancing alone, with 

 a branch in his hand as a flag of truce. On his arrival at the 

 waggon he dismounted and calmly seated himself, made signs 



