CAPTAIN DAN HENRIE. 431 



Dan, who was my comrade in many a curious adventure, 

 was the same Henrie of my previous narrative of the " Shot 

 in the Eye." It is one of the drollest of his many personal 

 affairs that I propose to relate now. I shall endeavor to 

 give it as nearly as I can remember, in his own way, as 

 he related it to me ; though I must confess, it will be very 

 difficult, if not impossible, to preserve the raciness of his 

 rattle-pate and peculiar manner. It was before he joined 

 the Meir expedition, and while yet with the Rangers, under 

 the command of McCullough. 



Dan, whose excellence as a guide was well known to the 

 captain, was despatched by him, along with three others of 

 the troop, on a scouting expedition, towards the head waters 

 of the Nueces. This was in the early winter of the year 

 before the Meir expedition, and the Mexicans were in many 

 ways annoying and threatening the weak settlements along 

 that river. This state of things had encouraged the Indians, 

 as well, to make very bold descents. McCullough had on 

 his first arrival given them both a severe lesson, upon which 

 the marauders had taken the hint, and nothing further had 

 been heard from either party for several months. Unwillino- 

 that his men should lie in camp at such a place as Corpus 

 Christi, with nothing to do but drink and carouse, the prudent 

 captain of Eangers had thought best to despatch all the 

 most restless spirits on tours of observation in various 

 quarters. Besides, the aspect of affairs in that part of Texas 

 generally, had begun to seem rather forlorn, and seemed to 

 call for unremitting vigilance. 



Dan and his companions had reached the foot of the 

 mountains in which the western branch of the Nueces takes 

 rise, without meeting any other sort of incident than those 

 which are common to prairie travel. Here they formed their 

 camp, and as they had yet discovered no signs of Indians 

 it was concluded that they would take each his own course 

 the next day, and after traversing as much ground as possible, 



