488 OCEAN TO OCEAN ON HORSEBACK. 



vious night, our eyes steadily sought the arms and 

 ponies. Wq were quite certain that any attempt to 

 escape, if detected and defeated, would result in im- 

 mediate torture- and death ; but were, nevertheless, 

 firmly determined to make the effort, let the conse- 

 quences be what they might, for by this time we were 

 thoroughly convinced that, if taken to their encamp- 

 ment in the Black Hills, the Indians would be most 

 likely to detain us as hostages for a long period, and 

 in tiie end possibly, should the inclination seize them, 

 subject us to brutalities that only savages can devise. 

 With such reflections and but indifferent opportunity 

 to put our plans for escape to the test, we passed our 

 second night in captivity. 



At dawn of the third day, November second, after 

 the usual breakfast of antelope. Lone Wolf called his 

 band together and, mounting, continued his march 

 northward, halting occasionally for rest and refresh- 

 ment. About eight in the evening all dismounted 

 and bivouacked for the night. The weather was now 

 extremely cold in this high altitude, and was keenly 

 felt by the Arrapahoes and their white captives. 



Shivering with cold and without blankets, Gordon 

 and I, still bound together at the wrists, lay down to 

 sleep with our captors around a smouldering fire. 

 The Indians sought sleep — their prisoners thought 

 only of possibilities for escape. 



With the experience I had gained in Southern 

 prisons during the Civil War and the herder's thorough 

 knowledge of the Plains, I felt confident that we could 

 make our escape if we were constantly on the alert for 

 the opportune moment. During the early hours of 

 the night we had each fixed our eyes upon a pony. 



