JUNCTION FORMED. 



315 



loved of his wife and little ones. What will he that I give him so they 

 sorrow not ? 



Indian. Now, my heart blesses the pale face. If he would bestow his 

 gifts, what better could I receive at his hand than a small present of tobac- 

 co, that my pipe may be filled to tlie undying friendsliip of him and his 

 people. 



A few pieces of tobacco were accordingly given, and the good-hearted 

 Indian, after shaking hands with each one of our party, took his horse and 

 departed to his village. 



Where, let me ask, do we find, in civilized countries an instance of noble 

 generosity equal to that of the poor savage ? 



The Arapaho village, as we learned from our visitors, had been camped 

 in the vicinity several days, for the twofold purpose of awaiting the Cuman- 

 ches and catching wild horses. This, by the way, reminds me of not hav- 

 ing as yet described the manner of performing the latter feat. 

 • In taking wild horses, two methods are resorted to, alike displaying con- 

 siderable tact and ingenuity. Of these the following is the most common : 



A large party of Indians, mounted on their fleetest chargers, having dis- 

 covered a band of these animals, carefully approach from the leeward, scat- 

 tering themselves to a distance of eight or ten miles along the course their 

 intended captives are expected to run. This done, the chase is started at 

 a given signal, by the nearest Indian, who is relieved by the next in suc- 

 cession, and he by the next, and so on (taking their cue from the strategy 

 of wolves in their capture of the antelope) until these proud rangers of the 

 prairie, exhausted by their long-continued and vain efibrts to escape, cease 

 to assert their native hberty, and fall easy prey to the lasso of their 

 pursuers. 



Anotlier plan frequently adopted is, to erect a stout fence from side to 

 side, between two impassable walls of rock. The unsuspicious band are 

 then so started as necessarily to be driven within the enclosure, when their 

 ready pursuers, closing in upon the rear, take them without the trouble of 

 a long chase. 



Great numbers of wild horses are annually captured by these means, 

 which become domesticated in a very short time. But, as a general thing, 

 they are less adapted to hard service than those reared in the ordinary 

 way, and are far more disposed to re-assert their birthright of freedom 

 at the first opportunity that occurs. 



Our visitors communicated the important intelligence that a detachment 

 of four hundred Mexicans had passed their village only two days previous, 

 on its way to Arkansas ; which statement was further corroborated by cer- 

 tain indications noticed in the trail. The enemy was evidently in pursuit 

 of us, and, weak as we were numerically, none expressed any other feeiliig 

 than that of a willingness to meet him. 



From this camp, our course bore west-northwest for thirty or forty mi Vs, 

 during which distance we found no water, and suflered greatly from the 

 agonizing effects of thirst. One of our pack-horses, also, took the " stam- 

 pecfe," and ran off with his entire load, consisting principally of ammuni- 

 tion, and all our efforts to retake him proved abortive. 



About noon the succeeding day, we reached our destination, where a 



