312 
INCIDENTS AT THE 
After the lapse of several days, the chiefs with their 
people, including the owner of one of the boys, again 
made their appearance. The matter was again talked 
over, but nothing was decided, and they returned to 
their camps. After several fruitless conferences of this 
sort, the affair was at length so arranged that the cap- 
tives should be retained by us, and our friendly rela- 
tions not be impaired. As this last discussion was one 
of much interest, it was taken down by one of the gen- 
tlemen present. I give it therefore at length, as the 
arguments used by my opponents display to good 
advantage their natural shrewdness of character. It 
was commenced by Mangus Colorado, who thus ad- 
dressed me : 
Mangus Colorado . — Why did you take our captives 
from us ? 
Commissioner . — Your captives came to us and 
demanded our protection. 
Mangus Colorado . — You came to our country. 
You were well received by us. Your lives, your pro- 
perty, your animals, were safe. You passed by ones, 
by twos, and by threes, through our country ; you 
went and came in peace. Your strayed animals were 
always brought home to you again. Our wives, our 
children, and women, came here and visited your 
houses. We were friends! We were brothers! Be- 
lieving this, we came amongst you and brought our 
captives, relying on it that we were brothers, and that 
you would feel as we feel. We concealed nothing. 
We came not here secretly or in the night. We came 
in open day and before your faces, and we showed our 
captives to you. We believed your assurances of 
