When we arrived near the race tracks I think there must have been 
two thousand Indians camped in different squads; all had their 
tepees, and truly it made a great sight. There were hundreds of 
ponies and the young Indians were roping and playing like wild 
ponies. The Delawares struck camp by themselves, as the other tribes 
had. done. Each tribe had their squaws and papooses with them, also 
their dogs, which were not few. The next morning things began to 
line up for the race, and the Indians were all betting, some bed 
blankets, some ponies, some jewelry, and others saddles, mackinaws, 
lariat ropes, chaps, buck skin, buffalo robes and almost everything. 
They seemed to have some way to have decided the value of the 
different articles. In this way anyone could enter the race. The pile 
of stuff was thrown in a pile and the horses lined up for the race, 
fourteen in number. The word “start” was given by a tall Cheyenne 
and the ponies were off, the plaited hair of their riders blowing straight 
out behind. The Indians all yelled and hollered, which gave me a 
thrill I have never forgotten. There is something about the thrill 
one gets at the yell of an Indian that gives one a reckless feeling 
that nothing else can. 
The race was carried on for two weeks and the Indians would 
play games between times. Everything was fairly peaceful and quiet 
except that once in a while two tribes would get to gambling and have 
a falling out. They fought more like women than men, pulling each, 
other’s hair and scratching each other’s eyes. They didn’t seem to 
want to hurt each other badly and their fights would not last long 
at a time, and they would settle down and gamble again. 
After the big races were over. Bill and I returned with the Dela¬ 
wares, went deer hunting a few more times and decided we would 
make a change. Bill told me of cattle men he had previously worked 
for in the Chicasaw region. This would be new so we agreed to go 
and hire as cowboys for a month. 
— 67 — 
