Chap. V. FUKTHEE INTERCOURSE WITH THE KIOWAS. 269 
the chief delicacies, that we had, in these places, to sell — 
not to buy. 
In the Fort I saw an old Kiowa, the ugliest Indian I 
ever beheld. I can compare the expression of this fellow 
only to that of an hysena. But he had a beauty of his 
own : his mouth was drawn up on one side ; one of his 
eyes was half closed by the drooping eyelid, the other 
unusually wide open. He had a young Mexican woman 
with him, whose whole face was daubed with red paint. 
She begged us to purchase her, — her husband asking only 
two mules in exchange. He had, probably to enhance her 
value, expended so much red paint upon her face. It is 
characteristic of Indian bestiality, that the hind part of 
the horse which the old brute rode was painted round the 
root of the tail as carefully as the face of his wife. 
We halted a few miles above the Fort, and numbers of 
the Kiowas visited our camp. One of them was intro- 
duced by his Mexican interpreter, as a great " Captain," 
and he showed considerable pretensions to rank. On our 
leaving him a short time unnoticed, being otherwise occu- 
pied, his interpreter asked, "Why don't your captains speak 
with him ?" We then saluted him with all formality, and 
he sat down. " Why don't the other white men come and 
speak with him?" said the interpreter, pointing to our 
American drivers. "Because they are no captains, but 
my slaves," replied Mr. Mayer, with admirable presence 
of mind ; and this answer, flattering as it was to the Kiowa 
chief, had the happiest effect. The man became very 
conversable, — even cordial. With delight he told us how 
often he had accompanied predatory expeditions into 
Mexico — a " Campana" as he expressed it — and how 
much these enterprizes had brought him. He mentioned 
several Mexican localities which he had helped to plunder. 
