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diff --git a/40574.txt b/40574.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 9a54020..0000000 --- a/40574.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,6593 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg eBook, The Ranche on the Oxhide, by Henry Inman, -Illustrated by Charles Bradford Hudson - - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with -almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or -re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included -with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org - - - - - -Title: The Ranche on the Oxhide - A Story of Boys' and Girls' Life on the Frontier - - -Author: Henry Inman - - - -Release Date: August 24, 2012 [eBook #40574] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ISO-646-US (US-ASCII) - - -***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE RANCHE ON THE OXHIDE*** - - -E-text prepared by David Edwards, Emmy, and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team (http://www.pgdp.net) from page images generously made -available by Internet Archive (http://archive.org) - - - -Note: Project Gutenberg also has an HTML version of this - file which includes the original illustrations. - See 40574-h.htm or 40574-h.zip: - (http://www.gutenberg.org/files/40574/40574-h/40574-h.htm) - or - (http://www.gutenberg.org/files/40574/40574-h.zip) - - - Images of the original pages are available through - Internet Archive. See - http://archive.org/details/rancheonoxhidest00inma - - - - - -THE RANCHE ON THE OXHIDE - - * * * * * - - OFFICERS OF THE NATIONAL COUNCIL - - Honorary President, THE HON. WOODROW WILSON - Honorary Vice-President, HON. WILLIAM H. TAFT - Honorary Vice-President, COLONEL THEODORE ROOSEVELT - President, COLIN H. LIVINGSTON, Washington, D. C. - Vice-President, B. L. DULANEY, Bristol, Tenn. - Vice-President, MILTON A. McRAE, Detroit, Mich. - Vice-President, DAVID STARR JORDAN, Stanford University, Cal. - Vice-President, F. L. SEELY, Asheville, N. C. - Vice-President, A. STAMFORD WHITE, Chicago, Ill. - Chief Scout, ERNEST THOMPSON SETON, Greenwich, Connecticut - National Scout Commissioner, DANIEL CARTER BEARD, Flushing N. Y. - - - NATIONAL HEADQUARTERS - - BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICA - - THE FIFTH AVENUE BUILDING, 200 FIFTH AVENUE - TELEPHONE GRAMERCY 545 - NEW YORK CITY - - - - FINANCE COMMITTEE - John Sherman Hoyt, Chairman - August Belmont - George D. Pratt - Mortimer L. Schiff - H. Rogers Winthrop - - GEORGE D. PRATT - Treasurer - - JAMES E. WEST - Chief Scout Executive - - ADDITIONAL MEMBERS OF THE EXECUTIVE BOARD - Ernest P. Bicknell - Robert Garrett - Lee F. Hanmer - John Sherman Hoyt - Charles C. Jackson - Prof. Jeremiah W. Jenks - William D. Murray - Dr. Charles P. Neill - George D. Porter - Frank Presbrey - Edgar M. Robinson - Mortimer L. Schiff - Lorillard Spencer - Seth Sprague Terry - - - July 31st, 1913. - -TO THE PUBLIC:-- - -In the execution of its purpose to give educational value and moral -worth to the recreational activities of the boyhood of America, the -leaders of the Boy Scout Movement quickly learned that to effectively -carry out its program, the boy must be influenced not only in his -out-of-door life but also in the diversions of his other leisure -moments. It is at such times that the boy is captured by the tales of -daring enterprises and adventurous good times. What now is needful is -not that his taste should be thwarted but trained. There should -constantly be presented to him the books the boy likes best, yet always -the books that will be best for the boy. As a matter of fact, however, -the boy's taste is being constantly vitiated and exploited by the great -mass of cheap juvenile literature. - -To help anxiously concerned parents and educators to meet this grave -peril, the Library Commission of the Boy Scouts of America has been -organised. EVERY BOY'S LIBRARY is the result of their labors. All the -books chosen have been approved by them. The Commission is composed of -the following members: George F. Bowerman, Librarian, Public Library of -the District of Columbia, Washington, D. C.; Harrison W. Graver, -Librarian, Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, Pa.; Claude G. Leland, -Superintendent, Bureau of Libraries, Board of Education, New York City: -Edward F. Stevens, Librarian, Pratt Institute Free Library, Brooklyn, -New York; together with the Editorial Board of our Movement William D. -Murray, George D. Pratt and Frank Presbrey, with Franklin K. Mathiews, -Chief Scout Librarian, as Secretary. - - "DO A GOOD TURN DAILY." - -In selecting the books, the Commission has chosen only such as are of -interest to boys, the first twenty-five being either works of fiction or -stirring stories of adventurous experiences. In later lists, books of a -more serious sort will be included. It is hoped that as many as -twenty-five may be added to the Library each year. - -Thanks are due the several publishers who have helped to inaugurate this -new department of our work. Without their co-operation in making -available for popular priced editions some of the best books ever -published for boys, the promotion of EVERY BOY'S LIBRARY would have been -impossible. - -We wish, too, to express our heartiest gratitude to the Library -Commission, who, without compensation, have placed their vast experience -and immense resources at the service of our Movement. - -The Commission invites suggestions as to future books to be included in -the Library. Librarians, teachers, parents, and all others interested in -welfare work for boys, can render a unique service by forwarding to -National Headquarters lists of such books as in their judgment would be -suitable for EVERY BOY'S LIBRARY. - - Signed - [Illustration: James E West] - Chief Scout Executive. - - - * * * * * - - -THE RANCHE ON THE OXHIDE - -[Illustration: "The most indescribable antics were gone through." - -_Page 290._ _Frontispiece._] - - -Every Boy's Library--Boy Scout Edition - -THE RANCHE ON THE OXHIDE - -A Story of Boys' and Girls' Life on the Frontier - -by - -HENRY INMAN - -Late Captain United States Army -Brevet Lieutenant Colonel - -Author of -The Old Santa Fe Trail - -Illustrated by Charles Bradford Hudson - - - - - - - -[Illustration] - -New York -Grosset & Dunlap -Publishers -(Macmillan's Standard Library) - -Copyright, 1898, -By The Macmillan Company. - -Set up and electrotyped. Published July, 1898. Reprinted -December, 1905; December, 1908; October, 1909; June, 1911. -New edition September, 1906; August, September, 1911; March, -June, 1912; July, 1913. - -Norwood Press -J. S. Cushing & Co.--Berwick & Smith Co. -Norwood, Mass., U.S.A. - - - - - To My Grandson - GEORGE INMAN SEITZ - - - - -CONTENTS - - -CHAPTER I - - TAKING UP A "CLAIM" IN KANSAS--THE TRAIL FROM - LEAVENWORTH--ANIMALS SEEN EN ROUTE--PRAIRIE - CHICKENS--BUILDING THE CABIN--THE COSY - SITTING-ROOM--ANIMALS FOUND IN THE TIMBER AND ON THE - PRAIRIE--WHY THE CREEK WAS NAMED "OXHIDE" Page 1 - - -CHAPTER II - - THE HOUSE IS FINISHED--BUILDING CORRALS--THE HOUNDS--THEIR - FIGHT WITH A LYNX--ITS HIDE GIVEN TO GERTRUDE--THE - IMMENSE HERD OF BUFFALO--CAPTURE FOUR CALVES--GET THEIR - PONIES IN A STRANGE MANNER--BREAKING THEM Page 13 - - -CHAPTER III - - THE BOYS GO FISHING FOR THE FIRST TIME--AN IDEA SUDDENLY - STRIKES ROB--ROB'S QUEST AND LUCK--THE ISLAND OF - WILLOWS--ROB'S BIG CAT--JOE'S TUSSLE WITH A PANTHER - CUB--KILLS HIM--IS WOUNDED--SKINS THE ANIMAL, AND GETS - HOME AT LAST--GIVES THE BEAUTIFUL ROBE TO HIS MOTHER Page 29 - - -CHAPTER IV - - BOY AND GIRL LIFE AT ERROLSTRATH RANCHE--THEIR PETS--THE - GIRLS ENCOUNTER A BIG PRAIRIE WOLF--JOE TO THE - RESCUE--DEATH OF THE FEROCIOUS BEAST Page 48 - - -CHAPTER V - - THE FRIENDLY PAWNEES CAMP ON THE OXHIDE--OLD "YELLOW - CALF," THE CHIEF--JOE IS NAMED "THE WHITE PANTHER"--JOE - GOES HUNTING WITH THE BAND--HE LEARNS THE - LANGUAGE--HUNTING WITH THE BOYS OF THE TRIBE Page 62 - - -CHAPTER VI - - THE STORY OF THE MASSACRE ON SPILLMAN CREEK--SCOUTS GO TO - THE RESCUE--JOE AND ROB TALK OVER THE HORRID WORK OF THE - SAVAGES--THE DOG SOLDIERS--CHARLEY BENT--PLACE OF - RENDEZVOUS--PARTY STARTS OUT--JOE'S OPINION IS ASKED Page 71 - - -CHAPTER VII - - ARRIVAL OF CAVALRY ON THE ELKHORN--A DEER HUNT--WHAT THE - SCOUTS SAW--THE STORY OF THE TWO LITTLE GIRLS--THE DEAD - AND WOUNDED--MEN HIDDEN IN THE BRUSH--AN INDIAN - LEGEND--ARRIVAL OF THE INFANTRY--THE DEER HUNT IN THE - MORNING--DEATH OF THE DEER Page 98 - - -CHAPTER VIII - - MR. TUCKER PASSES THE NIGHT AT ERROLSTRATH--HE TELLS SOME - STORIES OF HUNTING BIG GAME IN THE ROCKY - MOUNTAINS--SAGACITY OF THE FEMALE BIGHORN--THE AMERICAN - COUGAR--THE BEAR AND THE PANTHER--THE RABBIT HUNT--HOW - THE BOYS TRAINED THEIR HOUNDS Page 118 - - -CHAPTER IX - - INDIAN RAIDS--KATE IS MISSING--"BUFFALO BILL'S" - OPINION--"BUFFALO BILL" FINDS HER LITTLE BASKET--THE - SOLDIERS RETURN TO THE FORT WITHOUT FINDING HER--GRIEF - OF THE FAMILY Page 137 - - -CHAPTER X - - HOW KATE WAS CAPTURED BY THE INDIANS--THE BAND RIDE - RAPIDLY SOUTHWARD--AT THE INDIAN VILLAGE--HER - DETERMINATION TO ESCAPE--TEACHES THE SQUAWS--IS TREATED - KINDLY Page 147 - - -CHAPTER XI - - THANKSGIVING DAY AT ERROLSTRATH--KATE'S RETURN--CUSTER'S - BATTLE WITH "BLACK KETTLE"--KATE TELLS HER STORY--THE - ORIGIN OF INDIAN CORN--A WOLF HUNT WITH GENERAL - CUSTER--A WOLF STORY BY THE COLONEL Page 156 - - -CHAPTER XII - - A WOLF HUNT--TWO SNAKE STORIES--TERRIBLE STRUGGLE WITH A - MOUNTAIN WOLF--A MAIL RIDER EATEN--THE OLD TRAPPER'S - EXPERIENCE WITH FOUR OF THE FIERCE BEASTS Page 193 - - -CHAPTER XIII - - JOE, ROB, AND THE OLD TRAPPER--GENERAL CUSTER ARRIVES AT - THE RENDEZVOUS--THE WOLF DENS--FIRST TUSSLE BETWEEN THE - HOUNDS AND A WOLF--CINCH'S GREAT BATTLE Page 211 - - -CHAPTER XIV - - A WILD TURKEY HUNT--THE TRIP TO MUD CREEK--THE TURKEY - ROOST--THE SHOOTING BEGINS--COUNTING THE NUMBER - KILLED--JOE SELLS TURKEYS Page 222 - - -CHAPTER XV - - HOW THE ROBIN CAME TO KANSAS--MOCKING-BIRDS--EATEN BY - SNAKES--JOE LOSES HIS TAME ELK--THE LAST OF THE - WOLVES--FINDING THE QUAIL'S NEST--JOE BUILDS A CAGE FOR - THEM--RAISING CHICKENS Page 229 - - -CHAPTER XVI - - THE PAWNEES RETURN--ANTELOPE HUNT WITH THE INDIANS--JOE - MISSES--WHITE WOLF--TALK OF A WILD HORSE HUNT--THE - SAND-HILL CRANES--THEIR WEIRD COTILLION Page 246 - - -CHAPTER XVII - - WILD HORSES--JOE SLEEPS IN WHITE WOLF'S TENT--CAMP ON THE - WALNUT--WOLVES AND LYNXES--KILL AN ELK--THE - CHASE--CAPTURE OF THE BLACK STALLION--WHITE WOLF'S - SKILL--BREAKING THE HORSES Page 256 - - -CHAPTER XVIII - - THE LAST HERD OF BUFFALO--THE STAMPEDE--THE SOLDIERS IN - FULL CHASE--JOE GETS TWO COWS--HAULING IN THE - MEAT--RATTLESNAKES Page 272 - - -CHAPTER XIX - - THE INDIAN HORSE-RACE--KATE'S PONY WINS--THE TRADE WITH - THE PAWNEES--THE DANCES AT NIGHT--THE INDIANS SAY GOOD - BY TO THE FAMILY--NOBLE ACTION OF WHITE WOLF Page 281 - - -CHAPTER XX - -CONCLUSION - - RETROSPECTIVE--THE OLD TRAPPER PASSES AWAY--MR. AND MRS. - THOMPSON ARE DEAD--GENERAL CUSTER AND COLONEL KEOGH ARE - KILLED--ERROLSTRATH BELONGS TO JOE AND ROB Page 295 - - - - -THE RANCHE ON THE OXHIDE - - - - -CHAPTER I - - TAKING UP A "CLAIM" IN KANSAS--THE TRAIL FROM - LEAVENWORTH--ANIMALS SEEN EN ROUTE--PRAIRIE - CHICKENS--BUILDING THE CABIN--THE COSY - SITTING-ROOM--ANIMALS FOUND IN THE TIMBER AND ON THE - PRAIRIE--WHY THE CREEK WAS NAMED "OXHIDE" - - -IN 1865-66, immigrants began to rush into the new state of Kansas which -had just been admitted into the Union. A large majority of the early -settlers were old soldiers who had served faithfully during the war for -the preservation of their country. To these veterans the Government, by -Act of Congress, made certain concessions, whereby they could take up -"claims" of a hundred and sixty acres of the public land under easier -regulations than other citizens who had not helped their country in the -hour of her extreme danger. - -Many of them, however, were forced to go out on the extreme frontier, as -the eastern portion of the state was already well settled. On the remote -border several tribes of Indians, notably the Cheyennes, Kiowas, -Comanches, and Arapahoes, still held almost undisputed possession, and -they were violently opposed to the white man's encroachment upon their -ancestral hunting-grounds, from which he drove away the big game upon -which they depended for the subsistence of themselves and their -families. Consequently, these savages became very hostile as they -witnessed, day after day, the arrival of hundreds of white settlers who -squatted on the best land, felled the trees on the margin of the streams -to build their log-cabins, and ploughed up the ground to plant crops. - -Late in the fall of 1866, Robert Thompson, a veteran of one of the -Vermont regiments, having read in his village newspaper such glowing -accounts of the advantages offered by Kansas to the immigrant, decided -to leave his ancestral homestead among the barren hills of the Green -Mountain State, and take up a claim in the far West. The family, -consisting of father, mother, Joseph, Robert, Gertrude, and Kate, after -a journey by railroad and steamboat without incident worth recording, -arrived at Leavenworth on the Missouri River, the general rendezvous in -those early days for all who intended to cross the great plains, through -which a railroad was then an idle dream. In that rough, but busy town, -Mr. Thompson purchased two six-mule teams, two white-covered wagons -called "prairie schooners," together with sufficient provisions to last -a month, by which time he thought he should find a suitable location on -the vast plains whither he was going. - -A few cooking-utensils of the simplest character, together with a -double-barrelled shot-gun and a Spencer rifle, constituted the entire -outfit necessary for their lonely trip of perhaps three hundred miles, -before they could hope to find unoccupied land on which to settle. - -One Monday morning, bright and early, the teams pulled out of the town, -Mr. Thompson driving in the lead, and Joe, who was the elder of the -boys, in the other. Gertrude rode with her father and mother, and Kate -and Rob with their brother Joe. Their course ran over the broad trail -to the Rocky Mountains, on which were then hauled by government -caravans, all the supplies for the military posts in the Indian country. - -Their route for the first two weeks passed through deep forests -extending for a long distance from the bank of the great river. The -whole family were charmed with the new and strange scenes they passed as -they rode slowly on day after day, scenes so different in their details -from those to which they had been used in the staid old region they had -left so far behind them. The boys and girls, particularly, were in a -constant state of excitement. They marvelled at the immense trees as -they passed through groups of great elms and giant cottonwoods. The -gnarled trunks were vine-covered clear to their topmost branches by the -magnificent Virginia creeper, or woodbine, as it is called, the most -beautiful of the American ivies, and which grows in its greatest -luxuriance west of the Missouri River. On the ends of the huge limbs of -the lofty trees as they branched over the trail, the red squirrels sat, -peeping saucily at the travellers as they drove under them, and the -blue jay, the noisiest of birds, screeched as he darted like lightning -through the dark foliage. The blue jay is the shark of the air; he -kills, without any discrimination, all the young fledglings he can find -in their nests while their parents are absent. Although his plumage is -magnificent in its cerulean hue as the sun glints upon it, and he has a -very sweet note when sitting quietly on the limbs of the oak, which he -loves, yet his awful screaming as he flies--and he is ever on the -wing--is far from pleasant to ears not trained to listen to his harsh -voice. - -Occasionally a gaunt, hungry wolf--they are always hungry--would skulk -out of the timber and then run across the trail, with his tail wrapped -closely between his legs. He would just show a mouth full of great white -teeth for a moment, as he sneaked cowardly off, the rattle of the wagons -having, perhaps, disturbed his slumbers on some ledge of rock near the -road. - -Prairie chickens, or pinnated grouse, were seen in large flocks as soon -as the open country was reached. They were far from wild in those days; -you could approach near enough always to get a good shot at them, for -civilization was to them almost as strange an experience as it was to -those beasts and birds on Robinson Crusoe's island. Joe was already -quite proficient with the shot-gun, and he often handed the lines to -Rob, and stopping the team, got out and walked ahead of the wagons to -stalk a flock of the beautiful game, which had been frightened away from -their feeding-ground by the rattle of the teams. For a long time grouse -was a part of every meal until the party became really tired of them. -Mrs. Thompson was a famous cook, and they were served up in a variety of -ways, but the favorite style of all the family was to have them broiled -before the camp-fire on peeled willow twigs. Rob always regarded it as -part of his duty to procure these twigs, as he was the handiest with a -jack-knife or hatchet. - -The weeks passed pleasantly for the children, but the old folks were -becoming very anxious to settle somewhere, for the winter, as they -thought, would soon be coming on. They did not know then that that -season in Kansas is usually short, and that the three or four months -preceding it is the most delightful time of the whole year. So after -travelling nearly two months on the broad trail to the mountains, -examining a piece of land here and another there, they camped early one -afternoon on the bank of Oxhide Creek, in what is now Ellsworth County, -and so delighted were they all with the charming spot, that they made up -their minds to seek no further. - -Their "claim," as the possession of the public land is called, included -a beautiful bend of the little stream which flowed through the one -hundred and sixty acres to which they were entitled by being the first -to settle on it. They discovered in the very centre of a group of elms -and cottonwoods a large spring of deliciously cool water, and the trees -which hid it from view were more than a century old. The magnificent -pool for untold ages had evidently been a favorite resort of the -antelope and buffalo, if one could so judge from the quantity of the -bones of those animals that were constantly ploughed up near by when the -ground was cultivated. No doubt that the big prairie wolf and the -cowardly little coyote hidden in the long grass and underbrush -surrounding the spring got many a kid and calf whose incautious mothers -had strayed from the protection of the herd to quench their thirst. - -The beautiful creek flowed at the base of a range of low, rocky hills, -while two miles northward ran a magnificent stretch of level prairie, -beyond which ran the Smoky Hill River. - -To their ranche, as all homes in the far West are called, the Thompsons -gave the name of Errolstrath. It had no special significance; it was so -called merely because "Strath" in Scotch means a valley through which a -stream meanders. It comported perfectly with the situation of the place, -and "Errol" was added as a prefix for euphony's sake. In this -picturesque little valley Mr. Thompson, with the assistance of his boys, -began at once the construction of a rude but comfortable cabin, -fashioned partly out of logs and partly of stone. The house outside gave -no hint of the excellence of its interior, or the cosy rooms which a -refined taste and culture had felt to be as necessary on the remote -frontier as in the thickly settled East. The largest division of the -house was an apartment which served as the family sitting-room. In one -corner of this, they built diagonally across it, after the Mexican -style, an old-fashioned fireplace, patterned like one in the ancestral -homestead in Vermont. Up its cavernous throat you could see the sky, -and in the summer, when the full moon was at the zenith, a flood of -bright light would pour down on the broad hearth. In the winter evenings -the family gathered around the great blazing logs, whose yellow flames -roared like a tornado as they shot up the chimney. The mother sewed, the -girls were engaged with their studies, and the boys either listened to -their father as he told of some experience in his own youthful days, -played chess, or were busied with some other intellectual amusement. - -This large room was also furnished with a small but well-selected -library. It was a source of much pleasure to the family, as the country -was not settled up very rapidly, and the members were thrown entirely -upon their own resources for amusements. The following spring and summer -many newcomers arrived and took up the choicest lands in the vicinity, -until there were several families within varying distances of -Errolstrath. Some were only three miles away, others twelve, but in that -region then, all were considered neighbors, no matter how far away. - -The children had lots of fun, for the rare sport differed entirely from -that which their former home in the old East had furnished. The dense -timber which grew by the water of the Oxhide like a fringe, was the home -of the lynx, erroneously called the wild cat, squirrels, badgers, and -coons. The wolf and the little coyote had their dens in the great ledges -of rock that were piled up on the hilly sides of the valley. The great -prairie was often black with vast herds of buffalo, or bison, which -roamed over its velvety area at certain seasons. The timid antelope, -too, graceful as a flower, and gifted with a wonderful curiosity, could -be seen for many years after the Thompsons had settled on the creek. -They moved in great flocks, frequently numbering a thousand or more, but -now, like their immense shaggy congener, the buffalo, through the -wantonness of man, they have been almost annihilated. - -Joe Thompson, the eldest child, about fourteen, was a rare boy, strongly -built, and possessed of a mind that was equal to his well-developed -body. He was a born leader, and became one of the most prominent men on -the frontier when the troublous times came with the savages, some years -after the family had settled on Oxhide Creek. Robert, the second son, -was a bright, active, muscular fellow, two years younger than Joe, but -he lacked that self-reliance, energy, and coolness in the presence of -danger which so strikingly characterized Joe. Gertrude and Kate were -respectively ten and seven years old, and were carefully instructed by -their estimable mother in all that should be known by a woman whose life -was destined, perhaps, to the isolation and hardships of the frontier. -They were both taught to cook a dinner, ride horseback, handle a pistol -if necessary, or entertain gracefully in the parlor. To employ a -metaphor, theirs was a versatility which "could pick up a needle or rive -an oak!" In some of her characteristics Gertrude resembled her brother -Joe; she was braver and cooler under trying circumstances than Kate, who -was more like Rob. Both were rare specimens of noble girlhood, and their -life on the ranche, as will be seen, was full of adventure and thrilling -experiences. - -It may seem strange that a stream should be called Oxhide, but, like the -nomenclature of the Indians, the name of every locality out on the -great plains is based upon some incident connected with the scene or the -individual. As this is a true story, it will not be amiss to tell here -why the odd-sounding name was given to the creek on which the Thompsons -had settled. Some years before the country was sought after by -emigrants, the only travellers through it were the old-time trappers, -who caught the various fur-bearing animals on the margins of its waters, -and the miner destined for far-off Pike's Peak or California. A party -camping there one day, on their way to the Pacific coast, discovered a -yoke of oxen, or rather their desiccated hides and skeletons, fastened -by their chains to a tree, where they had literally starved to death. It -was supposed that they had belonged to some travellers like themselves, -on their way to the mines, who had been surprised and murdered by the -Indians. The savages must have run off the moment they had finished -their bloody work, without ever looking for or finding the poor animals. -Thus it was that the stream was given the name of Oxhide, which it bears -to this day. - - - - -CHAPTER II - - THE HOUSE IS FINISHED--BUILDING CORRALS--THE HOUNDS--THEIR - FIGHT WITH A LYNX--ITS HIDE GIVEN TO GERTRUDE--THE - IMMENSE HERD OF BUFFALO--CAPTURE FOUR CALVES--GET THEIR - PONIES IN A STRANGE MANNER--BREAKING THEM - - -IT was quite late in the season, towards the end of October, when the -stone and log cabin was completed and ready for occupancy. The family -had meanwhile lived in their big tent which they had brought with them -from the Missouri River. They had carried in their wagons bedding and -blankets, a table and several chairs, enough to suffice until the -arrival of their other goods, which had been stored at Leavenworth while -they were hunting for a location. At the end of two months after their -settlement on the Oxhide, a freight caravan arrived with their things, -much of it the old-fashioned furniture from the homestead in Vermont. -This caravan was en route to Fort Union, New Mexico, the trail to which -military post ran along the bank of the Smoky Hill River, not more than -two miles from the ranche. - -Joe and Rob were constantly busy helping their father to make matters -snug for the winter, building a corral for the cows, a stone stable for -the horses, and a chicken house for the fowls, of which they had more -than a hundred, Plymouth rocks and white leghorns, the best layers in -the world. Up to that time they had not had as much time for sport as -they wished for. They had been kept too busy, until long after the cold -weather set in, when all the streams were frozen over and the woods were -bare and brown. - -A near neighbor who had taken a fancy to the bright lads when they first -arrived in the country, had given them two fine greyhounds, which they -named Bluey and Brutus; the former on account of his color, and the -other because they had recently been interested in Shakespeare's play of -"Julius Caesar," which their father had read to them. With these -magnificent animals they had lots of fun during the long months of the -winter, hunting jack-rabbits, digging coyotes out of their holes in the -ledge above the banks of the creek, or fighting lynxes and coons in the -timber. - -One bright day they were out among the hills with their hounds, which -had run far in advance of their young masters, when suddenly the boys' -ears were startled by a terrible commotion in a wooded ravine about a -hundred yards ahead of them. The dogs were barking furiously, sometimes -howling in pain, and they could see the dust flying in great clouds. In -a few moments all was still; the turmoil had ceased, a truce evidently -having been patched up between the belligerents. The boys hurried on and -presently came to a sheltered spot where the timber had been apparently -blown down by a small tornado many years before; and there as they came -up to it, in a triangle formed by the trunks of three fallen trees, a -space about ten feet square, they saw the hounds holding a great lynx at -bay! The cat was standing in the apex of the triangle, crowding her body -as closely as she could against the timber so that the dogs were unable -to attack her without getting a scratch from her sharp claws. Her hair -was all bristling up with battle, and the dogs had evidently tried -several times to drive her out of her almost impregnable position, but -each attempt had ended in themselves being driven back discomfited. As -soon as the hounds saw the boys, however, their courage rose, and Bluey, -the oldest dog, at an encouraging "Sic 'em!" from Joe, made a sudden -dash, caught the ferocious beast by the middle of the back and commenced -to shake her with the awful rapidity for which he was noted, and in a -few seconds she was dropped dead at Joe's feet. - -Bluey first became famous as a shaker several months before his -encounter with the lynx. One morning Rob got up very early for some -reason, and went into the chicken house, and as soon as he entered it he -saw a skunk half hidden under one of the beams of the floor. He did not -dare to call Bluey, who was sleeping on a pile of hay a few feet away, -for fear the animal would take the alarm and run off. So he quietly went -to where the dog was, and lifting him bodily in his arms carried him to -the chicken house and held his nose down to the ground so that he could -see or smell the skunk. In an instant that skunk was caught up by the -neck and the life shaken out of him before he could have possibly -realized what was the matter with him. - -"By jolly!" said Rob, a favorite ejaculation with him when he was -excited, as he saw the cat lying perfectly still where Bluey had dropped -him. "I say, Joe, what a set of teeth and a strong neck old Bluey must -have to shake anything as he does! Why, if he could take up a man in his -jaws, the fellow would stand no more chance of his life than that lynx!" - -"The hound," replied Joe, "has a strong jaw and a powerful neck; but he -lacks the intelligence of some other breeds. His brain is not nearly as -large as that of a Newfoundland, a setter, pointer, or even a poodle. -Hounds like Bluey and Brutus run by sight alone; they have no nose, and -the moment they cannot see their game they are lost. You have often -noticed that, Rob, when a rabbit gets away from them in the long grass -or in the corn stalks. They will jump up and down, completely bewildered -until they catch sight of the animal again. Now, with the other breed of -hounds, they hunt by scent; the moment they get wind of anything they -run with their noses close to the ground and commence to howl. The -greyhound, on the contrary, makes no noise at all." - -Joe skinned the lynx, assisted by Rob, and after throwing the carcass in -the ravine where the battle had been fought, slowly walked back to the -ranche, followed by the dogs, that kept close to their heels, tired and -sore from the struggle just ended. - -"Let us give the hide to Gert after we tan it, to put at the side of her -bed; you know she is fond of such things," said Rob. - -"All right," replied Joe. "We'll do it, and if we have good luck in -getting other animals, we'll just fill her room with skins. Won't that -be jolly?" - -Mr. Thompson had but two teams of horses on the ranche, and they could -not often be spared from work, for the mere amusement of the boys. It -was a constant source of regret to them that they did not have ponies of -their own. On their way home the oft-repeated subject came up again. -Both Joe and Rob felt keenly that they were obliged to go where they -were sent, or desired to go themselves, on foot. How to obtain the -coveted little creatures was a source of continual worry to them. - -"I do wish that we had ponies," began Rob for the hundredth time, "so -that we could go anywhere in a hurry; don't you, Joe?" - -"Father would buy them for us if he felt that he could afford it; and he -means to as soon as he can see his way clear. I heard him tell mother -so, several times when she wished that we had 'em," replied Joe. -"Maybe," continued he, "some band of friendly Indians will come along -after a while; it's nearly time for the Pawnees to start out on their -annual buffalo hunt. When they come up here, we may be able to trade 'em -out of a real nice pair. They are always eager for a 'swap'; so old man -Tucker told me the other day, and he is an old Indian trader and -fighter. He has lived on the plains and in the mountains for more than -forty years; so he knows what he is talking about." - -"Golly! couldn't we have lots of fun," he continued, "with old Bluey and -Brutus, after jack-rabbits and wolves, if we only had something to -ride?" - -"Couldn't we, though!" answered Rob. "I tell you, Joe, it's awful hard -work to climb over these hills on foot; we can't begin to keep up with -the dogs; can't get anywhere in sight of 'em. You know that, and I just -bet that we lose lots of game; don't you?" - -"Oh! I know it," said Joe; "for the hounds become discouraged when they -find themselves so far away from us. Often, when I'm out alone with -them, Brutus will come back to hunt me instead of hunting rabbits. -Sometimes I can't get him to go on after Bluey; he, the old rascal is -more cunning; he gets many a rabbit we never see, and eats it. That is -what makes him so much fatter than Brutus, though he does twice as much -running. Did you ever think of that, Rob?" - -That night when the tired boys went to bed, they little dreamed that -they were to have something to ride sooner than their fondest hopes had -flattered them, and from an entirely different source than the Indians. - -Before the sun's broad disc rose above the Harker Hills next morning, -although its rays had already crimsoned the rocky crests of the buttes -which bounded the little valley of the Oxhide on the west, Rob had -risen without disturbing his brother. He was always an early riser; he -loved the calm, beautiful hours that usher in the day, and was the first -one of all the family out of bed on the ranche. - -He took the tin wash basin from its hook outside of the kitchen door, -and started for the spring, only a few yards away, to wash himself. Just -as he arrived there, chancing to look towards the hills, he saw that the -whole country, upland and bottom alike, was black with buffaloes. In his -excitement, he threw down the basin, and ran back to the house as fast -as his legs could carry him. He rushed into his father's room, and -unceremoniously seizing him by the shoulder, waking him from a sound -slumber, shook him, and shouted as loud as he was able:-- - -"Father, get up! Father, get up! the whole country is alive with -buffaloes, and the nearest one is not a quarter of a mile away. Quick! -father." - -Mr. Thompson roused himself, and instantly got out of bed and dressed -himself quicker than he had ever done since he had lived on the ranche. -He threw on only clothes enough to cover him, for he had already caught -some of his boy's enthusiasm. - -He told Rob to go to the closet, bring him a dozen bullets and his -powder-flask, while he commenced to wipe out the barrels of his two -old-fashioned rifles and the Spencer carbine, that always hung on a set -of elk antlers fastened to the wall of his bed-chamber. - -As Rob had declared, the whole region was literally dark with a mighty -multitude of the great shaggy monsters, grazing quietly toward the east. -There were thousands in sight, and for just such a chance Mr. Thompson -had been anxiously waiting to get a supply of meat for the family. - -Of course, every member of the household got up as soon as Rob had ended -his noisy announcement. Hurriedly dressing, they rushed out under a -group of trees that grew near the door, and watched Mr. Thompson -crawling cautiously round the rocks as he drew nearer and nearer to the -yet unconscious herd. - -In a few moments he was lost to sight, and almost immediately they saw -the herd raise their heads simultaneously. The family then knew that Mr. -Thompson had been discovered by the wary animals, for the alarmed -buffaloes began their characteristic quick, short gallop, and the boys -were fearful that their father had not gotten within range and that -there would be no meat for breakfast. But at the instant they were -expecting to be disappointed, the loud crack of a rifle echoed through -the valley once, twice, then a short silence; three, four times. - -As the sound of the discharges died away, they saw their father climb to -the summit of the divide, in full view of all, and wave his hat. Then -they knew he had been successful, and eagerly watched him as he came -slowly down the declivity toward them. - -When he had come within hailing distance he cried out that he had killed -four fat cows; one for each shot. Then the boys and girls took off their -hats, and, vigorously waving them, gave three hearty cheers. - -Just beyond the cabin and corral, which latter was surrounded by a stone -wall nearly five feet high, was a single hill whose summit was round, -and to which had been given the name of Haystack Mound, because at a -distance it exactly resembled a haystack. When the buffaloes had -started to run eastwardly, this mound cut off some of the animals of the -herd, about three hundred in all, the majority going south of it, the -smaller number north, which brought them near the house. Seeing the -family standing there, they suddenly turned and rushed right over the -corral; the gate was open, and a few dashed through it, but the most of -them leaped over the wall. The buffalo is not easily stopped by any -ordinary obstacle when stampeded; he will go down a precipice, or up a -steep hill; madly rushing on to his destruction, in order to get away -from the common enemy, man. - -Rob saw the buffaloes first as they were turned from their course by the -mound, and when they began to rush over the wall of the corral and -through its gate, he shouted to Joe:-- - -"Come, Joe, let's try to shut some of them in; maybe there are calves -among them. If there are, we can keep 'em in, for the little ones can -never mount that wall on the other side." - -Instantly acting on the suggestion, both boys ran as fast as they could -to the corral, and succeeded in closing the entrance just as the last of -the herd was leaping over the far wall. - -As Rob had surmised, four calves remained inside, too young to follow -their mothers over the wall. Both he and Joe were nearly wild with -excitement at their luck in having been able to shut the gate in time to -corral the baby buffaloes. They were about to rush to the house to tell -the rest of the family of their wonderful capture, when Joe chanced to -look into the door of the rude shed that was used to shelter the stock -in stormy weather, and saw jammed against the farther wall two animals -that were too small to be full-grown buffaloes, and too large for -calves. It was so dark in the corner where they were that he could not -make out at first what kind of animals they had caught. He called Rob, -who crawled nearer to where the beasts stood huddled against each other, -trembling with fear at their strange quarters. - -In another moment, as soon as Rob's eyes became used to the dim light, -he came bounding out with the speed of a Comanche Indian on the -war-path, and catching Joe by the shoulders was just able to gasp:-- - -"By jolly, Joe, they're real ponies!" - -They were so astonished for a few seconds that they stood paralyzed -before they ventured in the shed to take a good look at the little -animals. They boldly went in, and the moment the ponies saw the boys -they made a break for the outside and vainly attempted to dash over the -wall. Their frantic efforts, however, were of no avail; they could not -make it: they were regular prisoners, and Rob and Joe were almost out of -their senses with delight. - -After their excitement had somewhat subsided they went to the house and -brought out all the rest of the family to see the cunning little -animals. They lost all their interest in the buffalo calves now that -their brightest dreams of owning ponies of their own were realized. - -The diminutive beasts which the boys had so successfully corralled were -sorry-looking animals enough. They were so dirty, thin, angular, and -their coats so rough, so filled with sand-burrs and bull-nettles, that -it was hard to determine what color they were. All the family made a -guess at it. Kate said she thought they were mouse-color, while Gertrude -believed they were gray. Joe thought they were brown, and Rob white. Mr. -Thompson, however, who knew more about horses than his boys, told them -they were bays, but it would take a few days of currying and brushing up -to determine which of the family had guessed correctly. There was -evidently lots of life in them, for they cavorted around the big corral, -prancing like thoroughbreds. - -That afternoon, when they had taken care of the buffaloes which Mr. -Thompson shot, and had stretched their robes on the corral wall to cure, -the ponies were roped by Mr. Thompson, who could handle a lariat with -some degree of skill, and halters were put on them. They were nearly of -a size, and both of the same color, so they could hardly be -distinguished from each other, but on a closer examination it was -discovered that one of them had a white spot on his breast. This was the -only apparent difference between them, so the boys drew lots to see -which should have the one with the white breast. Their father selected -two straws, one shorter than the other, and holding them partly -concealed so that only their ends showed, told Rob to draw first. He got -the longer straw, and so became the owner of the pony with the spot of -white on his breast. - -In less than two weeks, through kindness and good care, they were -changed into clean, sleek, beautiful bays, just as Mr. Thompson had said -they would be. In a month the boys could ride them anywhere, and the -acme of their happiness was reached. - -The animals had strayed from some band of wild horses and had drifted -along with the herd of buffaloes, as was not infrequently the case in -the early days on the great plains. - - - - -CHAPTER III - - THE BOYS GO FISHING FOR THE FIRST TIME--AN IDEA SUDDENLY - STRIKES ROB--ROB'S QUEST AND LUCK--THE ISLAND OF - WILLOWS--ROB'S BIG CAT--JOE'S TUSSLE WITH A PANTHER - CUB--KILLS HIM--IS WOUNDED--SKINS THE ANIMAL, AND GETS - HOME AT LAST--GIVES THE BEAUTIFUL ROBE TO HIS MOTHER - - -THE winter, contrary to their expectations, was not a severe one. The -family had been used to the long, dreary, cold months of a New England -winter, and were agreeably surprised when April arrived with its sunny -skies, delicious breezes, and wild flowers covering the prairies. - -One morning, when his father was just starting for the little village of -Ellsworth, six miles distant, for a load of lumber, Rob asked him to buy -some hooks and lines. - -"Father," said he, "Oxhide Creek is just full of bull-pouts, perch, cat -and buffalo fish. Joe and I want to go fishing to-day, if you return in -time." - -Mr. Thompson told the boys that he would not forget them, and as he -drove off, they took their spades to dig in the garden as their father -had directed them to do while he was away. - -Both Joe and Rob worked very industriously, anxious to make the time -slip away until their father's return, when, if he was satisfied with -what they had done, they knew he would let them go fishing. - -Just before twelve o'clock Mr. Thompson came back. The boys had worked -for more than three hours, but it seemed only one to them, so quickly -does time glide along when we are engaged in some healthful labor. - -When Mr. Thompson saw how faithfully his boys had worked, he told them, -as he handed to each a line and some hooks, they might have the -afternoon to themselves and go fishing if they wished to, but must wait -until they had taken the lumber off the wagon and eaten their dinner. - -The boys were all excitement at the idea of going fishing. When they sat -down to dinner they hurried through it, asked to be excused, and went -out and unloaded the lumber before their father had done eating. - -When they returned to the house and told their father they had unloaded -the boards and run the wagon under the shed, he said they might go, but -were to be sure to return in time to do the chores. - -They took a spade from the tool-shed and an old tomato can their mother -had given them, and started for the creek, where in the soft, black soil -of its banks they dug for white grubs for bait. They were not very -successful, however. They turned over almost as much soil as they had -dug in the garden that morning, but found only three or four worms; not -enough to take out on their excursion. They were disgusted for a few -moments, fearing that they would have to give up their fishing, so stood -staring at each other, their faces filled with disappointment. - -At last an idea struck Rob. He said:-- - -"I'll tell you what we'll do, Joe. I read in one of father's books the -other day about the Indians out in Oregon catching trout with crayfish. -It said that the savages commence to fish far up at the head of the -stream, lifting, as they walk down, the flat stones under which the -little animals hide themselves. They look like small lobsters, only -they are gray instead of green. Then they break them open and use the -white meat for bait. The book said they catch more trout in an hour than -a white man will in a week with all his flies, bugs, and fancy rigging." - -"Let's try 'em for luck," answered Joe. "I don't know whether there are -any crayfish in the Oxhide, but we can go and find out; and if there -are, I guess cat and perch will bite at 'em as well as trout." - -"All right," said Rob, the look of disappointment instantly vanishing -from his face as he listened to his brother's suggestion. "But I tell -you, Joe," continued he, "we've got to have poles. You go up to that -bunch of willows yonder," pointing with the old can he held in his hand, -to the bunch of willows growing as thick as rushes on a little island in -the creek, about an eighth of a mile from where he stood; "and here, -Joe, take my line and hooks, too. Fix yours and mine all ready for us, -while I go and hunt for the crayfish. I know where they are; I saw a -whole lot crawling in the water near the house the other day." - -The two brothers then separated,--Joe, jack-knife in hand, going toward -the willows, and Rob to the creek with the tomato can. - -As soon as Rob arrived at the bank of the stream, he took off his boots -and stockings, rolled his trousers above his knees, tied the can around -his neck with a string, and waded in. The creek was not at all deep, and -the water as clear as crystal. He could see shoals of perch dart ahead -of him, and many bull-pouts rush under the shadow of the bank as he -waded toward the island of willows. In the bed of the creek were -hundreds of flat rocks; some that he could easily lift, others so large -that he could not budge them. - -The first stone he turned over had three of the coveted crayfish hidden -under its slimy bottom, and excited at his luck, he quickly caught them. -So many were there as he lifted stone after stone, that he soon filled -the tomato can, and by that time he had arrived at the willows. Joe was -anxiously waiting for him with two handsome rods, at least ten feet -long, the lines already attached and the hooks nicely fastened to their -ends. - -"Golly! Rob, you must have had awful good luck," said Joe, as he looked -at the can full of struggling crayfish. - -"Pshaw!" answered Rob. "Why, Joe, I could have got a bushel of 'em; the -Oxhide was just swimming with 'em." - -"Let's go to that little lake that was so nice where we went swimming -last autumn," suggested Joe. "I know there are lots of cats in there; -big ones, too." - -"All right, Joe," said Rob, as he commenced to put on his stockings. -When he had got his boots on, the two boys walked briskly toward the -so-called lake, which was a mere widening of the creek, forming quite a -large sheet of water, where they arrived in about seven minutes. It was -a very delightful spot. The whole surface of the water was shaded by the -gigantic limbs of great elms a hundred years old, growing on its margin, -and all around the edge was a heavy mat of buffalo grass, soft as a -carpet. - -It required only a dozen seconds or so for the boys to unwind their -lines, bait the hooks, seat themselves on the cushioned sod, and cast -the shining white meat in the water. - -There they anxiously waited for results, as the catfish is not game like -the trout, but is slow and deliberate in all its movements. The trout -rushes at anything that touches the surface of the water, but the -catfish carefully investigates whatever comes within reach of its great -jaws, before it opens its ugly mouth to take it in. - -In a few minutes, Rob felt a tremendous tugging at his line, and in -another instant he skilfully landed a large channel cat on the grass at -his feet. - -"Look, Joe, look! see what a big one I've caught," said Rob, as he -dexterously extracted the hook from the creature's great mouth, and then -held the fish at arm's length so that his brother could have a good look -at it. - -Rob's catch weighed at least four pounds, and no wonder he was delighted -at such success, as it showed considerable skill to land a fish of that -size. - -Joe had not yet had a nibble, and a shade of disappointment began to -creep over his face when suddenly, just as he was about to go over to -examine his brother's catch more closely, he was nearly jerked off his -feet by a tremendous pull at his own line. He recovered himself -immediately, and by dint of a hard struggle, hauled in a cat that was -almost as big again as that which Rob had caught. - -It was Joe's turn to yell now; he held up the big fish as high as he -could,--its tail touched the ground even then,--and sung out:-- - -"I say, Rob, just look at this, will you? Yours is only a minnow -alongside of mine. When you go fishing, why don't you catch something -like this?" - -Unfortunately, at the instant he was so wild with excitement, he stood -on the very edge of the bank, and so absorbed was he in the -contemplation of the great fish, that his foot slipped and both he and -the cat were thrown into the water at the same moment. The cat made a -terrible lunge forward when it found itself once more in its native -element, and before you could say "Jack Robinson," was out of sight. - -If ever disgust was to be seen on a boy's face, that face was Joe -Thompson's; he only glanced at the water, did not say a word; his -feelings were too sad for utterance. - -Rob looked over at his brother and sarcastically said, as he held up his -cat and stroked it:-- - -"I say, Joe, who's got the biggest fish now?" - -In an instant he saw that he had touched Joe in a tender spot; he was a -very sensitive boy, so Rob quickly added: "Well, never mind, Joe. You -remember what mother often says to us, 'There is as good a fish in the -sea as was ever caught,' and I'll bet there's just as big cats in here -as the one you lost. Try again, Joe, but stand away from the edge of the -water with the next one you haul out." - -Joe, thus encouraged and comforted, sat down again in his old place, -threw his line to try once more, and in the excitement soon forgot his -misfortune. - -In less than three hours the boys caught more than a dozen apiece, none -so large, however, as that which escaped from Joe. It was now nearly six -o'clock, the sun was low in the heavens, and as they had as many fish as -they could conveniently carry, they decided to go home. Arriving there -in a short time, they at once went to work at their chores. Their -customary evening's task was to drive the cows into the corral, feed the -horses and their own ponies, and bring water from the spring for their -mother, so that it should be handy when she rose in the morning. - -While Joe and Rob were at their work, their father cleaned some of the -fish, which their mother then cooked for supper, and they certainly -tasted to the young anglers better than ever did fish before. While at -the table they related every little incident that had befallen them on -this their first angling expedition in the new country. - -After that very successful excursion the brothers sometimes spent whole -mornings or portions of the afternoons at some place on the creek or -river, when the work on the ranche was not pushing, and so expert did -they become with hook and line, that the family was never at a loss for -a supply of fish during the proper seasons. - -Joe was a close observer of nature, and he very quickly learned the -habits of all the animals, birds, and fish that were common to the -region where he lived. Being the eldest son, too, he was intrusted with -a small but excellent rifle and a shot-gun which his father bought one -morning in the village, on the fifteenth anniversary of his birthday. He -would get up very early in the morning and with his pony and the hounds -have many a lively chase after the little cottontail rabbit or the -larger "jack," improperly so called, for it is really the hare. The -rabbit burrows in the ground, while the jack-rabbit does not, but makes -his nest on the top, in a bunch of grass, or in the holes in the rocky -ledges of the bluffs that fringe nearly every stream on the great -plains. Out on the open prairies the grouse congregated in large flocks -at certain seasons, and in every covert in the woods the quail could be -found. Joe had really handled a gun long before he left Vermont, but the -superior chance for practice out on the ranche soon made him a -magnificent shot; consequently the table at the ranche was never without -game if the family desired it. - -Beside the smaller game I have mentioned, there were immense herds of -buffalo and antelope, and in some places in the deep woods was the only -long-tailed specimen of the genus felis on the continent,--the cougar, -or panther. All the wildcats, so called, are lynxes, with short tails. -With one of the first mentioned Joe once had a severe tussle, which -nearly proved disastrous to him. It happened in this way. - -One afternoon in November shortly after the cabin was finished and the -family had moved in, he was out on the range with his father's horse, -the Spencer carbine, and about twenty rounds of ammunition. Even at that -early stage of his life at Errolstrath he was always careful never to -ride far away from home, without taking a gun with him; for he was -always sure to see something in the shape of game worth killing for the -table; and as its main support in that particular very soon depended on -his prowess as a hunter, he was always on the lookout. - -Joe had ridden a long way from the cabin. He had really forgotten how -far away he was and was becoming very thirsty, for the day had been -warm, so he commenced to hunt for water. - -He was riding along the bank of the Smoky Hill in the thickest of the -timber which grows on its banks, and by certain signs he had studied -since he had lived on the ranche, knew that he was near some springs, -though he had never been in that vicinity before. - -He got off his horse, slipped the loop of the bridle-rein over his left -arm, slung the carbine across his right shoulder, and cautiously walked -on. There was, of course, no trail or path at the base of the bluffs -along which he was travelling, so he stopped at the mouth of every -ravine he came to, hoping to find a pool of water, or to discover some -hidden spring whose source was high up among the great rocks that -towered above his head. - -Presently he arrived at a depression in the earth in the bottom of a -gully, evidently made by the claws of some animal, for beside those -marks were the imprint of foot-tracks. Joe intuitively guessed they were -those of a panther, as he had been told by the old trapper, Tucker, that -that animal knows by instinct when the water is near the surface, and -scratches with his claws until he reaches it. Joe knew, too, that the -panther was not a very large one; his footprints were too small; so he -did not feel at all alarmed at their sight. On the contrary, boy-like, -he was delighted at the idea of a possible tussle with one of the -dreadful creatures, and he thought that if he could succeed in killing -it he would add another feather to his cap by taking its hide home. - -Joe felt himself equal to a possible struggle. He knew that he was fully -armed, and at once examined his carbine, took out the knife which he -always carried in his belt for skinning, and finding everything in -perfect order, he was really anxious to find the animal that had been -digging for water only a little while before his arrival at the spot. - -A few rods further on, in the same ravine, he saw a little pool of -water, evidently clear and cool, and after looking cautiously all around -him, dipped the rim of his hat into the pool before him and indulged in -a long drink of the delicious fluid. Then after having satisfied his -thirst, he stood still for a few moments undecided as to what course he -should pursue. - -[Illustration: "With one vigorous thrust of his knife he struck the -animal's heart."] - -He concluded that if he was to remain and fight the panther if the -animal made his appearance, it would be best to tie his horse to a -sapling a short distance from the pool. After doing this he placed a -fresh cartridge in his carbine and walked slowly on, following the -beast's tracks, which had grown plainly visible a few paces from the -edge of the water, and which soon led him into a rocky canyon. - -Joe came in sight of the panther much sooner than he expected. As he was -turning the sharp projecting corner of a mass of rocks which formed the -walls of a ravine, there was the panther sitting on a shelf of -sandstone, not forty feet away from him. He was busy licking his paws -cat-fashion, his ears cocked as if listening, and his small green eyes -turned toward the intruder, but evidently not much concerned at the -sight of his greatest enemy, man. - -Joe was rather taken aback at first, but as the brute was only a little -over half-grown, and appeared so indifferent to his presence, he -uncocked his carbine, which he had a moment before hastily cocked, and -both boy and panther stood quietly gazing at each other for ten seconds -before either made any demonstration. - -Presently the panther rose and turned sideways toward Joe, and edging up -toward the top of the ledge, gave vent to a low growl, and showed a -beautiful set of long, sharp teeth, evidently intending to let Joe know -that he wasn't afraid of him. This movement on the part of the panther -somewhat excited Joe, and cocking his carbine again, he deliberately -took aim at the place where the heart of the beast should be, as the -animal had now turned its left side toward the young hunter. Quick as a -flash Joe pulled the trigger, but the ball glancing upward, only grazed -the end of the beast's shoulder-blade and shattered it, the panther at -the same instant tumbling over on its side. This made Joe yell with -delight, for he thought he had killed it at the first shot. - -The panther lay on the ground only for about ten seconds when the aspect -of affairs for Joe was suddenly changed. The brute staggered to its -feet, and, maddened with rage and pain, made for the boy. Although the -beast was evidently very lame from the effect of the shot, Joe saw to -his amazement that he was far from dead, and for a moment his usual -presence of mind forsook him, and he made a bolt for his horse, feeling -that the dreadful animal was close to him. - -In his fright he dropped his carbine, but in another moment was on his -horse, who, on being so unceremoniously mounted, and seeing the -panther, gave a wild snort and a desperate kick which sent Joe heels -over head to the ground, and then dashed down the trail for home! - -Joe was now all alone, on foot, and with nothing but his knife to defend -himself from the attack of the panther, who was almost upon him as he -got up from the ground after having been so hurriedly tossed from his -saddle. Although the panther was lame and bleeding profusely, he waddled -along as best he could toward Joe, his mouth wide open and his great -jaws covered with froth in his rage. Joe was somewhat bruised by his -fall, and seeing very quickly that he could not escape a tussle with the -beast, made up his mind that he would fight him to the best of his -ability. There was no other chance, for the panther was now upon him, -trying to get at him so that he could claw and bite at his leisure. But -Joe, who had now gained his normal coolness, turned deliberately, and -facing the savage brute, whose hot breath he could feel, with one -vigorous thrust of his knife he struck the animal's heart and -fortunately killed him instantly. - -In the close struggle the panther was so near Joe, that in his death -throes, having fallen right on top of the boy, his sharp claws tore the -sleeve of his coat off and scratched a goodly piece of flesh from his -arms, as with one convulsive shudder the ferocious animal had rolled -over dead. - -There was never a more delighted boy than Joe, despite his really -painful wounds, and rising with some difficulty to his feet, he went -back for his carbine, and returned with it to the dead panther. He -picked up his knife which had fallen on the ground when the fatal thrust -was given, deftly skinned him, suspended the beautiful hide to a limb of -a cottonwood tree to keep the wolves from it, and then turned away and -followed his trail towards the ranche. Of course, in a little while he -began to grow stiff in his arms from the severity of his wounds, and not -knowing exactly how far he was from the cabin, he was disturbed, not so -much for himself as at the thought that when the riderless horse arrived -there it would alarm his parents. - -Joe was correct in his conjectures. As the horse dashed up to the stable -without his rider, both his father and mother were terribly frightened. -They plucked up courage, however, and immediately saddling another -horse, led back on his own trail the one Joe had ridden, and soon came -up to where Joe was resting at the side of a large spring, and suffering -considerably with the pain caused by his wounds. - -They all arrived at the cabin by sundown, with the skin of the panther, -Joe's father having gone back to the tree where the boy had hung it. -That was a red-letter day in Joe's young life. He had to tell again and -again how he happened to come on the panther and his awful fight with -the enraged creature. - -Joe soon recovered under the devoted nursing of his mother; his arm -healed nicely, but a good-sized scar was left where the panther had dug -its sharp claws into the flesh. The hide was smoke-tanned, and for many -years afterward adorned the floor at the foot of his mother's bed. - - - - -CHAPTER IV - - BOY AND GIRL LIFE AT ERROLSTRATH RANCHE--THEIR PETS--THE - GIRLS ENCOUNTER A BIG PRAIRIE WOLF--JOE TO THE - RESCUE--DEATH OF THE FEROCIOUS BEAST - - -AS the months rolled on, the family, particularly the children, grew -more and more delighted with their new home in the wilderness. The boys -and girls had an abundance of leisure; for though their father exacted -the most prompt obedience, he was not a hard task-master. He allowed his -children every indulgence compatible with reason, and only certain -portions of the day were devoted to work. They all studied under their -father's personal supervision, for no schools had yet been established -in the settlement. - -For the boys, there were the cows to be driven to and from their -pasture, morning and night, and it was their duty to milk them, too. -Then the horses were to be fed, and in season they worked in the large -garden, on which their father prided himself. The girls helped their -mother in every household duty, and relieved her of many cares as she -grew older. So the children of Errolstrath Ranche had a good time--a -much better time than generally falls to the lot of those families in -only moderate circumstances, as were the Thompsons. - -Before they had resided on the ranche a year, the boys and girls had -become possessed of a variety of pets. Gertrude had a coon; Kate, an -antelope; Rob, a prairie dog; and Joe, an elk. - -The antelope was caught when young by Joe, and the hounds, Bluey and -Brutus, under the following circumstances: Although one of the most -timid and swift of all the ruminants on the great plains, it is also one -of the most inquisitive. Whenever it sees something with which it is not -familiar, its curiosity overpowers its usual fear, and it will approach -very near to the object that has excited its attention. Now Joe had -learned from old Tucker, the trapper, just how the Indians act, when out -hunting the antelope, to draw the herd within range of their arrows. He -said that sometimes one or two of the savages would stand on their heads -and shake their legs in the air; then again, they would hold up a -blanket, no matter what color, and wave it slowly, when the herd, or at -least a number from it, would gradually walk toward the Indians who were -lying flat on the ground, and thus become easy victims to their swift, -unerring arrows. - -It was this knowledge of the antelope's prominent characteristic that -enabled Joe to secure one for his favorite sister. He was out very early -one morning when he noticed a large herd with many kids among it, about -half a mile distant. He was well aware that his dogs, swift as they -were, would be no match for the beautiful creatures in a trial of speed, -so he resolved to resort to the Indian method. Ordering his hounds to -lie close, he tied his white handkerchief round his head, and taking off -his overalls, he began to move his body slowly backward and forward, at -the same time vigorously waving the overalls in the air. In a few -moments, just as he expected they would, he had the satisfaction of -seeing first one, then another, look up and gaze steadily at the -strange object. Presently, about half a dozen of the does with their -little ones by their sides, commenced to move cautiously towards him. -When they had approached sufficiently near, he started the hounds after -them, and after a short, lively chase they caught a fine kid, which, of -course, could not keep up with its mother. They captured it without -injury, for they had been trained not to mouth their game. As there were -a dozen cows on the ranch, there was an abundance of milk, with which -Kate used to feed her little pet from a bottle. The pretty creature -throve rapidly, and soon became as affectionate as a kitten, following -its mistress everywhere like a dog. - -The big gray wolf, that ghoul of the great plains, understands full well -the inordinate curiosity of the antelope, and knowing that it is -impossible for him to catch one of the fleet animals by the employment -of his legs alone, he effects by cunning what he could never accomplish -by the best efforts of his endurance. The wicked old fellow, when he -discovers a bunch of antelopes in the distance, rolls himself into a -ball, like a badger, and tumbles about on the grass until some of the -deluded animals come near enough for him to spring on them. - -Gertrude's coon was caught by both the boys, assisted by Bluey and -Brutus. They dug him out of his nest under the roots of a huge elm tree -near the cabin, one day in the early springtime, when the warm sun had -just begun to thaw him after his winter's hibernation. He was "'cute" -and mischievous as he could be, stealing anything on which he could get -his tiny paws. Whenever Gertrude called him,--his name was Tom,--he -would run to her as fast as he could, jump on her back, and sit on her -shoulders for an hour at a time, when she was sewing or doing something -which did not require her to move about. He lived on any scraps from the -table, always rolling his food in his paws before he ate it. - -The prairie dog, the property of Rob, was accidentally captured by -Gertrude one morning when she and Kate were out gathering wild flowers. -She actually stumbled on him as she stooped to pick a sensitive rose. -The little creature had somehow become entangled in the convolutions of -the vine, and thus became an easy prey. It fought like a tiger at -first, and tried to bite with its sharp teeth everything that came near -it. It was soon tamed, however, and became a regular nuisance at times, -for it would run under your feet in spite of the many pinches it got by -being stepped upon. It tripped up the boys and girls a dozen times a -day, as it was allowed the freedom of the house and the dooryard. -Gertrude gave it to Rob, who had often expressed a desire to own one, -and had failed a hundred times, perhaps, to capture one by drowning it -out of its hole. - -The elk was given to Joe by old Tucker, and in a short time grew to be -as big as a young mule. Joe broke him to harness, and used to drive him -hitched to a little cart which his father, with the boy's help, -improvised out of an odd pair of wheels and a dry-goods box. He was kept -in the corral with the cows and horses, and became very tame, but -sometimes attempted to use his sharp front hoofs too freely. He was -forbidden the precincts of the dooryard and the house, for he came near -cutting Kate in two once, all in play, but too rough a kind of affection -for a repetition of it to be allowed. - -The wild raspberries grew in great profusion near every ledge of rock in -the vicinity of the ranche. About a mile and a half from the house, -however, there was a specially favored spot for them, where the vines -were more dense and the berries of large size and delicious flavor. In -the second week of June, the second year of their residence on the -creek, Rob, who had been up the valley herding the cows, reported that -evening, upon his return, that the berries were ripe and that there were -bushels of them. - -The next morning, immediately after breakfast, Gertrude and Kate left -the house with a tin bucket each, intending to go up to the ledge and -gather raspberries. They were dressed lightly,--Kate in a white muslin -skirt, and her sister in a lawn. As the nearest way to the place where -the berries were to be found lay by a trail on the other side of the -Oxhide the girls crossed it near the cabin, and as there was neither log -bridge nor stepping-stones, they took off their shoes and stockings and -waded it. After reaching the other side and putting on their shoes and -stockings, they wandered slowly through a little flower-bedecked -prairie, beyond the margin of timber which fringed the creek, to make a -short cut to where the raspberries grew, for the Oxhide made a sweeping -curve to the northeast, nearly in the shape of half a circle. - -Both loving flowers, they gathered great bunches of the sensitive roses, -anemones, and white daisies, growing everywhere in such profusion. This -occupation consumed a great deal of time, for they naturally loitered, -charmed by so much floral beauty around them. It was fortunate they did, -as the sequel will show, and they did not arrive at the ledge of rocks -until nearly ten o'clock--more than two hours after they had left home. -It was intensely hot, and after gathering their buckets full of the -delicious fruit, they sat down on a shelf of the ledge which projected -over the creek. They dabbled their bare feet in the stream as it flowed -in murmuring rhythm over the rounded white pebbles, while they ate their -lunch of cake brought from the ranche, and the red berries so sweet in -the wildness of their flavor. - -Having satisfied their hunger, Kate said to her sister: "Gert, we ought -to fill up our buckets again. If we go home empty-handed, mother will -think we have been making pigs of ourselves." - -"There's time enough for that yet," replied Gertrude. "This cool water -feels so delightful to my feet that I believe I could sit here and -dabble in it until dark. Don't you think it's delicious, Kate?" - -"Yes," answered Kate, "but I want to get home before dinner, because Joe -said that he would go with me down to the village this evening. I am -going to ride his pony, and he will ride Rob's." - -"Well," said Gertrude, "if we must, we must. Mother loves raspberries -so; they are her favorite fruit, you know; and if we did not take her a -bucketful back with us, I should never forgive myself, though perhaps -she would not say a word." - -"Let us commence right now," imploringly said Kate. "I want to get back -as soon as I can." - -Both girls rose languidly to do as they proposed, but there did not seem -to be much energy in their motions. Just as Gertrude had taken her pail -from its place in the rocks, their ears were greeted by a low growl, -which seemed to come directly from underneath the shelf on which they -had been sitting. They looked at each other, and their faces blanched as -another snarl and a howl, nearer than before, came to their ears, and -both recognized the familiar sound they had so often heard when lying in -bed at night, as that of a wolf. Those predatory brutes frequently made -their nightly rounds in the vicinity of the corral, trying to get at the -young calves, and they might be heard in the timber, watching for a -chance to secure some of the fowls shut up in their house of stone near -the barn. - -Gertrude, who was really very brave under ordinary circumstances, -immediately stood still, and looking all around her, she suddenly met -the gaze of a large, gaunt she-wolf at whose side were standing six -little ones! Generally the wolf, like nearly all other wild animals, -will run instantly at the sight of a human being; but the maternal -instinct is so wonderful that, when they have young, they will die in -defending their offspring from any supposed danger. This instinct was -shown in this instance. The fierce animal had crept out of her den at -the sound of voices, and believing that her cubs were in jeopardy, she -made a frantic dash toward the now thoroughly frightened girls, who -hastily scrambled to the summit of the ledge. - -Fortunately for them, the wolf is a poor climber, but with a savage -bound toward the base of the flat rock on which the girls had a moment -before been sitting, she arrived at it the same instant they had -succeeded in reaching an elevation of about twelve feet above the level -of the water. - -Just as Kate, who was not as collected as her sister, was being dragged -up by Gertrude, the wolf made a desperate leap and snapped at her with -his terrible teeth, but failed. It succeeded, however, in catching her -skirt in its ponderous jaws, and tore it completely from her waist, and -she, almost feeling the hot breath of the infuriated brute, uttered a -loud scream and fell fainting in her sister's arms. - -Less than three hundred yards above the ledge of rocks, in a beautiful -piece of prairie, Joe was herding the cattle, and Kate's cry, so full of -fear, fell piercingly on his ears. He was aware that his sisters were to -go berrying that morning, and he also knew that the sound could only -come from one of them. He was lying on the grass under the shade of a -big elm with the bridle-rein of his pony in his hand. Grasping his -rifle, which was at his side, in an instant he had mounted his animal, -and digging his heels into its flanks, fairly flew down the creek to -where his sisters were held at bay by the wolf. He arrived there in less -than three minutes after he heard the scream of alarm, and saw the wolf -still persisting in its vain efforts to reach the girls on the summit of -the ledge. Gertrude was almost paralyzed with fear, and Kate lay at her -feet in the swoon into which the action of the wolf had thrown her. - -The enraged beast was too much occupied with the girls to notice that -its would-be victims had assistance so near at hand, and Joe, as -Gertrude saw her brother's approach, put his finger to his lips, -indicating that she must remain perfectly silent. He dismounted in a -second, and putting the loop of the reins over his left arm, dropped on -one knee, and taking careful aim, sent a ball crashing right through the -brain of the wolf, which instantly fell dead in its tracks. - -Joe then rushed down to the creek and filled his hat with water. He then -climbed hurriedly up to the rocky steep again and threw the water into -Kate's face as she still lay prone on the ledge at her sister's feet. -Kate soon revived, and after staring around her for a few seconds in a -dazed way, she smiled and said:-- - -"Oh, Joe, you have saved us!" and rising to her feet, forgetful of her -wet face, she kissed him half a dozen times. - -While his sisters were adjusting their dresses and recovering from their -terrible fright, Joe killed the young wolves with the butt of his rifle, -and then taking his knife from his belt commenced to skin the old one. -It did not require much time to perform the operation, for he had long -since become an adept at such work. He then threw the beautiful hide -over the withers of his pony, and walked home with his sisters. - -Arriving at the cabin, the girls had much to tell about their wonderful -experience and lucky escape from the jaws of the wolf, which would -certainly have torn them to pieces if it had not been for Joe's timely -arrival. - -The hide, which was an immense one, was first tacked to the side of the -stable, and when dried, Joe smoke-tanned it until it was as soft as a -piece of silk. He gave it to Kate as a memento of her awful experience -with its former owner. She used it as a rug at the side of her bed, and -often said that for a long time whenever she stepped on it, the scene in -which it played such an important part was brought vividly to her mind. - - - - -CHAPTER V - - THE FRIENDLY PAWNEES CAMP ON THE OXHIDE--OLD "YELLOW - CALF," THE CHIEF--JOE IS NAMED "THE WHITE PANTHER"--JOE - GOES HUNTING WITH THE BAND--HE LEARNS THE - LANGUAGE--HUNTING WITH THE BOYS OF THE TRIBE - - -THE Pawnees and Kaws, tribes of Indians long at peace with the whites, -and whose reservations were in the eastern part of the state, frequently -made incursions into the buffalo region two hundred miles from their -home in the valley of the Neosho, on their annual hunt for their -winter's supply of meat. The valley of the Oxhide was one of their -favorite camping-grounds, and from thence they radiated in bands to the -plains, where the vast herds of the great shaggy animals grazed in the -autumn months, on their curious elliptical march from the Yellowstone to -the southern border of Texas. - -Every autumn these Indians camped in the timber only about a mile from -Errolstrath ranche, and it was very natural that the boys, especially -Joe, should often visit their temporary village, as it was decidedly a -new sensation for them. The tepees, or lodges, built in a conical shape -out of long poles covered with well-tanned buffalo hides, were a -never-ending curiosity to Joe. The chief of the band, Yellow Calf, an -old man nearly eighty years of age, took a great fancy to Joe from the -moment he first saw him. As soon as he became acquainted with his -character he called him "White Panther," after the strange nomenclature -of the North American savage. The Indians noticed immediately that Joe -was different from the majority of white children they had met, and his -quickness of motion was the reason they named him as they did. His -readiness in acquiring their language, which he almost mastered in a few -months, astonished them. Then Joe was always kind and gentle to the -band, often bringing food from his mother's table when she could give it -to him, especially bread or biscuit, of which old Yellow Calf was -inordinately fond. At the suggestion of the chief, the closest warriors -of his council took great delight in showing their new boy friend the -use of the bow and arrow. They taught him how to prepare the skins of -animals he shot; how to make the robe of the buffalo as soft as a -doeskin, and they taught him how to trap beaver, otter, and muskrat, in -which valuable fur-bearing animals all the streams abounded. Yellow Calf -would sit for hours talking with Joe, learning from him all about the -strange inventions of the white man, and their uses. He in turn taught -the boy the mysteries of the beautiful sign language, so wonderful in -its symbolism; and the manner of trailing, so that in a few months he -was as well versed in the methods of following an enemy on the warpath -as the savages themselves. - -The Indians frequently took Joe with them far up the Arkansas valley on -their grand hunts after the buffalo. His parents readily gave their -consent to his going with his red friends, though he was sometimes -absent from home for more than a week. For three seasons the same band -of Pawnees had their village on the creek, remaining there during the -months of September and October of each year. All that time Joe -continued his intimacy with them, and became more perfect in his -knowledge of their savage methods. He could follow the blindest trail -by day or night, and the signs of the various hostile tribes were as -familiar to him as the alphabet. - -He had been carefully trained to all this knowledge by the Pawnees, who -were the hereditary enemies of the Cheyennes who still claimed -sovereignty over the great plains. Once, in fact, when he had been out -for a fortnight with his Indian friends on a buffalo hunt, the party was -suddenly met by a band of Cheyennes, and, of course, a battle ensued to -which Joe was a witness. After the fight that night, when the band -camped on the Walnut, he saw the dances of the victorious Pawnees and -learned a great deal about savage warfare. - -Shortly after the advent of the Pawnees on the Oxhide, and when Joe had -established his friendly relations with them, although he could shoot -fairly well previously, he now began to take a special delight in -hunting. Every moment he could get to himself, he was off in the timber -or out on the prairie with his rifle or shot-gun. He never carried -these, however, unless he hunted alone, as on many occasions he was -accompanied by one or two of the Pawnee boys about his own age whom the -band had brought with them; young bucks, not yet old enough to have -reached the dignity of warriors. They had to do the work generally -assigned to the women, for no squaws were with the band. It is beneath a -warrior to do anything but hunt, eat, smoke, and go to war; for idleness -is the predominant characteristic of the men of every savage race, and -the Pawnees were no exception. - -While they were encamped on the Oxhide the warriors scarcely ever left -the delightful place except, of course, when summoned by their chief to -the hunt. They sat all day in the shadow of their lodges, puffing lazily -at their pipes and relating over and over again the stories of their -feats in personal encounters with their enemies, the Cheyennes. - -The North American Indians are very assiduous in teaching their boys all -that becomes a great warrior,--how to ride the wildest horses, and how -to hunt and trap every variety of animal used in the domestic economy of -their families. The very moment a son is large enough to handle them, -bows and arrows are constantly in his hands. - -As the Indians had only a few poor rifles, whenever Joe went out with -his dusky young companions on a hunt, he, too, took nothing but his bow -and arrows which the Pawnees had given him, for he did not want his boy -friends to feel his superiority when armed with the white man's weapons. -The number of squirrels, rabbits, and game birds he killed in a single -day would have astonished a city-bred boy. - -The Pawnee warriors, flattered by Joe's preference for their society to -that of his white neighbors, made him the very finest bows and arrows of -which their skill was capable. They looked forward to the day when he -should develop into a great warrior, and hoped, too, that the time would -come when, becoming tired of civilization, he would let them adopt him -into the tribe. One morning, to the surprise of Joe, the old chief -despatched a runner back to the reservation with orders to his squaws to -make a complete suit of buckskin for his young white friend. In about -two weeks when the messenger returned to the camp with the savage dress, -Joe, of course, was delighted with his quaint and really beautiful -costume. It was made out of the finest doeskin, elegantly embroidered -with beads; the seams of the coat-sleeves and trousers were fringed in -the most approved savage fashion, while the moccasins were exquisitely -wrought with the quills of the porcupine, gayly colored. There were also -given the boy all the adjuncts of a warrior,--a tomahawk, medicine-bag, -tobacco-pouch, powder-horn, bullet-sack, flint and steel, and, last of -all, a magnificent calumet manufactured of the red stone from the sacred -quarry in far-off Minnesota. - -Joe had never mentioned to any of the family, not even to Rob, what was -in store for him from the Pawnees. To make the surprise greater to the -household, when he was ready to put on the new suit, he got one of the -warriors to decorate his face in royal savage style, and thus -metamorphosed, he walked into the cabin one noon, just as the family -were about to sit down to dinner. None of them recognized him, and when -he began to talk in the Pawnee language, not a word of which any of them -could understand, his father motioned him to take a seat at the table -and eat, as he had often done to the real Pawnees on their many visits -to the ranche. - -At last Joe could contain himself no longer, and he cried out in his -exultation over the farce he had enacted: "Father, mother, Rob, and you -girls, don't you know me?" - -"No!" they all answered simultaneously, but immediately recognizing his -voice, now that he spoke English, his mother said that she had never -suspected for a moment that the horrid-looking, paint-bedaubed creature -before her could be her own child. - -Then all had a good laugh over the manner in which Joe had deceived -them, but his father insisted that he must go and wash the paint from -his face before he thought of sitting down to eat with Christian people; -he could allow it in the case of a real savage, because they did not -know any better. - -Joe was very hungry, for he had been out hunting grouse on the hills all -the morning, and was tired, too, so he hastily obeyed his father's -injunction. He ran to the spring, and by vigorously rubbing at the -various colors, he at last succeeded in getting his face clean. In a few -moments he returned to the dining-room looking like himself again, but -very stately, by reason of his brand-new suit; and the family could not -help staring at and admiring him. Then, when he had taken his place at -the table, he was obliged to tell how he had happened to acquire such a -fantastic dress, and explain the use of each curious article belonging -to it. - -Gertrude and Kate both hoped that he would not wear the handsome clothes -every day, and his mother suggested that he must never go to the village -in such a savage dress. His father said nothing, but evidently regarded -his boy with pride. - -In reply to the various comments, Joe told the family that he intended -to wear the Indian costume only on extraordinary occasions. If ever the -Cheyennes, Kiowas, Comanches, or Arapahoes broke out, he would certainly -wear it, for when those savages saw him, they would think he was a great -warrior, and be careful how they bothered him. The family little -thought, as he uttered his playful remarks, how soon that uniform would -be worn on a mission fraught with danger to themselves and the whole -settlement. - - - - -CHAPTER VI - - THE STORY OF THE MASSACRE ON SPILLMAN CREEK--SCOUTS GO TO - THE RESCUE--JOE AND ROB TALK OVER THE HORRID WORK OF THE - SAVAGES--THE DOG SOLDIERS--CHARLEY BENT--PLACE OF - RENDEZVOUS--PARTY STARTS OUT--JOE'S OPINION IS ASKED - - -THE family had lived on their comfortable ranche on the Oxhide for -nearly three years. During the whole of this period the valley had been -most happily exempt from any raid by the hostile Indians farther west, -who for all that time had made incursions into the sparse settlements -not a hundred miles away, devastating the country from Nebraska on the -north to the border of Texas on the south. - -General Sheridan had been ordered by the Government to the command of -the Military Department of the Missouri, with headquarters at Fort -Leavenworth. The already famous General Custer with his celebrated -regiment, the Seventh United States Cavalry, was stationed at Fort -Harker, recently established on the Smoky Hill, about four miles from -Errolstrath ranche, so the settlers on the Oxhide, and through the -valley, felt comparatively safe from any possible raid by the savages -into that region. - -One beautiful Sunday afternoon in the middle of the May following the -autumn in which Joe had received his present of a full Indian dress from -the friendly Pawnees, the family were sitting on the veranda of the -cabin. Dinner was long since over, and Mr. Thompson was reading aloud -from their weekly religious journal, when a horseman suddenly appeared, -coming toward the ranche on the trail which led from the mouth of the -Oxhide where it empties into the Smoky Hill. He was hatless and -coatless, his long hair was streaming in the wind, and his heels were -rapping his horse's flanks vigorously, and its breast and shoulders were -covered with foam from the desperate gait at which it was urged. - -The reading was instantly suspended, and every eye strained toward the -unusual object coming toward the house at such a breakneck speed. - -"I wonder who that is, and why he rides so fast," inquired Mr. Thompson, -addressing himself to no one in the group in particular. - -"Something unusual must have occurred," suggested Mrs. Thompson; "some -one of the neighbors taken ill suddenly, maybe." - -"It's no one we know," spoke up Joe. "I never saw that man before," the -individual under discussion having come near enough now for his features -to be distinguished, "nor the horse he's on, and I know every man and -horse in the whole settlement. There's some trouble not far away, I -think, or he would not run his animal that way." - -In less than three minutes more, the stranger horseman rode up to the -front of the house and jumped off his horse. Hurriedly tying him to the -hitching-post, he ran up the steps of the veranda, and in the most -excited manner, his eyes wearing a wild look and his breath coming with -great difficulty, told Mr. Thompson, who had walked forward to meet him, -that the Indians had completely destroyed the little settlement of -Spillman Creek that morning about daylight. He alone, as far as he -knew, had escaped the massacre. He said that luckily he happened to be -down in the timber, getting some wood for his morning fire, and the -savages did not see him. He had his pony with him, and when he saw the -Indians all dressed in their war-bonnets and hideously painted, he rode -to the river and across country as fast as his animal could carry him. - -"How many families are there in the settlement?" inquired Mr. Thompson. - -"About ten," answered the stranger; "forty individuals, perhaps, and all -of them, I feel satisfied, have been murdered and their cabins burnt, -because I saw the smoke and flames from the trail on the south side of -the Saline as I rode hurriedly on." - -"Had you no family?" asked Mrs. Thompson, excitedly, in her sympathy for -the unfortunate people who had been so cruelly massacred. - -"No, ma'am," answered the stranger. "I was living all alone on my claim, -which I had taken up only a week ago, on the edge of the timber. My -family are still back in Illinois, thank God! or they, too, with myself, -would have been butchered with the rest, for I would never have left -them." - -"Do you think the savages will continue on their raid, and come further -down the Saline valley?" inquired Mr. Thompson, who now for the first -time since he had been on his ranche, felt a little alarmed for his -family. - -"I don't know," was the reply, "but I'm afraid they will. The Elkhorn is -fairly settled, but the cabins are widely scattered; the Indians know -that, and before the neighbors could rally for mutual defence, the -savages might be able to murder them in detail. I have come down here to -warn the settlers on this creek, and if I can, to get a party to go to -the rescue of those on the Elkhorn. I stopped at Fort Harker on my way -and reported to the commanding officer the state of affairs, but he said -that he had only part of a company of infantry at the post, all the -cavalry being out under General Custer, looking after the Indians 'way -up the Smoky Hill. He suggested that I should come here to inform you -people of the danger, and that, if I could muster up a crowd of men, he -would furnish all the arms and ammunition necessary for them. He also -said that General Sheridan was coming to Fort Harker in a few days to -establish his headquarters there, and that a general Indian war was -imminent." - -"Have you any idea how many of the savages there were in the band that -raided Spillman Creek settlement?" inquired Mr. Thompson. - -"I think there must have been about fifty. I counted their pony tracks -in the soft mud at the ford of the Saline where they crossed it; they -were very plain, and I was enabled to come close to their probable -number. If you could muster twenty or thirty men, well armed, who are -brave, and good shots with the rifle, I believe that if they start for -the Elkhorn to-day, they could circumvent the savages before they reach -the creek, or at least drive them out of the neighborhood. I am ready to -go back with them and act as guide, for I know every foot of the -country, having spent a whole year out there before I settled upon a -location. Who are the best men in this settlement, and where shall I go -to warn them?" - -"Well," replied Mr. Thompson, "I am willing to go for one. I guess there -will be no difficulty in gathering as large a force as is -necessary--good shots, too; for no one will hesitate a moment when it -comes to defending his family from an Indian raid. It will take a couple -of hours to ride around the neighborhood to the several ranches to -notify the men. My boys, here, can go to the nearest, while you and I -ride to the most remote and get as large a crowd as possible. Boys," -continued he, turning to his sons, who stood with eyes wide open and -mouth agape as they listened with astonishment to the terrible story of -the stranger, "get your ponies at once; saddle them as quickly as ever -you did in your lives, and ride to the nearest ranches on the creek; up -one side and down the other. Tell all the folks the dreadful news, and -tell them to have the men meet here at Errolstrath as quickly as they -can, and to bring their rifles with them. All are well armed," said he, -turning to the stranger, "and they will respond in a hurry." - -"Now," said Mr. Thompson, as the boys jumped off of the veranda to carry -out their father's order, "I will go with you to old Tucker's ranche. He -is a man of most excellent judgment, and a trapper; has fought Indians -all his eventful life on the plains and in the mountains, so we can -safely rely on his advice in regard to what is best to be done." Looking -at his wife he said, "Won't you get this man a bite to eat while I'm -catching another animal for him? Yours is tired out," continued he, -addressing the stranger again; "you must have a fresh horse. I've got -lots of them." - -While Mr. Thompson went to the stable, and the stranger to the spring to -wash the dust off himself, Mrs. Thompson, assisted by Gertrude and Kate, -made ready a cold lunch for the half-famished man, who told them, when -he returned to the dining-room, that he had not eaten a morsel since the -evening before. - -By the time he had finished his meal, Mr. Thompson returned to the front -of the house with two animals, and taking the stranger's horse to the -stable, after the saddle had been put on the fresh one, he returned to -the house. He gave his wife some advice about the boys and their -mission, then he and the stranger mounted their animals and loped off at -a good gait for the ranche of old Mr. Tucker, three miles away. - -The boys had started some while before their father, as it only required -a few minutes to catch and saddle their ponies that were picketed in -front of the house, on a patch of buffalo grass not twenty yards away. -In less than half an hour they were at the nearest ranche, and had -delivered their message. They then rode on and made the rounds of the -circuit assigned them, relating the bad news as they travelled from -cabin to cabin as quickly as their hardy little Indian ponies could -carry them. - -While on their mission the boys talked over the story of the massacre, -Joe explaining many things in connection with the savage method of -making a raid on a white settlement. Those were things which Rob did not -fully understand, but with which Joe was familiar, having been told all -about them by the friendly Pawnees. He told Rob that he was crazy to go -on the little expedition, but did not dare ask permission. - -"Father might be willing, maybe," suggested Rob, "though I'm sure that -mother and the girls would object." - -"I'll bet that I can find the trail of the Cheyennes, for I know better -than any one who is going along, that they were Cheyennes who made the -attack," said Joe. "That man who came down with the news don't know much -about Indians; I could tell that by the way he talked; he's a -'tender-foot.' He admitted to papa he'd only been in the country a very -short time." - -"By jolly! I'll bet he was scared when he saw those Indians," said Rob; -"he wasn't used to such sights!" - -"How he must have ridden his horse," said Joe. "I never saw an animal so -frothy in my life before; did you, Rob? You could have scraped a -wash-tub of lather off him!" - -"If the Cheyennes have left any kind of a trail after them, I can tell -just how many there were of them," continued Joe, "but they are ahead of -all other Indians in covering up their tracks; old Yellow Calf has told -me so a dozen times. I expect that it was Charley Bent's band of Dog -soldiers that made the raid." - -"What are Dog soldiers?" inquired Rob. - -"Why, the young bucks of a tribe who will not obey the orders of their -chief; renegades who will not be controlled by any custom. Those Indians -who have not done anything yet to make them warriors, and who go off on -their own hook to murder and steal, and to fire the cabins of the poor -settlers, thinking that if they can get a few scalps of women and -children they will be recognized by the rest of the tribe as braves. -Sometimes there are 'Squaw-men' among them, that is, white men who have -married Indian women; generally bad men who have committed some crime -where they used to live and dare not go back to where they came from." - -"Who is Charley Bent?" asked Rob. "That is not an Indian name, surely!" - -"I know it isn't," answered Joe. "He's a half breed; half white and half -Cheyenne. His mother was a Cheyenne squaw, and his father was Colonel -Bent, one of the most celebrated frontiersmen of his time. Charley was -well educated in St. Louis, but when he returned to his father's home, -at Bent's Fort, way up the Arkansas River, in what is now Colorado, he -threw off the white man's dress and manner of living, joined the -Indians, and became, in his devilishness, the worst savage to be found -in the whole Indian country. The United States Government has offered a -thousand dollars for him, dead or alive. Somebody will catch him yet; -the army scouts are after him red hot, so the Pawnees told me." - -"I wish the Pawnees, lots of 'em, were back on the creek, Joe," said -Rob, continuing the lively conversation they had been keeping up ever -since they started from the ranche; "wouldn't they like such a chance to -go after their old enemies?" - -"I expect they will be here sooner than usual, this coming autumn; one -of the boys told me so when the band left; but it will be four months -yet before we may look for them." - -"Are you going to ask to go with the party to the Elkhorn, Joe?" asked -Rob of his brother. - -"No, I think not. I intend to be still unless some of the crowd drop a -hint they'd like to have me along; then I'll speak out." - -By four o'clock the boys returned to the ranche, having warned twelve -families of the impending danger. All the men expressed their readiness -to go with Mr. Thompson and the others to circumvent the savages on -their raid. When Joe and Rob had turned their ponies out to graze and -went back to the house again, they found a dozen men there already, -waiting for the return of their father and the stranger. The anxious -group sat on the veranda, discussing the state of affairs, suggesting to -each other what course should be pursued concerning those settlers who -would have to remain in the valley with their wives and children. Uncle -Dick Smith, as he was familiarly called, an old man with white hair and -long white beard, who had had some experience with the savages in his -earlier days in Wisconsin, suggested that while the scouting party were -absent, Job Wilkersin's stone corral would be the best place for the -settlers to rendezvous in case the Indians came down into the valley of -the Oxhide. After some discussion, however, it was agreed to let the -question remain open until Mr. Thompson and the other men should arrive. - -A short time before sundown a group of horsemen could be seen coming -down the trail from the north. They were those for whom the crowd at -Errolstrath were anxiously looking. When they rode up to the house, -headed by Mr. Thompson, they dismounted, fastened their horses to trees, -and after a hurried meal which the girls had been getting ready during -their father's absence, they all adjourned to the lawn outside of the -veranda, and the subject was renewed as to what those should do who were -compelled to remain behind on the Oxhide. Mr. Wilkersin was among them, -and as he stated his house was the largest in the neighborhood, and his -big stone corral a grand place for defence in case the savages continued -on their raid, it was agreed to rendezvous there. Twenty determined men -in the corral could keep off a hundred Indians, and besides there was -food enough at his house for every one who should go there. He further -said that he would be glad to assist his friends thus much in trying -times like these. - -Rob, who was familiar with the location of every cabin in the -settlement, was immediately despatched on a fresh horse to call on the -people and communicate the result of the conference. He was to tell them -where to go in the event of the Indians coming into Oxhide valley after -the scouting party had left for the Elkhorn. - -There were about thirty men who were obliged to remain at home; too old -to undertake the fatigue of the long night's ride contemplated. They -were all excellent shots, many of them having been pioneers in the -settlement of the states east of the Mississippi when they constituted -the far West. - -When all the men who could be mustered for the expedition had arrived at -Errolstrath, there were about fifty. Old man Tucker was unanimously -chosen for their leader, with the title, by courtesy, of captain. He was -a man nearly sixty-five years old, but had been early recognized by the -settlers of the valley as one to whom they could look whenever the -affairs of the neighborhood demanded the exercise of good judgment or -sound advice. He was well educated, having graduated at Yale, but after -graduation a quarrel with his father resulted in his drifting out on the -frontier, where his life had been that of a trapper and hunter. He was -as active as any of the young men, so his age in this case did not -militate against him. He was the best rifle-shot in the valley, and if, -like Davy Crockett, he failed to hit a squirrel in the eye, "it didn't -count!" - -The stranger from Spillman Creek was named Alderdyce, as he had informed -Mr. Thompson while on the trip with him, and, as many of those who now -met him for the first time desired to hear his story, he related the -details of the horrid massacre again. At its sickening recital a -majority became impatient of delay, and wanted to start on the trail of -the savages at once, although the whole valley was flooded with the -golden glow of sunset. - -Joe stood modestly in the crowd, eagerly drinking in the awful story -told by Mr. Alderdyce, and he noticed how anxious the scouting party was -to get away. He knew that this would be the height of absurdity until -night had closed in, and in all probability would defeat the very object -of the expedition, so he ventured to suggest that it would be better to -wait until after dark. - -Old Mr. Tucker knew as well as the boy's father that Joe's judgment in -matters relating to savage methods when on the war-path was far in -advance of his sixteen years. His ideas and opinions commanded a -consideration his age did not otherwise warrant, so the keen observation -he had developed since his intimacy with the Pawnees, and the astuteness -he had imbibed from them, caused Mr. Tucker to ask the boy's reasons for -his suggestion. - -Joe replied hesitatingly: "I believe it's better to wait until dark. The -runners, as their spies are called, of the hostile band, are, I -honestly think, at this moment stationed on some of the highest points -of the valley. They are watching to learn if there will be any -demonstration made against the raiding band from this settlement. If -this is true, and I believe it is, they should not be permitted to see -our party start out. If they do discover that a number of mounted men -are riding on the prairie, they will hang on their trail, keep the main -band warned of every movement, and you could not effect anything. In -that case you might as well stay at home." - -Upon these hints so forcibly thrown out by Joe, nearly every one at once -coincided with his opinion, and the captain decided to act upon the -boy's judgment. - -Joe, who was always an attentive listener, rarely obtruded his ideas -into the conversation of his elders; in reality he was of rather a -reticent disposition, a trait generally indicative of bravery, but he -was ever ready to venture an opinion when asked for it, fearlessly and -in great earnestness. So during the discussion of the supposed details -of the morning's massacre, Captain Tucker asked him what he thought of -the probability of the savages coming down to the Elkhorn from the -scene of their raid on the Spillman. - -"Well, Mr. Tucker," replied Joe, "distance is never considered by an -Indian. If a band start on a raid and are successful at the beginning, -they will keep on a dozen miles or five hundred; it makes no difference -to them; they'll wear out any animal but a wolf. If the massacre was -complete, as Mr. Alderdyce thinks, they will probably keep right on -murdering, scalping, and firing the cabins, until they get a setback. My -own opinion is that they will go down to the Elkhorn or some other place -where there is a settlement, and if successful again, will continue on -and come to the Oxhide, perhaps, now they have tasted blood. But if they -have met with a repulse anywhere, or learn that the United States troops -are after them, they may abandon their raid and be now a hundred miles -on the trail to their village." - -Joe was evidently fidgety; he wanted to go along, and as the captain and -his father had questioned him so earnestly on such important matters, he -thought he had a right to be one of the party; still, he said nothing -until Captain Tucker, noticing the boy's anxious countenance, asked him -if he would like to go with them. - -Joe answered very quickly in the affirmative, but it was with much -hesitancy that his parents gave their consent. The neighbors gathered at -the ranche, however, importuned very earnestly in his favor, declaring -that the success of the expedition might depend materially upon their -decision whether the boy should go or not. Of course, to resist such an -appeal was out of the question, coming as it did almost unanimously from -their friends, so Joe was permitted to accompany the party. - -Hurriedly did the delighted boy go out to the corral and saddle his -favorite pony, a coal-black little animal, very swift, full of -endurance, sure-footed as a mule, and as obedient to the touch of its -young master's hand and legs as a well-trained circus horse. Soon -returning, he tied him with the other animals to a tree and then went -into the house to prepare himself for the venturesome trip. - -Coming back on the veranda in a few moments dressed in the buckskin suit -given him by the old chief Yellow Calf, he looked the very -impersonation of a veteran frontiersman, and but for his childish face -might have passed for a veritable army scout. He slung his rifle across -the horn of his saddle; its complement of bullets in his pouch he -fastened to the cantle, while the powder-flask was suspended by a cord -thrown over his shoulder. He also carried his flint and steel, thinking -he might have occasion to use it, and with a small lantern was ready for -whatever he might be called upon to do. - -As the welcome darkness would not come for an hour yet, the party kept -their animals concealed in the thick timber near the cabin. They sat -quietly in the shadow of the veranda, so that if there were any of the -hostile spies in the vicinity, as Joe had suggested there might be, they -would not be able to observe any unusual demonstration on the place, as -the house was completely masked by the giant trees surrounding it. - -[Illustration: "He looked the very impersonation of a veteran -frontiersman."] - -By eight o'clock it was dark enough to venture out, and the party -quietly mounted their horses, and strung out in single file down the -narrow trail leading from the ranche to the ford of the Smoky Hill. -Tucker, Joe, and Alderdyce were at the head of the line. Every one was -familiar with the trail as far as the river, for it was the main -travelled track to the village of Ellsworth. It was six miles from -Errolstrath, and contained a general store, a blacksmith shop, and the -post office for all the surrounding country. - -The ford crossed the Smoky Hill about two miles east of the little -hamlet, but the party did not follow the trail up the river. They took a -shorter cut over the hills bordering the stream where there was a series -of buffalo paths running northward in the direction they wanted to go. -They thus saved a detour of three or four miles, an important -consideration where time was of the greatest consequence. The buffalo -paths all came out on the other side of the high divide separating the -Saline from the Smoky Hill. A short distance beyond the summit of the -ridge, and down a gradual slope, was one of the valleys of the several -tributaries which gave the many-branched stream called the Elkhorn, its -suggestive name. - -After the party had forded the Smoky Hill, the country was unknown to -all excepting Alderdyce and Joe. The latter had often accompanied the -Pawnees on their hunts as far as the Saline and Paradise creeks, -twenty-five miles from the Oxhide. - -All had been travelling up to that point in groups of twos and threes on -the flat river bottom, but now again they strung out in Indian file, -following Joe and Alderdyce slowly up the divide and down on the other -side. They then all moved out more rapidly into a short, quick lope as -the ground was more level for several miles. At the end of the level -stretch they halted, as they were approaching the beginning of the -limestone region. - -Following Joe's advice they dismounted and muffled the hoofs of their -horses with gunny sacks which they had brought for that purpose, in -order to prevent the sound of the animals' feet from being heard by any -of the savage runners. - -This wise precaution was frequently employed by the scouts of the army -with General Sheridan during his celebrated winter campaign against the -allied tribes of the plains, when the troops were obliged to travel at -night through the enemy's country. - -It was soon after they had passed the limestone region that a heavy -rolling prairie, over which the trail ran up one slope and down another -of the rocky divides, separated the narrow intervales between. Most of -the time it was a hard, killing pace for the poor horses, as they had -travelled for hours continuously without a halt, excepting to muffle -their feet. The settlement must be reached before daylight, or perhaps -it would be too late to thwart the murderous schemes of the Indians, who -always chose the early hours of the dawn in which to commit their -atrocities. At that time when sleep oppresses most heavily, life and -death were the issue, and the tired animals could not be mercifully -spared. Would they be able to hold out with ten miles of the same cruel -lope ahead of them, before the breaks of the main Elkhorn would be -reached? - -There was an hour more of severe riding, during which the heels of the -riders and the sharp sting of the quirt were often called into -requisition to urge the jaded animals on to their hard duty. They were -flecked with foam, their nostrils distended, and they were almost worn -out when the terribly earnest men rode down the last divide into the -grassy bottom of the first branch of the main Elkhorn. - -The faintest streaks of the coming dawn were beginning to show -themselves; the summits of the Twin Mounds, capped with white limestone, -already reflected the rosy tinge of the rising sun, which was still far -below the horizon of the valley. The beautiful intervales, through which -the party urged their horses, were covered with buffalo grass, and at -the farther end, not quite half a mile distant, the fringe of timber -bordering the creek could be distinguished as its dark contour cast a -still blacker shadow over the sombre valley. - -There the party halted for a few moments to reconnoitre. Captain Tucker -again had occasion to interrogate Joe. He inquired of the young trailer -what would be the first acts of the savages when they arrived in the -valley of the Elkhorn, if indeed they came at all. - -"Well, Mr. Tucker," replied the boy, "the first thing the Indians would -do--they'd hide themselves in the timber; lie down in the grass, -probably, and then send out one or more of their runners, the very best -they had with them, to sneak around and watch for a chance to make a -break together on the cabins. Then, if the outlook was favorable, and -none of the settlers were stirring, they'd go from cabin to cabin, -murdering, scalping, and firing the buildings as fast as they could." - -"Well, then," said the captain, as he took both of the boy's hands in -his own, and gazed into his bright face, "you know that all the settlers -on the Oxhide, and your own folks, too, say that you are as much of an -Indian as if you had been born in a tepee, so far as savage education is -concerned. Now, I've been talking to your father, and he agrees with me; -I want you to do some dangerous work, or at least it is somewhat risky. -You are the only one among us all who can do it as it should be done. It -is this. While we remain here in the shadow of the timber to blow our -animals and graze them a little, I want you to cross the creek on foot, -and go up to Spillman Ford with Alderdyce, who will show you where it -intersects this branch of the Elkhorn, and try to discover, if you can, -by the dim light, any signs of Indians. I'm inclined to think they have -not come down into this valley at all. But I want you to find out where -they are, if possible. If you do not find any track of them, after we -have rested our horses and warned the settlers of the danger, we will -all go on to the scene of the massacre, and there you will be sure to -learn where they have gone." - -Joe and Alderdyce turned over their horses to one of the men who were on -guard watching the animals while they fed on the rich buffalo grass, and -then started on foot for the ford of the Elkhorn leading to Spillman -Creek. It was about a mile, and during the walk, Joe and Alderdyce -talked over the affair of the morning. Joe asked his companion to tell -him exactly what the commanding officer had said to him when he reported -the massacre to him at Fort Harker. - -"Well, Joe, I will tell you just what he told me. He said that General -Sheridan had ordered a company of Custer's regiment of mounted troopers -to be sent to the Elkhorn valley and to remain there until the settlers -were advised to come in, or the proposed Indian war was ended." - -"Now I have an idea," said Joe to him. "We shall not find any Indians on -this trip; the cavalry have already started for the valley, and the -savages have got wind of it and have gone back to their village, -probably, a hundred miles south of the Arkansas. But, anyhow, we'll go -on up to the ford and learn what we can." - -When they reached the crossing, not a sign of a pony's hoof could be -discovered, and both gave a sigh of relief as they now knew that none of -the savages had come down towards the Elkhorn. They hurried back to -their party, and Joe reported that he had not seen a sign. - -"Good enough," said Captain Tucker, as he listened to the good news. -"Now, men," continued he, turning and addressing himself to the party -who had gathered near him to learn what report Joe and Alderdyce might -bring, "we will remain here for another hour, and after warning some of -the prominent settlers in the valley, we will go up to the head of -Spillman Creek and see what is to be discovered there. Who knows but -some one may be found hidden in the brush, not daring to come out. We -may be able to save a life or two yet." - - - - -CHAPTER VII - - ARRIVAL OF CAVALRY ON THE ELKHORN--A DEER HUNT--WHAT THE - SCOUTS SAW--THE STORY OF THE TWO LITTLE GIRLS--THE DEAD - AND WOUNDED--MEN HIDDEN IN THE BRUSH--AN INDIAN - LEGEND--ARRIVAL OF THE INFANTRY--THE DEER HUNT IN THE - MORNING--DEATH OF THE DEER - - -JUST as the sun appeared above the top of the Twin Mounds, Joe, who -could not keep quiet when among the timber or on the prairie, was -scouting around on his own hook, while the remainder of the party was -lying on the grass eating the cold breakfast they had brought from -Errolstrath. Suddenly he rushed down to them, and yelled at the top of -his voice:-- - -"The cavalry are coming! I saw the gleam of their carbines on the ridge -about a mile away toward the trail to Fort Harker." - -Every man was on his feet in an instant; and sure enough, in a few -minutes they heard the clanging of sabres and the sound of the hoofs of -approaching horses. Presently a fine-looking set of men wearing the -fatigue uniform of the United States Cavalry, splendidly mounted on -sleek bay animals, swung around the point of timber where Captain Tucker -and his scouts from the Oxhide valley were standing. The trumpeter -sounded the "Halt," and in another moment the horses, in obedience to -the signal, stood still as if petrified, while the commander of the -troop, Colonel Keogh, of Custer's famous regiment, rode forward and -talked with Captain Tucker, whom he had at once recognized as the leader -of the scouts. - -They conversed for some moments, each giving the other what information -he had of the movements of the Indians. Then the Colonel told Captain -Tucker that his orders were to camp on the Elkhorn with his company, and -scout through the valley, protecting the settlers. He said that a -detachment of infantry was also ordered to the creek, and was to remain -there, while he with his mounted men would move from point to point, and -thus prevent the savages from making another raid in that part of the -country. He thanked Captain Tucker for the promptness with which he and -his neighbors had responded to the appeal of Alderdyce. He said that -now the cavalry were there the men might go home feeling assured that no -more attacks were to be feared from the Indians, and that General -Sheridan would soon have enough soldiers under his command to whip -thoroughly the allied tribes, and force them to a peace which they would -be glad to keep. - -Captain Tucker told the Colonel how bright Joe was in relation to Indian -affairs, and what a great hunter he had already become. After Colonel -Keogh had himself conversed with Joe, he took a great fancy to him. He -told him that he was going on a deer hunt just as soon as he was settled -in camp, and the infantry had arrived, and he invited Joe to be one of -the party. - -Joe thanked the Colonel, and spoke modestly of the compliments which had -been paid him by Captain Tucker. He promised that he would certainly go -on the hunt with him, and be delighted to do so. - -He spoke up boldly: "When do you expect to go, Colonel? I know there are -lots of red deer and elk, too, on the Elkhorn, and this is a good time -to find them; I've been here with the Pawnees often." - -The Colonel said: "The infantry, in all probability, will reach the -creek some time this evening, as they were getting ready for the march -when I left Fort Harker with my troop. Suppose, Joe, we say the day -after to-morrow? You can remain here with me; I have buffalo robes, and -you shall have a bed in my tent. So go and ask your father at once and -come back to me as quick as you can and report his answer. You'll find -me somewhere about the camp. My tent is not yet put up, but you will -know it when it is, by its similarity to an Indian tepee. It is called a -'Sibley,' and was patterned after the Sioux lodge by its inventor, an -officer of the army of that name." - -Joe, wild with delight, ran off to find his father, to whom he told of -the invitation, and finding that no objections were made, thanked him -for his permission to remain. - -Captain Tucker had informed the Colonel that as his men and animals were -sufficiently rested, and the horses filled with the rich grass, he -intended to go to the scene of the massacre with Alderdyce, to find -whether any of the settlers were hiding and not daring to show -themselves, or if any of the wounded were still living. Should he find -any of the latter, he would return by way of Fort Harker and notify the -commanding officer, so that he might send an ambulance for them and -medical assistance. - -Telling his men of his intentions, they immediately brought in their -horses and saddled them. They then mounted, and rode slowly west toward -Spillman Creek, which was about seven or eight miles from the Elkhorn. -Joe, of course, went with them, as they wanted him to find out which way -the Indians had gone after committing their devilish deeds. He intended -to leave the party at the ford of the Elkhorn on its return, and to join -Colonel Keogh. - -In about two hours the party arrived at the mouth of Spillman Creek, and -the first evidence of the acts of the savages confronted the men. Riding -up to a small cabin which the Indians had not consigned to the torch, no -doubt having missed it on their fiendish rounds, they discovered two -little girls crouched in one of its dark corners. One of them was only -six years old, and her sister but eight. They were very bright for -their age, and told a wonderfully sad story of their escape from the -Indians. They said that a big band of savages rode up to their home very -early in the morning; that their father and mother were not yet out of -bed. The Indians killed both of them, and after setting the house on -fire, threw the children on their ponies and rode off. Coming to the top -of a high hill, they saw a company of soldiers in the distance, and they -then dropped them on the prairie and hurried away as fast as their -ponies could run. The girls were not hurt at all. They wandered on, -frightened nearly to death, and seeing the cabin down in the valley, -they went to it and slept there all night. They had waked very early in -the morning, and on going out of doors, saw the wild grapes growing on -the vines at the creek; they ate some for their breakfast, but soon -hearing the sound of horses' hoofs, and thinking the Indians were coming -to look for them, they crawled back into the corner where the scouts had -found them. - -Captain Tucker and the rest of the scouts were in a dilemma at first -when they found themselves with the two little orphaned children on -their hands; and they did not know exactly what to do. But soon Joe's -excellent judgment manifested itself. He proposed that one of the men -should be sent back to Colonel Keogh's camp to tell him of their -discovery, and ask him to send his ambulance out to take the children to -Fort Harker, where they would be cared for by the kind ladies of the -post. - -The suggestion was acted upon at once. Every man volunteered to go, so -it was left to the Captain to select one. This he did, started him off, -and left Mr. Thompson to stay with the little girls until the arrival of -the ambulance. He and the others of the party then rode up on the valley -of Spillman Creek, as the savages appeared to have confined their -atrocities to that narrow region. - -As they were riding close to the bank of the stream, about three miles -from where they had found the two girls, they saw a wagon with the -horses still attached. As they came up to it for a closer examination, -two men, both of whom were known to Alderdyce, came out of the -underbrush. - -They had a story to tell, too. Early in the morning they were on their -way to examine a claim on the Spillman, when they perceived at only a -short distance from them, what appeared to be a body of soldiers. They -were all dressed in blue blouses, and were marching four abreast just as -the cavalry do. The men stopped for a moment to get a closer view as -they rode up the divide, when to their horror they discovered the -supposed soldiers to be a band of Indians. They turned their team about, -and made for the nearest timber on the creek and hid themselves. Next -morning they still decided to remain in ambush until they saw some white -people. They had plenty of food with them, so they had remained until -they were discovered by Captain Tucker's scouts. Learning that all was -safe, they climbed into their wagon, whipped up the team, and drove -away. Presently the scouts came to the remains of a cabin, partly -destroyed by fire, where they discovered the dead bodies of a man and -woman, probably husband and wife. These they decently buried and rode -on. - -They next found the body of a young man, dead in his field, where he had -evidently been at work when the savages surprised him. He was murdered -with his own hatchet, which was found by his side, his face having been -chopped until it was not recognizable. His body was interred too. - -It is useless to relate all that the scouts saw on their mission of -discovery up the Spillman. In all, thirty bodies were found, and some -dozen or more persons who had been wounded and had managed to hide after -the savages had supposed them to be dead. During the next twenty-four -hours these were gathered and taken to the hospital at the fort. Some -recovered, but the majority died. - -The party returned to Colonel Keogh's camp, because they had discovered -so much that it was thought best he should know. When they arrived there -they learned that the little girls had been sent to the fort under an -escort of a squad of the troopers, and they also found Mr. Thompson in -the camp waiting for them. - -After winding their horses for about half an hour, all returned to -Errolstrath, with the exception of Joe, who remained to go on the -proposed hunt when the infantry arrived. - -Colonel Keogh's tent was already pitched, and Joe sat in there with him -discussing the atrocities on Spillman Creek and the deer hunt. - -"Colonel," said Joe, "you know that deer have no gall-bladder and the -antelope no dew-claws. Did you ever hear the Indian legend about the -reason?" - -"I know the deer have no gall-bladder and the antelope no dew-claws, but -I don't think I have ever heard the reason. What do the Indians say -about it, Joe?" - -"Well, old Yellow Calf, the chief of the band of Pawnees which has -camped on our creek ever since we have lived there, told me that a long -time ago a deer and an antelope met on the prairie near the Great Bend -of the Arkansas. At that time both animals had a gall and dew-claws. -They fell to talking together and bragging how fast each could run. The -deer claimed that he could outstrip the antelope, and the antelope that -he could beat the deer. They got awfully mad at each other, and finally -determined they would try their speed. The stakes were their galls, and -the trial was made on the open prairie. The antelope beat the deer and -took the deer's gall. The deer felt very unhappy at his defeat, and he -became so miserable over it, that the antelope felt sorry for him, and -to cheer him up took off both his dew-claws and gave them to the deer. -Ever since then the deer has had no gall-bladder, and the antelope no -dew-claws. - -"I met some Kaws once, and I told them what the Pawnees had told me -about it, and the chief of that band said the story the Pawnees had told -was only partly correct. The Kaw chief's version was that after the -antelope had won the race, the deer said to him, 'You have won, but that -race was not fair, for it was over the prairie. We ought to try again in -the woods to decide which of us is really the faster.' So the antelope -agreed to run the second race, and on it they bet their dew-claws. The -deer beat the antelope that time, because he could run faster than the -antelope through the timber, over the fallen trunks of trees, and in the -thick underbrush, and he took the antelope's dew-claws." - -"Well, Joe, that is a very funny story; I never heard it before." Then, -looking out of the front of his tent, the Colonel turned to Joe, and -said, "There comes the company of infantry, so we may go on our hunt -to-morrow." - -Joe ran out and watched the infantry as they filed into the timber. It -was after sundown, but far from dark. The men were soon settled in their -tents, their camp-kettles bubbling over the fires, and preparations in -full swing for their evening meal. - -Joe wandered among the troops and soon picked up an acquaintance with -them. They admired his Indian suit, and earnestly listened to the tale -of his adventures with the Pawnees. Presently he was called by the -Colonel's orderly to come to supper. He went back to the Sibley tent, -where he sat down at the table with Colonel Keogh and his two -lieutenants. - -Their simple table was improvised out of the end gates of two of the -wagons, and the cook, a colored soldier, had managed to provide an -excellent meal, and as Joe was very hungry, he did ample justice to it. - -When the trumpets and the bugles sounded the retreat, Joe went out with -the Colonel, who inspected the men to see that everything was in good -order for the night. They then returned to their canvas quarters, where -the Colonel smoked his pipe, and again discussed to-morrow's hunt with -the boy. - -They were to make a very early start in the morning, so, as soon as -"taps" had sounded, which meant that all lights must be put out and the -soldiers retire to their tents, the Colonel suggested to Joe that he had -better go to bed, while he would sit up a while and write out his report -to the commander at Fort Harker. Calling in the orderly, the Colonel -told him to fix up a sleeping-place for the boy. The man spread four -heavy buffalo robes on the floor of the tent, and putting two blankets -on top, the bed was ready for Joe, who tumbled into it and was soon fast -asleep. - -When the trumpeter sounded the reveille, at the first streak of dawn the -next morning, the Colonel, who had already risen, called Joe, who -bounded out of his soft bed like a cat. Breakfast was ready in a few -moments, and after he and the Colonel had eaten, and the latter had -given his orders to the officer who was to command the camp during his -absence, Joe and he started out on foot for the hunt. - -The night had been cold, and although it was the middle of May, the -white rime of the late frost covered the earth. It was a good omen, as -the sharp footprints of the animals could be more easily distinguished. - -Carefully examining their rifles and cartridges as they walked briskly -on, they soon struck the main branch of the Elkhorn, and continued along -its margin in a southerly direction for a mile or more, when they came -to a little opening. - -There Joe suddenly stopped, and turning to Colonel Keogh, who had on the -instant also halted, said, "Doesn't that look a little deerish, -Colonel?" - -The Colonel, though a good shot and hunter, could distinguish nothing -out of the ordinary after scrutinizing the ground to which the boy had -pointed. The earth looked the same everywhere in the Colonel's eyes. - -"Here!" said Joe, as, noticing the bewildered appearance of his new -friend, he turned over a fallen cottonwood leaf with his foot. There the -Colonel saw, after carefully stooping down, the very faint impress of a -hoof. - -"Is that a fresh track, Joe?" he asked. - -"You may be sure it is," replied Joe, "and only about an hour old!" - -"Well, I want _that_ deer," said Colonel Keogh, enthusiastically. He -rose from a stump on which he had been sitting for a few moments, with -his rifle across his knees, and started quickly for a little patch of -box-elder not a hundred yards distant. - -"Hold on, Colonel!" said Joe, cautiously; "the deer isn't there now. -Don't you see his hoof-marks point the other way? Look, here's where -he's nibbled the grass," pointing with his rifle to a strip of -bunch-grass in the opposite direction from the box-elders. "Let's go on, -Colonel; deer don't stay long in one spot so early in the day, and if we -don't get a move on us, it may be hours before we can get a shot at -'em." - -They trudged on for about a mile and a half, walking side by side, the -Colonel telling the boy some of his experiences in the war of the -Rebellion. Suddenly Joe, touching the Colonel's shoulder, said, "Hark!" -in a hoarse whisper, at the same instant elevating his head like a -stag-hound that has just winded game. In another minute they heard a -rustling as though something were stepping on dead leaves. - -"There's a buck deer in there, and a big one, too," said Joe, in a -whisper, as he pointed to a bunch of upland willows whose slender tops -were oscillating slowly as if disturbed by a gentle breeze, though there -was not a breath of wind blowing. "He's probably got a half dozen or -more does around him, and if we are mighty careful, we may both get a -shot." - -The willow copse was on the top of a little knoll, and the ground was -smooth on the side of it where the Colonel and Joe stood. Here and there -at intervals were great trees, but without any underbrush to snap under -their feet as they quietly trod over the soft, black soil. - -At Joe's suggestion, he and the Colonel separated, widening the distance -between them to about twenty paces, Colonel Keogh on the right of Joe. -They crept on as silently as savages on the trail of an enemy, and soon -arrived at the base of the elevation, which was only some fifty yards to -its crest. There they noticed that the dark earth had been cut up in -every direction by the sharp, delicate foot-marks of the creatures -supposed to be in front of them. A significant glance rapidly passed -from one to the other as they drew nearer their quarry. - -At that juncture, just as they reached the edge of the copse, each -masked himself behind a good-sized cottonwood, which seemed to have -grown where it did for their especial use. The Colonel in his enthusiasm -could not repress the remark in a whisper to Joe:-- - -"Look there, Joe. There's a dozen deer!" - -Sure enough, right in front of them were a dozen fat does lying down -ruminating their morning meal. The old buck, the guardian of the whole -herd, was standing up as if watching over his charge, and stamping the -ground with his sharp hoofs to drive off the buffalo gnats that swarmed -thickly around him. - -In another instant, at a signal previously agreed upon, a low whistle -from the Colonel, the rifles of the hunters were discharged -simultaneously, and all but two of the terribly frightened animals -bounded off through the timber. - -Before the echoes of the pieces had died away, Joe was among the -struggling deer with his hunting-knife, cutting their throats while -they were yet in their death throes. The stately buck had been the -Colonel's game, and he asked Joe to take its head to the ranche so that -the Pawnees, when they arrived in the autumn, could preserve it with its -magnificent set of antlers, which he desired to keep as a trophy of -their hunt. - -It was but a little more than two miles to camp, and they did not have -to wait more than an hour for a wagon to arrive, as the driver had been -told by the Colonel to start the moment the sharp double report of the -rifles reached his ears. The dead animals were soon loaded into it, and -the proud hunters walked leisurely alongside of it, back to camp, -arriving there before eleven o'clock. - -The deer were skinned by Joe. The meat was cut up into saddles and -haunches, and hung on the limb of a great tree, to secure it from the -prowling wolves, who already scented blood and began to make their -appearance on the bluffs, so keen is the nose of that vicious and -cowardly brute. The Colonel had brought with him from the fort, half a -dozen hounds, among them some of General Custer's celebrated animals, -but they were left tied up in camp that morning, as the Colonel had -decided to make a still hunt the first day, and to chase with the dogs -the next. - -That evening, just as all were about to roll themselves up in their -blankets, a scout arrived from Fort Harker with the intelligence that -the Cheyennes and the Kiowas, under the leadership of the bloodthirsty -Sa-tan-ta, the notorious war-chief, had made a raid upon the settlements -near Council Grove, and Custer was leaving at once for the field with -his regiment. As Colonel Keogh's company was part of it, he must return -to Fort Harker immediately, and another detachment of colored infantry -were on their way to take its place on the Elkhorn. - -All was bustle in a few moments. Tents were struck, and in less than an -hour the cavalry command was on its way, Joe riding at the head of the -column with the Colonel. - -They arrived at Fort Harker long before daylight, and Joe bade the -Colonel good by and rode on to Errolstrath, where he pulled up his pony -just as his father and Rob were coming out of the house to go to the -spring to wash themselves. - -The boy was gladly welcomed back by all the family, and they sat at the -table for more than an hour after they finished eating their breakfast, -listening to Joe's experiences at the scene of the massacre, and his -hunt with Colonel Keogh. - - - - -CHAPTER VIII - - MR. TUCKER PASSES THE NIGHT AT ERROLSTRATH--HE TELLS SOME - STORIES OF HUNTING BIG GAME IN THE ROCKY - MOUNTAINS--SAGACITY OF THE FEMALE BIGHORN--THE AMERICAN - COUGAR--THE BEAR AND THE PANTHER--THE RABBIT HUNT--HOW - THE BOYS TRAINED THEIR HOUNDS. - - -THAT evening many of those who had acted as scouts under Captain Tucker -came to Errolstrath, where, on the shady veranda they discussed their -trip and the possibilities of a prolonged Indian war. The Kiowas had -inaugurated hostilities by their raid on the settlements near Council -Grove. General Sheridan had already established his headquarters at Fort -Harker, and every preparation was going on at that post for a winter -campaign against the allied tribes. - -After the group on the porch had talked matters over for about two -hours, they all went to their respective homes excepting old Mr. Tucker, -whom the family had invited to stay all night. As it was but eight -o'clock when the others left, Joe and Mr. Tucker turned to the subject -of hunting big game, and the latter told some of his own adventures when -he was a trapper in the Rocky Mountains many years ago. As Joe had never -seen the bighorn of that region, Mr. Tucker related an adventure he once -had when hunting for a pair of young ones. He was up in the Yellowstone -Range, not very far from the scene of Custer's unequal battle with -Sitting Bull, in which the General's entire command was annihilated by -the savages. - -"My camp was on the Green River," began the old man, "and one morning -while I was out baiting my traps, I noticed a she bighorn that I knew -would soon have little ones. I was determined to have a pair of kids, as -I had a sort of a small menagerie at my camp, but it contained no -bighorn. So I started to follow her trail and stay with her until her -kids were born, when I intended to capture them and make pets of them. - -"I followed her for about two weeks, and was sometimes compelled to -creep cautiously after her in my stockinged feet. My stockings were -clumsy things made of buckskin, not such stockings as you buy. One -evening being so near her, and obliged to climb a steep mountain, I took -out my knife and cut off all the silver trimmings of my buckskin suit, -so that nothing could jingle and scare her. - -"At last, after tracking her day after day, I came upon her den, where -she had brought forth two kids. It was the very top of one of the -tallest peaks in the Wind River Mountains, in a sort of cave about five -feet deep, worn in the side of an enormous rock. When I first got a -sight of the kids, they were nearly two weeks old, and were jumping and -playing as all of the goat or sheep family are wont to do. - -"They were alone, but their mother was on the brink of a precipice, -within a hundred yards of them, carefully looking down into the valley -below to see if she could discover anything hostile. They are great -watchers. The old one had not seen me, and I had made a detour to the -very summit of the mountain, where I could see that there was a trail -which the mother used to travel in going to and from her young ones. I -felt sure that once at the mouth of the cave or hole in the big rock, I -might easily capture the kids, for which I had footed it so many miles -and followed so many days. - -"Before I reached the entrance of the den the old one caught a glimpse -of me, and in an instant, filled with the courage which the maternal -instinct always prompts, she was upon me and trying to get the sharp -point of her crooked horns into my legs to toss me over the precipice -which formed one of the walls of the mountain. The trail on which I was -standing was narrow and slippery. I had left my rifle on the top of the -divide, and was in a mighty tight place, for the female bighorn is -almost as dangerous as a tiger when enraged and solicitous for the -safety of her little ones. - -"I fought off the infuriated mother with my hands and feet as well as I -could, but the rage of the brute increased terribly every second. Just -then she caught sight of her kids, and leaving me, she rushed toward -them and ran around them several times, as if telling them she wanted -them to do something in her great trouble. - -"The distance from the wall of one mountain to the precipice of the -other was but eight feet. Both had originally been but one mountain, -but ages ago some great convulsion of nature had split them apart, and -had left a huge fissure between them at least two thousand feet deep, -with walls as smooth as glass. - -"The old one ran back and forth from the precipice to the kids several -times, showing them as plainly as if she could talk that they must make -the leap to escape from their natural enemy. At last, as if the whole -matter was understood, the mother flew back to the edge of the canyon, -the little ones hot in her tracks, and then all three made the jump, -just clearing the frightful gorge by half the length of the young ones. - -"I was dumfounded for an instant, but soon recovered my senses and went -for my rifle, but the coveted animals were far out of range on the top -of the twin peak. I then returned to my camp on Green River more than a -hundred miles away, disgusted and worn out, and never again attempted to -capture the kids of the bighorn in the fashion of my first venture." - -Joe and the rest of the family, remembering Joe's scrap with the young -panther, asked the old man if he had ever had any fight with one of -them. He said that he had, and would tell them all about it. Then they -would go to bed, as it was very late for the ranche folks to be up. - -"I remember the day you had that tussle with a young panther, Joe, and I -tell you that you got off mighty luckily; the chances were that the -animal would have made mincemeat of you if it hadn't been for that -thrust with your knife. - -"The California lion, puma, or panther, as the animal is indifferently -called according to locality, once had a very extensive range on the -North American continent. It could be found from the Adirondacks to -Patagonia, but now, like nearly all of our indigenous great mammals, is -relatively scarce, and is rapidly following the sad trail of the -buffalo. - -"Although sometimes called a lion, he in nowise resembles either his -African or Asiatic namesake. He is more nearly related to the tiger in -his habits, though lion-like in color. He is the puma or American cougar -of the naturalists. He is really a long-tailed cat, and the only true -representative of the genus felis on the continent. - -"He is a splendid fellow, too, with sleepy green eyes, skin as soft as -velvet and beautifully mottled, and teeth half an inch long and sharp as -razors. His paws measure four inches across, and his limbs are as finely -proportioned as a sculptor could desire, while all his muscles are as -brawny as a prize-fighter's. His breast is broad, and his body as -flexible as a snake's. He is an active climber and generally drops or -springs upon his prey from a limb where he has carefully secreted -himself. Like the majority of wild beasts, he generally runs from man, -excepting when cornered, or in the case of a female with kittens when -suddenly met; then her motherly love presents itself as strongly as in -any other animal. - -"The cougar attains its greatest size in the Rocky Mountains, where its -body reaches a length of four feet ten inches, and its tail from two to -two and a half feet. - -"The American panther has one inveterate foe, the bear. The grizzly and -the panther are mortal enemies. The famous trappers I have known, such -men as Kit Carson and Lucien B. Maxwell, have told me that in these -animals' frequent combats, the panther generally comes out victor, and -that in their early trapping days they often came across the carcass of -a bear which had evidently met its death in a lively encounter with a -mountain lion, as they called it. - -"Carson once related a contest of that character which he had -accidentally witnessed. A large deer was running at full speed, closely -followed by a panther. The chase had already been a long one, for as -they came nearer to where he stood, he could see both of their parched -tongues hanging out of their mouths, and their bounding, though -powerful, was no longer as elastic as usual. The deer having discovered -in the distance a large black bear playing with her cub, stopped for a -moment to sniff the air, then coming nearer, he made a bound with head -extended, to ascertain whether the bear had kept her position. As the -panther was closing with him, the deer wheeled sharply around, and -turning almost upon its own trail, passed within thirty yards of its -pursuer. The panther, not being able at once to stop his career, gave -an angry growl and followed the deer again, but at a distance of some -hundred yards. Hearing the growl, the bear drew her body half out of the -bushes, remaining quietly on the lookout. Soon the deer again appeared, -but his speed was much reduced, and as he approached the spot where the -bear lay concealed, it was evident that the animal was calculating the -distance with admirable precision. The panther, now expecting to seize -his prey easily, followed about thirty yards behind, his eyes so -intently fixed on the deer that he did not see the bear at all. Not so -the bear; she was aware of the close proximity of her wicked enemy, and -she cleared the briars before her and squared herself for action, when -the deer with a powerful spring passed clear over her head and -disappeared. - -"At the moment the deer took the flying leap the panther was close upon -him, and was just balancing himself for a spring, when he perceived, to -his astonishment, that he was now face to face with a formidable -adversary. Not in the least disposed to fly, he crouched, lashing his -flanks with his long tail, while the bear, about five yards from him, -remained like a statue, looking at the panther with her fierce, glaring -eyes. - -"They remained thus a minute: the panther agitated, and apparently -undecided, and his sides heaving with exertion; the bear perfectly calm -and motionless. Gradually the panther crawled backward until at the -right distance for a spring; then throwing all his weight upon his -hinder parts to increase his power, he darted upon the bear like -lightning and forced his claws into her back. The bear then, with -irresistible force, seized the panther with her two fore paws, pressing -it with the weight of her body and rolling over it. Carson said that he -heard a heavy grunt, a plaintive howl, a crashing of bones, and the -panther was dead. - -"The cub of the bear came after a few minutes to learn what was going -on, examined the victim, and strutted down the hill followed by its -mother, who was apparently unhurt. The old trappers used to claim that -it was a common practice of the deer, when chased by the panther, to -lead him to the haunt of a bear; but I won't vouch for the truth of the -statement. - -"I have killed several of the creatures," continued Mr. Tucker, "but -never had a very serious tussle, excepting once, up in what was then -called the Klikatat Valley, in Washington Territory. I had been out -after elk, but had not seen any, and was going up a very narrow, rocky -ravine looking for their tracks. When I arrived at the head of the -little canyon, I heard a snarl. Casting my eyes in the direction of the -sound, I saw, to my dismay, a she panther on a flat ledge under a clump -of dwarf cedars, with three kittens alongside of her. - -"The enraged beast was in the attitude of springing, when I caught sight -of her. I had no time to pull my rifle to my shoulder or jump aside. The -ravine was so narrow that there was not room enough between the jagged -walls to raise the piece and take aim. So quick were the cat's movements -that she was almost upon me, her mouth wide open and her claws -unsheathed ready for business. I was calm, for I had trained myself -never to become excited under danger, and just as she jumped for me I -cocked my piece, stuck the muzzle down her throat, and pulled the -trigger as she fell upon my shoulder. - -"The shot killed her instantly, but not before she had ripped some of -the flesh off my arm as she rolled to the ground. It was a remarkably -close shot, and a lucky one for me too. I skinned her, but was so sore -that I had to return to my camp and dress my wounds, which healed in a -few days." - -When the story was finished, they all went to bed. Mr. Tucker promised -the boys and girls he would remain over the next day and go on a rabbit -hunt which they had planned for the morning. - -It proved to be a glorious day as the sun rose next morning in a -cloudless sky. Breakfast was out of the way by six o'clock, and the boys -saddled their buffalo ponies, as they called those which they had -captured out of the herd; their sisters' ponies also were saddled. -Gertrude had a very gentle animal which her father had traded for with -the Pawnees, but he was blind in one eye, and she called him Bartimaeus, -or Barty for short. He was hard to catch, but when caught was a quiet, -easily ridden animal. Kate's was an iron-gray which had been born on a -neighboring ranche, and especially broken for her benefit. He was of -that small breed peculiar to Texas, and his power of endurance was -phenomenal. On a long journey, with only the wild grass to subsist on, -they soon wear out the pampered steed of the stable. - -The relation between Ginger and his young mistress was remarkable for -the confidence and affection each had in and for the other. He was now -five years old, and Kate had trained him herself, but had never used -whip, spur, or severe curb during her long and patient training. -Consequently Ginger responded cheerfully and promptly to her every -command. His education had been based upon gentleness and affection. Her -love for him was reciprocated in a manner bordering upon human -intelligence, thus confirming the theory that kindness is more effective -in subordinating the brute creation to our will than the club or kindred -harsh measures. - -Kate's pony had never been confined by fence or lariat; he roamed at -will all over the beautiful prairie or in the timber surrounding -Errolstrath. Yet day or night, in sunshine or in storm, if Kate required -his services, she had only to go and call him, and if within the sound -of her voice, he would come galloping up to her, neighing cheerfully. -When he arrived where she stood, bridle in hand, waiting for him, he -would affectionately rub his nose on her arm or shoulder, and -submissively follow her to the house. If he happened to be a long way -off when she went to seek him, she would jump on his bare back and ride -him home. He was always rewarded on these occasions with a lump of sugar -or salt, of both of which he was very fond. In the three years of their -companionship neither girl nor pony had ever deceived each other: his -sugar or salt was never forgotten, nor had he once failed to respond to -her summons. - -It made no difference when Kate wanted to go anywhere, whether she -mounted Ginger bareback and bridleless, or with saddle. Under either -condition she was perfectly at her ease, and he equally obedient to her -voice, by which alone she frequently guided him. - -He was as fleet as the wind, and more than once Kate had run down a -cottontail rabbit in a spirited chase over the prairie. - -She had christened him Ginger, not because there was the slightest -resemblance to that spice in his color, but rather for the "spice" in -his nature. - -Mr. Tucker rode his favorite large roan horse, which he had brought to -the ranche with him, and which had carried him so bravely on the long -and wearisome trip to the Elkhorn. - -The happy little party left Errolstrath about seven o'clock, followed by -the old hounds Bluey and Brutus, which were as anxious as their young -masters for the excitement of the impending chase. - -They rode down the Oxhide under the shade of the elms which fringed its -border, until they arrived at the open prairie a mile from the ranche. -There the dogs were ordered ahead, and began to run, eagerly looking out -for a sight of any foolish rabbit, cottontail or jack, that might be out -on the level stretch of country over which the hunters were now loping. - -They had not gone on half a mile before they started a big jack from his -lair of bunch-grass, where, probably, he had been taking a late nap. -With a characteristic bound, jumping stiff-legged for a moment, he -fairly flew over the short buffalo sod, the dogs after him with every -muscle strained to overtake him before he could hide in some tall weeds, -or clump of plum bushes which were scattered throughout the prairie at -intervals of five or six hundred yards. - -Ever since they had come into possession of their ponies, Joe and Rob -had trained Bluey and Brutus in such a manner that they scarcely ever -failed to secure any game they hunted. - -The rabbit is a very swift creature, and has a fashion, when pursued, of -suddenly doubling on his own tracks. Being so much smaller than a hound, -he can perform the feat a great deal quicker than a dog, and if the -latter is not trained to know just what to do under such circumstances, -and just how to run, the rabbit almost invariably slips away from him. -Bluey and Brutus were taught not to keep close to each other when on the -run after rabbits. One of them, generally the younger, when they first -started out for a hunt, remained far enough away from his mate to make -the turn when the rabbit did, without forging ahead of him, as the -foremost hound was sure to do, by the sheer momentum of his rapid -running. Then, the hound in the rear had plenty of room and time to -make the turn as soon as the rabbit, and was right upon him, as close as -was the head dog when he doubled on his tracks. Then the old dog would -recover himself and take his place behind the one that was now ahead, -ready for the same tactics whenever the rabbit made another attempt to -escape by again doubling on himself. So the race was conducted until the -rabbit was caught. That was effected by the dog which happened to be -ahead when he came near enough to thrust his long nose under the -animal's belly and toss him high in the air, catching him in his mouth -as he came down. - -"Admirable!" said Mr. Tucker, as Bluey, who happened to be ahead, tossed -the rabbit up and caught him as he fell toward the ground. "I tell you, -boys, that's as fine a piece of work as I ever saw done by any hounds I -have run with. You must have taken a great deal of pains to teach them -to do their work so splendidly?" - -"It took a long time," said Rob, who had really given more attention to -training Bluey and Brutus, than had Joe, who had spent more of his spare -hours in the camp of the Pawnees. "I sometimes almost gave up, they -were so stupid when I first tried to teach them, but by degrees they -understood what I wanted, and now I will put them against any hounds in -the settlement for doing good work." - -"I must admit," said Joe, "that all they can do is to the credit of Rob; -he has more patience with animals than I have, though you know, Mr. -Tucker, that I am never cruel. I know that you can accomplish more with -a dumb brute by kindness than you can with a whip." - -By noon the hounds had caught ten rabbits--six cottontails and four -jacks--and, of course, were played out when the party turned back on the -trail to Errolstrath. Here they found dinner waiting for them, and they -all ate heartily, the delightful exercise having made them as ravenous -as coyotes. The hounds were not forgotten; they had a rabbit each for -their dinner, after eating which, they went to their accustomed beds on -the shady side of a haystack near the corral, and slept all the rest of -the afternoon. - -Mr. Tucker left for his ranche about an hour after dinner, promising to -come to visit the family again soon. - -The family were worried about the impending Indian war, and when three -o'clock had arrived his mother sent Joe up to Fort Harker to find out if -there was any news of Custer and the troops under his command, who had -gone after the Kiowas. - - - - -CHAPTER IX - - INDIAN RAIDS--KATE IS MISSING--"BUFFALO BILL'S" - OPINION--"BUFFALO BILL" FINDS HER LITTLE BASKET--THE - SOLDIERS RETURN TO THE FORT WITHOUT FINDING HER--GRIEF - OF THE FAMILY - - -IT was after dark when Joe returned from his mission to Fort Harker. He -had been very kindly received by the officers, who had heard all about -him from Colonel Keogh. The commanding officer told him that he wanted -him to warn the settlers on the Oxhide that the war had really -commenced; that General Sully had had a great fight on the Arkansas, and -that it could not be considered as a victory. He told him also to tell -the people on the creek that at any moment they might be visited by a -hostile band, notwithstanding that they were in such close proximity to -the post. - -"You know yourself, my man, that the Indians have a faculty of going -anywhere they want to go, and all the troops in the army might be -fooled in regard to their movements. They are here to-day, murdering, -and taking young girls captive, and a hundred miles away to-morrow. - -"Tell the settlers," continued he, "that they must be on the lookout. I -have not enough troops to put on guard on every creek. I wish I had; -then there would be no danger of any sudden and unexpected raids. Why, -do you know, Joe, that only yesterday, a band of Dog-soldiers made an -attack on Wilson Creek, sixteen miles from here, and killed two men who -were at work in their hayfield? - -"It was reported to me about three hours after the affair had occurred, -and I sent a company up there, but as they were only infantry,--I have -no cavalry now at the post,--the Indians were soon out of reach. - -"I want you to tell the settlers on the Oxhide to particularly watch -their girls. The Indians will get some of them if they possibly can. -They don't always murder them, but hold them in a terrible slavery in -hopes of getting a heavy money ransom from the Government for their -release." - -Joe related to his parents all the conversation he had with the -officers at Fort Harker, and early the next morning he and his father -rode through the settlement, warning the people to be on their guard. - -Only ten days afterward, when the family at Errolstrath were just going -to sit down to supper, it was discovered that Kate was missing. Gertrude -went up to her room, supposing she might be reading there, for she was a -great devourer of books, but she did not find her. - -The boys hunted for her in all imaginable places on the ranche where -they thought she might possibly be, but could not find her. When Joe and -Rob returned from their fruitless quest, the family were too thoroughly -frightened to think of eating. Mr. Thompson mounted his horse and -started to make the rounds of the nearest neighbors to learn whether she -was visiting any of them. - -He returned to the ranche long after dark, but brought no news of her -whereabouts, and found every member of the family in tears, and his wife -nearly crazy. He was told that Kate's pony had come home, riderless, to -the corral while he was absent, and a small sumac bush to which his -reins were tied, had been torn up by the roots and was dragging at his -feet. None of them could conjecture where she could be. - -"My God!" exclaimed her mother, "if the Indians have captured her and -carried her off, what shall we do?" - -"Something must be done at once," said Mr. Thompson. "Joe, get your pony -quickly, and we will hurry to the fort to learn whether any Indians have -been seen or heard of in this vicinity to-day. If so, we will get the -commanding officer to send out a squad of soldiers immediately. You must -go with them, Joe, and trail the savages if you can find any signs of -them." - -Joe and his father rode as rapidly to Fort Harker as their animals could -carry them; went to the commanding officer's private quarters, as the -business offices were closed after night, and reported to him the -terrible anguish which the family were suffering. - -They immediately adjourned to the Adjutant's office, and the commander -sent his orderly for the officer of the day. When he made his -appearance, he asked him whether any reports had been received -concerning Indians being in the vicinity. He replied that no such -report had been received by him, and it was his belief that none of the -hostile savages were in the immediate country. - -At that moment, Buffalo Bill entered the room. He was chief of scouts at -Fort Harker, and had just returned from some perilous mission to one of -the military posts on the Arkansas, and was coming from the stable, to -report to the Adjutant. He was told of the mysterious disappearance of -Mr. Thompson's daughter Kate, and the opinion of the famous Indian -fighter and courier was asked as to what he thought of the matter, as no -Indians had been reported in the vicinity. - -"Well," said Bill, "because you gentlemen have received no report of the -savages, it does not follow that none have been here. _I know that they -have been here, and to-day._ As I crossed Bluff Creek on my way here -this afternoon, about six o'clock, I saw in the distance a band of -Indians, numbering about ten or twelve, riding rapidly south. I hid -myself in a ravine so that they should not discover me, but I got a good -look at 'em with my field-glass. I think they were Comanches, though I -can't be certain of that; they might have been Cheyennes or Kiowas; -they were too far off to be made out exactly. Now, you ask for my -opinion as to what has become of the gentleman's daughter. I believe -those Indians have her; because they were riding so fast toward their -villages, and they are, you know, all south of the Canadian. - -"But don't let Mr. Thompson worry too much; the simple fact that she is -a prisoner among them is bad enough. If among the Kiowas, and the chief, -Kicking Bird, is in the village when the band arrives with the girl, he -will not allow her to be harmed. He is a cunning old fellow, and knows -the value of money. He will have good care taken of her, and get a heavy -reward from the Government for ransom. If she should fall into the -village of Sa-tan-ta, God help her! He is the worst demon on the trail; -but anyhow, I don't think they will harm her, as they will want a -ransom." - -"Well," said the officer, "I am sorry that I have no cavalry at the -post, but I will send a detachment of the infantry after them in -six-mule wagons. I imagine it will be a useless task to try to catch up -with them if, as Buffalo Bill says, they were going as fast as they -could to their village on the Canadian. Lieutenant Hale," said he, -turning to the Adjutant, "make a detail at once of thirty men, and send -them out under a couple of non-commissioned officers on the trail of the -savages, if it can be found. Anyhow, some sign may be discovered that -will tell us whether the girl is with them." - -Then turning to Joe, he said: "I wish that you would go with the -detachment, for you are the best trailer in the whole country, not -excepting our chief scout here, Buffalo Bill, and he's the prince of all -frontiersmen." - -"Well," said Buffalo Bill, "I've just come off a pretty hard trip, but I -volunteer to go with the party; if I can do anything in a case of this -kind, fatigue doesn't count." - -"Thank you, Bill," said Mr. Thompson. "I will return to Errolstrath and -tell my family what has been done, and your favorable opinion that the -savages won't harm her: that will be a comfort at least. Good night, -gentlemen," said he; and he went out and untied his horse from the -hitching-post, and rode slowly home. - -The night was quite dark, though there was a little moonlight, but the -detachment did not get away from the post until long after midnight, as -there was so much delay in hitching up the teams and turning out the -soldiers who had gone to bed. By the time the little train of three -wagons arrived at Bluff Creek, where Buffalo Bill had seen the Indians, -the day was just breaking. They could not travel to that point from the -fort very rapidly on account of the rough nature of the trail. It was -nothing but a series of rocky hills after they had crossed the Smoky -Hill, and was constantly becoming rougher as they approached Bluff -Creek, which was well named on account of its high bluffs. - -The party halted at the ford where they supposed the savages had -crossed, and began to look for Indian signs. Pony tracks were plainly -visible in the soft earth where the trail led down to the water, and -Buffalo Bill dismounted and examined them carefully. He then asked Joe -to get off his horse and count the hoof-marks. Joe did so, and both he -and the famous scout agreed that there must have been about a dozen of -the savages. - -Crossing the creek, followed by the wagons, Joe and he ascended the hill -on the other side. They had not proceeded a quarter of a mile when -Buffalo Bill picked up from the trail a small par-fleche basket, which -Joe immediately recognized as belonging to his sister. - -"Look here, Mr. Cody, there is her name which I carved myself when I -gave it to her. Now we know for a fact that the savages have captured -her. I know why Ginger came home with that little sumac bush fastened to -his bridle. Kate must have tied him to it, and when the Indians swooped -down on her, the pony broke loose and tore up the little tree by the -roots in his fright, for he was always scared out of his wits at the -sight of an Indian." - -The little detachment of soldiers rode on for a dozen more miles, when -the mules showed unmistakable signs of fatigue. They could not be made -to travel faster than a walk, notwithstanding the persuasive efforts of -the blacksnake-whips in the hands of their drivers. So both Buffalo Bill -and Joe reluctantly decided that it was no use to follow the Indians any -farther. They knew the habits of the savages so well, that they were now -probably a hundred miles ahead of them, for they always took loose -stock along with them so as to change animals when their own horses -became leg-weary. - -Very reluctantly, then, the cavalcade was turned round and headed for -the fort, where the party arrived at about one o'clock. Buffalo Bill, as -chief of scouts, reported the result of the trip to the commanding -officer. - -All were depressed at the failure of the expedition, but it was -impossible that it should have turned out differently, and when Joe -arrived at Errolstrath and related the story of the finding of Kate's -basket, the grief of the family knew no bounds. All felt keen anguish at -the absence of their favorite, and at her sad fate. - -There was nothing to be done except to wait patiently for some action on -the part of the Government in ransoming her if she was alive. The family -settled themselves into a calm resignation, but the sun did not seem to -shine so brightly, nor the birds to sing so sweetly as when the pet of -the household was there. Even her antelope appeared to partake of the -general gloom; it evidently missed its loving young mistress, and would -wander around the house, disconsolately seeking her. - - - - -CHAPTER X - - HOW KATE WAS CAPTURED BY THE INDIANS--THE BAND RIDE - RAPIDLY SOUTHWARD--AT THE INDIAN VILLAGE--HER - DETERMINATION TO ESCAPE--TEACHES THE SQUAWS--IS TREATED - KINDLY - - -IMMEDIATELY after dinner on the day that Kate was missed, she bethought -herself that the raspberries might be ripe. She wanted to surprise her -mother and sister, but as will be seen, was surprised in such a manner -that she never forgot it as long as she lived. - -Without saying a word to her mother or Gertrude, she took out of her -room a little basket made of par-fleche,[1] given to Joe by the Pawnees, -and by him presented to her. She went out to the pasture, caught her -pony, Ginger, saddled him, and rode out to the fatal raspberry patch -where once she had such a terrible encounter with a she-wolf. - -It was a fortunate thing that both the girls had learned to ride, for a -sad fate would have been in store for her had she not been a thorough -horsewoman. - -Arriving there in less than half an hour, she tied Ginger to a sumac -bush, and to her delight found that the berries were quite ripe, and was -soon absorbed in the task of filling her basket. Suddenly, with the rush -of a tornado, and uttering the most diabolical yells, a dozen Comanches, -dressed up in their war paint and eagle feathers, swooped down on the -unsuspecting girl as a hawk swoops down on a chicken. Before she -realized where she was, one of the red devils, leaning over from his -pony, caught her by the arms and tossed her in front of his saddle, and -in another instant the whole band was dashing away southward as fast as -their little animals could be urged. - -Of course, she fainted for a moment, but strangely held on to her -basket. When she had recovered from her first shock, the Indians -endeavored to make her understand by signs that they were not going to -hurt her. In fact, they treated her with a sort of savage kindness. The -great feather-bedecked brute made her as comfortable as he could in -front of him, as he pounded the pony's flanks with his moccasined heels -to urge it on as fast as possible. - -They rode rapidly on, staying for nothing, crossed Bluff Creek, and -reached the Arkansas River that night. They waited there for an hour to -allow their ponies to graze, and themselves to eat and smoke. They rode -on again until daylight the next morning, when the sand hills of the -Beaver came in sight. There they halted for breakfast, and shared with -the now relatively calm girl their dried buffalo meat, and bread made of -ground-roots. - -That evening they arrived at their village on the Canadian, more than -two hundred and fifty miles from the Oxhide. Kate was turned over to the -squaws, who treated her with the kindness innate in all women, because -she was only a little girl. Had she been a young woman, that monster -Jealousy, which makes his home even in the rude tepee of the savage, -would have made her lot entirely different. - -She was allotted to the lodge of an old squaw, the old chief White -Wolf's fifth wife, whose duty was to guard her and see that she did not -attempt to escape. The savages, as Buffalo Bill had suggested, simply -wanted to keep her until the Government should offer a ransom for the -little captive, so it behooved them not to abuse her. - -As the days rolled on in their weary length, the white captive became -more reconciled to her fate. She had never given up the hope that the -officers at Fort Harker would soon send out the troops to seek her, and -that she would be restored to her dear Errolstrath home and her parents. -At the same time, as she was a most excellent horsewoman, she always -thought that if the worst came to the worst, she would make her escape -and again ride the long distance she had ridden in coming to the -village. - -When she had regained her self-control on her dreadful journey, she had -looked around her and had taken such observations as she could of the -lay of the country, the timber, and the general aspect of the trail. -Even then, in all the terrible excitement of her capture, she thought of -escaping at the first opportunity that offered itself. She indelibly -imprinted every tree, rock, and ford on her mind, so that the long ride -over the trail to the village was like a photograph on her brain to be -taken out of its storehouse whenever required. - -In a very few days she had so ingratiated herself in the good opinion of -the women of the village, that they really took a fancy to her. She -willingly helped them in all the daily tasks heaped upon them by their -hard masters. She learned readily how to tan the different furs which -were brought into the place after a hunt, made moccasins, herded the -ponies in her turn, and even became such an adept in cooking that she -was soon permanently assigned as cook for the occupants of the tepee in -which she was lodged. Then she was spared the dirtier and harder labor -which fell to the lot of the Indian women, for she had been brought up -by her excellent mother to perform all kinds of work in which a white -woman is supposed to become proficient, and now it served her in a way -that was never dreamed of. - -The Indians occasionally had flour, but knew of but one way to prepare -it. They made a kind of gruel, by boiling, and adding a little salt. A -most unpalatable dish! She made bread and biscuit, which she baked in -the most primitive way, on a piece of thin iron before the coals of the -camp-fire; but then the food was so different from that to which the -savages had been accustomed, that no one was permitted to prepare the -meals for the lodge where she made her abode, but the White Fawn, as -they began to call her. - -Like Constantinople, every village is overrun with dogs, and they are -the most vigilant guards that can be imagined. No one may hope to -approach an Indian lodge, or a group of them, without being saluted by a -chorus of the most unearthly barking and howling from the canine -cataract that is sure to pour out the moment a strange footstep is -heard. Kate, always a lover of pets, immediately began to cultivate the -friendship of the dogs of the village. There was, however, something -more in her method than mere natural affection for the brute creation; -she had an object in view. She knew that when the time arrived for her -to attempt to escape, the dogs must be thoroughly attached to her, so -that they would regard any movement she might make without the slightest -suspicion. This she soon effected, and in a short time every miserable -cur in the village was her faithful ally. - -The intense interest which she took in the herd of ponies may be -imagined, for in one of them, at some time in the near future, was -concentrated her hope of escaping from the hateful village. She had -noticed a little roan pony which seemed to her to possess that power of -endurance that would be so necessary when she started on her long and -lonely journey to the beloved Oxhide. She knew that he was the swiftest -animal of the hundred or more in the bunch, for she had watched him -often when the dusky warrior who owned him rode away on the hunt. She -had read in some favorite magazine at the ranche, that in the old tales -of English minstrelsy, the roan horse was the favorite color of the -heroes of those stories, and she selected that animal out of the herd to -carry her away. So, whenever she could, surreptitiously, she petted him, -and he became so attached to her that he would follow her like a dog. - -The savages watched her very closely, and she dared not think of leaving -the village for many long weeks. At last she appeared to be so pleased -with her new associations that their vigilance relaxed somewhat, and -their eyes were not always upon her. - -She very rapidly learned the language of her captors, and then, as she -could talk to the women, who were really kind to her, her isolation did -not seem so hard to bear. - -The principal food of the savages was dried buffalo meat, and, as it -would keep sweet for a long time and was very nourishing, she hid -portions of her rations in the hollow of an old elm that stood near her -tepee, for use on the trip when the time arrived for her to run away. - -The clothes which Kate wore when she was stolen soon began to show the -hard service to which they had been subjected, and finally she had to -resort to the blanket for a general wrap like her female associates. She -had patched her civilized dress until it was like Joseph's coat, of many -colors, but she tenaciously clung to it, determining that she would wear -it home, if she was fortunate enough ever to return. So she took it off -and carefully stored it with her buffalo meat in the hollow of the old -elm. - -She soon became aware that the savages were at war with the whites, for -often when the warriors went away dressed up in their feathers and -hideous paint, they came back with their ranks decimated, and then there -was wailing and howling in the village. - -She knew, also, that General Custer, whom the Indians called the -Crawling Panther, was gradually outwitting them, for she heard the -sobriquet they had given him often mentioned in their talks around the -camp-fires. - -FOOTNOTE: - -[1] Par-fleche is the tanned hide of the buffalo, without the hair. The -Indians make baskets and boxes of it in which to pack their provisions -and other articles when they move their villages. - - - - -CHAPTER XI - - THANKSGIVING DAY AT ERROLSTRATH--KATE'S RETURN--CUSTER'S - BATTLE WITH "BLACK KETTLE"--KATE TELLS HER STORY--THE - ORIGIN OF INDIAN CORN--A WOLF HUNT WITH GENERAL - CUSTER--A WOLF STORY BY THE COLONEL - - -FIVE months had made their sad passage at Errolstrath ranche since Kate -was carried off by the Indians. It was now November, and Thanksgiving, -that day so sacred to every New Englander's heart, was rapidly -approaching; it lacked but one week of its advent. Notwithstanding the -sadness which still hovered over Errolstrath, the great healer, Time, -had poured balm into the wounded hearts. There still remained the tender -remembrance of the light which the absent one always brought into the -house, and the parents still strove to fulfil their obligations to those -who were left to them, so Thanksgiving was kept as it had been ever -since the settlement of the family on the ranche. - -The mince pies had been baked, the cider bottled, and all that was -lacking to make up the complement of the great dinner was a turkey. As, -however, the woods were full of them around Errolstrath, no uneasiness -was felt in regard to the presence of the magnificent bird when he was -wanted. - -Joe, upon whom the family depended to keep the larder well supplied with -game, intended to go and kill a wild turkey the next day. Thanksgiving -came the second day following on the twenty-fifth, so there was ample -time to procure the principal dish for the coming event. - -Joe had long since ceased to hunt for mere amusement. He had become a -veritable pot-hunter, not in the general sense in which the word is -used, that is, a man who only kills his game on the ground, but he -hunted only when the family needed a change of diet, and desired some -kind of game. - -It was Rob's duty that month to bring the cows home and milk them, a -duty at which the boys took turn and turn about each month. That evening -he was returning home with his charge, and was riding, as usual, one of -the buffalo ponies. As he was going along the bank of the Oxhide, in the -long grass which grew in some places higher than a man's head, his -animal suddenly stumbled with both feet, into a prairie dog's hole, and -Rob was incontinently thrown over his head, falling into the long grass -without receiving any injury. As he started to his feet again, he felt -something struggling in his hands, for he had involuntarily clutched at -the ground when the pony so unceremoniously tumbled him off, and to his -great surprise, he discovered that he had accidentally caught a large -wild turkey! He held on to the bird manfully, although it tried its -hardest to get away from him; and holding it by the legs, he walked on -to the corral and drove the cows in. Then, still leading his pony, he -arrived at the house, and called his mother and Gertrude out, -exclaiming:-- - -"I've got the turkey for Thanksgiving, and I didn't have to shoot it, -either!" - -Joe, hearing the noise, came down from his room, and learning what had -caused the racket, said:-- - -"By jolly, Rob, you are a lucky dog; but if any one read of the way you -caught it, they wouldn't believe it. I never heard of such a thing -before. I sha'n't have to hunt one to-morrow now, and I'm glad of it, -for I want to go to the fort to try to find out how the Indian war is -coming on." - -"Well, Joe," said his mother, "as you needn't shoot one now, suppose you -kill and pick it while Rob is milking, then hang it up somewhere so that -the lynxes can't get it, and in the morning Gertie and I will get it -ready for the oven." - -Joe then took it from Rob, who was still holding the struggling creature -by the legs, and taking it to the woodpile, he chopped off its head, -then he picked it, and hung it up in the smoke-house as the safest place -until his mother was ready for it in the morning. - -Thanksgiving day opened clear and cool, but not at all cold, for -November in Kansas is one of the most delightful months in the whole -year. The Indian summer is then at its height, and the amber mist hangs -in light clouds on every hill, giving to all objects a smoky hue. This -mist rests particularly on the bluffs bordering that stream to which -General John C. Fremont gave the name of "The Smoky Hill Fork of the -Republican." He first saw it in the late autumn of 1843, when on his -exploring expedition to the Rocky Mountains, and it is into that river -that the Oxhide empties itself only a short distance from Errolstrath -ranche. - -It was intended to have dinner served promptly at noon, and Mrs. -Thompson had so announced to her husband and children, who were all -anxious for twelve o'clock to strike. - -About ten, while she and Gertrude were busy in the kitchen, the boys out -in the yard, and Mr. Thompson in the timber, marking some trees he -planned to cut down, there rode up to the front porch a strange-looking -figure on a roan pony which was evidently nearly blown in consequence of -the pace at which it had been driven. - -The strange object was seemingly a girl, but she was one mass of rags -over which was thrown a red blanket, Indian fashion. Her hair was -unkempt, and she sat crossways on her animal, like a savage. - -Mrs. Thompson, hearing the sound of a horse's hoofs on the buffalo sod -in front of the house, went out with her dish-cloth in her hand to see -who the intruder might be. Looking at her, she at first thought one of -the Pawnee boys had come for Joe, but when she heard in a sad and -apparently disappointed tone a voice which she could never have -forgotten: "My heavens! mamma, don't you know me?" she recognized it as -that of her lost daughter Kate. The cloth dropped from her hand, and she -fell prone upon the porch, overcome by the shock. - -Just as Gertrude, who had heard her mother's smothered groan, ran out -with a tin dipper of water to dash into her face, Kate dismounted, and -rushing to where her mother was lying, she threw her arms around her -neck and began to sob violently. - -It was then that Gertrude, for the first time, saw her sister Kate, and -she, too, immediately fell upon her lovingly, and for some moments there -was weeping, laughing, kissing, and hugging. The boys, in the back part -of the house, and their father in the stable, hearing the voices, -hurried to the veranda, and in another second all were kissing and -hugging the ragged girl, each one trying to outvie the other in their -joy at the return of the pet of the household. - -They fairly dragged Kate into the sitting-room, where, for a few -minutes, they looked at her in a dazed sort of way. Her mother was the -first to come to her senses. - -"The first thing to do," she said, "is to get some decent clothes on the -child; then as soon as Mr. Tucker comes we will have dinner. Oh! my, -what a Thanksgiving it will be!" - -Kate was soon made comfortable in clean linen, and a dress of her -sister's, for she had outgrown all that were of her own wardrobe five -months before. - -At this moment Mr. Tucker rode up to the door, and allowing Rob to take -his horse to the stable, the old man walked into the house. He was the -only invited guest on the Thanksgivings at Errolstrath. All his family -were long since dead, and he was alone in the world; besides, being a -New Englander, he had not forgotten how to appreciate the most important -festival of Yankee Land. - -He was wonderfully taken aback when he saw that Kate had returned, and -he congratulated her with his eyes full of tears; for he was a man with -a warm heart, though his early life in the days of the old trappers had -given him a rough looking exterior. - -Kate looked like the dear Kate of old, as all sat down to a real -Thanksgiving dinner. She was much browner than when she left -Errolstrath, because of her constant outdoor life in the Indian village. - -"Oh! Kate," said her mother, as the happy girl took her accustomed place -at the table, between her father and Gertrude, "how earnestly I have -prayed that you might be restored to us; I felt at times almost in -despair, but the thought of the good God's promises to the patient, -cheered me up, and I knew that in His own time my prayer would be -answered. What a different Thanksgiving this is from what we all have -expected, when we thought of Kate's vacant chair! Only think, we have -never yet been separated on this blessed day during all the years we -have lived at Errolstrath! But we little thought that we should be -together to-day." - -"We have much to be thankful for," said Mr. Thompson; "excellent crops, -good luck with our stock, and to cap the climax, our beloved Kate is -restored to us." - -The Thanksgiving dinners at Errolstrath were composed of those -conventional dishes which make up the celebration of the festival in New -England, and the one at Errolstrath that day was perfect in its -resemblance to those of the old homestead in Vermont. - -While they were discussing the good things on the table, Kate was told -how Rob had got the turkey for the dinner, and also how matters had -progressed at the ranche during her absence, for she was very anxious to -know. Her father said that he had raised the largest crop of corn since -he had been on the creek; that the wolves had carried off two calves -from Errolstrath, but that many of the neighbors had suffered a great -deal more from their depredations, and that a grand wolf hunt was -contemplated by the whole neighborhood, for something had to be done to -thin out the ravenous creatures. Gertrude told how many chickens she -had, but Joe gave them all the best news they had heard for a long -time. - -"I was over at Fort Harker yesterday," he said, "and I heard that -General Custer had attacked the camp of Black Kettle, the Cheyenne -chief, on the Washita in the Indian Territory, and completely wiped them -out. The war is ended, and the savages are suing for a peace which -General Sheridan says they will be sure to keep this time. The -commanding officer told me that Custer would soon arrive at the fort, -and that the settlers need have little more fear; that they may go -anywhere now without expecting to lose their hair. He said that Sheridan -had been promoted to the rank of lieutenant-general for the brilliant -success of his winter campaign, and that he would shortly be at Fort -Harker on his way to Washington." - -"Well, that is glorious news," said Mr. Tucker. "No more stealing pretty -little girls from their homes, eh?" - -When Joe had finished his joyous piece of intelligence, the family -adjourned to the big sitting-room, and Kate was asked to tell the -wonderful story of her capture and escape. She seated herself in her -favorite chair, an old Boston rocker, brought from Vermont and nicely -cushioned at the back, and was making ready to begin, when her mother -said:-- - -"What in the world, Kate, possessed you to go away from the house that -day and to tell none of us where you intended to go?" - -"Why," answered Kate, "I remembered that you were very fond of -raspberries, and I thought that, as they must be ripe, I would saddle -Ginger and go up to the patch to get some, for I wanted to surprise you. -I took my little Indian basket--" - -[Illustration: "I had nearly filled my basket."] - -"Buffalo Bill found your basket on the trail the other side of Bluff -Creek ford," interrupted Joe, "and that is how we came to know that the -Indians had captured you." - -"I remember now," said Kate, "that I held on to it for a long time and -then dropped it. I don't know why I kept it in my hand. Well, as I was -saying, I rode out to the patch, tied Ginger to a sumac bush, and began -to pick the berries, which were ripe as I had expected. I had nearly -filled my basket when with a dash that nearly frightened me out of -my senses, a band of Indians came from the other side of the big -ledge, and before I knew where I was, I found myself in front of a -horrible-looking savage, and the whole band started south as tight as -their ponies could go. I remember hearing Ginger give a snort, as he -jerked up by the roots the bush I had tied him to, and fairly flew -towards the ranche--" - -"There, mother," said Joe, "that's just what I told you when Ginger came -home with the sumac fastened to his bridle!" - -"Oh, if I could only have jumped on Ginger's back," continued Kate, -"before the Indians had got me, they never would have had the ghost of a -chance of catching me. But they came upon me before I had the least idea -they were anywhere near. - -"We rode all that afternoon, halting for a few moments, long after dark, -for the Indians to change ponies, as they had some loose ones with them. -We kept on at a good gait all that night, until about daylight, when we -stayed for more than an hour on the other side of the Arkansas River, to -graze the ponies among the sand hills, and for the Indians to eat their -breakfast. They were quite kind to me; gave me some dried buffalo meat, -and brought me some water from the stream in a horn, and tried to make -me understand that they did not intend to harm me. - -"Of course, I was frightened at the idea of being carried off by the -horrid savages, but I tried to keep my senses, and watched every tree -and rock on the trail. I looked at the sun to learn which way we were -going, and determined in my mind that I would escape at the first -opportunity. - -"On the tops of the highest points of the hills, I saw the stone -monuments, which Joe had often told me were placed by the savages on -their travels from place to place, as marks to show where water and wood -are to be found." - -"Yes," said Mr. Tucker; "you can see those piles of stones on every hill -about here; and from them you can always see water or timber, indicating -where to camp." - -"They were to be seen on every divide we crossed," continued Kate; "and -besides, I saw lots of the compass-plant, or rosin-weed, the leaves of -which, Joe had told me, always pointed north, so I felt satisfied if I -could ever escape, I would have no trouble in finding my way back to -the Oxhide.[2] After a long, wearisome ride, until the next morning, we -arrived at the Canadian River, which the Indians called the 'Mai-om,' or -Red, and on the bank of which was the village consisting of about a -hundred lodges. - -"There I was turned over to the women, who treated me very decently, and -I immediately began to study the language, for I knew that that would -help me in getting into their good graces. I willingly took hold of the -work which falls to the lot of the squaws in every camp, and taught them -how to cook after the white style. You may imagine I had plenty to do, -for the warriors liked the biscuit I used to make, and they sometimes -had a good deal of flour for which they had traded with the white men -who bought their furs. - -"I made friends of the dogs in the village, and there were hundreds of -them, some of them miserable curs, but they could make more noise than a -pack of wolves; and I thought if I could teach them to know me, they -would not bother me when I attempted to run away; for you know that -they are the most watchful animals imaginable. At night, not the -slightest sound escapes their well-trained ears, and at the approach of -a human being, they set up the most terrific barking and howling you -ever heard. Well, I soon made friends with every one of them, and I -could go around the village after dark, and they would not utter a -growl. - -"I watched very closely the large herd of ponies,--there were more than -two hundred belonging to the village,--to find out which one of them was -the fleetest, and had the most endurance. I picked out the little roan I -rode here, and, Joe, I will make him a present to you; for if you had -not taught me so much about plants, and the methods of the Indians, and -before all things else, taken such pains with me when I wanted to ride a -pony, I never should have been able to run away and come home safely." - -"Thank you, Kate," said Joe. "We have kept Ginger just as finely as ever -for you, and he is the best pony in the whole country, I don't care how -many the Indians may have." - -Kate went on with her wonderful experience. "Near the tepee where I -slept I found an old elm tree that had a great hollow in it near the -roots, and I determined to make it my storehouse for the food I should -need when I ran away. I did not, of course, begin to hide anything in it -until I had been in the village for over four months. Then I used to -save little by little of my portion of the dried buffalo meat, as I knew -that it would keep for a long time without spoiling. - -"We ate all sorts of things that at first rather disgusted me; -puppy-stew, for instance. Now, mother and Gertrude, don't laugh; I -really soon learned to like it, though I never expect to be compelled to -eat it again. It is the cleanest thing the Indians have, if you will -only get over the natural prejudice against eating dog. Why, just think, -the puppies are only sucklings when they are eaten; they have tasted -nothing but their mother's milk, and the mothers are fed on buffalo meat -only. - -"I suppose that you, mother and Gert, want to know how puppy-stew is -prepared? Well, when the little things are rolling fat, as round as a -ball of butter, the old woman who has charge of the lodge takes them up -and feels them all over, and if satisfactory, she chokes them to death -by literally hanging them to a tree with a buffalo sinew. When dead, -they are singed before the fire, just as you singe a fowl; the entrails -are taken out, and then the flesh is boiled in a pot, and eaten as hot -as possible. The savages, particularly the old squaws, can take up in -their buffalo-horn spoons, meat which would scald a white person to -death, and swallow it without the slightest difficulty. I suppose that -that, and their constant brooding over a smoky fire in the tepees, makes -them look so old and wrinkled at an early age. They are the most -horrid-looking witches you ever saw, and they would need no 'fixing up' -to play the part in Macbeth." - -"Talking of curious dishes eaten by the Indians," said Mr. Tucker, "up -in Oregon, where I was trapping a good many years ago, the squaws make -what I call Indian jelly-cake. They take the black crickets, roasted, -which form a large portion of their subsistence, and make a kind of -bread of them, after having ground them on a flat stone. They then -spread on it the boiled berries of the service tree or bush, and if it -was not manipulated by their very dirty hands, it would be very -palatable." - -"The Indians of the great plains," continued Kate, "live almost -exclusively on meat; they gather a few berries sometimes, but their -principal diet is buffalo meat. - -"After I had been in the village for over four months, I began to think -of trying to escape. My clothes were becoming more ragged every day, and -I was obliged to resort to the blanket as a covering, though I kept what -I had worn there as long as I could. - -"One day there was a great feast in the village, with dancing and -carousing, which the warriors kept up until long after midnight, and -consequently slept very soundly. Now, thought I, is my time. So after I -found out that the old squaw with whom I lodged was sound asleep, I -crept up, and looked out to see what kind of a night it was. The moon -was low down in the western heavens, but bright enough for me to see the -trail, so I determined to make the attempt. I took a piece of buffalo -robe for a saddle, and went out to the herd to catch the pony on which -I had had my eyes for such a long time, and had petted whenever I was -not watched. The dogs, of course, had come out of their holes to see -what was going on, having heard my almost noiseless footsteps; but -recognizing me instantly, they did not set up their customary howl. They -went back to sleep without making any trouble, and I walked out to the -herd about a quarter of a mile away, and soon found the little roan I -wanted. He came up to me without a neigh, luckily, and I fastened the -piece of robe on him, tucked the dried buffalo meat, which I had taken -from my hiding-place, into my bosom, and jumping on, started at a pace -which, if I had not been a good rider, would have tossed me off before I -had gone half a dozen yards. - -"The pony seemed to know just what I required of him, for he ran on a -good lope, with his belly almost touching the ground, and in a little -while I had crossed the ford of the Canadian, and was going up the -divide on the other side as fast as I dared to force him. I took a -glance at the north star to get my bearings, for I dared not follow the -broad trail, as the Indians would be sure to track me, and struck across -the country, up one hill and down the other until day began to break. -Then I stayed a few seconds at a small branch to let my pony drink and -to take a swallow myself, and on I went, not daring to let him graze -yet. - -"Mile after mile the noble little fellow carried me until late that -afternoon. Of course I watered him at every creek I came to, but did not -halt until it had grown quite dark. Then I took him about a mile down -into a piece of timber, unsaddled him and let him graze for more than an -hour. I kept my ears open, fearing every moment to hear the sound of -ponies' hoofs, for I felt confident that the Indians would follow me the -moment they discovered that I was gone. - -"When I thought he had sufficiently rested, and I had eaten a small -piece of the meat, I mounted him again and started on a lope northward. -I kept the little gallop, changing into a brisk walk once in a while, -until I could see by the daylight the long silvery line of the Arkansas, -looking like a white snake in its many windings. Then I felt pretty -safe, after I had stopped and watched the trail back as far as I could, -which was for more than two miles. I could see nothing like dust, nor -hear a sound, so I began to hope that I had really escaped, and my heart -began to feel lighter than it had for many a long month. - -"I crossed the Arkansas, which the Indians call 'Mit-sun,' meaning Big, -and it was up to my pony's breast, but he struggled through splendidly, -though I got my moccasins wet, for the water came to my knees. I did not -mind that, as I had often got wet through in the Canadian where we used -to go swimming almost every morning while at the village. The squaws are -very fond of the water in that way, but are not so clean with their -hands as I would many a time have liked them to be. - -"On the other side of the divide separating the Arkansas from the Smoky -Hill, I halted in a box-elder grove to rest my roan, and rest myself, -for I was nearly worn out. I felt very safe then, for I knew that I was -approaching the settlements on Plum Creek, and if I had known, what Joe -has just told us, that the war was over, I might have been at my ease -all the way from the Arkansas. - -"Early this morning I came to Bluff Creek, at the very spot where I had -crossed with the Indians, and how my heart fluttered when I knew I was -so near dear Errolstrath! From that creek I rode slowly, as I knew I had -nothing to fear from the Indians, for the settlements were too thick, -and besides it was daytime, when the Indians rarely attack. - -"I often got off my pony when it grew too dark to see, to feel the -leaves of the compass-plant, that I could always find without much -hunting on every hill. Now, mamma and father, don't you think that I -have made a famous ride?" - -"We all think so," said her father; "it is one of the most remarkable on -record, and we rejoice more than even you can imagine, to have our dear -daughter back again, well as ever, after such an experience." - -"Why don't the Indians raise corn?" inquired Rob, in a general way; "it -is so easily grown out here on the plains." - -"Some of the tribes do," replied Mr. Tucker. "The Sioux and the Mandans -have always had their corn-fields, but as usual the women have to do -all the work. Do you know, Rob, that the corn is a native plant of North -and South America, yet it has never been found wild?" - -"Do tell us about it," said Mrs. Thompson; and Kate asked if there were -not some legend connected with it, "for there is not a thing that they -eat, without its wonderful story." - -"Certainly," replied Mr. Tucker. "There is a beautiful legend among the -Sioux, which I learned from them when I was among them in 1840, and as -it is not late yet, if you like, I will tell it to you." - -"Do! do!" all exclaimed in chorus. - -"Of course," began Mr. Tucker, "among the Indians the origin of corn is -wrapped up in the supernatural legends of the race, of which there are -several, differing materially, however, in their details. Strange as it -may seem, nowhere in all the vast domain of both Americas, has a wild -species of corn been discovered; and yet the inhabitants of these -continents have used it from the earliest times, of which even history -has no record. Yet, at some time in the unchronicled past it must have -grown wild. An unknown benefactor of his race--one whose name not even -tradition preserves, excepting in unintelligible myths--saw somewhere, -the feathery tassels and glossy blades with their silken ears amidst the -foliage of a sedgy river bank, and owing to his first care, the wild -plant, after many ages, has become the maize of commerce, and the king -of all the cereals of the nineteenth century. - -"When Columbus found the New World, corn was the staple food of all -tribes of Indians from the far north to the extreme south, who attempted -to cultivate the soil at all. - -"The celebrated Pere Marquette, the Catholic priest who passed his life -among the savages, met with it at every point, on his memorable journey -down the Mississippi River, in 1763. It has been exhumed from tombs of a -greater antiquity than those of the Incas of Peru. Darwin discovered -heads of it embedded in an ancient beach that had been upheaved -eighty-five feet above the sea-level. - -"That Indian corn is indigenous to America, has never been questioned by -botanists, for Europe knew nothing of it until Columbus returned home -from our shores. - -"Longfellow has poetically told of one of the Indian traditions of the -origin of corn, in his _Hiawatha's Fasting_. - -"The legend was first transmitted to the white men by Rattlesnake, and -strange to say, he was a chief of the Kansas or Kaw tribe of Indians. He -related it on an island at the mouth of the Kansas River, in 1673, as is -recorded in the old French manuscript of an early traveller. - -"It states that a band of a hundred Kansas Indians in returning from a -successful raid on the Shawnees, of whom they had taken several -prisoners, halted on the island, taking advantage of the thick timber -which grew in groups, as a convenient spot to torture their captives. - -"Pere Marquette, whom the Indians called 'The White Prophet,' happened -to be there most opportunely; for through the respect and veneration in -which the monk was held, he saved the lives of the hapless Shawnees, who -were set at liberty. That evening while eating their supper of cooked -hominy, the good priest asked for the legend which told of the origin of -Indian corn, and Rattlesnake gave it, as he said he had often heard it -at his mother's knee. - -"It is the same story the Sioux told me, but I will follow the language -of the old manuscript, for I have often read it. - -"Once when the world was young, and there were but few red men in it, -there was a chief whose wife bore him many children. Every summer added -one and sometimes two to his family. They became so numerous that the -father could not give them sufficient food, and the hungry children were -continually crying. By great patience and skill in hunting, however, the -chief at length raised a large family, until his eldest son reached the -stature of manhood. - -"In those days the red men all lived in peace and friendship. There was -no war, and no scalp-locks hung from the doors of the lodges. The eldest -son had the fear of the Great Spirit in his heart, and, like his father, -he toiled patiently in the chase that he might assist in procuring food -for his brothers and sisters. - -"In those days all of the promising young men, at their entrance into -manhood, had to separate themselves from the tribe, and retire into the -forest, to see if the Great Spirit would grant them some request. During -this time there was to be neither eating nor drinking, but they were to -spend the hours in thinking intently on the request they were making of -the Manitou. - -"When the young man had gone a long distance in the forest, he began to -pray to the Great Spirit, and to ask for a favor which he had long -cherished in his heart for the occasion. He had often felt how -frequently the chase had disappointed the red men, and how often their -families had gone to sleep hungry, because they had no meat. He had -always determined when his fasting and dreaming hour should come, that -he would ask the Great Spirit to give the red men some article of food -more certain than the meat obtained in the chase. - -"All that day the youth prayed, and thought of his request, and neither -water nor food entered his mouth. - -"At night, with a bright hope in his young heart, he lay down to sleep. -Soon he had a vision. He saw a magnificently attired youth coming toward -him. He was clad in robes of green, and green plumes hung gracefully -about his comely countenance. - -"'My dear young friend,' said the stranger, 'the Great Spirit has heard -your prayer, but the boon you ask is a great boon; and you must pass -through a heavy trial of suffering and patience before you will see the -realization of your wish. - -"'You must first try your strength with me, and suffer nothing to enter -your lips until I am overcome, before you will receive your reward. -Come, the night wears apace, let us wrestle amid the trees.' - -"The chief's son had a big heart, and knew no fear, so he closed with -his graceful antagonist. He found him endowed with muscles like the oak, -and he had the wind of a wolf, that never was exhausted by effort. Long -and long they wrestled, but so equal was their strength that neither -could claim any decided advantage. 'Enough, my friend, for this time. -You have struggled manfully. Still resist your appetite, give yourself -up wholly to prayer and fasting, and you will receive the gratification -of your desires. Farewell until to-morrow night, when I will return to -wrestle with you again.' Then the young visitor, with his green plumes -waving over his head, took his flight toward the skies, the green and -yellow vestments with which he was clad expanding like wings. - -"When the Indian awoke, he found himself panting like a stag when chased -by the wolves, and the perspiration dropped from his body; yet his heart -was light, for he knew a sign had come from the Manitou. Although he was -very hungry that day, and some berries and grapes tempted him sorely, he -refrained from touching them, resisting successfully these natural -desires. - -"Night came, and the young Indian closed his eyes in sleep; and lo! -there was a continuance of his former vision. He saw coming toward him -the graceful being he had seen on the previous night. The silken wings -of green and gold swept through the air with great velocity, and the -green plumes on his head waved rhythmically in their beauty. - -"They again wrestled, as before, and although the Indian had neither -eaten nor drunk, he felt his strength greater than in the previous -conflict; and he obtained some signal advantage over his celestial -competitor. They were struggling together when the morning commenced to -look upon the world, and he of the green plumes thus addressed the -Indian youth:-- - -"'My friend, on our next trial you will be the victor. Now, listen how I -instruct you to take advantage of your conquest. When my efforts cease I -shall die. Strip me of my yellow garments and bury me in soft and -new-made earth. Visit my grave week by week, for in a little time I -shall return to life in the form of a plant, which you will readily -recognize by its resemblance to me. Let no weeds or grass be near me to -keep the dew and sunshine from my green leaves, and once a month draw -the fresh earth to my body, that it may grow and strengthen. When ears -have shot from my side, and the silk which shall fall from their tops -commences to dry, then pull the ear, strip it of its garments as you -will strip me when I am dead. Place the milky grains before the fire -which will cook the outside, without destroying any of the juicy -substance. Then all the race of man will have a sweeter and stronger -food than they have ever known before. There shall be no more hunger -upon the earth excepting among those who have a lazy spirit, or whom the -Bad Manitou claims as his own.' - -"When the Indian awoke, he felt very weak from hunger, and it required -all the resolution of which he was master to restrain the gratification -of his appetite, but he passed the day in fasting and prayer, and at -nightfall laid himself down to sleep. - -"True to his promise, his friend of the green plumes again appeared in -his trance, and again the wrestle commenced. The young Indian was -exceedingly weak from his long fasting, but when engaged in the conflict -he felt his heart grow big within him; his arms became as strong as the -young oaks of the forest, and after a short struggle he threw his -antagonist to the ground. The young Indian stood by the side of his -adversary who said that he was dying, and told him to remember the -instructions he had given him. The young Indian accordingly stripped the -body of its vesture of mingled green and yellow, and carefully digging a -grave, deposited it in the soft earth. He thought that the earth adhered -to his hand in a strange manner, and at that moment he awoke, and found -in his hand a seed such as he had never before seen. - -"The Indian then knew that the Manitou had heard his prayer, and that -the grain was the body of his friend. He then went from the forest to -the prairie, made soft the earth, and planted the strange seed sent to -him in his dream. - -"He then returned to his father's lodge, and the whole family were -anxious to know if he had received any sign from the Great Spirit, but -he evaded all inquiries and kept his important secret. Every morning, -before the sun's bright rays had looked upon the earth, he was beside -the grave of the seed, and carefully kept the grass and weeds away. - -"On the morning of the ninth day, the faithful youth saw a green plant -shooting from the earth, and as he gazed on its green blades, he knew at -once the friend with whom he had wrestled. - -"Once each month he drew the fresh earth to the stalks, which grew day -by day until they far overtopped his own stature, and then there began -to protrude from their sides the shoots from which a mass of silken -fibres issued. In a short time the plant began to dry, as had been -foretold to him, and then he invited his father, mother, brothers, and -sisters to the spot and showed them what the Great Spirit had sent him -at his fasting season. He then pulled one of the two ears and roasted it -before the fire. - -"The whole family tasted the new food, and they liked it. The other ear -was kept for seed, and in a few years the red man had plenty of the new -food which the Manitou had sent him." - -"That is a beautiful story," said Mrs. Thompson, and the others all -agreed with her. "Kate, you must be very tired; don't you want to go to -bed and sleep like a Christian once more?" - -"No," replied the young girl, "my muscles are 'like the oak trees in the -forest,' as were those of the Indian who got the corn from the spirit -with the green wings. Besides, it's only seven o'clock, and I want to -look at you all for some time yet." - -Before eight o'clock, Buffalo Bill and Colonel Keogh came over from the -fort, as they had heard from some one from Oxhide that Kate had come -home, and they wanted to see her. - -They were both surprised at her excellent condition, and Bill ventured -the remark that the Indians had certainly used her much better than they -would have used him had he been in her place. - -"I've no doubt of that," said Mr. Tucker; "they would have had a -roasting frolic if they had caught you instead of our little friend -Kate!" - -"Well," said Colonel Keogh, "the war is ended, and I guess we have had -the last trouble in Kansas that we shall ever have. The Indians are -going peacefully to their reservations, where the Government will feed -them, which is cheaper than fighting them, at anyrate! General Custer is -at the fort, and he has heard so much of Joe that he wants to see him, -and take him on a wolf hunt in a day or two." - -"I'll go, Colonel, for sure, for they are carrying off calves and hogs -every night from some of the ranches on this creek," said Joe. - -"Talking about wolves," said Colonel Keogh, "I never saw so many -together in all my life as I did after the battle of the Washita. We -found the bunch of ponies belonging to the Indians, numbering about -twelve hundred, and General Custer ordered them all to be killed, as a -necessity, to prevent other savages from getting them. A Plains Indian -without a horse to ride is as helpless as a child. He won't walk, and it -was thought that by killing all the ponies we found, it would cripple -the savages as effectually as if we killed the same number of warriors. -The bunch was driven into a narrow canyon near their camp, and as they -huddled against the high rocky wall, a detachment of the cavalry was -detailed to shoot them. We camped near there for a few days, and at -night the wolves would congregate there to feed upon the dead bodies of -the ponies. I suppose they came from a distance of a hundred miles, for -you know a wolf thinks nothing of going that far for a good meal. It -happened to be the time of the full moon, and just after nightfall a lot -of us used to go and ride on top of the bluff to watch the wolves come -to the feast. I think it is no exaggeration to say that five thousand of -the hungry creatures gathered there every evening, as long as any flesh -remained on the bones of the slaughtered ponies. Such snapping, -snarling, growling, and fighting was never heard before. You could hear -them for two miles easily. Some of them were so pugnacious and ravenous -that they actually killed and devoured each other! I do not believe such -a scene was ever witnessed before or will be again." - -"You have all heard that Sheridan has been promoted to be -lieutenant-general, and Sherman to be general, as Grant has been elected -to the Presidency?" said Buffalo Bill. "Sheridan received notice on -Kansas soil of his well-deserved promotion, and it makes the place -classic ground. I will tell you how it was. Of course, official notice -of the promotion was daily expected, as it had been seen in the papers -from Washington, but the mails were very irregular in the vast -uninhabited region south of the Arkansas. It was carried by the scouts -from Fort Hays, the nearest railroad point, and they also took -despatches to the scattered military posts that had been established -temporarily, in the form of camps, cantonments, or wherever a detachment -of troops happened to be. Early one morning General Sheridan, -accompanied by two officers of his personal staff, left Camp Supply in -the Indian Territory for Fort Hays, to take the railroad for Washington, -where he had been ordered to report. When the party had arrived at the -foot of a high mountain, just on the border of this state, they saw far -ahead of them on the trail made by the troops in going into the field, a -dark object moving rapidly toward them. As the distance between them -lessened, they noticed that it was a horseman whose animal, flecked with -foam, and with distended nostrils, was straining every muscle to reach -the ambulance. In a few moments the sound of the horse's hoofs were -distinctly heard on the hard trail, and when he had approached near -enough, its rider, the excited scout, recognized Sheridan among the -occupants of the ambulance. He rose in his stirrups and waved his hat in -one hand, while in the other he held up a piece of yellow paper, crying -out at the top of his voice:-- - -"'Hurrah for the lieutenant-general!' The paper he handed to Sheridan -was a telegram from the President, informing him of his promotion." - -"Well," said Colonel Keogh, looking at the old-fashioned clock in the -corner of the room, "I had no idea it was so late. It's nearly ten. -Come, Cody; we must get back to the fort." Then saying good-night to -all, with an admonition to Joe not to forget the wolf hunt, of which he -said he would send him word, they mounted their horses and rode off. - -Mr. Tucker was to remain until morning, so they all retired, after -having passed one of the most cheerful Thanksgivings in their lives. - -FOOTNOTE: - -[2] The compass-plant, or rosin-weed, as it is commonly called, is the -_Silphium laciniatum_ of the botanists. It is found in luxuriance on -every hill-top on the great plains, and resembles an immense oak leaf, -which, while growing, always points its thin edges north and south, -consequently broad surfaces east and west. - - - - -CHAPTER XII - - A WOLF HUNT--TWO SNAKE STORIES--TERRIBLE STRUGGLE WITH A - MOUNTAIN WOLF--A MAIL RIDER EATEN--THE OLD TRAPPER'S - EXPERIENCE WITH FOUR OF THE FIERCE BEASTS - - -THE allied tribes of the plains, now thoroughly whipped into subjection -by the gallant Sheridan and his intrepid subordinates, Custer and Sully, -went sullenly to the reservations recently established by the Government -in the Indian Territory, and "white-winged Peace" once more spread her -pinions over the fair land of Kansas. The settlers could go from one -village to another with perfect immunity from sudden attacks by savages -hidden in some ambush on the trails, so the state made phenomenal -strides toward a greater civilization. - -Crops were enormous in their results when the virgin soil was turned to -the sun, but the wolves, especially in the vicinity of Errolstrath, -seemed to increase with the prodigality of Jonah's gourd. They became so -persistent in their nightly depredations at the ranches, that only by a -concentrated effort of the neighborhood to exterminate them could -stock-raising be made profitable. - -A few days after Colonel Keogh's visit to Errolstrath on that happy -Thanksgiving when Kate had come back safely to her home, an orderly from -Fort Harker dismounted in front of the house, bearing a note to Joe from -General Custer. It stated that the General proposed to hunt the wolves -the day after to-morrow, and desired him to invite Mr. Tucker, the old -trapper, and as many more of the neighbors who were good shots, as would -like to go. He wanted the party to meet him at the mouth of the Oxhide -as early as seven o'clock. From this point he intended to go to the -general rendezvous of the beasts in the limestone region, down the Smoky -Hill. - -As soon as dinner was over at Errolstrath, Joe saddled his pony, and -started for Mr. Tucker's ranche three miles away, to invite him to come -over to stay all night and join Custer and the others of the party on -the morning of the hunt. - -Rob was at the same time told by his father to get his pony and deliver -General Custer's invitation to as many of the neighbors as he could -reach, and return by sundown. He left promptly on his mission, but went -in a direction exactly opposite from that of his brother. - -When he had loped along about a mile up the Oxhide, his attention was -attracted by a curious noise which seemed to come from the bank of the -stream. He rode his pony through the brush toward the strange sound, and -what was his surprise to see two snakes fighting right on the extreme -edge of the water where the bank was only just above its level. One of -the reptiles was a black water-snake, and the other a bull-snake nearly -twice as thick round as his opponent, but not quite as long. The -bull-snake had his tail firmly wrapped around a sunflower stalk, and the -other had his attached to a big weed. Each had hold of the other by the -middle and was trying to pull in an opposite direction. It was evidently -the intention of the black snake to drag his antagonist into the water -and drown him, for he is a good swimmer, while the bull is not, and the -latter was just as determined that his enemy should not get him into the -stream. - -They were both stretched to their utmost tension, and as Rob said, when -he told about them on his return, he expected every moment to see them -break in two; for both were drawn out as thin as a clothes-line. At last -the hold of the bull-snake gave way, and the impetus, like the snapping -of a whip, threw them both into the water. Now the black snake had a -decided advantage, for he was in his element, and he immediately exerted -every muscle to draw his antagonist's head under. Finally, after a -severe struggle he succeeded in holding him there for a few moments, and -when he let go, the bull-snake's dead body rose to the surface. Then the -black snake gave a few shakes to his tail and darted off under the -water, apparently not the least injured by his death-struggle with his -larger antagonist. - -Both boys returned to Errolstrath before sundown, and as it was Rob's -month to take care of the cows and milk them, he went promptly about his -business. Joe, after taking Mr. Tucker's horse to the stable, and -feeding the other stock, returned to the house, and sat in the big room, -talking to his guest for half an hour, until supper was announced. - -Supper being cleared away, all adjourned to the sitting-room again, and -the boys and girls proposed that the old trapper should relate some more -of his experiences in the Rocky Mountains, when he was a young man; a -request with which he cheerfully complied whenever he passed a night at -Errolstrath. - -After all were comfortably seated in their accustomed places, Rob told -of his adventure with the two snakes on the bank of the Oxhide, when -Joe, after his brother had finished, remarking that coincidences were -curious, stated that he, too, that same afternoon, had had an adventure -with three snakes--one more than Rob. - -"When I reached the broad military road to Fort Sill," said he, "at the -crossing of Mud Creek, I noticed some distance down the trail a terrible -commotion. The dust was flying as if it had been twisted around by a -whirlwind, and by looking steadily I could see something moving on the -bare earth, where the grass is all worn off the road. I rode slowly up -to the moving object, ready for any emergency, when I discovered three -bull-snakes, two of them of immense size, the third one not so large. -They had a half-grown cottontail among them, and were fighting bravely -for the sole possession of the little creature, which was already nearly -dead. I thought I would stay to see the fun, so I whipped the smaller -one, and one of the larger of the reptiles away. They went hissing into -the grass, as I applied my riding-whip to them pretty lively. Then I sat -still on my pony to watch the single snake enjoy the meal I had so -opportunely provided for him. - -"Presently he began to wind his long body around the rabbit, and I could -hear the bones of the poor thing crack as the muscular pressure was -applied. He then gradually unfolded himself, turned his head toward the -muzzle of his prey, dislocated his jaws, and commenced to take in the -rabbit. - -"Little by little the rabbit, which was much larger than the snake's -body, disappeared, until it was entirely enveloped by the reptile. Then -he coolly reset his jaws, and after a series of hisses--perhaps he was -thanking me for my kindness in interfering on his behalf--he crawled -away into the thick grass. I let him go, Mr. Tucker; for we never kill a -bull-snake, they are such good hunters for gophers, mice, and even -rabbits, which are becoming such a nuisance here. I saw several wolves, -of course; you can't go a mile anywhere without seeing them, but as I -carried no gun with me I did not try to interview any of them." - -"I expect to have a good time the day after to-morrow," said the old -trapper, "and it will recall some of my own experiences with them years -ago." - -"Oh, do tell us about it!" said Kate; "I just love hunting adventures." - -"All right, Kate; you have grown into a kind of savage since your life -with the Indians, eh?" - -"I heard lots of wonderful stories from the warriors when they sat -around the fire at night, but they told such abominable yarns that I -didn't believe them. They can stretch a thing pretty well, I tell you," -answered Kate. - -"Begin, please, Mr. Tucker," said Rob, who was as interested as any of -the family. - -"Well, then," said he, "I will tell you of the brave deed of a Mexican, -which occurred a good many years ago, when I was down in Southern -California. - -"He was a native, and named Amador Sanchez, well known in the Sierra -Nevadas as a brave and successful hunter. He had a terrible fight with -one of those great shaggy, gray mountain wolves. The struggle lasted for -several hours, and ended by both combatants being laid prostrate on the -ground. They were so completely exhausted as to be unable to reach each -other from want of sheer physical strength. In that condition they -passed one whole night. On the following morning, when the Mexican had -recovered sufficiently to be able to creep to his shaggy antagonist, he -found him dead. - -"The terrible conflict grew out of the Mexican's daring attempt to save -the life of a boy who was about to be torn to pieces when the Mexican -attacked the wolf. - -"At one time the wolf had the youth under him in such a way that it was -impossible for Sanchez to plant a ball in any vital organ without -imperilling the boy's life. Nothing daunted, however, with both revolver -and rifle, he succeeded in lodging several bullets in other parts of the -savage beast. Still the enraged brute clung to the unfortunate child, -using every endeavor to tear him to pieces and horribly mangling every -part of his body. At this juncture, the brave Mexican hunter could no -longer refrain from active effort. He dropped his pistols and rifle, -drew his sheath-knife and slung-shot; then winding his blanket around -his left arm to protect it, he rushed in and compelled the animal to -turn upon him, and so gave the boy a chance to escape. - -"Wounds were freely given and returned, but the wary Sanchez fought with -much dexterity and determination. The wolf finally became so mad with -rage and pain, that he closed in upon the Mexican and threw him headlong -upon the ground, where he remained almost senseless for a few moments -before recovering his breath. - -"Instead of following up his advantage, the beast, doubtless believing -his enemy dead, because he did not move, commenced to examine and lick -his own bleeding wounds. The spirit of the intrepid Mexican, however, -was up, and he determined to conquer the wolf or die. - -"Early in the struggle, by a blow from his slung-shot, Sanchez had -succeeded in breaking the brute's lower jaw, and that was -unquestionably the fortunate wound which eventually gave the victory to -the Mexican. - -"Sanchez renewed the fight as soon as he felt himself sufficiently -rested, and, by adopting some curious tactics, in which he was -materially assisted by a clump of trees, he succeeded in putting some -heavy blows with his knife right into its vitals. At this, the wolf was -aroused again to an unendurable madness, and, gathering himself for one -grand effort, he bit at the Mexican's head and once more felled him to -the earth. From this final attack, and his previous loss of blood, the -brave man fainted dead away. How long he remained in that state he could -not tell; but when he became conscious again, he found that the victory -was on his side, for the wolf had breathed his last. - -"The poor boy, as soon as the battle was decided, as he supposed at the -cost of his friend's life, started for the village, arriving there late -the following afternoon. Upon hearing his story, a party of well-armed -men immediately went to the scene of the struggle, to bury their brave -comrade. They were guided by the boy, who was able to ride a pony. - -"Arriving at the spot about midnight, they found Sanchez in a most -pitiful condition. His flesh was terribly mangled, his clothes were torn -to ribbons, and his back and shoulders were one mass of lacerated -wounds, inflicted by the sharp teeth and claws of the wolf. - -"Although he received the most delicate care and assistance at the -hospital from those noble women, the Sisters of Charity, it was many -weeks before he was able to resume his occupation of hunting. Even then -he owed his life to his wonderful recuperative powers and his iron -constitution." - -"What a terrible time he must have had," said Kate. "The gray wolf is an -awful animal to be attacked by. Do you know that they very frequently go -mad, and then many savages are bitten, and die a horrible death from -hydrophobia? One of the warriors was bitten while I was down in the -Indian village. He had a hand-to-hand tussle with the wolf, and although -he was only slightly bitten, he died raving." - -"Yes, they are bad brutes to deal with," said the old trapper, -"particularly those huge fellows that hunt in packs; a man has not the -slightest chance with them. I know that in Oregon, about twelve years -ago, the mail rider for the military posts of Forts Dallas and Simcoe -was caught in the mountains by a pack of them, and nothing of him or his -animal was found excepting the letter sack, the hoofs of his horse, and -some buttons, with other portions of the rider's clothing." - -"Have you ever had a personal encounter with any of the terrible -beasts?" inquired Mrs. Thompson. - -"Oh, yes!" replied the old man. "I'll tell you all about it." - -"In 1856, I tried to ranche it in the central portion of Washington -Territory. I had no neighbor nearer than thirty miles. I was a little -lonesome at first, because it was really the first time I had been -without partners, and I saw my neighbors but once in a whole year. - -"I remember that I started to visit John Elliott. I felt that I needed -company, and he and I had trapped together some years before, and were -well acquainted. - -"Towards evening, I started for my thirty-mile walk. It was in December, -and of course, cool, with a magnificent full moon to light my trail -through the deep forest and over the prairie. - -"I had gone about two miles, I think, and as I neared a small lake, and -was tramping along the edge of the water with my rifle carelessly -swinging in my left hand, I suddenly heard a growl that startled me, and -stopping at once, I saw a great wolf standing with his paw buried in the -carcass of a red deer, and his mouth full of its flesh. The brute was -not chewing, for his jaws were motionless, and he looked at me as if -deciding which was the better meal for him, that which he had under his -feet, or I. He was an immense animal. I don't think I have ever seen a -larger wolf. If I had left him alone and gone about my business, he -would not have troubled me. They are generally cowards, and will run at -the sight of man, unless provoked or cornered, or are running in packs, -when they will fight to the death. - -"I, like the fool that I was, raised my rifle, took a quick aim at him, -and pulled the trigger. He jumped at the instant I fired, and although I -aimed at his heart, I missed it and hit him in the upper part of the -fore leg. Then with his mouth wide open, showing his white teeth, and -the froth running down the sides of his cheeks in his rage, he came for -me with a howl, which I thought was answered by about fifty more in the -timber. - -"It didn't take me ten seconds to get up into the fork of an oak tree -which stood only a few feet away. By the time I was safely settled in my -seat, there were four more of the great grizzled beasts right under me, -smacking their chops and whining as if their mouths watered for a taste -of my flesh. If I could have talked to them in their own way, I would -have suggested that they go and feast off of the deer which still lay -intact. - -"Then, as I could not make them go away by mere suggestions, I loaded my -rifle and shot one of them as dead as the deer. That made more food for -the others, as they will eat each other under certain circumstances, but -that particular time was not one of them. I didn't blame them, for the -brute I had killed was a long, gaunt, miserably thin, mangy-looking -creature that seemed as if he had not had anything to eat for a month. - -"The refuge I had sought from the ravenous beasts was but a sapling, and -I expected it every moment to break with my weight. Presently, I heard -the crotch begin to split, and letting my rifle drop, I was quick enough -to catch my arms and legs around the trunk of the tree, and hold on for -life until I could draw my knife and shove it into my belt ready for -use. - -"Having accomplished this, I watched my chance, and if there ever was -such a scared wolf as the one round whose back I wound my arms when I -fell, I'd like to see him! - -"We rolled on the ground together, and the other three just backed off -to watch the fight, and a pretty moonlight tussle it was. He got my body -under him at last, and I thought I was done for. - -"I felt a little faint when he sunk his teeth into me, but he didn't -seem to like the hold he had, so he pulled his teeth out of me, tore my -coat, shirt, and flesh, then seized my fur cap and shook it for a -moment, which was a lucky mistake for me on his part. I felt his wet -lips on my forehead, and had just time to let go my hold on his throat -and clutch my knife, when he seized my cap again and made an attempt to -swallow it. His throat was in no condition to get it down, however, for -my knife-blade was through his jugular, and the point of it in his -spinal marrow, and in another minute he was dead wolf! - -"I bled considerably when I got up, but I wasn't weakened a bit. The -whole affair had occurred in half a minute, and I was ready for the -other three, who now all attacked me together. I caught up my rifle and -struck one of them across the nose and floored him. As he picked himself -up I seized him by the hind foot and fell upon him. If the first wolf -was frightened when I tumbled on him from the tree, this one was more -so. I can never forget the awful howl he gave as I stood up on my feet -again, and swinging him into the air, struck one of the remaining two a -terrible blow with his body. - -"The first one I had wounded was scared at the novel fight, and tucking -his tail between his legs, vanished into the woods, and I was left with -only two on my hands. I caught up one of them as I had caught the other, -and his comrade took to his heels and was soon out of sight. - -"The one I held by the heels, I swung twice around my head and then let -him fly. The centrifugal force, as they used to call it at college, -forced out his wind, and his scream, as he shot through the air, was -diabolical. He went fully a rod into the water, and his howl only -stopped when he struck it. I was weak and faint now from the tremendous -exertion. The beast came up again, and struck out for the shore. When he -reached it, he did not dare to approach me, but stood there as if -petrified. - -"At last he began to move off. I followed him slowly, and saw that he -was getting tired. Presently he stopped again and tried to climb on the -top of a shelving rock, but he was very weak, and just as he was making -the attempt a second time, I raised my rifle and sent a bullet into his -heart. - -"I was now rid of all my foes, but too weak to walk much further, so I -went back to my cabin and gave up my proposed visit until I was -recovered from my wounds." - -"Well," said Joe, "that beats my fight with the panther. We sha'n't have -any such trouble on the day after to-morrow, though, for we shall have -a big enough party to fight a whole mountain full of them." - -It was long after ten o'clock when Mr. Tucker had finished the thrilling -story of his fight, and then the family all retired--some of them to -dream of wolves, bears, and panthers perhaps. - - - - -CHAPTER XIII - - JOE, ROB, AND THE OLD TRAPPER--GENERAL CUSTER ARRIVES AT - THE RENDEZVOUS--THE WOLF DENS--FIRST TUSSLE BETWEEN THE - HOUNDS AND A WOLF--CINCH'S GREAT BATTLE - - -THE morning of the wolf hunt came at last. Before six o'clock, Mr. -Tucker, four near neighbors, and the two Thompson boys rode out from -Errolstrath toward the appointed rendezvous, at the mouth of the Oxhide. - -As all dogs work better on an empty stomach, the hounds, Brutus and -Bluey, had not been fed that morning, so that their appetites for the -chase should be keen. - -The little party from the ranche arrived at the mouth of the Oxhide -before the contingent from Fort Harker. They did not have to wait many -minutes, for they soon saw a cloud of dust on the Smoky Hill trail, and -presently the General's four great hounds came bounding along. Closely -following them was Custer on a magnificent animal. Colonel Keogh rode -his favorite horse, Comanche, which had been wounded in the battle with -the Cheyennes, on Mulberry Creek, when the command had a doubtful -victory under General Sully. Comanche was destined to become more -celebrated a few years later, when he and a single Crow Indian were the -sole survivors of the unequal fight with the Sioux under the notorious -Sitting Bull. It was there that Custer and all of the famous troopers -with him went down to annihilation, in the valley of the Rosebud. - -The General and Colonel Keogh greeted the party, and they rode on at a -slow pace. They wanted to save the wind of both the horses and dogs, for -the supreme moment when the wolves should give them all the excitement -they might desire. - -About seven miles from Errolstrath, the Smoky Hill makes a grand sweep -to the southeast, the curve forming nearly half a circle. Bordering the -river at that point is a series of immense limestone bluffs whose -scarped sides come down to the water. The plateau which crowns the -bluffs is honeycombed with holes, the dens of the big prairie wolf. They -intended literally to beard the ferocious beasts there, for the wolf -prowls by night and remains in his lair in the daytime. The General, the -Colonel, the old trapper, and the boys were in front, while the hounds -trailed after the horses, and were not allowed to advance until the word -was given for them to do so. - -Custer's dogs were of rare breed, and had been presented to him by some -English or Scotch nobleman. They were rough in coat, muscular, fleet of -foot, and fully able to cope with the biggest wolf that dared tackle -them. - -The zigzag trail leading to the summit of the high bluff where the -business was expected to begin, was reached about half-past seven, and -the tedious ascent was commenced. Arriving on the top at a point where a -heavy belt of timber skirted the edge toward the river, they all halted -to rest a few moments before they went out into the open where the -wolves were. - -An occasional low growl and a snarl were wafted by the breeze toward -them, where they were concealed among the great trees. The hounds -listened with ears cocked up, and uttered a whine now and then, as they -gazed wistfully into their masters' faces. They were impatient for the -fray like the charger who "smelleth the battle afar," but the time had -not yet come for them to do their work. - -The morning was deliciously cool. The ground was just covered with a -slight coating of frost, making friction enough to insure safety for the -horses. They would be called upon to do some hard running, and the rough -plain where the wolves were, was sandy and treacherous, from the -constant digging and scratching of the quarrelsome beasts themselves. - -"A perfect day for the fun," said the General, turning to the old -trapper, who had dismounted and was cinching his saddle a little -tighter. - -"Yes, General," replied he, "we could not have a better morning. The -wind is just right for the dogs' noses, though I suppose those beautiful -hounds of yours run both by scent and sight?" - -"They are fine specimens of their species, not very graceful or -beautiful, perhaps, but for muscle and endurance, I don't believe that -there is a wolf on the plains which can get the better of one of them in -a fair fight. They have had several tussles single-handed, but so far -have come out without anything more serious than a few scratches. Their -jaws are as powerful as a bull dog's, and they hold on with all that -animal's tenacity. I look for some fine sport to-day; there will be some -lively coursing if we succeed in getting the wolves out of their holes." - -"Bluey," said Joe, who was sitting on his pony alongside of Custer, "is -a great fighter; he has had three or four tussles with wolves, and came -out on top every time. He has the most wonderful shaking powers I ever -saw in any dog, and he has whipped two or three bull dogs in the -neighborhood. They all give him a wide berth now, whenever they see him -coming. Brutus is quite a young hound yet, and although he is good with -rabbits, and did some splendid work when we had that fight with the -lynx, he has never really shown what he can do. I guess he'll have a -chance to show his mettle to-day." - -"I advise all of you to cinch up your saddles," suggested the General, -"as Mr. Tucker has already done, for you don't want to be tumbled off by -a loose cinch. We'll make a break for the wolves in a few minutes; the -hounds are uneasy, and I guess our horses are sufficiently rested now." - -When the last saddle was cinched up, Custer gave the word "forward," and -the party moved out of the timber. The hounds cavorted around when they -saw signs of active work, but they were restrained from rushing too far -ahead by a word from their masters. - -The hunters rode slowly at first, until they had emerged from the -timber. They then broke into a lope, separating to a distance of about -fifty yards from each other. Custer was on the right, followed by the -old trapper and Joe; while Rob and Colonel Keogh with the others of the -party brought up the left. - -Although they were out of the standing timber, there were a great many -fallen trees scattered over the ground, and they were obliged to jump -over these, as they could not afford to waste the time to go round. - -There was one immense black walnut trunk over which all had gone very -easily excepting Colonel Keogh and Rob. When these two reached the -obstacle, Rob's buffalo pony took it flying, but as Comanche rose to -make the leap, the effort burst the cinch of the saddle, and the Colonel -was thrown. He fortunately struck on his feet and held on to the bridle -reins, so the animal did not get away. His orderly rushed up, and it did -not take more than five minutes to change saddles, and give the Colonel -a mount again. - -By that time Custer and the others were far in advance, for they had -increased their pace as the hounds sighted their quarry. Some were in -full cry, the rest silent, according to the habits of their species. A -huge wolf had come out of his hole to learn what the thud of the horses' -hoofs meant, had seen the dogs, and immediately bristled up ready for -battle. - -The lean and hungry-looking brute stood motionless, awaiting the arrival -of the pack of hounds. The hair along his spine stood erect like a mad -cat's, and his tail swelled to twice its normal proportions. They were -heading for him with tongues out and their long necks stretched, ready -for the impending battle. - -In another instant, when the shock came, there was a chaotic whirlwind -of wolf, dog, hair, and blood, accompanied by snarls, growls, and -squeals. This cyclone of enraged canines was enveloped in a cloud of -dust which fairly obscured the combatants for a few seconds; but when -it settled there was a dead wolf, literally torn to shreds, and a hound -or two limping along, nearly _hors de combat_, after the terrible -struggle. - -The noise of the fight caused a dozen or more of the denizens of the -bluff to crawl out of their dens and look around to learn what was meant -by this invasion of their sacred precincts. - -Some just poked their heads up, and all you could see were their great -ears. Others came up bristling with fight, and some, the cowardly ones, -giving one look at the party of horsemen and the pack of hounds, tucked -their bushy tails between their legs, and scooted off over the plateau, -yelping like whipped curs! - -In a moment, spying those wolves that had apparently accepted the wager -of battle, the dogs made a grand rush for them, some in pairs, some -singly. - -General Sheridan owned a magnificent smooth-haired hound, named Cinch, -from the fact that round his belly was a dark circle, resembling a -saddle-cinch. He was a very powerful animal, and had been brought with -the pack by General Custer, on account of his well-known staying -qualities. Cinch had selected a monstrous beast, a little larger than -himself, as his victim, and forthwith attacked him singly. - -The wolf stood firmly at the mouth of his den, awaiting the approach of -Cinch with a sort of self-satisfied look, as though he would tear to -pieces that civilized specimen of his own genus. With a growl and a -snapping of their great white teeth they came together. How the hair did -fly as they bit whole mouthfuls out of each other! It was an awful -struggle for canine supremacy. Every one of the party abandoned his -quarry elsewhere--although Bluey was making a glorious fight with -another monster not a hundred yards away, and the rest of the pack were -hard at work on a number that had attacked them in concert--to witness -the battle royal between Cinch and the largest wolf that they had ever -seen. - -At last Cinch succeeded in getting a firm hold on his shaggy -antagonist's throat. It proved to be a "knock-out," for when Cinch had -done with him, the wolf was stretched out dead. The hound himself did -not escape without serious wounds. His fore paws were bitten through -and through. One of his eyes was badly torn, and great pieces of hide -hung in strings from several parts of his body. He was nearly done for, -so badly hurt, that the General told one of his orderlies to take the -poor dog on the saddle in front of him, and carry him back to the fort -for repairs. - -They then turned their attention to Bluey. By the time they came up to -him he had just finished his antagonist as completely as had Cinch. The -wolf was dead, and the old hound was busy licking his own wounds, of -which he had many. - -The rest of the pack which had been fighting together had killed four, -but two of their number had succumbed to the fierce attacks of their -opponents, and were dead. Joe and Rob were delighted to know that Bluey -and Brutus were all right after the several battles, excepting a few -bites which would soon heal. - -In taking an inventory of the number of wolves killed by the hounds, -they found seven in all. Their hides were so badly torn that they were -not worth skinning, so their carcasses were left just where they fell. - -It was considered a good morning's work, as it was but eleven o'clock -when Cinch had put the finishing touches on his victim. The men were -tired after their rough ride, and the hounds slowly followed, tongues -out, and many of them limping fearfully. In this way they rode together -back to the mouth of the Oxhide, then separated and went to their -respective homes. - - - - -CHAPTER XIV - - A WILD TURKEY HUNT--THE TRIP TO MUD CREEK--THE TURKEY - ROOST--THE SHOOTING BEGINS--COUNTING THE NUMBER - KILLED--JOE SELLS TURKEYS - - -WHEN Mr. Tucker, Joe, and Rob arrived at Errolstrath, it was just one -o'clock. The family had kept dinner waiting, and everything was ready to -put on the table by the time the horses were fed and the hounds' wounds -rubbed with witch-hazel. Mrs. Thompson used to prepare this remedy -herself, and she considered it the best thing in the world for injuries. - -At dinner the boys and the old trapper entertained the family with an -account of the morning's hunt, telling them how splendidly both Bluey -and Brutus had behaved in company with such thoroughbreds as Custer's -hounds, and especially with General Sheridan's famous Cinch, who was -supposed to be the finest animal of his kind in the country. - -They all adjourned to the broad veranda after dinner was over, -excepting the girls who had to clear up the things. Mr. Tucker said that -Colonel Keogh had told him that some of the officers' families who had -just come from the East to Fort Harker were very desirous for wild -turkey, which they had not yet tasted. - -"He wanted me to ask you, Joe, if you cannot soon get them a few. I know -that this is the very best time to hunt them, so let you, and Rob, and -me go to that roost on Mud Creek this evening. It's full moon to-night, -and we shall never have a better chance." - -"All right," promptly spoke up both of the boys. "We'll have to take our -ponies," said Joe, "for it's fully six miles. I was down there the other -afternoon, and I should think that hundreds roost there." - -"What time ought we to leave here?" inquired Rob. "You know that my -month to herd and milk the cows is not out yet, and I want to do my work -before I go; not that father would not do it willingly for me in a case -of this kind, but I don't care to bother him; he has enough to do with -the other stock." - -"Oh!" said Joe, "we need not get away from here until long after -supper. The birds won't come to their roost until it is nearly dark, and -as we always have supper at six, and can ride down to Mud Creek easily -in an hour, you will have ample time to do your chores, Rob, without -hurrying a bit." - -"Tell us something about the wild turkey, Mr. Tucker," said Rob. "You -know all the habits of our beasts and birds." - -"Well, Rob," said the old trapper, "the wild turkey is one of the -indigenous birds of America. He once flourished from the most remote -eastern boundary of the United States to every part of the far West. -Now, through the wantonness of man, he is rapidly disappearing, as is -nearly all of our large game. There are still plenty here in Kansas. The -wild turkey makes his haunts in the timber, and being gregarious birds -they keep together in large flocks, and roost in the same place for -years, if not disturbed. All of our domestic turkeys have come from the -wild stock, but the wild ones are still larger than the tame ones in -many instances. I have shot them in nearly every place in the country -where I have hunted. They are stupid in refusing to leave their roosts -at night when shot at. They persistently fly back again to the same -trees, when they could just as easily fly away out of danger. In such -times they are almost as foolish as the sage hen, which in my opinion is -the most stupid bird that flies. You can shoot at them until you hit -them, if it takes a week; they won't move." - -Just as the sun sank behind the hills beyond the Oxhide bluffs, Joe, -Rob, and Mr. Tucker left Errolstrath for the turkey roost on Mud Creek. -The old trapper rode Joe's buffalo pony, while Joe mounted the little -roan which had brought his sister so safely from the Indian village; Rob -rode Ginger, which Kate had kindly loaned him for the occasion. - -They followed the trail up the creek for about a mile, then turned -abruptly east over the hills toward Fort Sill military road, then over -the open country for another mile, until they arrived at the head of Mud -Creek. - -The moon had risen in a cloudless sky, and it shines nowhere so -brilliantly as in our mid-continent region. Every tree and bush cast a -shadow, and the trail over the prairie was lighted up with a golden -sheen, so soft and mellow that you could have seen a pin where the -grass had been shorn away. - -When they arrived at the edge of the woods in the centre of which was -the resting-place of the birds, they tied their ponies to saplings, and -then quietly walked on into the timber. As soon as they had come in the -vicinity of the roost, they squatted on the ground behind the friendly -shelter of a large elm, and waited for the coming of events. - -They did not have long to wait. Before they had been there a half an -hour, two large flocks came stealthily walking down the deep ravines -leading into the sheltered bottom where great trees stood in thick -clumps, under whose shadow were the unmistakable signs of an immense -roost. At the head of each flock, as it unsuspiciously advanced, -strutted a magnificent male bird in all the pride of his leadership. -Upon his bronze plumage the moon's rays glinted like a calcium light, as -its soft beams sifted through the interstices of the bare limbs of the -winter-garbed forest. - -When the leader of the flock had arrived at the spot where his charge -had been accustomed to roost, he suddenly stopped, glanced cautiously -around him for a few seconds, then apparently satisfied that all was -right, he gave the signal--a sharp, quick, shrill whistle. At that -instant, every bird, with one accord and a tremendous fluttering of -wing, raised itself and alighted in the topmost branches of the tallest -trees. - -In a few moments more, numerous flocks having settled themselves for a -peaceful slumber, the old trapper said to the boys: "Now is our time; -let's begin!" - -Joe had his little Ballard rifle, that had never yet played him false on -his hunts with the chief of the Pawnees; Rob had a shot-gun, and Mr. -Tucker his never-failing old-fashioned piece which he had carried for -twenty-five years. - -They fired at first almost simultaneously, but after the first discharge -each fired on his own hook. The turkeys fell like the leaves in October. -The birds not killed at the first fire did not seem to have sense -enough, as Mr. Tucker had said, to escape from their doom. They flew -from tree to tree at every shot, persistently remaining in the immediate -vicinity of the roost, with all the characteristic idiocy of the sage -hen. - -When it was time to think of going home, they gathered up their birds, -and found they had killed fourteen--more than an average of four apiece. -It was all they could do to pack the birds on their ponies, and they -were compelled to walk them all the way to the ranche to keep the birds -from falling off. - -The next morning Joe took the turkeys to Fort Harker, where he disposed -of them at a fair price, and received many thanks besides, for his -prompt action in response to Colonel Keogh's request to go hunting for -them. - - - - -CHAPTER XV - - HOW THE ROBIN CAME TO KANSAS--MOCKING-BIRDS--EATEN BY - SNAKES--JOE LOSES HIS TAME ELK--THE LAST OF THE - WOLVES--FINDING THE QUAIL'S NEST--JOE BUILDS A CAGE FOR - THEM--RAISING CHICKENS - - -THE winter was short, and soon came April, with its sunny skies. The -robins, wrens, blue jays, and the mocking-birds made the woods melodious -with their sweet notes. The violets by the brook side under the shade of -the great trees were the first harbingers of the beautiful season, and -the dining-table was made odorous with their blue blossoms at every -meal. Both Kate and Gertrude loved flowers, and never failed to gather -three times a day, a large bowl full of these poems of springtime. - -Mr. Tucker surprised them one evening by paying them a visit after a -solitary hunting expedition up the creek. The boys soon persuaded him to -stay the night, and tell them a story until bedtime. - -"What shall it be, hunting or fighting?" said Mr. Tucker, turning to -Joe. - -Before her brother could speak, Gertrude answered for him. "Tell us that -legend about the robin, that you have promised us so often." - -"Yes, the robin," said Joe. So they all settled into comfortable -positions, and Mr. Tucker told them the following story:-- - -"The Delaware Indians claim that the robin followed them to Kansas. He -has been in the eastern part of the state only since the establishment -of their reservation within its limits, according to the legend of the -tribe. - -"The Delawares, you know, were those Indians with whom William Penn made -a treaty, the provisions of which were religiously kept for many years. - -"Among the Delawares the robin is sacred. From the gray-headed chiefs to -the papoose just freed from the thongs of his hard cradle, they all -listen with superstitious love and reverence to his warbling. The bird -was once the favorite son of a great sachem of that powerful tribe, -changed by the Manitou, but still loving man, and evincing it always by -building his nest and singing near his abode. - -"Once there was, ages ago, a great chief among the Delawares, who then -lived in the far East. He was distinguished for his wisdom in the -council, and his success in war. He had many wives, but they brought him -daughters only, and he, as well as his nation, was dissatisfied, for he -desired a son who should succeed to the honorable position of his -father. - -"One day when the chief was walking through the village, a dove lit on -his shoulder, and then flew and nestled in the bosom of a young Indian -maiden to whom it belonged. She was the daughter of the medicine-man of -the tribe, and her father declared that the dove was a messenger from -the Great Spirit, who had thus shown by that sign that the two should be -one. - -"The news imparted by the medicine-man was agreeable to the chief, for -the girl was beautiful and virtuous. He married her, and she became the -favorite wife, who, in due time, greatly to his and the joy of his -people, presented him with a son. The boy was called Is-a-dill-a, and he -grew up different from all the youth of his age; for he was fond of -peace, would not mingle with the crowd who tortured prisoners doomed to -death, and his father thought him a coward. One day the father -upbraided his son for his peaceful inclinations, and Is-a-dill-a -answered:-- - -"'Great chief of the mighty Delawares, my liver is not white, nor would -my blood chill like snow before the enemy, but Is-a-dill-a prefers to -gather the wild blossoms which grow upon the prairie, and chase the deer -among the cliffs, to lying in ambush for the red man, and sending an -arrow into his heart; the Great Spirit, who is father of all the red -men, has told me in my dreams to love them all.' - -"His father was about to respond angrily to the utterance of a homily so -unbecoming a great warrior's son, and the future chief of a powerful -tribe, when he saw a huge black bear approaching him with angry -demonstrations. The chief was armed, as usual, with bow and arrows, and -a stone axe. Is-a-dill-a, without any weapons, was ordered by his father -to climb a tree, that he might escape the danger of the impending -conflict. The chief, then resting upon one knee, and fixing a selected -arrow to his bow, aimed at the eye of the bear, when only a few feet -distant. The oscillating motion of the beast's head prevented it from -taking fatal effect, and the arrow struck the skull, which was too thick -and hard to be penetrated. The now infuriated animal, with a savage -growl, sprang upon the chief who dealt it a fearful blow with his stone -axe, but was seized in the ponderous paws of the bear, and a mortal -struggle ensued. In a moment the chief was bleeding from a hundred -wounds, and the animal's mouth was already at his throat, when -Is-a-dill-a picked up his father's axe, dealt the beast a powerful blow -over the eye, which completely destroyed it, and continued the work -until the exhausted animal fell to the earth. But in his death agonies -the bear succeeded in embracing Is-a-dill-a and tearing him dreadfully, -so that he lay insensible by the side of the dead brute. - -"The chief was the first to recover from the swoon in which he had -fallen from loss of blood, and as he saw the body of his son lying -beside that of the immense bear, it was some time before he could -connect the circumstances, for it appeared impossible for a boy of his -age to perform such an exploit. He was bitterly grieved, when he thought -how pure was the filial affection of his son, and bitterly regretted the -reproaches he had often heaped upon him who was so worthy of honor and -affection. He crawled to his son's body,--for he believed him dead,--but -feeling that the heart was still beating, with much effort and great -pain he succeeded in getting some water from a little spring near by, -and applied it to the forehead and lips of the insensible Is-a-dill-a; -in a few moments he gave a deep sigh, looked at his father with a glow -of recognition, then again became unconscious. - -"Fortunately at this moment, three squaws who had been gathering -berries, approached, and seeing the condition of the chief and his son, -hastened to the village for assistance. By careful nursing, both -recovered, and the boy became the object of admiration and reverence; -for since his exploit with the bear, none dare dispute his courage, -which is the greatest virtue among the Indians. - -"As I have already told you, it is necessary for all promising youths to -retire into some solitary place, and submit to a long fast, that they -may propitiate the Great Spirit. In a few years, Is-a-dill-a expressed -his desire to attempt the ordeal. The chief made everything in -readiness, and soon Is-a-dill-a was alone in his little lodge in the -wilderness, upon his bed of skin. He looked up with great confidence to -the Great Spirit, and felt that the light of his countenance would rest -upon him. Every morning his father visited him, and encouraged him to -persevere, by appealing to his pride, his ambition, and his noble -instincts. The ninth day came and passed, and also the tenth; on the -morning of the eleventh Is-a-dill-a was dying with weakness, and his -full, rounded muscles had shrunk and withered from the prostrating -effects of the terrible ordeal. - -"'Father,' said the almost expiring youth, 'I have fasted eleven days, a -longer time than man ever fasted before; the Great Spirit is satisfied; -give me something to eat that I may not die.' - -"'To-morrow, my son, before the bright sun rises, I will bring you -venison cooked by your mother; fast until then that your name may become -mighty among the great chiefs of the Delawares.' - -"The old man departed, proud of the fame his son would acquire; and the -next morning, before the sun had risen, he was at the lodge of -Is-a-dill-a, with a supply of the most tempting food, but he stood -motionless before a strange sight within the lodge. There was a youth -with golden wings and most beautiful features, having a halo of light -around his head, painting the breast of Is-a-dill-a with vermilion, and -his body brown. Then, in a moment, the winged youth was changed to a -dove, and Is-a-dill-a to a strange and beautiful bird, and they both -flew through the door of the lodge to a tree, and the strange bird thus -addressed the chief of the Delawares: - -"'Father, farewell. The Great Spirit, when he saw that I was dying from -hunger, sent a messenger for me, and I am changed to this bird. I will -always preserve my love for man, and will build and carol near his -dwelling.' - -"The two birds then flew away, but every morning the robin, during the -lifetime of the chief, sang from the large oak tree that overshadowed -his lodge. - -"When the Delawares moved west of the Missouri, the faithful descendants -of the strange bird followed them, and that is how the robins came to -Kansas." - -The mocking-bird, that sweetest of our feathered songsters, is -indigenous to the central region of the great plains, and his notes are -heard when the day breaks. He seeks the highest points upon the -dwellings, the ridge of the house, the barn, or the top of the windmill, -if there be one, where, like the Aztecs of old, or their lineal -descendants, the Pueblo Indians of New Mexico to-day, he greets the -coming god in the east. - -Like the robin, the mocking-bird loves the companionship of man. He -builds his nest near their dwellings, in the garden, the orchard, or the -trees close by. Kate and Gertrude had made several attempts to get hold -of some little ones in their nests, but there was always something that -seemed to thwart their plans. Last year they found a nest in a grapevine -in the garden, and they watched it zealously day by day, from the laying -of the last twig by the parent birds, to the hatching of the two white -eggs. They saw the fledglings develop from week to week, until they were -nearly large enough to be taken from the nest, when one morning, on -going as usual to watch the progress of the little birds, what was their -horror to see a snake swallowing the last one. The other they knew, by -the swelled body of the reptile, was hopelessly gone! Their disgust and -sorrow may be imagined, and as it was too late in the season to think of -finding another nest with young ones in it, they were forced to abandon -their quest until another spring. - -This April they were successful. A pair had built their nest in the -vine-covered summer-house, a rustic little place that Mr. Thompson had -erected out of the wild grape, for a retreat in which his wife and -daughters might sit in the afternoons when they did not care to go as -far as the deep woods. No harm came to the fledglings this time, and -they were placed in a handsome cage bought by the girls from the -proceeds of the eggs laid by their own brown Leghorn hens. - -The birds soon became very tame, and made the house resonant all day -long with their brilliant notes. They knew the girls the moment they -came near the cage, and would stretch their wings and gently pick at -their fingers when they put them between the wires. They were a constant -source of pleasure, for the girls loved pets of all kinds, and taught -them to return their affection by means of gentleness and constant -kindness. - -Joe lost his elk this spring, and he was greatly disturbed by it. He had -made arrangements with an old hunter, living near Fort Harker, to go out -to the Saline Valley and capture another young one. He intended to break -them both to harness, and expected to have a unique team to drive. The -elk was so tame that he permitted it to roam at will through the woods -on the margin of the Oxhide, where it browsed on the small bushes or -grazed on the luxurious grass which grew in such profusion on the creek -bottom. It always returned to the corral at night for its feed of corn, -but one evening it failed to come up as usual. He wandered through the -woods, looking for it, when, happening to come upon a camp near the -mouth of the Oxhide on the trail westward, he saw to his indignation, -that the emigrants, a very ignorant set from Missouri, had butchered his -elk. He gave them a talking-to that was more emphatic than choice in its -language. They told him they thought it was a wild one, but he became -disgusted at their falsehood, and asked them if wild elks had blue -ribbons on their necks as his had, and he pulled it from the hide which -was lying near their wagons. The girls had sewed it on the elk for him -not a week ago. He saw that the party was such a miserable set that he -could do nothing with them, so he had to leave the place, as mad as a -wet hen, and abandon his idea of ever having an elk team. - -It was a relief for the family to feel that they could now go where they -pleased without fear of marauding bands of Indians. The winter campaign -had most effectually settled their propensities for murdering and -scalping the settlers, so both the girls and boys made trips to the -neighbors, and went on fishing excursions, or hunted whenever they cared -to. Even the wolves, which had been such a terror to the whole -neighborhood, had been so successfully thinned out in several -"surrounds" by the men living on the various creeks, that the raspberry -patch was no longer infested by them. - -Kate and her sister went up there one morning, not expecting, of course, -that the berries would be ripe as early as April. As neither of them -had visited the place since Kate's capture, and everything was now -perfectly safe, they thought they would like to go there again. - -When they arrived at the well-remembered ledge of rocks, Kate pointed -out to Gertrude the exact spot where she was standing when the savages -swooped down on her; and they climbed to the top where they were -attacked by the wolf. - -They found the vines full of blossoms, promising a beautiful crop in -June, and while strolling along the bank of the stream they suddenly -came upon a quail's nest in which twenty-five eggs were just hatching -out. As the quail runs the moment it breaks from the shell, the girls -determined to take the little ones home and bring them up as they did -their chickens. The old birds made a terrible fuss. They would run a -short distance from the nest, and pretend to be very lame; apparently -being hardly able to move. They thus tried to induce the girls to catch -them--a ruse adopted by many other birds when their young ones are in -danger. But Kate and Gertrude, who were well posted in the tricks of -animals and birds, paid no attention to the antics of the old quails, -but were intent on catching all of the little ones they could. Even then -it was a hard job, for the baby quails run almost as fast as the -parents, and hide in the grass where they lie quiet until all danger is -past. They succeeded, however, in getting all but four of them, and -walked hurriedly back to Errolstrath with the tender things in their -aprons. - -"If I didn't know they were quails," said Kate, "I should think that -they were young brown Leghorn chickens. Did you ever see such a -resemblance, Gert?" - -"They do look exactly like the brown Leghorns, and do you know, Kate, -that when I first saw a brood of Leghorns, I thought they were young -quails." - -"I expect we shall have little trouble in raising them, for Jenny -Campbell had as many as a dozen of them in her cellar all last summer. -Her brother caught them as we did these, in the spring, just as they -were coming out of their shells. They will eat small grain like -chickens." - -"Well, we won't keep them in our cellar," said Gertrude; "we'll get Joe -or Rob to build us a big cage out of lath, and then we can make them as -tame as the mocking-birds." - -"Do you purpose to eat them?" inquired Kate. - -"Certainly; why not? Mamma and papa love them broiled on toast, and so -do I. I don't expect to make such pets of them that when the time comes -to eat them, I shall think so much of them that I can't do it; and you -must not either, Kate." - -The girls arrived safely at the ranche with their charge, and Joe being -begged to make a cage, set about it at once, and had it ready in less -than an hour. The birds were put in it, and it was set on the veranda, -where the little things could get plenty of air and sunlight. They -picked up millet seed as readily as an old chicken, when Gertrude threw -in a handful to them. In a few days they were contented in their -confinement and became very tame. - -Kate and her sister intended to raise a great many chickens this spring, -and they set as many as forty hens; for their eggs and young broilers -brought a good price at the fort and in the village. They had excellent -luck at hatching time, but as the little ones began to grow, when the -girls counted them every morning they found their number decreasing day -by day. They could not divine the cause at first, so Rob was set to -watch, and discover, if he could, what caused their disappearance. Some -hens that had fifteen or sixteen would come around the yard next morning -with only six or seven. - -They had three cats: one named Dame Trot, a pure tabby; one called -Mischief, a white and gray; and Tortoise, because of her color. Tortoise -had a litter of kittens which she kept under the front porch. Joe had -suspected that the cats knew something of the disappearance of the -little birds, and told Rob to keep his eyes on them. As he sat one -evening on the veranda he saw Tortoise suddenly spring from behind a -cherry tree and catch one of the young Leghorns in her mouth and carry -it to her nest under the porch. Rob immediately crawled there, and to -his surprise found the heads of more than twenty chickens. He ran into -the house and told of his discovery. His father said that the cat must -be killed at once; for when a cat gets a taste for chickens, it is -impossible to break it of the habit, and Joe was commissioned to put -the guilty Tortoise out of the way. - -Kate cried and was in great distress, for Tortoise was her cat, and she -begged her father to put off its death until to-morrow morning, when she -would go and spend the day with Jenny Campbell. She could not bear to -stay and see her favorite cat killed. Her request was granted, and -Tortoise had a respite until morning, but she was shut up in a box so -that she could not get any more of the chickens. - -When morning came, Kate got Rob to saddle Ginger, but before she started -she begged Joe to bury Tortoise in some out of the way place where she -would never find her grave. Joe promised he would, and when his sister -was out of sight down the trail, he took the cat out of her prison and -went to the woodpile, and with one stroke of the axe cut off her head. -Then he took her down into the woods and buried her under a bunch of -wild plum bushes, where no one would ever see the grave. - -After the death of Tortoise the chickens throve admirably, and no more -were ever missed by reason of the cats having caught them. - - - - -CHAPTER XVI - - THE PAWNEES RETURN--ANTELOPE HUNT WITH THE INDIANS--JOE - MISSES--WHITE WOLF--TALK OF A WILD HORSE HUNT--THE - SAND-HILL CRANES--THEIR WEIRD COTILLION - - -THE Pawnees camped on the Oxhide that autumn earlier than usual, as one -of the boys of the tribe had said they would. - -The band arrived the first week in September, and Joe was again in his -element. He spent every spare moment in the camp, but, much to his -regret, learned that his old friend Yellow Calf was dead; he had died -about a month before of sheer wearing out. He was nearer ninety than -eighty, which he had given as his age to Joe. One of the younger of the -principal men had been made chief in his place. He had been with the -band every season when they camped on the creek, and also was a firm -friend to Joe, so the boy had lost nothing except the presence of the -old fellow who thought so much of him. - -One morning about the middle of April while the Indians were still on -the Oxhide, and Joe as usual was in the camp, a warrior came in and -reported a large herd of antelope on the Smoky Hill bottom; he said -there were at least eight hundred of them. He proposed to Joe that they -should go after them, and the boy agreed without any hesitation. - -The chief told them they had better take about half a dozen of the men -with them; for if the antelope were out on the open prairie, they could -not get near enough to them without a great deal of trouble. If they had -some one to drive the herd toward them while they hid themselves in the -tall grass, they could entice a number within range by using the usual -strategy. - -Joe and the Indian, whose name was the White Wolf, started, taking with -them seven men of the band as drivers. When they got out into the -opening beyond the timber on the Oxhide, they discovered the large herd -unsuspiciously grazing about two miles away. - -The seven Indians were then ordered to make a detour far beyond the -animals, at least a mile from the far side of them, while Joe and White -Wolf secreted themselves in a large patch of bunch-grass. This was out -on the prairie about a hundred rods distant from the timber, and was -pointed to by White Wolf so that his men would understand exactly what -was required of them. - -Joe and the Indian who had remained behind with him, then walked -leisurely toward the bunch of tall grass. They had plenty of time to -prepare themselves, as it would take at least an hour before the Indians -could get beyond the herd to move it. - -On the way to the prairie Joe had stopped at the ranch, to borrow the -Spencer carbine for White Wolf, while he took his little Ballard rifle, -that was only good for about a hundred and fifty yards, while the -Spencer would carry a ball five hundred. - -They reached their hiding-place in plenty of time, for they lay there -fully fifteen minutes before they saw a commotion among the antelope. -The herd were observed to raise their heads as if they winded danger, -and then making a few of their characteristic stiff-legged bounds, they -stood alert as if preparing for flight. - -Joe knew by this that the animals had been startled by the Indians, -though he could not see a sign of one of them. - -The herd at first ran as swiftly as they could in an easterly direction, -then they began to slacken their pace, and a few, having recovered their -courage, commenced to nibble gingerly at the short buffalo grass again. -At this juncture White Wolf tied a white rag around his head, and, -standing on his knees, began to sway his body backward and forward with -a steady oscillating motion. Presently the antelope saw him, and a few -of them stopped short to gaze at the strange object. - -In a few moments four or five of the inquisitive creatures moved slowly -forward again, still attracted by the swaying white figure of the -savage, which so excited their curiosity. Presently, as they came closer -and closer, Joe told White Wolf not to fire until they came within range -of his little gun. Soon the proper distance was attained, and Joe, -drawing up his piece, said:-- - -"Now, White Wolf, fire away!" - -Their pieces were discharged simultaneously; it seemed like a single -shot, so accurately had the triggers been pulled together. Two of the -graceful creatures rolled over on their sides, one White Wolf's, -instantly killed, while Joe's was sprawling out, every limb quivering -like an aspen leaf. - -Both hunters dropped their guns and started out to cut the throats of -their game, Joe was in the act of placing his hand on the neck of the -one he had fired at, when, to his surprise, it jumped to its feet and -ran off to join its not faraway companions, and the astonished boy never -saw it again! - -Which was the more surprised, the boy or the antelope, it would be -difficult to determine. He turned to the savage, who was bewildered, -too, and asked him what in the world was the cause of the animal's -recovery after he had shot him. - -"I aimed at his heart as he stood broadside toward me," said Joe, "and I -don't know what it means." - -"You only grazed him," answered White Wolf. "We Indians often catch wild -horses in that way, when we can't get them in any other." Of course, -they conversed in the Pawnee tongue, for the savage did not understand a -word of English. - -"Oh! I know what you mean, White Wolf," said Joe. "I just grazed his -spinal cord with the ball; it paralyzed him for a moment, that's all. -Yellow Calf told me how the Pawnees used to catch wild horses in that -way, down on the Cimarron bottom, when the tribe lived on the Republican -River." - -"I'm soon going down there with some of my warriors. A Kaw brave told me -the other day that there are a good many wild horses there yet; will you -go, too?" asked White Wolf of his young friend. - -"I'll go if my father and mother are willing, and I guess they will be," -replied Joe. "I should so like to see a herd of wild horses. I have seen -nearly all the other animals that live on the plains and in the timber, -but have never seen wild horses, because they don't range as far east as -Oxhide Creek. There are lots of them in Nebraska though, farther north, -Mr. Tucker says." - -As the prairie was too level for the hunters to hope to get near the -antelope again, now that they had discharged their pieces, and as the -other Indians were coming up to them, they decided to go back. - -One of White Wolf's men packed the dead antelope on his horse, and they -all rode slowly toward Errolstrath. When they arrived there, White Wolf -insisted that Joe take half of the game. To this at first the boy did -not agree, but as the chief insisted so persistently, he finally -consented. So the antelope was divided fairly, one portion was carried -into the house, and the other to the Indian camp down the creek. - -At dinner Joe told his father that White Wolf was going to the Cimarron -bottom in a few days to try to capture some wild horses which, so he -learned from one of his Kaw friends, were roaming on the salt marshes of -that region, and that the chief wanted him to go with him. - -Mr. Thompson said that he had not the slightest objection now that the -war was over and there was nothing to be feared from the savages, but he -told Joe that if any animals were captured, he ought to be entitled to a -share. - -"I have made that all right with White Wolf already, father," said Joe. -"He agrees to give me as great a proportion as his other warriors are -entitled to. He hopes to capture at least one apiece, as the Kaw who -told him about the herd said there were three or four hundred of them -down there." - -As soon as dinner was over, Joe jumped on his pony and loped off to the -Indian camp to tell White Wolf that he could go to hunt wild horses with -the band. - -The chief said that he was glad of it, and that they would start by the -first of the week. It was now Thursday, and that would give them all -plenty of time to make ready. He told Joe that he would let him have a -pony out of his herd, so that he could save his own the hard trip, for -there would be severe work for all the ponies. - -Joe started back to the ranche, and when he arrived at the foot of -Haystack Mound, on the side of it farthest from the corral, he saw a -squadron of sand-hill cranes circling around near the ground, and as he -knew they were going to alight, he pulled up his pony. After turning -loose his animal, which he knew would run right to the corral, he hid -himself in the plum bushes which grew all over the bottom, to watch the -strange antics of those curious birds. - -They dance a regular cotillion when on the ground. They chassez -backward and forward, and waltz around, keeping time in a rude sort of -way as they go through the mazes of their weird movements. - -Presently they all came fluttering down, about forty of them, and -immediately began their laughable capers. Joe had witnessed their -performance a hundred times, but he could never resist looking at it -again whenever the opportunity offered. They danced for more than half -an hour, and then seeming to have enjoyed themselves sufficiently, they -took flight, and soon were but as a wreath of dark blue far up in the -sky. - -Joe returned to the house, and puttered around until supper was ready. -At the table he told of his stopping at Haystack Mound to witness the -antics of a flock of cranes that had alighted on the sand knoll near -there, and said he could sit and look at them all day. - -Of course all the family had witnessed the performance of the cranes -often, for in the season scarcely a day passed that a flock did not make -its appearance somewhere on the ranche. - -Kate said, "I used to watch them on the Canadian when I was in the -Indian village, and they were about the only things that I laughed at -while there. After I had been there about a month and had got pretty -well acquainted, one of the boys gave me a young crane for a pet. He -became so tame that he would follow me all over the village. - -"I kept him three months, when one morning, as I was walking down to the -river with him, I saw him suddenly stop, put his head on one side, look -up at the sky, and running a few steps, fly away. I watched him until he -was out of sight. It was a flock of his own species that he had seen, -and I did not even begin to hear their croaking until he was far out of -sight." - - - - -CHAPTER XVII - - WILD HORSES--JOE SLEEPS IN WHITE WOLF'S TENT--CAMP ON THE - WALNUT--WOLVES AND LYNXES--KILL AN ELK--THE - CHASE--CAPTURE OF THE BLACK STALLION--WHITE WOLF'S - SKILL--BREAKING THE HORSES - - -THE Pawnees remained on Oxhide Creek later than usual this spring. As -they wanted to go on a hunt for the wild horses on the Cimarron bottom, -they had to wait until the grass grew enough to furnish pasture for -their own ponies on the trip. - -About the middle of April, White Wolf told his warriors that he would -start in a few days. A runner was despatched to Errolstrath, to tell Joe -the band would leave in a short time, and to be ready at a moment's -notice. The runner said that when White Wolf started he wanted to be off -very early in the morning, so as to make the Arkansas the first night. - -Joe, all anxious for the exciting trip, persuaded his mother and sisters -to bake up a lot of bread, and boil hard a couple of dozen eggs for -him. He told them that that would be all he wanted, as they intended to -depend upon the chase, Indian fashion, for everything else; and as the -country they were going over was full of buffalo, antelope, and elk, -they would not suffer from lack of food. - -He cleaned his father's Spencer carbine, bought a box of cartridges for -it, and told Kate that he intended to ride the roan which she got from -the Indians and had given to him. He thought the animal was better than -any the Pawnees had in their herd, though White Wolf had said that he -could ride one of theirs. - -The night of the third day after the runner had come to tell Joe to get -ready, another one came to the ranche and said that White Wolf and the -warriors would start in the morning. He told him that he had better come -to the camp with him, and stay there that night, so that there would be -no delay about getting off early in the morning. So Joe got his things -ready, tied a couple of blankets to the cantle of his saddle, his lariat -to the horn; slung his carbine over his shoulder, and buckled his belt -of cartridges around his waist. He then bade good by to the family, -jumped on his pony, which he had named Comanche, after the tribe which -had captured Kate, and rode with the runner who had come for him, to the -Pawnee camp a mile distant. - -Arriving there, Joe found everything in confusion. Some of the warriors -were picketing their riding animals near the tepees, allowing the loose -ponies to run at large, as they will never leave the main bunch. Others -were packing their wallets of par-fleche with dried meat for the -journey. White Wolf was sitting in the door of his lodge, smoking his -pipe and giving general directions to his warriors. - -At last everything was straightened out to the satisfaction of the -chief, and then all adjourned to their several tepees to make ready -their arms and ropes for the work that was to be done when they reached -the Cimarron. - -Joe slept in the lodge of the chief that night, and before the dawn was -fairly upon the world, the warriors were up, saddling their ponies, -taking down their lodges, and packing their traps on the backs of the -animals designated for that purpose. Then after a hastily swallowed -breakfast of dried buffalo meat, at a signal from White Wolf, the party -mounted, and the cavalcade rode southwest at a gentle lope, the pack -animals in front, in charge of two warriors. - -Joe rode alongside of White Wolf in the centre of the column, and they -talked of the probability of finding the herd of wild horses on the salt -marsh where they were going. - -They pulled up about noon to graze their animals and to have a smoke, -which is the first thing an Indian does when he halts: it is of more -importance to him than eating. - -The Big Bend where the Pawnees wished to cross the Arkansas was -seventy-two miles from the Oxhide, near the famous Pawnee Rock, on the -old Santa Fe Trail. - -When the sun was about two hours high, they could see, three or four -miles distant, the white contour of the sand hills which border the -great silent, treeless stream, and the Indians knew that their -camping-ground was near. It was to be in the timber at the mouth of the -Walnut, less than two miles from the spot where they would strike the -Arkansas. - -Before it had grown fairly dark, the heavy timber on the Walnut was -reached, and the party halted, turned their animals loose, took another -smoke, and then prepared for the night. - -Around the camp-fire, White Wolf and several of the oldest warriors told -how that region once belonged to their tribe. Their largest village had -been two hundred miles farther north, on the Republican, and many times -they had come down to where they were now camped, to hunt the buffalo, -or steal horses from the Cheyennes, their hereditary enemies. They told -how they were once a powerful nation, but the white man had stolen their -lands, and now, only a small band, they were obliged to live on a -reservation set apart for them by the Government. - -It was a wild region where Joe now found himself. All night long could -be heard the cry of the lynx, which sounded like that of an infant. The -wolves howled in the timbered recesses of the creek, but Joe slept well, -rolled up in his blankets in the chief's lodge, and it was morning -before he thought he had been asleep an hour. - -At the first streak of dawn, the Indians were out. White Wolf said that -the mouth of the Walnut used to be a favorite place for elk. They might -still haunt the stream; he would send out some of his hunters, and -perhaps they would have elk for their breakfast. - -He selected two of the warriors, who started out on foot to see if they -could find any game. Joe, of course, accompanied them. They stalked -cautiously as only an Indian can--Joe had mastered the art -perfectly--along the bank of the stream, not a stick breaking under -their feet, nor the sound of the rustle of a dead leaf being heard, so -quietly did they tread. - -At last, arriving at a bend of the creek, where the timber grows the -thickest, the Indian in the lead stopped abruptly, put his hand out -behind him, the sign for the others to halt, and taking Joe's carbine -from the boy's shoulder, got down on his belly and crawled forward as -noiselessly as a snake. Suddenly he raised the gun, and seeming to take -a careless aim, pulled the trigger, and immediately Joe and the other -warrior saw four elk rush past them, down the prairie, and out of sight. - -As he turned to Joe and the other warrior, telling them at the same -time to come on, the Indian who had fired said in his own language, -"We'll have elk for breakfast now." - -They followed him into the timber, and there, not thirty yards from -where he had stood when he fired the carbine, was an elk, about two -years old, dead as a stone wall! - -The work of skinning the elk did not take more than ten minutes, and it -was cut up into conveniently sized pieces, and each one of the hunters -packed his portion to camp, less than a mile distant. - -When they arrived they found the fire burning briskly, for White Wolf -and the other warriors had heard the report of the gun, and they knew -that something in the shape of game had been secured, for Mazakin and -Trotter, the two Indians whom the chief had sent out, were unfailing -shots. The meat was soon cut into slices, and each man cut a twig fork -upon which he stuck a slice, and every one became a cook for himself. -Joe produced a loaf of his bread, and with water alone for drink they -made an excellent meal. - -When they had finished, the sun was just rising like a great molten ball -out of the horizon of the far-stretching level prairie. The ponies, -standing ready, were mounted, and the party moved out, crossed the -Arkansas at Pawnee Rock, and continued a southwesterly course all day. - -By sundown they arrived at the Cimarron, a clear, babbling stream, where -the water was a little brackish, and which the Cheyennes call -Ho-to-oa-oa (Buffalo). - -There were no trees at this part of the Cimarron in those days, and they -were obliged to pitch their camp on the sandy bank of the river. The -grass was luxurious, and their animals fairly revelled in it. They soon -filled themselves and lay down, as if they realized the hard work which -would be their portion for the next few days. - -There were plenty of fish in the river, and as Joe had thoughtfully -brought some hooks and lines, he and White Wolf with two of the other -warriors took dried buffalo meat for bait, and soon caught all they -wanted for their supper. - -The next morning they broke camp at daybreak, and rode for a grove of -timber just visible in the far-distant western horizon, where White Wolf -said he believed they would find some wild horses. They always take -shelter at night in timber if any is to be found, and wander out on the -prairie in the morning to graze. - -The party arrived at the grove by two o'clock, and established their -permanent camp, as they saw the unmistakable signs that a herd of wild -horses made it their nightly rendezvous. Their lodges were put up in the -southern edge of the grove, away from the trails of the animals. - -The Indians kept very quiet all day, sitting in the shadow of their -lodges, smoking and talking. They did not even build any fires, but -contented themselves with their dried buffalo meat and the bread which -Joe had brought, for fear of making the slightest disturbance, and thus -preventing the wild horses from returning to their usual nightly -resting-place. Every once in a while, either White Wolf himself or some -of the other warriors would venture out of the timber and gaze long and -anxiously over the vast prairie, in hope of seeing something of the -bunch, which they knew was grazing somewhere not many miles away. Once -the chief thought he saw in the distance, moving objects which he took -for horses, for he was noted far beyond any other member of his band -for his keen sight. He was right in his conjectures, for before half an -hour had passed from the time he had first riveted his attention, the -bunch--for such it was--had swung around, broadside to, and, approaching -nearer the timber, could be counted. There were over forty animals, led -by a magnificent black horse which the chief said he would try to -capture. - -It was a beautiful sight, and Joe stood transfixed as they kicked up -their heels, and raced after one another like a group of school -children, little suspecting that, before the sun went down the next -evening, many of them would be ridden by the Indians who were now gazing -at them so covetously. - -Night seemed to be very slow in coming to the band of Pawnees, who -smoked and smoked incessantly, to pass the long hours before darkness -would invite the herd to seek its bed-ground. At last after dark, by the -light of the crescent moon, they saw the animals, led by the coal-black -stallion, cautiously walk into the timber about a mile from the Pawnee -camp. When the neighing and pawing had ceased, the hunters wrapped -themselves in their blankets and buffalo robes, intending to be up -before it was light, and surprise the herd before it was ready to go out -to graze. - -The ponies were securely picketed, saddles, girths, and bridles -examined, buffalo-hair lariats overhauled, and all made ready for an -early start on the hard day's ride. - -Long before the sun had showed the faintest indication of his coming; -while the stars were still shining brilliantly, the Indians and Joe were -up, and hastily breakfasting, or taking their matutinal smoke. They then -mounted their ponies, and stealthily walked the animals in the direction -of the slumbering bunch of wild horses. - -When they had arrived within a few hundred yards of the place where the -handsome creatures were still unconsciously resting, one of the Indians -and Joe, who was as good as the best man among them, dismounted and -crawled forward in the brush to reconnoitre. They returned in a few -moments and reported to White Wolf that all was quiet, not a single -horse's ear had they seen pricked up, so the animals had not as yet been -warned of danger. - -White Wolf then gave his orders, making such disposition of his forces -as would cause the herd to be surrounded when the warriors had -approached near enough to use their lassoes. So quietly did the ponies -do their duty, that when the herd was awakened to hear and see their -enemies almost upon them, the lassoes of several of the warriors had -done their work. - -As the others bounded away with astonishing speed, out of the timber and -over the prairie, a spirited chase commenced. The Pawnees urged their -ponies to their greatest capacity, the manes and tails of the wild -horses in front were flying wildly in the air, while their hoofs were -beating the hard sod, showing how tightly strung were the muscles of the -frightened animals. - -The Pawnees were obviously gaining upon the fugitives, quick-footed -though they were. The chief came up with the leader, the splendid black -stallion, and began to swing his lasso around his head, gradually -enlarging the circles by permitting the rough buffalo-rope to slip -gently through his fingers. A sudden movement at the same instant -plunged the stallion into an increased speed, when, White Wolf thumping -the flanks of his mettlesome pony, it dashed quickly forward, and the -Pawnee threw his lariat with unerring skill around the neck of the black -horse. The bunch was thrown into a panic, when the members of it saw -their leader tumble to the ground, and wheeling round in their course, -they were completely surrounded by their pursuers. At least ten were -lassoed by the same number of Pawnees, including Joe, who had long ago -become an expert with the rope. The remainder of the bunch not yet -caught were kept together by the rest of the Indians, who were -continually circling around them, so that not one escaped, and at the -end of an hour the whole forty were lassoed, and tied fast by the legs. -Some fifteen of them were not desirable animals, and these were turned -loose again. - -The business of breaking them in began when they had driven the -remaining twenty-five to their camp down on the farther edge of the -grove. The frightened animals, notwithstanding their fetters of rawhide, -kicked up the earth, shook their heavy manes, curved their necks, and, -with eyes that seemed all afire, gazed tremblingly at their captors. - -As White Wolf wanted the black stallion for his own riding, he began -with him. It took four of the stoutest Pawnees to hold the fiery -creature by a long lasso; this had the effect of partial strangulation, -which weakened and temporarily overcame the wonderful power of the -spirited creature. Violent were his plunges as he tried to free himself -from the grasp of his captors. His terrific leaps only served to draw -the lariat tighter around his neck; his breathing became more and more -difficult, and might have been heard for the eighth of a mile. His heart -beat as if it would burst from his heaving chest, and his veins stood -out in great ridges along his quivering flesh. - -At last, overwhelmed by his agony and fear, powerless with suffocation, -he fell, and for an instant lay upon the ground without sense or motion. -The lariat was immediately loosened around his neck, and as -consciousness returned to him, his already glazed eyes became bright -again, the fresh air dilated his nostrils, and his tremendous chest rose -and fell. - -In ten minutes he was on his feet, but how different he appeared from -the magnificent animal which had stood in all his native pride and -dignity at the head of his band. He was weak, hardly able to stand, his -great head drooped, and his eyes were without that natural brilliancy -which had so markedly characterized them; he appeared only the ghost of -his former self. Like a monarch who had been dragged from his throne, -who has been scoffed at by those whom he had previously despised, he was -destined to become the slave of man. - -As soon as the horse somewhat recovered from his exhaustion, he was -mounted by White Wolf, who kept his seat, notwithstanding the animal's -terrific efforts to throw him, and forced him to run round and round in -a circle. If for a moment the horse showed the slightest manifestation -of flagging or obstinacy, White Wolf would give him an awful blow over -the head with his heavy buffalo-hair rope. Gradually he became more -passive, and in less than half an hour from the time when the chief had -mounted him, he was declared broken, and was led away to be picketed -with the rest of the Indian ponies. - -The remaining twenty-four horses were all subjected to the same course -of discipline; some giving up in a few moments, others as obstinate as -was their leader. Before dark all had been sufficiently subdued to suit -a savage's idea of gentleness, and the party went to bed that night -elated over their wonderful success. - -The next morning they started for home, camping at the same place on the -Walnut. From there to the Oxhide, they made two night halts instead of -one, as on their outward trip. - -Joe's share of the capture was three beautiful ponies. Under the -discipline of the kindness which always prevailed at Errolstrath, these -were made in a few weeks almost as gentle as tame horses. - - - - -CHAPTER XVIII - - THE LAST HERD OF BUFFALO--THE STAMPEDE--THE SOLDIERS IN - FULL CHASE--JOE GETS TWO COWS--HAULING IN THE - MEAT--RATTLESNAKES - - -THE last big herd of buffalo ever seen in the valley of the Oxhide -visited their ancient feeding-grounds during that same spring of 1869, -when Joe hunted wild horses on the Cimarron with the Pawnees. One -morning, shortly after his return to Errolstrath, an immense number of -the shaggy ruminants came tearing across the Smoky Hill, below the fort. -They rushed up toward the soldiers' barracks, and dashed wildly through -the post, over the parade-ground, and on toward the Oxhide. - -In a moment the whole garrison was in full chase, enlisted men and -officers, and a fusillade ensued, which sounded at a distance like a -general engagement of troops. The firing was heard on the Oxhide, and -several of the Pawnees who happened to be out on the highest bluffs saw -the herd coming. One of their number hurried to their camp and notified -the other warriors, who immediately mounted their ponies and got ready -for the chase. Joe and Rob were hunting rabbits with their hounds that -morning on an elevated plateau, and they, too, saw the cloud of dust -raised by the great herd, as it came thundering through the Smoky Hill -bottom. Forgetting all about rabbits and everything else, they rushed to -the house for their guns. In a few moments they joined the Indians, who -were coming at a breakneck gait toward the on-rushing mass. The buffalo, -wild with fear and excitement at their proximity to the cabins of the -settlers, were on a general stampede. - -When buffalo are stampeded, they become absolutely blind, and rush -without any aim into anything that is in their path. Some of the -frightened beasts that now had reached Errolstrath ranche, dashed -through the front yard, leaping over fences and gates as easily as a -greyhound. In their mad career they knocked down the milk-pans, -water-buckets, and other things that stood near the kitchen door. - -Kate was standing on the wash-bench, trying to get a good look at the -buffalo as they came tearing along, and before she was aware of the -fact, she found herself sprawling on the ground. An old bull that was -separated from the rest of the herd had come dashing round the corner of -the house, and striking the end of the bench with his leg, sent Kate -headlong. She picked herself up unhurt, and rushed into the house, -almost as badly scared as when the Cheyennes had swooped down on her. - -She gathered her wits in a moment, and with her mother and sister stood -on the back veranda, where they could all see the herd now far up on the -hills, and still running in their madness. The Indians, soldiers, and -officers were shooting at the frenzied beasts as they ran among them, -regardless of consequences. Now and then they toppled one of the huge -animals over, but the white men in their excitement missed oftener than -they hit, while the Pawnees rarely failed to bring down their game. - -The party on the porch at Errolstrath watched the herd and hunters until -nothing but a cloud of dust could be seen far in the distance, yet the -yelling of the Pawnees could still be faintly heard long after the -buffalo had vanished from sight. - -By noon, Indians and whites slowly retraced their course down to the -creek bottom, the Pawnees going to their camp, the soldiers to the fort, -and the boys, Joe and Rob, home. - -"How many of the buffalo were killed after all that terrible yelling and -shooting?" asked their mother. - -"Well, not nearly as many as ought to have been," answered Joe. "I never -saw such a mixed-up mess in all my life. Enough cartridges were used to -have killed five hundred, but the men from the fort were as excited as -the buffalo, and they didn't hit an animal once in a hundred shots, and -then when they did, half the time the ball struck them where it had no -more effect than if you had hit them with a stick! - -"The Pawnees killed more than all the others; they got twenty-five, and -have gone to camp for ponies to pack the meat on. I don't think that -fifty buffaloes were killed in all. I got two, both of 'em cows, and I -must take the wagon out and haul 'em in. We will have enough meat to -last us a long while, but we shall have to smoke most of it." - -"Where did the herd go?" inquired Kate. - -"Most of the animals kept right on toward the east, while some of them -turned round and travelled south. I suspect that the settlers on Plum -Creek flats will have a good time with them, as a part of the herd that -went south was headed for there. I tell you," continued Joe, "you've got -to keep a clear head on your shoulders when you go after buffalo. Most -of those fellows from Fort Harker are recruits, and are fresh from the -East; they never saw a buffalo before, and I don't wonder they were -excited." - -"I never saw so many rattlesnakes," said Rob, "as I did on that big -stony prairie where we killed the majority of the buffalo. I guess I -counted fifty if I did one. I think that the stamping of the buffalo -must have frightened them out of their holes." - -"It's very lucky that the rattlesnakes out here are not so venomous as -those back East," said Mrs. Thompson; "more than twenty persons have -been bitten by them in the neighborhood since we've lived here, and a -little whiskey soon cures it." - -"Do you remember, Gert," said Kate, "when you nearly sat down on one -that was curled up on that stump you were going to take for a seat in -the woods last autumn, and he rattled just in time?" - -"I guess I do," answered her sister. "There's one thing I like about a -rattlesnake: he always gives you good warning that he is around. He -doesn't ever take you unawares, like some animals, a bull dog for -instance, that says nothing, and takes hold of you before you know it." - -"Their skins make pretty belts and hatbands," said Rob. "The cowboys on -the big cattle ranches kill hundreds of them while they are out herding, -and tan the skins to put around their hats. I saw a whole set of jewelry -that was made out of the rattles and mounted with gold wire. One of the -boys was going to send it to Texas to his sister." - -"Well, they may be odd," said Mrs. Thompson, "but I certainly shouldn't -like to wear them." - -"I like the furs of animals better than anything for ornament, either to -wear or to have in my room," said Kate. "I guess it would make a city -girl envious to see my chamber with all its beautiful skins that Joe and -Rob have given me. One of these days I mean to have papa send some of -those otter and beaver skins to Kansas City, and get them made up into a -cape and muff." - -"He will," said her mother. "I was telling your father only the other -day when we were up in your room, that it was a pity so many magnificent -skins should be tacked around the walls, and lying on the floor, just -for ornament, when there are enough there to make us all a set of winter -furs. He said he would send them off in a few days, so I think you will -have your wish gratified before long." - -The boys were sent with the wagon to bring back the meat of the two cows -that Joe had killed, and about noon they returned. The robes were very -fine ones. Joe asked the Pawnees to tan them for him, and when they were -finished, which would be in about a week, he intended to make them a -present to his father and mother for their bedroom. - -The buffalo meat was cut up that evening, by Mr. Thompson, and on the -next day was smoked with corn-cobs, which are always used for that -purpose out West. - -While getting the meat ready, Mr. Thompson told the boys that he -wouldn't be at all surprised if, when they wanted buffalo again, they -would have to go miles away for them, as the country was becoming so -thickly settled that the herds might never come as far east as the -Oxhide. "Of course," continued he, "the antelope will remain with us a -long time yet, but even they will become scarcer each year, and then -they, too, will disappear, for it seems that the great ruminants of the -plains cannot live with the white man as they can with the savages. The -latter have no permanent home, but congregate in temporary villages in -the winter, and as soon as spring opens, they are off again, living on -horseback and depending upon the chase for their existence. It has ever -been so with the Indian since the landing of the Pilgrims, in 1620. The -white man has dogged their footsteps as they themselves follow the deer. -One of the facetious old bishops of New England, I forgot his name now, -said: 'The Puritans, when they landed on Plymouth Rock, first fell upon -_their knees_, and then upon the _aboriginees_!' It appears to be the -fate of the red men to vanish before the onward march of the whites." - -"I feel sorry for the Indians, father," said Joe. "I tell you it would -have made you almost weep to hear White Wolf, that night we camped on -the Walnut, relate in his sorrowful manner how powerful his tribe once -was, before the white man took their lands away from them." - -"I have a warm spot in my heart for the Indian," said Mr. Thompson, "but -it is their fate, I suppose, and cannot be helped. You cannot civilize -the old ones, and the only hope is in taking the rising generation away -from their tribal affiliations when young, and teaching them to live -like the whites." - - - - -CHAPTER XIX - - THE INDIAN HORSE-RACE--KATE'S PONY WINS--THE TRADE WITH - THE PAWNEES--THE DANCES AT NIGHT--THE INDIANS SAY GOOD - BY TO THE FAMILY--NOBLE ACTION OF WHITE WOLF - - -THE Pawnees having remained on the Oxhide much longer than in any -previous season, they began to make preparations for departure. Joe -asked the chief to give a dance with his warriors at the ranche, for his -parents and his sisters to see how the Indians enjoy themselves. - -White Wolf said he would be sure to do so the night before they left. -To-morrow, they were going to have a horse-race, and, should his father -be willing, they would use that long, level stretch of prairie between -the house and the creek. It was a distance of about four miles, the -usual length of a race-course with the Indians. - -White Wolf said that the wagers would be ten horses, and that if Young -Panther wanted to bet, he would make one with him. Joe replied that -neither he nor his father approved of betting, but that both of them -dearly loved to see horses run. "If I believed in betting, though," said -Joe to the chief, "I would bet that my sister's pony, Ginger, can outrun -any pony you have." The chief smiled, and told Joe that if he would not -bet, he might ride that pony in the race, and if he came out ahead, then -he would know whether his sister's animal was the fastest. Joe agreed to -it, and when he returned to Errolstrath he obtained Kate's permission to -ride Ginger in the race the following day. Mr. Thompson had readily -given his consent to the Indians to use the trail in front of the house -as a race-course. - -Joe went down to the camp that evening and told the warriors that they -might have the use of the course. White Wolf then said: "We will be up -there by the time the sun is so high," pointing with his hand to where -the sun would be at eight o'clock. - -"All right," replied Joe; "we will be ready for you. The folks can sit -on the porch and see the whole length of the course. Be sure to come -promptly." - -When Joe returned to the ranche, he announced that he wanted to get up -very early in the morning, and as Rob was always the first one in the -house out of bed, he asked him to call him the moment he awoke. - -Rob, as usual, was out before sunrise. He promptly called his brother, -who lost no time in dressing, washing at the spring, and going out to -the pasture to catch Ginger. He led him to the corral, gave him a most -vigorous currying, after which he fed the pony an extra ration of oats, -to give him heart for the race. - -Shortly after breakfast was out of the way, Kate, who was on the -veranda, feeding the mocking-birds, came rushing into the sitting-room, -crying, "The Pawnees are coming; I can hear their tom-toms beating; they -will soon be here!" - -All the family went out, and sure enough, there were the Indians all -dressed up in feathers, and painted in every imaginable savage manner. -White Wolf had a row of white dots on one cheek, flanked on each side by -a streak of vermilion, while the other was green and blue. He had on a -war bonnet with eagle feathers sticking in it around the upper edge, -making it look like a grotesque crown. Down his back dragged a long -trail of buffalo hair plaited into his own, and at every few inches for -its whole length (it reached the ground when he walked) there were -fastened bright metal disks nearly as big as the top of a tomato can. -Around his wrists were a dozen or more brass rings, and on his bare -ankles he wore as many rings of the same material. He had an embroidered -buffalo robe thrown gracefully over his shoulders, half concealing his -coat of beaded buckskin. His leggings were of the same stuff, and were -also gayly decorated with colored porcupine quills deftly woven in them. -The other warriors were similarly dressed and painted, but wore only one -eagle feather in their bonnets, which was the distinguishing feature -between them and their chief. - -Following the warriors were the boys of the band, each riding a pony, -and leading others which had been wagered on the race. - -The race animals were ridden by their owners, and came after all the -others; among them was the wild coal-black stallion that White Wolf had -captured on the Cimarron. He looked like himself now, as he proudly -pranced along, his mouth frothing as he champed on his rawhide bit, and -his neck arched as he stepped like a thoroughbred over buffalo-grass -turf leading to the house. - -Several of the warriors had tom-toms in front of them, which they were -beating vigorously with a stick as they rode proudly along. The -tom-toms, or drums, are made of tanned buffalo hide stretched over a -willow hoop, and the sound resembles that of a drum, but as the pounding -is simply a continuous series of strokes without any variation, it is -not music, but a very monotonous noise. - -When the band had arrived at the house the Indians dismounted, and after -a series of "Hows?"--their customary salutation--to the family on the -veranda, they dismounted and began to converse among themselves in an -excited manner. Presently one of the warriors started on a run toward -the creek. He soon returned with some sticks, and then he and another -warrior began to mark out the course. - -This took them some time, and while they were at the work, the boys who -were to ride the race began to cinch up their buffalo-hide saddles, and -prepare themselves for the impending struggle. - -Joe was already prancing about on Ginger, and he could hardly hold the -spirited little beast, so anxious was it to be off, as if it perfectly -understood the meaning of all the preparations. The Indian ponies, too, -seemed to enter into the spirit of the thing, for they also commenced to -cavort around, and it was with much difficulty that their riders could -restrain them from bolting down the track. - -At last everything was in readiness, the animals in place, Joe on the -outside of the four who were to run. The animals were all jumping up and -down, stiff-legged, and bucking with all their strength to throw their -riders. - -In a few moments White Wolf gave the signal, and away they darted like -meteors. Ginger kept his place well, the black stallion leading for the -first half-mile until a big roan of one of the warriors took the lead; -then Ginger made a dash ahead. For a moment it was nip and tuck which -would keep the lead, but when the second mile was half run, the animals -began to show their powers of endurance. Some flagged, others were far -behind, and Ginger and the roan were going relatively slower; when all -at once, just as the home stretch was reached, Ginger took a spurt and -seeming to gain his second wind, like a pugilist in the ring, came in -forty feet in advance of the roan, the black stallion twenty feet behind -him. The other ponies were so far away, that if they had been running on -a white man's course they would have been declared "distanced." - -Such a shout went up from the veranda of the house, where the family -were sitting, as they saw Ginger dash ahead, and Joe caught the sound of -it as the wind wafted the paean of victory to his ears. - -White Wolf was disappointed in the result. He thought that his black -horse had great powers of endurance, and as soon as they were assembled -in front of the veranda, he offered Kate five of the best and youngest -of his horses in exchange for Ginger. Kate hesitated for a moment, but -considering that Ginger was now nearly eight years old, and after -consulting with her father and Joe, she decided to make the swap. - -As the chief owned the roan that had really won the race,--Ginger being -a mere outsider just to test Joe's belief that he was the fastest -animal,--White Wolf was, in fact, the winner, and took the ten ponies -that were wagered. - -With the assistance of her father and brothers, Kate selected five of -the best and youngest of the chief's bunch, including the roan. The -Indians then returned to their camp, promising to come up that evening -and give a series of dances, as they intended to start for their -reservation the next morning. - -After they had left the front of the house, and Joe had taken the five -new ponies to the corral, he told Kate that he would now let her have -Cheyenne back, and he would take the roan, as the latter was too large a -horse for her to ride. Kate agreed readily to the proposition, so she -once more owned the little animal that had brought her so safely from -the Indian village. - -When the family had finished their supper, Joe and Rob, with a team of -work horses, dragged several large logs from the creek to the front of -the house to make a big bonfire, for the Pawnee dance. - -Shortly after dark the redskins came up with their best toggery on, and -when Joe, who had donned his Indian suit for the occasion, told White -Wolf he was ready, the Indians commenced to circle around the great fire -of logs, in their savage fashion. Some of them jumped stiff-legged like -an antelope when he is first startled. Others, bending nearly double, -shuffled in pairs, each one on his own hook, trying to see which could -make the most ridiculous postures, for they have no regular figures, but -keep admirable time to the drumming on the tom-toms. - -When the first dance was finished, they gave a representation of the -scalp dance. The chief crept along the ground, putting his ear close to -it, in the attitude of listening on the trail of the enemy, then waving -his hand for his warriors to come on, they rushed into a supposed Indian -camp, and went through the simulation of killing their victim, and -wrenching off his hair with their knives. The motions, which at times -were really graceful, were carried on in perfect unison with the -monotonous pounding of the drums. - -The next dance was named "Make the buffalo come." The medicine-men, who -claim to possess mysterious powers, tell the warriors to dance, for -that will make the buffalo come, and then they can get their meat. The -crafty old fellows are sure never to order the dance until about the -season that the animals come to that part of the country where the tribe -may happen to be. They are kept dancing night after night until the -buffalo really make their appearance, then the medicine-men claim that -they brought them by their incantations and the wonderful power of their -medicine. - -For this dance, White Wolf's warriors and himself covered their heads -with the skin of a buffalo's head, horns and all, so that they looked -like a lot of men with the heads of that animal as part of their -anatomy. It was a long dance, and during its performance, the most -indescribable antics were gone through. - -The family were well pleased with the entertainment, and when it was -over, Mrs. Thompson invited the Indians into the sitting-room, where the -girls had prepared a little supper for them, consisting of cake and -lemonade. The latter was new, and created quite a sensation, but Joe -told them it was not fire-water, and they might drink a barrel full -without becoming crazy. - -At midnight when the dances and the supper were over, the Pawnees rode -back to their camp, delighted with their evening's entertainment. - -The next morning Joe was down at the Indian camp very early to see his -dusky friends make ready for their departure. The chief told him that -they had camped on the Oxhide for the last time; the whites had taken up -all the country, and the buffalo would come there no more. Now when they -needed buffalo meat, they would be obliged to go out as far as the -Walnut, and in a few more years there would be no buffalo at all. His -people would have to take the "white man's road" if they expected to -live. He and the other warriors made their youthful friend some -presents, and told him that they had to go by the house to take the -trail down the Smoky Hill Fork to their distant home. He said that they -would stop a moment at the ranche to say good by to all the people who -had been so kind to him and the tribe every year since they had camped -on the creek. - -Joe returned to Errolstrath, feeling very sad, because he had become -much attached to the Indians, and he knew that he would miss them so -much, and feel lonely for a long time. He told the family that the -Pawnees would come soon to say farewell, and that they must be sure to -be out on the veranda when they came. - -By nine o'clock, Kate, whose ears were well trained to faint sounds, -through her vigilance when a captive in the Cheyenne camp, came into the -house from the porch where she had been attending to her birds as usual, -and said the Pawnees were coming; she could hear the tread of their -ponies' hoofs. - -Then the family took their places on the veranda, as they had promised -Joe. Presently, slowly coming up the trail, with White Wolf in the lead, -the band of Pawnees were seen approaching the house. Arrived in front, -they all halted, and with their usual "How? How?" saluted the family. - -All came down from the porch to shake hands, when Ginger, who with the -other ponies was running loose in the bunch, came up to Kate and, -neighing affectionately, began to rub his nose against her arm and -shoulder. The salutation of her once favorite pony was too much for the -warm-hearted girl, and she burst into tears as she returned the -animal's love for her by throwing her arms around his neck. - -"Oh, father!" said she, "why did I ever consent to part with Ginger? I -am so sorry now. I would give worlds to have him back again." - -White Wolf, noticing her weeping, asked in his own language why the -little squaw was feeling so badly. Joe told him how she loved Ginger and -how sorry she was she had ever consented to give him up. - -White Wolf then said: "Tell her she shall have her pony again. I am a -chief and do not like to see the white squaws cry." He dismounted from -his animal, and going up to Kate, took Ginger's foretop in his hand; -then taking hers, he pressed into it the bunch of hair. - -Ginger neighed when the rude ceremony of returning him to his former -mistress was over, seeming to understand just what had been effected. - -Kate took the chief by the hand and thanked him as earnestly as she -could find language to express herself, which, of course, had to be -interpreted by Joe. - -Then Rob brought from the stable the five other ponies that had been -given for Ginger, and after a few more parting salutations the Pawnees -rode down the trail. - -Ginger was restored to his stall in the stable, and Kate was the -happiest girl in the settlement that day. - - - - -CHAPTER XX - -CONCLUSION - - RETROSPECTIVE--THE OLD TRAPPER PASSES AWAY--MR. AND MRS. - THOMPSON ARE DEAD--GENERAL CUSTER AND COLONEL KEOGH ARE - KILLED--ERROLSTRATH BELONGS TO JOE AND ROB - - -TWENTY-NINE years have elapsed since the events related in this story. -The Indians, buffalo, and antelope have all disappeared. There is no -longer any frontier. Granite monuments mark the dividing line between -great states. The children of this generation will never know by -experience the hardships, the perils, and the amusements which so -conspicuously characterized the life of Joe, Rob, Gertrude, and Kate at -Errolstrath. - -General Custer, Colonel Keogh, and nearly all of the famous cavalry -regiment commanded by the great Indian fighter went down to their death -in the awful massacre at the battle of the Little Bighorn, or Rosebud, -as it is sometimes called. - -The old trapper, Mr. Tucker, who was such a warm friend of the family, -has long since passed away. Mr. and Mrs. Thompson are buried in the -quiet cemetery on the hill, near the ranche. Kate and her sister have -been married for many years and still live in Kansas, but not at the -dear old home. Errolstrath belongs to Joe and Rob. It is now a large -ranche, comprising many thousand acres. Where the buffalo and the -antelope used to roam in such vast herds are to be seen, peacefully -grazing, hundreds of mild-eyed Jerseys and the broad-backed Durhams. A -new house with all modern improvements has been erected on the site of -the old one. On its broad veranda may be seen every evening in summer -the children of the two brothers, to whom, as the shadows lengthen, they -tell of their own early experiences when they too were children and when -the ranche was far out in the wilderness of the great central plains. - -The shrill whistle of the locomotive may be heard at the ranche as the -palace trains with their load of living freight dash along the bank of -the Smoky Hill, toward the Rocky Mountains. Ellsworth has grown to be a -beautiful town with electric lights and all the appliances of our -wonderful nineteenth century civilization. - -The moon shines as brightly and the birds sing as sweetly as of yore -around Errolstrath, but of all the familiar faces that knew it so many -years ago, only those of Joe and Rob may be seen. Even they are bearded, -their hair is slightly mixed with gray. They are growing old; but the -laughter of their merry children serves to keep green the memory of -their own happy childhood. - - - - - * * * * * - - - - -Transcriber's note: - -Obvious punctuation errors were corrected. - -Page 127, "lighting" changed to "lightning" (like lightning and forced) - -Page 225, "lightedl" changed to "lighted" (prairie was lighted) - -Page 225, "th" changed to "that" (and mellow that) - -Page 226, "n" removed from text at start of new paragraph. Original read -(n When the leader of the) - -Page 226, on the line below the previous note, "hu" changed to "the" -(the spot where his) - - - -***END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE RANCHE ON THE OXHIDE*** - - -******* This file should be named 40574.txt or 40574.zip ******* - - -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: -http://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/4/0/5/7/40574 - - - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions -will be renamed. - -Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no -one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation -(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without -permission and without paying copyright royalties. Special rules, -set forth in the General Terms of Use part of this license, apply to -copying and distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works to -protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm concept and trademark. 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