ngly attractive personality-- With the disparity in our ages, he
seemed, at that period, to be a very "old man". He had served in the
Mexican War, and died as a Brevet Maj. General, Dec. 14, 1876-- Placing
both hands on my shoulders he said: "Young man, I am proud of you--
General Mackenzie ought to be proud of having such an officer in his
regiment." "I want to personally congratulate and warmly thank you for
the fine work you have done-- It was a duty of very great
responsibility, and you should be commended not only by the Department,
but by the entire Army. I believe it is a record that you should be very
proud of." In rehearsing my adventures to them, I came to the incident
at Hardin's ranch, and my encounter with the two "Jezabels"-- Mackenzie
flared up-- "Didn't I particularly impress upon you in my '_verbal
instructions_' that you must not '_violate the Civil Law_' in any
way--I----" Without waiting for him to finish his sentence, I replied:
"Well, Sir! I have violated no Civil Law. I have hung nobody as yet,
only made a huge bluff. You will see those carbines here to-morrow
morning". The "old man" who was going to "lick me out of my
boots"--promptly at 10 o'clock--rolled into Fort R---- _with all of the
carbines_. I happened to be at the Adjutant's office-- "Is the Gineral
in"? "He is"!-- "I've brought in them guns"!-- After making a statement
more or less satisfactory of how they happened to come into his
possession, and after Mackenzie had "hauled him over the coals" for a
"send off"--the rancher departed--"a sadder but a wiser" man. I never
got any _sweet looks_ from the "ladies" after that when duty called me
past that ranch.

Lawton came in a day or two later. He certainly was "out of luck"-- The
deserters had not headed his way. He had gone farther than the writer--
Way up into the Indian Nation (now Oklahoma), and not only had not
succeeded in "bagging" anybody, but, most unfortunately, one of the best
men in his detachment deserted, taking his horse, arms and entire
equipment with him. After ascertaining what had come my way, he seemed
to be much crest fallen.

A few days afterwards Mackenzie, upon hearing that another man of Troop
"F" was known to be a deserter, and had been located rather vaguely as
being in the "Keechi Valley"--sent for me, and, after smilingly giving
me as well as he was able, the location of the ranch--and announcing
that as I had been proved the "_champeen_" catcher of deserters,