l, I had been down to Mattamoras on the Rio
Grande, and returning home, had camped for the night, in the ruins of an
Old ranche on the San Saba. Wall, I was alone and pretty tired. I didn't
think nothin' about Injuns, so I went ter sleep; and when I woke up I was
a prisoner, with a dozen Comanches caperin' round me."

"I couldn't do nothin', 'cause they'd taken my rifle and my knife; so I
jist made up my mind, that I'd better keep still and wait for my chance
to come. They tied my hands behind me, and put me on a horse. Then we
started, and I soon saw that they had been down into Mexico on a stealing
expedition, and had had, good luck; for they had five scalps, and nearly
a hundred head of Spanish mares, that they were a-driving home with 'em
to their village, which was on the Clear Fork of the Brazos."

"In ten days, we got to within about a mile of their home, and then we
halted; and one of the braves, all painted and fixed up in regular war
style, started in to let 'em know we were there."

"Pretty soon one of their squaws came out to meet us, and then the
Injuns, fixed to a long lance the five scalps they had taken, and we all
started for the village, the squaw leading and carryin' the scalp-pole,
all the while singing a war-song."

"Just before we got into their settlement we were met by a lot of the
women folks, who joined in the procession. Then we went through the
village. The squaws danced as they went along and made a great noise,
singing songs about the brave deeds of their husbands and sons, who had
taken so many scalps and stolen so many cattle."

"I'd been wonderin' all the time what they were going ter do with me.
Then we stopped before the chief's lodge,--Tabba-ken, or the Big Eagle,
he was called,--and they motioned for me to dismount. I hadn't hardly
struck the ground, before I found what they were going to do with me; for
would you believe it, every old squaw and pappoose in that village, that
had strength enough, flew at me and commenced biting, and kicking, and
scratching me. You see I couldn't do much, for my hands were tied, but I
made up my mind that Tom Pope would die like a man, even though he never
had calculated to be bit and kicked to death, by a lot of Comanche
squaws."

"So I jest set my teeth, and stood the pain the best I was able. After a
while, they got tired of the fun, and quit; but you never see such a
lookin' chap as I was when they got through. Why, there wasn't a spot on
me