stood guard, a looking out for
Ingins, as we didn't know but what the cusses might come back and make
another raid on us, though we really didn't expect they would have the
gall to bother us any more--least not the same outfit what had fought us
the day before. That evening, 'bout six o'clock, we rolled out again and
went into camp late, having made twelve miles, and didn't see a sign of
Ingins.

"In ten days more we got to Independence without having no more trouble
of no kind, and was surprised at our luck. At Independence we Americans
left the train, sold our furs, got a big price, too--each of us had a
shot-bag full of gold and silver, more money than we know'd what to do
with. Me, Curtis, and Thorpe concluded we'd buy a new outfit, consisting
of another six-mule wagon, and harness, so we'd have a full team,
meaning to go back to the mountains with the first big caravan what
left.

"All the folks in the settlement what seen Paul took a great fancy to
him. Some wanted to adopt him, and some said I'd ought to take him to
St. Louis and place him in an orphan asylum; but I 'lowed if there was
going to be any adopting done, I'd do it myself, 'cause the kid seemed
now just as if he was my own; besides the little fellow I know'd loved
me and didn't want me to leave him. I had kin-folks in Independence, an
old aunt, and me and Paul staid there. She had a young gal with her, and
she learned Paul out of books; so he picked up considerable, as we had
to wait more than two months before Colonel St. Vrain's caravan was
ready to start for New Mexico.

"I bought Paul a coal-black pony, and had a suit of fine buckskin made
for him out of the pelt of a black-tail deer I'd shot the winter before
on Powder River. The seams of his trousers was heavily fringed, and with
his white sombrero, a riding around town on his pony, he looked like one
of them Spanish Dons what the papers nowadays has pictures of; only he
was smarter-looking than any Don I ever see in my life.

"It was 'bout the last of August when we pulled out from Independence.
Comstock staid with us until we got ready to go, and then lit out
for St. Louis, and I hain't never seen him since. The caravan had
seventy-five six-mule teams in it, without counting ours, loaded with
dry-goods and groceries for Mora, New Mexico, where Colonel St. Vrain,
the owner, lived and had a big store. We had no trouble with the Ingins
going back across the plains; we seen lots, to be sure, ha