the subject.

They travelled all night, and when morning came, were bewilderingly
lost. Then Hobbs resolved to retrace the tracks by which, now that the
sun was up, he saw that they had been going south, right away from the
Arkansas. Suddenly an immense herd of buffalo, containing at least two
thousand, dashed by the boys, filling the air with the dust raised by
their clattering hoofs, and right behind them rode a hundred Indians,
shooting at the stampeded animals with their arrows.

"Get into that ravine!" shouted Hobbs to his companion. "Throw away that
meat, and run for your life!"

It was too late; just as they arrived at the brink of the hollow, they
looked back, and close behind them were a dozen Comanches.

The savages rode up, and one of the party said in very good English,
"How d' do?"

"How d' do?" Hobbs replied, thinking it would be better to be as polite
as the Indian, though the state of the latter's health just then was a
matter of small concern.

"Texas?" inquired the Indian. The Comanches had good reasons to hate the
citizens of that country, and it was a lucky thing for Hobbs that he had
heard of their prejudice from the trappers, and possessed presence
of mind to remember it. He replied promptly: "No, friendly; going to
establish a trading-post for the Comanches."

"Friendly? Better go with us, though. Got any tobacco?"

Hobbs had some of the desired article, and he was not long in handing it
over to his newly found friend.

Both of the boys were escorted to the temporary camp of the savages, but
the original number of their captors was increased to over a thousand
before they arrived there. They were supplied with some dried
buffalo-meat, and then taken to the lodge of Old Wolf, the head chief of
the tribe.

A council was called immediately to consider what disposition should be
made of them, but nothing was decided upon, and the assembly of warriors
adjourned until morning. Hobbs told me that it was because Old Wolf had
imbibed too much brandy, a bottle of which Baptiste had brought with
him from the train, and which the thirsty warrior saw suspended from
his saddle-bow as they rode up to the chief's lodge; the aged rascal got
beastly drunk.

About noon of the next day, after the dispersion of the council,
the boys were informed that if they were not Texans, would behave
themselves, and not attempt to run away, they might stay with the
Indians, who would not kill them; but a string of d