ys, throwing a blanket on the ground, on which
sugar in abundance was served out. The sweet-toothed warriors helped
themselves liberally, and affected much delight at the way they were
being treated; but Hatcher, with his knowledge of the savage character,
was firm in the belief that they came for no other purpose than to rob
the caravan and kill him and his men.

They were Comanches, and one of the most noted chiefs of the tribe was
in command of the band, with some inferior chiefs under him. I think it
was Old Wolf, a very old man then, whose raids into Texas had made his
name a terror to the Mexicans living on the border.

While the chiefs were eating their saccharine lunch, Hatcher was losing
no time in forming his wagons into a corral, but he told his friends
afterward that he had no idea that either he or any of his men would
escape; only fifteen or sixteen men against over three hundred merciless
savages, and those the worst on the continent, and a small corral--the
chances were totally hopeless! Nothing but a desperate action could
avail, and maybe not even that.[67] Hatcher, after the other head men
had finished eating, asked the old chief to send his young warriors away
over the hill. They were all sitting close to one of the wagons, Old
Wolf, in fact, leaning against the wheel resting on his blanket, with
Hatcher next him on his right. Hatcher was so earnest in his appeal to
have the young men sent away, that both the venerable villain and his
other chiefs rose and were standing. Without a moment's notice or the
slightest warning, Hatcher reached with his left hand and grabbed Old
Wolf by his scalp-lock, and with his right drew his butcher-knife from
its scabbard and thrust it at the throat of the chief. All this was
done in an instant, as quick as lightning; no one had time to move. The
situation was remarkable. The little, wiry man, surrounded by eight or
nine of the most renowned warriors of the dreaded Comanches, stood firm;
everybody was breathless; not a word did the savages say. Hatcher then
said again to Old Wolf, in the most determined manner: "Send your
young men over the hill at once, or I'll kill you right where you are!"
holding on to the hair of the savage with his left hand and keeping the
knife at his throat.

The other Indians did not dare to make a move; they knew what kind of a
man Hatcher was; they knew he would do as he had said, and that if they
attempted a rescue he would kill their f