started at
their best gait toward the mountains, closely followed by the savages.

The astonished soldiers used every effort to avert the evident loss of
their charge, and many shots were exchanged in the running fight that
ensued; but the Indians were too strong for them, and they were forced
to abandon the chase.

Among the herders was a bugler boy, who was remarkable for his bravery
in the skirmish and for his untiring endeavours to turn the animals back
toward the fort, but all without avail; on they went, with the savages,
close to their heels, giving vent to the most vociferous shouts of
exultation, and directing the most obscene and insulting gesticulations
to the soldiers that were after them.

While this exciting contest for the mastery was going on, an old Apache
chief dashed in the rear of the bold bugler boy, and could, without
doubt, easily have killed the little fellow; but instead of doing
this, from some idea of a good joke, or for some other incomprehensible
reason, his natural blood-thirsty instinct was changed, and he merely
knocked the bugler's hat from his head with the flat of his hand, and
at the same time encouragingly stroked his hair, as much as to say: "You
are a brave boy," and then rode off without doing him any harm.

Thirty years ago last August, I was riding from Fort Larned to Fort
Union, New Mexico, in the overland coach. I had one of my clerks with
me; we were the only passengers, and arrived at Fort Dodge, which was
the commencement of the "long route," at midnight. There we changed
drivers, and at the break of day were some twenty-four miles on our
lonely journey. The coach was rattling along at a breakneck gait, and I
saw that something was evidently wrong. Looking out of one of the doors,
I noticed that our Jehu was in a beastly state of intoxication. It was a
most dangerous portion of the Trail; the Indians were not in the best
of humours, and an attack was not at all improbable before we arrived at
the next station, Fort Lyon.

I said to my clerk that something must be done; so I ordered the
driver to halt, which he did willingly, got out, and found that,
notwithstanding his drunken mood, he was very affable and disposed to
be full of fun. I suggested that he get inside the coach and lie down
to sleep off his potations, to which he readily assented, while I and
my clerk, after snugly fixing him on the cushions, got on the boot, I
taking the lines, he seizing an old trace-cha