ersion of the crowd;
the intending combatants, especially, sneaking off with great
precipitation. Knowing the fiery temper of Lone Wolf, and the fact that
he looked upon these brawls and affrays with great disfavor, and had
strictly prohibited their occurrence, the quarrelsome young warriors
fully apprehended that he would have no hesitation in braining the first
offender who came within his reach.

This warlike chieftain was a man of very marked ability, and governed
his tribe with admirable skill and judgment. From his severity, however,
he was feared rather than liked by his people, and although implicitly
obeyed at all times, he did not possess a tithe of the popularity which
Stonhawon, the second chief, enjoyed. The latter was a bold, manly
fellow; a really brave man and a sagacious leader; unusually successful
in war, his parties never returned without either "hair or horses," as
was frequently the case with others, and his invariable good nature and
lavish generosity rendered him a universal favorite with his people. He
was a pure-blooded Camanche, and altogether, one of the finest specimens
of his race I ever beheld. To him I am indebted for many acts of
kindness, and but for his favor, the opportunity of which I availed
myself for making my escape, might never have occurred.

CHAPTER XI.

MRS. EASTMAN'S STORY.

I had intended to relate the experiences of my wife in such a manner
that they might serve as a sequel to my narrative; but on reflection,
the better plan seemed to be to portray, as graphically as possible, the
events that influenced her life, in separate chapters, so arranged that
the account should be distinct, yet in point of time, contemporaneous.

The scene of her captivity, and the treatment she received at the hands
of her captors, have made such a vivid and lasting impression on my
mind, that in speaking of them, I seem almost to have undergone the
torture in my own person. In writing her story therefore, I shall speak
in the first person. The reader will, I think, see the superiority of
this plan at a glance.

Who has not felt his pulse quicken, and his heart go out in warmest
sympathy at the recital of some tale of flood or field, as told by an
eye-witness, when the same events related by a third party will only
awaken a mild interest in the minds of his hearers. I crave the
sympathetic attention of my readers, and this is my explanation for the
plan I have adopted.

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