o Fort
Larned the next day.

After the General had gone I went to the sergeant in command of the
squad, and told him that I was going back that very afternoon, instead of
waiting till the next morning; and I accordingly saddled up my mule and
set out for Fort Larned. I proceeded uninterruptedly until I got about
half-way between the two posts, when at Pawnee Rock I was suddenly
"jumped" by about forty Indians, who came dashing up to me, extending
their hands and saying, "How! How!" They were some of the same Indians
who had been hanging around Fort Larned in the morning. I saw that they
had on their war-paint, and were evidently now out on the war-path.

[Illustration: A BIG JOKE.]

My first impulse was to shake hands with them, as they seemed so desirous
of it. I accordingly reached out my hand to one of them, who grasped it
with a tight grip, and jerked me violently forward; another pulled my
mule by the bridle, and in a moment I was completely surrounded. Before I
could do anything at all, they had seized my revolvers from the holsters,
and I received a blow on the head from a tomahawk which nearly rendered
me senseless. My gun, which was lying across the saddle, was snatched
from its place, and finally the Indian, who had hold of the bridle,
started off towards the Arkansas River, leading the mule, which was being
lashed by the other Indians who were following.

The savages were all singing, yelling and whooping, as only Indians can
do, when they are having their little game all their own way. While
looking towards the river I saw, on the opposite side, an immense village
moving down along the bank, and then I became convinced that the Indians
had left the post and were now starting out on the war-path. My captors
crossed the stream with me, and as we waded through the shallow water
they continued to lash the mule and myself. Finally they brought me
before an important looking body of Indians, who proved to be the chiefs
and principal warriors. I soon recognized old Satanta among them, as well
as others whom I knew, and I supposed it was all over with me.

The Indians were jabbering away so rapidly among themselves that I could
not understand what they were saying. Satanta at last asked me where I
had been; and, as good luck would have it, a happy thought struck me. I
told him I had been after a herd of cattle or "whoa-haws," as they called
them. It so happened that the Indians had been out of meat for several