s were with the
command, and as they knew that it would take regular soldiers sometime to
turn out, they thought they would have ample opportunity to secure the
herd before the troops could give chase.

We had a running fight of fifteen miles, and several of the enemy were
killed. During this chase I was mounted on an excellent horse, which
Colonel Royal had picked out for me, and for the first mile or two I was
in advance of the Pawnees. Presently a Pawnee shot by me like an arrow
and I could not help admiring the horse that he was riding. Seeing that
he possessed rare running qualities, I determined if possible to get
possession of the animal in some way. It was a large buckskin or yellow
horse, and I took a careful view of him so that I would know him when I
returned to camp.

After the chase was over I rode up to Major North and inquired about the
buckskin horse.

"Oh yes," said the Major, "that is one of our favorite steeds."

"What chance is there to trade for him?" I asked.

"It is a government horse," said he, "and the Indian who is riding him is
very much attached to the animal."

"I have fallen in love with the horse myself," said I, "and I would like
to know if you have any objections to my trading for him if I can arrange
it satisfactorily with the Indian?"

He said: "None whatever, and I will help you to do it; you can give the
Indian another horse in his place."

A few days after this, I persuaded the Indian, by making him several
presents, to trade horses with me, and in this way I became the owner of
the buckskin steed, not as my own property, however, but as a government
horse that I could ride. I gave him the name of "Buckskin Joe" and he
proved to be a second Brigham. That horse I rode on and off during the
summers of 1869, 1870, 1871 and 1872, and he was the horse that the Grand
Duke Alexis rode on his buffalo hunt. In the winter of 1872, after I had
left Fort McPherson, Buckskin Joe was condemned and sold at public sale,
and was bought by Dave Perry, at North Platte, who in 1877 presented him
to me, and I still own him. He is now at my ranch on the Dismal river,
stone blind, but I shall keep him until he dies.

The command scouted several days up the Beaver and Prairie Dog rivers,
occasionally having running fights with war parties of Indians, but did
not succeed in getting them into a general battle. At the end of twenty
days we found ourselves back on the Republican.

Hitherto the Pawn