ummit of the
bluff, and in a concealed position watched the Indians for two hours,
during which time they were occupied in cutting up the buffaloes and
packing the meat on their ponies. When they had finished this work they
rode off in the direction whence they had come and on the line which I
had proposed to travel. It appeared evident to me that their camp was
located somewhere between me and Glendive Creek, but I had no idea of
abandoning the trip on that account.

I waited till nightfall before resuming my journey, and then I bore off
to the east for several miles, and by making a semi-circle to avoid the
Indians, I got back on my original course, and then pushed on rapidly to
Colonel Rice's camp, which I reached just at daylight.

Colonel Rice had been fighting Indians almost every day since he had been
encamped at this point, and he was very anxious to notify General Terry
of the fact. Of course I was requested to carry his dispatches. After
remaining at Glendive a single day I started back to find General Terry,
and on the third day out I overhauled him at the head of Deer Creek while
on his way to Colonel Rice's camp. He was not, however, going in the
right direction, but bearing too far to the east, and I so informed him.
He then asked me to guide the command and I did so.

On arriving at Glendive I bade good-bye to the General and his officers
and took passage on the steamer Far West, which was on her way down the
Missouri. At Bismarck I left the steamer, and proceeded by rail to
Rochester, New York, where I met my family.

Mr. J. Clinton Hall, manager of the Rochester Opera House, was very
anxious to have me play an engagement at his theatre. I agreed to open
the season with him as soon as I had got my drama written; and I did so,
meeting with an enthusiastic reception.

My new drama was arranged for the stage by J.V. Arlington, the actor. It
was a five-act play, without head or tail, and it made no difference at
which act we commenced the performance. Before we had finished the season
several newspaper critics, I have been told, went crazy in trying to
follow the plot. It afforded us, however, ample opportunity to give a
noisy, rattling, gunpowder entertainment, and to present a succession of
scenes in the late Indian war, all of which seemed to give general
satisfaction.

From Rochester I went to New York and played a very successful
engagement at the Grand Opera House under the management of Messrs.