lost, and
his designs upon Texas were discarded by his successor. Bustamente was
a man entirely devoid of energy, and he looked with apathy upon the
numerous aggressions made by the Texians upon the borders of Mexico. As
soon however, as the Mexicans heard that the Texians, in spite of the
law of nations, had sent an expedition to Santa Fe, at the very time
that they were making overtures for peace and recognition of their
independence, they called upon Bustamente to account for his culpable
want of energy. Believing himself secure against any revolution, the
president answered with harsh measures, and the soldiery, now
exasperated, put Santa Anna at their head forcing him to re-assume the
presidency. Bustamente ran away to Paris, the Santa Fe expedition was
soon defeated, and, as we have seen, the president, Santa Anna, began
his dictatorship with the invasion of Texas (March, 1842).

CHAPTER TWENTY SIX.

At that time, the Pawnee Picts, themselves an offset of the Shoshones
and Comanches, and speaking the same language--a tribe residing upon the
northern shores of the Red River, and who had always been at peace with
their ancestors, had committed some depredations upon the northern
territory of the Comanches.

The chiefs, as usual, waited several moons for reparation to be offered
by the offenders, but as none came, it was feared that the Picts had
been influenced by the American agents to forget their long friendship,
and commence hostilities with them. It was, therefore, resolved that we
should enter the war path, and obtain by force that justice which
friendship could no longer command.

The road which we had to travel, to arrive at the town of the Pawnee
Picts, was rough and uneven, running over hills and intersected by deep
gullies. Bad as it was, and faint and tired as were our horses, in ten
days we reached a small prairie, within six miles of the river, on the
other side of which lay the principal village of the Pawnee Picts.

The heavens now became suddenly overcast, and a thunderstorm soon
rendered it impossible for even our best warriors to see their way. A
halt was consequently ordered, and, notwithstanding a tremendous rain,
we slept soundly till morn, when a drove of horses, numbering some
hundreds, was discovered some distance to our left. In all appearance
they were tame animals, and many thought they could see the Pawnee
warriors riding them. Four of us immediately started to reconnoi