art of an
Indian's stories, with absurd and contradictory details, that it was
almost impossible to disengage from it a single particle of truth. All
that we could gather was the following:

He had been on the Arkansas, and there he had seen six great war parties
of whites. He had never believed before that the whole world contained
half so many white men. They all had large horses, long knives, and
short rifles, and some of them were attired alike in the most splendid
war dresses he had ever seen. From this account it was clear that bodies
of dragoons and perhaps also of volunteer cavalry had been passing up
the Arkansas. The Stabber had also seen a great many of the white lodges
of the Meneaska, drawn by their long-horned buffalo. These could be
nothing else than covered ox-wagons used no doubt in transporting stores
for the troops. Soon after seeing this, our host had met an Indian who
had lately come from among the Comanches. The latter had told him
that all the Mexicans had gone out to a great buffalo hunt. That the
Americans had hid themselves in a ravine. When the Mexicans had shot
away all their arrows, the Americans had fired their guns, raised their
war-whoop, rushed out, and killed them all. We could only infer from
this that war had been declared with Mexico, and a battle fought in
which the Americans were victorious. When, some weeks after, we arrived
at the Pueblo, we heard of General Kearny's march up the Arkansas and of
General Taylor's victories at Matamoras.

As the sun was setting that evening a great crowd gathered on the plain
by the side of our tent, to try the speed of their horses. These were of
every shape, size, and color. Some came from California, some from the
States, some from among the mountains, and some from the wild bands of
the prairie. They were of every hue--white, black, red, and gray, or
mottled and clouded with a strange variety of colors. They all had a
wild and startled look, very different from the staid and sober aspect
of a well-bred city steed. Those most noted for swiftness and spirit
were decorated with eagle-feathers dangling from their manes and tails.
Fifty or sixty Dakotas were present, wrapped from head to foot in their
heavy robes of whitened hide. There were also a considerable number of
the Cheyenne, many of whom wore gaudy Mexican ponchos swathed around
their shoulders, but leaving the right arm bare. Mingled among the
crowd of Indians were a number of Canadians,