this as one of imminent danger; this is
a great mistake; the bull never pursues long, and the horse must
be wretched indeed that cannot keep out of his way for two or three
minutes.

We were now come to a part of the country where we were bound in common
prudence to use every possible precaution. We mounted guard at night,
each man standing in his turn; and no one ever slept without drawing
his rifle close to his side or folding it with him in his blanket. One
morning our vigilance was stimulated by our finding traces of a large
Comanche encampment. Fortunately for us, however, it had been abandoned
nearly a week. On the next evening we found the ashes of a recent fire,
which gave us at the time some uneasiness. At length we reached the
Caches, a place of dangerous repute; and it had a most dangerous
appearance, consisting of sand-hills everywhere broken by ravines and
deep chasms. Here we found the grave of Swan, killed at this place,
probably by the Pawnees, two or three weeks before. His remains, more
than once violated by the Indians and the wolves, were suffered at
length to remain undisturbed in their wild burial place.

For several days we met detached companies of Price's regiment. Horses
would often break loose at night from their camps. One afternoon we
picked up three of these stragglers quietly grazing along the river.
After we came to camp that evening, Jim Gurney brought news that more of
them were in sight. It was nearly dark, and a cold, drizzling rain had
set in; but we all turned out, and after an hour's chase nine horses
were caught and brought in. One of them was equipped with saddle and
bridle; pistols were hanging at the pommel of the saddle, a carbine was
slung at its side, and a blanket rolled up behind it. In the morning,
glorying in our valuable prize, we resumed our journey, and our
cavalcade presented a much more imposing appearance than ever before. We
kept on till the afternoon, when, far behind, three horsemen appeared
on the horizon. Coming on at a hand-gallop, they soon overtook us, and
claimed all the horses as belonging to themselves and others of their
company. They were of course given up, very much to the mortification of
Ellis and Jim Gurney.

Our own horses now showed signs of fatigue, and we resolved to give them
half a day's rest. We stopped at noon at a grassy spot by the river.
After dinner Shaw and Henry went out to hunt; and while the men lounged
about the camp, I lay dow