ed our supper and eaten it, were sitting
around the logs chatting, smoking, and some of the Mexicans, as is their
custom, playing at _monte_. We had put out no guard, as we had no
expectation that there were Indians in that quarter. Some of the men
said they had travelled the trail before; and had never met an Indian
within fifty miles of the place. At length it became dark, and I began
to grow uneasy about you, fearing you might not be able to make out our
trail in the night. Leaving my wife and child by one of the fires I
climbed a hill that looked in the direction you should have come; but I
could see nothing for the darkness. I stood for some time listening,
thinking I might hear the rattle of your wheels, or some one of you
talking. All at once a yell broke upon my ears, that caused me to turn
toward the camp with a feeling of consternation. I well knew the
meaning of that yell. I knew it was the war-cry of the Arapahoes. I
saw savage figures dashing about in the red glare of the fires. I heard
shots and shouts, and screams and groans; and, among the rest, I
recognised the voice of my wife calling me by name!

"I did not hesitate a moment, but ran down the hill, and flung myself
into the thick of the fight, which was now raging fiercely. I had
nothing with which to arm myself but a large knife, with which I struck
on all sides, prostrating several of the savages. Here I fought for a
moment, and there I ran, calling for my wife. I passed through among
the wagons, and on all sides of the camp crying, `Luisa!' There was no
answer; she was nowhere to be seen. Again I was face to face with
painted savages, and battling with desperation. Most of my comrades
were soon killed, and I was forced among the bushes, and into the
darkness, by one of the Indians, who pressed upon me with his spear. I
felt the weapon pass through my thigh, and I fell impaled upon the
shaft. The Indian fell above me; but, before he could struggle up
again, I had thrust him through with my knife, and he lay senseless.

"I rose to my feet, and succeeded in drawing out the spear. I saw that
the struggle had ceased around the fires; and, believing that my
comrades, as well as my wife and child, were all dead, I turned my back
upon the fires, and stole off into the thicket, determined to get as far
as possible from the camp. I had not gone more than three hundred yards
when I fell, exhausted with the loss of blood and the pain of my