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Wild Life

IN THE

FAR WEST;

PERSONAL ADVENTURES

Of a Border Mountain Man.

COMPRISING

Hunting and Trapping Adventures with Kit Carson and

others; Captivity and Life among the Comanches;

Services under Doniphan in the War with

Mexico, and in the Mexican War

against the French; Desperate

Combats with Apaches,

Grizzly Bears,

etc., etc.

________________________

By Captain JAMES HOBBS,

OF CALIFORNIA.

________________________

ILLUSTRATED WITH NUMEROUS ENGRAVINGS,

Published by Subscription Only

_____________________

HARTFORD, CONN.:

WILEY, WATERMAN & EATON.

F. A. HUTCHINSON & CO., ST. LOUIS, MO.; CHICAGO, ILL.; CINCIN-

NATI, 0.— A L. BANCROFT & CO., SAN FRANCISCO, CAL.

1875.

______________________________________________________________

Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1872, by

WILEY, WATERMAN & EATON,

In the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington.

______________________________________________________________

PRESS OF

WILEY, WATERMAN & EATON,

HARTFORD, CONN.

INTRODUCTION.

_________

IN presenting this work to the public, it is not the intention of the publishers to add another to the already numerous histories of the parts of country which are the scene of the adventures herein recited, but to give what the title page promises, an account of the personal adventures of the author during a long and wild life in the far West. He belongs to that class of pioneers and trappers, now become nearly extinct, of which the famed Kit Carson, who was for many years the companion of the author, has been considered the most perfect type.

In addition to his experiences as a hunter and trapper, we have an account of his life as a prisoner among the powerful and warlike Comanches, his adventures as a trader in Mexico, his services as interpreter and guide, under Doniphan, in our war with Mexico, and with the Liberals in the Franco-Mexican war as Captain of artillery, as well as his experience in mining in the days of the "forty-niners" in California, and elsewhere.

Probably no man living has passed through so varied and exciting a life as this one. At times he has seemed on the high road to fortune, when by a turn of the wheel he would find himself penniless. But in what-

4 INTRODUCTION.

ever condition he was, he was always ready to respond to any call for aid from the famishing emigrant train who were lost on the great plains, or the settlers who were in peril from the remorseless cruelty of the savages.

In writing out the incidents of this strangely event- ful life, no attempt has been made to put them in glow- ing colors, but we have the account in few words. There are many incidents and descriptions that occupy but part of a page, which could easily have been spread over several pages; but the fact is there. Had as many words been used to say as little as there are in many books, it would have required several volumes the size of this to have contained the account of the author's experiences.

One thing the author wishes distinctly understood; he has in no case "drawn upon his imagination for his facts." There are a few incidents given upon what he considers reliable information, and they are so desig- nated; but nearly all is from his own experience. As he never contemplated the publication of his adven- tures, he kept no diary or record of events, but relies entirely upon his memory, which prevents his giving exact dates in all cases. But this does not affect his own acts, and as has been stated, this is not intended for a history.

THE PUBLISHERS.

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.

____________

PAGE.

1. CHROMO, AUTHOR AS A COMANCHE - - - FRONTISPIECE

2. WARLIKE EXERCISES OP COMANCHES, - - - - - 27

3. COMANCHE WARRIOR, (TAIL-PIECE ) - - - - - 31

4. COMANCHES MOVING, - - - - - - - - 38

5. INDIAN "WELCOME, (TAIL-PIECE,) - - - - - - 50

6. BRINGING MEAT INTO CAMP, - - - - - - - 55

7. FANDANGO, - - - - - - - - - - 63

8. INDIAN ON GUARD, (TAIL-PIECE,) - - - - - - 66

9. COMIC BULL FIGHT, - - - - - - - - - 79

10. INDIAN SCOUT, ENEMIES, (TAIL-PIECE,) - - - - 100

11. COMBAT WITH INDIAN CHIEF, - - - - - - 151

12. A HORN TOO MUCH, - - - - - - - - - 157

13. MONTEREY AND BUENA VISTA, - - - - - - 161

14. MATAMORAS, (TAIL-PIECE,) - - - - - - - 168

15. GENERAL TAYLOR, - - - - - - - - 173

16. THE GREASER'S MISTAKE, - - - - - - - 185

17. CASTLE OF SAN JUAN D' ULLOA, (TAIL-PIECE,) - - - 188

18. GREAT SQUARE, MEXICO, - - - - - - - 197

19. THE LAST ARROW, (TAIL-PIECE.) - - - - - - 215

20. FATAL ENCOUNTER WITH GRIZZLY BEAR, - - - - 229

21. RANCHEROS, - - - - - - - - - 269

22. EXECUTION OF MAXIMILIAN, - - - - - - 311

23. CORPUS CHRISTI, (TAIL-PIECE,) - - - - - - 312

24. PLAYING A LONE HAND, - - - - - - - 319

25. CAVALRY VIDETTE, (TAIL-PIECE,) - - - - - - 356

26. MEXICAN ROBBERS, (TAIL-PIECE,) - - - - - - 374

27. AN UNWELCOME VISITOR, - - - - - - - 389 28. MR. JONES IN A DEER TRAP, - - - - - - - 395 29. APACHE COURTESIES, (TAIL-PIECE,) - - - - - 411

30. HUNTING THE BEAR, (TAIL-PIECE,) - - - - - 438

31. COMANCHES CATCHING WILD HORSES, - - - - - 461

32. LASSO FIGHT WITH ELK, - - - - - - - 473

33. NOVEL BARRICADE, - - - - - - - - 481

CONTENTS.

___________

CHAPTER I.

Birth-Place. Death of my Mother. Occupations of my Boy-

hood. Start out with a Trapping and Trading Company.

Description of Bent and Savery. Spiebuck and the Shawnees.

An Attack by Pawnees. Meet a Party of Sacs and Americans.

Pursue a Buffalo Cow. Captured by Comanches. "Old

"Wolf " and his Suspicions of our Brandy. Four Texans, Pris-

oners of the Tribe. Savage "Watchfulness. A Council to

Decide our Fate. Fate of Mexicans previously Captured.

Comanches, their Dress and Habits. Join a "War Party against

the Pawnees. Sad Reflections on passing the Place of my

Capture. Surprise a Party of Pawnees. "Spotted Fawn"

given me as a " Wife. Marriage Ceremony. Surprise of the

Indians at sight of Negroes. - - - - - - - 17

CHAPTER II.

A Raid on Mexicans. Capture of Nathan Martin. Ceremonies at the Burial of Warriors. Comanche Worship. The War Party's Report to the Chief. Indian Surgery. Winter Occupations. Delight of Indians at being Taught the use of a Seine. War Party against the Apaches. Winter Sports. Training Young Warriors. Winter Occupations of Squaws. Example of the Strong Constitution of the Squaws. Use made of Looking- Glass by Indians. "Moving" Incidents. Annual Feast. Meet- ing with Kit Carson, and a Description of Him. " Old Wolf" Declines to Visit Bent's Fort. Plans laid for the Coming Year. Encounter with Pawnees. Battle with Sioux. Dancing over Scalps. Fight with Crow Indians. Raid into Mexico. Escape of Martin. Entertain the Arapahoes and Cheyennes. 11 Old Wolfs " Friends Advise Him to Visit Bent's Fort. June Feast with the Cheyennes. Visit Bent's Fort. Batiste and Myself Ransomed. Meeting with Old Friends. Peg-Leg Smith and

8 CONTENTS.

His Characteristics. "Old Wolf" Surprised by a Cannon. Trad- ing. Arrangements for Future Meetings. Parting with Spot- ted Fawn. The Brown Sisters. - - - - - - - - - - - - 32

CHAPTER III.

Habits of Hunters and Trappers at Bent's Fort. Start on a Hunting Trip under Lead of Kit Carson. Mclntire's First and Last Bear Hunt. Bringing Meat into Camp. Capture an Old Crow Squaw. A Crow Chief in our Camp. Arrangements made for Trading with the Crows. Return to the Fort and start on another Trip. Meet a Number of Traders at Santa Fe. Lead a Party to the Relief of Speyers's Train at the Bone Yard. Character of Mr. Speyers. Peg Leg Smith in his Characteristic Humor. Attend a Fandango. Jealousy of the Natives. The Governor Appealed to. Result of His Joining our Party. Gabe Allen. Trouble Between the Governor and Troops from Chihuahua. Start with Mr. Speyers for Chihuahua. - - - - - - 51

CHAPTER IV.

Unsuccessful Attempt of Navajo Indians to Stampede our Ani- mals. Dead Man's Plain. Apaches run off a Large Number of our Mules. The Pursuit and its Hardships. A mule for Pro- vision. Animals Recovered. Return to Camp. Treat our Friends to " Mule Venison." Given up for Lost. Handsomely Rewarded for our Success. Crossing Dead Man's Plain. Two Murdered Mail Carriers. Arrival at the Rio Grande. A Black Stump Causes a False Alarm. Shoot a Raider. " No Black Stump about That." Spiebuck's Idea of Peace with Apaches. Dangerous Ford at Paso del Norte. Spiebuck's Single-handed Fight with Apaches. Chihuahua Custom House Officials. At- tend the Fair at San Juan. Meet with a party of Comanches. 67

CHAPTER V.

James Kirker. An Expedition Planned Against the Apaches un- der Contract with the Governor of Chihuahua. The "Bull Pen." Pursuit of Apaches. Advance on an Indian Village. Plan of Attack. Premature Alarm by a Negro. A General Engagement. A Stinging Rebuke to Kirker. The Negro Pun- ished for Disobedience. Scalping the Mexican Guide. Discov- ery of Ancient Ruins and Rich Mines. Celebrate our Success.

CONTENTS. 9

Spiebuck's Idea of Hunting. A Prisoner's Escape from me and Spicbuck's Indignation. Arrival and Reception at Chihuahua. Urning over the Scalps. Rescued Women and Children Turned over to the Authorities. A Dinner and Ball in our Honor. Settlement with a Merchant. Spiebuck in War Paint. Division of Property. Meet with Old Friends. - - - - - 81

CHAPTER VI.

Decide to Visit the Comanches. Visit Bent's Fort. Mexican Tnieves on the Way. Dispose of my Spare Mules. Part with my Friends and start alone for the Comanches. Troubled by Wolves. Manner of Driving them Off. Disappointed. Recep- tion by my Old Friends. Distribute my Presents. At Home. Comanche Hatred of Texans. "Old Wolfs" Friend on a Steamboat. Decide to Return to Mexico. The Chiefs Argu- ment to Detain Me. Parting with my Family. News from my Father's Family. Part with my Escort and Proceed to Santa Fe. Experiences as a Freighter and Trader in Mexico. War Declared Between the United States and Mexico. My Property Seized for the Mexican Army. Interview with Santa Anna. Settle with my Teamsters, Procure a Mexican Costume and start for Zacatecas. Go on to Durango. Find Friends in Trouble. Take a Letter to Col. Doniphan. A One-Sided Horse Trade. Information for Col. Doniphan. The Old Flag. – 101

CHAPTER VII.

In Danger from my Friends. Interview with the Colonel. Meet my Brother and Col. Owens. Volunteer for Duty. Death of Col. Owens. Mexican Officers held as Hostages for Friends in Durango. March for Chihuahua. Col. Doniphan's Laws. Friends in Durango Released. Execution of the Colonel's Laws. Meet my Friend of the Horse Trade. - - - - - - 125

CHAPTER VIII.

Sent by Col. Doniphan as a Scout. Carry Dispatches to Gov. Bent. Quickest Time on Record. Bent's Assassination and Price's Retaliation. Sent with Dispatches to Fremont. Return to Chihuahua, The Regiment Ordered to Saltillo. Appointed Interpreter for the Quartermaster. Mexican Thieves and their Fate. The Regiment Provided For. Death and Burial of Cap-

10 CONTENTS.

Tain Reid. A Mexican Well. Indian Cruelty. Fight with In- dians. Lose my Favorite Horse. Liberate Several Captives. An Indian Trophy. The Regiment Entertained by Mr. Evarro. Johnny Murphy's Big Drink. Reception of Gen. Wool. Bat- tle Ground of Buena Vista. - - - - - - - - - -137

CHAPTER IX.

Turning over Commissary Stores, &c, to Gen. Taylor. Interview with the General. The Regiment Reviewed by Gen. Taylor. The Regiment starts for Home. Mexican Guerrillas. Texan Rangers. Released Guerrillas Shot by the Infuriated Regi- ment. The Battle Ground of Resaca de la Palma. Animals sent to Missouri with an Escort. Reception of the Regiment at New Orleans. A Masquerade Ball. - - - - - - - 160

CHAPTER X.

Parting Speech of Col. Doniphan. Complimented Personally by the Colonel. Liberal Present from the Quartermaster. Depar- ture of the Regiment for Home. Visit to my Uncle. Arrival and Reception of Gen. Taylor at New Orleans. Sent in Charge of a Vessel to Gen. Worth at Vera Cruz. Trouble with the Captain. Breaking Mules. - - - - - - - - - - 169

CHAPTER XI.

Pence Declared. Appointed Head Wagon Master of a Train for Mexico. Interview with Gen. Twiggs. Start for Mexico. Bat- tle Field of Cerro Gordo. Arrival at the City of Mexico. In- terview with Gen. Worth. Evacuation of Mexico. Encamp near Vera Cruz. A Texan Ranger Sentenced to Death for an Act of Salf-Defense. Gen. Twiggs and the Rangers. Visit to the Castle of San Juan de Ulloa. - - - - - - - - 177

CHAPTER XII.

Description of Vera Cruz. Take a Train from Vera Cruz to Mex- ico. The Castle of Perote. Volcanoes of Orizaba and Popo- catepetl. The Publanos. The Museum at Mexico. The " Trioya Horse." Church of the Virgin Mary. The Arches of Water. St. Patrick's Guard. Montezuma's Stone Almanac. Earthquakes. Engagement with an English Mining Company. Adroitness of Mexican Thieves. Experience in Blasting. An

CONTENTS. 11

Explosion. Success in Mining. An Unsuccessful Mining Ven- ture. Extensive Mines of the English Company. - - - - - 189

CHAPTER XIII.

An Attack of Gold Fever. Start for California. Aguas Cali- entes. The Mayos and Yaguis. Villa Del Fuerte. Strange food of the Mayos. Relieve Several Cholera Patients. Grati- tude of the Tribe. Ceres Indians. Embark in a Cattle Specu- lation. Find Water in Tracking Thieves. Fort Yuma and an Outrageous Ferry Company. Retribution by Outraged In- dians. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 205

CHAPTER XIV.

Indians 1 First Sight of a Steamboat. Crossing a Desert Sixty Miles Wide. Loss of an Emigrant Train. A Mexican Mur- dered by Dave Brown. Arrive at El Monte and Divide our Stock. Fate of Dave Brown. Hire a Man to take my Stock to San Jose. Meet with Gabe Alien and Peg-Leg Smith. Dispose of my Cattle at San Francisco. Organize a Mining Party and go to Camp Sonora. An Attempt at Blackmailing. A Mining Government Organized. Return to San Francisco, and my Party Leave for Mexico. Quicksilver Mine and Soda Spring. Visit' to Relatives. A Hunting Expedition. Aid a Friend in Catching a Thief. Narrow Escape from a Grizzly. Sad Fate of One of our Party. 216

CHAPTER XV.

Engage as Interpreter in the Land Commissioner's Office at San Francisco. Mission Dolores and a Fraudulent Attempt to Ob- tain the Title to the Land. A Vigilance Committee. Suicide of Yankee Sullivan. A Well Organ-ized City. Judge Jenkins and my Mining Experience with Him. Practicing Medicine. Trial as a Quack. Meet with Placa de Vega and Romero. The Condition of Mexico at this Time. An Uprising. Gen. Lan- berg. Appointed Captain. Collect Assessments. A Priest Brought to Terms. Gen. Garcia Morales comes to our Assist- ance. Preparing for xlctive Service. Placed in Command of the Artillery. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 229

12 CONTENTS.

CHAPTER XV.

We Unite with Romero at Mocarito. Our Ambuscade Re- vealed by the Barking of a Dog. Engagement with Church. Forces. Morales Wounded. A Hospital Established. Valua- ble Recruits. Plan to Capture a Vessel in the Harbor of Mazat- lan. Mistake of Morales. Seizure of a United States Vessel by the Church Forces. Demand for her Release. English In- terference. Our Prizes Taken from us by an English Man of- War. A Colored Picket. Strategy of Morales. Junction with Coranow. Capture of Mazatlan. Presented with a Marine Saber. Prisoners Escape with One of our Vessels. Recapture of our Vessel and Bombardment of San Bias. Expedition Against Lozado. Our Leader, Coranow, Killed. Sold out by Cordero, His Successor. Return to Mazatlan. Capture and Execution of Cordero. - - - - - - - - - - - - 244

CHAPTER XVII.

Capture of a Merchantman and Valuable Cargo. Lose our Prize by the Treachery of De Vega. De Vega a Defaulter. Second Expedition Against Lozado. History of Lozado. Ordered to join Gen. Zaragosa at Sayula. Join Zaragosa and Proceed to Guadalaxara. Mining the Enemy's Barracks. Escape of Mir- amon. Col. Cheeseman Poisoned. Ordered to Cinaloa. En- gagements with Lozado's Warriors. Rasing Recruits. Engage- ment with the Enemy Under Coghen. Ordered to Mexico. Battles by the Way. Capture of Mexico. - - - - - - - - 263

CHAPTER XVIII.

War Declared by France Against Mexico. Engagement near Puebla. I am Wounded. Taken to Mexico. Death of Gen. Zaragosa, and Gen. Arteaga as Commander. Return to Mazat- lan. Treachery of Lanberg. Sent to Altata to Intercept French Recruits. Capture and Exchange of Prisoners. Cap- ture of a Steamer with Supplies. Land at Guaymas. Start for Hermosillo. Primitive Navigation. Join Col. Corea. Taken Prisoner. Escape by the Aid of the Guard. Rebuke to Col. Corea. Sent by Gov. Pesquiera to Confer with Col. Lewis. Ordered to Sonora. Capture of Magdalena. Skirmish with Tannery. Lanberg Joins Maximilian. Encouraging Incidents. Drawn Battle with Gen. Lanberg. A Rich Prisoner. Benefits

CONTENTS. 13

of Strategy. Battle near Ures. Death of Lanberg. State of Affairs. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 276

CHAPTER XIX.

Maximilian's Black Flag Decree. Juarez in the United States. French Troops Withdrawn from Mexico. Ordered to March on Guaymas. Capture of the Indian, Tannery. Shooting of Traitors. Friendship of United States Naval Officers. The "War Ended in Sonora. Trouble with Martinez. Ordered to Mazatlan, and from Thence to Zacatecas. Battle with Lozado. Explanations. Condition of Affairs in the Spring of 1867. Battle of Queretaro. Surrender of Maximilian. Interview of Maximilian with Juarez and the Doctors. The Execution of Maximilian, Miramon and Mejia. Entry into Mexico. - - - - 299

CHAPTER XX.

Expedition Against Marquez at Oaxaca. His Flight without a

Battle. Mutiny. Ordered to the Mountains of Allico to At- tack Lozado. I Resign my Captaincy. Paid for my Services by Gov. Pesquiera. Visit Fort Tubac. " Peaceable " Indians. Seven to One. Exchanging Shots. Incredulity Convinced. A Surgical Operation. Examples of Apache Cruelty. A Valua- able Bullet. Unsuccessful Gold Hunting. Lieutenant Wil- liams and his Apache Ward. An Emigrant Train Attacked by Indians. Emma Brown and her Escape from Apaches. Kind- ness of United States Officers. - - - - - - - - - - 313

CHAPTER XXI.

Miss Hollidav's Rescue from Indians. Her Marriage with the Commander of the Troops. Obliged to Leave for California. Mexican Depravity. A Surgical Operation. Meet Nathan Martin and my Cousin. My Uncle's Massacre by Mormons. ' Join a Party to Pursue Mormon Horse Thieves. Prospecting with Brown and Bennett. Danger of Shooting Cubs. An Im- portant Discovery. Accident to Mr. Bennett. An Unpleasant Night. Mr. Bennett's Effects. Dishonesty of Brown. An Af- fray with Brown. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 328

14 CONTENTS.

CHAPTER XXII.

Go to the Owen's River Mines. How the Cerro Gordo Mines were Discovered. Engaged in Smelling Ores. Death Valley. Gun Sight Lode. Return to Cerro Gordo. Supplied with Pro- visions by Miners. Honn's Idea of Whiskey and Flour. A Visit from a Pah Utah. Deserted by our Guide. Meet an Old Squaw who shows us Water. Joined by two Americans who Escaped an Indian Massacre. Unsuccessful Search for the Copeland Brothers. Mr. Wilson's Revenge. White Mountain Mines. Owen's Lake. A Family Killed by Pah Utahs. A Husband's Desperation. Treaty with Pah Utahs. - - - - - 340

CHAPTER XXIII.

Disappearance of Hog Rogers. A Faithful Dog. Finding of Roger's Body. A Wolf in Sheep's Clothing. Attempt at Bribery. Recovery of Stolen Property. Restraining a Mob. Delaney's Trial and Confession. The Execution. An Appro- priate Nickname. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 357

CHAPTER XXIV.

California in its Early Days. Joaquin Murietta and Three- Fingered Jack. Breaking a Bank. Murietta Refuses to Sur- render Himself. A Company Organized for his Capture. Death of Murietta. His Wife Identities his Head. The Last of the Gang. Large Amount of Property Recovered. An Or- der to Restrain Outlaws. - - - - - - - - - - - 365

CHAPTER XXV.

I Engage as Guide to an Exploring Expedition in the Vicinity of Death Valley. Remains of a Murdered Mining Company. Ac- count of their Massacre. Digger Indians. A Rabbit Hunt. Return to California. Pinon Trees and Nuts. Capture of an Indian Child. Prospecting near the Colorado River. Hot Springs. Summary of Mining Experiences. Mining in Lower California. Pursuing Indians who had Massacred a Mining Company. The Attack. Jones and Patterson. A Good Month's Work. Leave the Camp to Avoid the Deperadoes our uccess had Brought. Driven into Trees by a Grizzly. Game too Abundant. Leave for Safety. - - - - - - - - - - 375

CONTENTS. 15

CHAPTER XXVI.

An Interesting Mexican Family. Jones's Conversation with a Young Lady Interrupted. Our Friend Patterson Commits Matrimony. Leave our Friends and go to La Paz. Pearl Divers. Visit Guaymas. Amalgamation Process. Pimos In- dians. Meeting with Apaches on our Way to the Opoto Vil- lage. Dance over Apache Scalps. An Indian's Opinion of Americans. The Publanos and some of their Habits. Saint's Week at Magdalena. Plancha La Platus Mines. A Mexican Girl Rescued from Apaches and Restored to her Friends. A Timid Major. Taking Receipts. My Opinion of Apaches. - - - 391

CHAPTER XXVII.

Visit Penalto Mines. A Vigilance Committee and its Acts. Bea- ver Trapping on the Gila and Colorado Rivers. Guide to a Party from Fort Yuma to Sonora. An Interview with Gov. Pesquiera. Sunday Amusements. Cure a Member of the Party of a Rattlesnake's Bite. Establishing a Port on the Coast of Sonora. Engagement with Robbers. An Outlaw Killed. An Escaped Thief Captured. - - - - - - - - - 412

CHAPTER XXVIII.

Poor Inducements for Trapping. Mining Frauds. Fight Be- tween Indians and Lumbermen. Death to Mule Thieves. Trip from Fort Yuma to Tueson. Shooting of Apache Mule Thieves. Under Arrest. Avenging a Murder by Apaches. Unpleasant Traveling. An Interview with Col. Thompson. Cow Hills Diggings. Supplying Game to Miners. Meet Pat- terson and his Wife. Supplying Game for the San Francisco Market. A Brutal Dog Fight. How a Huge Grizzly was Caught Alive. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 426

CHAPTER XXIX.

A Trip to the San Bernadino Mountains. Burns kept out all Night by a Bear. A Grand Turkey Shoot. A Misanthrope. Trip to Fort Mohave. Error of a Vigilance Committee. Start for the White Pine Mines. Deserted by our Guide. Rescue of

16 CONTENTS.

A Mexican Girl. Mono Lake and the Grave of Kit Carson'g Daughter. A Disgusted Dutchman. Marriage of Burns and the Mexican Girl. 439

CHAPTER XXX.

Catching Wild Horses. Breaking a Horse. A Boastful Chilian Comes to Grief. Lead a Party to the Rescue of Texan Emi- grants. Prospecting for a New York Company. Failure of the Company to come to Terms. Jones Declines to Join me in Mining, but Joins a Texan Widow in Housekeeping. A Visit to the Comanches. Comanches and their Horses. Lassoing Horses. Creasing Horses. Return to California and Aid a Party of Mexican Shepherds on the Route. - - - - - - - 452

CHAPTER XXXI.

A Second Trip as Guide to a Surveying Party in the Vicinity of Death Valley. Meeting with the Indians who Formerly held Burns^ Wife Captive. Visit San Francisco. An Ex-Robber. Return to Tulare County. A Trip as Guide over the Sierra Nevadas. A Friend in Trouble. Capture of a Thief and Res- toration of Property. Execution of the Thief. Decide to Set- tle Down. Stopping a Runaway Team. Catching an Elk. Sheep Speculations. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 464

CHAPTER XXXII.

Omitted Adventures. Stage Driving Between Zacatecas and Agua Calientes. A Bragging Party Quietly Robbed. Rob- bery of a Mule Train. Stage Load of Englishmen Attacked. Confession of a Wounded Robber. A Thieving Community. My Life in Danger from my Escort. Their Plans Frustrated. A Novel Barricade. Comic Bull Fights at the Fair at San Juan De Los Lagos. Fight with a Grizzly and My Life Saved by my Dog. A Strange Pet. Lose my Dog in a Fight with a California Lion. A Material Ghost. Conclusion. - - - - 474

WILD LIFE IN THE FAR WEST.

CHAPTER I.

I WAS born on the 10^th of May, 1819, in the Shaw- nee Nation, on the Big Blue creek, a tributary of The Missouri river and about twenty-three miles from Independence. The place then known as Indian terri- tory is now better known as Jackson county, Missouri.

Being one of a pair of twins, the chief care of me de- volved on a faithful old negro nurse who was one of my father' s slaves. My twin sister, who was brought up on her mother's breast, after weaning, looked so much whiter than I that my tanned and sunburnt complexion has been the occasion of many a joke from friends who laid it to my nursing from a negro.

My mother died in 1825, when I was about seven years of age. My father married his second wife when was about thirteen years old, and she, being quite a young woman and high-spirited, commenced to rule the house after she had introduced the first one of a second crop of children. This made matters very uncomfort- able for me, but I contrived to amuse myself for three years longer at home or till the age of sixteen, when I struck out for myself, pretty much on my own hook,, resolved to hunt for furs with some company, or hunt Indians, or do anything else that would pay.

While working on my father' s plantation I had be- come familiar with the rifle and shot gun, and indeed

2

18 BENT AND SAVERY.

Had to provide nearly all the meat for the family ; but game was plenty and that was an easy task, much easier than pleasing the mistress who took no pains to give me any educational advantages. Though young, I was nearly full grown when I found an excellent chance to join a fur company that had just started out from St. Louis, under the lead of Charles Bent, and were going out to a fort and trading-post called Bent' s Fort, some three hundred miles south of Pike' s Peak on Big Arkansas river. The party consisted of about sixty men. The more prominent hunters were Charles Bent, Guesso Chauteau, William Savery, and two noted Indian trappers named Shawnee Spiebuck, and Shawnee Jake. Some of the party were agents of, and interested in, the Hudson' s Bay fur company, hav- ing their head-quarters at St. Louis. This was in 1835. As I shall have considerable to say of some of this party, a brief description of them may be of interest to the reader.

Charles Bent, the leader of the party, and a mana- ger of the fur business at Bent' s Fort, was a native of St. Louis, Mo., and a brother of the famous Captain Bent who originated the theory called the " Thermal Gate- ways to the Pole." At the time I joined his party, he was about thirty-five years of age, light complexioned, heavily built, tending to corpulency. In all my ac- quaintance with him I always found him perfectly up- right in his dealings, both with his party and the Indi- ans. He commanded the confidence and respect of all the tribes he dealt with, and his honorable treatment of them prevented violence on their part.

Savery, who was next in interest to Bent was a French Canadian a few years younger than Bent, and like him was a very fair and honorable man in all his

SPIEBUCK. 19

dealings. These two men were well calculated for In- dian traders, for they were respected as honest men, and would never furnish intoxicating liquors to the Indians for the purpose of making more advantageous bargains with them.

Spiebuck was a noble looking Indian, full six feet high, had a high forehead, Roman nose, malicious looking black eye, and was rather lighter colored than most of the Shawnees who composed the party, who were all large, well-built men. He spoke English fluently, having been educated at a mission-school in Missouri. He retained, however, many of the In- dian peculiarities, among them his fondness for liquor and his roving disposition, so that we never could keep him at one thing long at a time. He was the best shot with a rifle, at long range, I ever saw.

The Shawnees of the party wore buckskin pants and hunting-shirt, with fringes of buckskin strings along the seams of the legs and sleeves. They nearly all could speak English, but when by themselves they usually employed their own language. They were quiet and peaceable except when under the influence of liquor: then they needed just such a man as Bent to restrain them and keep them within bounds.

Most of the white trappers wore a dress similar to that of the Shawnees, on account of its great durabili- ty, as it would last from three to four years, notwith- standing the very hard usage it received.

The prospect to me was very pleasing. We were all mounted on horses, having some led mules and half a dozen one and two-horse carts to haul our provisions and bring in our furs, &c. It was a wild and lonely tramp. Before us were the vast plains, unbroken ex- cept here and there with a belt of timber, and we were

20 ATTACKED BY PAWNEES.

Following a mere trail, never seeing a house after leav- ing Independence. My capacity in the company was that of hunter, to provide fresh meat we needed on the route. John Batiste, a boy about my age, was mule- packer. We had proceeded, without adventure, until the night after crossing Pawnee Fork, between live and six hundred miles from Independence, our point of de- parture. We crossed the fork, staked out our animals and, after supper, lay down in the tall grass that cov- ered the valley. I stood guard from two till half-past three in the morning, and when one of the company named Spencer had taken my place, the six on guard had all been changed. About daylight, while the camp was wrapped in slumber, I was startled out of my blanket by a yelling, stamping of horses' feet, cutting tent-ropes, and then came the click of two arrows against a water bucket by my side. We sprang to our feet and seized our rifles, amazed to discover that three or four hundred Pawnee Indians had crept through the long grass, surprised our guard and made a fierce assault with a view of running off our animals. We were not slow in returning their fire and soon the savages were driven into a corner where a precipitous ledge prevented their retreat. Finding it difficult to create a stampede among our horses and mules, and seeing us all well armed, the Indians took to the river in front of us and swam over. I broke one red-skin' s back with a bullet as he was climbing the opposite bank, and three others were killed. Our party were more frightened than hurt, though one or two were pierced with arrows. At that early period guns and ammunition had not been freely sold by Indian agen- cies to these hostile western tribes, and their principal weapon was the bow and arrow. After this our party

MEETING A PARTY OF AMERICANS AND SACS. 21

kept a stronger guard and looked out for night sur- prises.

I had little difficulty in keeping the company sup- plied with meat, as there were great numbers of buffalo, antelope, deer, elk, &c, on the plains at that time.

After traveling about one hundred and twenty-five miles further, we met at Big Coon creek a party of about three hundred Sacs with twenty-five or thirty Americans. These Sac Indians were friendly, and were taking one hundred and fifty buffalo calves to Missouri to raise for English purchasers. These calves had been given to cows whose calves had been killed to make room for these hump-backed strangers. Be- sides these calves the party had young grey wolves, elk, and antelopes.

We camped and feasted together four days, fishing for trout in Coon creek, hunting deer, &c, and at night carousing around, drinking liquor, and having a good time generally.

The reader must bear in mind that the men who en- gaged in expeditions of the kind we were on, were not noted for their total abstinence, any more than the rep- resentative sailor, having the same roving and frolick- ing nature.

Their party was under the direction of Mr. Fitz- hughes, and he had taken the Sacs as a protection to his American party. . He warned us that there were signs of Indians before us, though he could not say what tribe. About four days after leaving our friends we arrived at the ' 'Caches, ' ' a camping place on the banks of the Big Arkansas river, deriving its name from the fact that a number of wagons had been broken down in that neighborhood and the provisions and goods

22 PURSUIT OF A BUFFALO COW.

"cached," or stored there for safe keeping till they could repair damages.

The next morning after leaving this camping ground, our attention was attracted by a distant smoke among some sand hills on the left side of the Arkansas. Our suspicions were that the smoke proceeded from Indians and was, perhaps, a hostile signal to notify other Indians of our approach.

We continued on our route and as our party moved slowly, only fifteen miles per day, and as I hunted on horseback, it gave me plenty of time. I killed three buffaloes that day, one of which, being old and tough, was abandoned after our boys had skinned him. The last one I shot was a fat buffalo cow which ran across the trail in front of our train late in the afternoon. I dashed after her wounding her with my pistols, and she swam across the river in the direction of the smoke. I started to the rear of the train for my Haw- kins rifle, the men laughing at me for letting the cow escape.

"Don't try to follow that cow," said Bent, "she is going straight for that smoke and it means 'Injun' and no good in 'em either."

"But I'll get her," I answered, for I was mad on ac- count of some of the boys laughing at me.

"Get your pack mule," said I to my young friend, Batiste, "and we'll fetch that buffalo back."

"All right," he answered, and we crossed the river. I went ahead, and about three miles from the train came up with the cow. She turned and showed fight. I galloped around her several times, finally getting in a good shot which killed her. Jumping off my horse I began cutting off the choice pieces for use in camp, young Batiste helping me and loading his mule until,

LOST IN THE DARKNESS. 23

suddenly, it was dusk and we were in doubt which way to return to our train. It was very soon pitch- dark, so we could not discern the tracks by which we had come, nor could we see the few Cottonwoods that lined the river, relieving the barren plain, and only at intervals could we see the stars.

''John,'' said I, ''this running around the buffalo has bewildered me, but I think yonder is the way back."

"No," replied John, "I know the way I came, fol- low me," starting off in a different direction from what I proposed.

We traveled in this dismal fog and darkness, occa- sionally stopping to hear, if possible, some signal from our friends who we vainly hoped would be out looking for us. Nothing but the sound of a distant wolf, or night owl screeching, to break the stillness, when we stopped about ten o'clock, and said I, "John, we are going wrong. We have come at least ten miles and the best thing we can do is to stay here all night." It was September and we slept comfortably enough, ex- cept being disturbed in the middle of the night by grey wolves, who, snuffing our meat from a distance, came prowling around us. We had kindled a fire, very luckily, before going to sleep, and knowing the habits of these "varmints," I made them scatter by flashing powder in our fire, and we were left in peace the bal- ance of the night.

About sunrise we awoke and looking around for our train, to our amazement, could not even see the Cot- tonwoods that marked the bank of the river up which our train was moving.

We had been going away from the river on account of John's injudicious advice and want of experience. So we turned and retraced our steps as rapidly as our

24 CAPTURED BY COMANCHES.

loads would permit, and were traveling along cheerful- ly, when a large herd of buffalo appeared and dashed along towards us, passing us at a fearful rate, as though terribly frightened.

"That means hunters or Indians," said I, and still they came thundering past, probably two thousand in number, filling the air with dust, and we discovered that they were closely followed by Indians, shooting arrows into them and piercing them with lances.

"To that little hollow, to that little hollow," I ex- claimed to John," throw away the meat and make for that hollow we just passed."

Batiste didn't need any urging, but we both wheeled and rode for the hollow, hoping to reach it before we were seen.

Descending the little ravine we looked back to see if we were safe and were astonished to see nine "Co- manches" close behind us.

"How d' ye do?" said a stalwart chief in good English.

"How d' ye do" I replied for politeness' sake, but the state of his health was a matter of little concern to me just then.

"Texas?" (They hated Texans and it was well I answered,)

"No, friendly, going to establish a trading post with the Comanches and other Indians."

"Friendly? better go with us awhile, though. Got any tobacco!"

I had a little old clay pipe and Batiste had another, which we gave them with some tobacco, and they took us in tow, starting for their camp where we arrived late that afternoon, our escort having swelled from the nine who captured us to about a thousand. They gave us some cooked buffalo meat and afterwards es-

"OLD WOLF" SUSPICIOUS. 25

corted us to the head-quarters of their tribe, introduc- ing us to "Old Wolf," the head chief.

"Old Wolf" was a large and very tall Indian, with a Roman nose, high forehead, and hair falling down to his hips, braided in plaits, and ornamented with rings an inch wide, put on at intervals. These rings were ornaments peculiar to him, as no other member of the tribe ever wore them. When he wished to make an unusually rich toilet, he wore on his breast a large, highly polished, copper plate, which glistened in the sunlight and of which he was very proud.

Batiste had a bottle of brandy hanging on the horn of his saddle and with a view to conciliate the old chief, I suggested to John to give him a dram. He was suspicious and would not drink. I drank some and he looked me steadily in the eye. I then handed the bottle to him but still he doubted. Batiste took a horn cup and pouring out some so the chief could see what he drank, poured down a good "swig." The chief looked at him steadily fifteen minutes, then tak- ing the bottle drank down its contents, like water, to the last drop. He was, immediately, the happiest In- dian I ever saw.

We had traveled forty or fifty miles that day, close- watched and guarded by our captors, but without any fear of bodily injury, as the Indians acted quite friendly. The chief of their tribe, "Old Wolf" al- ways staid at home, moving only at such times as the tribe traveled bodily, to attend the annual feasts with friendly tribes, or to follow the buffaloes as they mi- grated north or south, for he was an old man.

He had a son called chief and another called second chief. Both were married to white girls, captives, named Brown, who were captured in Texas, near San

26 FATE OF MEXICAN PRISONERS.

Antonio. They were sisters and in the same Indian village were their two brothers, captured at the same time, one named Henry, about twelve years of age, and little Jim, hardly seven years old. They had been taken about four years before, when their father, moth- er and two elder brothers were murdered. The girls were now about eighteen and twenty -one years of age. I made many attempts to talk with them but was al- ways frustrated by savage watchfulness. The little boy could only say Yes or No in English, though he could speak good Indian, as could his brother and sis- ters. I was also forbidden any conversation with the boys, but I learned they had lived near Fort Alamo, the scene of Davy Crockett' s death.

A council was held, soon after our arrival, to decide on the disposition of John and myself; but it was nec- essarily adjourned till the next morning, because "Old Wolf" had drank too much of our brandy and talked himself to sleep in the midst of the council, and was not competent to hear the report of our captors. As the result of the deliberations, next day, the captive, Henry, was instructed to inform us that if we were not Texans and would be good and not run away, they would not kill us but let us stay with them. They, however, pointed to some dried scalps and informed us that about three weeks before, three Mexicans, captured by them and set to mind their stock, had attempted to escape. They were pursued with the intention of bring- ing them back, but it was finally decided, after having a long chase, to bring only their scalps, and they should feel compelled to do the same by us under similar cir- cumstances. These remarks were made with such grave earnestness that we decided our best course was to keep quiet and stay with the Indians, for it would

COMANCHES. 27

be madness for such boys as we were, with no knowl- edge of the country, to attempt to reach Fort Bent or to return to Missouri.

John was particularly faithful. I went out with the Indians, and hunted, and learned to catch trout with their bone fish-hooks. But John never stirred from camp, for he was afraid of mistakes; he might be going from camp with the best intention to return, and lose his scalp, as the Mexicans did.

Our hosts did not like John very well, though they regarded me very favorably. The Comanches are the most powerful of all the tribes of North American Indians. Their dress differs but little from that of the Shawnees, a description of which has already been given,—the men wearing a buckskin hunting-shirt reaching to the waist, buckskin pants so made as to require a breech-cloth, as the pants do not cover the small of the back, and moccasins. The women wear a buckskin petticoat and dress, reaching to the knee, pants like the men, and buckskin moccasins. The dress is usually fringed and the moccasins ornamented. The more favored often add a handsome blanket to their costume. The Comanches are superior to all other tribes in horsemanship, and a very large portion of their lives is spent on horseback. They have a remarkable fondness for horses, and, as might be im- agined, are the most accomplished horse-stealers in the world, often making daring raids, the replenishing of their stock being the principal object, as will be seen in the following pages.

At the end of three months, they were making up a war-party to go against the Pawnees, and requested Batiste and me to go and help them fight. He de- clined, but I accepted the invitation. My Hawkins

28 SAD REFLECTIONS.

rifle was returned to me, and we started, going over the same route we had come to their camp. We even passed the very spot where I had been captured, and also where I killed the buffalo. I saw tracks of shoe clad feet showing that our white friends of the train had searched for us, and must have seen from the Indian foot-prints, that a party had either captured or killed us, and so, giving up the search, had gone on their way. This I afterward ascertained to be the case, and that I was returning in the right direction when captured by the Indian hunters.

My reflections, when passing these familiar spots, were anything but pleasing. Snatched so suddenly from the companionship of friendly white men, who had begun to look upon me, though a mere youth, as an important and valuable assistant in their fur business, I realized that I had lost a good opportunity to become a wealthy fur-dealer and trapper. They were men who did a heavy business, and I had hoped to prove serviceable to them, and obtain an interest in the profits. Now my hopes were blasted. My friends would consider me dead or a captive, and no effort would be made to find me by my relatives or any one else. How far these disappointments, or how much this ill-luck has influenced my after course or made me the roving adventurer that I have been, I leave the reader to judge.

Our force moved onward rapidly to the Big Arkansas river, just a little below "The Caches," where we sur- prised about two hundred Pawnees, who were camped in a wild-plum thicket. They feared the Comanches, and undertook to escape by swimming the river. I had an old grudge against the Pawnees for their attack on our fur-train previously ; and, nerved with a desire

"SPOTTED FAWN." 29

to show our Comanche braves that I was interested somewhat, and wanted a hand in, I drew a bead on a Pawnee who was out in the middle of the stream, and, with a yell, he went to the bottom. The Coman- ches rushed into the river, secured the body, took off the scalp, and returned to their village, as the river was high, and they did not choose to ford it at the risk of their lives. Several of the Pawnees were drowned in the attempt to escape across the river; but the only trophy secured in the way of a scalp came from the head of the Pawnee who happened to be in range of my rifle.

Upon our arrival back in camp, "Old Wolf" helped me off the horse himself, hugged me, and said I had a big heart, but John had a little heart, because he would not go and fight. A procession was formed, and the Indian who had the Pawnee scalp led off, while I was second, the chiefs following, with the warriors in the rear; after which there was a big dance and pow-wow. "Old Wolf" brought out his daughter, a really beautiful Indian girl about my own age, with whom I had become slightly acquainted, and offered her to me for a wife! Of course I consented ; what else could I do?—and the wedding was arranged to take place instanter. The old priest, whose age was over a hundred by the moons he had notched on his cane, united us in the bonds of matrimony at once. He repeated the marriage ceremony, which was unin- telligible to me, and, placing on my finger a ring made of buffalo horn, and a similar ring on her fore-finger, bade us change rings. And thus "Spotted Fawn" became my wife, and proved loving and affectionate; and I have no doubt she remains faithful to me to this day, though I have not seen her for years. All

30 NEGRO PRISONERS.

their marriages are by consent of the chief; and then women are loyal and obedient, considering their mar- riage vows sacred and binding till death shall part them. The men are also true to their wives, as a general thing, and any breach of good morals is pun- ishable by whipping, and sometimes, where the offense is aggravated, the criminal is cut to pieces with knives. Their notions of virtue and morality are, in some respects, in advance of more civilized com- munities.

About three months after my marriage, six negroes were brought into camp as captives. They had run away from their Cherokee masters, and were trying to reach Mexico when the Comanches picked them up. Five were on horses that were too wretchedly poor for crow-baits, and one negro on foot. When they came into camp under guard, they were so badly scared as to turn ashy pale! Seeing me, they called out, "For God's sake, massa! please don't let 'em kill us!' I promised them they should not be hurt. These negroes were a great curiosity to " Old Wolf," who had never seen one of that race before. He came to me for an explanation. ''What kind of people are these?" said he; "what black 'em for? what swinge hair for?" "Not blacked," I answered; "hair not swinged; born so." This he would not believe till he had rubbed his fingers over their faces, and then examined the ends of them, to the amazement and terror of the poor captives. He also plucked at their wool, in the endeavor to ascertain how it got so kinky. The whole nation flocked to see these human curiosities, and crowded around them, raising uncontrollable terror in the minds of the negroes. When they saw them coming, old "Josh," their leader, cried out, "Now

CAPTIVES RELEASED. 31

they 's gwine to kill us sure! please don't let 'em, massa! Gorra mighty ! Ise afraid of 'em! "

"No," I replied; "they will not hurt you. This is the old chief, a greater general than any in the United States, and what he tells you, you can depend on; and I am his son-in-law." That satisfied them.

On the eighth day after their arrival, "Old Wolf" told them they had rested long enough, and must leave. He gave them buffalo robes to sleep on, a supply of buffalo meat, fresh horses to ride, and an escort of eight Indians; and my wife gave old "Josh" a pair of moccasins, for which he stuttered out many thanks. The negroes seemed to have more confidence in me than in their escort; but I calmed their fears, and they started. Four days afterward, the escort returned, having conducted their charge into the main road to Mexico.

CHAPTER II.

ABOUT two months after the incidents related in the last chapter, I accompanied a war-party of four hundred Comanches down on the Rio Grande, to a place called Monclova, over three hundred miles from where our Comanche nation were encamped. We had a battle with the Mexicans; after surrounding and attacking the town of some two thousand inhabitants, forty or fifty Mexicans were killed and twenty scalps taken. Attending our party, and foremost in this fight, was a young girl of our tribe, selected for her purity, and looked upon by these superstitious war- riors as an angel of good or ill luck. Mounted on a fast horse, she was first in our charge, or in advance (as soldiers say) of the line of battle. She was skilled in the use of the bow and arrow and handling of her horse, and to her boldness and cool daring our success was partially attributed.

We lost four of our warriors. We returned with nine Mexican women and children prisoners, and cap- tured fourteen hundred horses and mules, making a clean sweep of all such animals in that section of country. On our return, we picked up, at the Nueces river, a youth of seventeen years, named Nathan Martin. He was out hunting for runaway stock, and, being discovered by some of our party, was pursued and brought in, terribly frightened. On finding that I could speak English, he became more calm, and, in answer to my questions, stated that he was from San

FUNERAL CEREMONIES. 33

Antonio, Texas. I instantly warned him not to let that be known, for our tribe hated the Texans, and would be sure to show him no mercy, if they knew he was from Texas. I told him how to represent to them that he was from the same place I was, and to show no signs of fear, as they would be much more likely to spare him, if he appeared brave. He followed my advice, and was treated kindly by the tribe during his stay with them.

This was one hundred miles north of the scene of our battle, and to this place the four dead warriors were brought, that their remains might be laid to rest within the boundaries of their own nation. The funeral ceremonies hindered us here half a day. The departed were wrapped in buffalo robes, and placed on scaffolds made in trees as high as we could go. Their bows and arrows were laid beside them, buffalo meat put under their heads, and finally their horses were killed at the foot of the trees. Then the warriors, falling on their knees, with hands uplifted and joined, with eyes raised toward the sun (which is their God, or Great Spirit), murmured in low tones their prayers to the sun, to take the bodies of their departed friends up to his bosom, and happily revive them in the heavenly hunt- ing-grounds. This is the best idea they have of any thing spiritual. They believe their departed brother, with his bow and arrows, sitting astride the horse at the foot of the tree, will ascend to the sun, bearing the provisions placed under his head, which is thought sufficient to last him through his upward journey, at the end of which he is expected to find plenty. After the lapse of a hundred years, he will return to his nation, with the same bow and arrows, riding the same horse! All their dead,—men. women, and

3

34 REPORT OF WAR-PARTY.

children,—after meeting friends in the sun and enjoy, ing happiness there, must return at the end of a hundred years, and thus keep up the population and power of the tribe. All the Comanches worship the sun, morning and evening. At sunrise the men, on their knees, with their faces toward the sun, hands elevated and joined, pray for health and prosperity in hunting. At sunset the women pray in the same manner for the same blessings. This was the daily custom year after year, and probably is continued to this day.

Upon reaching our head-quarters, the chief, my brother-in-law (the commander of the war-parties), gave orders for the men to assemble at his father's tent, "Old Wolf's" lodge, the next morning, for the purpose of making our report, as well as to have a jollification over the scalps and prisoners we had cap- tured. Our expedition had occupied several months, being delayed by hunting and branch raids in different directions. Our report to "Old Wolf was made somewhat as follows; All of the war-party sat in a circle in front of the chief's tent, so that the door of the tent was within the line of the circle." Wolf sat in the doorway on a buffalo robe, and by his side his son, the war-chief. The medicine pipe passed around for good luck, and then, in a loud voice, so that all the four hundred warriors could hear it, every event was narrated by the war-chief, from the setting out of the party till its return. During this narration there was the most profound silence. When he con- cluded he asked the warriors if he had stated the events correctly. These reports are meant to be very accurate, but, if any mistake is made, the warriors correct it

SURGERY. 35

After this ceremony was ended, three amputations were made by the chief's surgeon. Two of our war- party had each a leg shattered and one an arm. They were brought back to camp from the scene of our late tight on buffalo robes, bolstered up on horses that were led by others, and must have endured much suffering, but nothing compared to the final amputation, which was barbarous. The old surgeon, with a butcher-knife and a saw made of a piece of hoop-iron, cut off the limbs, seared the stumps with a hot iron, and bound over them a poultice made of a pulverized bark, some- what resembling oak or slippery elm, which they always carry with them. The victims of these rough operations each held a bullet in his teeth, convulsively hugged one of the Indians holding him, and gave vent to some slight groans, but, on the whole, bore it man- fully. They all recovered in due time. After the surgical operation was over, there was a general ca- rousal over the scalps, and a council held to make a proper disposition of our prisoners. The women and children captured were finally disposed of by being adopted in various lodges through the tribe.

I had now been with the Indians about a year. Cold weather was again approaching, and we began preparations for winter. The squaws sally forth in the fall, gathering acorns and pine-nuts. The acorns, being pulverized in stone mortars to the fineness of meal, make a kind of mush when boiled, which goes very well with their meat. In summer they secure wild currants, gooseberries, plums, and cherries, which they dry for winter use. They have vessels for cooking and carrying water, made out of clay and baked in kilns by the squaws.

The fruits and nuts having been provided, and the

36 BUFFALO HUNTING.

season for buffalo hunting being at hand, some of the squaws accompany the warriors out to assist in buffalo packing, &c. These animals move southward in large droves in the fall, naturally dreading the deep snows of the plains. Our tribe of Comanches were often very successful in the hunt, sometimes killing a thousand in the fall. They went out, armed with bows and arrows, mounted on their best horses or mules. There was a precipice several hundred feet high on the bank of the Little Red river, and back of this precipice was a plain which was often covered with buffalo. By surrounding a drove, getting them into a panic, and heading them for the river, they would rush over this high precipice in crowds. Our squaws would assist in skinning them, cut up the meat into strips, salt it (with salt gathered from several natural salt- springs and deposits in the vicinity), dry it in twists, with a streak of lean and fat together, and put these twists into square bales for packing. They scraped the hides with the rib-bone of a deer or elk, and dressed them with the buffalo brains. There were always more or less deer, elk, and antelope crowded over the precipice with the buffaloes, and the meat was preserved and skins dressed in the same way. The buckskin is dressed for clothing by them in such a manner that wetting does not stiffen it.

Fish are also caught in the fall and salted or dried for winter use. For this purpose a hook is used, made of a small short bone about an inch long (for trout), baited with a grasshopper, and hung in the center. They also shoot them with arrows. I taught them how to catch fish with a seine, which greatly pleased them, and for this purpose we used buffalo hides stitched together, with innumerable holes cut in them.

TRAINING YOUNG WARRIORS. 37

This they thought splendid fun, hauling in enormous quantities of bass, trout, perch, &c.

About Christmas, a party of five hundred Comanches went down into Mexico and attacked the Apaches, who, being friendly with the Mexicans, retreated about sixty miles to the Mexican village of Passo del Norte. Some Mexicans were killed, and the party returned toward spring, after an absence of three months, with four or five Mexican women and children, one young Apache squaw, and eighty Apache scalps. They also brought over a thousand head of mules and horses. This was a grand triumph for our tribe, and they danced over it a week. I did not go with them on that trip, but, judging from what they told me, the distance was about three hundred miles.

We spent the remainder of the cold season in hunting buffalo and other animals in small parties. Among the winter sports are wrestling matches, running foot-races, jumping, and horse-racing. At their horse-races, they frequently stake their horses, and their stakes, whatever they are, are always paid without any grumbling.

The young Comanches (oftentimes the lads not over fifteen years of age) were educated and trained for the war-path in an amusing way. Two deer or wolf skins —sewed together, and cut somewhat in the shape and about the size of a man—are stretched on bushes, one such image on each side of the track to be raced over. Mounted on horses fleet as the wind, these boys go back three or four hundred yards. The horses are started, and come down the track at full speed, and, in passing the target, the young warrior must shoot an arrow through it, by throwing himself on the side of his horse, his weight held by his heel against the rear projection of his saddle. His left arm, with a

38 OCCUPATIONS OF SQUAWS.

shield on it, is thrown over the horse's neck, grasping the bow, with the arrow in his right hand; he must send the arrow through the target while passing. This is practiced in shooting with both the right and left hands. Bets are made on the young warriors, as to excellence of shooting. Right and left thrusts with lances are practiced in the same way.

The women of the Comanche tribe are busy in the winter months at various kinds of employment. They cook, and wash, and make up garments with great skill,—for needles using awls made of thorns or sharp bones; for thread they procure their material from a species of wild flax, which is pounded and rotted and twisted into thread, though they often used the sinews of wild animals. They were dexterous in the manufacture of clothing for themselves, their hus- bands, and children, making them up from skins they had dressed or tanned themselves, often ornamenting them with beads procured from the Mexicans or shells found in the river bottoms. They were generally a good-looking, hardy set of squaws, and made good, faithful wives.

Their good health and toughness of constitution may be inferred from their system of midwifery, which was very simple, and not at all like that of our delicate American ladies. When the eventful period arrives, the Comanche squaw proceeds alone to a clump of willows or bushes by the banks of a stream, and, entirely unattended, performs all the necessary offices or duties, goes into the water and bathes herself and infant, wraps the babe in a wolf or other skin, and carries the little stranger back to camp, suspended on her back by a strap which passes over her forehead or around her neck.

MOVING INCIDENTS. 39

There is a rise made of looking-glasses sometimes in battle that was rather ludicrous. A Comanche will give a horse for a piece of a mirror. This he fastens in a shield, and is often able to dazzle the eyes of an enemy taking aim at him, and thus cause his shot to go harmlessly wide of its mark. In pillaging the houses of people living out on the frontier, such relics were often obtained and brought home as very valuable trophies. If an unlucky trapper or emigrant, who happened to fall into their hands, had a hand-mirror for shaving and a silver watch, the mirror was prized as much the most valuable, for its wonderful reflecting properties ; while the watch would, perhaps, be broken up, and the pieces made into nose or ear ornaments for the squaws and papooses.

In June, our chief told us we were all to meet the Arapahoes and Cheyennes, at the annual feast usually held in common by these three tribes. Then com- menced the operation of moving; a long pole strapped to each side of a horse or mule, with a platform made on the parts dragging behind, sufficed to transport our tents and children. The squaws packed the horses and mules, and carried all that was not transported on the platforms. Many of the dogs belonging to the squaws are also made to do service, in "moving time," a small platform being arranged in the same manner as for the horses. Some of them will not submit to this treatment, and worry those that otherwise would, and many fights, often including the squaws who side with their respective dogs, are the result. The warriors, who ride on the Hanks of the procession, leaving the pack-train to the care of the squaws, always appear to enjoy these little differences very much. Then the whole tribe of twenty thousand men, women, and

40 MEETING WITH ARAPAHOES AND CHEYENNES.

children got ready to move. (The number of the tribe is, of course, much less now than at that time.) This required but little preparation, for Indians do not scatter out and leave themselves exposed to raids and attacks. They build their villages compactly, setting their tents thickly on the borders of some stream, keeping the old people in the center. These old men and women provide fuel, and busy themselves making bows and arrows for the use of the warriors.

We had about one hundred and twenty miles to go to reach the feasting ground, which was on the Big Arkansas, between the point where that river is crossed by the Santa Fe road and Bent's Fort. John Batiste went with us, of course; but this was the first time he had left camp since his capture. On the first day after we started, his horse threw him, which created a general laugh, for the Indians all despised him, and would have taken his scalp long before, if they had not been so attached to me. John was still unmarried, having never asked for a wife; for he well knew that none of the squaws would look with favor upon him, as he was such a coward.

As we expected, we met on the Big Arkansas about twenty thousand Arapahoes and Cheyennes, these two tribes being very friendly and mixing together. To me it was a lively scene, as I gazed on forty thousand people assembled in one grand mass meeting, with their tents and animals spread out over an area several miles in extent. We took a large quantity of pro- visions with us, killing some game on the way, and sent out daily hunting-parties, to provide food during the feast.

The favorite dish of the Arapahoes and Cheyennes was dog, gelded and fattened, which they cooked in

BALL PLAYING. 41

covered pits in the earth, the bottoms of which were covered with burning coals and red-hot stones. The Comanches do not eat dog at home, but with these two friendly tribes, at their feasts, they partake. I never tried the flavor of the animal.

Upon our arrival, "Old Wolf" introduced me to the Arapahoe chief, telling him I was his son-in-law; said I was a brave fellow, reciting the killing of the Pawnee and the trip to Mexico; and then, pointing to John, said he had a little heart and never stirred out of camp. Kit Carson and I have since had many a laugh at John Batiste about his little heart; for we three had many an adventure after that on the plains together.

The feast continued ten or fifteen days, and was enlivened by running horse-races, foot-races, and by playing ball. In these races and games, the Coman- ches bet horses against the Arapahoes and Cheyennes, a ad almost always win, so that, by the time the great feast is over, those two tribes are afoot! But "Old Wolf" always gave them back a number of horses to go home with, and the different tribes went each their way in good humor and the best of spirits. The game of ball was played with crooked sticks, and is very much like our "shinney." The players are dressed with a simple breech-cloth and moccasins, and the game is always played with enthusiasm, and affords much amusement. They choose sides, and put up stakes on the result of these ball-games, as well as on the foot-races. As a spectator among these igno- rant savages, I was highly amused and interested by these harmless festivities.

The eighth day of the feast, I saw a white man coming toward our chief's tent, in company with a

42 KIT CARSON.

number of Cheyennes. "John," said I to Batiste, ''they are bringing in a white man." They came to "Old Wolf," and the stranger, seeing me, opened a conversation, which I translated to the chief. The new-comer said his name was Kit Carson. He was mounted on an Indian pony, and was a man of slight build, small in stature, with long flowing hair, light complexion, with a piercing grayish eye, inclined to blue; and altogether his appearance was such that I took a natural liking to him. Afterward, in my long acquaintance of twelve years with him, I noticed that other men, even the Indians, were favorably inclined to Kit at first sight. I found, also, that he was a superior shot with his rifle and a remarkable rider, being familiar with many feats of horsemanship learned only among the Indians. Either he or I could with ease pick up a silver dollar from the ground, when going at full speed, mounted on the swiftest pony. We often, in idle hours, amused ourselves by one shooting apples held by the other on a sharp stick two or three inches in length.

Carson said he was an old friend of the Cheyenne chief, and wanted to be friendly with the Comanches. He was a member of a trading company that were encamped not far from Bent's Fort, and he said he had beads, trinkets, and all sorts of merchandise for sale. "Old Wolf" was evidently suspicious and disposed to be hostile. He did not like to have me converse with Carson; but I got a chance to tell him privately, in the course of the two or three hours that he stopped in our camp, that he might say to the people at the fort, that John and I who were lost at u The Caches," were captives there among the Indians. He said he had heard about our being

BATTLES WITH PAWNEES AND SIOUX. 43

missed from a trappers' train, and that we were con- sidered as dead or captives among some Indians. To see us alive and well once more, was a very agreeable surprise. Kit soon left our camp, and returned to his trapping company, from seventy -live to one hundred miles from us, up the Big Arkansas. Before he left, he stated that "Peg-leg" Smith, a noted trapper, so called from his having a wooden leg, and Shawnee Spiebuck, one of the party I left home with, were in his party, and he had left them back in camp, to come here and see his old friend, the Cheyenne chief, and, if possible, to trade for furs.

At the end of the feast, the three chiefs—Comanche, Arapahoe, and Cheyenne—held a council, in which they laid plans for the ensuing year, marking out routes for hunting and war parties, so they should not come in collision with each other, and arranged for the next feast, to be given on Comanche grounds to the Arapahoes and Cheyennes. Then our whole party started down the Big Arkansas.

At the mouth of Ash creek, two hundred miles from the place of our late feast, we encountered a war-party of Pawnees, scalped twenty-three, and took all their horses. Thence, going up to the head of Ash creek, we encamped, sending out war-parties occasionally. After we had been in camp here about a month, we had a battle with the Sioux Indians, and here the Comanches were again victors. There were about four hundred engaged on each side, and we lost twenty-one of our warriors, but took about eighty scalps, while some of their dead were carried off the field.

After burying our dead, we spent about two months dancing over the Sioux scalps and doctoring our wounded. After they were well enough to move,

44 ESCAPE OF MARTIN.

we went with a large war-party, one hundred and fifty miles, to the foot of the Rocky mountains, where we had an encounter with the Crow Indians, but suffered small loss ourselves. We remained in that vicinity about a month, when we started for our old home, traveling slowly, and killing meat on our way, reach- ing home in November.

After laying up sufficient provision for the winter, a war-party of five hundred was organized to make a raid into Mexico. "Old Wolf" asked me to go; but I excused myself, and urged Martin, our young cap- tive, to join the expedition. He consented, and they gave him a horse and gun, when he departed with the warriors, after smoking the medicine-pipe all around. I had some suspicion that he would find some way to escape. On the return of the warriors, two months afterward, they reported that, at Cerro Gordo, some five or six hundred miles distant, they were in the midst of a fight with Mexican troops, into which Martin had rushed with the rest, when suddenly they missed him, and afterward found his horse among their own. They supposed him to be killed; but such was not the fact, for, within a few years, I have seen him in Los Angeles county, California, where he is keeping a hotel. In that fight, our Co- manches fought the Mexicans about even, but whipped them, and brought home a lot of horses, brood mares, guns, ammunition, and several Mexican prisoners.

We spent the remainder of the winter in the usual sports and in hunting, and in June the Arapahoes and Cheyennes came over to our village, on Little Red river, to hold the annual feast, according to agreement. At this feast there was a show of scalps taken during the year, and our tribe had the most, our chief showing

BENT'S FORT. 45

over a hundred; while the other two tribes could only show about half that number. This feast and grand carnival lasted twenty days.

At the usual chiefs' council, at the expiration of the feast, the Cheyenne chief advised "Old Wolf" to go to Bent's Fort and trade with the white people. He had done so, and liked them; showed some presents he had received; said they were good people,—not like the Texans, but like me, and were of the same party as myself. "Old Wolf" agreed to go and have a talk with Bent the next year, when he should come around to feast with the Cheyennes; for the camp of the Cheyennes was not more than a day's travel from the fort. At this feast the Cheyennes complained of bad luck and a scarcity of horses, and "Old Wolf" made them a present of three hundred head, saying he knew where to find plenty more.

During the ensuing year, we made some important raids into Mexico, and had a number of fights, travel- ing a large circuit with the entire tribe, sometimes with good success and sometimes quite the contrary.

At the June feast among the Cheyennes, when I had been with the Comanches nearly four years, "Old Wolf went with their chief, by invitation, to visit Bent's Fort, about twenty miles distant. Bent had learned from Kit Carson that John Batiste and myself were with the Comanches, and offered to buy us of "Old Wolf." He replied, that he would be willing to sell John for a jews-harp, but could not spare me, unless I was dissatisfied, and wanted to leave them. He sent a warrior back to our camp, saying we were wanted at the fort. While saddling our horses, my wife began to cry, but assisted in our preparations and finally decided to go with us to the fort, telling me re-

46 "PEG-LEG" SMITH.

peatedly on the road that she wanted me to stay by her and not forsake their tribe.

At the fort I met Kit Carson, Peg-leg Smith, and most of the men that belonged to the train with which I engaged nearly four years before.

Peg-leg Smith, as has before been stated, received this name from the fact of his having a wooden leg. He was a stout built man with black eyes and gray hair. He was a hard drinker, and, when under the in- fluence of liquor, very liable to get into a fight. When he found himself in a tight place, his wooden leg proved very serviceable to him as he had a way of unstrapping it very quickly, and when wielded by his muscular arms it proved a weapon not to be despised. His love of liquor was his ruin, as he died about the year 1868, in a drunken fit, in Calaveras county, California.

The whole party were much pleased to welcome John and me from our captivity, and, as might be imagined from previous descriptions of the leading men of the party, whisky occupied a prominent place in the rejoicing. Peg-leg Smith, at this, our first meeting, showed me what to expect of him in future, whenever he and whisky came together, and John and I found our heads hardly able to stand the many toasts drank to our good health.

The whole party, "Old Wolf," and his companion, the Cheyenne chief, got very much elated; and nearly every person in the fort smelt the whisky, if they did not get their feet tangled with it. About midnight a messenger came inside, stating that a thousand warriors were gathering around the fort. They demanded their leaders, fearing treachery; they desired to know why their chief had not returned. I went out and explain-

RANSOMED. 47

ed that we were among good friends. They insisted on seeing "Old Wolf" himself. He, and my wife, and myself showed ourselves to them, and the chief made a speech, telling them that he and the Cheyenne chief were among good men who were friends to the Indians and presents would be given out the next morning.

The warriors were pacified with these assurances, though they did not leave the vicinity of the fort. Next morning Bent gave our chief eight yards of cur- tain calico for John Batiste, and took possession of his property at once. Old Wolf made many objec- tions to disposing of me, but I was finally ransomed from the Indians for the trifling consideration of six yards of red flannel, a pound of tobacco, and an ounce of beads.

My wife, who sat looking on was greatly distressed, cried bitterly, and would have gone with me if the chief had given permission, but he refused, saying he preferred to keep her, and that I could visit her often, if I chose, as I promised faithfully to do. I tried to comfort her by rigging her out gaily, giving her a variety of beads and a red dress, but this, although very pleasing to her Indian taste, hardly reconciled her to the separation.

I took "Old Wolf" in charge and with a lieutenant, showed him all over the fort, letting him see the rifle port holes, and explaining how the fort could stand a siege against thousands of Indians. Finally we went out on the parapet where there was a six pounder at each angle. "Old Wolf" inquired how they could shoot that thing. By my request a blank cartridge was put in and the piece fired. The chief sprang back in amazement; my wife came up to see what was the matter, and the Indians on the outside,