All the day long, Crockett, with his convoy of friendly savages, travelled over the beautiful prairie.  Toward evening they came across a drove of fat buffaloes grazing in the richest of earthly pastures.  It was a beautiful sight to witness the skill with which the Indians pursued and hunted down the noble game.  Crockett was quite charmed with the spectacle.  It is said that the Comanche Indians are the finest horsemen in the world.  Always wandering about over the boundless prairies, where wild horses are found in countless numbers, they are ever on horseback, men, women, and children.  Even infants, almost in their earliest years, are taught to cling to the mane of the horse.  Thus the Comanche obtains the absolute control of the animal; and when scouring over the plain, bareheaded and with scanty dress, the horse and rider seem veritably like one person.

The Comanches were armed only with bows and arrows.  The herd early took fright, and fled with such speed that the somewhat exhausted horses of the Comanches could not get within arrow-shot of them.  Crockett, however, being well mounted and unsurpassed by any Indian in the arts of hunting, selected a fat young heifer, which he knew would furnish tender steaks, and with his deadly bullet struck it down.  This was the only beef that was killed.  All the rest of the herd escaped.

The Indians gathered around the slain animal for their feast.  With their sharp knives the heifer was soon skinned and cut up into savory steaks and roasting-pieces.  Two or three fires were built.  The horses were hobbled and turned loose to graze.  Every one of the Indians selected his own portion, and all were soon merrily and even affectionately engaged in this picnic feast, beneath skies which Italy never rivalled, and surrounded with the loveliness of a park surpassing the highest creations of art in London, Paris, or New York.

The Indians were quite delighted with their guest.  He told them stories of his wild hunting excursions, and of his encounters with panthers and bears.  They were charmed by his narratives, and they sat eager listeners until late into the night, beneath the stars and around the glowing camp-fires.  Then, wrapped in their blankets, they threw themselves down on the thick green grass and slept.  Such are the joys of peace and friendship.

They resumed their journey in the morning, and pressed along, with nothing of special interest occurring until they reached the Colorado River.  As they were following down this stream, to strike the road which leads to Bexar, they saw in the distance a single column of smoke ascending the clear sky.  Hastening toward it, they found that it rose from the centre of a small grove near the river.  When within a few hundred yards the warriors extended their line, so as nearly to encircle the grove, while the chief and Crockett advanced cautiously to reconnoitre.  To their surprise they saw a solitary man seated upon the ground near the fire, so entirely absorbed in some occupation that he did not observe their approach.