After the General had gone I went to the sergeant in command of the squad, and told him that I was going back that very afternoon, instead of waiting till the next morning; and I accordingly saddled up my mule and set out for Fort Larned.  I proceeded uninterruptedly until I got about half-way between the two posts, when at Pawnee Rock I was suddenly “jumped” by about forty Indians, who came dashing up to me, extending their hands and saying, “How!  How!” They were some of the same Indians who had been hanging around Fort Larned in the morning.  I saw that they had on their war-paint, and were evidently now out on the war-path.

[Illustration:  A BIG JOKE.]

My first impulse was to shake hands with them, as they seemed so desirous of it.  I accordingly reached out my hand to one of them, who grasped it with a tight grip, and jerked me violently forward; another pulled my mule by the bridle, and in a moment I was completely surrounded.  Before I could do anything at all, they had seized my revolvers from the holsters, and I received a blow on the head from a tomahawk which nearly rendered me senseless.  My gun, which was lying across the saddle, was snatched from its place, and finally the Indian, who had hold of the bridle, started off towards the Arkansas River, leading the mule, which was being lashed by the other Indians who were following.

The savages were all singing, yelling and whooping, as only Indians can do, when they are having their little game all their own way.  While looking towards the river I saw, on the opposite side, an immense village moving down along the bank, and then I became convinced that the Indians had left the post and were now starting out on the war-path.  My captors crossed the stream with me, and as we waded through the shallow water they continued to lash the mule and myself.  Finally they brought me before an important looking body of Indians, who proved to be the chiefs and principal warriors.  I soon recognized old Satanta among them, as well as others whom I knew, and I supposed it was all over with me.

The Indians were jabbering away so rapidly among themselves that I could not understand what they were saying.  Satanta at last asked me where I had been; and, as good luck would have it, a happy thought struck me.  I told him I had been after a herd of cattle or “whoa-haws,” as they called them.  It so happened that the Indians had been out of meat for several weeks, as the large herd of cattle which had been promised them had not yet arrived, although expected by them.

The moment that I mentioned that I had been searching for the “whoa-haws,” old Satanta began questioning me in a very eager manner.  He asked me where the cattle were, and I replied that they were back only a few miles, and that I had been sent by General Hazen to inform him that the cattle were coming, and that they were intended for his people.  This seemed to please the old rascal, who also wanted to