distilleries, reaches the enormous price of from sixteen to twenty dollars a gallon.  So she mildly but firmly refused, upon which Golpin seized from the nail, where it was hung, a very heavy key, which he knew to be that of the little cellar underground, where the woman kept the liquor.  She tried to regain possession of it, but during the struggle Golpin beat her brains out with a bar of iron that was in the room.  This deed perpetrated, he opened the trap-door to the cellar, and among the folds of his blanket and that of his companion concealed as many flasks as they could carry.  They then shut the street-door and joined their companions.

Two hours afterwards, the husband returned, and knocked in vain; at last, he broke open the door, and beheld his help-mate barbarously mangled.  A neighbour soon told him about the two Texan guests, and the wretched man having made his depositions to an alcade, or constable, they both started upon fresh horses, and at noon overtook the prisoners.  The commanding officers soon ascertained who were the two men that had been billeted at the old woman’s, and found them surrounded by a group of Texans, making themselves merry with the stolen liqnor.  Seeing that they were discovered, to save his life, Golpin’s companion immediately peached, and related the whole of the transaction.  Of course the assassin was executed.

CHAPTER XXVI.

At that time, the Pawnee Picts, themselves an offset of the Shoshones and Comanches, and speaking the same language—­tribe residing upon the northern shores of the Red River, and who had always been at peace with their ancestors, had committed some depredations upon the northern territory of the Comanches.

The chiefs, as usual, waited several moons for reparation to be offered by the offenders, but as none came, it was feared that the Picts had been influenced by the American agents to forget their long friendship, and commence hostilities with them.  It was, therefore, resolved that we should enter the war path, and obtain by force that justice which friendship could no longer command.

The road which we had to travel, to arrive at the town of the Pawnee Picts, was rough and uneven, running over hills and intersected by deep gullies.  Bad as it was, and faint and tired as were our horses, in ten days we reached a small prairie, within six miles of the river, on the other side of which lay the principal village of the Pawnee Picts.

The heavens now became suddenly overcast, and a thunder-storm soon rendered it impossible for even our best warriors to see their way.  A halt was consequently ordered; and, not withstanding a tremendous rain, we slept soundly till morn, when a drove of horses, numbering some hundreds, was discovered some distance to our left.  In all appearance they were tame animals, and many thought they could see the Pawnee warriors riding them.  Four of us immediately started to reconnoitre, and we made our preparations for attack; as we gradually approached there appeared to be no little commotion among the herd, which we now plainly perceived to be horses without any riders.