My shoulder they had tied up as best they could with two handkerchiefs, and one of the boys leading my horse, we started for headquarters.  We were about twenty miles from the command, but I never rode fifty miles that seemed as far as that twenty miles did.  When we arrived at camp my shoulder was badly swollen, and it took the surgeon a long time to get it set just to his notion, or, at least it seemed so to me, and when he did finally get it set he gave me something to put me to sleep.

However, I was not able to ride any more that summer.  All that I was able to do was to sit in camp, hear the reports of scouts as they came in and give orders.

It had been six weeks since I was hurt, and it was getting late in the fall and the weather looking somewhat blustery, I told the Colonel I thought I would go back to San Francisco and winter there.

Up to this time the surgeon had not allowed me to ride on horseback, but I had come to the conclusion that I could now stand it to ride without any serious difficulty, and I was anxious to get back before winter set in.

When I told the Colonel my intentions, he said:  “How in the name of God will you get to San Francisco?  If you were well and able to ride I could not spare an escort sufficient to guard you through.”

“It don’t matter about the escort,” I said, “when I get ready I will go if I have to go alone.”

“Young man,” said he, “you must be insane to even think of such a thing.”

“Colonel,” I said, “you may call it what you please, but I mean just what I say; and I suppose that as you have been out all summer, having no chance to either send or receive any mail, that you would like to send out after that.”

Said he, “I have no one to send, that could make the trip without asking a larger escort than I could spare.”

I told the Colonel that I could select two men from his command, either of whom I could take and make the trip safely, or the two would make it alone with perfect safety.

The Colonel replied, “If I could only think so I certainly would ask them to go;” and he asked who the parties were to whom I had reference.  I told him they were Messrs. Jones and Riley, who had been my assistant scouts the past summer.

The Colonel asked when they would be in camp.  I told him they had just returned a few minutes previous.  He said:  “Tell them I will see them at your quarters at seven o’clock this evening.”  I assured him that they would be there, but up to this time I had not mentioned or even hinted at such a thing to them, but being desirous of seeing them before the Colonel had a talk with them, I set about to find them.  I found them in their quarters and told them of the proposed meeting and the object, and asked them what they thought of it.

George Jones said:  “As far as I am concerned, I think I can make the trip alone, for I can see an Indian just as far as he can see me, and just as quick, and I am perfectly willing to take the chances.”