“McCarthy, shall we dismount and fight, or run?” said I.

He didn’t wait to reply, but, wheeling his horse, started at full speed down the creek, losing his hat and dropping his gun; away he went, never once looking back to see if he was being pursued.  I tried to stop him by yelling at him and saying that it was all right, as the Indians were Pawnees.  Unfortunately he did not hear me, but kept straight on, not stopping his horse until he reached the camp.

I knew that he would tell General Carr that the Indians had jumped him, and that the general would soon start out with the troops.  So as soon as the Pawnees rode up to me I told them to remain there while I went after my friend.  I rode after him as fast as possible, but he had arrived at the command some time before me; and when I got there the general had, as I had suspected he would do, ordered out two companies of cavalry to go in pursuit of the Indians.  I told the general that the Indians were only some Pawnees, who had been out hunting and that they had merely played a joke upon us.  I forgot to inform him that I had put up the trick, but as he was always fond of a good joke himself, he did not get very angry.  I had picked up McCarthy’s hat and gun, which I returned to him, and it was some time before he discovered who was at the bottom of the affair.

A short time after this, the Fifth Cavalry was ordered to Arizona, a not very desirable country to soldier in.  I had become greatly attached to the officers of the regiment, having been with them continually for over three years, and had about made up my mind to accompany them, when a letter was received from General Sheridan instructing the commanding officer “not to take Cody with him,” and saying that I was to remain in my old position.  In a few days the command left for its destination, taking the cars at McPherson Station, where I bade my old friends adieu.  During the next few weeks I had but little to do, as the post was garrisoned by infantry, awaiting the arrival of the Third Cavalry, commanded by General Reynolds.  They had been on duty for some time in Arizona, where they had acquired quite a reputation on account of their Indian fighting qualities.  Shortly after their arrival a small party of Indians made a dash on McPherson Station, about five miles from the fort, killing two or three men and running off quite a large number of horses.  Captain Meinhold and Lieutenant Lawson with their company were ordered out to pursue and punish the Indians if possible.  I was the guide of the expedition, and had an assistant, T. B. Omohundro, better known as “Texas Jack,” and who was a scout at the post.