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H. Howard Beidleman, 
 437 Soruce St.. SCRANTON. PA 
 
THE RANCHE ON THE OXHIDE 
 
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"The most indescribable antics were gone through." 
 ^""Se 290. Frontispiece. 
 
THE RANCHE ON THE 
 OXHIDE 
 
 A STORY OF 
 
 Boys' and Girls' Life on the Frontier 
 
 BY 
 
 HENRY IN MAN 
 
 LATE CAPTAIN UNITED STATES ARMY 
 BREVET LIEUTENANT COLONEL 
 
 AUTHOR OF "THE OLD SANTA FE TRAIL' 
 
 SIX FULL-PAGE ILLUSTRATIONS 
 
 THE MACMILLAN COMPANY 
 
 LONDON : MACMILLAN & CO., Ltd. 
 1898 
 
 All rights reserved 
 
By the "mACMIlLAN COMPANY. 
 
 J. S. Gushing & Co. — 13erwick & Smith 
 Norwood Mass. U.S.A. 
 
^0 fHg (firanlison 
 GEORGE INMAN SEITZ 
 
 
CONTENTS 
 
 CHAPTER I 
 
 TAKING UP A "claim" IN IC\NSAS — THE TRAIL FROM LEAVEN- 
 WORTH ANIMALS SEEN EN ROUTE PR.\IRIE CHICKENS 
 
 BUILDING THE CABIN — THE COSY SIITING-ROO.M ANIMALS 
 
 FOUND IN THE TIMBER AND ON THE PRAIRIE WHY THE 
 
 CREEK WAS NAMED " OXHIDE " .... Page I 
 
 CHAPTER n 
 
 THE HOUSE IS FINISHED BUILDING CORRALS — THE HOUNDS — 
 
 THEIR FIGHT WITH A LYNX — ITS HIDE GIVEN TO GERTRUDE 
 
 THE IMMENSE HERD OF BUFFALO CAFIURE FOUR CALVES 
 
 GET THEIR PONIES IN A STRANGE i\L\NXER BRE.\KING 
 
 THEM Page 13 
 
 CHAPTER HI 
 
 THE BOYS GO FISHING FOR THE FIRST TIME — AN IDEA SUD- 
 DENLY STRIKES ROB ROB'S QUEST AND LUCK THE ISLAND 
 
 OF WILLOWS ROB's BIG CAT JOE'S TUSSLE WITH A P.\NTHER 
 
 CUB KILLS HIM IS WOUNDED SKINS THE ANIMAL, AND 
 
 GETS HOME AT LAST GIVES THE BEAUITFUL ROBE TO HIS 
 
 MOTHER ........ Page 29 
 
 CHAPTER IV 
 
 BOY AND GIRL LIFE AT ERROLSTRATH RANCHE THEIR PETS — 
 
 THE GIRLS ENCOUNTER A BIG PRAIRIE WOLF JOE TO THE 
 
 RESCUE DEATH OF THE FEROCIOUS BEAST . . Page 48 
 
 vii 
 
viii CONTENTS 
 
 CHAPTER V 
 
 THE FRIENDLY PAWNEES CAMP ON THE OXHIDE OLD "YELLOW 
 
 CALF," THE CHIEF — JOE IS NAMED *' THE WHITE PANTHER" 
 
 JOE GOES HUNTING WITH THE BAND — HE LEARNS THE 
 
 LANGUAGE HUNTING WITH THE BOYS OF THE TRIBE . 
 
 Page 62 
 CHAPTER VI 
 
 THE STORY OF THE MASSACRE ON SPILLMAN CREEK — SCOUTS GO 
 
 TO THE RESCUE JOE AND ROB TALK OVER THE HORRID 
 
 WORK OF THE SAVAGES — THE DOG SOLDIERS CHARLEY 
 
 BENT — PLACE OF RENDEZVOUS PARTY STARTS OUT JOE'S 
 
 OPINION IS ASKED Page 71 
 
 CHAPTER VII 
 
 ARRIVAL OF CAVALRY ON THE ELKHORN — A DEER HUNT — 
 
 WHAT THE SCOUTS SAW THE STORY OF THE TWO LITTLE 
 
 GIRLS THE DEAD AND WOUNDED MEN HIDDEN IN THE 
 
 BRUSH — AN INDIAN LEGEND ARRIVAL OF THE INFANTRY 
 
 THE DEER HUNT IN THE MORNING DEATH OF THE DEER. 
 
 Page 98 
 CHAPTER VIII 
 
 MR. TUCKER PASSES THE NIGHT AT ERROLSTRATH — HE TELLS SOME 
 STORIES OF HUNTING BIG GAME IN THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS — 
 
 SAGACITY OF THE FEMALE BIGHORN THE AMERICAN COUGAR 
 
 THE BEAR AND THE PANTHER THE RABBIT HUNT HOW 
 
 THE BOYS TRAINED THEIR HOUNDS . . . Page I18 
 
CONTENTS IX 
 
 CHAPTER IX 
 
 i~ t> 
 
 INDIAN RAIDS — KATE IS MISSING — " BUFFALO BILL S OPINION — 
 "buffalo bill" FINDS HER LITTLE BASKET — THE SOLDIERS 
 REIURN TO THE FORT WITHOUT FINDING HER — GRIEF OF THE 
 
 FAMILY Page 137 
 
 CHAPTER X 
 
 HOW KATE WAS CAPTURED BY THE INDIANS — THE BAND RIDE 
 R.\PIDLY SOUTHWARD — AT THE INDIAN VILLAGE — HER DE- 
 TERMINATION TO ESCAPE TEACHES THE SQUAWS — IS 
 
 TREATED KINDLY Page 147 
 
 CHAPTER XI 
 
 THANKSGIVING DAY AT ERROLSTRATH — KATE'S RETURN — CUS- 
 TER'S BATTXE WITH '' BLACK KETTLE " — KATE TELLS HER 
 
 STORY THE ORIGIN OF INDIAN CORN — A WOLF HUNT WITH 
 
 GENERAL CUSTER — A WOLF STORY BY THE COLONEL . 
 
 Page 156 
 CHAPTER XII 
 
 A WOLF HUNT — TWO SNAKE STORIES — TERRIBLE STRUGGLE WITH 
 
 A MOUNTAIN WOLF — A MAIL RIDER EATEN THE OLD TRAP- 
 
 PER'S EXPERIENCE WITH FOUR OF THE FIERCE BEASTS . 
 
 Page 193 
 CHAPTER XIII 
 
 JOE, ROB, AND THE OLD TRAPPER — GENERAL CUSTER ARRIVES AT 
 
 THE RENDEZVOUS THE WOLF DENS FIRST TUSSLE BETWEEN 
 
 THE HOUNDS AND A WOLF CINCH'S GREAT BATTLE . 
 
 Page 211 
 
X CONTENTS 
 
 CHAPTER XIV 
 
 A WILD TURKEY HUNT THE TRIP TO MUD CREEK — THE TURKEY 
 
 ROOST — THE SHOOTING BEGINS COUNTING THE NUMBER 
 
 KILLED JOE SELLS TURKEYS .... Page 222 
 
 CHAPTER XV 
 
 HOW THE ROBIN CAME TO KANSAS MOCKING-BIRDS — EATEN BY 
 
 SNAKES JOE LOSES HIS TAME ELK THE LAST OF THE 
 
 WOLVES FINDING THE QUAIL'S NEST JOE BUILDS A CAGE 
 
 FOR THEM — RAISING CHICKENS .... Page 229 
 
 CHAPTER XVI 
 
 THE PAWNEES RETURN ANTELOPE HUNT WITH THE INDIANS 
 
 JOE MISSES WHITE WOLF TALK OF A WILD HORSE HUNT 
 
 — THE SAND-HILL CRANES — THEIR WEIRD COTILLION . 
 
 Page 246 
 CHAPTER XVII 
 
 WILD HORSES JOE SLEEPS IN WHITE WOLF'S TENT CAMP 
 
 ON THE WALNUT WOLVES AND LYNXES KILL AN ELK 
 
 THE CHASE CAPTURE OF THE BLACK STALLION WHITE 
 
 wolf's skill BREAKING THE HORSES . . Page 256 
 
 CHAPTER XVIII 
 
 THE LAST HERD OF BUFFALO THE STAMPEDE THE SOLDIERS 
 
 IN FULL CHASE JOE GETS TWO COWS HAULING IN THE 
 
 MEAT RATTLESNAKES ..... Page 272 
 
CONTENTS xi 
 
 CHAPTER XIX 
 
 THE INDIAN HORSE-RACE — KATE'S PONY WINS — THE TRADE WITH 
 
 THE PAWNEES — THE DANCES AT NIGHT THE INDIANS SAY 
 
 GOOD BY TO THE FAiMILY — NOBLE ACTION OF WHITE WOLF. 
 
 Page 281 
 
 CHAPTER XX 
 CONCLUSION 
 
 RETROSPECTIVE — THE OLD TRAPPER PASSES AWAY — MR. AND 
 MRS. THOMPSON ARE DEAD — GENERAL CUSTER AND COLONEL 
 KEOGH ARE KILLED — ERROLSTRATH BELONGS TO JOE AND 
 
 ROB Page 295 
 
ILLUSTRATIONS 
 
 "the most indescribable antics were gone through." 
 
 Frontispiece 
 
 FACING PAGE 
 " WITH ONE VIGOROUS THRUST OF HIS KNIFE HE STRUCK 
 
 THE animal's HEART " 45 
 
 " he looked the very impersonation of a veteran 
 
 frontiersman" 90 
 
 "*i had nearly filled my basket*" . . . . 166 
 
 <( < 
 
 I STOOD UP ON MY FEET AGAIN, AND SWINGING HIM INTO 
 
 THE AIR, STRUCK ONE OF THE REMAINING T\VO ' " . 208 
 
 THE LAST BIG HERD OF BUFFALO EVER SEEN IN THE 
 
 VALLEY OF THE OXHIDE " 272 
 
 xiii 
 
THE RANCHE ON THE OXHIDE 
 
 3XXC 
 
 CHAPTER I 
 
 TAKING UP A "claim" IN KANSAS — THE TRAIL FROM LEAVEN- 
 WORTH ANIMALS SEEN EN ROUTE PRAIRIE CHICKENS — 
 
 BUILDING THE CABIN — THE COSY SITTING-ROOM ANIMALS 
 
 FOUND IN THE TIMBER AND ON THE PRAIRIE — WHY THE 
 CREEK WAS NAMED " OXHIDE " 
 
 In 1865-66, immigrants began to rush into 
 the new state of Kansas which had just been 
 admitted into the Union. A large majority 
 of the early settlers were old soldiers who had 
 served faithfully during the war for the preser- 
 vation of their country. To these veterans the 
 Government, by Act of Congress, made cer- 
 tain concessions, whereby they could take up 
 " claims " of a hundred and sixty acres of the 
 public land under easier regulations than other 
 citizens who had not helped their country in 
 the hour of her extreme danger. 
 
.r2t; t-?,v} i ,7 Ik'jB. r>^che on the oxhide 
 
 Many of them, however, were forced to go 
 out on the extreme frontier, as the eastern por- 
 tion of the state was already well settled. On 
 the remote border several tribes of Indians, 
 notably the Cheyennes, Kiowas, Comanches, 
 and Arapahoes, still held almost undisputed 
 possession, and they were violently opposed to 
 the white man's encroachment upon their an- 
 cestral hunting-grounds, from which he drove 
 away the big game upon which they depended 
 for the subsistence of themselves and their fami- 
 lies. Consequently, these savages became very 
 hostile as they witnessed, day after day, the ar- 
 rival of hundreds of white settlers who squatted 
 on the best land, felled the trees on the margin 
 of the streams to build their log-cabins, and 
 ploughed up the ground to plant crops. 
 
 Late in the fall of 1866, Robert Thompson, 
 a veteran of one of the Vermont regiments, hav- 
 ing read in his village newspaper such glowing 
 accounts of the advantages offered by Kansas 
 to the immigrant, decided to leave his ancestral 
 homestead among the barren hills of the Green 
 Mountain State, and take up a claim in the far 
 West. The family, consisting of father, mother. 
 
TAKING UP A "CLAIM" IN KANSAS 3 
 
 Joseph, Robert, Gertrude, and Kate, after a jour- 
 ney by railroad and steamboat without incident 
 worth recording, arrived at Leavenworth on the 
 Missouri River, the general rendezvous in those 
 early days for all who intended to cross the great 
 plains, through which a railroad was then an 
 idle dream. In that rough, but busy town, Mr. 
 Thompson purchased two six-mule teams, two 
 white-covered wagons called "prairie schoon- 
 ers," together with sufficient provisions to last a 
 month, by which time he thought he should find 
 a suitable location on the vast plains whither he 
 was going. 
 
 A few cooking-utensils of the simplest char- 
 acter, together with a double-barrelled shot-gun 
 and a Spencer rifle, constituted the entire outfit 
 necessary for their lonely trip of perhaps three 
 hundred miles, before they could hope to find 
 unoccupied land on which to settle. 
 
 One Monday morning, bright and early, the 
 teams pulled out of the town, Mr. Thompson 
 driving in the lead, and Joe, who was the elder 
 of the boys, in the other. Gertrude rode with 
 her father and mother, and Kate and Rob with 
 their brother Joe. Their course ran over the 
 
4 THE RANCHE ON THE OXHIDE 
 
 broad trail to the Rocky Mountains, on which 
 were then hauled by government caravans, all 
 the supplies for the military posts in the Indian 
 country. 
 
 Their route for the first two weeks passed 
 through deep forests extending for a long dis- 
 tance from the bank of the great river. The 
 whole family were charmed with the new and 
 strange scenes they passed as they rode slowly 
 on day after day, scenes so different in their 
 details from those to which they had been used 
 in the staid old region they had left so far 
 behind them. The boys and girls, particularly, 
 were in a constant state of excitement. They 
 marvelled at the immense trees as they passed 
 through groups of great elms and giant cotton- 
 woods. The gnarled trunks were vine-covered 
 clear to their topmost branches by the magnifi- 
 cent Virginia creeper, or woodbine, as it is called, 
 the most beautiful of the American ivies, and 
 which grows in its greatest luxuriance west of 
 the Missouri River. On the ends of the huge 
 limbs of the lofty trees as they branched over the 
 trail, the red squirrels sat, peeping saucily at the 
 travellers as they drove under them, and the blue 
 
TAKING UP A "CLAIM" IN KANSAS 5 
 
 jay, the noisiest of birds, screeched as he darted 
 Hke Hghtning through the dark foHage. The 
 blue jay is the shark of the air; he kills, without 
 any discrimination, all the young fledglings he 
 can find in their nests while their parents are 
 absent. Although his plumage is magnificent in 
 its cerulean hue as the sun glints upon it, and he 
 has a very sweet note when sitting quietly on the 
 limbs of the oak, which he loves, yet his awful 
 screaming as he flies — and he is ever on the 
 wing — is far from pleasant to ears not trained to 
 listen to his harsh voice. 
 
 Occasionally a gaunt, hungry wolf— they are 
 always hungry — would skulk out of the timber 
 and then run across the trail, with his tail wrapped 
 closely between his legs. He would just show 
 a mouth full of great white teeth for a moment, 
 as he sneaked cowardly off, the rattle of the 
 wagons having, perhaps, disturbed his slumbers 
 on some ledge of rock near the road. 
 
 Prairie chickens, or pinnated grouse, were seen 
 in large flocks as soon as the open country was 
 reached. They were far from wild in those days ; 
 you could approach near enough always to get a 
 good shot at them, for civilization was to them 
 
6 THE RANCHE ON THE OXHIDE 
 
 almost as strange an experience as it was to 
 those beasts and birds on Robinson Crusoe's 
 island. Joe was already quite proficient with 
 the shot-gun, and he often handed the lines to 
 Rob, and stopping the team, got out and walked 
 ahead of the wagons to stalk a flock of the beau- 
 tiful game, which had been frightened away from 
 their feeding-ground by the rattle of the teams. 
 For a long time grouse was a part of every meal 
 until the party became really tired of them. Mrs. 
 Thompson was a famous cook, and they were 
 served up in a variety of ways, but the favorite 
 style of all the family was to have them broiled 
 before the camp-fire on peeled willow twigs. Rob 
 alv/ays regarded it as part of his duty to procure 
 these twigs, as he was the handiest with a jack- 
 knife or hatchet. 
 
 The weeks passed pleasantly for the children, 
 but the old folks were becoming very anxious to 
 settle somewhere, for the winter, as they thought, 
 would soon be coming on. They did not know 
 then that that season in Kansas is usually short, 
 and that the three or four months preceding it 
 is the most delightful time of the whole year. 
 So after travelling nearly two months on the 
 
TAKING UP A "CLAIM" IN KANSAS / 
 
 broad trail to the mountains, examining a piece 
 of land here and another there, they camped 
 early one afternoon on the bank of Oxhide Creek, 
 in what is now Ellsworth County, and so delighted 
 were they all with the charming spot, that they 
 made up their minds to seek no further. 
 
 Their " claim," as the possession of the public 
 land is called, included a beautiful bend of the 
 little stream which flowed through the one hun- 
 dred and sixty acres to which they were entitled 
 by being the first to settle on it. They discov- 
 ered in the very centre of a group of elms and 
 cottonwoods a large spring of deliciously cool 
 water, and the trees which hid it from view were 
 more than a century old. The magnificent pool 
 for untold ages had evidently been a favorite 
 resort of the antelope and buffalo, if one could so 
 judge from the quantity of the bones of those 
 animals that were constantly ploughed up near by 
 when the ground was cultivated. No doubt that 
 the big prairie wolf and the cowardly little coyote 
 hidden in the long grass and underbrush sur- 
 rounding the spring got many a kid and calf 
 whose incautious mothers had strayed from the 
 protection of the herd to quench their thirst. 
 
8 THE RANCHE ON THE OXHIDE 
 
 The beautiful creek flowed at the base of a 
 range of low, rocky hills, while two miles north- 
 ward ran a magnificent stretch of level prairie, 
 beyond which ran the Smoky Hill River. 
 
 To their ranche, as all homes in the far West 
 are called, the Thompsons gave the name of Er- 
 rolstrath. It had no special significance ; it was 
 so called merely because " Strath " in Scotch 
 means a valley through which a stream meanders. 
 It comported perfectly with the situation of the 
 place, and " Errol " was added as a prefix for 
 euphony's sake. In this picturesque little valley 
 Mr. Thompson, with the assistance of his boys, 
 began at once the construction of a rude but 
 comfortable cabin, fashioned partly out of logs 
 and partly of stone. The house outside gave no 
 hint of the excellence of its interior, or the cosy 
 rooms which a refined taste and culture had felt 
 to be as necessary on the remote frontier as in the 
 thickly settled East. The largest division of the 
 house was an apartment which served as the fam- 
 ily sitting-room. In one corner of this, they built 
 diagonally across it, after the Mexican style, an 
 old-fashioned fireplace, patterned like one in the 
 ancestral homestead in Vermont. Up its cavern- 
 
TAKING UP A "CLAIM" IN KANSAS 9 
 
 ous throat you could see the sky, and in the 
 summer, when the full moon was at the zenith, 
 a flood of bright light would pour down on the 
 broad hearth. In the winter evenings the family 
 gathered around the great blazing logs, whose 
 yellow flames roared like a tornado as they shot 
 up the chimney. The mother sewed, the girls 
 were engaged with their studies, and the boys 
 either listened to their father as he told of some 
 experience in his own youthful days, played 
 chess, or were busied with some other intellectual 
 amusement. 
 
 This large room was also furnished with a 
 small but well-selected library. It was a source 
 of much pleasure to the family, as the country 
 was not settled up very rapidly, and the members 
 were thrown entirely upon their own resources 
 for amusements. The following spring and sum- 
 mer many newcomers arrived and took up the 
 choicest lands in the vicinity, until there were 
 several families within varying distances of Errol- 
 strath. Some were only three miles away, others 
 twelve, but in that region then, all were consid- 
 ered neighbors, no matter how far away. 
 
 The children had lots of fun, for the rare sport 
 
10 THE RANCHE ON THE OXHIDE 
 
 differed entirely from that which their former 
 home in the old East had furnished. The dense 
 timber which grew by the water of the Oxhide 
 like a fringe, was the home of the lynx, errone- 
 ously called the wild cat, squirrels, badgers, and 
 coons. The wolf and the little coyote had their 
 dens in the great ledges of rock that were piled 
 up on the hilly sides of the valley. The great 
 prairie was often black with vast herds of buf- 
 falo, or bison, which roamed over its velvety 
 area at certain seasons. The timid antelope, too, 
 graceful as a flower, and gifted with a wonderful 
 curiosity, could be seen for many years after the 
 Thompsons had settled on the creek. They 
 moved in great flocks, frequently numbering a 
 thousand or more, but now, like their immense 
 shaggy congener, the buffalo, through the wan- 
 tonness of man, they have been almost annihi- 
 lated. 
 
 Joe Thompson, the eldest child, about fourteen, 
 was a rare boy, strongly built, and possessed of 
 a mind that was equal to his well-developed 
 body. He was a born leader, and became one 
 of the most prominent men on the frontier when 
 the troublous times came with the savages, some 
 
TAKING UP A "CLAIM" IN KANSAS II 
 
 years after the family had settled on Oxhide 
 Creek. Robert, the second son, was a bright, 
 active, muscular fellow, two years younger than 
 Joe, but he lacked that self-reliance, energy, 
 and coolness in the presence of danger which 
 so strikingly characterized Joe. Gertrude and 
 Kate were respectively ten and seven years old, 
 and were carefully instructed by their estimable 
 mother in all that should be known by a woman 
 whose life w^as destined, perhaps, to the isolation 
 and hardships of the frontier. They were both 
 taught to cook a dinner, ride horseback, handle 
 a pistol if necessary, or entertain gracefully in 
 the parlor. To employ a metaphor, theirs was 
 a versatility which "could pick up a needle or 
 rive an oak ! " In some of her characteristics 
 Gertrude resembled her brother Joe ; she was 
 braver and cooler under trying circumstances 
 than Kate, who was more like Rob. Both were 
 rare specimens of noble girlhood, and their life 
 on the ranche, as will be seen, was full of adven- 
 ture and thrilling experiences. 
 
 It may seem strange that a stream should be 
 called Oxhide, but, like the nomenclature of the 
 Indians, the name of every locality out on the 
 
12 THE RANCHE ON THE OXHIDE 
 
 great plains is based upon some incident con- 
 nected with the scene or the individual. As 
 this is a true story, it will not be amiss to tell 
 here why the odd-sounding name was given to 
 the creek on which the Thompsons had settled. 
 Some years before the country was sought after 
 by emigrants, the only travellers through it were 
 the old-time trappers, who caught the various 
 fur-bearing animals on the margins of its waters, 
 and the miner destined for far-off Pike's Peak 
 or California. A party camping there one day, 
 on their way to the Pacific coast, discovered a 
 yoke of oxen, or rather their desiccated hides 
 and skeletons, fastened by their chains to a tree, 
 where they had literally starved to death. It 
 was supposed that they had belonged to some 
 travellers like themselves, on their way to the 
 mines, who had been surprised and murdered 
 by the Indians. The savages must have run 
 off the moment they had finished their bloody 
 work, without ever looking for or finding the 
 poor animals. Thus it was that the stream was 
 mven the name of Oxhide, which it bears to 
 this day. 
 
CHAPTER II 
 
 THE HOUSE IS FINISHED BUILDING CORR.A.LS — THE HOUNDS — 
 
 THEIR FIGHT WITH A LYNX ITS HIDE GIVEN TO GERTRUDE 
 
 THE IMMENSE HERD OF BUFFALO CAPTURE FOUR CALVES 
 
 GET THEIR PONIES IN A STRANGE MANNER — BREAKING 
 
 THEM 
 
 It was quite late in the season, towards the 
 end of October, w^hen the stone and log cabin 
 was completed and ready for occupancy. The 
 family had meanwhile lived in their big tent 
 which they had brought with them from the Mis- 
 souri River. They had carried in their wagons 
 bedding and blankets, a table and several chairs, 
 enouQ^h to suffice until the arrival of their other 
 goods, which had been stored at Leavenworth 
 while they were hunting for a location. At the 
 end of two months after their settlement on the 
 Oxhide, a freight caravan arrived with their 
 things, much of it the old-fashioned furniture 
 from the homestead in Vermont. This caravan 
 was en route to Fort Union, New Mexico, the 
 
 13 
 
14 THE RANCHE ON THE OXHIDE 
 
 trail to which miHtary post ran along the bank 
 of the Smoky Hill River, not more than two 
 miles from the ranche. 
 
 Joe and Rob were constantly busy helping 
 their father to make matters snug for the win- 
 ter, building a corral for the cows, a stone stable 
 for the horses, and a chicken house for the 
 fowls, of which they had more than a hundred, 
 Plymouth rocks and white leghorns, the best 
 layers in the world. Up to that time they had 
 not had as much time for sport as they wished 
 for. They had been kept too busy, until long 
 after the cold weather set in, when all the streams 
 were frozen over and the woods were bare and 
 brown. 
 
 A near neighbor who had taken a fancy to 
 the bright lads when they first arrived in the 
 country, had given them two fine greyhounds, 
 which they named Bluey and Brutus ; the former 
 on account of his color, and the other because 
 they had recently been interested in Shake- 
 speare's play of " Julius C^sar," which their 
 father had read to them. With these mao^nifi- 
 cent animals they had lots of fun during the long 
 months of the winter, hunting jack-rabbits, dig- 
 
A FIGHT WITH A LYNX 1 5 
 
 ging coyotes out of their holes in the ledge 
 above the banks of the creek, or fighting lynxes 
 and coons in the timber. 
 
 One bright day they were out among the hills 
 with their hounds, which had run far in advance 
 of their young masters, when suddenly the boys' 
 ears were startled by a terrible commotion in a 
 wooded ravine about a hundred yards ahead of 
 them. The dogs were barking furiously, some- 
 times howling in pain, and they could see the 
 dust flying in great clouds. In a few moments 
 all was still ; the turmoil had ceased, a truce evi- 
 dently having been patched up between the bel- 
 ligerents. The boys hurried on and presently 
 came to a sheltered spot where the timber had 
 been apparently blown down by a small tornado 
 many years before; and there as they came up 
 to it, in a triangle formed by the trunks of three 
 fallen trees, a space about ten feet square, they 
 saw the hounds holding a great lynx at bay ! 
 The cat w^as standing in the apex of the trian- 
 gle, crowding her body as closely as she could 
 against the timber so that the dogs were unable 
 to attack her without oettino; a scratch from her 
 sharp claws. Her hair was all bristling up with 
 
1 6 THE RANCHE ON THE OXHIDE 
 
 battle, and the clogs had evidently tried several 
 times to drive her out of her almost impregnable 
 position, but each attempt had ended in them- 
 selves being driven back discomfited. As soon 
 as the hounds saw the boys, however, their cour- 
 age rose, and Bluey, the oldest dog, at an en- 
 couraging " Sic 'em ! " from Joe, made a sudden 
 dash, caught the ferocious beast by the middle 
 of the back and commenced to shake her with 
 the awful rapidity for which he was noted, and 
 in a few seconds she was dropped dead at Joe's 
 feet. 
 
 Bluey first became famous as a shaker several 
 months before his encounter with the lynx. One 
 morning Rob got up very early for some reason, 
 and went into the chicken house, and as soon as 
 he entered it he saw a skunk half hidden under 
 one of the beams of the floor. He did not dare 
 to call Bluey, who was sleeping on a pile of hay 
 a few feet away, for fear the animal would take 
 the alarm and run off. So he quietly went to 
 where the dog was, and lifting him bodily in his 
 arms carried him to the chicken house and held 
 his nose down to the ground so that he could see 
 or smell the skunk. In an instant that skunk 
 
A FIGHT WITH A LYNX 1 7 
 
 was caught up by the neck and the life shaken 
 out of him before he could have possibly realized 
 what was the matter with him. 
 
 " By jolly ! " said Rob, a favorite ejaculation 
 with him when he was excited, as he saw the cat 
 lying perfectly still where Bluey had dropped 
 him. " I say, Joe, what a set of teeth and a 
 strong neck old Bluey must have to shake any- 
 thing as he does ! Why, if he could take up a 
 man in his jaws, the fellow would stand no more 
 chance of his life than that lynx ! " 
 
 " The hound," replied Joe, " has a strong jaw 
 and a powerful neck; but he lacks the intelli- 
 gence of some other breeds. His brain is not 
 nearly as large as that of a Newfoundland, a set- 
 ter, pointer, or even a poodle. Hounds like 
 Bluey and Brutus run by sight alone ; they have 
 no nose, and the moment they cannot see their 
 game they are lost. You have often noticed 
 that, Rob, when a rabbit gets away from them 
 in the long grass or in the corn stalks. They 
 will jump up and down, completely bewildered 
 until they catch sight of the animal again. Now, 
 with the other breed of hounds, they hunt by 
 scent; the moment they get wind of anything 
 
1 8 THE RANCHE ON THE OXHIDE 
 
 they run with their noses close to the ground 
 and commence to howl. The greyhound, on the 
 contrary, makes no noise at all." 
 
 Joe skinned the lynx, assisted by Rob, and 
 after throwing the carcass In the ravine where 
 the battle had been fought, slowly walked back 
 to the ranche, followed by the dogs, that kept 
 close to their heels, tired and sore from the 
 struggle just ended. 
 
 " Let us mve the hide to Gert after we tan It, 
 to put at the side of her bed ; you know she is 
 fond of such things," said Rob. 
 
 "All right," replied Joe. "We'll do It, and 
 if we have good luck in getting other animals, 
 we'll just fill her room with skins. Won't that 
 be jolly ? " 
 
 Mr. Thompson had but two teams of horses 
 on the ranche, and they could not often be spared 
 from work, for the mere amusement of the boys. 
 It was a constant source of regret to them that 
 they did not have ponies of their own. On their 
 way home the oft-repeated subject came up again. 
 Both Joe and Rob felt keenly that they were 
 obliged to go where they were sent, or desired 
 to go themselves, on foot. How to obtain the 
 
A FIGHT WITH A LYNX 1 9 
 
 coveted little creatures was a source of continual 
 worry to them. 
 
 " I do wish that we had ponies," began Rob 
 for the hundredth time, " so that we could go any- 
 where in a hurry ; don't you, Joe ? " 
 
 " Father would buy them for us if he felt that 
 he could afford it; and he means to as soon 
 as he can see his way clear. I heard him tell 
 mother so, several times when she wished that 
 we had 'em," replied Joe. " Maybe," continued 
 he, "some band of friendly Indians will come 
 along after a while ; it's nearly time for the Paw- 
 nees to start out on their annual buffalo hunt. 
 When they come up here, we may be able to 
 trade 'em out of a real nice pair. They are 
 always eager for a ' swap ' ; so old man Tucker 
 told me the other day, and he is an old Indian 
 trader and fighter. He has lived on the plains 
 and in the mountains for more than forty years ; 
 so he knows what he is talking about." 
 
 "Golly! couldn't we have lots of fun," he 
 continued, "with old Bluey and Brutus, after 
 jack-rabbits and wolves, if we only had something 
 to ride ? " 
 
 " Couldn't we, though! " answered Rob. " I tell 
 
20 THE RANCHE ON THE OXHIDE 
 
 you, Joe, it's awful hard work to climb over these 
 hills on foot ; we can't begin to keep up with the 
 dogs ; can't get anywhere in sight of 'em. You 
 know that, and I just bet that we lose lots of 
 game ; don't you ? " 
 
 " Oh ! I know it," said Joe ; " for the hounds 
 become discouraged when they find themselves 
 so far away from us. Often, when I'm out alone 
 with them, Brutus will come back to hunt me 
 instead of hunting rabbits. Sometimes I can't 
 get him to go on after Bluey ; he, the old rascal 
 is more cunning ; he gets many a rabbit we 
 never see, and eats it. That is what makes him 
 so much fatter than Brutus, though he does 
 twice as much running. Did you ever think of 
 that, Rob.?" 
 
 That night when the tired boys went to bed, 
 they little dreamed that they were to have some- 
 thing to ride sooner than their fondest hopes 
 had flattered them, and from an entirely different 
 source than the Indians. 
 
 Before the sun's broad disc rose above the 
 Marker Hills next morning, although its rays 
 had already crimsoned the rocky crests of the 
 buttes which bounded the little valley of the 
 
A FIGHT WITH A L\TSrX 21 
 
 Oxhide on the west, Rob had risen without dis- 
 turbing his brother. He was always an early 
 riser ; he loved the calm, beautiful hours that 
 usher in the day, and was the first one of all 
 the family out of bed on the ranche. 
 
 He took the tin wash basin from its hook out- 
 side of the kitchen door, and started for the 
 spring, only a few yards away, to wash himself. 
 Just as he arrived there, chancing to look 
 towards the hills, he saw that the whole country, 
 upland and bottom alike, was black with buffaloes. 
 In his excitement, he threw down the basin, 
 and ran back to the house as fast as his legs 
 could carry him. He rushed into his fathers 
 room, and unceremoniously seizing him by the 
 shoulder, waking him from a sound slumber, 
 shook him, and shouted as loud as he was 
 able : — 
 
 " Father, get up ! Father, get up ! the whole 
 country is alive with buffaloes, and the nearest one 
 is not a quarter of a mile away. Quick ! father." 
 
 Mr. Thompson roused himself, and instantly 
 got out of bed and dressed himself quicker than 
 he had ever done since he had lived on the 
 ranche. He threw on only clothes enough to 
 
22 THE RANCHE ON THE OXHIDE 
 
 cover him, for he had already caught some of 
 his boy's enthusiasm. 
 
 He told Rob to go to the closet, bring him a 
 dozen bullets and his powder-flask, while he 
 commenced to wipe out the barrels of his two 
 old-fashioned rifles and the Spencer carbine, that 
 always hung on a set of elk antlers fastened to 
 the wall of his bed-chamber. 
 
 As Rob had declared, the whole region was 
 literally dark with a mighty multitude of the 
 great shaggy monsters, grazing quietly toward the 
 east. There were thousands in sight, and for just 
 such a chance Mr. Thompson had been anxiously 
 waiting to get a supply of meat for the family. 
 
 Of course, every member of the household got 
 up as soon as Rob had ended his noisy announce- 
 ment. Hurriedly dressing, they rushed out un- 
 der a group of trees that grew near the door, 
 and watched Mr. Thompson crawling cautiously 
 round the rocks as he drew nearer and nearer 
 to the yet unconscious herd. 
 
 In a few moments he was lost to sight, and 
 almost immediately they saw the herd raise their 
 heads simultaneously. The family then knew 
 that Mr. Thompson had been discovered by the 
 
A FIGHT WITH A LYNX 23 
 
 wary animals, for the alarmed buffaloes began 
 their characteristic quick, short gallop, and the 
 boys were fearful that their father had not gotten 
 within range and that there would be no meat for 
 breakfast. But at the instant they were expect- 
 ing to be disappointed, the loud crack of a rifle 
 echoed through the valley once, twice, then a 
 short silence ; three, four times. 
 
 As the sound of the discharges died away, 
 they saw their father climb to the summit of the 
 divide, in full view of all, and wave his hat. 
 Then they knew he had been successful, and 
 eagerly watched him as he came slowly down the 
 declivity toward them. 
 
 When he had come within hailing distance he 
 cried out that he had killed four fat cows ; one 
 for each shot. Then the boys and girls took off 
 their hats, and, vigorously waving them, gave 
 three hearty cheers. 
 
 Just beyond the cabin and corral, which latter 
 was surrounded by a stone wall nearly five feet 
 high, was a single hill whose summit was round, 
 and to which had been given the name of Hay- 
 stack Mound, because at a distance it exactly 
 resembled a haystack. When the buffaloes had 
 
24 THE RANCHE ON THE OXHIDE 
 
 started to run eastwardly, this mound cut off 
 some of the animals of the herd, about three 
 hundred in all, the majority going south of it, the 
 smaller number north, which brought them near 
 the house. Seeing the family standing there, 
 they suddenly turned and rushed right over the 
 corral; the gate was open, and a few dashed 
 through it, but the most of them leaped over the 
 wall. The buffalo is not easily stopped by any 
 ordinary obstacle when stampeded; he will go 
 down a precipice, or up a steep hill ; madly rush- 
 ing on to his destruction, in order to get away 
 from the common enemy, man. 
 
 Rob saw the buffaloes first as they were turned 
 from their course by the mound, and when they 
 began to rush over the wall of the corral and 
 through its gate, he shouted to Joe : — 
 
 " Come, Joe, let's try to shut some of them in ; 
 maybe there are calves among them. If there are, 
 we can keep 'em in, for the little ones can never 
 mount that wall on the other side." 
 
 Instantly acting on the suggestion, both boys 
 ran as fast as they could to the corral, and suc- 
 ceeded in closing the entrance just as the last of 
 the herd was leaping over the far wall. 
 
A FIGHT WITH A LYNX 25 
 
 As Rob had surmised, four calves remained 
 inside, too young to follow their mothers over the 
 wall. Both he and Joe were nearly wild with 
 excitement at their luck in having been able to 
 shut the gate in time to corral the baby buffaloes. 
 They were about to rush to the house to tell the 
 rest of the family of their wonderful capture, when 
 Joe chanced to look into the door of the rude 
 shed that was used to shelter the stock in stormy 
 weather, and saw jammed against the farther wall 
 two animals that were too small to be full-grown 
 buffaloes, and too large for calves. It was so 
 dark in the corner where they were that he could 
 not make out at first what kind of animals they 
 had caui^ht. He called Rob, who crawled nearer 
 to where the beasts stood huddled against each 
 other, trembling with fear at their strange quar- 
 ters. 
 
 In another moment, as soon as Rob's eyes 
 became used to the dim light, he came bounding 
 out with the speed of a Comanche Indian on the 
 war-path, and catching Joe by the shoulders was 
 just able to gasp : — 
 
 " By jolly, Joe, they're real ponies! " 
 
 They were so astonished for a few seconds 
 
26 THE RANCHE ON THE OXHIDE 
 
 that they stood paralyzed before they ventured 
 in the shed to take a good look at the little 
 animals. They boldly went in, and the moment 
 the ponies saw the boys they made a break for 
 the outside and vainly attempted to dash over the 
 wall. Their frantic efforts, however, were of no 
 avail ; they could not make it : they were regular 
 prisoners, and Rob and Joe were almost out of 
 their senses with delight. 
 
 After their excitement had somewhat subsided 
 they went to the house and brought out all the 
 rest of the family to see the cunning little ani- 
 mals. They lost all their interest in the buffalo 
 calves now that their brightest dreams of owning 
 ponies of their own were realized. 
 
 The diminutive beasts which the boys had so 
 successfully corralled were sorry-looking animals 
 enough. They were so dirty, thin, angular, and 
 their coats so rough, so filled with sand-burrs 
 and bull-nettles, that it was hard to determine 
 what color they were. All the family made 
 a guess at it. Kate said she thought they were 
 mouse-color, while Gertrude believed they were 
 gray. Joe thought they were brown, and Rob 
 white. Mr. Thompson, however, who knew more 
 
A FIGHT WITH A LYNX 2/ 
 
 about horses than his boys, told them they were 
 bays, but it would take a few days of currying 
 and brushing up to determine which of the family 
 had guessed correctly. There was evidently lots 
 of life in them, for they cavorted around the big 
 corral, prancing like thoroughbreds. 
 
 That afternoon, when they had taken care of 
 the buffaloes which Mr. Thompson shot, and had 
 stretched their robes on the corral wall to cure, the 
 ponies were roped by Mr. Thompson, who could 
 handle a lariat with some degree of skill, and 
 halters were put on them. They were nearly of 
 a size, and both of the same color, so they 
 could hardly be distinguished from each other, 
 but on a closer examination it was discovered 
 that one of them had a white spot on his breast. 
 This was the only apparent difference between 
 them, so the boys drew lots to see which should 
 have the one with the white breast. Their 
 father selected two straws, one shorter than the 
 other, and holding them partly concealed so that 
 only their ends showed, told Rob to draw first. 
 He got the longer straw, and so became the 
 owner of the pony with the spot of white on his 
 breast. 
 
28 THE RANCHE ON THE OXHIDE 
 
 In less than two weeks, through kindness and 
 good care, they were changed into clean, sleek, 
 beautiful bays, just as Mr. Thompson had said 
 they would be. In a month the boys could ride 
 them anywhere, and the acme of their happiness 
 was reached. 
 
 The animals had strayed from some band of 
 wild horses and had drifted along with the herd 
 of buffaloes, as was not infrequently the case 
 in the early days on the great plains. 
 
CHAPTER III 
 
 THE BOYS GO FISHING FOR THE FIRST TIME — AN IDEA SUD- 
 DENLY STRIKES ROB ROB's QUEST AND LUCK THE ISLAND 
 
 OF WILLOWS — ROB'S BIG CAT — JOE's TUSSLE WITH A PANTHER 
 CUB — KILLS HIM — IS WOUNDED — SKINS THE ANIMAL, AND 
 GETS HOME AT LAST — GIVES THE BEAUTIFUL ROBE TO HIS 
 MOTHER 
 
 The winter, contrary to their expectations, was 
 not a severe one. The family had been used to 
 the long, dreary, cold months of a New England 
 winter, and were agreeably surprised when April 
 arrived with its sunny skies, delicious breezes, 
 and wild flowers covering the prairies. 
 
 One morning, when his father was just start- 
 ing for the little village of Ellsworth, six miles 
 distant, for a load of lumber, Rob asked him to 
 buy some hooks and lines. 
 
 "Father," said he, "Oxhide Creek is just full 
 of bull-pouts, perch, cat and buffalo fish. Joe 
 and I want to go fishing to-day, if you return in 
 time." 
 
 .29 
 
30 THE RANCHE ON THE OXHIDE 
 
 Mr. Thompson told the boys that he would 
 not forget them, and as he drove off, they took 
 their spades to dig in the garden as their father 
 had directed them to do while he was away. 
 
 Both Joe and Rob worked very industriously, 
 anxious to make the time slip away until their 
 father's return, when, if he was satisfied with 
 what they had done, they knew he would let 
 them go fishing. 
 
 Just before twelve o'clock Mr. Thompson came 
 back. The boys had worked for more than 
 three hours, but it seemed only one to them, so 
 quickly does time glide along when we are en- 
 gaged in some healthful labor. 
 
 When Mr. Thompson saw how faithfully his 
 boys had worked, he told them, as he handed to 
 each a line and some hooks, they might have the 
 afternoon to themselves and go fishing if they 
 wished to, but must wait until they had taken 
 the lumber off the wagon and eaten their dinner. 
 
 The boys were all excitement at the idea of 
 going fishing. When they sat down to dinner 
 they hurried through it, asked to be excused, and 
 went out and unloaded the lumber before their 
 father had done eating. 
 
JOE KILLS A PANTHER 3 1 
 
 When they returned to the house and told 
 their father they had unloaded the boards and 
 run the wagon under the shed, he said they 
 might go, but were to be sure to return in time 
 to do the chores. 
 
 They took a spade from the tool-shed and an 
 old tomato can their mother had given them, and 
 started for the creek, where in the soft, black 
 soil of its banks they dug for white grubs for bait. 
 They were not very successful, however. They 
 turned over almost as much soil as they had dug 
 in the garden that morning, but found only three 
 or four worms ; not enough to take out on their 
 excursion. They were disgusted for a few mo- 
 ments, fearing that they would have to give up 
 their fishing, so stood staring at each other, their 
 faces filled with disappointment. 
 
 At last an idea struck Rob. He said : — 
 
 " I'll tell you what we'll do, Joe. I read in one 
 of father's books the other day about the Indians 
 out in Oregon catching trout with crayfish. It 
 said that the savages commence to fish far up at 
 the head of the stream, lifting, as they walk down, 
 the flat stones under which the little animals 
 hide themselves. They look like small lobsters, 
 
32 THE RANCHE ON THE OXHIDE 
 
 only they are gray instead of green. Then they 
 break them open and use the white meat for bait. 
 The book said they catch more trout in an hour 
 than a white man will in a week with all his flies, 
 bugs, and fancy rigging." 
 
 " Let's try 'em for luck," answered Joe. " I don't 
 know whether there are any crayfish in the Ox- 
 hide, but we can go and find out ; and if there 
 are, I guess cat and perch will bite at 'em as 
 well as trout." 
 
 " All right," said Rob, the look of disappoint- 
 ment instantly vanishing from his face as he 
 listened to his brother's suggestion. " But I 
 tell you, Joe," continued he, "we've got to have 
 poles. You go up to that bunch of willows 
 yonder," pointing with the old can he held in 
 his hand, to the bunch of willows growing as 
 thick as rushes on a little island in the creek, 
 about an eighth of a mile from where he stood ; 
 "and here, Joe, take my line and hooks, too. 
 Fix yours and mine all ready for us, while I go 
 and hunt for the crayfish. I know where they 
 are; I saw a whole lot crawling in the water 
 near the house the other day." 
 
 The two brothers then separated, — Joe, jack- 
 
JOE KILLS A PANTHER 33 
 
 knife in hand, going toward the willows, and 
 Rob to the creek with the tomato can. 
 
 As soon as Rob arrived at the bank of the 
 stream, he took off his boots and stockings, 
 rolled his trousers above his knees, tied the can 
 around his neck with a string, and waded in. 
 The creek was not at all deep, and the water 
 as clear as crystal. He could see shoals of 
 perch dart ahead of him, and many bull-pouts 
 rush under the shadow of the bank as he 
 waded toward the island of willows. In the 
 bed of the creek were hundreds of flat rocks; 
 some that he could easily lift, others so large 
 that he could not budge them. 
 
 The first stone he turned over had three of 
 the coveted crayfish hidden under its slimy 
 bottom, and excited at his luck, he quickly 
 caught them. So many were there as he lifted 
 stone after stone, that he soon filled the tomato 
 can, and by that time he had arrived at the 
 willows. Joe was anxiously waiting for him 
 with two handsome rods, at least ten feet long, 
 the lines already attached and the hooks nicely 
 fastened to their ends. 
 
 " Golly ! Rob, you must have had awful good 
 
34 THE RANCHE ON THE OXHIDE 
 
 luck," said Joe, as he looked at the can full of 
 struggling crayfish. 
 
 " Pshaw ! " answered Rob. " Why, Joe, I could 
 have got a bushel of em ; the Oxhide was just 
 swimming with 'em." 
 
 " Let's go to that little lake that was so 
 nice where we went swimming last autumn," 
 suggested Joe. " I know there are lots of cats 
 in there; big ones, too." 
 
 " All right, Joe," said Rob, as he commenced 
 to put on his stockings. When he had got 
 his boots on, the two boys walked briskly 
 toward the so-called lake, which was a mere 
 widening of the creek, forming quite a large 
 sheet of water, where they arrived in about 
 seven minutes. It was a very delightful spot. 
 The whole surface of the water was shaded by 
 the gigantic limbs of great elms a hundred 
 years old, growing on its margin, and all 
 around the edge was a heavy mat of buffalo 
 grass, soft as a carpet. 
 
 It required only a dozen seconds or so for 
 the boys to unwind their lines, bait the hooks, 
 seat themselves on the cushioned sod, and cast 
 the shining white meat in the water. 
 
JOB KILLS A PANTHER 35 
 
 There they anxiously waited for results, as 
 the catfish is not game like the trout, but is 
 slow and deliberate in all its movements. The 
 trout rushes at anything that touches the sur- 
 face of the water, but the catfish carefully in- 
 vestigates whatever comes within reach of its 
 great jaws, before it opens its ugly mouth to 
 take it in. 
 
 In a few minutes, Rob felt a tremendous 
 tugging at his line, and in another instant he 
 skilfully landed a large channel cat on the 
 grass at his feet. 
 
 " Look, Joe, look ! see what a big one IVe 
 caught," said Rob, as he dexterously extracted 
 the hook from the creature's great mouth, and 
 then held the fish at arm's length so that his 
 brother could have a good look at it. 
 
 Rob's catch weighed at least four pounds, and 
 no w^onder he was delighted at such success, as 
 it showed considerable skill to land a fish of 
 that size. 
 
 Joe had not yet had a nibble, and a shade of 
 disappointment began to creep over his face 
 when suddenly, just as he was about to go over 
 to examine his brother's catch more closely, he 
 
36 THE RANCHE ON THE OXHIDE 
 
 was nearly jerked off his feet by a tremendous 
 pull at his own line. He recovered himself im- 
 mediately, and by dint of a hard struggle, hauled 
 in a cat that was almost as big again as that 
 which Rob had caught. 
 
 It was Joe's turn to yell now ; he held up the 
 bio: fish as hio^h as he could, — its tail touched 
 the ground even then, — and sung out: — 
 
 " I say, Rob, just look at this, will you ? 
 Yours is only a minnow alongside of mine. 
 When you go fishing, why don't you catch 
 something like this ? " 
 
 Unfortunately, at the instant he was so wild 
 with excitement, he stood on the very edge 
 of the bank, and so absorbed was he in the 
 contemplation of the great fish, that his foot 
 slipped and both he and the cat were thrown 
 into the water at the same moment. The cat 
 made a terrible lunge forward when it found 
 itself once more in its native element, and before 
 you could say " Jack Robinson," was out of sight. 
 
 If ever disgust was to be seen on a boy's face, 
 that face was Joe Thompson's; he only glanced 
 at the water, did not say a word; his feelings 
 were too sad for utterance. 
 
JOE KILLS A PANTHER 37 
 
 Rob looked over at his brother and sarcastic- 
 ally said, as he held up his cat and stroked it: — 
 
 " I say, Joe, who's got the biggest fish 
 now r 
 
 In an instant he saw that he had touched Joe 
 in a tender spot; he was a very sensitive boy, 
 so Rob quickly added: "Well, never mind, Joe. 
 You remember what mother often says to us, 
 * There is as good a fish in the sea as was ever 
 caught,' and I'll bet there's just as big cats in 
 here as the one you lost. Try again, Joe, but 
 stand away from the edge of the water with the 
 next one you haul out." 
 
 Joe, thus encouraged and comforted, sat down 
 again in his old place, threw his line to try 
 once more, and in the excitement soon forgot 
 his misfortune. 
 
 In less than three hours the boys caught more 
 than a dozen apiece, none so large, however, 
 as that which escaped from Joe. It was now 
 nearly six o'clock, the sun was low in the 
 heavens, and as they had as many fish as 
 they could conveniently carry, they decided to 
 go home. Arriving there in a short time, they 
 at once went to work at their chores. Their 
 
38 THE RANCHE ON THE OXHIDE 
 
 customary evening's task was to drive the cows 
 into the corral, feed the horses and their own 
 ponies, and bring water from the spring for 
 their mother, so that it should be handy when 
 she rose in the morning. 
 
 While Joe and Rob were at their work, their 
 father cleaned some of the fish, which their 
 mother then cooked for supper, and they cer- 
 tainly tasted to the young anglers better than 
 ever did fish before. While at the table they 
 related every little incident that had befallen 
 them on this their first angling expedition in 
 the new country. 
 
 After that very successful excursion the broth- 
 ers sometimes spent whole mornings or portions 
 of the afternoons at some place on the creek or 
 river, when the work on the ranche was not 
 pushing, and so expert did they become with 
 hook and line, that the family was never at a 
 loss for a supply of fish during the proper sea- 
 sons. 
 
 Joe was a close observer of nature, and he very 
 quickly learned the habits of all the animals, birds, 
 and fish that were common to the region where 
 he lived. Being the eldest son, too, he was 
 
JOE KILLS A PANTHER 39 
 
 intrusted with a small but excellent rifle and a 
 shot-gun which his father bought one morning 
 in the village, on the fifteenth anniversary of his 
 birthday. He w^ould get up very early in the 
 morning and wath his pony and the hounds 
 have many a lively chase after the little cotton- 
 tail rabbit or the larger "jack," improperly so 
 called, for it is really the hare. The rabbit 
 burrows in the ground, while the jack-rabbit does 
 not, but makes his nest on the top, in a bunch 
 of grass, or in the holes in the rocky ledges of 
 the bluffs that fringe nearly every stream on 
 the great plains. Out on the open prairies the 
 grouse congregated in large flocks at certain 
 seasons, and in every covert in the w^oods the 
 quail could be found. Joe had really handled a 
 gun long before he left Vermont, but the superior 
 chance for practice out on the ranche soon made 
 him a magnificent shot ; consequently the table at 
 the ranche was never without game if the family 
 desired it. 
 
 Beside the smaller game I have mentioned, 
 there w^ere immense herds of buffalo and ante- 
 lope, and in some places in the deep woods was 
 the only long-tailed specimen of the genus felis 
 
40 THE RANCHE ON THE OXHIDE 
 
 on the continent, — the cougar, or panther. All 
 the wildcats, so called, are lynxes, with short tails. 
 With one of the first mentioned Joe once had a 
 severe tussle, which nearly proved disastrous to 
 him. It happened in this way. 
 
 One afternoon In November shortly after the 
 cabin was finished and the family had moved in, 
 he was out on the range with his father's horse, 
 the Spencer carbine, and about twenty rounds of 
 ammunition. Even at that early stage of his life 
 at Errolstrath he was always careful never to ride 
 far away from home, without taking a gun with 
 him ; for he was always sure to see something In 
 the shape of game worth killing for the table ; 
 and as its main support in that particular very 
 soon depended on his prowess as a hunter, he 
 was always on the lookout. 
 
 Joe had ridden a long way from the cabin. 
 He had really forgotten how far away he was and 
 was becoming very thirsty, for the day had been 
 warm, so he commenced to hunt for water. 
 
 He was riding along the bank of the Smoky 
 Hill In the thickest of the timber which grows 
 on its banks, and by certain signs he had 
 studied since he had lived on the ranche, knew 
 
JOE KILLS A rANTHER 4I 
 
 that he was near some springs, though he had 
 never been in that vicinity before. 
 
 He got off his horse, shpped the loop of the 
 bridle-rein over his left arm, slung the carbine 
 across his right shoulder, and cautiously walked 
 on. There was, of course, no trail or path at the 
 base of the bluffs along which he was travelling, 
 so he stopped at the mouth of every ravine he 
 came to, hoping to find a pool of water, or to dis- 
 cover some hidden spring whose source was high 
 up among the great rocks that towered above his 
 head. 
 
 Presently he arrived at a depression in the 
 earth in the bottom of a gully, evidently made by 
 the claws of some animal, for beside those marks 
 were the imprint of foot-tracks. Joe intuitively 
 guessed they were those of a panther, as he had 
 been told by the old trapper. Tucker, that that 
 animal knows by instinct when the water is near 
 the surface, and scratches with his claws until he 
 reaches it. Joe knew, too, that the panther was 
 not a very large one ; his footprints were too 
 small ; so he did not feel at all alarmed at their 
 sight. On the contrary, boy-like, he was de- 
 lighted at the idea of a possible tussle with one 
 
42 THE RANCHE ON THE OXHIDE 
 
 of the dreadful creatures, and he thought that if 
 he could succeed in killing it he would add 
 another feather to his cap by taking its hide 
 home. 
 
 Joe felt himself equal to a possible struggle. 
 He knew that he was fully armed, and at once 
 examined his carbine, took out the knife which 
 he always carried in his belt for skinning, and 
 finding everything in perfect order, he was really 
 anxious to find the animal that had been digging 
 for water only a little while before his arrival at 
 the spot. 
 
 A few rods further on, in the same ravine, he 
 saw a little pool of water, evidently clear and 
 cool, and after looking cautiously all around him, 
 dipped the rim of his hat into the pool before 
 him and indulged in a long drink of the delicious 
 fluid. Then after having satisfied his thirst, he 
 stood still for a few moments undecided as to 
 what course he should pursue. 
 
 He concluded that if he was to remain and 
 fight the panther if the animal made his appear- 
 ance, it would be best to tie his horse to a sap- 
 ling a short distance from the pool. After doing 
 this he placed a fresh cartridge in his carbine and 
 
JOE KILLS A PANTHER 43 
 
 walked slowly on, following the beasts tracks, 
 w^iich had grown plainly visible a few paces from 
 the edge of the water, and which soon led him 
 into a rocky canon. 
 
 Joe came in sight of the panther much sooner 
 than he expected. As he was turning the sharp 
 projecting corner of a mass of rocks which 
 formed the walls of a ravine, there was the pan- 
 ther sitting on a shelf of sandstone, not forty feet 
 away from him. He was busy licking his paws 
 cat-fashion, his ears cocked as if listening, and 
 his small green eyes turned toward the intruder, 
 but evidently not much concerned at the sight of 
 his greatest enemy, man. 
 
 Joe was rather taken aback at first, but as the 
 brute was only a little over half-grown, and 
 appeared so indifferent to his presence, he un- 
 cocked his carbine, which he had a moment 
 before hastily cocked, and both boy and panther 
 stood quietly gazing at each other for ten seconds 
 before either made any demonstration. 
 
 Presently the panther rose and turned side- 
 ways toward Joe, and edging up toward the top 
 of the ledge, gave vent to a low growl, and showed 
 a beautiful set of long, sharp teeth, evidently 
 
44 THE RANCHE ON THE OXHIDE 
 
 intending to let Joe know that he wasn't afraid of 
 him. This movement on the part of the panther 
 somewhat excited Joe, and cocking his carbine 
 again, he deliberately took aim at the place where 
 the heart of the beast should be, as the animal 
 had now turned its left side toward the young 
 hunter. Quick as a flash Joe pulled the trigger, 
 but the ball glancing upward, only grazed the end 
 of the beast's shoulder-blade and shattered it, the 
 panther at the same instant tumbling over on its 
 side. This made Joe yell with delight, for he 
 thought he had killed it at the first shot. 
 
 The panther lay on the ground only for about 
 ten seconds when the aspect of affairs for Joe was 
 suddenly changed. The brute staggered to its 
 feet, and, maddened with rage and pain, made for 
 the boy. Although the beast was evidently very 
 lame from the effect of the shot, Joe saw to his 
 amazement that he was far from dead, and for a 
 moment his usual presence of mind forsook him, 
 and he made a bolt for his horse, feeling that the 
 dreadful animal was close to him. 
 
 In his fright he dropped his carbine, but in 
 another moment was on his horse, who, on being 
 so unceremoniously mounted, and seeing the 
 
f 
 
 
 B 
 c 
 
 O 
 
 :3 
 
 (D 
 
 
 o 
 
JOE KILLS A PANTHER 45 
 
 panther, gave a wild snort and a desperate kick 
 which sent Joe heels over head to the ground, 
 and then dashed down the trail for home ! 
 
 Joe was now all alone, on foot, and with 
 nothine but his knife to defend himself from 
 the attack of the panther, who was almost 
 upon him as he got up from the ground after 
 having been so hurriedly tossed from his sad- 
 dle. Although the panther was lame and 
 bleeding profusely, he waddled along as best 
 he could toward Joe, his mouth wide open and 
 his great jaws covered with froth in his rage. 
 Joe was somewhat bruised by his fall, and see- 
 ing very quickly that he could not escape a 
 tussle with the beast, made up his mind that 
 he would fight him to the best of his ability. 
 There was no other chance, for the panther 
 was now upon him, trying to get at him so 
 that he could claw and bite at his leisure. 
 But Joe, who had now gained his normal cool- 
 ness, turned deliberately, and facing the savage 
 brute, whose hot breath he could feel, with one 
 vigorous thrust of his knife he struck the ani- 
 mal's heart and fortunately killed him instantly. 
 
 In the close struggle the panther was so near 
 
46 THE RANCHE ON THE OXHIDE 
 
 Joe, that In his death throes, having fallen right 
 on top of the boy, his sharp claws tore the 
 sleeve of his coat off and scratched a goodly 
 piece of flesh from his arms, as with one con- 
 vulsive shudder the ferocious animal had rolled 
 over dead. 
 
 There was never a more delighted boy than 
 Joe, despite his really painful wounds, and ris- 
 ing with some difficulty to his feet, he went 
 back for his carbine, and returned with it to 
 the dead panther. He picked up his knife 
 which had fallen on the ground when the 
 fatal thrust was given, deftly skinned him, sus- 
 pended the beautiful hide to a limb of a Cot- 
 tonwood tree to keep the wolves from it, and 
 then turned away and followed his trail towards 
 the ranche. Of course, in a little while he be- 
 gan to grow stiff in his arms from the sever- 
 ity of his wounds, and not knowing exactly 
 how far he was from the cabin, he was dis- 
 turbed, not so much for himself as at the 
 thou2:ht that when the riderless horse arrived 
 there it would alarm his parents. 
 
 Joe was correct in his conjectures. As the 
 horse dashed up to the stable without his 
 
JOE KILLS A PANTHER 47 
 
 rider, both his father and mother were terribly 
 frightened. They plucked up courage, however, 
 and immediately saddling another horse, led 
 back on his own trail the one Joe had ridden, 
 and soon came up to where Joe was resting 
 at the side of a large spring, and suffering con- 
 siderably with the pain caused by his wounds. 
 
 They all arrived at the cabin by sundown, 
 with the skin of the panther, Joe's father hav- 
 ing gone back to the tree where the boy had 
 hung it. That was a red-letter day in Joe's 
 young life. He had to tell again and again 
 how he happened to come on the panther and 
 his awful fight with the enraged creature. 
 
 Joe soon recovered under the devoted nurs- 
 ing of his mother; his arm healed nicely, but 
 a good-sized scar was left where the panther 
 had dug its sharp claws into the flesh. The 
 hide was smoke-tanned, and for many years 
 afterward adorned the floor at the foot of his 
 mother's bed. 
 
CHAPTER IV 
 
 EOY AND GIRL LIFE AT ERROLSTRATH RANCHE THEIR PETS — 
 
 THE GIRLS ENCOUNTER A BIG PRAIRIE WOLF — JOE TO THE 
 RESCUE DEATH OF THE FEROCIOUS BEAST 
 
 As the months rolled on, the family, partic- 
 ularly the children, grew more and more de- 
 lio-hted with their new home in the wilderness. 
 The boys and girls had an abundance of 
 leisure; for though their father exacted the 
 most prompt obedience, he was not a hard 
 task-master. He allowed his children every 
 indulgence compatible with reason, and only 
 certain portions of the day were devoted to 
 work. They all studied under their father's 
 personal supervision, for no schools had yet 
 been established in the settlement. 
 
 For the boys, there were the cows to be 
 
 driven to and from their pasture, morning and 
 
 night, and it was their duty to milk them, too. 
 
 Then the horses were to be fed, and in season 
 
 48 
 
A FIGHT WITH A WOLF 49 
 
 they worked in the large garden, on which 
 their father prided himself. The girls helped 
 their mother in every household duty, and re- 
 lieved her of many cares as she grew older. 
 So the children of Errolstrath Ranche had a 
 good time — a much better time than generally 
 falls to the lot of those families in only moderate 
 circumstances, as were the Thompsons. 
 
 Before they had resided on the ranche a 
 year, the boys and girls had become possessed 
 of a variety of pets. Gertrude had a coon; 
 Kate, an antelope ; Rob, a prairie dog ; and Joe, 
 an elk. 
 
 The antelope was caught when young by 
 Joe, and the hounds, Bluey and Brutus, under 
 the following circumstances : Although one of 
 the most timid and swift of all the ruminants 
 on the great plains, it is also one of the most 
 inquisitive. -Whenever it sees something with 
 which it is not familiar, its curiosity overpowers 
 its usual fear, and it will approach very near 
 to the object that has excited its attention. 
 Now Joe had learned from old Tucker, the 
 trapper, just how^ the Indians act, when out 
 hunting the antelope, to draw the herd within 
 
50 THE RANCHE ON THE OXHIDE 
 
 range of their arrows. He said that sometimes 
 one or two of the savages would stand on 
 their heads and shake their legs in the air; 
 then again, they would hold up a blanket, no 
 matter what color, and wave it slowly, when the 
 herd, or at least a number from it, would gradu- 
 ally walk toward the Indians who were lying 
 flat on the ground, and thus become easy victims 
 to their swift, unerring arrows. 
 
 It was this knowledge of the antelope's promi- 
 nent characteristic that enabled Joe to secure 
 one for his favorite sister. He was out very 
 early one morning when he noticed a large 
 herd with many kids among it, about half a 
 mile distant. He was well aware that his dogs, 
 swift as they were, would be no match for the 
 beautiful creatures in a trial of speed, so he 
 resolved to resort to the Indian method. Order- 
 ing his hounds to lie close, he tied his white 
 handkerchief round his head, and taking off 
 his overalls, he began to move his body slowly 
 backward and forward, at the same time vigor- 
 ously waving the overalls in the air. In a few 
 moments, just as he expected they would, he 
 had the satisfaction of seeing first one, then 
 
A FIGHT WITH A WOLF 5 1 
 
 another, look up and gaze steadily at the strange 
 object. Presently, about half a dozen of the 
 does with their little ones by their sides, com- 
 menced to move cautiously towards him. When 
 they had approached sufficiently near, he started 
 the hounds after them, and after a short, lively 
 chase they caught a fine kid, which, of course, 
 could not keep up with its mother. They cap- 
 tured it without injury, for they had been trained 
 not to mouth their game. As there were a 
 dozen cows on the ranch, there was an abun- 
 dance of milk, with which Kate used to feed her 
 little pet from a bottle. The pretty creature 
 throve rapidly, and soon became as affectionate 
 as a kitten, following its mistress everywhere like 
 a dog. 
 
 The big gray wolf, that ghoul of the great 
 plains, understands full well the inordinate curi- 
 osity of the antelope, and knowing that it is im- 
 possible for him to catch one of the fleet animals 
 by the employment of his legs alone, he effects 
 by cunning what he could never accomplish by 
 the best efforts of his endurance. The wicked 
 old fellow, when he discovers a bunch of ante- 
 lopes in the distance, rolls himself into a ball, like 
 
52 THE RANCHE ON THE OXHIDE 
 
 a badger, and tumbles about on the grass until 
 some of the deluded animals come near enough 
 for him to spring on them. 
 
 Gertrude's coon was caught by both the boys, 
 assisted by Bluey and Brutus. They dug him 
 out of his nest under the roots of a huge elm tree 
 near the cabin, one day in the early springtime, 
 when the warm sun had just begun to thaw him 
 after his winter's hibernation. He was " 'cute" 
 and mischievous as he could be, stealing anything 
 on which he could get his tiny paws. Whenever 
 Gertrude called him, — his name was Tom, — he 
 would run to her as fast as he could, jump on 
 her back, and sit on her shoulders for an hour at 
 a time, when she was sewing or doing something 
 which did not require her to move about. He 
 lived on any scraps from the table, always rolling 
 his food in his paws before he ate it. 
 
 The prairie dog, the property of Rob, was acci- 
 dentally captured by Gertrude one morning when 
 she and Kate were out gathering wild flowers. 
 She actually stumbled on him as she stooped to 
 pick a sensitive rose. The little creature had 
 somehow become entangled in the convolutions 
 of the vine, and thus became an easy prey. It 
 
A FIGHT WITH A WOLF 53 
 
 fought like a tiger at first, and tried to bite with 
 its sharp teeth everything that came near it. 
 It was soon tamed, however, and became a reg- 
 ular nuisance at times, for it would run under 
 your feet in spite of the many pinches it got by 
 being stepped upon. It tripped up the boys 
 and girls a dozen times a day, as it was allowed 
 the freedom of the house and the dooryard. 
 Gertrude gave it to Rob, who had often expressed 
 a desire to own one, and had failed a hundred 
 times, perhaps, to capture one by drowning it 
 out of its hole. 
 
 The elk was given to Joe by old Tucker, and 
 in a short time grew to be as big as a young mule. 
 Joe broke him to harness, and used to drive him 
 hitched to a little cart which his father, with the 
 boy's help, improvised out of an odd pair of 
 wheels and a dry-goods box. He was kept in 
 the corral with the cows and horses, and became 
 very tame, but sometimes attempted to use his 
 sharp front hoofs too freely. He was forbidden 
 the precincts of the dooryard and the house, for 
 he came near cutting Kate in two once, all in 
 play, but too rough a kind of affection for a 
 repetition of it to be allowed. 
 
54 THE RANCHE ON THE OXHIDE 
 
 The wild raspberries grew in great profusion 
 near every ledge of rock in the vicinity of the 
 ranche. About a mile and a half from the house, 
 however, there was a specially favored spot for 
 them, where the vines were more dense and the 
 berries of large size and delicious flavor. In the 
 second week of June, the second year of their 
 residence on the creek, Rob, who had been up the 
 valley herding the cows, reported that evening, 
 upon his return, that the berries were ripe and 
 that there were bushels of them. 
 
 The next morning, immediately after breakfast, 
 Gertrude and Kate left the house with a tin 
 bucket each, intending to go up to the ledge and 
 gather raspberries. They were dressed lightly, — 
 Kate in a white muslin skirt, and her sister in 
 a lawn. As the nearest way to the place where 
 the berries were to be found lay by a trail on the 
 other side of the Oxhide the girls crossed it near 
 the cabin, and as there was neither log bridge nor 
 stepping-stones, they took off their shoes and 
 stockings and waded it. After reaching the 
 other side and putting on their shoes and stock- 
 ings, they wandered slowly through a little 
 flower-bedecked prairie, beyond the margin of 
 
A FIGHT WITH A WOLF 55 
 
 timber which fringed the creek, to make a short 
 cut to where the raspberries grew, for the Oxhide 
 made a sweeping curve to the northeast, nearly 
 in the shape of half a circle. 
 
 Both loving flowers, they gathered great 
 bunches of the sensitive roses, anemones, and 
 white daisies, growing everywhere in such pro- 
 fusion. This occupation consumed a great deal 
 of time, for they naturally loitered, charmed by 
 so much floral beauty around them. It was 
 fortunate they did, as the sequel will show, and 
 they did not arrive at the ledge of rocks until 
 nearly ten o'clock — more than two hours after 
 they had left home. It was intensely hot, and 
 after p-atherins: their buckets full of the delicious 
 fruit, they sat down on a shelf of the ledge which 
 projected over the creek. They dabbled their 
 bare feet in the stream as it flowed in murmur- 
 ing rhythm over the rounded white pebbles, while 
 they ate their lunch of cake brought from the 
 ranche, and the red berries so sweet in the wild- 
 ness of their flavor. 
 
 Having satisfied their hunger, Kate said to 
 her sister : " Gert, we ought to fill up our 
 buckets again. If we go home empty-handed. 
 
56 THE RANCHE ON THE OXHIDE 
 
 mother will think we have been making pigs of 
 ourselves." 
 
 " There's time enough for that yet," replied 
 Gertrude. "This cool water feels so delightful 
 to my feet that I believe I could sit here and 
 dabble in it until dark. Don't you think it's 
 delicious, Kate ? " 
 
 "Yes," answered Kate, "but I want to get 
 home before dinner, because Joe said that he 
 would go with me down to the village this even- 
 ing. I am going to ride his pony, and he will 
 ride Rob's." 
 
 " Well," said Gertrude, " if we must, we must. 
 Mother loves raspberries so ; they are her favorite 
 fruit, you know ; and if we did not take her a 
 bucketful back with us, I should never forgive 
 myself, though perhaps she would not say a 
 word." 
 
 " Let us commence right now," imploringly 
 said Kate. " I want to get back as soon as I 
 
 can." 
 
 Both girls rose languidly to do as they pro- 
 posed, but there did not seem to be much energy 
 in their motions. Just as Gertrude had taken her 
 pail from its place in the rocks, their ears were 
 
A FIGHT WITH A WOLF 57 
 
 greeted by a low growl, which seemed to come 
 directly from underneath the shelf on which they 
 had been sitting. They looked at each other, 
 and their faces blanched as another snarl and 
 a howl, nearer than before, came to their ears, 
 and both recognized the familiar sound they had 
 so often heard when lying in bed at night, as that 
 of a wolf. Those predatory brutes frequently 
 made their nightly rounds in the vicinity of the 
 corral, trying to get at the young calves, and 
 they might be heard in the timber, watching for 
 a chance to secure some of the fowls shut up in 
 their house of stone near the barn. 
 
 Gertrude, who was really very brave under 
 ordinary circumstances, immediately stood still, 
 and looking all around her, she suddenly met the 
 gaze of a large, gaunt she-wolf at whose side were 
 standing six little ones ! Generally the wolf, like 
 nearly all other wild animals, will run instantly 
 at the sight of a human being ; but the maternal 
 instinct is so w^onderful that, when they have 
 young, they will die in defending their offspring 
 from any supposed danger. This instinct was 
 shown in this instance. The fierce animal had 
 crept out of her den at the sound of voices, and 
 
58 THE RANCHE ON THE OXHIDE 
 
 believing that her cubs were in jeopardy, she 
 made a frantic dash toward the now thoroughly 
 frightened girls, who hastily scrambled to the 
 summit of the ledge. 
 
 Fortunately for them, the wolf is a poor 
 climber, but with a savage bound toward the 
 base of the flat rock on which the girls had a 
 moment before been sitting, she arrived at it the 
 same instant they had succeeded in reaching an 
 elevation of about twelve feet above the level 
 of the water. 
 
 Just as Kate, who was not as collected as her 
 sister, was being dragged up by Gertrude, the 
 wolf made a desperate leap and snapped at her 
 with his terrible teeth, but failed. It succeeded, 
 however, in catching her skirt in its ponderous 
 jaws, and tore it completely from her waist, and 
 she, almost feeling the hot breath of the infuri- 
 ated brute, uttered a loud scream and fell faint- 
 ing in her sister's arms. 
 
 Less than three hundred yards above the ledge 
 of rocks, in a beautiful piece of prairie, Joe was 
 herding the cattle, and Kate's cry, so full of fear, 
 fell piercingly on his ears. He was aware that 
 his sisters were to go berrying that morning. 
 
A FIGHT WITH A WOLF 59 
 
 and he also knew that the sound could only- 
 come from one of them. He was lying on the 
 grass under the shade of a big elm with the 
 bridle-rein of his pony in his hand. Grasping 
 his rifle, which was at his side, in an instant he 
 had mounted his animal, and digging his heels 
 into its flanks, fairly flew down the creek to 
 where his sisters were held at bay by the wolf. 
 He arrived there in less than three minutes after 
 he heard the scream of alarm, and saw the wolf 
 still persisting in its vain efforts to reach the 
 girls on the summit of the ledge. Gertrude was 
 almost paralyzed with fear, and Kate lay at her 
 feet in the swoon into which the action of the 
 wolf had thrown her. 
 
 The enraged beast was too much occupied 
 with the girls to notice that its would-be victims 
 had assistance so near at hand, and Joe, as Ger- 
 trude saw her brother's approach, put his finger 
 to his lips, indicating that she must remain per- 
 fectly silent. He dismounted in a second, and 
 putting the loop of the reins over his left arm, 
 dropped on one knee, and taking careful aim, 
 sent a ball crashing right through the brain of 
 the wolf, which instantly fell dead in its tracks„ 
 
60 THE RANCHE ON THE OXHIDE 
 
 Joe then rushed down to the creek and filled 
 his hat with water. He then climbed hurriedly 
 up to the rocky steep again and threw the water 
 into Kate's face as she still lay prone on the 
 ledge at her sister's feet. Kate soon revived, and 
 after staring around her for a few seconds in a 
 dazed way, she smiled and said : — 
 
 " Oh, Joe, you have saved us ! " and rising to 
 her feet, forgetful of her wet face, she kissed 
 hiin half a dozen times. 
 
 While his sisters were adjusting their dresses 
 and recovering from their terrible fright, Joe 
 killed the young wolves with the butt of his 
 rifle, and then taking his knife from his belt 
 commenced to skin the old one. It did not re- 
 quire much time to perform the operation, for 
 he had long since become an adept at such 
 work. He then threw the beautiful hide over 
 the withers of his pony, and walked home with 
 his sisters. 
 
 Arriving at the cabin, the girls had much to 
 tell about their wonderful experience and lucky 
 escape from the jaws of the wolf, which would 
 certainly have torn them to pieces if it had not 
 been for Joe's timely arrival. 
 
A FIGHT WITH A WOLF 6 1 
 
 The hide, which was an immense one, was first 
 tacked to the side of the stable, and when dried, 
 Joe smoke-tanned it until it was as soft as a piece 
 of silk. He gave it to Kate as a memento of her 
 awful experience with its former owner. She 
 used it as a rug at the side of her bed, and often 
 said that for a long time whenever she stepped 
 on it, the scene in which it played such an im- 
 portant part was brought vividly to her mind. 
 
CHAPTER V 
 
 THE FRIENDLY PAWNEES CAMP ON THE OXHIDE OLD "YELLOW 
 
 CALF," THE CHIEF — JOE IS NAMED "THE WHITE PANTHER" 
 
 JOE GOES HUNTING WITH THE BAND — HE LEARNS THE 
 
 LANGUAGE HUNTING WITH THE BOYS OF THE TRIBE 
 
 The Pawnees and Kaws, tribes of Indians long 
 at peace with the whites, and whose reservations 
 were in the eastern part of the state, frequently 
 made incursions into the buffalo region two hun- 
 dred miles from their home in the valley of the 
 Neosho, on their annual hunt for their winter's 
 supply of meat. The valley of the Oxhide was 
 one of their favorite camping-grounds, and from 
 thence they radiated in bands to the plains, where 
 the vast herds of the great shaggy animals grazed 
 in the autumn months, on their curious elliptical 
 march from the Yellowstone to the southern bor- 
 der of Texas. 
 
 Every autumn these Indians camped in the 
 
 timber only about a mile from Errolstrath ranche, 
 
 and it was very natural that the boys, especially 
 
 62 
 
JOE HUNTS WITH THE PAWNEES 63 
 
 Joe, should often visit their temporary village, as 
 it was decidedly a new sensation for them. The 
 tepees, or lodges, built in a conical shape out of 
 long poles covered with well-tanned buffalo hides, 
 were a never-ending curiosity to Joe. The chief 
 of the band. Yellow Calf, an old man nearly 
 eighty years of age, took a great fancy to Joe 
 from the moment he first saw him. As soon as 
 he became acquainted with his character he called 
 him " White Panther," after the strange nomen- 
 clature of the North American savage. The In- 
 dians noticed immediately that Joe was different 
 from the majority of white children they had met, 
 and his quickness of motion was the reason they 
 named him as they did. His readiness in acquir- 
 ing their language, which he almost mastered in 
 a few months, astonished them. Then Joe was 
 always kind and gentle to the band, often bring- 
 ing food from his mother's table when she could 
 give it to him, especially bread or biscuit, of which 
 old Yellow Calf was inordinately fond. At the 
 suQ-^estion of the chief, the closest warriors of his 
 council took great delight in showing their new 
 boy friend the use of the bow and arrow. They 
 taught him how to prepare the skins of animals 
 
64 THE RANCHE ON THE OXHIDE 
 
 he shot ; how to make the robe of the buffalo as 
 soft as a doeskin, and they taught him how to 
 trap beaver, otter, and muskrat, in which valuable 
 fur-bearing animals all the streams abounded. 
 Yellow Calf would sit for hours talking with Joe, 
 learning from him all about the strange inven- 
 tions of the white man, and their uses. He in 
 turn taught the boy the mysteries of the beauti- 
 ful sign language, so wonderful in its symbolism; 
 and the manner of trailing, so that in a few 
 months he was as well versed in the methods of 
 following an enemy on the warpath as the sav- 
 ages themselves. 
 
 The Indians frequently took Joe with them far 
 up the Arkansas valley on their grand hunts 
 after the buffalo. His parents readily gave their 
 consent to his going with his red friends, though 
 he was sometimes absent from home for more 
 than a w^eek. For three seasons the same band 
 of Pawnees had their village on the creek, re- 
 maining there during the months of September 
 and October of each year. All that time Joe 
 continued his intimacy with them, and became 
 more perfect in his knowledge of their savage 
 methods. He could follow the blindest trail by 
 
JOE HUNTS WITH THE PAWNEES 6$ 
 
 day or night, and the signs of the various hostile 
 tribes were as familiar to him as the alphabet. 
 
 He had been carefully trained to all this 
 knowledge by the Pawnees, who were the heredi- 
 tary enemies of the Cheyennes who still claimed 
 sovereignty over the great plains. Once, in fact, 
 when he had been out for a fortnight with his 
 Indian friends on a buffalo hunt, the party was 
 suddenly met by a band of Cheyennes, and, of 
 course, a battle ensued to which Joe was a wit- 
 ness. After the fight that night, when the band 
 camped on the Walnut, he saw the dances of 
 the victorious Pawnees and learned a great deal 
 about savage warfare. 
 
 Shortly after the advent of the Pawnees on the 
 Oxhide, and when Joe had established his friendly 
 relations with them, although he could shoot 
 fairly well previously, he now began to take a 
 special delight in hunting. Every moment he 
 could get to himself, he was off in the timber or 
 out on the prairie with his rifle or shot-gun. 
 He never carried these, however, unless he 
 hunted alone, as on many occasions he was ac- 
 companied by one or two of the Pawnee boys 
 about his own age whom the band had brought 
 
66 THE RANCHE ON THE OXHIDE 
 
 with them ; young bucks, not yet old enough to 
 have reached the dignity of warriors. They had 
 to do the work generally assigned to the women, 
 for no squaws were with the band. It is beneath 
 a warrior to do anything but hunt, eat, smoke, 
 and go to war; for idleness is the predominant 
 characteristic of the men of every savage race, 
 and the Pawnees were no exception. 
 
 While they were encamped on the Oxhide the 
 warriors scarcely ever left the delightful place 
 except, of course, when summoned by their chief 
 to the hunt. They sat all day in the shadow 
 of their lodges, puffing lazily at their pipes and 
 relating over and over again the stories of their 
 feats in personal encounters with their enemies, 
 the Cheyennes. 
 
 The North American Indians are very assidu- 
 ous in teaching their boys all that becomes a 
 great warrior, — how to ride the wildest horses, 
 and how to hunt and trap every variety of animal 
 used in the domestic economy of their families. 
 The very moment a son is large enough to 
 handle them, bows and arrows are constantly in 
 his hands. 
 
 As the Indians had only a few poor rifles, 
 
JOE HUNTS WITH THE PAWNEES 67 
 
 whenever Joe went out with his dusky young 
 companions on a hunt, he, too, took nothing but 
 his bow and arrows which the Pawnees had given 
 him, for he did not want his boy friends to feel 
 his superiority when armed with the white man's 
 weapons. The number of squirrels, rabbits, and 
 game birds he killed in a single day would have 
 astonished a city-bred boy. 
 
 The Pawnee warriors, flattered by Joe's prefer- 
 ence for their society to that of his white neigh- 
 bors, made him the very finest bows and arrows 
 of which their skill was capable. They looked 
 forward to the day when he should develop into 
 a great warrior, and hoped, too, that the time 
 would come when, becoming tired of civilization, 
 he would let them adopt him into the tribe. 
 One morning, to the surprise of Joe, the old chief 
 despatched a runner back to the reservation 
 with orders to his squaws to make a complete 
 suit of buckskin for his young white friend. In 
 about two weeks when the messenger returned 
 to the camp with the savage dress, Joe, of course, 
 was delighted with his quaint and really beauti- 
 ful costume. It was made out of the finest doe- 
 skin, elegantly embroidered with beads ; the 
 
68 THE RANCHE ON THE OXHIDE 
 
 seams of the coat-sleeves and trousers were 
 fringed in the most approved savage fashion, 
 while the moccasins were exquisitely wrought 
 with the quills of the porcupine, gayly colored. 
 There were also given the boy all the adjuncts of 
 a warrior, — a tomahawk, medicine-bag, tobacco- 
 pouch, powder-horn, bullet-sack, flint and steel, 
 and, last of all, a magnificent calumet manufact- 
 ured of the red stone from the sacred quarry in 
 far-off Minnesota. 
 
 Joe had never mentioned to any of the family, 
 not even to Rob, what was in store for him 
 from the Pawnees. To make the surprise 
 greater to the household, when he was ready 
 to put on the new suit, he got one of the war- 
 riors to decorate his face in royal savage style, 
 and thus metamorphosed, he walked into the 
 cabin one noon, just as the family were about 
 to sit down to dinner. None of them recog- 
 nized him, and when he began to talk in the 
 Pawnee language, not a word of which any of 
 them could understand, his father motioned 
 him to take a seat at the table and eat, as he 
 had often done to the real Pawnees on their 
 many visits to the ranche. 
 
JOE HUNTS WITH THE PAWNEES 69 
 
 At last Joe could contain himself no longer, 
 and he cried out in his exultation over the farce 
 he had enacted : " Father, mother, Rob, and you 
 girls, don't you know me ? " 
 
 " No ! " they all answered simultaneously, but 
 immediately recognizing his voice, now that he 
 spoke English, his mother said that she had 
 never suspected for a moment that the horrid- 
 looking, paint-bedaubed creature before her could 
 be her own child. 
 
 Then all had a good laugh over the manner in 
 which Joe had deceived them, but his father 
 insisted that he must go and wash the paint 
 from his face before he thought of sitting down 
 to eat with Christian people; he could allow it 
 in the case of a real savage, because they did not 
 know any better. 
 
 Joe was very hungry, for he had been out hunt- 
 ing orrouse on the hills all the morning, and was 
 tired, too, so he hastily obeyed his father's injunc- 
 tion. He ran to the spring, and by vigorously 
 rubbine at the various colors, he at last succeeded 
 in orettinof his face clean. In a few moments he 
 returned to the dining-room looking like himself 
 again, but very stately, by reason of his brand- 
 
70 THE RANCHE ON THE OXHIDE 
 
 new suit ; and the family could not help staring 
 at and admiring him. Then, when he had taken 
 his place at the table, he was obliged to tell how 
 he had happened to acquire such a fantastic 
 dress, and explain the use of each curious article 
 belonging to it. 
 
 Gertrude and Kate both hoped that he would 
 not wear the handsome clothes every day, and 
 his mother suggested that he must never go to 
 the village in such a savage dress. His father 
 said nothing, but evidently regarded his boy with 
 pride. 
 
 In reply to the various comments, Joe told the 
 family that he Intended to wear the Indian cos- 
 tume only on extraordinary occasions. If ever 
 the Cheyennes, Kiowas, Comanches, or Arapa- 
 hoes broke out, he would certainly wear it, for 
 when those savages saw him, they would think he 
 was a great warrior, and be careful how they 
 bothered him. The family little thought, as he 
 uttered his playful remarks, how soon that uni- 
 form would be worn on a mission fraught with 
 danger to themselves and the whole settlement. 
 
CHAPTER VI 
 
 THE STORY OF THE MASSACRE ON SPILLMAN CREEK SCOUTS GO 
 
 TO THE RESCUE JOE AND ROB TALK 0\'ER THE HORRID 
 
 WORK OF THE SAVAGES — THE DOG SOLDIERS — CHARLEY 
 
 BENT — PLACE OF RENDEZVOUS PARTY STARTS OUT JOE'S 
 
 OPINION IS ASKED 
 
 The family had lived on their comfortable 
 ranche on the Oxhide for nearly three years. 
 During the whole of this period the valley had 
 been most happily exempt from any raid by 
 the hostile Indians farther west, who for all 
 that time had made incursions into the sparse 
 settlements not a hundred miles away, devasta- 
 ting the country from Nebraska on the north 
 to the border of Texas on the south. 
 
 General Sheridan had been ordered by the 
 Government to the command of the Military 
 Department of the Missouri, with headquarters 
 at Fort Leavenworth. The already famous 
 General Custer with his celebrated regiment, 
 the Seventh United States Cavalry, was sta- 
 
 71 
 
72 THE RANCHE ON THE OXHIDE 
 
 tioned at Fort Marker, recently established on 
 the Smoky Hill, about four miles from Errol- 
 strath ranche, so the settlers on the Oxhide, and 
 through the valley, felt comparatively safe from 
 any possible raid by the savages into that region. 
 
 One beautiful Sunday afternoon in the mid- 
 dle of the May following the autumn in which 
 Joe had received his present of a full Indian 
 dress from the friendly Pawnees, the family 
 were sitting on the veranda of the cabin. 
 Dinner was long since over, and Mr. Thomp- 
 son was reading aloud from their weekly relig- 
 ious journal, when a horseman suddenly ap- 
 peared, coming toward the ranche on the trail 
 which led from the mouth of the Oxhide where 
 it empties into the Smoky Hill. He was hat- 
 less and coatless, his long hair was streaming 
 in the wind, and his heels were rapping his 
 horse's flanks vigorously, and its breast and 
 shoulders were covered with foam from the 
 desperate gait at which it was urged. 
 
 The reading was instantly suspended, and 
 every eye strained toward the unusual object 
 coming toward the house at such a breakneck 
 speed. 
 
MASSACRE OX THE CREEK 73 
 
 " I wonder who that is, and why he rides so 
 fast," inquired Mr. Thompson, addressing him- 
 self to no one in the group in particular. 
 
 " Something unusual must have occurred," 
 suggested Mrs. Thompson ; " some one of the 
 neighbors taken ill suddenly, maybe." 
 
 " It's no one we know," spoke up Joe. " I 
 never saw that man before," the individual 
 under discussion having come near enough 
 now for his features to be distinguished, " nor 
 the horse he's on, and I know every man and 
 horse in the whole settlement. There's some 
 trouble not far away, I think, or he would not 
 run his animal that way." 
 
 In less than three minutes more, the stranger 
 horseman rode up to the front of the house 
 and jumped off his horse. Hurriedly tying him 
 to the hitching-post, he ran up the steps of 
 the veranda, and in the most excited manner, 
 his eyes wearing a wild look and his breath 
 coming with great difficulty, told Mr. Thomp- 
 son, who had walked forward to meet him, that 
 the Indians had completely destroyed the little 
 settlement of Spillman Creek that morning 
 about daylight. He alone, as far as he knew. 
 
74 THE RANCHE ON THE OXHIDE 
 
 had escaped the massacre. He said that luckily 
 he happened to be down in the timber, getting 
 some wood for his morning fire, and the sav- 
 ages did not see him. He had his pony with 
 him, and when he saw the Indians all dressed 
 in their war-bonnets and hideously painted, he 
 rode to the river and across country as fast as 
 his animal could carry him. 
 
 " How many families are there in the settle- 
 ment ? " inquired Mr. Thompson. 
 
 "About ten," answered the stranger; "forty 
 individuals, perhaps, and all of them, I feel sat- 
 isfied, have been murdered and their cabins 
 burnt, because I saw the smoke and flames 
 from the trail on the south side of the Saline 
 as I rode hurriedly on." 
 
 "Had you no family?" asked Mrs. Thompson, 
 excitedly, in her sympathy for the unfortunate 
 people who had been so cruelly massacred. 
 
 " No, ma'am," answered the stranger. " I was 
 living all alone on my claim, which I had taken 
 up only a week ago, on the edge of the timber. 
 My family are still back in Illinois, thank God ! 
 or they, too, with myself, would have been butch- 
 ered with the rest, for I would never have left 
 them." 
 
MASSACRE ON THE CREEK 75 
 
 " Do you think the savages will continue on 
 their raid, and come further down the Saline 
 valley?" inquired Mr. Thompson, who now for 
 the first time since he had been on his ranche, 
 felt a little alarmed for his family. 
 
 " I don't know," was the reply, " but I'm afraid 
 they will. The Elkhorn is fairly settled, but the 
 cabins are widely scattered ; the Indians know 
 that, and before the neighbors could rally for 
 mutual defence, the savages might be able to 
 murder them in detail. I have come down 
 here to warn the settlers on this creek, and if I 
 can, to get a party to go to the rescue of those 
 on the Elkhorn. I stopped at Fort Harker on 
 my way and reported to the commanding officer 
 the state of affairs, but he said that he had 
 only part of a company of infantry at the post, 
 all the cavalry being out under General Custer, 
 looking after the Indians 'way up the Smoky 
 Hill. He su2:2:ested that I should come here 
 to inform you people of the danger, and that, 
 if I could muster up a crowd of men, he 
 would furnish all the arms and ammunition nec- 
 essary for them. He also said that General 
 Sheridan was coming to Fort Harker in a few 
 
76 THE RANCHE ON THE OXHIDE 
 
 days to establish his headquarters there, and that 
 a general Indian war was imminent." 
 
 " Have you any idea how many of the sav- 
 ages there were in the band that raided Spillman 
 Creek settlement ? " inquired Mr. Thompson. 
 
 " I think there must have been about fifty. 
 I counted their pony tracks in the soft mud at 
 the ford of the Saline where they crossed it; 
 they were very plain, and I was enabled to come 
 close to their probable number. If you could 
 muster twenty or thirty men, well armed, who 
 are brave, and good shots with the rifle, I be- 
 lieve that if they start for the Elkhorn to-day, 
 they could circumvent the savages before they 
 reach the creek, or at least drive them out of 
 the neighborhood. I am ready to go back with 
 them and act as guide, for I know every foot of 
 the country, having spent a whole year out there 
 before I settled upon a location. Who are the 
 best men in this settlement, and where shall I 
 o^o to warn them } " 
 
 " Well," replied Mr. Thompson, " I am will- 
 ino- to o'o for one. I siuess there will be no 
 difliculty in gathering as large a force as is 
 necessary — good shots, too; for no one will hesi- 
 
MASSACRE ON THE CREEK 'J J 
 
 tate a moment when it comes to defending his 
 family from an Indian raid. It will take a 
 couple of hours to ride around the neighbor- 
 hood to the several ranches to notify the men. 
 My boys, here, can go to the nearest, while you 
 and I ride to the most remote and get as large 
 a crowd as possible. Boys," continued he, turn- 
 ing to his sons, who stood with eyes wide open 
 and mouth agape as they listened with aston- 
 ishment to the terrible story of the stranger, 
 " get your ponies at once ; saddle them as 
 quickly as ever you did in your lives, and ride 
 to the nearest ranches on the creek ; up one 
 side and down the other. Tell all the folks 
 the dreadful news, and tell them to have the 
 men meet here at Errolstrath as quickly as they 
 can, and to bring their rifles with them. All are 
 well armed," said he, turning to the stranger, 
 " and they will respond in a hurry." 
 
 " Now^" said Mr. Thompson, as the boys 
 jumped off of the veranda to carry out their 
 father's order, " I will go with you to old Tucker s 
 ranche. He is a man of most excellent judg- 
 ment, and a trapper ; has fought Indians all his 
 eventful life on the plains and in the mountains, 
 
78 THE RANCHE ON THE OXHIDE 
 
 SO we can safely rely on his advice in regard to 
 what is best to be done." Looking at his wife, 
 he said, " Won't you get this man a bite to eat 
 while I'm catching another animal for him? 
 Yours is tired out," continued he, addressing 
 the stranger again ; " you must have a fresh horse. 
 I've o-ot lots of them." 
 
 o 
 
 While Mr. Thompson went to the stable, and 
 the stranger to the spring to wash the dust off 
 himself, Mrs. Thompson, assisted by Gertrude 
 and Kate, made ready a cold lunch for the half- 
 famished man, who told them, when he returned 
 to the dining-room, that he had not eaten a 
 morsel since the evening before. 
 
 By the time he had finished his meal, Mr. 
 Thompson returned to the front of the house 
 with two animals, and taking the stranger's horse 
 to the stable, after the saddle had been put on the 
 fresh one, he returned to the house. He gave 
 his wife some advice about the boys and their 
 mission, then he and the stranger mounted their 
 animals and loped off at a good gait for the 
 ranche of old Mr. Tucker, three miles away. 
 
 The boys had started some while before their 
 father, as it only required a few minutes to catch 
 
MASSACRE ON THE CREEK 79 
 
 and saddle their ponies that were picketed in 
 front of the house, on a patch of buffalo grass 
 not twenty yards away. In less than half an 
 hour they w^ere at the nearest ranche, and had 
 delivered their message. They then rode on and 
 made the rounds of the circuit assigned them, 
 relating the bad news as they travelled from 
 cabin to cabin as quickly as their hardy little 
 Indian ponies could carry them. 
 
 While on their mission the boys talked over 
 the story of the massacre, Joe explaining many 
 things in connection with the savage method of 
 making a raid on a white settlement. Those 
 were things which Rob did not fully understand, 
 but with which Joe was familiar, having been 
 told all about them by the friendly Pawnees. 
 He told Rob that he was crazy to go on the 
 little expedition, but did not dare ask permis- 
 sion. 
 
 " Father might be willing, maybe," suggested 
 Rob, "though I'm sure that mother and the girls 
 would object." 
 
 " I'll bet that I can find the trail of the Chey- 
 ennes, for I know better than any one who is 
 going along, that they were Cheyennes who made 
 
8o THE RANCHE ON THE OXHIDE 
 
 the attack," said Joe. "That man who came 
 down with the news don't know much about 
 Indians ; I could tell that by the way he talked ; 
 he's a 'tender-foot' He admitted to papa he'd 
 only been in the country a very short time." 
 
 " By jolly ! I'll bet he was scared when he saw 
 those Indians," said Rob; "he wasn't used to 
 such sights ! " 
 
 " How he must have ridden his horse," said 
 Joe. " I never saw an animal so frothy in my 
 life before; did you, Rob? You could have 
 scraped a wash-tub of lather off him ! " 
 
 " If the Cheyennes have left any kind of a trail 
 after them, I can tell just how many there were 
 of them," continued Joe, " but they are ahead of 
 all other Indians in covering up their tracks; 
 old Yellow Calf has told me so a dozen times. I 
 expect that it was Charley Bent's band of Dog 
 soldiers that made the raid." 
 
 " What are Dog soldiers } " inquired Rob. 
 
 " Why, the young bucks of a tribe who will 
 not obey the orders of their chief; renegades who 
 will not be controlled by any custom. Those 
 Indians who have not done anything yet to make 
 them warriors, and who go off on their own hook 
 
MASSACRE ON THE CREEK 8 1 
 
 to murder and steal, and to fire the cabins of the 
 poor settlers, thinking that if they can get a few 
 scalps of women and children they will be recog- 
 nized by the rest of the tribe as braves. Some- 
 times there are ' Squaw-men ' among them, that 
 is, white men who have married Indian women ; 
 generally bad men who have committed some 
 crime where they used to live and dare not go 
 back to where they came from." 
 
 " Who is Charley Bent ? " asked Rob. " That 
 IS not an Indian name, surely! " 
 
 " I know it isn't," answered Joe. " He's a half 
 breed ; half white and half Cheyenne. His 
 mother was a Cheyenne squaw, and his father 
 was Colonel Bent, one of the most celebrated 
 frontiersmen of his time. Charley was well edu- 
 cated in St. Louis, but when he returned to his 
 father's home, at Bent's Fort, way up the Arkan- 
 sas River, in what is now Colorado, he threw off 
 the white man's dress and manner of living, 
 joined the Indians, and became, in his devilish- 
 ness, the worst savage to be found in the whole 
 Indian country. The United States Govern- 
 ment has offered a thousand dollars for him, 
 dead or alive. Somebody will catch him yet; 
 
82 THE RANCHE ON THE OXHIDE 
 
 the army scouts are after him red hot, so the 
 Pawnees told me." 
 
 " I wish the Pawnees, lots of 'em, were back on 
 the creek, Joe," said Rob, continuing the lively 
 conversation they had been keeping up ever since 
 they started from the ranche; "wouldn't they like 
 such a chance to go after their old enemies ? " 
 
 " I expect they will be here sooner than usual, 
 this coming autumn ; one of the boys told me 
 so when the band left ; but it will be four months 
 yet before we may look for them." 
 
 " Are you going to ask to go with the party 
 to the Elkhorn, Joe ? " asked Rob of his brother. 
 
 " No, I think not. I intend to be still unless 
 some of the crowd drop a hint they'd like to have 
 me along; then I'll speak out." 
 
 By four o'clock the boys returned to the 
 ranche, having warned twelve families of the 
 impending danger. All the men expressed their 
 readiness to go with Mr. Thompson and the 
 others to circumvent the savages on their raid. 
 When Joe and Rob had turned their ponies out 
 to graze and went back to the house again, they 
 found a dozen men there already, waiting for the 
 return of their father and the stranger. The 
 
MASSACRE ON THE CREEK 83 
 
 anxious group sat on the veranda, discussing 
 the state of affairs, suggesting to each other what 
 course should be pursued concerning those set- 
 tlers who would have to remain in the valley with 
 their wives and children. Uncle Dick Smith, as 
 he was familiarly called, an old man with white 
 hair and long white beard, who had had some 
 experience with the savages in his earlier days 
 in Wisconsin, suggested that while the scouting 
 party were absent. Job Wilkersin's stone corral 
 would be the best place for the settlers to ren- 
 dezvous in case the Indians came down into the 
 valley of the Oxhide. After some discussion, 
 however, it was agreed to let the question remain 
 open until Mr. Thompson and the other men 
 should arrive. 
 
 A short time before sundown a group of horse- 
 men could be seen coming down the trail from 
 the north. They were those for whom the crowd 
 at Errolstrath were anxiously looking. When 
 they rode up to the house, headed by ?vlr. Thomp- 
 son, they dismounted, fastened their horses to 
 trees, and after a hurried meal which the girls 
 had been getting ready during their father's 
 absence, they all adjourned to the lawn outside 
 
84 THE RANCHE ON THE OXHIDE 
 
 of the veranda, and the subject was renewed 
 as to what those should do who were compelled 
 to remain behind on the Oxhide. Mr. Wilkersin 
 was among them, and as he stated his house was 
 the largest in the neighborhood, and his big 
 stone corral a grand place for defence in case the 
 savages continued on their raid, it was agreed 
 to rendezvous there. Twenty determined men 
 in the corral could keep off a hundred Indians, 
 and besides there was food enough at his house 
 for every one who should go there. He further 
 said that he would be glad to assist his friends 
 thus much in trying times like these. 
 
 Rob, who was familiar with the location of 
 every cabin in the settlement, was immediately 
 despatched on a fresh horse to call on the people 
 and communicate the result of the conference. 
 He was to tell them where to go in the event of 
 the Indians coming into Oxhide valley after the 
 scouting party had left for the Elkhorn. 
 
 There were about thirty men who were obliged 
 to remain at home; too old to undertake the 
 fatigue of the long night's ride contemplated. 
 They were all excellent shots, many of them hav- 
 ing been pioneers in the settlement of the states 
 
MASSACRE ON THE CREEK 85 
 
 east of the Mississippi when they constituted the 
 far West. 
 
 When all the men who could be mustered for 
 the expedition had arrived at Errolstrath, there 
 were about fifty. Old man Tucker was unani- 
 mously chosen for their leader, with the title, by 
 courtesy, of captain. He was a man nearly sixty- 
 five years old, but had been early recognized by the 
 settlers of the valley as one to whom they could 
 look whenever the affairs of the neighborhood 
 demanded the exercise of good judgment or sound 
 advice. He was well educated, having graduated 
 at Yale, but after graduation a quarrel with his 
 father resulted in his drifting out on the frontier, 
 where his life had been that of a trapper and 
 hunter. He was as active as any of the young 
 men, so his age in this case did not militate 
 against him. He was the best rifle-shot in the 
 valley, and if, like Davy Crockett, he failed to hit 
 a squirrel in the eye, "it didn't count!" 
 
 The stranger from Spillman Creek was named 
 Alderdyce, as he had informed Mr. Thompson 
 while on the trip with him, and, as many of those 
 who now met him for the first time desired to 
 hear his story, he related the details of the horrid 
 
86 THE RANCH E ON THE OXHIDE 
 
 massacre again. At its sickening recital a ma- 
 jority became impatient of delay, and wanted to 
 start on the trail of the savages at once, although 
 the whole valley was flooded with the golden 
 olow of sunset. 
 
 Joe stood modestly in the crowd, eagerly drink- 
 ing in the awful story told by Mr. Alderdyce, and 
 he noticed how anxious the scouting party was 
 to get away. He knew that this would be the 
 height of absurdity until night had closed in, and 
 in all probability would defeat the very object of 
 the expedition, so he ventured to suggest that it 
 would be better to wait until after dark. 
 
 Old Mr. Tucker knew as well as the boy's 
 father that Joe's judgment in matters relating to 
 savage methods when on the war-path was far in 
 advance of his sixteen years. His ideas and 
 opinions commanded a consideration his age did 
 not otherwise warrant, so the keen observation 
 he had developed since his intimacy with the 
 Pawnees, and the astuteness he had imbibed from 
 them, caused Mr. Tucker to ask the boy's rea- 
 sons for his suggestion. 
 
 Joe replied hesitatingly : " I believe it's better 
 to wait until dark. The runners, as their spies 
 
MASSACRE ON THE CREEK 8/ 
 
 are called, of the hostile band, are, I honestly 
 think, at this moment stationed on some of the 
 highest points of the valley. They are watching 
 to learn if there will be any demonstration made 
 aeainst the raidino: band from this settlement. 
 If this Is true, and I believe it Is, they should 
 not be permitted to see our party start out. If 
 they do discover that a number of mounted men 
 are riding on the prairie, they will hang on their 
 trail, keep the main band warned of every move- 
 ment, and you could not effect anything. In 
 that case you might as well stay at home." 
 
 Upon these hints so forcibly thrown out by 
 Joe, nearly every one at once coincided with his 
 opinion, and the captain decided to act upon the 
 boy's judgment. 
 
 Joe, who was always an attentive listener, 
 rarely obtruded his ideas into the conversation 
 of his elders ; in reality he was of rather a reti- 
 cent disposition, a trait generally indicative of 
 bravery, but he was ever ready to venture an 
 opinion when asked for it, fearlessly and in great 
 earnestness. So during the discussion of the 
 supposed details of the morning's massacre, Cap- 
 tain Tucker asked him what he thought of the 
 
88 THE RANCHE ON THE OXHIDE 
 
 probability of the savages coming down to the 
 Elkhorn from the scene of their raid on the 
 Spillman. 
 
 " Well, Mr. Tucker," replied Joe, " distance is 
 never considered by an Indian. If a band start 
 on a raid and are successful at the beginning, 
 they will keep on a dozen miles or five hundred ; 
 it makes no difference to them ; they'll wear out 
 any animal but a wolf. If the massacre was com- 
 plete, as Mr. Alderdyce thinks, they will probably 
 keep right on murdering, scalping, and firing the 
 cabins, until they get a setback. My own opin- 
 ion is that they will go down to the Elkhorn 
 or some other place where there is a settlement, 
 and if successful again, will continue on and 
 come to the Oxhide, perhaps, now they have 
 tasted blood. But if they have met with a 
 repulse anywhere, or learn that the United States 
 troops are after them, they may abandon their 
 raid and be now a hundred miles on the trail 
 to their village." 
 
 Joe was evidently fidgety; he wanted to go 
 along, and as the captain and his father had 
 cjuestioned him so earnestly on such important 
 matters, he thought he had a right to be one of 
 
MASSACRE ON THE CREEK 89 
 
 the party; still, he said nothing until Captain 
 Tucker, noticing the boy's anxious countenance, 
 asked him if he would like to go with them. 
 
 Joe answered very quickly in the affirmative, 
 but it was with much hesitancy that his parents 
 gave their consent. The neighbors gathered at 
 the ranche, however, importuned very earnestly 
 in his favor, declaring that the success of the ex- 
 pedition might depend materially upon their 
 decision whether the boy should go or not. Of 
 course, to resist such an appeal was out of the 
 question, coming as it did almost unanimously 
 from their friends, so Joe was permitted to ac- 
 company the party. 
 
 Hurriedly did the delighted boy go out to the 
 corral and saddle his favorite pony, a coal-black 
 little animal, very swift, full of endurance, sure- 
 footed as a mule, and as obedient to the touch of 
 its young master's hand and legs as a well-trained 
 circus horse. Soon returning, he tied him with 
 the other animals to a tree and then went into the 
 house to prepare himself for the venturesome trip. 
 
 Comino: back on the veranda in a few mo- 
 ments dressed in the buckskin suit given him by 
 the old chief Yellow Calf, he looked the very im- 
 
QO THE RANCHE ON THE OXHIDE 
 
 personation of a veteran frontiersman, and but 
 for his childish face might have passed for a 
 veritable army scout. He slung his rifle across 
 the horn of his saddle ; its complement of bullets 
 in his pouch he fastened to the cantle, while the 
 powder-flask was suspended by a cord thrown 
 over his shoulder. He also carried his flint and 
 steel, thinking he might have occasion to use it, 
 and with a small lantern was ready for whatever 
 he might be called upon to do. 
 
 As the w^elcome darkness would not come for 
 an hour yet, the party kept their animals con- 
 cealed in the thick timber near the cabin. They 
 sat quietly in the shadow of the veranda, so that 
 if there were any of the hostile spies in the vicin- 
 ity, as Joe had suggested there might be? they 
 would not be able to observe any unusual demon- 
 stration on the place, as the house was com- 
 pletely masked by the giant trees surrounding it. 
 
 By eight o'clock it was dark enough to venture 
 out, and the party quietly mounted their horses, 
 and strung out in single file down the narrow 
 trail leadinor from the ranche to the ford of the 
 Smoky Hill. Tucker, Joe, and Alderdyce were 
 at the head of the line. Every one was familiar 
 
MASSACRE ON THE CREEK 9 1 
 
 with the trail as far as the river, for it was the 
 main travelled track to the village of Ellsworth. 
 It was six miles from Errolstrath, and contained 
 a general store, a blacksmith shop, and the post 
 office for all the surrounding country. 
 
 The ford crossed the Smoky Hill about two 
 miles east of the little hamlet, but the party did 
 not follow the trail up the river. They took a 
 shorter cut over the hills bordering the stream 
 where there was a series of buffalo paths running 
 northward in the direction they wanted to go. 
 They thus saved a detour of three or four miles, 
 an important consideration where time was of the 
 greatest consequence. The buffalo paths all 
 came out on the other side of the high divide 
 separating the Saline from the Smoky Hill. A 
 short distance beyond the summit of the ridge, 
 and down a gradual slope, was one of the valleys 
 of the several tributaries which gave the many- 
 branched stream called the Elkhorn, its sugges- 
 tive name. 
 
 After the party had forded the Smoky Hill, 
 the country was unknown to all excepting Alder- 
 dyce and Joe. The latter had often accompanied 
 the Pawnees on their hunts as far as the Saline 
 
92 THE RANCHE ON THE OXHIDE 
 
 and Paradise creeks, twenty-five miles from the 
 Oxhide. 
 
 All had been travelling up to that point in 
 groups of twos and threes on the flat river bottom, 
 but now again they strung out in Indian file, fol- 
 lowing Joe and Alderdyce slowly up the divide 
 and down on the other side. They then all moved 
 out more rapidly into a short, quick lope as the 
 o^round was more level for several miles. At the 
 end of the level stretch they halted, as they were 
 approaching the beginning of the limestone 
 
 region. 
 
 Following Joe's advice they dismounted and 
 muffled the hoofs of their horses with gunny 
 sacks which they had brought for that purpose, 
 in order to prevent the sound of the animals' feet 
 from being heard by any of the savage runners. 
 
 This wise precaution was frequently employed 
 by the scouts of the army with General Sheridan 
 during his celebrated winter campaign against 
 the allied tribes of the plains, when the troops 
 were obliged to travel at night through the 
 enemy's country. 
 
 It was soon after they had passed the limestone 
 region that a heavy rolling prairie, over which 
 
MASSACRE ON THE CREEK 93 
 
 the trail ran up one slope and down another of 
 the rocky divides, separated the narrow intervales 
 between. Most of the time it was a hard, killing 
 pace for the poor horses, as they had travelled for 
 hours continuously without a halt, excepting to 
 mufifle their feet. The settlement must be 
 reached before daylight, or perhaps it would be 
 too late to thwart the murderous schemes of the 
 Indians, who always chose the early hours of the 
 dawn in which to commit their atrocities. At 
 that time when sleep oppresses most heavily, life 
 and death were the issue, and the tired animals 
 could not be mercifully spared. Would they be 
 able to hold out with ten miles of the same cruel 
 lope ahead of them, before the breaks of the 
 main Elkhorn would be reached ? 
 
 There was an hour more of severe riding, 
 during which the heels of the riders and the 
 sharp sting of the quirt were often called into 
 requisition to urge the jaded animals on to their 
 hard duty. They were flecked with foam, their 
 nostrils distended, and they were almost worn 
 out when the terribly earnest men rode down the 
 last divide into the grassy bottom of the first 
 branch of the main Elkhorn. 
 
94 THE RANCHE ON THE OXHIDE 
 
 The faintest streaks of the comino* dawn were 
 beginning to show themselves ; the summits of 
 the Twin Mounds, capped with white Hmestone, 
 ah-eady reflected the rosy tinge of the rising sun, 
 which was still far below the horizon of the val- 
 ley. The beautiful intervales, through which 
 the party urged their horses, were covered with 
 buffalo grass, and at the farther end, not quite 
 half a mile distant, the fringe of timber border- 
 ing the creek could be distinguished as its dark 
 contour cast a still blacker shadow over the som- 
 bre valley. 
 
 There the party halted for a few moments to 
 reconnoitre. Captain Tucker again had occasion 
 to interrogate Joe. He inquired of the young 
 trailer what would be the first acts of the savaofes 
 when they arrived in the valley of the Elkhorn, 
 if indeed they came at all. 
 
 " Well, Mr. Tucker," replied the boy, " the first 
 thing the Indians would do — they'd hide them- 
 selves in the timber; lie down in the grass, proba- 
 bly, and then send out one or more of their 
 runners, the very best they had with them, to 
 sneak around and watch for a chance to make a 
 break together on the cabins. Then, if the out- 
 
MASSACRE ON THE CREEK 95 
 
 look was favorable, and none of the settlers were 
 stirring, they'd go from cabin to cabin, murder- 
 ing, scalping, and firing the buildings as fast as 
 they could." 
 
 " Well, then," said the captain, as he took both 
 of the boy's hands in his own, and gazed into his 
 bright face, "you know that all the settlers on 
 the Oxhide, and your own folks, too, say that you 
 are as much of an Indian as if you had been 
 born in a tepee, so far as savage education is con- 
 cerned. Now, I've been talking to your father, 
 and he agrees with me ; I want you to do some 
 dangerous work, or at least it is somewhat risky. 
 You are the only one among us all who can do it 
 as it should be done. It is this. While we re- 
 main here in the shadow of the timber to blow 
 our animals and graze them a little, I want you 
 to cross the creek on foot, and go up to Spillman 
 Ford with Alderdyce, who will show you where 
 it intersects this branch of the Elkhorn, and 
 try to discover, if you can, by the dim light, any 
 signs of Indians. I'm inclined to think they 
 have not come down into this valley at all. But 
 I want you to find out where they are, if possi- 
 ble. If you do not find any track of them, after 
 
96 THE RANCHE ON THE OXHIDE 
 
 we have rested our horses and warned the set- 
 tlers of the danger, we will all go on to the scene 
 of the massacre, and there you will be sure to 
 learn where they have gone." 
 
 Joe and Alderdyce turned over their horses 
 to one of the men who were on guard watching 
 the animals while they fed on the rich buffalo 
 grass, and then started on foot for the ford of the 
 Elkhorn leading to Spillman Creek. It was 
 about a mile, and during the walk, Joe and 
 Alderdyce talked over the affair of the morning. 
 Joe asked his companion to tell him exactly what 
 the commanding officer had said to him when he 
 reported the massacre to him at Fort Harker. 
 
 " Well, Joe, I will tell you just what he told 
 me. He said that General Sheridan had ordered 
 a company of Custer's regiment of mounted 
 troopers to be sent to the Elkhorn valley 
 and to remain there until the settlers were ad- 
 vised to come in, or the proposed Indian war 
 was ended." 
 
 " Now I have an idea," said Joe to him. 
 "We shall not find any Indians on this trip; 
 the cavalry have already started for the valley, 
 and the savages have got wind of it and have 
 
MASSACRE ON THE CREEK 97 
 
 gone back to their village, probably, a hundred 
 miles south of the Arkansas. But, anyhow, 
 we'll go on up to the ford and learn what we 
 can. 
 
 When they reached the crossing, not a sign 
 of a pony's hoof could be discovered, and both 
 gave a sigh of relief as they now knew that 
 none of the savages had come down towards 
 the Elkhorn. They hurried back to their 
 party, and Joe reported that he had not seen 
 a sign. 
 
 " Good enough," said Captain Tucker, as he 
 listened to the good news. " Now, men," con- 
 tinued he, turning and addressing himself to 
 the party who had gathered near him to learn 
 what report Joe and Alderdyce might bring, 
 "we will remain here for another hour, and 
 after warning some of the prominent settlers 
 in the valley, we will go up to the head of 
 Spillman Creek and see what is to be dis- 
 covered there. Who knows but some one 
 may be found hidden in the brush, not daring 
 to come out. We may be able to save a life 
 or two yet." 
 
CHAPTER VII 
 
 ARRIVAL OF CAVALRY ON THE ELKHORN A DEER HUNT 
 
 WHAT THE SCOUTS SAW — THE STORY OF THE TWO LITTLE 
 QIRLS — THE DEAD AND WOUNDED — MEN HIDDEN IN THE 
 
 BRUSH — AN INDIAN LEGEND ARRIVAL OF THE INFANTRY 
 
 THE DEER HUNT IN THE MORNING — DEATH OF THE DEER 
 
 Just as the sun appeared above the top of 
 the Twin Mounds, Joe, who could not keep 
 quiet when among the timber or on the prairie, 
 was scoutins: around on his own hook, while the 
 remainder of the party was lying on the grass 
 eating the cold breakfast they had brought from 
 Errolstrath. Suddenly he rushed down to them, 
 and yelled at the top of his voice : — 
 
 " The cavalry are coming ! I saw the gleam 
 of their carbines on the ridge about a mile 
 away toward the trail to Fort Harker." 
 
 Every man was on his feet in an instant; 
 and sure enough, in a few minutes they heard 
 the clanoinof of sabres and the sound of the 
 hoofs of approaching horses. Presently a fme- 
 
 98 
 
WHAT THE SCOUTS SAW 99 
 
 looking set of men wearing the fatigue uni- 
 form of the United States Cavalry, splendidly 
 mounted on sleek bay animals, swung around 
 the point of timber where Captain Tucker and 
 his scouts from the Oxhide valley were stand- 
 ing. The trumpeter sounded the " Halt," and 
 in another moment the horses, in obedience to 
 the signal, stood still as if petrified, while the 
 commander of the troop. Colonel Keogh, of 
 Custer's famous regiment, rode forward and 
 talked with Captain Tucker, whom he had at 
 once recognized as the leader of the scouts. 
 
 They conversed for some moments, each giv- 
 ing the other what information he had of the 
 movements of the Indians. Then the Colonel 
 told Captain Tucker that his orders were to 
 camp on the Elkhorn with his company, and 
 scout through the valley, protecting the settlers. 
 He said that a detachment of infantry was also 
 ordered to the creek, and was to remain there, 
 while he with his mounted men would move 
 from point to point, and thus prevent the sav- 
 ages from making another raid in that part of 
 the country. He thanked Captain Tucker for 
 the promptness with which he and his neighbors 
 
TOO THE RANCHE ON THE OXHIDE 
 
 had responded to the appeal of Alderdyce. He 
 said that now the cavalry were there the men 
 might go home feeling assured that no more 
 attacks were to be feared from the Indians, and 
 that General Sheridan would soon have enough 
 soldiers under his command to whip thoroughly 
 the allied tribes, and force them to a peace 
 which they would be glad to keep. 
 
 Captain Tucker told the Colonel how bright 
 Joe was in relation to Indian affairs, and what 
 a great hunter he had already become. After 
 Colonel Keogh had himself conversed with Joe, 
 he took a great fancy to him. He told him 
 that he was going on a deer hunt just as soon 
 as he was settled in camp, and the infantry had 
 arrived, and he invited Joe to be one of the 
 party. 
 
 Joe thanked the Colonel, and spoke modestly 
 of the compliments which had been paid him by 
 Captain Tucker. He promised that he would 
 certainly go on the hunt with him, and be de- 
 lighted to do so. 
 
 He spoke up boldly : " When do you expect 
 to eo, Colonel ? I know there are lots of red 
 deer and elk, too, on the Elkhorn, and this is 
 
WHAT THE SCOUTS SAW/,\ \,/\V '-,'' Toi '' 
 
 a good time to find them ; I've been here with 
 the Pawnees often." 
 
 The Colonel said : " The infantry, in all proba- 
 bility, will reach the creek some time this even- 
 ing, as they were getting ready for the march 
 when I left Fort Harker with my troop. Sup- 
 pose, Joe, we say the day after to-morrow ? You 
 can remain here with me ; I have buffalo robes, 
 and you shall have a bed in my tent. So go 
 and ask your father at once and come back to 
 me as quick as you can and report his answer. 
 You'll find me somewhere about the camp. My 
 tent is not yet put up, but you will know it 
 when it is, by its similarity to an Indian tepee. 
 It is called a ' Sibley,' and was patterned after 
 the Sioux lodge by its inventor, an officer of 
 the army of that name." 
 
 Joe, wild with delight, ran off to find his 
 father, to whom he told of the invitation, and 
 finding that no objections were made, thanked 
 him for his permission to remain. 
 
 Captain Tucker had informed the Colonel that 
 as his men and animals were sufficiently rested, and 
 the horses filled with the rich grass, he intended 
 to go to the scene of the massacre with Alder- 
 
lCf2 TTIE. RANCHE ON THE OXHIDE 
 
 dyce, to find whether any of the settlers were 
 hiding and not daring to show themselves, or if 
 any of the wounded were still living. Should 
 he find any of the latter, he would return by 
 way of Fort Harker and notify the commanding 
 officer, so that he might send an ambulance for 
 them and medical assistance. 
 
 Telling his men of his intentions, they imme- 
 diately brought in their horses and saddled them. 
 They then mounted, and rode slowly west toward 
 Spillman Creek, which was about seven or eight 
 miles from the Elkhorn. Joe, of course, went with 
 them, as they wanted him to find out which way 
 the Indians had gone after committing their 
 devilish deeds. He intended to leave the party 
 at the ford of the Elkhorn on its return, and 
 to join Colonel Keogh. 
 
 In about two hours the party arrived at the 
 mouth of Spillman Creek, and the first evidence 
 of the acts of the savages confronted the men. 
 Riding up to a small cabin which the Indians 
 had not consigned to the torch, no doubt having 
 missed it on their fiendish rounds, they discovered 
 two little girls crouched in one of its dark cor- 
 ners. One of them was only six years old, and 
 
WHAT THE SCOUTS SAW IO3 
 
 her sister but eight. They were very bright for 
 their age, and told a wonderfully sad story of 
 their escape from the Indians. They said that a 
 big band of savages rode up to their home very 
 early in the morning; that their father and 
 mother were not yet out of bed. The Indians 
 killed both of them, and after setting the house 
 on fire, threw the children on their ponies and 
 rode off. Coming to the top of a high hill, they 
 saw a company of soldiers in the distance, and 
 they then dropped them on the prairie and hur- 
 ried away as fast as their ponies could run. The 
 girls were not hurt at all. They wandered on, 
 frightened nearly to death, and seeing the cabin 
 down in the valley, they went to it and slept there 
 all night. They had waked very early in the 
 morning, and on going out of doors, saw the wild 
 grapes growing on the vines at the creek ; they 
 ate some for their breakfast, but soon hearing the 
 sound of horses' hoofs, and thinking the Indians 
 were coming to look for them, they crawled back 
 into the corner where the scouts had found them. 
 Captain Tucker and the rest of the scouts were 
 in a dilemma at first Vv^hen they found themselves 
 with the two little orphaned children on their 
 
104 'T^E RANCHE ON THE OXHIDE 
 
 hands; and they did not know exactly what to 
 do. But soon Joe's excellent judgment mani- 
 fested itself. He proposed that one of the men 
 should be sent back to Colonel Keogh's camp to 
 tell him of their discovery, and ask him to send 
 his ambulance out to take the children to Fort 
 Harker, where they would be cared for by the 
 kind ladies of the post. 
 
 The suggestion was acted upon at once. 
 Every man volunteered to go, so it was left to 
 the Captain to select one. This he did, started 
 him off, and left Mr. Thompson to stay with the 
 little oirls until the arrival of the ambulance. 
 He and the others of the party then rode up on 
 the valley of Spillman Creek, as the savages 
 appeared to have confined their atrocities to that 
 narrow region. 
 
 As they were riding close to the bank of the 
 stream, about three miles from where they had 
 found the two girls, they saw a wagon with the 
 horses still attached. As they came up to it for 
 a closer examination, two men, both of whom 
 were known to Alderdyce, came out of the 
 underbrush. 
 
 They had a story to tell, too. Early in the 
 
WHAT THE SCOUTS SAW IO5 
 
 morning they were on their way to examine a 
 claim on the Spilhiian, when they perceived at 
 only a short distance from them, what appeared 
 to be a body of soldiers. They were all dressed 
 in blue blouses, and were marching four abreast 
 just as the cavalry do. The men stopped for a 
 moment to get a closer view as they rode up the 
 divide, when to their horror they discovered the 
 supposed soldiers to be a band of Indians. They 
 turned their team about, and made for the nearest 
 timber on the creek and hid themselves. Next 
 morning they still decided to remain in ambush 
 until they saw some white people. They had 
 plenty of food with them, so they had remained 
 until they were discovered by Captain Tucker's 
 scouts. Learning that all was safe, they climbed 
 into their wagon, whipped up the team, and drove 
 away. Presently the scouts came to the remains 
 of a cabin, partly destroyed by fire, where they 
 discovered the dead bodies of a man and woman, 
 probably husband and wife. These they decently 
 buried and rode on. 
 
 They next found the body of a young man, 
 dead in his field, where he had evidently been at 
 work when the savages surprised him. He was 
 
I06 THE RANCHE ON THE OXHIDE 
 
 murdered with his own hatchet, which was found 
 by his side, his face having been chopped until 
 it was not recognizable. His body was interred 
 too. 
 
 It is useless to relate all that the scouts saw 
 on their mission of discovery up the Spillman. 
 In all, thirty bodies were found, and some dozen 
 or more persons who had been wounded and had 
 managed to hide after the savages had supposed 
 them to be dead. During the next twenty-four 
 hours these were gathered and taken to the 
 hospital at the fort. Some recovered, but the 
 majority died. 
 
 The party returned to Colonel Keogh's camp, 
 because they had discovered so much that it was 
 thought best he should know. When they ar- 
 rived there they learned that the little girls had 
 been sent to the fort under an escort of a squad 
 of the troopers, and they also found Mr. Thomp- 
 son in the camp waiting for them. 
 
 After winding their horses for about half an 
 hour, all returned to Errolstrath, with the excep- 
 tion of Joe, who remained to go on the proposed 
 hunt when the infantry arrived. 
 
 Colonel Keogh's tent was already pitched, 
 
WHAT THE SCOUTS SAW 10/ 
 
 and Joe sat in there with him discussing the 
 atrocities on Spillman Creek and the deer 
 hunt. 
 
 " Colonel," said Joe, " you know that deer 
 have no gall-bladder and the antelope no dew- 
 claws. Did you ever hear the Indian legend 
 about the reason ? " 
 
 " I know the deer have no gall-bladder and the 
 antelope no dew-claws, but I don't think I have 
 ever heard the reason. What do the Indians say 
 about it, Joe ? " 
 
 " Well, old Yellow Calf, the chief of the band 
 of Pawnees which has camped on our creek ever 
 since we have lived there, told me that a long 
 time ago a deer and an antelope met on the 
 prairie near the Great Bend of the Arkansas. 
 At that time both animals had a gall and dew- 
 claws. They fell to talking together and brag- 
 o-ino: how fast each could run. The deer claimed 
 that he could outstrip the antelope, and the ante- 
 lope that he could beat the deer. They got 
 awfully mad at each other, and finally determined 
 they would try their speed. The stakes were 
 their galls, and the trial was made on the open 
 prairie. The antelope beat the deer and took 
 
I08 THE RANCHE ON THE OXHIDE 
 
 the deer's gall. The deer felt very unhappy at 
 his defeat, and he became so miserable over it, 
 that the antelope felt sorry for him, and to cheer 
 him up took off both his dew-claws and gave 
 them to the deer. Ever since then the deer has 
 had no gall-bladder, and the antelope no dew- 
 claws. 
 
 " I met some Kaws once, and I told them what 
 the Pawnees had told me about it, and the chief 
 of that band said the story the Pawnees had 
 told was only partly correct. The Kaw chief's 
 version was that after the antelope had won the 
 race, the deer said to him, ' You have won, but 
 that race was not fair, for it was over the prairie. 
 We ought to try again in the woods to decide 
 which of us is really the faster.' So the antelope 
 agreed to run the second race, and on it they bet 
 their dew-claws. The deer beat the antelope 
 that time, because he could run faster than the 
 antelope through the timber, over the fallen 
 trunks of trees, and in the thick underbrush, and 
 he took the antelope's dew-claws." 
 
 "Well, Joe, that is a very funny story; I never 
 heard it before." Then, looking out of the front 
 of his tent, the Colonel turned to Joe, and said, 
 
WHAT THE SCOUTS SAW IO9 
 
 " There comes the company of infantry, so we 
 may go on our hunt to-morrow." 
 
 Joe ran out and watched the infantry as they 
 filed into the timber. It was after sundown, but 
 far from dark. The men were soon settled in 
 their tents, their camp-kettles bubbling over the 
 fires, and preparations in full swing for their 
 evening meal. 
 
 Joe wandered among the troops and soon 
 picked up an acquaintance with them. They 
 admired his Indian suit, and earnestly listened 
 to the tale of his adventures with the Pawnees. 
 Presently he was called by the Colonel's orderly 
 to come to supper. He went back to the Sibley 
 tent, where he sat down at the table with Colonel 
 Keogh and his two lieutenants. 
 
 Their simple table was improvised out of the 
 end gates of two of the wagons, and the cook, a 
 colored soldier, had managed to provide an ex- 
 cellent meal, and as Joe was very hungry, he did 
 ample justice to it. 
 
 When the trumpets and the bugles sounded 
 the retreat, Joe went out with the Colonel, who 
 inspected the men to see that everything was in 
 good order for the night. They then returned 
 
no THE RANCHE ON THE OXHIDE 
 
 to their canvas quarters, where the Colonel 
 smoked his pipe, and again discussed to-morrow's 
 hunt with the boy. 
 
 They were to make a very early start in the 
 morning, so, as soon as " taps " had sounded, 
 which meant that all lights must be put out and 
 the soldiers retire to their tents, the Colonel 
 suggested to Joe that he had better go to bed, 
 while he would sit up a while and write out his 
 report to the commander at Fort Marker. Call- 
 ing in the orderly, the Colonel told him to fix up 
 a sleeping-place for the boy. The man spread 
 four heavy buffalo robes on the floor of the tent, 
 and putting two blankets on top, the bed was 
 ready for Joe, who tumbled into it and was soon 
 fast asleep. 
 
 When the trumpeter sounded the reveille, at 
 the first streak of dawn the next morning, the 
 Colonel, who had already risen, called Joe, who 
 bounded out of his soft bed like a cat. Breakfast 
 was ready in a few moments, and after he and the 
 Colonel had eaten, and the latter had given his 
 orders to the officer who was to command the 
 camp during his absence, Joe and he started out 
 on foot for the hunt. 
 
WHAT THE SCOUTS SAW III 
 
 The night had been cold, and although it was 
 the middle of May, the white rime of the late frost 
 covered the earth. It was a good omen, as the 
 sharp footprints of the animals could be more 
 easily distinguished. 
 
 Carefully examining their rifles and cartridges 
 as they walked briskly on, they soon struck the 
 main branch of the Elkhorn, and continued 
 alono- its marmn in a southerly direction for a 
 mile or more, when they came to a little opening. 
 
 There Joe suddenly stopped, and turning to 
 Colonel Keogh, who had on the instant also 
 halted, said, " Doesn't that look a little deerish, 
 
 Colonel ? " 
 
 The Colonel, though a good shot and hunter, 
 could distinguish nothing out of the ordinary 
 after scrutinizing the ground to which the boy 
 had pointed. The earth looked the same every- 
 where in the Colonel's eyes. 
 
 "Here!" said Joe, as, noticing the bewildered 
 appearance of his new friend, he turned over a 
 fallen cottonwood leaf with his foot. There the 
 Colonel saw, after carefully stooping down, the 
 very faint impress of a hoof. 
 
 'Ts that a fresh track, Joe ? " he asked. 
 
112 THE RANCHE ON THE OXHIDE 
 
 "You may be sure it is," replied Joe, " and only 
 about an hour old ! " 
 
 " Well, I want that deer," said Colonel Keogh, 
 enthusiastically. He rose from a stump on 
 which he had been sitting for a few moments, 
 with his rifle across his knees, and started quickly 
 for a little patch of box-elder not a hundred yards 
 distant. 
 
 " Hold on, Colonel ! " said Joe, cautiously; 
 " the deer isn't there now. Don't you see his 
 hoof-marks point the other way.? Look, here's 
 where he's nibbled the grass," pointing with his 
 rifle to a strip of bunch-grass in the opposite 
 direction from the box-elders. " Let's go on, 
 Colonel ; deer don't stay long in one spot so 
 early in the day, and if we don't get a move 
 on us, it may be hours before we can get a shot 
 at 'em." 
 
 They trudged on for about a mile and a half, 
 walking side by side, the Colonel telling the boy 
 some of his experiences in the war of the Re- 
 beUion. Suddenly Joe, touching the Colonel's 
 shoulder, said, " Hark ! " in a hoarse whisper, 
 at the same instant elevating his head like a 
 stag-hound that has just winded game. In 
 
WHAT THE SCOUTS SAW II3 
 
 another minute they heard a rustling as though 
 something were stepping on dead leaves. 
 
 " There's a buck deer in there, and a big one, 
 too," said Joe, in a whisper, as he pointed to a 
 bunch of upland willows whose slender tops were 
 oscillating slowly as if disturbed by a gentle 
 breeze, though there was not a breath of wind 
 blowing. " He's probably got a half dozen or 
 more does around him, and if we are mighty 
 careful, we may both get a shot." 
 
 The willow copse was on the top of a little 
 knoll, and the ground was smooth on the side 
 of it where the Colonel and Joe stood. Here 
 and there at intervals were great trees, but with- 
 out any underbrush to snap under their feet as 
 they quietly trod over the soft, black soil. 
 
 At Joe's suggestion, he and the Colonel sepa- 
 rated, widening the distance between them to 
 about twenty paces. Colonel Keogh on the right 
 of Joe. They crept on as silently as savages on 
 the trail of an enemy, and soon arrived at the 
 base of the elevation, which was only some fifty 
 yards to its crest. There they noticed that the 
 dark earth had been cut up in every direction by 
 the sharp, delicate foot-marks of the creatures 
 
114 THE RANCHE ON THE OXHIDE 
 
 supposed to be in front of them. A significant 
 glance rapidly passed from one to the other as 
 they drew nearer their quarry. 
 
 At that juncture, just as they reached the edge 
 of the copse, each masked himself behind a 
 o-ood-sized cottonwood, which seemed to have 
 grown where it did for their especial use. The 
 Colonel in his enthusiasm could not repress the 
 remark in a whisper to Joe : — 
 
 " Look there, Joe. There's a dozen deer ! " 
 
 Sure enough, right in front of them were a 
 dozen fat does lying down ruminating their 
 morning meal. The old buck, the guardian of 
 the whole herd, was standing up as if watching 
 over his charge, and stamping the ground with 
 his sharp hoofs to drive off the buffalo gnats 
 that swarmed thickly around him. 
 
 In another instant, at a signal previously 
 agreed upon, a low whistle from the Colonel, 
 the rifles of the hunters were discharged simul- 
 taneously, and all but two of the terribly fright- 
 ened animals bounded off through the timber. 
 
 Before the echoes of the pieces had died away, 
 Joe was among the struggling deer with his 
 hunting-knife, cutting their throats while they 
 
WHAT THE SCOUTS SAW 1 15 
 
 were yet in their death throes. The stately 
 buck had been the Colonel's game, and he asked 
 Joe to take its head to the ranche so that the 
 Pawnees, when they arrived in the autumn, could 
 preserve it with its magnificent set of antlers, 
 which he desired to keep as a trophy of their 
 hunt. 
 
 It was but a little more than two miles to camp, 
 and they did not have to wait more than an hour 
 for a wagon to arrive, as the driver had been told 
 by the Colonel to start the moment the sharp 
 double report of the rifles reached his ears. The 
 dead animals were soon loaded into it, and the 
 proud hunters walked leisurely ?vlongside of it, 
 back to camp, arriving there before eleven 
 o'clock. 
 
 The deer were skinned by Joe. The meat was 
 cut up into saddles and haunches, and hung on 
 the limb of a great tree, to secure it from the 
 prowling wolves, who already scented blood and 
 began to make their appearance on the bluffs, so 
 keen is the nose of that vicious and cowardly 
 brute. The Colonel had brou2:ht with him from 
 the fort, half a dozen hounds, among them some 
 of General Custer's celebrated animals, but they 
 
Il6 THE RANCHE ON THE OXHIDE 
 
 were left tied up in camp that morning, as the 
 Colonel had decided to make a still hunt the first 
 day, and to chase with the dogs the next. 
 
 That evening, just as all were about to roll 
 themselves up in their blankets, a scout arrived 
 from Fort Harker with the intelligence that the 
 Cheyennes and the Kiowas, under the leadership 
 of the bloodthirsty Sa-tan-ta, the notorious war- 
 chief, had made a raid upon the settlements near 
 Council Grove, and Custer was leaving at once 
 for the field with his regiment. As Colonel 
 Keogh's company was part of it, he must return 
 to Fort Harker immediately, and another detach- 
 ment of colored infantry were on their way to 
 take its place on the Elkhorn. 
 
 All was bustle in a few moments. Tents were 
 struck, and in less than an hour the cavalry com- 
 mand was on its way, Joe riding at the head of 
 the column with the Colonel. 
 
 They arrived at Fort Harker long before day- 
 light, and Joe bade the Colonel good by and 
 rode on to Errolstrath, where he pulled up his 
 pony just as his father and Rob were coming out 
 of the house to go to the spring to wash them- 
 selves. 
 
WHAT THE SCOUTS SAW ny 
 
 The boy was gladly welcomed back by all the 
 family, and they sat at the table for more than an 
 hour after they finished eating their breakfast, 
 listening to Joe's experiences at the scene of the 
 massacre, and his hunt with Colonel Keogh. 
 
CHAPTER VIII 
 
 MR. TUCKER PASSES THE NIGHT AT ERROLSTRATH — HE TELLS SOME 
 STORIES OF HUNTING BIG GAME IN THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS — 
 
 SAGACITY OF THE FEMALE BIGHORN THE AMERICAN COUGAR 
 
 THE BEAR AND THE PANTHER THE RABBIT HUNT HOW 
 
 THE BOYS TRAINED THEIR HOUNDS. 
 
 That evening many of those who had acted 
 as scouts under Captain Tucker came to Errol- 
 strath, where, on the shady veranda they dis- 
 cussed their trip and the possibiHties of a 
 prolonged Indian war. The Kiowas had inaugu- 
 rated hostiHties by their raid on the settlements 
 near Council Grove. General Sheridan had 
 already established his headquarters at Fort 
 Harker, and every preparation was going on at 
 that post for a winter campaign against the 
 allied tribes. 
 
 After the group on the porch had talked mat- 
 ters over for about two hours, they all went to 
 their respective homes excepting old Mr. Tucker, 
 whom the family had invited to stay all night. 
 
 iiS 
 
huntdn'g stories 119 
 
 As it was but eight o'clock when the others left, 
 Joe and Islr. Tucker turned to the subject of 
 huntinsf bisr 2:ame, and the latter told some of his 
 own adventures when he was a trapper in the 
 Rocky Mountains many years ago. As Joe had 
 never seen the bighorn of that region, Mr. 
 Tucker related an adventure he once had when 
 hunting for a pair of young ones. He was up in 
 the Yellowstone Pvange, not very far from the 
 scene of Custer's unequal battle with Sitting Bull, 
 in which the General's entire command was 
 annihilated bv the savao;es. 
 
 " My camp was on the Green River," began the 
 old man, " and one morning while I was out bait- 
 ing my traps, I noticed a she bighorn that I 
 knew^ would soon have little ones. I was deter- 
 mined to have a pair of kids, as I had a sort of 
 a small menagerie at my camp, but it contained 
 no bighorn. So I started to follow her trail 
 and stay with her until her kids were born, when 
 I intended to capture them and make pets of 
 them. 
 
 " I followed her for about two weeks, and was 
 sometimes compelled to creep cautiously after her 
 in my stockinged feet. My stockings were clumsy 
 
I20 THE RANCHE ON THE OXHIDE 
 
 things made of buckskin, not such stockings as 
 you buy. One evening being so near her, and 
 obliged to climb a steep mountain, I took out my 
 knife and cut off all the silver trimmings of my 
 buckskin suit, so that nothing could jingle and 
 scare her. 
 
 "At last, after tracking her day after day, I 
 came upon her den, where she had brought forth 
 two kids. It was the very top of one of the tall- 
 est peaks in the Wind River Mountains, in a sort 
 of cave about five feet deep, worn in the side of 
 an enormous rock. When I first got a sight of 
 the kids, they were nearly two weeks old, and 
 were jumping and playing as all of the goat or 
 sheep family are wont to do. 
 
 " They were alone, but their mother was on 
 the brink of a precipice, within a hundred yards 
 of them, carefully looking down into the valley 
 below to see if she could discover anything hos- 
 tile. They are great watchers. The old one had 
 not seen me, and I had made a detour to the very 
 summit of the mountain, where I could see that 
 there was a trail which the mother used to travel 
 in going to and from her young ones. I felt 
 sure that once at the mouth of the cave or hole 
 
HUNTING STORIES 121 
 
 in the big rock, I might easily capture the kids, 
 for which I had footed it so many miles and fol- 
 lowed so many days. 
 
 " Before I reached the entrance of the den the 
 old one caught a glimpse of me, and in an instant, 
 filled v/ith the courage which the maternal in- 
 stinct always prompts, she was upon me and try- 
 ing to get the sharp point of her crooked horns 
 into my legs to toss me over the precipice which 
 formed one of the walls of the mountain. The 
 trail on which I was standino; was narrow and 
 
 CD 
 
 slippery. I had left my rifle on the top of the 
 divide, and was in a mighty tight place, for the 
 female bighorn is almost as dangerous as a 
 tiger when enraged and solicitous for the safety 
 of her little ones. 
 
 " I fought off the infuriated mother with my 
 hands and feet as well as I could, but the rage of 
 the brute increased terribly every second. Just 
 then she caught sight of her kids, and leaving me, 
 she rushed toward them and ran around them 
 several times, as if telling them she wanted them 
 to do something in her great trouble. 
 
 " The distance from the wall of one mountain 
 to the precipice of the other was but eight feet. 
 
122 THE RANCHE ON THE OXHIDE 
 
 Both had originally been but one mountain, but 
 aees aeo some o^reat convulsion of nature had 
 split them apart, and had left a huge fissure 
 between them at least two thousand feet deep, 
 with walls as smooth as glass. 
 
 " The old one ran back and forth from the 
 precipice to the kids several times, showing them 
 as plainly as if she could talk that they must 
 make the leap to escape from their natural en- 
 emy. At last, as if the wiiole matter was under- 
 stood, the mother flew back to the edge of the 
 canon, the little ones hot in her tracks, and 
 then all three made the jump, just clearing 
 the frightful gorge by half the length of the 
 young ones. 
 
 " I was dumfounded for an instant, but soon 
 recovered my senses and went for my rifle, but 
 the coveted animals were far out of range on 
 the top of the twin peak. I then returned to 
 my camp on Green River more than a hun- 
 dred miles away, disgusted and worn out, and 
 never again attempted to capture the kids of 
 the bighorn in the fashion of my first venture." 
 
 Joe and the rest of the family, remembering 
 Joe's scrap with the young panther, asked the 
 
HUNTING STORIES 1 23 
 
 old man if he had ever had any fight with one 
 of them. He said that he had, and would tell 
 them all about it. Then they would go to bed, 
 as it was very late for the ranche folks to be 
 up. 
 
 " I remember the day you had that tussle 
 with a young panther, Joe, and I tell you that 
 you got off mighty luckily ; the chances were 
 that the animal would have made mincemeat 
 of you if it hadn't been for that thrust with 
 your knife. 
 
 " The California lion, puma, or panther, as 
 the animal is indifferently called according to 
 locality, once had a very extensive range on 
 the North American continent. It could be 
 found from the Adirondacks to Patagonia, but 
 now, like nearly all of our indigenous great 
 mammals, is relatively scarce, and is rapidly 
 following the sad trail of the buffalo. 
 
 " Althoueh sometimes called a lion, he in 
 nowise resembles either his African or Asiatic 
 namesake. He is more nearly related to the 
 tiger in his habits, though lion-like in color. 
 He is the puma or American cougar of the 
 naturalists. He is really a long-tailed cat. 
 
124 
 
 THE RANCHE ON THE OXHIDE 
 
 and the only true representative of the genus 
 fehs on the continent. 
 
 " He is a splendid fellow, too, with sleepy 
 o-reen eyes, skin as soft as velvet and beauti- 
 fully mottled, and teeth half an inch long and 
 sharp as razors. His paws measure four inches 
 across, and his limbs are as finely proportioned 
 as a sculptor could desire, while all his muscles 
 are as brawny as a prize-fighter's. His breast 
 is broad, and his body as flexible as a snake's. 
 He is an active climber and generally drops 
 or springs upon his prey from a limb where 
 he has carefully secreted himself. Like the 
 majority of wild beasts, he generally runs from 
 man, excepting when cornered, or in the case of 
 a female with kittens when suddenly met; then 
 her motherly love presents itself as strongly as 
 in any other animal. 
 
 "The cougar attains its greatest size in the 
 Rocky Mountains, where its body reaches a 
 leno-th of four feet ten inches, and its tail from 
 two to two and a half feet. 
 
 " The American panther has one inveterate 
 foe, the bear. The grizzly and the panther are 
 mortal enemies. The famous trappers I have 
 
HUNTING STORIES 1 25 
 
 known, such men as Kit Carson and Lucien 
 B. Maxwell, have told me that in these ani- 
 mals' frequent combats, the panther generally 
 comes out victor, and that in their early trap- 
 ping days they often came across the carcass 
 of a bear which had evidently met its death in 
 a lively encounter with a mountain lion, as 
 they called it. 
 
 " Carson once related a contest of that char- 
 acter which he had accidentally witnessed. A 
 large deer was running at full speed, closely 
 followed by a panther. The chase had already 
 been a long one, for as they came nearer to 
 where he stood, he could see both of their 
 parched tongues hanging out of their mouths, 
 and their bounding, though powerful, was no 
 lon2:er as elastic as usual. The deer havino- 
 discovered in the distance a large black bear 
 playing with her cub, stopped for a moment to 
 sniff the air, then coming nearer, he made a 
 bound with head extended, to ascertain whether 
 the bear had kept her position. As the pan- 
 ther was closino; with him. the deer wheeled 
 sharply around, and turning almost upon its 
 own trail, passed within thirty yards of its pur- 
 
126 THE RANCH E OX THE OXPHDE 
 
 suer. The panther, not being able at once to 
 stop his career, gave an angry growl and fol- 
 lowed the deer again, but at a distance of some 
 hundred yards. Hearing the growl, the bear 
 drew her body half out of the bushes, remain- 
 ing quietly on the lookout. Soon the deer 
 again appeared, but his speed w^as much re- 
 duced, and as he approached the spot where 
 the bear lay concealed, it was evident that the 
 animal was calculating the distance with ad- 
 mirable precision. The panther, nov/ expecting 
 to seize his prey easily, follovred about thirty 
 yards behind, his eyes so intently fixed on the 
 deer that he did not see the bear at all. Not 
 so the bear; she was aware of the close prox- 
 imity of her wicked enemy, and she cleared the 
 briars before her and squared herself for action, 
 when the deer with a powerful spring passed 
 clear over her head and disappeared. 
 
 " At the moment the deer took the flying leap 
 the panther was close upon him, and was just 
 balancing himself for a spring, when he perceived, 
 to his astonishment, that he w^as now face to face 
 with a formidable adversary. Not in the least dis- 
 posed to fly, he crouched, lashing his flanks with 
 
HUNTING STORIES 12/ 
 
 his long tail, while the bear, about five yards 
 from him, remained like a statue, looking at the 
 panther with her fierce, glaring eyes. 
 
 " They remained thus a minute : the panther 
 agitated, and apparently undecided, and his sides 
 heaving with exertion ; the bear perfectly calm 
 and motionless. Gradually the panther crawled 
 backward until at the right distance for a spring ; 
 then throwing all his weight upon his hinder 
 parts to increase his power, he darted upon the 
 bear like lighting and forced his claws into her 
 back. The bear then, with irresistible force, 
 seized the panther with her two fore paws, press- 
 ing it with the weight of her body and rolling 
 over it. Carson said that he heard a heavy 
 grunt, a plaintive howl, a crashing of bones, and 
 the panther was dead. 
 
 " The cub of the bear came after a few minutes 
 to learn what was going on, examined the victim, 
 and strutted down the hill followed by its mother, 
 who was apparently unhurt. The old trappers 
 used to claim that it was a common practice of 
 the deer, when chased by the panther, to lead 
 him to the haunt of a bear ; but I won't vouch for 
 the truth of the statement. 
 
128 THE RANCHE ON THE OXHIDE 
 
 " I have killed several of the creatures," con- 
 tinued Mr. Tucker, " but never had a very seri- 
 ous tussle, excepting once, up in what was then 
 called the Klikatat Valley, in Washington Ter- 
 ritory. I had been out after elk, but had not seen 
 any, and was going up a very narrow, rocky 
 ravine lookino: for their tracks. When I arrived 
 at the head of the little cafion, I heard a snarl. 
 Casting my eyes in the direction of the sound, I 
 saw, to my dismay, a she panther on a flat ledge 
 under a clump of dwarf cedars, with three kittens 
 alongside of her. 
 
 " The enraged beast was in the attitude of 
 springing, when I caught sight of her. I had no 
 time to pull my rifle to my shoulder or jump 
 aside. The ravine was so narrow that there was 
 not room enough between the jagged walls to 
 raise the piece and take aim. So quick were the 
 cat's movements that she was almost upon me, 
 her mouth wide open and her claws unsheathed 
 ready for business. I was calm, for I had trained 
 myself never to become excited under danger, 
 and just as she jumped for me I cocked my piece, 
 stuck the muzzle down her throat, and pulled the 
 trigger as she fell upon my shoulder. 
 
HUNTING STORIES 1 29 
 
 " The shot killed her instantly, but not before 
 she had ripped some of the flesh off my arm as 
 she rolled to the ground. It was a remarkably 
 close shot, and a lucky one forme too. I skinned 
 her, but was so sore that I had to return to my 
 camp and dress my wounds, which healed in a 
 few days." 
 
 When the story was finished, they all went to 
 bed. Mr. Tucker promised the boys and girls 
 he would remain oyer the next day and q:o on 
 a rabbit hunt which they had planned for the 
 morning. 
 
 It proved to be a glorious day as the sun rose 
 next morning in a cloudless sky. Breakfast was 
 out of the way by six o'clock, and the boys 
 saddled their buffalo ponies, as they called those 
 which they had captured out of the herd ; their 
 sisters' ponies also were saddled. Gertrude had 
 a yery gentle animal which her father had traded 
 for with the Pawnees, but he was blind in one 
 eye, and she called him Bartimccus, or Barty for 
 short. He was hard to catch, but when caught 
 was a quiet, easily ridden animal. Kate's was an 
 iron-gray which had been born on a neighboring 
 ranche, and especially broken for her benefit. 
 
I30 THE RANCHE ON THE OXHIDE 
 
 He was of that small breed peculiar to Texas, 
 and his power of endurance was phenomenal. 
 On a long journey, with only the wild grass to 
 subsist on, they soon wear out the pampered 
 steed of the stable. 
 
 The relation between Ginger and his young 
 mistress was remarkable for the confidence and 
 affection each had in and for the other. He 
 was now five years old, and Kate had trained 
 him herself, but had never used whip, spur, or 
 severe curb during her long and patient training. 
 Consequently Ginger responded cheerfully and 
 i)romptly to her every command. His educa- 
 tion had been based upon gentleness and affec- 
 tion. Her love for him was reciprocated in a 
 manner bordering upon human intelligence, thus 
 confirming the theory that kindness is more 
 effective in subordinating the brute creation 
 to our will than the club or kindred harsh 
 measures. 
 
 Kate's pony had never been confined by fence 
 or lariat ; he roamed at will all over the beautiful 
 prairie or in the timber surrounding Errolstrath. 
 Yet day or night, in sunshine or in storm, if Kate 
 required his services, she had only to go and call 
 
HUNTING STORIES I31 
 
 him, and if within the sound of her voice, he 
 would come galloping up to her, neighing cheer- 
 fully. When he arrived where she stood, bridle 
 in hand, waiting for him, he would affectionately 
 rub his nose on her arm or shoulder, and submis- 
 sively follow her to the house. If he happened 
 to be a long way off when she went to seek him, 
 she would jump on his bare back and ride him 
 home. He was always rewarded on these occa- 
 sions with a lump of sugar or salt, of both of 
 which he was very fond. In the three years 
 of their companionship neither girl nor pony had 
 ever deceived each other: his sugar or salt was 
 never forgotten, nor had he once failed to respond 
 to her summons. 
 
 It made no difference when Kate wanted to 
 go anywhere, whether she mounted Ginger bare- 
 back and bridleless, or with saddle. Under either 
 condition she was perfectly at her ease, and he 
 equally obedient to her voice, by which alone 
 she frequently guided him. 
 
 He was as fleet as the wind, and more than 
 once Kate had run down a cottontail rabbit 
 in a spirited chase over the prairie. 
 
 She had christened him Ginger, not because 
 
132 THE RANCHE ON THE OXFHDE 
 
 there was the sHghtest resemblance to that spice 
 in his color, but rather for the "spice" in his 
 nature. 
 
 Mr. Tucker rode his favorite large roan horse, 
 which he had brought to the ranche with him, 
 and which had carried him so bravely on the 
 long and wearisome trip to the Elkhorn. 
 
 The happy little party left Errolstrath about 
 seven o'clock, followed by the old hounds Bluey 
 and Brutus, which were as anxious as their young 
 masters for the excitement of the impending 
 
 chase. 
 
 They rode down the Oxhide under the shade 
 of the elms which fringed its border, until they 
 arrived at the open prairie a mile from the 
 ranche. There the dogs were ordered ahead, 
 and began to run, eagerly looking out for a sight 
 of any foolish rabbit, cottontail or jack, that 
 might be out on the level stretch of country over 
 which the hunters were now loping. 
 
 They had not gone on half a mile before they 
 started a big jack from his lair of bunch-grass, 
 where, probably, he had been taking a late nap. 
 With a characteristic bound, jumping stiff-legged 
 for a moment, he fairly flew over the short buffalo 
 
HUNTING STORIES 1 33 
 
 sod, the dogs after him with every muscle strained 
 to overtake him before he could hide in some 
 tall weeds, or clump of plum bushes which were 
 scattered throughout the prairie at intervals of 
 five or six hundred yards. 
 
 Ever since they had come into possession 
 of their ponies, Joe and Rob had trained Bluey 
 and Brutus in such a manner that they scarcely 
 ever failed to secure any game they hunted. 
 
 The rabbit is a very swift creature, and has 
 a fashion, when pursued, of suddenly doubling 
 on his own tracks. Being so much smaller than 
 a hound, he can perform the feat a great deal 
 quicker than a dog, and if the latter is not 
 trained to know just what to do under such cir- 
 cumstances, and just how to run, the rabbit 
 almost invariably slips away from him. Bluey 
 and Brutus were taught not to keep close to each 
 other when on the run after rabbits. One of 
 them, generally the younger, when they first 
 started out for a hunt, remained far enough away 
 from his mate to make the turn when the rabbit 
 did, without forging ahead of him, as the fore- 
 most hound was sure to do, by the sheer momen- 
 tum of his rapid running. Then, the hound in 
 
134 THE RANCHE ON THE OXHIDE 
 
 the rear had plenty of room and time to make 
 the turn as soon as the rabbit, and was right 
 upon him, as close as was the head dog when 
 he doubled on his tracks. Then the old dog 
 would recover himself and take his place behind 
 the one that was now ahead, ready for the same 
 tactics whenever the rabbit made another attempt 
 to escape by again doubling on himself. So the 
 race was conducted until the rabbit was caught. 
 That was effected by the dog which happened 
 to be ahead when he came near enough to thrust 
 his long nose under the animal's belly and toss 
 him high in the air, catching him in his mouth 
 as he came down. 
 
 " Admirable ! " said Mr. Tucker, as Bluey, who 
 happened to be ahead, tossed the rabbit up and 
 caught him as he fell toward the ground. " I 
 tell you, boys, that's as fine a piece of work as I 
 ever saw done by any hounds I have run with. 
 You must have taken a great deal of pains to 
 teach them to do their work so splendidly? " 
 
 " It took a long time," said Rob, who had really 
 given more attention to training Bluey and 
 Brutus, than had Joe, who had spent more of his 
 spare hours in the camp of the Pawnees. " I 
 
HUXTIXG STORIES 135 
 
 sometimes almost gave up, they were so stupid 
 when I first tried to teach them, but by degrees 
 they understood what I wanted, and now I will 
 put them against any hounds in the settlement 
 for doing good work." 
 
 " I must admit," said Joe, " that all they can do 
 is to the credit of Rob ; he has more patience with 
 animals than I have, though you know, Mr. 
 Tucker, that I am never cruel. I know that 
 you can accomplish more with a dumb brute by 
 kindness than you can with a whip." 
 
 By noon the hounds had caught ten rabbits — 
 six cottontails and four jacks — and, of course, 
 were played out when the party turned back on 
 the trail to Errolstrath. Here they found dinner 
 waiting for them, and they all ate heartily, the 
 delightful exercise havins; made them as ravenous 
 as coyotes. The hounds were not forgotten ; 
 they had a rabbit each for their dinner, after eat- 
 ing which, they went to their accustomed beds on 
 the shady side of a haystack near the corral, and 
 slept all the rest of the afternoon. 
 
 Mr. Tucker left for his ranche about an hour 
 after dinner, promising to come to visit the family 
 again soon. 
 
136 THE KANCHE ON THE OXHIDE 
 
 The family were worried about the impending 
 Indian war, and when three o'clock had arrived 
 his mother sent Joe up to Fort Harker to find 
 out if there was any news of Custer and the 
 troops under his command, who had gone after 
 the Kiowas. 
 
CHAPTER IX 
 
 INDIAN RAIDS — KATE IS MISSING " BUFFALO BILL's " OPINION — • 
 
 "buffalo bill" FINDS HER LITTLE BASKET THE SOLDIERS 
 
 RETURN TO THE FORT WITHOUT FINDING HER — GRIEF OF THE 
 FAMILY 
 
 It was after dark when Joe returned from his 
 mission to Fort Harker. He had been very 
 kindly received by the officers, who had heard all 
 about him from Colonel Keogh. The command- 
 ing officer told him that he wanted him to warn 
 the settlers on the Oxhide that the war had really 
 commenced ; that General Sully had had a great 
 fight on the Arkansas, and that it could not be 
 considered as a victory. He told him also to tell 
 the people on the creek that at any moment they 
 might be visited by a hostile band, notwithstand- 
 ing that they were in such close proximity to the 
 post. 
 
 " You know yourself, my man, that the Indians 
 have a faculty of going anywhere they want to 
 go, and all the troops in the army might be 
 
 »37 
 
138 THE RANCHE ON THE OXHIDE 
 
 fooled in regard to their movements. They are 
 here to-day, murdering, and taking young girls 
 captive, and a hundred miles away to-morrow. 
 
 "Tell the settlers," continued he, "that they 
 must be on the lookout. I have not enouoh 
 troops to put on guard on every creek. I wish 
 I had ; then there would be no danger of any 
 sudden and unexpected raids. Why, do you 
 know, Joe, that only yesterday, a band of Dog- 
 soldiers made an attack on Wilson Creek, six- 
 teen miles from here, and killed two men who 
 were at work in their hay field ? 
 
 " It was reported to me about three hours after 
 the affair had occurred, and I sent a company up 
 there, but as they were only infantry, — I have no 
 cavalry now at the post, — the Indians were soon 
 out of reach. 
 
 " I want you to tell the settlers on the Oxhide 
 to particularly watch their girls. The Indians 
 will get some of them if they possibly can. 
 They don't always murder them, but hold them 
 in a terrible slavery in hopes of getting a heavy 
 money ransom from the Government for their 
 release." 
 
 Joe related to his parents all the conversation 
 
SEARCH FOR KATE 1 39 
 
 he had with the officers at Fort Marker, and 
 early the next morning he and his father rode 
 through the settlement, warning the people to be 
 on their guard. 
 
 Only ten days afterward, when the family at 
 Errolstrath were just going to sit down to supper, 
 it w^as discovered that Kate was missing. Ger- 
 trude went up to her room, supposing she might 
 be reading there, for she was a great devourer of 
 books, but she did not find her. 
 
 The boys hunted for her in all imaginable 
 places on the ranche where they thought she 
 might possibly be, but could not find her. When 
 Joe and Rob returned from their fruitless quest, 
 the family were too thoroughly frightened to 
 think of eating. Mr. Thompson mounted his 
 horse and started to make the rounds of the 
 nearest neio:hbors to learn wdiether she was 
 visiting any of them. 
 
 He returned to the ranche long after dark, but 
 broueht no news of her whereabouts, and found 
 every member of the family in tears, and his wife 
 nearly crazy. He was told that Kate's pony had 
 come home, riderless, to the corral while he was 
 absent, and a small sumac bush to w^hich his 
 
140 THE RANCHE ON THE OXHIDE 
 
 reins were tied, had been torn up by the roots 
 and was draQ;Q-in<T at his feet. None of them 
 could conjecture where she could be. 
 
 "My God!" exclaimed her mother, "if the 
 Indians have captured her and carried her off, 
 what shall we do ? " 
 
 " Something; must be done at once," said Mr. 
 Thompson. " Joe, get your pony quickly, and 
 we will hurry to the fort to learn whether any 
 Indians have been seen or heard of in this 
 vicinity to-day. If so, we will get the command- 
 ing officer to send out a squad of soldiers imme- 
 diately. You must go with them, Joe, and trail 
 the savages if you can find any signs of them." 
 
 Joe and his father rode as rapidly to Fort 
 Harker as their animals could carry them; went 
 to the commanding officer's private quarters, as 
 the business offices were closed after night, and 
 reported to him the terrible anguish which the 
 family were suffering. 
 
 They immediately adjourned to the Adjutant's 
 office, and the commander sent his orderly for the 
 officer of the day. When he made his appear- 
 ance, he asked him Vvdiether any reports had been 
 received concerning Indians being in the vicinity. 
 
SEARCH FOR KATE I4I 
 
 He replied that no such report had been received 
 by him, and it was his belief that none of the 
 hostile savages were in the immediate country. 
 
 At that moment, Buffalo Bill entered the room. 
 He was chief of scouts at Fort Harker, and had 
 just returned from some perilous mission to one 
 of the military posts on the Arkansas, and was 
 coming from the stable, to report to the Adjutant. 
 He was told of the mysterious disappearance of 
 Mr. Thompson's daughter Kate, and the opinion 
 of the famous Indian fighter and courier was 
 asked as to what he thought of the matter, as no 
 Indians had been reported in the vicinity. 
 
 " Well," said Bill, " because you gentlemen 
 have received no report of the savages, it does 
 not follow that none have been here. / knoiu 
 that they Jiave been Jiere^ and to-day. As I crossed 
 Bluff Creek on my way here this afternoon, about 
 six o'clock, I saw in the distance a band of Ind- 
 ians, numbering about ten or twelve, riding rap- 
 idly south. I hid myself in a ravine so that they 
 should not discover me, but I got a good look 
 at 'em with my field-glass. I think they were 
 Comanches, though I can't be certain of that ; 
 they might have been Cheyennes or Kiowas ; 
 
142 THE RANCHE ON THE OXHIDE 
 
 they were too far off to be made out exactly. 
 Now, you ask for my opinion as to what has 
 become of the gentleman's daughter. I believe 
 those Indians have her; because they were rid- 
 ing so fast toward their villages, and they are, 
 you know, all south of the Canadian. 
 
 " But don't let Mr. Thompson worry too much ; 
 the simple fact that she is a prisoner among them 
 is bad enough. If among the Kiowas, and the 
 chief, Kicking Bird, is in the village when the 
 band arrives with the girl, he will not allow her 
 to be harmed. He is a cunning old fellow, and 
 knows the value of money. He will have good 
 care taken of her, and get a heavy reward from 
 the Government for ransom. If she should fall 
 into the village of Sa-tan-ta, God help her! He 
 is the worst demon on the trail ; but anyhow, I 
 don't think they will harm her, as they will want 
 a ransom." 
 
 " Well," said the officer, " I am sorry that I 
 have no cavalry at the post, but I will send a 
 detachment of the infantry after them in six- 
 mule wagons. I imagine it will be a useless task 
 to try to catch up with them if, as Buffalo Bill 
 says, they were going as fast as they could 
 
SEARCH FOR KATE 1 43 
 
 to their villao^e on the Canadian. Lieutenant 
 Hale," said he, turning to the Adjutant, "make 
 a detail at once of thirty men, and send them out 
 under a couple of non-commissioned officers on 
 the trail of the savages, if it can be found. Any- 
 how, some sign may be discovered that will tell 
 us whether the girl is with them." 
 
 Then turning to Joe, he said : " I wish that 
 you would go with the detachment, for you are 
 the best trailer in the whole country, not except- 
 ing our chief scout here, Buffalo Bill, and he's 
 the prince of all frontiersmen." 
 
 " Well," said Buffalo Bill, " I've just come off 
 a pretty hard trip, but I volunteer to go with the 
 party ; if I can do anything in a case of this kind, 
 fatigue doesn't count." 
 
 " Thank you. Bill," said Mr. Thompson. " I will 
 return to Errolstrath and tell my family what has 
 been done, and your favorable opinion that the 
 savages won't harm her : that will be a comfort 
 at least. Good night, gentlemen," said he ; and 
 he went out and untied his horse from the 
 hitching-post, and rode slowly home. 
 
 The night was quite dark, though there was a 
 little moonlight, but the detachment did not get 
 
144 THE RANCHE ON THE OXHIDE 
 
 away from the post until long after midnight, as 
 there was so much delay in hitching up the 
 teams and turning out the soldiers who had 
 gone to bed. By the time the little train of 
 three wagons arrived at Bluff Creek, where Buf- 
 falo Bill had seen the Indians, the day was just 
 breaking. They could not travel to that point 
 from the fort very rapidly on account of the 
 rough nature of the trail. It was nothing but 
 a series of rocky hills after they had crossed 
 the Smoky Hill, and was constantly becoming 
 rougher as they approached Bluff Creek, which 
 was well named on account of its high bluffs. 
 
 The party halted at the ford where they sup- 
 posed the savages had crossed, and began to look 
 for Indian signs. Pony tracks were plainly visi- 
 ble in the soft earth where the trail led down to 
 the water, and Buffalo Bill dismounted and 
 examined them carefully. He then asked Joe to 
 get off his horse and count the hoof-marks. Joe 
 did so, and both he and the famous scout agreed 
 that there must have been about a dozen of the 
 savages. 
 
 Crossing the creek, followed by the wagons, 
 Joe and he ascended the hill on the other side. 
 
SEARCH FOR KATE 1 45 
 
 They had not proceeded a quarter of a mile when 
 Buffalo Bill picked up from the trail a small par- 
 fleche basket, which Joe immediately recognized 
 as belonging to his sister. 
 
 " Look here, Mr. Cody, there is her name 
 which I carved myself when I gave it to her. 
 Now we know for a fact that the savages have 
 captured her. I know why Ginger came home 
 with that little sumac bush fastened to his bridle, 
 Kate must have tied him to it, and when the 
 Indians swooped down on her, the pony broke 
 loose and tore up the little tree by the roots in 
 his fright, for he was always scared out of his 
 wits at the sight of an Indian." 
 
 The little detachment of soldiers rode on for 
 a dozen more miles, when the mules showed 
 unmistakable signs of fatigue. They could not 
 be made to travel faster than a walk, notwith- 
 standing the persuasive efforts of the blacksnake- 
 whips in the hands of their drivers. So both 
 Buffalo Bill and Joe reluctantly decided that it 
 was no use to follow the Indians any farther. 
 They knew the habits of the savages so well, 
 that they were now probably a hundred miles 
 ahead of them, for they always took loose stock 
 
146 THE RANCHE ON THE OXHIDE 
 
 along with them so as to change animals when 
 their own horses became leg-weary. 
 
 Very reluctantly, then, the cavalcade was turned 
 round and headed for the fort, where the party 
 arrived at about one o'clock. Buffalo Bill, as 
 chief of scouts, reported the result of the trip to 
 the commanding officer. 
 
 All were depressed at the failure of the expedi- 
 tion, but it was impossible that it should have 
 turned out differently, and when Joe arrived at 
 Errolstrath and related the story of the finding 
 of Kate's basket, the grief of the family knew no 
 bounds. All felt keen anguish at the absence of 
 their favorite, and at her sad fate. 
 
 There was nothing to be done except to wait 
 patiently for some action on the part of the Gov- 
 ernment in ransoming her if she was alive. The 
 family settled themselves into a calm resignation, 
 but the sun did not seem to shine so brightly, nor 
 the birds to sing so sweetly as when the pet of 
 the household was there. Even her antelope 
 appeared to partake of the general gloom ; it 
 evidently missed its loving young mistress, and 
 would wander around the house, disconsolately 
 seeking her. 
 
CHAPTER X 
 
 HOW KATE WAS CAPTURED BY THE INDIANS — THE BAND RIDE 
 RAPIDLY SOUTHWARD — AT THE INDIAN VILLAGE HER DE- 
 TERMINATION TO ESCAPE — TEACHES THE SQUAWS — IS 
 TREATED KINDLY 
 
 Immediately after dinner on the day that Kate 
 was missed, she bethought herself that the rasp- 
 berries might be ripe. She wanted to surprise 
 her mother and sister, but as wall be seen, was 
 surprised in such a manner that she never forgot 
 it as long as she lived. 
 
 Without saying a word to her mother or Ger- 
 trude, she took out of her room a little basket 
 made of par-fleche,^ given to Joe by the Pawnees, 
 and by him presented to her. She went out to 
 the pasture, caught her pony. Ginger, saddled him, 
 and rode out to the fatal raspberry patch w^here 
 once she had such a terrible encounter with a 
 she-wolf. 
 
 1 Par-fleche is the tanned hide of the buffalo, without the hair. 
 The Indians make baskets and boxes of it in which to pack their 
 provisions and other articles when they move their villages. 
 
 147 
 
148 THE RANCHE ON THE OXHIDE 
 
 It was a fortunate thing that both the girls 
 had learned to ride, for a sad fate would have 
 been in store for her had she not been a thorough 
 horsewoman. 
 
 Arriving there in less than half an hour, she 
 tied Ginger to a sumac bush, and to her delight 
 found that the berries were quite ripe, and was 
 soon absorbed in the task of filling her basket. 
 Suddenly, with the rush of a tornado, and utter- 
 ing the most diabolical yells, a dozen Comanches, 
 dressed up in their war paint and eagle feathers, 
 swooped down on the unsuspecting girl as a 
 hawk swoops down on a chicken. Before she 
 realized where she was, one of the red devils, lean- 
 ing over from his pony, caught her by the arms 
 and tossed her in front of his saddle, and in an- 
 other instant the whole band was dashing away 
 southward as fast as their little animals could 
 be urged. 
 
 Of course, she fainted for a moment, but 
 strangely held on to her basket. When she 
 had recovered from her first shock, the Indians 
 endeavored to make her understand by signs that 
 they were not going to hurt her. In fact, they 
 treated her with a sort of savage kindness. The 
 
KATE IS CAPTURED BY INDIANS 1 49 
 
 great feather-bedecked brute made her as com- 
 fortable as he could in front of him, as he pounded 
 the pony's flanks with his moccasined heels to 
 urge it on as fast as possible. 
 
 They rode rapidly on, staying for nothing, 
 crossed Bluff Creek, and reached the Arkansas 
 River that night. They waited there for an hour 
 to allow their ponies to graze, and themselves to 
 eat and smoke. They rode on again until day- 
 light the next mornino:, when the sand hills of 
 the Beaver came in sight. There they halted for 
 breakfast, and shared with the now relatively calm 
 eirl their dried buffalo meat, and bread made of 
 ground-roots. 
 
 That evening they arrived at their village on 
 the Canadian, more than two hundred and fifty 
 miles from the Oxhide. Kate was turned over 
 to the squaws, who treated her with the kindness 
 innate in all women, because she was only a little 
 girl. Had she been a young woman, that mon- 
 ster Jealousy, which makes his home even in the 
 rude tepee of the savage, would have made her 
 lot entirely different. 
 
 She was allotted to the lodge of an old squaw, 
 the old chief White Wolf's fifth wife, whose duty 
 
150 THE RANCHE ON THE OXHIDE 
 
 was to guard her and see that she did not at- 
 tempt to escape. The savages, as Buffalo Bill 
 had suggested, simply wanted to keep her until 
 the Government should offer a ransom for the 
 little captive, so it behooved them not to abuse 
 her. 
 
 As the days rolled on in their weary length, 
 the white captive became more reconciled to her 
 fate. She had never given up the hope that the 
 officers at Fort Harker would soon send out the 
 troops to seek her, and that she would be restored 
 to her dear Errolstrath home and her parents. 
 At the same time, as she was a most excellent 
 horsewoman, she always thought that if the worst 
 came to the worst, she would make her escape 
 and again ride the long distance she had ridden 
 in coming to the village. 
 
 When she had regained her self-control on her 
 dreadful journey, she had looked around her and 
 had taken such observations as she could of the 
 lay of the country, the timber, and the general 
 aspect of the trail. Even then, in all the terrible 
 excitement of her capture, she thought of escap- 
 ing at the first opportunity that offered itself. 
 She indelibly imprinted every tree, rock, and ford 
 
KATE IS CAPTURED T.Y INDIANS 1 51 
 
 on her mind, so that the long ride over the trail 
 to the village was like a photograph on her brain, 
 to be taken out of its storehouse whenever 
 
 required. 
 
 In a very few days she had so ingratiated her- 
 self in the good opinion of the women of the 
 village, that they really took a fancy to her. She 
 willingly helped them in all the daily tasks heaped 
 upon them by their hard masters. She learned 
 Yeadily how to tan the different furs which were 
 brought into the place after a hunt, made mocca- 
 sins,\erded the ponies in her turn, and even 
 became such an adept in cooking that she was 
 soon permanently assigned as cook for the occu- 
 pants of the tepee in which she was lodged. 
 Then she was spared the dirtier and harder labor 
 which fell to the lot of the Indian women, for she 
 had been brought up by her excellent mother to 
 perform all kinds of work in which a white 
 woman is supposed to become proficient, and 
 now it served her in a way that was never 
 
 dreamed of. 
 
 The Indians occasionally had flour, but knew 
 of but one way to prepare it. They made a kind 
 of gruel, by boiling, and adding a little salt. A 
 
152 THE RANCHE ON THE OXHIDE 
 
 most unpalatable dish ! She made bread and 
 biscuit, which she baked in the most primitive 
 way, on a piece of thin iron before the coals of 
 the camp-fire ; but then the food was so different 
 from that to which the savages had been accus- 
 tomed, that no one was permitted to prepare the 
 meals for the lodge where she made her abode, 
 but the White Fawn, as they began to call her. 
 
 Like Constantinople, every village is overrun 
 with dogs, and they are the most vigilant guards 
 that can be imagined. No one may hope to 
 approach an Indian lodge, or a group of them, 
 without being saluted by a chorus of the most 
 unearthly barking and howling from the canine 
 cataract that is sure to pour out the moment a 
 strange footstep is heard. Kate, always a lover 
 of pets, immediately began to cultivate the friend- 
 ship of the dogs of the village. There was, how- 
 ever, something more in her method than mere 
 natural affection for the brute creation ; she had 
 an object in view. She knew that when the time 
 arrived for her to attempt to escape, the dogs 
 must be thoroughly attached to her, so that 
 they would regard any movement she might 
 make without the slightest suspicion. This she 
 
KATE IS CAPTURED BY INDIANS 1 53 
 
 soon effected, and in a short time every miserable 
 cur in the village was her faithful ally. 
 
 The intense interest which she took in the 
 herd of ponies may be imagined, for in one of 
 them, at some time in the near future, was con- 
 centrated her hope of escaping from the hateful 
 village. She had noticed a little roan pony 
 which seemed to her to possess that power of 
 endurance that would be so necessary when 
 she started on her long and lonely journey to 
 the beloved Oxhide. She knew that he was 
 the swiftest animal of the hundred or more in the 
 bunch, for she had watched him often when the 
 dusky warrior who owned him rode away on 
 the hunt. She had read in some favorite maea- 
 zine at the ranche, that in the old tales of English 
 minstrelsy, the roan horse was the favorite color 
 of the heroes of those stories, and she selected 
 that animal out of the herd to carry her away. 
 So, whenever she could, surreptitiously, she 
 petted him, and he became so attached to her 
 that he would follow her like a dosf. 
 
 The savages watched her very closely, and she 
 dared not think of leaving the village for many 
 long weeks. At last she appeared to be so 
 
154 THE RANCHE ON THE OXHIDE 
 
 pleased with her new associations that their vig- 
 ilance relaxed somewhat, and their eyes were not 
 always upon her. 
 
 She very rapidly learned the language of her 
 captors, and then, as she could talk to the women, 
 who were really kind to her, her isolation did not 
 seem so hard to bear. 
 
 The principal food of the savages was dried 
 buffalo meat, and, as it would keep sweet for 
 a long time and was very nourishing, she hid 
 portions of her rations in the hollow of an 
 old elm that stood near her tepee, for use on 
 the trip when the time arrived for her to run 
 away. 
 
 The clothes which Kate wore when she was 
 stolen soon began to show^ the hard service to 
 which they had been subjected, and finally she 
 had to resort to the blanket for a general wrap, 
 like her female associates. She had patched 
 her civilized dress until it was like Joseph's 
 coat, of many colors, but she tenaciously clung 
 to it, determining that she would wear it home, 
 if she was fortunate enough ever to return. So 
 she took it off and carefully stored it with her 
 buffalo meat in the hollow of the old elm. 
 
KATE IS CAPTURED BY INDIANS 1 55 
 
 She soon became aware that the savao^es 
 were at war with the whites, for often when 
 the warriors went away dressed up in their 
 feathers and hideous paint, they came back 
 with their ranks decimated, and then there was 
 waiUng and howHng in the village. 
 
 She knew, also, that General Custer, whom 
 the Indians called the Crawling Panther, was 
 gradually outwitting them, for she heard the 
 sobriquet they had given him often mentioned 
 in their talks around the camp-fires. 
 
CHAPTER XI 
 
 THANKSGIVING DAY AT ERROLSTRATH — KATE'S RETURN — CUS- 
 TER'S battle WITH "BLACK KETTLE" — KATE TELLS HER 
 
 STORY THE ORIGIN OF INDIAN CORN — A WOLF HUNT WITH 
 
 GENERAL CUSTER A WOLF STORY BY THE COLONEL 
 
 Five months had made their sad passage at 
 Errolstrath ranche since Kate was carried off by 
 the Indians. It was now November, and Thanks- 
 giving, that day so sacred to every New England- 
 er's heart, was rapidly approaching; it lacked 
 but one week of its advent. Notwithstand- 
 ing the sadness which still hovered over Errol- 
 strath, the great healer, Time, had poured balm 
 into the wounded hearts. There still remained 
 the tender remembrance of the light which the 
 absent one always brought into the house, and 
 the parents still strove to fulfil their obligations 
 to those who were left to them, so Thanks- 
 o-iving was kept as it had been ever since the 
 
 settlement of the family on the ranche. 
 
 156 
 
KATE ESCAPES 1 57 
 
 The mince pies had been baked, the cider 
 bottled, and all that was lackinr^ to make up 
 the complement of the great dinner was a tur- 
 key. As, however, the woods were full of them 
 around Errolstrath, no uneasiness was felt in 
 regard to the presence of the magnificent bird 
 when he was wanted. 
 
 Joe, upon whom the family depended to 
 keep the larder well supplied with game, in- 
 tended to go and kill a wild turkey the next 
 day. Thanksgiving came the second day fol- 
 lowing on the twenty-fifth, so there was ample 
 time to procure the principal dish for the com- 
 ing event. 
 
 Joe had long since ceased to hunt for mere 
 amusement. He had become a veritable pot- 
 hunter, not In the general sense in which the 
 word is used, that is, a man who only kills his 
 game on the ground, but he hunted only when 
 the family needed a change of diet, and desired 
 some kind of game. 
 
 It was Rob's duty that month to bring the 
 cows home and milk them, a duty at which 
 the boys took turn and turn about each month. 
 That evening he was returning home with his 
 
158 THE RANCHE ON THE OXHIDE 
 
 charge, and was riding, as usual, one of the 
 buffalo ponies. As he was going along the 
 bank of the Oxhide, in the long grass which 
 grew in some places higher than a man's head, 
 his animal suddenly stumbled with both feet, 
 into a prairie dog's hole, and Rob was incon- 
 tinently thrown over his head, falling into the 
 long grass without receiving any injury. As 
 he started to his feet again, he felt something 
 struedino; in his hands, for he had Involuntarily 
 clutched at the ground when the pony so un- 
 ceremoniously tumbled him off, and to his great 
 surprise, he discovered that he had accidentally 
 caught a large wild turkey! He held on to 
 the bird manfully, although it tried Its hardest 
 to get away from him; and holding it by the 
 lees, he walked on to the corral and drove the 
 cows In. Then, still leading his pony, he arrived 
 at the house, and called his mother and Ger- 
 trude out, exclaiming: — 
 
 " I've got the turkey for Thanksgiving, and I 
 didn't have to shoot it, either ! " 
 
 Joe, hearing the noise, came down from his 
 room, and learning what had caused the racket, 
 said : — 
 
KATE ESCAPES 1 59 
 
 " By jolly, Rob, you are a lucky dog ; but if 
 any one read of the way you caught It, they 
 wouldn't believe it. I never heard of such a 
 thing before. I sha'n't have to hunt one to- 
 morrow now, and I'm glad of it, for I want to 
 go to the fort to try to find out how the Indian 
 war is coming on." 
 
 " Well, Joe," said his mother, " as you needn't 
 shoot one now, suppose you kill and pick it 
 while Rob is milking, then hang it up some- 
 where so that the lynxes can't get it, and in the 
 morning Gertie and I will get it ready for the 
 oven." 
 
 Joe then took it from Rob, who was still hold- 
 ing the struggling creature by the legs, and 
 taking it to the woodpile, he chopped off its 
 head, then he picked it, and hung it up in the 
 smoke-house as the safest place until his mother 
 w^as ready for it in the morning. 
 
 Thanksgiving day opened clear and cool, but 
 not at all cold, for November in Kansas is one 
 of the most delightful months in the whole year. 
 The Indian summer is then at its height, and the 
 amber mist hangs in light clouds on every hill, 
 giving to all objects a smoky hue. This mist 
 
l6o THE RANCHE ON THE OXHIDE 
 
 rests particularly on the bluffs bordering that 
 stream to which General John C. Fremont gave 
 the name of " The Smoky Hill Fork of the 
 Republican." He first saw it in the late autumn 
 of 1843, when on his exploring expedition to the 
 Rocky Mountains, and it is into that river that 
 the Oxhide empties itself only a short distance 
 from Errolstrath ranche. 
 
 It was intended to have dinner served promptly 
 at noon, and Mrs. Thompson had so announced 
 to her husband and children, who were all anx- 
 ious for twelve o'clock to strike. 
 
 About ten, while she and Gertrude were busy 
 in the kitchen, the boys out in the yard, and 
 Mr. Thompson in the timber, marking some trees 
 he planned to cut down, there rode up to the 
 front porch a strange-looking figure on a roan 
 pony which was evidently nearly blown in con- 
 sequence of the pace at which it had been driven. 
 
 The strange object was seemingly a girl, but 
 she was one mass of rags over which was thrown 
 a red blanket, Indian fashion. Her hair was 
 unkempt, and she sat crossways on her animal, 
 like a savage. 
 
 Mrs. Thompson, hearing the sound of a horse s 
 
KATE ESCAPES l6l 
 
 hoofs on the buffalo sod in front of the house, 
 went out with her dish-cloth in her hand to sec 
 who the intruder might be. Looking at her, she 
 at first thought one of the Pawnee boys had come 
 for Joe, but when she heard in a sad and appar- 
 ently disappointed tone a voice which she could 
 never have forgotten : " My heavens ! mamma, 
 don't you know me ? " she recognized it as that 
 of her lost daughter Kate. The cloth dropped 
 from her hand, and she fell prone upon the porch, 
 overcome by the shock. 
 
 Just as Gertrude, who had heard her mother's 
 smothered groan, ran out with a tin dipper of 
 water to dash into her face, Kate dismounted, 
 and rushing to where her mother was lying, she 
 threw her arms around her neck and began to 
 sob violently. 
 
 It was then that Gertrude, for the first time, 
 saw her sister Kate, and she, too, immediately 
 fell upon her lovingly, and for some moments 
 there w^as weeping, laughing, kissing, and hug- 
 ging. The boys, in the back part of the house, 
 and their father in the stable, hearing the voices, 
 hurried to the veranda, and in another second 
 all were kissing and hugging the ragged girl, 
 
 M 
 
1 62 THE RANCHE ON THE OXHIDE 
 
 each one trying to outvie the other in their joy 
 at the return of the pet of the household. 
 
 They fairly dragged Kate into the sitting-room, 
 Vv^here, for a few minutes, they looked at her in a 
 dazed sort of way. Her mother was the first to 
 come to her senses. 
 
 " The first thing to do," she said, " is to get 
 some decent clothes on the child ; then as soon 
 as Mr. Tucker comes we will have dinner. Oh ! 
 my, what a Thanksgiving It will be ! " 
 
 Kate was soon made comfortable in clean linen, 
 and a dress of her sister's, for she had outgrown 
 all that were of her own wardrobe five months 
 before. 
 
 At this moment Mr. Tucker rode up to the 
 door, and allowing Rob to take his horse to the 
 stable, the old man walked Into the house. He 
 was the only Invited guest on the Thanksgivings 
 at Errolstrath. All his family were long since 
 dead, and he was alone in the world ; besides, 
 being a New Englander, he had not forgotten 
 how to appreciate the most Important festival 
 of Yankee Land. 
 
 He was wonderfully taken aback when he saw 
 that Kate had returned, and he congratulated her 
 
KATE ESCAPES 1 63 
 
 with his eyes full of tears ; for he was a man with 
 a warm heart, though his early life in the days of 
 the old trappers had given him a rough looking 
 exterior. 
 
 Kate looked like the dear Kate of old, as all 
 sat down to a real Thanksgiving dinner. She 
 was much browner than when she left Errol- 
 strath, because of her constant outdoor life in the 
 Indian village. 
 
 " Oh ! Kate," said her mother, as the happy 
 girl took her accustomed place at the table, 
 between her father and Gertrude, " how ear- 
 nestly I have prayed that you might be restored 
 to us ; I felt at times almost in despair, but 
 the thought of the good God's promises to the 
 patient, cheered me up, and I knew that in 
 His own time my prayer would be answered. 
 What a different Thanksgiving this is from 
 what we all have expected, when we thought 
 of Kate's vacant chair! Only think, we have 
 never yet been separated on this blessed day 
 during all the years we have lived at Errol- 
 strath ! But we little thought that we should be 
 together to-day." 
 
 " We have much to be thankful for," said Mr. 
 
l64 THE RANCHE ON THE OXHIDE 
 
 Thompson ; " excellent crops, good luck with our 
 stock, and to cap the climax, our beloved Kate is 
 restored to us." 
 
 The Thanksgiving dinners at Errolstrath were 
 composed of those conventional dishes which 
 make up the celebration of the festival in New 
 England, and the one at Errolstrath that day was 
 perfect in its resemblance to those of the old 
 homestead in Vermont. 
 
 While they were discussing the good things on 
 the table, Kate was told how Rob had got the 
 turkey for the dinner, and also how matters had 
 progressed at the ranche during her absence, for 
 she was very anxious to know. Her father said 
 that he had raised the largest crop of corn since 
 he had been on the creek; that the wolves had 
 carried off two calves from Errolstrath, but that 
 many of the neighbors had suffered a great 
 deal more from their depredations, and that a 
 grand wolf hunt was contemplated by the whole 
 neighborhood, for something had to be done to 
 thin out the ravenous creatures. Gertrude told 
 how many chickens she had, but Joe gave 
 them all the best news they had heard for a 
 long time. 
 
KATE ESCAPES 1 65 
 
 " I was over at Fort Harker yesterday," he said, 
 " and I heard that General Custer had attacked 
 the camp of Black Kettle, the Cheyenne chief, on 
 the Washita in the Indian Territory, and com- 
 pletely wiped them out. The war is ended, and 
 the savages are suing for a peace which General 
 Sheridan says they will be sure to keep this time. 
 The commanding officer told me that Custer 
 would soon arrive at the fort, and that the set- 
 tlers need have little more fear; that they may 
 go anywhere now without expecting to lose 
 their hair. He said that Sheridan had been pro- 
 moted to the rank of lieutenant-general for the 
 brilliant success of his winter campaign, and that 
 he would shortly be at Fort Harker on his way 
 to Washington." 
 
 " Well, that is glorious news," said Mr. Tucker. 
 " No more stealing pretty little girls from their 
 homes, eh ? " 
 
 When Joe had finished his joyous piece of 
 intelligence, the family adjourned to the big sit- 
 tinor-room, and Kate was asked to tell the won- 
 derful story of her capture and escape. She 
 seated herself in her favorite chair, an old Boston 
 rocker, brought from Vermont and nicely cush- 
 
1 66 THE RANCHE ON THE OXHIDE 
 
 ioned at the back, and was making ready to 
 begin, when her mother said : — 
 
 " What in the world, Kate, possessed you to go 
 away from the house that day and to tell none of 
 us where you intended to go ? " 
 
 " Why," answered Kate, " I remembered that 
 you were very fond of raspberries, and I thought 
 that, as they must be ripe, I would saddle Gin- 
 ger and go up to the patch to get some, for I 
 wanted to surprise you. I took my little Indian 
 basket — " 
 
 " Buffalo Bill found your basket on the trail the 
 other side of Bluff Creek ford," interrupted Joe, 
 " and that is how we came to know that the 
 Indians had captured you." 
 
 " I remember now," said Kate, " that I held on 
 to it for a long time and then dropped it. I 
 don't know why I kept it in my hand. Well, 
 as I was saying, I rode out to the patch, tied 
 Ginger to a sumac bush, and began to pick the 
 berries, which were ripe as I had expected. I 
 had nearly filled my basket when with a dash 
 that nearly frightened me out of my senses, a 
 band of Indians came from the other side of the 
 big ledge, and before I knew where I was, I 
 

 w 
 
 "I had nearly filled my basket. 
 
KATE ESCAPES 1 6/ 
 
 found myself in front of a horrible-looking sav- 
 aee, and the whole band started south as tight 
 as their ponies could go. I remember hearing 
 Ginger give a snort, as he jerked up by the 
 roots the bush I had tied him to, and fairly flew 
 towards the ranche — " 
 
 " There, mother," said Joe, " that's just what I 
 told you when Ginger came home with the sumac 
 fastened to his bridle ! " 
 
 " Oh, if I could only have jumped on Ginger's 
 back," continued Kate, " before the Indians had 
 got me, they never would have had the ghost of 
 a chance of catching me. But they came upon 
 me before I had the least idea they were any- 
 where near. 
 
 "We rode all that afternoon, halting for a 
 few moments, long after dark, for the Indians 
 to change ponies, as they had some loose ones 
 with them. We kept on at a good gait all that 
 night, until about daylight, when we stayed for 
 more than an hour on the other side of the 
 Arkansas River, to graze the ponies among the 
 sand hills, and for the Indians to eat their break- 
 fast. They were quite kind to me; gave me 
 some dried buffalo meat, and brought me some 
 
1 68 THE RANCHE ON THE OXHIDE 
 
 water from the stream in a horn, and tried to 
 make me understand that they did not intend 
 to harm me. 
 
 '' Of course, I was frightened at the idea of be- 
 ing carried off by the horrid savages, but I tried 
 to keep my senses, and watched every tree and 
 rock on the trail. I looked at the sun to learn 
 which way we were going, and determined in 
 my mind that I would escape at the first 
 opportunity. 
 
 " On the tops of the highest points of the hills, 
 I saw the stone monuments, which Joe had often 
 told me were placed by the savages on their 
 travels from place to place, as marks to show 
 where water and wood are to be found." 
 
 " Yes," said Mr. Tucker ; " you can see those 
 piles of stones on every hill about here; and from 
 them you can always see water or timber, indi- 
 cating where to camp." 
 
 " They were to be seen on every divide we 
 crossed," continued Kate ; " and besides, I saw lots 
 of the compass-plant, or rosin-weed, the leaves of 
 which, Joe had told me, always pointed north, so 
 I felt satisfied if I could ever escape, I would 
 have no trouble in finding my way back to the 
 
KATE ESCAPES 1 69 
 
 Oxhide.^ After a long, wearisome ride, until the 
 next morning, we arrived at the Canadian River, 
 which the Indians called the ' Mai-om,' or Red, 
 and on the bank of which was the village con- 
 sisting of about a hundred lodges. 
 
 " There I was turned over to the women, who 
 treated me very decently, and I immediately be- 
 gan to study the language, for I knew that that 
 would help me in getting into their good graces. 
 I willingly took hold of the work which falls to 
 the lot of the squaws in every camp, and taught 
 them how to cook after the white style. You 
 may imagine I had plenty to do, for the warriors 
 liked the biscuit I used to make, and they some- 
 times had a good deal of flour for which they had 
 traded with the white men who bought their furs. 
 
 " I made friends of the dogs in the village, 
 and there were hundreds of them, some of them 
 miserable curs, but they could make more noise 
 than a pack of wolves; and I thought if I could 
 teach them to know me, they would not bother 
 
 ^ The compass-plant, or rosin-weed, as it is commonly called, is 
 the SilphiiDn laciniatiifn of the botanists. It is found in lux- 
 uriance on every hill-top on the great plains, and resembles an im- 
 mense oak leaf, which, while growing, always points its thin edges 
 north and south, consequently broad surfaces east and west. 
 
170 THE RANCHE ON THE OXHIDE 
 
 me when I attempted to run away ; for you know 
 that they are the most watchful animals imagina- 
 ble. At night, not the slightest sound escapes 
 their well-trained ears, and at the approach of a 
 human being, they set up the most terrific bark- 
 ing and howling you ever heard. Well, I soon 
 made friends with every one of them, and I could 
 go around the village after dark, and they would 
 not utter a growl. 
 
 "I watched very closely the large herd of 
 ponies, — there were more than two hundred 
 belonging to the village, — to find out which 
 one of them was the fleetest, and had the most 
 endurance. I picked out the little roan I rode 
 here, and, Joe, I will make him a present to you; 
 for if you had not taught me so much about 
 plants, and the methods of the Indians, and be- 
 fore all things else, taken such pains with me 
 when I wanted to ride a pony, I never should 
 have been able to run away and come home 
 safely." 
 
 " Thank you, Kate," said Joe. " We have kept 
 Ginger just as finely as ever for you, and he is 
 the best pony in the whole country, I don't care 
 how many the Indians may have." 
 
KATE ESCAPES 171 
 
 Kate went on with her wonderful experience. 
 " Near the tepee where I slept I found an old 
 elm tree that had a great hollow in it near the 
 roots, and I determined to make it my store- 
 house for the food I should need when I ran 
 away. I did not, of course, begin to hide any- 
 thing in it until I had been in the village for over 
 four months. Then I used to save little by little 
 of my portion of the dried buffalo meat, as I 
 knew that it would keep for a long time without 
 spoiling. 
 
 " We ate all sorts of things that at first rather 
 disgusted me ; puppy-stew, for instance. Now, 
 mother and Gertrude, don't laugh ; I really soon 
 learned to like it, though I never expect to be 
 compelled to eat it again. It is the cleanest 
 thing the Indians have, if you will only get over 
 the natural prejudice against eating dog. Why, 
 just think, the puppies are only sucklings when 
 they are eaten ; they have tasted nothing but their 
 mother's milk, and the mothers are fed on buffalo 
 meat only. 
 
 " I suppose that you, mother and Gert, want 
 to know how puppy-stew is prepared ? Well, 
 when the little things are rolling fat, as round as 
 
172 THE RANCHE ON THE OXHIDE 
 
 a ball of butter, the old woman who has charge 
 of the lodge takes them up and feels them all 
 over, and if satisfactory, she chokes them to death 
 by literally hanging them to a tree with a buffalo 
 sinew. When dead, they are singed before the 
 fire, just as you singe a fowl ; the entrails are 
 taken out, and then the flesh is boiled in a pot, 
 and eaten as hot as possible. The savages, partic- 
 ularly the old squaws, can take up in their buff alo- 
 horn spoons, meat which would scald a white 
 person to death, and swallow it without the 
 slightest difficulty. I suppose that that, and 
 their constant brooding over a smoky fire in the 
 tepees, makes them look so old and wrinkled 
 at an early age. They are the most horrid-look- 
 ing witches you ever saw, and they would need 
 no ' fixing up ' to play the part in Macbeth." 
 
 " Talking of curious dishes eaten by the In- 
 dians," said Mr. Tucker, " up in Oregon, where 
 I was trapping a good many years ago, the 
 squaws make what I call Indian jelly-cake. They 
 take the black crickets, roasted, which form a 
 large portion of their subsistence, and make a 
 kind of bread of them, after having ground them 
 on a flat stone. They then spread on it the 
 
KATE ESCAPES 1/3 
 
 boiled berries of the service tree or bush, and if 
 it was not manipulated by their very dirty hands, 
 it would be very palatable." 
 
 " The Indians of the great plains," continued 
 Kate, " live almost exclusively on meat ; they 
 gather a few berries sometimes, but their principal 
 diet is buffalo meat. 
 
 " After I had been in the village for over four 
 months, I began to think of trying to escape. 
 My clothes were becoming more ragged every 
 day, and I was obliged to resort to the blanket 
 as a covering, though I kept what I had worn 
 there as long as I could. 
 
 " One day there was a great feast in the village, 
 with dancing and carousing, which the warriors 
 kept up until long after midnight, and conse- 
 quently slept very soundly. Now, thought I, is 
 my time. So after I found out that the old 
 squaw with whom I lodged was sound asleep, I 
 crept up, and looked out to see what kind of a 
 night it was. The moon was low down in the 
 western heavens, but bright enough for me to see 
 the trail, so I determined to make the attempt. 
 I took a piece of buffalo robe for a saddle, and 
 went out to the herd to catch the pony on whicli 
 
1/4 THE RANCHE ON THE OXHIDE 
 
 I had had my eyes for such a long time, and had 
 petted whenever I was not watched. The dogs, 
 of course, had come out of their holes to see what 
 was going on, having heard my almost noiseless 
 footsteps; but recognizing me instantly, they 
 did not set up their customary howl. They went 
 back to sleep without making any trouble, and I 
 walked out to the herd about a quarter of a mile 
 away, and soon found the little roan I wanted. 
 He came up to me without a neigh, luckily, and 
 I fastened the piece of robe on him, tucked the 
 dried buffalo meat, which I had taken from my 
 hiding-place, into my bosom, and jumping on, 
 started at a pace which, if I had not been a good 
 rider, would have tossed me off before I had gone 
 half a dozen yards. 
 
 " The pony seemed to know just what I re- 
 quired of him, for he ran on a good lope, with his 
 belly almost touching the ground, and in a little 
 while I had crossed the ford of the Canadian, 
 and was going up the divide on the other side 
 as fast as I dared to force him. I took a glance 
 at the north star to get my bearings, for I dared 
 not follow the broad trail, as the Indians would 
 be sure to track me, and struck across the coun- 
 
KATE ESCAPES 1 75 
 
 try, up one hill and down the other until day 
 began to break. Then I stayed a few seconds 
 at a small branch to let my pony drink and to 
 take a swallow myself, and on I went, not daring 
 to let him graze yet. 
 
 " Mile after mile the noble little fellow car- 
 ried me until late that afternoon. Of course 
 I watered him at every creek I came to, but did 
 not halt until it had grown quite dark. Then 
 I took him about a mile down into a piece of 
 timber, unsaddled him and let him graze for 
 more than an hour. I kept my ears open, fear- 
 ing every moment to hear the sound of ponies' 
 hoofs, for I felt confident that the Indians would 
 follow me the moment they discovered that I was 
 gone. 
 
 " When I thought he had sufficiently rested, 
 and I had eaten a small piece of the meat, I 
 mounted him again and started on a lope north- 
 ward. I kept the little gallop, changing into 
 a brisk walk once in a while, until I could see by 
 the daylight the long silvery line of the Arkansas, 
 looking like a white snake in its many windings. 
 Then I felt pretty safe, after I had stopped and 
 watched the trail back as far as I could, which 
 
176 THE RANCHE ON THE OXHIDE 
 
 was for more than two miles. I could see noth- 
 ing like dust, nor hear a sound, so I began to 
 hope that I had really escaped, and my heart 
 began to feel lighter than it had for many a long 
 month. 
 
 " I crossed the Arkansas, which the Indians 
 call ' Mit-sun,' meaning Big, and it was up to 
 my pony's breast, but he struggled through 
 splendidly, though I got my moccasins wet, for 
 the water came to my knees. I did not mind 
 that, as I had often got wet through in the Cana- 
 dian where we used to go swimming almost every 
 morning while at the village. The squaws are 
 very fond of the water in that way, but are not 
 so clean with their hands as I would many a 
 time have liked them to be. 
 
 " On the other side of the divide separating 
 the Arkansas from the Smoky Hill, I halted in 
 a box-elder grove to rest my roan, and rest my- 
 self, for I was nearly worn out. I felt very safe 
 then, for I knew that I was approaching the 
 settlements on Plum Creek, and if I had known, 
 what Joe has just told us, that the war was over, 
 I might have been at my ease all the way from 
 the Arkansas. 
 
KATE ESCAPES 1/7 
 
 " Early this morning I came to Bluff Creek, 
 at the very spot where I had crossed with the 
 Indians, and how my heart fluttered when I knew 
 I was so near dear Errolstrath ! From that 
 creek I rode slowly, as I knew I had nothing to 
 fear from the Indians, for the settlements were 
 too thick, and besides it was daytime, when the 
 Indians rarely attack. 
 
 " I often got off my pony when it grew too 
 dark to see, to feel the leaves of the compass- 
 plant, that I could always find without much 
 hunting on every hill. Now, mamma and father, 
 don't you think that I have made a famous 
 ride ? " 
 
 "We all think so," said her father; "it is one 
 of the most remarkable on record, and we rejoice 
 more than even you can imagine, to have our 
 dear daughter back again, well as ever, after such 
 an experience." 
 
 "Why don't the Indians raise corn?" inquired 
 Rob, in a general way ; " it is so easily grown out 
 here on the plains." 
 
 "Some of the tribes do," replied Mr. Tucker. 
 " The Sioux and the Mandans have always had 
 their corn-fields, but as usual the women have to 
 
 N 
 
178 THE RANCHE ON THE OXHIDE 
 
 do all the work. Do you know, Rob, that the 
 corn is a native plant of North and South 
 America, yet it has never been found wild?" 
 
 " Do tell us about it," said Mrs. Thompson ; 
 and Kate asked if there were not some legend 
 connected with it, " for there is not a thing that 
 they eat, without its wonderful story." 
 
 " Certainly," replied Mr. Tucker. " There is a 
 beautiful legend among the Sioux, which I 
 learned from them when I was among them in 
 1840, and as it is not late yet, if you like, I will 
 tell it to you." 
 
 " Do ! do ! " all exclaimed in chorus. 
 
 " Of course," began Mr. Tucker, " among the 
 Indians the origin of corn is wrapped up in the 
 supernatural legends of the race, of which there 
 are several, differing materially, however, in their 
 details. Strange as it may seem, nowhere in all 
 the vast domain of both Americas, has a wild 
 species of corn been discovered ; and yet the 
 inhabitants of these continents have used it from 
 the earliest times, of which even history has no 
 record. Yet, at some time in the unchronicled 
 past it must have grown wild. An unknown 
 benefactor of his race — one whose name not 
 
KATE ESCAPES 1 79 
 
 even tradition preserves, excepting in unintelligi- 
 ble myths — saw somewhere, the feathery tassels 
 and glossy blades with their silken ears amidst 
 the foliage of a sedgy river bank, and owing to 
 his first care, the wild plant, after many ages, 
 has become the maize of commerce, and the kine 
 of all the cereals of the nineteenth century. 
 
 " When Columbus found the New World, corn 
 was the staple food of all tribes of Indians from 
 the far north to the extreme south, who at- 
 tempted to cultivate the soil at all. 
 
 " The celebrated Pere Marquette, the Catholic 
 priest who passed his life among the savages, 
 met with it at every point, on his memorable 
 journey down the Mississippi River, in 1 763. It 
 has been exhumed from tombs of a o-reater an- 
 tiquity than those of the Incas of Peru. Darwin 
 discovered heads of it embedded in an ancient 
 beach that had been upheaved eighty-five feet 
 above the sea-level. 
 
 " That Indian corn is indigenous to America, 
 has never been questioned by botanists, for 
 Europe knew nothing of it until Columbus 
 returned home from our shores. 
 
 " Longfellow has poetically told of one of the 
 
l8o THE RANCHE ON THE OXHIDE 
 
 Indian traditions of the origin of corn, in his 
 Hiazuathas Fasting, 
 
 " The legend was first transmitted to the white 
 men by Rattlesnake, and strange to say, he was a 
 chief of the Kansas or Kaw tribe of Indians. 
 He related it on an island at the mouth of the 
 Kansas River, in 1673, as is recorded in the old 
 French manuscript of an early traveller. 
 
 " It states that a band of a hundred Kansas 
 Indians in returning from a successful raid on the 
 Shawnees, of whom they had taken several prison- 
 ers, halted on the island, taking advantage of the 
 thick timber which grew in groups, as a conven- 
 ient spot to torture their captives. 
 
 " Pere Marquette, whom the Indians called 
 ' The White Prophet,' happened to be there most 
 opportunely ; for through the respect and venera- 
 tion in which the monk was held, he saved the 
 lives of the hapless Shawnees, who were set at 
 liberty. That evening while eating their supper 
 of cooked hominy, the good priest asked for the 
 leofend which told of the oriorin of Indian corn, 
 and Rattlesnake gave it, as he said he had often 
 heard it at his mother's knee. 
 
 " It is the same story the Sioux told me, but I 
 
KATE ESCAPES l8l 
 
 will follow the language of the old manuscript, 
 for I have often read it. 
 
 " Once when the world was young, and there 
 were but few red men in it, there was a chief 
 whose wife bore him many children. Every 
 summer added one and sometimes two to his 
 family. They became so numerous that the 
 father could not give them sufficient food, and 
 the hungry children were continually crying. By 
 great patience and skill in hunting, however, the 
 chief at length raised a large family, until his 
 eldest son reached the stature of manhood. 
 
 " In those days the red men all lived in peace 
 and friendship. There was no war, and no scalp- 
 locks hung from the doors of the lodges. The 
 eldest son had the fear of the Great Spirit in his 
 heart, and, like his father, he toiled patiently in 
 the chase that he might assist in procuring food 
 for his brothers and sisters. 
 
 " In those days all of the promising young men, 
 at their entrance into manhood, had to separate 
 themselves from the tribe, and retire into the 
 forest, to see if the Great Spirit would grant 
 them some request. During this time there was 
 to be neither eating nor drinking, but they were 
 
1 82 THE RANCHE ON THE OXHIDE 
 
 to Spend the hours in thinking intently on the 
 request they were making of the Manitou. 
 
 " When the young man had gone a long dis- 
 tance in the forest, he began to pray to the 
 Great Spirit, and to ask for a favor which he had 
 long cherished in his heart for the occasion. He 
 had often felt how frequently the chase had dis- 
 appointed the red men, and how often their 
 families had gone to sleep hungry, because they 
 had no meat. He had always determined when 
 his fasting and dreaming hour should come, that 
 he would ask the Great Spirit to give the red 
 men some article of food more certain than the 
 meat obtained in the chase. 
 
 " All that day the youth prayed, and thought 
 of his request, and neither water nor food entered 
 his mouth. 
 
 " At night, with a bright hope in his young 
 heart, he lay down to sleep. Soon he had a 
 vision. He saw a magnificently attired youth 
 coming toward him. He was clad in robes of 
 green, and green plumes hung gracefully about 
 his comely countenance. 
 
 " ' My dear young friend,' said the stranger, 
 ' the Great Spirit has heard your prayer, but the 
 
KATE ESCAPES I 83 
 
 boon you ask is a great boon ; and you must pass 
 through a heavy trial of suffering and patience 
 before you will see the realization of your wish. 
 
 " ' You must first try your strength with me, 
 and suffer nothing to enter your lips until I am 
 overcome, before you will receive your reward. 
 Come, the night wears apace, let us wrestle amid 
 the trees.' 
 
 " The chief's son had a big heart, and knew no 
 fear, so he closed with his graceful antagonist. 
 He found him endowed with muscles like the 
 oak, and he had the wind of a w^olf, that never 
 was exhausted by effort. Long and long they 
 wrestled, but so equal was their strength that 
 neither could claim any decided advantage. 
 ' Enough, my friend, for this time. You have 
 struggled manfully. Still resist your appetite, 
 give yourself up wholly to prayer and fasting, 
 and you will receive the gratification of your 
 desires. Farewell until to-morrow night, when I 
 will return to wrestle with you again.' Then 
 the young visitor, with his green plumes waving 
 over his head, took his flight toward the skies, 
 the green and yellow vestments with which he 
 was clad expanding like wings. 
 
1 84 THE RANCHE ON THE OXHIDE 
 
 " When the Indian awoke, he found himself 
 panting like a stag when chased by the wolves, 
 and the perspiration dropped from his body; 
 yet his heart was light, for he knew a sign had 
 come from the Manltou. Although he was 
 very hungry that day, and some berries and 
 grapes tempted him sorely, he refrained from 
 touching them, resisting successfully these natu- 
 ral desires. 
 
 " Night came, and the young Indian closed 
 his eyes In sleep ; and lo ! there was a continu- 
 ance of his former vision. He saw coming 
 toward him the graceful being he had seen on 
 the previous night. The silken wings of green 
 and gold swept through the air with great 
 velocity, and the green plumes on his head 
 waved rhythmically in their beauty. 
 
 " They again wrestled, as before, and although 
 the Indian had neither eaten nor drunk, he felt 
 his strength greater than In the previous con- 
 flict; and he obtained some signal advantage 
 over his celestial competitor. They were strug- 
 gling together when the morning commenced 
 to look upon the world, and he of the green 
 plumes thus addressed the Indian youth : — 
 
KATE ESCAPES 1 85 
 
 " ' My friend, on our next trial you will be 
 the victor. Now, listen how I instruct you to 
 take advantage of your conquest. When my 
 efforts cease I shall die. Strip me of my yel- 
 low garments and bury me in soft and new- 
 made earth. Visit my grave week by week, 
 for in a little time I shall return to life in the 
 form of a plant, which you will readily recog- 
 nize by its resemblance to me. Let no weeds 
 or grass be near me to keep the dew and sun- 
 shine from my green leaves, and once a month 
 draw the fresh earth to my body, that it may 
 erow and strenQ-then. When ears have shot 
 from my side, and the silk which shall fall from 
 their tops commences to dry, then pull the ear, 
 strip it of its garments as you will strip me 
 when I am dead. Place the milky grains be- 
 fore the fire which will cook the outside with- 
 out destroying any of the juicy substance. Then 
 all the race of man will have a sweeter and 
 stronger food than they have ever known be- 
 fore. There shall be no more hunger upon the 
 earth excepting among those who have a lazy 
 spirit, or whom the Bad Manitou claims as his 
 own.' 
 
1 86 THE RANCHE ON THE OXHIDE 
 
 " When the Indian awoke, he felt very weak 
 from hunger, and it required all the resolution 
 of which he was master to restrain the gratifi- 
 cation of his appetite, but he passed the day in 
 fasting and prayer, and at nightfall laid himself 
 down to sleep. 
 
 " True to his promise, his friend of the green 
 plumes again appeared in his trance, and again 
 the wrestle commenced. The young Indian was 
 exceedingly weak from his long fasting, but when 
 engaged in the conflict he felt his heart grow big 
 within him; his arms became as strong as the 
 young oaks of the forest, and after a short strug- 
 gle he threw his antagonist to the ground. The 
 young Indian stood by the side of his adversary 
 who said that he was dying, and told him to 
 remember the instructions he had given him. 
 The young Indian accordingly stripped the body 
 of its vesture of mingled green and yellow, and 
 carefully digging a grave, deposited it in the soft 
 earth. He thought that the earth adhered to his 
 hand in a strange manner, and at that moment 
 he awoke, and found in his hand a seed such as 
 he had never before seen. 
 
 " The Indian then knew that the Manitou had 
 
KATE ESCAPES 1 8/ 
 
 heard his prayer, and that the grain was the body 
 of his friend. He then went from the forest to 
 the prairie, made soft the earth, and planted the 
 strano-e seed sent to him in his dream. 
 
 " He then returned to his father's lodge, and 
 the whole family were anxious to know if he had 
 received any sign from the Great Spirit, but he 
 evaded all inquiries and kept his important secret. 
 Every morning, before the sun's bright rays had 
 looked upon the earth, he was beside the grave 
 of the seed, and carefully kept the grass and 
 weeds away. 
 
 " On the morning of the ninth day, the faith- 
 ful youth saw a green plant shooting from the 
 earth, and as he Q-azed on its Q;reen blades, he 
 knew at once the friend with whom he had 
 wrestled. 
 
 " Once each month he drew the fresh earth to 
 the stalks, which grew day by day until they far 
 overtopped his own stature, and then there began 
 to protrude from their sides the shoots from 
 which a mass of silken fibres issued. In a short 
 time the plant began to dry, as had been foretold 
 to him, and then he invited his father, mother, 
 brothers, and sisters to the spot and showed them 
 
1 88 THE RANCHE ON THE OXHIDE 
 
 what the Great Spirit had sent him at his fasting 
 season. He then pulled one of the two ears 
 and roasted it before the fire. 
 
 " The whole family tasted the new food, and 
 they liked it. The other ear was kept for seed, 
 and in a few years the red man had plenty of the 
 new food which the Manitou had sent him." 
 
 " That is a beautiful story," said Mrs. Thomp- 
 son, and the others all agreed with her. " Kate, 
 you must be very tired; don't you want to go to 
 bed and sleep like a Christian once more ? " 
 
 " No," replied the young girl, " my muscles are 
 ' like the oak trees in the forest,' as were those 
 of the Indian who got the corn from the spirit 
 with the green wings. Besides, it's only seven 
 o'clock, and I want to look at you all for some 
 time yet." 
 
 Before eight o'clock, Buffalo Bill and Colonel 
 Keogh came over from the fort, as they had 
 heard from some one from Oxhide that Kate 
 had come home, and they wanted to see her. 
 
 They were both surprised at her excellent con- 
 dition, and Bill ventured the remark that the 
 Indians had certainly used her much better than 
 they would have used him had he been in her place. 
 
KATE ESCAPES 1 89 
 
 "I've no doubt of that," said Mr. Tucker; "they 
 would have had a roasting frolic if they had 
 caught you instead of our Httle friend Kate!" 
 
 " Well," said Colonel Keogh, " the war is ended, 
 and I guess we have had the last trouble in Kan- 
 sas that we shall ever have. The Indians are 
 going peacefully to their reservations, where the 
 Government will feed them, which is cheaper 
 than fighting them, at anyrate ! General Custer 
 is at the fort, and he has heard so much of Joe 
 that he wants to see him, and take him on a wolf 
 hunt in a day or two." 
 
 " I'll go. Colonel, for sure, for they are carry- 
 ing off calves and hogs every night from some 
 of the ranches on this creek," said Joe. 
 
 " Talking about wolves," said Colonel Keogh, 
 " I never saw so many together in all my life as 
 I did after the battle of the Washita. We found 
 the bunch of ponies belonging to the Indians, 
 numbering about twelve hundred, and General 
 Custer ordered them all to be killed, as a neces- 
 sity, to prevent other savages from getting them. 
 A Plains Indian without a horse to ride is as 
 helpless as a child. He won't walk, and it was 
 thought that by killing all the ponies we found, it 
 
1 90 THE RANCHE ON THE OXHIDE 
 
 would cripple the savages as effectually as if we 
 killed the same number of warriors. The bunch 
 was driven into a narrow canon near their camp, 
 and as they huddled against the high rocky wall, 
 a detachment of the cavalry was detailed to shoot 
 them. We camped near there for a few days, 
 and at night the wolves would congregate there 
 to feed upon the dead bodies of the ponies. I 
 suppose they came from a distance of a hundred 
 miles, for you know a wolf thinks nothing of 
 going that far for a good meal. It happened to 
 be the time of the full moon, and just after night- 
 fall a lot of us used to go and ride on top of the 
 bluff to watch the wolves come to the feast. I 
 think it is no exaggeration to say that five thou- 
 sand of the hungry creatures gathered there 
 every evening, as long as any flesh remained on 
 the bones of the slaughtered ponies. Such snap- 
 ping, snarling, growhng, and fighting was never 
 heard before. You could hear them for two miles 
 easily. Some of them were so pugnacious and 
 ravenous that they actually killed and devoured 
 each other ! I do not believe such a scene was 
 ever witnessed before or will be again." 
 
 " You have all heard that Sheridan has been 
 
KATE ESCAPES I9I 
 
 promoted to be lieutenant-general, and Sher- 
 man to be general, as Grant has been elected to 
 the Presidency ? " said Buffalo Bill. " Sheridan 
 received notice on Kansas soil of his well-deserved 
 promotion, and it makes the place classic ground. 
 I will tell you how it was. Of course, official 
 notice of the promotion was daily expected, as 
 it had been seen in the papers from Washing- 
 ton, but the mails were very irregular in the 
 vast uninhabited region south of the Arkansas. 
 It was carried by the scouts from Fort Hays, 
 the nearest railroad point, and they also took 
 despatches to the scattered military posts that 
 had been established temporarily, in the form of 
 camps, cantonments, or wherever a detachment 
 of troops happened to be. Early one morning 
 General Sheridan, accompanied by two officers of 
 his personal staff, left Camp Supply in the In- 
 dian Territory for Fort Hays, to take the railroad 
 for Washington, where he had been ordered to 
 report. When the party had arrived at the foot 
 of a high mountain, just on the border of this 
 state, they saw far ahead of them on the trail 
 made by the troops in going into the field, a dark 
 object moving rapidly toward them. As the dis- 
 
192 THE RANCHE ON THE OXHIDE 
 
 tance between them lessened, they noticed that 
 it was a horseman whose animal, flecked with 
 foam, and with distended nostrils, was straining 
 every muscle to reach the ambulance. In a few 
 moments the sound of the horse's hoofs were dis- 
 tinctly heard on the hard trail, and when he had 
 approached near enough, its rider, the excited 
 scout, recognized Sheridan among the occupants 
 of the ambulance. He rose in his stirrups and 
 waved his hat in one hand, while in the other 
 he held up a piece of yellow paper, crying out 
 at the top of his voice : — 
 
 "'Hurrah for the lieutenant-general!' The 
 paper he handed to Sheridan was a telegram from 
 the President, informing him of his promotion." 
 
 "Well," said Colonel Keogh, looking at the 
 old-fashioned clock in the corner of the room, 
 " I had no idea it was so late. It's nearly ten. 
 Come, Cody ; we must get back to the fort." 
 Then saying good-night to all, with an admoni- 
 tion to Joe not to forget the wolf hunt, of which 
 he said he would send him word, they mounted 
 their horses and rode off. 
 
 Mr. Tucker was to remain until morning, so 
 they all retired, after having passed one of the 
 most cheerful Thanksgivings in their lives. 
 
CHAPTER XII 
 
 A WOLF HUNT — TWO SNAKE STORIES — TERRIBLE STRUGGLE WITH 
 A MOUNTAIN WOLF — A MAIL RIDER EATEN — THE OLD TRAP- 
 PER'S EXPERIENCE WITH FOUR OF THE FIERCE BEASTS 
 
 The allied tribes of the plains, now thoroughly 
 whipped into subjection by the gallant Sheridan 
 and his intrepid subordinates, Custer and Sully, 
 went sullenly to the reservations recently estab- 
 lished by the Government in the Indian Terri- 
 tory, and " white-winged Peace " once more 
 spread her pinions over the fair land of Kansas. 
 The settlers could go from one village to another 
 with perfect immunity from sudden attacks by 
 savao^es hidden in some ambush on the trails, so 
 the state made phenomenal strides toward a 
 Q-reater civilization. 
 
 Crops were enormous in their results when the 
 viro-in soil was turned to the sun, but the wolves, 
 especially in the vicinity of Errolstrath, seemed 
 to increase with the prodigality of Jonah's gourd. 
 They became so persistent in their nightly dep- 
 o 193 
 
194 THE RANCHE ON THE OXHIDE 
 
 redatlons at the ranches, that only by a concen- 
 trated effort of the neighborhood to exterminate 
 them could stock-raising be made profitable. 
 
 A few days after Colonel Keogh's visit to 
 Errolstrath on that happy Thanksgiving when 
 Kate had come back safely to her home, an or- 
 derly from Fort Harker dismounted in front of 
 the house, bearing a note to Joe from General 
 Custer. It stated that the General proposed to 
 hunt the wolves the day after to-morrow, and 
 desired him to invite Mr. Tucker, the old trapper, 
 and as many more of the neighbors who were 
 good shots, as would like to go. He wanted the 
 party to meet him at the mouth of the Oxhide 
 as early as seven o'clock. From this point he 
 intended to go to the general rendezvous of the 
 beasts in the limestone region, down the Smoky 
 Hill. 
 
 As soon as dinner was over at Errolstrath, Joe 
 saddled his pony, and started for Mr. Tucker's 
 ranche three miles away, to invite him to come 
 over to stay all night and join Custer and the 
 others of the party on the morning of the hunt. 
 
 Rob was at the same time told by his father to 
 get his pony and deliver General Custer's invita- 
 
FIGHTS WITH WOLVES I95 
 
 tlon to as many of the neighbors as he could 
 reach, and return by sundown. He left promptly 
 on his mission, but went in a direction exactly 
 opposite from that of his brother. 
 
 When he had loped along about a mile up the 
 Oxhide, his attention was attracted by a curious 
 noise which seemed to come from the bank of 
 the stream. He rode his pony through the 
 brush toward the strange sound, and what 
 was his surprise to see tw^o snakes fighting 
 right on the extreme edge of the water where 
 the bank was only just above its level. One of 
 the reptiles was a black water-snake, and the 
 other a bull-snake nearly twice as thick round as 
 his opponent, but not quite as long. The bull- 
 snake had his tail firmly wrapped around a sun- 
 flower stalk, and the other had his attached to a 
 big weed. Each had hold of the other by the 
 middle and was trying to pull in an opposite 
 direction. It was evidently the intention of the 
 black snake to drag his antagonist into the water 
 and drown him, for he is a good swimmer, while 
 the bull is not, and the latter was just as deter- 
 mined that his enemy should not get him into 
 the stream. 
 
196 THE RANCHE ON THE OXHIDE 
 
 They were both stretched to their utmost ten- 
 sion, and as Rob said, when he told about them 
 on his return, he expected every moment to see 
 them break in two ; for both were drawn out as 
 thin as a clothes-Hne. At last the hold of the bull- 
 snake gave way, and the impetus, like the snap- 
 ping of a whip, threw them both into the water. 
 Now the black snake had a decided advantage, 
 for he was in his element, and he immediately 
 exerted every muscle to draw his antagonist's 
 head under. Finally, after a severe struggle he 
 succeeded in holding him there for a few mo- 
 ments, and when he let go, the bull-snake's dead 
 body rose to the surface. Then the black snake 
 save a few shakes to his tail and darted off under 
 the water, apparently not the least injured by his 
 death-struggle with his larger antagonist. 
 
 Both boys returned to Errolstrath before sun- 
 down, and as it was Rob's month to take care of 
 the cows and milk them, he went promptly about 
 his business. Joe, after taking Mr. Tucker's 
 horse to the stable, and feeding the other stock, 
 returned to the house, and sat in the big room, 
 talking to his guest for half an hour, until supper 
 was announced. 
 
FIGHTS WITH WOLVES 1 97 
 
 Supper being cleared away, all adjourned to 
 the sitting-room again, and the boys and girls 
 proposed that the old trapper should relate some 
 more of his experiences in the Rocky Mountains, 
 when he was a young man ; a request with which 
 he cheerfully complied w^henever he passed a 
 night at Errolstrath. 
 
 After all were comfortably seated in their 
 accustomed places, Rob told of his adventure 
 with the two snakes on the bank of the Oxhide, 
 when Joe, after his brother had finished, remark- 
 ing that coincidences were curious, stated that 
 he, too, that same afternoon, had had an advent- 
 ure with three snakes — one more than Rob. 
 
 "When I reached the broad military road to 
 Fort Sill," said he, "at the crossing of Mud 
 Creek, I noticed some distance down the trail a 
 terrible commotion. The dust was flying as if it 
 had been twisted around by a whirlwind, and by 
 looking steadily I could see something moving 
 on the bare earth, where the grass is all worn off 
 the road. I rode slowly up to the moving object, 
 ready for any emergency, when I discovered three 
 bull-snakes, two of them of immense size, the 
 third one not so large. They had a half- 
 
igS THE RANCHE ON THE OXHIDE 
 
 grown cottontail among them, and were fight- 
 ing bravely for the sole possession of the little 
 creature, which was already nearly dead. I 
 thought I would stay to see the fun, so I 
 whipped the smaller one, and one of the larger 
 of the reptiles away. They went hissing into the 
 grass, as I applied my riding-whip to them pretty 
 lively. Then I sat still on my pony to watch the 
 single snake enjoy the meal I had so opportunely 
 provided for him. 
 
 " Presently he began to wind his long body 
 around the rabbit, and I could hear the bones 
 of the poor thing crack as the muscular pressure 
 was applied. He then gradually unfolded him- 
 self, turned his head toward the muzzle of his 
 prey, dislocated his jaws, and commenced to take 
 in the rabbit. 
 
 " Little by little the rabbit, which was much 
 larger than the snake's body, disappeared, until 
 it was entirely enveloped by the reptile. Then 
 he coolly reset his jaws, and after a series of 
 hisses — perhaps he was thanking me for my 
 kindness in interfering on his behalf — he crawled 
 away into the thick grass. I let him go, Mr. 
 Tucker ; for we never kill a bull-snake, they are 
 
FIGHTS WITH WOLVES 1 99 
 
 such good hunters for gophers, mice, and even 
 rabbits, which are becoming such a nuisance 
 here. I saw several wolves, of course ; you can't 
 go a mile anywhere without seeing them, but as 
 I carried no gun with me I did not try to inter- 
 view any of them." 
 
 " I expect to have a good time the day after to- 
 morrow," said the old trapper, "and it will recall 
 some of my own experiences with them years ago." 
 
 "Oh, do tell us about it!" said Kate; "I just 
 love hunting adventures." 
 
 " All right, Kate ; you have grown into a kind 
 of savage since your life with the Indians, eh .'' " 
 
 " I heard lots of wonderful stories from the 
 warriors when they sat around the fire at night, 
 but they told such abominable yarns that I didn't 
 believe them. They can stretch a thing pretty 
 well, I tell you," answered Kate. 
 
 "Begin, please, Mr. Tucker," said Rob, who 
 was as interested as any of the family. 
 
 " Well, then," said he, " I will tell you of the 
 brave deed of a Mexican, which occurred a good 
 many years ago, when I was down in Southern 
 California. 
 
 " He was a native, and named Amador San- 
 
200 THE RANCHE ON THE OXHIDE 
 
 chez, well known in the Sierra Nevadas as a 
 brave and successful hunter. He had a terrible 
 fight with one of those great shaggy, gray moun- 
 tain wolves. The struggle lasted for several 
 hours, and ended by both combatants being laid 
 prostrate on the ground. They were so com- 
 pletely exhausted as to be unable to reach each 
 other from want of sheer physical strength. In 
 that condition they passed one whole night. On 
 the following morning, when the Mexican had 
 recovered sufficiently to be able to creep to his 
 shaggy antagonist, he found him dead. 
 
 " The terrible conflict grew out of the Mexi- 
 can's daring attempt to save the life of a boy who 
 was about to be torn to pieces when the Mexi- 
 can attacked the wolf. 
 
 " At one time the wolf had the youth un- 
 der him in such a way that it was impossible 
 for Sanchez to plant a ball in any vital organ 
 without imperilling the boy's life. Nothing 
 daunted, however, with both revolver and rifle, 
 he succeeded in lodging several bullets in 
 other parts of the savage beast. Still the en- 
 raged brute clung to the unfortunate child, 
 using every endeavor to tear him to pieces and 
 
FIGHTS WITH WOLVES 201 
 
 horribly mangling every part of his body. At 
 this juncture, the brave Mexican hunter could no 
 longer refrain from active effort. He dropped 
 his pistols and rifle, drew his sheath-knife and 
 slung-shot ; then winding his blanket around his 
 left arm to protect it, he rushed in and compelled 
 the animal to turn upon him, and so gave the 
 boy a chance to escape. 
 
 " Wounds were freely given and returned, but 
 the wary Sanchez fought with much dexterity 
 and determination. The wolf finally became 
 so mad wdth rage and pain, that he closed in 
 upon the Mexican and threw him headlong 
 upon the ground, where he remained almost 
 senseless for a few moments before recovering 
 his breath. 
 
 " Instead of following up his advantage, the 
 beast, doubtless believing his enemy dead, because 
 he did not move, commenced to examine and lick 
 his own bleeding wounds. The spirit of the 
 intrepid Mexican, however, was up, and he deter- 
 mined to conquer the wolf or die. 
 
 " Early in the struggle, by a blow from his 
 slung-shot, Sanchez had succeeded in breaking 
 the brute's lower jaw, and that was unquestionably 
 
202 THE RANCHE ON THE OXHIDE 
 
 the fortunate wound which eventually gave the 
 victory to the Mexican. 
 
 " Sanchez renewed the fight as soon as he felt 
 himself sufficiently rested, and, by adopting some 
 curious tactics, in which he was materially assisted 
 by a clump of trees, he succeeded in putting some 
 heavy blows with his knife right into its vitals. 
 At this, the wolf was aroused again to an unen- 
 durable madness, and, gathering himself for one 
 grand effort, he bit at the Mexican's head and 
 once more felled him to the earth. From this 
 final attack, and his previous loss of blood, the 
 brave man fainted dead away. How long he re- 
 mained in that state he could not tell ; but when 
 he became conscious again, he found that the 
 victory was on his side, for the wolf had breathed 
 his last. 
 
 " The poor boy, as soon as the battle was de- 
 cided, as he supposed at the cost of his friend's 
 life, sta'rted for the village, arriving there late the 
 following afternoon. Upon hearing his story, a 
 party of well-armed men immediately went to the 
 scene of the struggle, to bury their brave com- 
 rade. They were guided by the boy, who was 
 able to ride a pony 
 
FIGHTS WITH WOLVES 203 
 
 " Arriving at the spot about midnight, they 
 found Sanchez in a most pitiful condition. His 
 flesh was terribly mangled, his clothes were torn 
 to ribbons, and his back and shoulders were one 
 mass of lacerated wounds, inflicted by the sharp 
 teeth and claws of the wolf. 
 
 " Althoudi he received the most delicate care 
 and assistance at the hospital from those noble 
 women, the Sisters of Charity, it w^as many 
 v/eeks before he was able to resume his occupa- 
 tion of hunting. Even then he owed his life to 
 his wonderful recuperative powers and his iron 
 constitution." 
 
 " What a terrible time he must have had," said 
 Kate. " The gray wolf is an awful animal to be 
 attacked by. Do you know that they very fre- 
 quently go mad, and then many savages are 
 bitten, and die a horrible death from hydrophobia ? 
 One of the warriors was bitten while I was down 
 in the Indian village. He had a hand-to-hand 
 tussle with the w^olf, and although he was only 
 slightly bitten, he died raving." 
 
 " Yes, they are bad brutes to deal with," said 
 the old trapper, "particularly those huge fel- 
 lows that hunt in packs ; a man has not the 
 
204 THE RANCHE ON THE OXHIDE 
 
 slightest chance with them. I know that in 
 Oregon, about twelve years ago, the mail rider 
 for the military posts of Forts Dallas and 
 Simcoe was caught in the mountains by a 
 pack of them, and nothing of him or his ani- 
 mal was found excepting the letter sack, the 
 hoofs of his horse, and some buttons, with other 
 portions of the rider's clothing." 
 
 " Have you ever had a personal encounter 
 with any of the terrible beasts ? " inquired Mrs. 
 Thompson. 
 
 "Oh, yes!" replied the old man. "I'll tell 
 you all about it." 
 
 "In 1856, I tried to ranche it in the central 
 portion of Washington Territory. I had no 
 neighbor nearer than thirty miles. I was a 
 little lonesome at first, because it was really 
 the first time I had been without partners, and 
 I saw my neighbors but once in a whole year. 
 
 " I remember that I started to visit John 
 Elliott. I felt that I needed company, and he 
 and I had trapped together some years before, 
 and were well acquainted. 
 
 " Towards evening, I started for my thirty- 
 mile walk. It was in December, and of course, 
 
FIGHTS WITH WOLVES 205 
 
 cool, with a magnificent full moon to light my 
 trail through the deep forest and over the prairie. 
 
 " I had gone about two miles, I think, and 
 as I neared a small lake, and was tramping 
 along the edge of the water with my rifle care- 
 lessly swinging in my left hand, I suddenly 
 heard a growl that startled me, and stopping 
 at once, I saw a great wolf standing with his 
 paw buried in the carcass of a red deer, and 
 his mouth full of its flesh. The brute was not 
 chewing, for his jaws were motionless, and he 
 looked at me as if deciding which was the bet- 
 ter meal for him, that which he had under his 
 feet, or I. He was an immense animal. I don't 
 think I have ever seen a larger wolf. If I had 
 left him alone and gone about my business, he 
 would not have troubled me. They are gener- 
 ally cowards, and will run at the sight of man, 
 unless provoked or cornered, or are running in 
 packs, when they will fight to the death. 
 
 " I, like the fool that I was, raised my rifle, 
 took a quick aim at him, and pulled the trig- 
 ger. He jumped at the instant I fired, and al- 
 though I aimed at his heart, I missed it and 
 hit him in the upper part of the fore leg. 
 
206 THE RANCHE ON THE OXHIDE 
 
 Then with his mouth wide open, showing his 
 white teeth, and the froth running down the 
 sides of his cheeks in his rage, he came for 
 me with a howl, which I thought was answered 
 by about fifty more in the timber. 
 
 " It didn't take me ten seconds to get up 
 into the fork of an oak tree which stood only 
 a few feet away. By the time I was safely set- 
 tled in my seat, there were four more of the 
 great grizzled beasts right under me, smacking 
 their chops and whining as if their mouths 
 watered for a taste of my flesh. If I could 
 have talked to them in their own way, I would 
 have suggested that they go and feast off of 
 the deer which still lay intact. 
 
 " Then, as I could not make them go away by 
 mere suggestions, I loaded my rifle and shot one 
 of them as dead as the deer. That made more 
 food for the others, as they will eat each other 
 under certain circumstances, but that particular 
 time was not one of them. I didn't blame them, 
 for the brute I had killed was a long, gaunt, 
 miserably thin, mangy-looking creature that 
 seemed as if he had not had anything to eat 
 for a month. 
 
FIGHTS WITH WOLVES 20/ 
 
 " The refuo-e I had souoht from the ravenous 
 beasts was but a sapling, and I expected it every 
 moment to break with my weight. Presently, I 
 heard the crotch begin to split, and letting my 
 rifle drop, I was quick enough to catch my arms 
 and lesfs around the trunk of the tree, and hold 
 on for life until I could draw^ my knife and shove 
 it into my belt ready for use. 
 
 " Having accomplished this, I watched my 
 chance, and if there ever was such a scared wolf 
 as the one round whose back I wound my arms 
 when I fell, Td like to see him ! 
 
 " We rolled on the ground together, and the 
 other three just backed off to watch the fight, 
 and a pretty moonlight tussle it was. He got 
 my body under him at last, and I thought I was 
 done for. 
 
 " I felt a little faint when he sunk his teeth into 
 me, but he didn't seem to like the hold he had, 
 so he pulled his teeth out of me, tore my coat, 
 shirt, and flesh, then seized my fur cap and 
 shook it for a moment, which was a lucky mis- 
 take for me on his part. I felt his wet lips on 
 my forehead, and had just time to let go my hold 
 on his throat and clutch my knife, when he seized 
 
208 THE RANCHE ON THE OXHIDE 
 
 my cap again and made an attempt to swallow it. 
 His throat was in no condition to get it down, 
 however, for my knife-blade was through his 
 jugular, and the point of it in his spinal marrow, 
 and in another minute he was dead wolf ! 
 
 "I bled considerably when I got up, but I 
 wasn't weakened a bit. The whole affair had 
 occurred in half a minute, and I was ready for 
 the other three, who now all attacked me to- 
 gether. I caught up my rifle and struck one of 
 them across the nose and floored him. As he 
 picked himself up I seized him by the hind foot 
 and fell upon him. If the first wolf was fright- 
 ened when I tumbled on him from the tree, 
 this one was more so. I can never forget the 
 awful howl he gave as I stood up on my feet 
 again, and swinging him into the air, struck one 
 of tke remaining two a terrible blow with his 
 body. 
 
 " The first one I had wounded was scared at 
 the novel fight, and tucking his tail between his 
 legs, vanished into the woods, and I was left with 
 only two on my hands. I caught up one of them 
 as I had caught the other, and his comrade took 
 to his heels and was soon out of sight. 
 
"I stood up on my feet again, and swinging him into the air. 
 struck one of the remaining two." 
 
FIGHTS WITH WOLVES 209 
 
 " The one I held by the heels, I swung twice 
 around my head and then let him fly. The cen- 
 trifugal force, as they used to call it at college, 
 forced out his wind, and his scream, as he shot 
 through the air, was diabolical. He went fully 
 a rod into the water, and his howl only stopped 
 when he struck it. I was weak and faint now 
 from the tremendous exertion. The beast came 
 up again, and struck out for the shore. When 
 he reached it, he did not dare to approach me, 
 but stood there as if petrified. 
 
 " At last he began to move off. I followed 
 him slowly, and saw that he was getting tired. 
 Presently he stopped again and tried to climb on 
 the top of a shelving rock, but he was very 
 weak, and just as he was making the attempt a 
 second time, I raised my rifle and sent a bullet 
 into his heart. 
 
 " I was now rid of all my foes, but too weak to 
 walk much further, so I went back to my cabin 
 and gave up my proposed visit until I was recov- 
 ered from my wounds." 
 
 " Well," said Joe, " that beats my fight with 
 the panther. We sha'n't have any such trouble 
 on the day after to-morrow, though, for we shall 
 
210 THE RANCHE ON THE OXHIDE 
 
 have a big enough party to fight a whole moun- 
 tain full of them." 
 
 It was lono^ after ten o'clock when Mr. Tucker 
 had finished the thrilling story of his fight, and 
 then the family all retired — some of them to 
 dream of wolves, bears, and panthers perhaps. 
 
CHAPTER XIII 
 
 JOE, ROB, AND THE OLD TRAPPER — GENERAL CUSTER ARRIVES AT 
 THE RENDEZVOUS — THE WOLF DENS — FIRST TUSSLE BETWEEN 
 THE HOUNDS AND A WOLF CINCH's GREAT BATTLE 
 
 The mornino: of the wolf hunt came at last. 
 Before six o'clock, Mr. Tucker, four near neigh- 
 bors, and the two Thompson boys rode out from 
 Errolstrath toward the appointed rendezvous, at 
 the mouth of the Oxhide. 
 
 As all dogs work better on an empty stomach, 
 the hounds, Brutus and Bluey, had not been fed 
 that morning, so that their appetites for the chase 
 should be keen. 
 
 The little party from the ranche arrived at the 
 mouth of the Oxhide before the contingent from 
 Fort Marker. They did not have to wait many 
 minutes, for they soon saw a cloud of dust on the 
 Smoky Hill trail, and presently the General's 
 four great hounds came bounding along. Closely 
 followins: them was Custer on a mas^nificent 
 animal. Colonel Keogh rode his favorite horse, 
 
 211 
 
212 THE RANCHE ON THE OXHIDE 
 
 Comanche, which had been wounded In the 
 battle with the Cheyennes, on Mulberry Creek, 
 when the command had a doubtful victory under 
 General Sully. Comanche was destined to be- 
 come more celebrated a few years later, when he 
 and a sinde Crow Indian were the sole survivors 
 of the unequal fight with the Sioux under the 
 notorious Sitting Bull. It was there that Custer 
 and all of the famous troopers with him went 
 down to annihilation, in the valley of the Rose- 
 bud. 
 
 The General and Colonel Keogh greeted the 
 party, and they rode on at a slow pace. They 
 wanted to save the wind of both the horses and 
 dogs, for the supreme moment when the wolves 
 should give them all the excitement they might 
 
 desire. 
 
 About seven miles from Errolstrath, the 
 Smoky Hill makes a grand sweep to the south- 
 east, the curve forming nearly half a circle. Bor- 
 dering the river at that point is a series of im- 
 mense limestone bluffs whose scarped sides come 
 down to the water. The plateau which crowns 
 the bluffs is honeycombed with holes, the dens 
 of the big prairie wolf. They intended literally 
 
THE WOLF HUNT 213 
 
 to beard the ferocious beasts there, for the wolf 
 prowls by night and remains in his lair in the 
 daytime. The General, the Colonel, the old 
 trapper, and the boys were in front, while the 
 hounds trailed after the horses, and were not 
 allowed to advance until the word was given for 
 them to do so. 
 
 Custer's dogs were of rare breed, and had been 
 presented to him by some English or Scotch 
 nobleman. They were rough in coat, muscular, 
 fleet of foot, and fully able to cope with the 
 bicro^est wolf that dared tackle them. 
 
 The zigzag trail leading to the summit of the 
 high bluff where the business was expected to 
 begin, was reached about half-past seven, and the 
 tedious ascent was commenced. Arriving on the 
 top at a point where a heavy belt of timber 
 skirted the edge toward the river, they all halted 
 to rest a few moments before they went out into 
 the open where the wolves were. 
 
 An occasional low growl and a snarl w^re 
 wafted by the breeze toward them, where they were 
 concealed among the great trees. The hounds 
 listened with ears cocked up, and uttered a whine 
 now and then, as they gazed wistfully into their 
 
214 THE RANCHE ON THE OXHIDE 
 
 masters' faces. They were impatient for the 
 fray like the charger who " smelleth the battle 
 afar," but the time had not yet come for them to 
 do their work. 
 
 The morning was deliciously cool. The 
 ground was just covered with a slight coating of 
 frost, making friction enough to insure safety for 
 the horses. They would be called upon to do 
 some hard running, and the rough plain where 
 the wolves were, was sandy and treacherous, from 
 the constant digging and scratching of the quar- 
 relsome beasts themselves. 
 
 " A perfect day for the fun," said the General, 
 turning to the old trapper, who had dismounted 
 and was cinching his saddle a little tighter. 
 
 " Yes, General," replied he, " we could not have 
 a better morning. The wind is just right for the 
 dogs' noses, though I suppose those beautiful 
 hounds of yours run both by scent and sight ? " 
 
 " They are fine specimens of their species, not 
 very graceful or beautiful, perhaps, but for muscle 
 and endurance, I don't believe that there is a 
 wolf on the plains vvdiich can get the better of 
 one of them in a fair fight. They have had 
 several tussles single-handed, but so far have 
 
THE WOLF HUNT 21 5 
 
 come out without anything more serious than 
 a few scratches. Their jaws are as powerful 
 as a bull dog's, and they hold on with all that 
 animal's tenacity. I look for some fine sport 
 to-day ; there will be some lively coursing if we 
 succeed in getting the wolves out of their holes." 
 
 " Bluey," said Joe, who was sitting on his pony 
 alongside of Custer, " is a great fighter ; he has 
 had three or four tussles with wolves, and came 
 out on top every time. He has the most wonder- 
 ful shaking powers I ever saw in any dog, and 
 he has whipped two or three bull dogs In the 
 neighborhood. They all give him a Vvdde berth 
 now, whenever they see him coming. Brutus 
 is quite a young hound yet, and although he is 
 good with rabbits, and did some splendid work 
 when we had that fight with the lynx, he has 
 never really shown what he can do. I guess 
 he'll have a chance to show his mettle to-day." 
 
 " I advise all of you to cinch up your saddles," 
 suggested the General, "as Mr. Tucker has 
 already done, for you don't want to be tumbled 
 off by a loose cinch. We'll make a break for the 
 wolves in a few minutes ; the hounds are uneasy, 
 and I guess our horses are sufficiently rested now." 
 
2l6 THE RANCHE ON THE OXHIDE 
 
 When the last saddle was cinched up, Custer 
 gave the word "forward," and the party moved 
 out of the timber. The hounds cavorted around 
 when they saw signs of active work, but they 
 were restrained from rushing too far ahead by 
 a word from their masters. 
 
 The hunters rode slowly at first, until they had 
 emerged from the timber. They then broke into 
 a lope, separating to a distance of about fifty 
 yards from each other. Custer was on the right, 
 followed by the old trapper and Joe; while Rob 
 and Colonel Keogh with the others of the party 
 brought up the left. 
 
 Although they were out of the standing tim- 
 ber, there were a great many fallen trees scattered 
 over the ground, and they were obliged to jump 
 over these, as they could not afford to waste the 
 time to go round. 
 
 There was one immense black walnut trunk 
 over which all had gone very easily excepting 
 Colonel Keogh and Rob. When these two 
 reached the obstacle, Rob's buffalo pony took 
 it flying, but as Comanche rose to make the leap, 
 the effort burst the cinch of the saddle, and the 
 Colonel was thrown. He fortunately struck on 
 
THE WOLF HUNT 21/ 
 
 his feet and held on to the bridle reins, so the 
 animal did not get away. His orderly rushed 
 up, and it did not take more than five minutes 
 to change saddles, and give the Colonel a mount 
 
 agam. 
 
 By that time Custer and the others were far in 
 advance, for they had increased their pace as the 
 hounds sighted their quarry. Some were in full 
 cry, the rest silent, according to the habits of 
 their species. A huge wolf had come out of 
 his hole to learn what the thud of the horses' 
 hoofs meant, had seen the dogs, and immediately 
 bristled up ready for battle. 
 
 The lean and hungry-looking brute stood 
 motionless, awaiting the arrival of the pack of 
 hounds. The hair along his spine stood erect 
 like a mad cat's, and his tail swelled to twice its 
 normal proportions. They were heading for 
 him with tongues out and their long necks 
 stretched, ready for the impending battle. 
 
 In another instant, when the shock came, there 
 was a chaotic whirlwind of wolf, dog, hair, and 
 blood, accompanied by snarls, growls, and squeals. 
 This cyclone of enraged canines was enveloped 
 in a cloud of dust which fairly obscured the com- 
 
2l8 THE RANCHE ON THE OXHIDE 
 
 batants for a few seconds ; but when it settled 
 there was a dead wolf, literally torn to shreds, 
 and a hound or two limping along, nearly hors 
 de combat, after the terrible struggle. 
 
 The noise of the fight caused a dozen or more 
 of the denizens of the bluff to crawl out of their 
 dens and look around to learn what was meant 
 by this invasion of their sacred precincts. 
 
 Some just poked their heads up, and all you 
 could see were their great ears. Others came 
 up bristling with fight, and some, the cowardly 
 ones, giving one look at the party of horsemen 
 and the pack of hounds, tucked their bushy tails 
 between their legs, and scooted off over the 
 plateau, yelping like whipped curs ! 
 
 In a moment, spying those wolves that had 
 apparently accepted the wager of battle, the dogs 
 made a grand rush for them, some in pairs, some 
 singly. 
 
 General Sheridan owned a magnificent smooth- 
 haired hound, named Cinch, from the fact that 
 round his belly was a dark circle, resembling 
 a saddle-cinch. He was a very powerful animal, 
 and had been brought with the pack by General 
 Custer, on account of his well-known staying 
 
THE WOLF HUNT 
 
 219 
 
 qualities. Cinch had selected a monstrous beast, 
 a little larger than himself, as his victim, and 
 forthwith attacked him singly. 
 
 The wolf stood firmly at the mouth of his den, 
 awaiting the approach of Cinch with a sort of 
 self-satisfied look, as though he would tear to 
 pieces that civilized specimen of his own genus. 
 With a growl and a snapping of their great 
 white teeth they came together. How the hair 
 did fly as they bit whole mouthfuls out of each 
 other! It was an awful struQ-orle for canine su- 
 premacy. Every one of tlie party abandoned 
 his quarry elsewhere — although Bluey was 
 making a glorious fight with another monster 
 not a hundred yards away, and the rest of the 
 pack were hard at work on a number that had 
 attacked them in concert — to witness the battle 
 royal between Cinch and the largest wolf that 
 they had ever seen. 
 
 At last Cinch succeeded in getting a firm 
 hold on his shaggy antagonist's throat. It 
 proved to be a " knock-out," for when Cinch 
 had done with him, the wolf was stretched out 
 dead. The hound himself did not escape with- 
 out serious wounds. His fore paws vv^ere bitten 
 
220 THE RANCHE ON THE OXHIDE 
 
 through and through. One of his eyes was 
 badly torn, and great pieces of hide hung in 
 strings from several parts of his body. He was 
 nearly done for, so badly hurt, that the Gen- 
 eral told one of his orderlies to take the poor 
 dog on the saddle in front of him, and carry 
 him back to the fort for repairs. 
 
 They then turned their attention to Bluey. 
 By the time they came up to him he had just 
 finished his antagonist as completely as had 
 Cinch. The wolf was dead, and the old hound 
 was busy licking his own wounds, of which he 
 had many. 
 
 The rest of the pack which had been fight- 
 ine together had killed four, but two of their 
 number had succumbed to the fierce attacks 
 of their opponents, and were dead. Joe and 
 Rob were delighted to know that Bluey and 
 Brutus were all right after the several battles, 
 excepting a few bites which would soon heal. 
 
 In taking an inventory of the number of 
 wolves killed by the hounds, they found seven 
 in all. Their hides were so badly torn that 
 they were not worth skinning, so their car- 
 casses were left just where they fell. 
 
THE WOLF HUNT 221 
 
 It was considered a good morning's work, 
 as it was but eleven o'clock when Cinch had 
 put the finishing touches on his victim. The 
 men were tired after their rough ride, and 
 the hounds slowly followed, tongues out, and 
 many of them limping fearfully. In this way 
 they rode together back to the mouth of the 
 Oxhide, then separated and went to their 
 respective homes. 
 
CHAPTER XIV 
 
 A WILD TURKEY HUNT THE TRIP TO MUD CREEK — THE TURKEY 
 
 ROOST THE SHOOTING BEGINS — COUNTING THE NUMBER 
 
 KILLED — JOE SELLS TURKEYS 
 
 When Mr. Tucker, Joe, and Rob arrived at 
 Errolstrath, it was just one o'clock. The fam- 
 ily had kept dinner waiting, and everything 
 was ready to put on the table by the time the 
 horses were fed and the hounds' v/ounds rubbed 
 with witch-hazel. Mrs. Thompson used to pre- 
 pare this remedy herself, and she considered it 
 the best thing in the world for injuries. 
 
 At dinner the boys and the old trapper en- 
 tertained the family with an account of the 
 morning's hunt, telling them how splendidly 
 both Bluey and Brutus had behaved in com- 
 pany with such thoroughbreds as Custer's 
 hounds, and especially with General Sheridan's 
 famous Cinch, who was supposed to be the 
 finest animal of his kind in the country. 
 
 They all adjourned to the broad veranda after 
 
 222 
 
A WILD TURKEY HUNT 223 
 
 dinner was over, excepting the girls who had to 
 clear up the things. Mr. Tucker said that 
 Colonel Keogh had told him that some of the 
 officers' families who had just come from the East 
 to Fort Marker were very desirous for wild tur- 
 key, which they had not yet tasted. 
 
 " He wanted me to ask you, Joe, if you cannot 
 soon get them a few. I know that this is the 
 very best time to hunt them, so let you, and 
 Rob, and me go to that roost on Mud Creek 
 this evening. It's full moon to-night, and we 
 shall never have a better chance." 
 
 " All right," promptly spoke up both of the 
 boys. " We'll have to take our ponies," said Joe, 
 "for it's fully six miles. I was down there the 
 other afternoon, and I should think that hun- 
 dreds roost there." 
 
 " What time ought we to leave here ? " inquired 
 Rob. " You know that my month to herd and 
 milk the cows is not out yet, and I want to do 
 my work before I go ; not that father would not 
 do it willingly for me in a case of this kind, but I 
 don't care to bother him; he has enough to do 
 with the other stock." 
 
 " Oh ! " said Joe, " we need not get away from 
 
224 THE RANCHE ON THE OXHIDE 
 
 here until long after supper. The birds won't 
 come to their roost until it is nearly dark, and as 
 we always have supper at six, and can ride down 
 to Mud Creek easily in an hour, you will have 
 ample time to do your chores, Rob, without 
 hurrying a bit." 
 
 " Tell us something about the wild turkey, Mr. 
 Tucker," said Rob. "You know all the habits 
 of our beasts and birds." 
 
 " Well, Rob," said the old trapper, " the wild 
 turkey is one of the indigenous birds of America. 
 He once flourished from the most remote eastern 
 boundary of the United States to every part of 
 the far West. Now, through the wantonness of 
 man, he is rapidly disappearing, as is nearly all 
 of our large game. There are still plenty here 
 in Kansas. The wild turkey makes his haunts 
 in the timber, and being gregarious birds they 
 keep together in large flocks, and roost in the 
 same place for years, if not disturbed. All of our 
 domestic turkeys have come from the wild stock, 
 but the wild ones are still larger than the tame 
 ones in many instances. I have shot them in 
 nearly every place in the country where I have 
 hunted. They are stupid in refusing to leave 
 
A WILD TURKEY HUNT 22$ 
 
 their roosts at night when shot at. They per- 
 sistently fly back again to the same trees, when 
 they could just as easily fly away out of danger. 
 In such times they are almost as foolish as the 
 sage hen, which in my opinion is the most stupid 
 bird that flies. You can shoot at them until you 
 hit them, if it takes a week ; they won't move." 
 
 Just as the sun sank behind the hills beyond 
 the Oxhide bluffs, Joe, Rob, and Mr. Tucker 
 left Errolstrath for the turkey roost on Mud 
 Creek. The old trapper rode Joe's buffalo pony, 
 while Joe mounted the little roan which had 
 brought his sister so safely from the Indian vil- 
 lage ; Rob rode Ginger, which Kate had kindly 
 loaned him for the occasion. 
 
 They followed the trail up the creek for about 
 a mile, then turned abruptly east over the hills 
 toward Fort Sill military road, then over the 
 open country for another mile, until they arrived 
 at the head of Mud Creek. 
 
 The moon had risen in a cloudless sky, and 
 it shines nowhere so brilliantly as in our mid- 
 continent region. Every tree and bush cast a 
 shadow, and the trail over the prairie was lighted 
 up with a golden sheen, so soft and mellow that 
 
 Q 
 
226 THE RANCHE ON THE OXHIDE 
 
 you could have seen a pin where the grass had 
 been shorn away. 
 
 When they arrived at the edge of the woods 
 in the centre of which was the resting-place of 
 the birds, they tied their ponies to saplings, and 
 then quietly walked on into the timber. As soon 
 as they had come in the vicinity of the roost, 
 they squatted on the ground behind the friendly 
 shelter of a large elm, and waited for the coming 
 of events. 
 
 They did not have long to wait. Before they 
 had been there a half an hour, two large flocks 
 came stealthily walking down the deep ravines 
 leading into the sheltered bottom where great 
 trees stood in thick clumps, under whose shadow 
 were the unmistakable signs of an immense roost. 
 At the head of each flock, as it unsuspiciously 
 advanced, strutted a magnificent male bird in all 
 the pride of his leadership. Upon his bronze 
 plumage the moon's rays glinted like a calcium 
 light, as its soft beams sifted through the inter- 
 stices of the bare limbs of the winter-garbed 
 forest. 
 
 When the leader of the flock had arrived at 
 the spot where his charge had been accustomed 
 
A WILD TURKEY HUNT 227 
 
 to roost, he suddenly stopped, glanced cautiously 
 around him for a few seconds, then apparently 
 satisfied that all was right, he gave the signal — 
 a sharp, quick, shrill whistle. At that instant, 
 every bird, with one accord and a tremendous 
 fluttering of wing, raised itself and alighted in 
 the topmost branches of the tallest trees. 
 
 In a few moments more, numerous flocks hav- 
 ing settled themselves for a peaceful slumber, 
 the old trapper said to the boys : " Now is our 
 time ; let's begin ! " 
 
 Joe had his little Ballard rifle, that had never 
 yet played him false on his hunts with the chief 
 of the Pawnees ; Rob had a shot-gun, and Mr. 
 Tucker his never-failing old-fashioned piece 
 which he had carried for twenty-five years. 
 
 They fired at first almost simultaneously, but 
 after the first discharge each fired on his own 
 hook. The turkeys fell like the leaves in Octo- 
 ber. The birds not killed at the first fire did not 
 seem to have sense enough, as Mr. Tucker had 
 said, to escape from their doom. They flew from 
 tree to tree at every shot, persistently remaining 
 in the immediate vicinity of the roost, with all 
 the characteristic idiocy of the sage hen. 
 
228 THE RANCHE ON THE OXHIDE 
 
 When it was time to think of going home, 
 they gathered up their birds, and found they had 
 killed fourteen — more than an average of four 
 apiece. It was all they could do to pack the 
 birds on their ponies, and they were compelled 
 to walk them all the way to the ranche to keep 
 the birds from falling off. 
 
 The next morning Joe took the turkeys to Fort 
 Harker, where he disposed of them at a fair price, 
 and received many thanks besides, for his prompt 
 action in response to Colonel Keogh's request 
 to go hunting for them. 
 
CHAPTER XV 
 
 now THE ROBIN CAME TO KANSAS MOCKING-BIRDS — EATEN BY 
 
 SNAKES — JOE LOSES HIS TAME ELK THE LAST OF THE 
 
 WOLVES — FINDING THE QUAIL'S NEST JOE BUILDS A CAGE 
 
 FOR THEM — RAISING CHICKENS 
 
 The winter was short, and soon came April, 
 with its sunny skies. The robins, wrens, bkie- 
 jays, and the mocking-birds made the woods me- 
 lodious with their sweet notes. The violets by 
 the brook side under the shade of the great trees 
 were the first harbingers of the beautiful season, 
 and the dinino'-table was made odorous with their 
 blue blossoms at every meal. Both Kate and 
 Gertrude loved flowers, and never failed to gather 
 three times a day, a large bowl full of these 
 poems of springtime. 
 
 Mr. Tucker surprised them one evening by 
 paying them a visit after a solitary hunting expe- 
 dition up the creek. The boys soon persuaded 
 him to stay the night, and tell them a story until 
 
 bedtime. 
 
 229 
 
230 THE RANCHE ON THE OXHIDE 
 
 " What shall it be, hunting or fighting ? " said 
 Mr. Tucker, turning to Joe. 
 
 Before her brother could speak, Gertrude 
 answered for him. " Tell us that legend about 
 the robin, that you have promised us so often." 
 
 " Yes, the robin," said Joe. So they all settled 
 into comfortable positions, and Mr. Tucker told 
 them the following story : — 
 
 " The Delaware Indians claim that the robin 
 followed them to Kansas. He has been in the 
 eastern part of the state only since the establish- 
 ment of their reservation within its limits, accord- 
 ing to the legend of the tribe. 
 
 '• The Delawares, you know, were those Indians 
 with whom William Penn made a treaty, the 
 provisions of which were religiously kept for 
 many years. 
 
 " Among the Delawares the robin is sacred. 
 From the gray-headed chiefs to the papoose just 
 freed from the thongs of his hard cradle, they all 
 listen with superstitious love and reverence to 
 his warbling. The bird was once the favorite 
 son of a great sachem of that powerful tribe, 
 changed by the Manitou, but still loving man, and 
 evincing it always by building his nest and sing- 
 insf near his abode. 
 
THE STORY OF IS-A-DILL-A 23 1 
 
 " Once there v/as, ages ago, a great chief among 
 the Delawares, who then hved in the far East. 
 He was distinocuished for his wisdom in the coun- 
 cil, and his success in war. He had many wives, 
 but they brought him daughters only, and he, as 
 well as his nation, was dissatisfied, for he desired 
 a son who should succeed to the honorable posi- 
 tion of his father. 
 
 " One day when the chief was walking through 
 the village, a dove lit on his shoulder, and then 
 flew and nestled in the bosom of a young Indian 
 maiden to whom it belonged. She was the 
 daughter of the medicine-man of the tribe, and 
 her father declared that the dove was a messen- 
 ger from the Great Spirit, who had thus shown 
 by that sign that the two should be one. 
 
 " The news imparted by the medicine-man was 
 agreeable to the chief, for the girl was beautiful 
 and virtuous. He married her, and she became 
 the favorite wife, who, in due time, greatly to his 
 and the joy of his people, presented him with a 
 son. The boy was called Is-a-dill-a, and he grew 
 up different from all the youth of his age ; for he 
 was fond of peace, would not mingle with the 
 crowd who tortured prisoners doomed to death, 
 
232 THE RANCHE ON THE OXHIDE 
 
 and his father thought him a coward. One day 
 the father upbraided his son for his peaceful in- 
 clinations, and Is-a-dill-a answered : — 
 
 " ' Great chief of the mighty Delawares, my 
 liver is not white, nor would my blood chill like 
 snow before the enemy, but Is-a-dill-a prefers to 
 gather the wild blossoms which grow upon the 
 prairie, and chase the deer among the cliffs, to 
 lying in ambush for the red man, and sending an 
 arrow into his heart ; the Great Spirit, who is 
 father of all the red men, has told me in my 
 dreams to love them all.' 
 
 " His father was about to respond angrily to 
 the utterance of a homily so unbecoming a great 
 warrior's son, and the future chief of a powerful 
 tribe, when he saw a huge black bear approach- 
 ing him with angry demonstrations. The chief 
 was armed, as usual, with bow and arrows, and a 
 stone axe. Is-a-dill-a, without any weapons, was 
 ordered by his father to climb a tree, that he 
 might escape the danger of the impending con- 
 flict. The chief, then resting upon one knee, and 
 fixing a selected arrow to his bow, aimed at the 
 eye of the bear, when only a few feet distant. 
 The oscillating motion of the beast's head pre- 
 
THE STORY OF IS-A-DILL-A 233 
 
 vented it from taking fatal effect, and the arrow 
 struck the skull, which was too thick and hard to 
 be penetrated. The now infuriated animal, with 
 a savage growl, sprang upon the chief who dealt 
 it a fearful blow with his stone axe, but was 
 seized in the ponderous paws of the bear, and a 
 mortal struggle ensued. In a moment the chief 
 was bleeding from a hundred wounds, and the 
 animal's mouth was already at his throat, when 
 Is-a-dill-a picked up his father's axe, dealt the 
 beast a powerful blow over the eye, which com- 
 pletely destroyed it, and continued the work until 
 the exhausted animal fell to the earth. But in 
 his death agonies the bear succeeded in embra< 
 cing Is-a-dill-a and tearing him dreadfully, so that 
 he lay insensible by the side of the dead brute. 
 
 " The chief was the first to recover from the 
 swoon in which he had fallen from loss of blood, 
 and as he saw^ the body of his son lying beside 
 that of the immense bear, it was some time be- 
 fore he could connect the circumstances, for it 
 appeared impossible for a boy of his age to per- 
 form such an exploit. He was bitterly grieved, 
 when he thought how pure was the filial affection 
 of his son, and bitterly regretted the reproaches 
 
234 THE RANCHE ON THE OXHIDE 
 
 he had often heaped upon him who was so 
 worthy of honor and affection. He crawled to 
 his son's body, — for he beHeved him dead, — 
 but feeling that the heart was still beating, with 
 much effort and great pain he succeeded in get- 
 ting some water from a little spring near by, and 
 applied it to the forehead and lips of the insensi- 
 ble Is-a-dill-a; in a few moments he gave a deep 
 sigh, looked at his father with a glow of recogni- 
 tion, then again became unconscious. 
 
 " Fortunately at this moment, three squaws 
 who had been gathering berries, approached, and 
 seeing the condition of the chief and his son, 
 hastened to the village for assistance. By care- 
 ful nursing, both recovered, and the boy became 
 the object of admiration and reverence; for since 
 his exploit with the bear, none dare dispute his 
 courage, which is the greatest virtue among the 
 Indians. 
 
 " As I have already told you, it is necessary 
 for all promising youths to retire into some 
 solitary place, and submit to a long fast, that 
 they may propitiate the Great Spirit. In a 
 few years, Is-a-dill-a expressed his desire to at- 
 tempt the ordeal. The chief made everything in 
 
THE STORY OF IS-A DTLL-A 235 
 
 readiness, and soon Is-a-dill-a was alone in his 
 little lodge in the wilderness, upon his bed of 
 skin. He looked up with sfreat confidence to the 
 Great Spirit, and felt that the light of his coun- 
 tenance would rest upon him. Every morning 
 his father visited himx, and encouraged him to 
 persevere, by appealing to his pride, his ambition, 
 and his noble instincts. The ninth day came 
 and passed, and also the tenth ; on the morning 
 of the eleventh Is-a-dill-a was dying with weak- 
 ness, and his full, rounded muscles had shrunk 
 and withered from the prostrating effects of the 
 terrible ordeal. 
 
 " ' Father,' said the almost expiring youth, ' I 
 have fasted eleven days, a longer time than man 
 ever fasted before; the Great Spirit is satisfied; 
 give me something to eat that I may not die.' 
 
 " ' To-morrow, my son, before the bright sun 
 rises, I will bring you venison cooked by your 
 mother ; fast until then that your name may 
 become mighty among the great chiefs of the 
 Delawares.' 
 
 " The old man departed, proud of the fame his 
 son would acquire ; and the next morning, before 
 the sun had risen, he was at the lodge of Is-a- 
 
236 THE RANCHE ON THE OXHIDE 
 
 dill-a, with a supply of the most tempting food ; 
 but he stood motionless before a strange sight 
 within the lodge. There was a youth with 
 golden wings and most beautiful features, hav- 
 ing a halo of light around his head, painting the 
 breast of Is-a-dill-a with vermilion, and his body 
 brown. Then, in a moment, the winged youth 
 was changed to a dove, and Is-a-dill-a to a strange 
 and beautiful bird, and they both flew through 
 the door of the lodge to a tree, and the strange 
 bird thus addressed the chief of the Delawares : 
 
 " ' Father, farewell. The Great Spirit, when he 
 saw that I was dying from hunger, sent a mes- 
 senger for me, and I am changed to this bird. I 
 will always preserve my love for man, and will 
 build and carol near his dwelling.' 
 
 " The two birds then flew away, but every 
 morning the robin, during the lifetime of the 
 chief, sang from the large oak tree that over- 
 shadowed his lodge. 
 
 " When the Delawares moved west of the 
 Missouri, the faithful descendants of the strange 
 bird followed them, and that is how the robins 
 came to Kansas." 
 
 The mocking-bird, that sweetest of our feath- 
 
THE STORY OF IS-A-DILL-A 237 
 
 ered songsters, is indigenous to the central 
 region of the great plains, and his notes are 
 heard when the day breaks. He seeks the high- 
 est points upon the dwellings, the ridge of the 
 house, the barn, or the top of the windmill, if 
 there be one, where, like the Aztecs of old, or 
 their lineal descendants, the Pueblo Indians of 
 New Mexico to-day, he greets the coming god 
 in the east. 
 
 Like the robin, the mocking-bird loves the 
 companionship of man. He builds his nest near 
 their dwellings, in the garden, the orchard, or 
 the trees close by. Kate and Gertrude had 
 made several attempts to get hold of some little 
 ones in their nests, but there was always some- 
 thing that seemed to thwart their plans. Last 
 year they found a nest in a grapevine in the 
 garden, and they w^atched it zealously day by 
 day, from the laying of the last twig Ijy the 
 parent birds, to the hatching of the tv/o w^hite 
 eggs. They saw the fledglings develop from 
 week to week, until they w^ere nearly large 
 enough to be taken from the nest, w^hen one 
 morning, on going as usual to watch the prog- 
 ress of the little birds, what was their horror to 
 
238 THE RANCHE ON THE OXHIDE 
 
 see a snake swallowing the last one. The other, 
 they knew, by the swelled body of the reptile, was 
 hopelessly gone ! Their disgust and sorrow may 
 be imagined, and as it was too late in the season 
 to think of finding another nest with young ones 
 in it, they were forced to abandon their quest 
 until another spring. 
 
 This April they were successful. A pair had 
 built their nest in the vine-covered summer- 
 house, a rustic little place that Mr. Thompson 
 had erected out of the wild grape, for a retreat 
 in which his wife and daughters might sit in the 
 afternoons when they did not care to go as far as 
 the deep woods. No harm came to the fledg- 
 lings this time, and they were placed in a hand- 
 some cage bought by the girls from the proceeds 
 of the eggs laid by their own brown Leghorn 
 hens. 
 
 The birds soon became very tame, and made 
 the house resonant all day long with their bril- 
 liant notes. They knew the girls the moment 
 they came near the cage, and would stretch their 
 wings and gently pick at their fingers when they 
 put them between the wires. They were a con- 
 stant source of pleasure, for the girls loved pets 
 
THE STORY OF IS-A-DILL-A 239 
 
 of all kinds, and taught them to return their 
 affection by means of gentleness and constant 
 kindness. 
 
 Joe lost his elk this spring, and he was greatly 
 disturbed by it. He had made arrangements 
 with an old hunter, living near Fort Harker, to 
 go out to the Saline Valley and capture another 
 young one. He intended to break them both to 
 harness, and expected to have a unique team to 
 drive. The elk was so tame that he permitted it 
 to roam at will through the woods on the margin 
 of the Oxhide, where it browsed on the small 
 bushes or grazed on the luxurious grass which 
 grew in such profusion on the creek bottom. It 
 always returned to the corral at night for its feed 
 of corn, but one evening it failed to come up as 
 usual. He wandered through the woods, looking- 
 for it, when, happening to come upon a camp 
 near the mouth of the Oxhide on the trail west- 
 ward, he saw to his indignation, that the emi- 
 grants, a very ignorant set from Missouri, had 
 butchered his elk. He gave them a talking-to 
 that was more emphatic than choice in its 
 language. They told him they thought it was 
 a wild one, but he became disgusted at their 
 
240 THE RANCHE ON THE OXHIDE 
 
 falsehood, and asked them if wild elks had blue 
 ribbons on their necks as his had, and he pulled 
 it from the hide which was lying near their wag- 
 ons. The girls had sewed it on the elk for him 
 not a week ago. He saw that the party was 
 such a miserable set that he could do nothing 
 with them, so he had to leave the place, as mad 
 as a w^et hen, and abandon his idea of ever bav- 
 in 2^ an elk team. 
 
 It was a rehef for the family to feel that they 
 could now go where they pleased without fear of 
 marauding bands of Indians. The winter cam- 
 paign had most effectually settled their propensi- 
 ties for murdering and scalping the settlers, so 
 both the girls and boys made trips to the neigh- 
 bors, and went on fishing excursions, or hunted 
 whenever they cared to. Even the wolves, 
 which had been such a terror to the whole 
 neighborhood, had been so successfully thinned 
 out in several " surrounds " by the men living on 
 the various creeks, that the raspberry patch was 
 no longer infested by them. 
 
 Kate and her sister went up there one morn- 
 ing, not expecting, of course, that the berries 
 would be ripe as early as April. As neither of 
 
THE STORY OF IS-AT)ILL-A 24 1 
 
 them had visited the place since Kate's capture, 
 and everything was now perfectly safe, they 
 thought they wouid like to go there again. 
 
 When they arrived at the well-remembered 
 ledge of rocks, Kate pointed out to Gertrude the 
 exact spot where she was standing when the 
 savages swooped down on her ; and they climbed 
 to the top where they were attacked by the 
 wolf. 
 
 They found the vines full of blossoms, promis- 
 ing a beautiful crop in June, and w^hile strolling 
 along the bank of the stream they suddenly came 
 upon a quail's nest in which twenty-five eggs 
 were just hatching out. As the quail runs the 
 moment it breaks from the shell, the girls deter- 
 mined to take the little ones home and bring 
 them up as they did their chickens. The old 
 birds made a terrible fuss. They would run a 
 short distance from the nest, and pretend to 
 be very lame ; apparently being hardly able 
 to move. They thus tried to induce the girls to 
 catch them — a ruse adopted by many other birds 
 when their young ones are in danger. But Kate 
 and Gertrude, who were well posted in the tricks 
 of animals and birds, paid no attention to the 
 
242 THE RANCHE ON THE OXHIDE 
 
 antics of the old quails, but were intent on catch- 
 ing all of the little ones they could. Even then 
 it was a hard job, for the baby quails run almost 
 as fast as the parents, and hide in the grass 
 where they He quiet until all danger is past. 
 They succeeded, however, in getting all but four 
 of them, and walked hurriedly back to Errolstrath 
 with the tender things in their aprons. 
 
 " If I didn't know they were quails," said Kate, 
 " I should think ' that they were young brown 
 Leghorn chickens. Did you ever see such a 
 resemblance, Gert ? " 
 
 " They do look exactly like the brown Leg- 
 horns, and do you know, Kate, that when I first 
 saw a brood of Leghorns, I thought they were 
 young quails." 
 
 " I expect we shall have little trouble in rais- 
 ing them, for Jenny Campbell had as many as 
 a dozen of them in her cellar all last summer. 
 Her brother caught them as we did these, in 
 the spring, just as they were coming out of 
 their shells. They will eat small grain like 
 chickens." 
 
 "Well, we won't keep them in our cellar," 
 said Gertrude; "we'll get Joe or Rob to build 
 
THE STORY OF IS-A-DILL-A 243 
 
 US a big cage out of lath, and then we can 
 make them as tame as the mocking-birds." 
 
 " Do you purpose to eat them ? " inquired Kate. 
 
 "Certainly; why not? Mamma and papa love 
 them broiled on toast, and so do I. I don't 
 expect to make such pets of them that when 
 the time comes to eat them, I shall think so 
 much of them that I can't do it; and you must 
 not either, Kate." 
 
 The girls arrived safely at the ranche with 
 their charge, and Joe being begged to make a 
 cage, set about it at once, and had it ready in 
 less than an hour. The birds were put in it, 
 and it was set on the veranda, where the little 
 things could get plenty of air and sunlight. 
 They picked up millet seed as readily as an 
 old chicken, when Gertrude threw in a handful 
 to them. In a few days they were contented 
 in their confinement and became very tame. 
 
 Kate and her sister intended to raise a great 
 many chickens this spring, and they set as 
 many as forty hens ; for their eggs and young 
 broilers brought a good price at the fort and 
 in the village. They had excellent luck at 
 hatching time, but as the little ones began to 
 
244 THE RANCHE ON THE OXHIDE 
 
 grow, when the girls counted them every morn- 
 ing they found their number decreasing day by 
 day. They could not divine the cause at first, so 
 Rob was set to watch, and discover, if he could, 
 what caused their disappearance. Some hens 
 that had fifteen or sixteen would come around 
 the yard next morning with only six or seven. 
 
 They had three cats : one named Dame Trot, 
 a pure tabby ; one called Mischief, a white and 
 gray; and Tortoise, because of her color. Tor- 
 toise had a litter of kittens which she kept 
 under the front porch. Joe had suspected that 
 the cats knew something of the disappearance 
 of the little birds, and told Rob to keep his 
 eyes on them. As he sat one evening on the 
 veranda he saw Tortoise suddenly spring from 
 behind a cherry tree and catch one of the 
 young Leghorns in her mouth and carry it to 
 her nest under the porch. Rob immediately 
 crawled there, and to his surprise found the 
 heads of more than twenty chickens. He ran 
 into the house and told of his discovery. His 
 father said that the cat must be killed at once; 
 for when a cat gets a taste for chickens, it is 
 impossible to break it of the habit, and Joe 
 
THE STORY OF IS-A-DILL-A 245 
 
 was commissioned to put the guilty Tortoise 
 out of the way. 
 
 Kate cried and was in great distress, for Tor- 
 toise was her cat, and she begged her father to 
 put off its death until to-morrow morning, when 
 she would go and spend the day with Jenny 
 Campbell. She could not bear to stay and see 
 her favorite cat killed. Her request was granted, 
 and Tortoise had a respite until morning, but 
 she was shut up in a box so that she could not 
 get any more of the chickens. 
 
 When morning came, Kate got Rob to saddle 
 Ginger, but before she started she begged Joe 
 to bury Tortoise in some out of the way place 
 where she would never find her grave. Joe 
 promised he would, and when his sister was out 
 of sight down the trail, he took the cat out of 
 her prison and went to the woodpile, and with 
 one stroke of the axe cut off her head. Then 
 he took her down into the woods and buried 
 her under a bunch of wild plum bushes, where 
 no one would ever see the grave. 
 
 After the death of Tortoise the chickens 
 throve admirably, and no more were ever missed 
 by reason of the cats having caught them. 
 
CHAPTER XVI 
 
 THE PAWNEES RETURN ANTELOPE HUNT WITH THE INDIANS — 
 
 JOE MISSES WHITE WOLF TALK OF A WILD HORSE HUNT 
 
 THE SAND-HILL CRANES — THEIR WEIRD COTILLION 
 
 The Pawnees camped on the Oxhide that 
 autumn earher than usual, as one of the boys of 
 the tribe had said they would. 
 
 The band arrived the first week in September, 
 and Joe was again in his element. He spent 
 every spare moment in the camp, but, much to 
 his reeret, learned that his old friend Yellow. 
 Calf was dead; he had died about a month 
 before of sheer wearing out. He was nearer 
 ninety than eighty, which he had given as his 
 age to Joe. One of the younger of the principal 
 men had been made chief in his place. He had 
 been with the band every season when they 
 camped on the creek, and also was a firm friend 
 to Joe, so the boy had lost nothing except the 
 presence of the old fellow who thought so much 
 
 of him. 
 
 246 
 
HUNTING WITH THE PAWNEES 247 
 
 One morning about the middle of April while 
 the Indians were still on the Oxhide, and Joe as 
 usual was in the camp, a warrior came in and 
 reported a large herd of antelope on the Smoky 
 Hill bottom ; he said there were at least eight 
 hundred of them. He proposed to Joe that 
 they should go after them, and the boy agreed 
 without any hesitation. 
 
 The chief told them they had better take about 
 half a dozen of the men w4th them ; for if the 
 antelope were out on the open prairie, they could 
 not get near enough to them without a great 
 deal of trouble. If they had some one to drive 
 the herd tow^ard them while they hid themselves 
 in the tall grass, they could entice a number 
 within range by using the usual strategy. 
 
 Joe and the Indian, whose name was the 
 White Wolf, started, taking with them seven men 
 of the band as drivers. When they got out into 
 the opening beyond the timber on the Oxhide, 
 they discovered the large herd unsuspiciously 
 grazing about two miles away. 
 
 The seven Indians were then ordered to make 
 a detour far beyond the animals, at least a mile 
 from the far side of them, while Joe and White 
 
248 THE RANCHE ON THE OXHIDE 
 
 Wolf secreted themselves in a large patch of 
 bunch-grass. This was out on the prairie about 
 a hundred rods distant from the timber, and was 
 pointed to by White Wolf so that his men would 
 understand exactly what was required of them. 
 
 Joe and the Indian who had remained behind 
 with him, then walked leisurely toward the 
 bunch of tall grass. They had plenty of time to 
 prepare themselves, as it would take at least an 
 hour before the Indians could get beyond the 
 herd to move it. 
 
 On the way to the prairie Joe had stopped at 
 the ranch, to borrow the Spencer carbine for 
 White Wolf, while he took his little Ballard rifle, 
 that was only good for about a hundred and fifty 
 yards, while the Spencer would carry a ball five 
 hundred. 
 
 They reached their hiding-place in plenty of 
 time, for they lay there fully fifteen minutes 
 before they saw a commotion among the ante- 
 lope. The herd were observed to raise their 
 heads as if they winded danger, and then making 
 a few of their characteristic stiff-legged bounds, 
 they stood alert as if preparing for flight. 
 
 Joe knew by this that the animals had been 
 
HUNTING WITH THE TAWNEES 249 
 
 startled by the Indians, though he could not see 
 a sign of one of them. 
 
 The herd at first ran as swiftly as they could 
 in an easterly direction, then they began to 
 slacken their pace, and a few, having recovered 
 their courage, commenced to nibble gingerly at 
 the short buffalo grass again. At this juncture 
 White Wolf tied a white rag around his head, 
 and, standing on his knees, began to sway his 
 body backward and forward with a steady oscil- 
 lating motion. Presently the antelope saw him, 
 and a few of them stopped short to gaze at the 
 strange object. 
 
 In a few moments four or five of the inquisi- 
 tive creatures moved slowly forward again, still 
 attracted by the swaying white figure of the sav- 
 age, which so excited their curiosity. Presently, 
 as they came closer and closer, Joe told Wliite 
 Wolf not to fire until they came within range of 
 his little gun. Soon the proper distance was 
 attained, and Joe, drawing up his piece, said : — 
 
 " Now, White Wolf, fire away ! " 
 
 Their pieces were discharged simultaneously; 
 it seemed like a single shot, so accurately had 
 the triggers been pulled together. Two of the 
 
250 THE Rc\NCHE ON THE OXHIDE 
 
 graceful creatures rolled over on their sides, one, 
 White Wolf's, instantly killed, while Joe's was 
 sprawling out, every limb quivering like an aspen 
 leaf. 
 
 Both hunters dropped their guns and started 
 out to cut the throats of their game. Joe was in 
 the act of placing his hand on the neck of the 
 one he had fired at, when, to his surprise, it 
 jumped to its feet and ran off to join its not far- 
 away companions, and the astonished boy never 
 saw it again ! 
 
 Which was the more surprised, the boy or the 
 antelope, it would be difficult to determine. He 
 turned to the savage, who was bewildered, too, 
 and asked him what in the world was the cause 
 of the animal's recovery after he had shot him. 
 
 " I aimed at his heart as he stood broadside 
 toward me," said Joe, "and I don't know what 
 it means." 
 
 " You only grazed him," answered White Wolf. 
 " We Indians often catch wild horses in that way, 
 when we can't get them in any other." Of 
 course, they conversed in the Pawnee tongue, 
 for the savasce did not understand a word of 
 English. 
 
HUNTING WITH THE PAWNEES 2$! 
 
 " Oh ! I know what you mean, White Wolf," 
 said Joe. " I just grazed his spinal cord with the 
 ball ; it paralyzed him for a moment, that's all. 
 Yellow Calf told me how the Pawnees used to 
 catch wild horses in that way, down on the Cim- 
 arron bottom, when the tribe lived on the Re- 
 publican River." 
 
 " I'm soon going down there with some of my 
 warriors. A Kaw brave told me the other day 
 that there are a good many wild horses there yet ; 
 will you go, too ? " asked White Wolf of his 
 young friend. 
 
 " I'll go if my father and mother are willing, 
 and I guess they will be," replied Joe. " I should 
 so like to see a herd of wild horses. I have seen 
 nearly all the other animals that live on the plains 
 and in the timber, but have never seen wild 
 horses, because they don't range as far east as 
 Oxhide Creek. There are lots of them in Ne- 
 braska though, farther north, Mr. Tucker says." 
 
 As the prairie was too level for the hunters to 
 hope to get near the antelope again, now that 
 they had discharged their pieces, and as the 
 other Indians were coming up to them, they 
 decided to go back. 
 
252 THE RANCHE ON THE OXHIDE 
 
 One of White Wolf's men packed the dead 
 antelope on his horse, and they all rode slowly 
 toward Errolstrath. When they arrived there, 
 White Wolf insisted that Joe take half of the 
 game. To this at first the boy did not agree, 
 but as the chief insisted so persistently, he finally 
 consented. So the antelope was divided fairly, 
 one portion was carried into the house, and the 
 other to the Indian camp down the creek. 
 
 At dinner Joe told his father that White Wolf 
 was going to the Cimarron bottom in a few days 
 to try to capture some wild horses which, so he 
 learned from one of his Kaw friends, were roam- 
 ing on the salt marshes of that region, and that 
 the chief wanted him to go with him. 
 
 Mr. Thompson said that he had not the slight- 
 est objection now that the war was over and there 
 was nothing to be feared from the savages, but 
 he told Joe that if any animals were captured, he 
 ouQiht to be entitled to a share. 
 
 " I have made that all right with White Wolf 
 already, father," said Joe. " He agrees to give me 
 as great a proportion as his other warriors are 
 entitled to. He hopes to capture at least one 
 apiece, as the Kaw who told him about the herd 
 
HUNTING WITH THE PA\\^^EES 253 
 
 said there were three or four hundred of them 
 down there." 
 
 As soon as dinner was over, Joe jumped on his 
 pony and loped off to the Indian camp to tell 
 White Wolf that he could go to hunt wild horses 
 with the band. 
 
 The chief said that he was glad of it, and 
 that they would start by the first of the week. 
 It was now Thursday, and that would give 
 them all plenty of time to make ready. He 
 told Joe that he would let him have a pony 
 out of his herd, so that he could save his own 
 the hard trip, for there would be severe work for 
 all the ponies. 
 
 Joe started back to the ranche, and when he 
 arrived at the foot of Haystack Mound, on the 
 side of it farthest from the corral, he saw a 
 squadron of sand-hill cranes circling around near 
 the ground, and as he knew they were going to 
 alight, he pulled up his pony. After turning 
 loose his animal, which he knew would run right 
 to the corral, he hid himself in the plum bushes 
 which grew all over the bottom, to watch the 
 strange antics of those curious birds. 
 
 They dance a regular cotillion when on the 
 
254 THE RANCHE ON THE OXHIDE 
 
 ground. They chassez backward and forward, 
 and waltz around, keeping time in a rude sort of 
 way as they go through the mazes of their weird 
 movements. 
 
 Presently they all came fluttering down, about 
 forty of them, and immediately began their 
 laughable capers. Joe had witnessed their per- 
 formance a hundred times, but he could never 
 resist looking at it again whenever the opportu- 
 nity offered. They danced for more than half an 
 hour, and then seeming to have enjoyed them- 
 selves sufficiently, they took flight, and soon were 
 but as a wreath of dark blue far up in the sky. 
 
 Joe returned to the house, and puttered around 
 until supper was ready. At the table he told 
 of his stopping at Haystack Mound to witness 
 the antics of a flock of cranes that had alighted 
 on the sand knoll near there, and said he could 
 sit and look at them all day. 
 
 Of course all the family had witnessed the 
 performance of the cranes often, for in the season 
 scarcely a day passed that a flock did not make 
 its appearance somewhere on the ranche. 
 
 Kate said, " I used to watch them on the 
 Canadian when I was in the Indian village, and 
 
HUNTING WITH IHE PAWNEES 255 
 
 they were about the only things that I laughed 
 at while there. After I had been there about 
 a month and had got pretty well acquainted, one 
 of the boys gave me a young crane for a pet. 
 He became so tame that he would follow me all 
 over the village. 
 
 " I kept him three months, when one morning, 
 as I was walking down to the river with him, 
 I saw him suddenly stop, put his head on one 
 side, look up at the sky, and running a few 
 steps, fly away. I watched him until he was 
 out of sight. It was a flock of his own species 
 that he had seen, and I did not even begin to 
 hear their croaking until he was far out of 
 sight." 
 
CHAPTER XVII 
 
 WILD HORSES JOE SLEEPS IN WHITE WOLF'S TENT CAMP 
 
 ON THE WALNUT — WOLVES AND LYNXES — KILL AN ELK — 
 
 THE CHASE CAPTURE OF THE BLACK STALLION — WHITE 
 
 wolf's SKILL BREAKING THE HORSES 
 
 The Pawnees remained on Oxhide Creek later 
 than usual this spring. As they wanted to go 
 on a hunt for the wild horses on the Cimarron 
 bottom, they had to wait until the grass grew 
 enough to furnish pasture for their own ponies 
 on the trip. 
 
 About the middle of April, White Wolf told 
 his warriors that he would start in a few days. 
 A runner was despatched to Errolstrath, to tell 
 Joe the band would leave in a short time, and 
 to be ready at a moment's notice. The runner 
 said that when White Wolf started he wanted 
 to be off very early in the morning, so as to 
 make the Arkansas the first night. 
 
 Joe, all anxious for the exciting trip, persuaded 
 
 his mother and sisters to bake up a lot of bread, 
 
 256 
 
CAPTURING WILD HORSES 257 
 
 and boil hard a couple of dozen eggs for him. 
 He told them that that would be all he wanted, 
 as they intended to depend upon the chase, 
 Indian fashion, for everything else; and as the 
 country they were going over was full of buffalo, 
 antelope, and elk, they would not suffer from 
 lack of food. 
 
 He cleaned his father's Spencer carbine, bought 
 a box of cartridges for it, and told Kate that 
 he intended to ride the roan which she got 
 from the Indians and had given to him. He 
 thought the animal was better than any the 
 Pawnees had in their herd, though White Wolf 
 had said that he could ride one of theirs. 
 
 The night of the third day after the runner 
 had come to tell Joe to get ready, another one 
 came to the ranche and said that White Wolf 
 and the warriors would start in the morning. 
 He told him that he had better come to the 
 camp with him, and stay there that night, so that 
 there would be no delay about getting off early 
 in the morning. So Joe got his things ready, 
 tied a couple of blankets to the cantle of his 
 saddle, his lariat to the horn ; slung his carbine 
 over his shoulder, and buckled his belt of car- 
 
258 THE RANCHE ON THE OXHIDE 
 
 tridges around his waist. He then bade good by 
 to the family, jumped on his pony, which he 
 had named Comanche, after the tribe which had 
 captured Kate, and rode with the runner who had 
 come for him, to the Pawnee camp a mile distant. 
 
 Arriving there, Joe found everything in con- 
 fusion. Some of the warriors were picketing 
 their riding animals near the tepees, allowing 
 the loose ponies to run at large, as they will 
 never leave the main bunch. Others were pack- 
 ing their wallets of par-fleche with dried meat 
 for the journey. White Wolf was sitting in the 
 door of his lodge, smoking his pipe and giving 
 general directions to his warriors. 
 
 At last everything was straightened out to 
 the satisfaction of the chief, and then all ad- 
 journed to their several tepees to make ready 
 their arms and ropes for the work that was to 
 be done when they reached the Cimarron. 
 
 Joe slept in the lodge of the chief that night, 
 and before the dawn was fairly upon the world, 
 the warriors were up, saddling their ponies, tak- 
 ing down their lodges, and packing their traps 
 on the backs of the animals designated for that 
 purpose. Then after a hastily swallowed break- 
 
CAPTURING WILD HORSES 259 
 
 fast of dried buffalo meat, at a signal from 
 White Wolf, the party mounted, and the caval- 
 cade rode southwest at a gentle lope, the pack 
 animals in front, in charge of two warriors. 
 
 Joe rode alongside of White Wolf in the 
 centre of the column, and they talked of the 
 probability of finding the herd of wild horses 
 on the salt marsh where they were going. 
 
 They pulled up about noon to graze their 
 animals and to have a smoke, which is the first 
 thing an Indian does when he halts: it is of 
 more importance to him than eating. 
 
 The Bie Bend where the Pawnees wished to 
 cross the Arkansas was seventy-two miles from 
 the Oxhide, near the famous Pawnee Rock, on 
 the old Santa Fe Trail. 
 
 When the sun was about two hours high, 
 they could see, three or four miles distant, the 
 white contour of the sand hills which border 
 the great silent, treeless stream, and the Indians 
 knew that their camping-ground was near. It 
 was to be in the timber at the mouth of the 
 Walnut, less than two miles from the spot where 
 thev would strike the Arkansas. 
 
 Before it had grown fairly dark, the heavy 
 
26o THE RANCHE ON THE OXHIDE 
 
 timber on the Walnut was reached, and the 
 party halted, turned their animals loose, took 
 another smoke, and then prepared for the night. 
 
 Around the camp-fire. White Wolf and sev- 
 eral of the oldest warriors told how that region 
 once belonged to their tribe. Their largest vil- 
 lage had been two hundred miles farther north, 
 on the Republican, and many times they had 
 come down to where they were now camped, 
 to hunt the buffalo, or steal horses from the 
 Cheyennes, their hereditary enemies. They told 
 how they were once a powerful nation, but the 
 white man had stolen their lands, and now, only 
 a small band, they were obliged to live on a 
 reservation set apart for them by the Govern- 
 ment. 
 
 It was a wild region where Joe now found 
 himself. All night long could be heard the cry 
 of the lynx, which sounded like that of an in- 
 fant. The wolves howled in the timbered re- 
 cesses of the creek, but Joe slept well, rolled up 
 in his blankets in the chief's lodge, and it was 
 morning before he thought he had been asleep 
 an hour. 
 
 At the first streak of dawn, the Indians were 
 
CAPTURING WILD HORSES 26 1 
 
 out. White Wolf said that the mouth of the 
 Walnut used to be a favorite place for elk. They 
 might still haunt the stream ; he would send out 
 some of his hunters, and perhaps they would 
 have elk for their breakfast. 
 
 He selected two of the warriors, who started 
 out on foot to see if they could find any game. 
 Joe, of course, accompanied them. They stalked 
 cautiously as only an Indian can — Joe had 
 mastered the art perfectly — along the bank of 
 the stream, not a stick breaking under their feet, 
 nor the sound of the rustle of a dead leaf being 
 heard, so quietly did they tread. 
 
 At last, arriving at a bend of the creek, where 
 the timber grows the thickest, the Indian in the 
 lead stopped abruptly, put his hand out behind 
 him, the sign for the others to halt, and taking 
 Joe's carbine from the boy's shoulder, got down 
 on his belly and crawled forward as noiselessly 
 as a snake. Suddenly he raised the gun, and 
 seeming to take a careless aim, pulled the trigger, 
 and immediately Joe and the other warrior saw 
 four elk rush past them, down the prairie, and 
 out of sight. 
 
 As he turned to Joe and the other warrior, 
 
262 THE RANCHE ON THE OXHIDE 
 
 tellinof them at the same time to come on, the 
 Indian who had fired said in his own language, 
 •* We'll have elk for breakfast now." 
 
 They followed him into the timber, and there, 
 not thirty yards from where he had stood when 
 he fired the carbine, was an elk, about two years 
 old, dead as a stone wall ! 
 
 The work of skinning the elk did not take 
 more than ten minutes, and it was cut up into 
 conveniently sized pieces, and each one of the 
 hunters packed his portion to camp, less than a 
 mile distant. 
 
 When they arrived they found the fire burning 
 briskly, for White Wolf and the other warriors 
 had heard the report of the gun, and they knew 
 that something in the shape of game had been 
 secured, for Mazakin and Trotter, the two Indians 
 whom the chief had sent out, were unfailing shots. 
 The meat was soon cut into slices, and each man 
 cut a twig fork upon which he stuck a slice, and 
 every one became a cook for himself. Joe pro- 
 duced a loaf of his bread, and with water alone 
 for drink they made an excellent meal. 
 
 When they had finished, the sun was just ris- 
 ing like a great molten ball out of the horizon 
 
CAPTURING WILD HORSES 263 
 
 of the far-stretching level prairie. The ponies, 
 standing ready, were mounted, and the party 
 moved out, crossed the Arkansas at Pawnee 
 Rock, and continued a southwesterly course all 
 day. 
 
 By sundown they arrived at the Cimarron, a 
 clear, babbling stream, where the water was a 
 little brackish, and which the Cheyennes call 
 Ho-to-oa-oa (Buffalo). 
 
 There were no trees at this part of the Cimar- 
 ron in those days, and they were obliged to pitch 
 their camp on the sandy bank of the river. The 
 grass was luxurious, and their animals fairly 
 revelled in it. They soon filled themselves and lay 
 down, as if they realized the hard work which 
 would be their portion for the next few days. 
 
 There were plenty of fish in the river, and as 
 Joe had thoughtfully brought some hooks and 
 lines, he and White Wolf with two of the other 
 warriors took dried buffalo meat for bait, and 
 soon caught all they wanted for their supper. 
 
 The next morning they broke camp at day- 
 break, and rode for a grove of timber just visible 
 in the far-distant western horizon, where White 
 Wolf said he believed they would find some wild 
 
264 THE RANCHE ON THE OXHIDE 
 
 horses. They always take shelter at night in 
 timber if any is to be found, and wander out on 
 the prairie in the morning to graze. 
 
 The party arrived at the grove by two o'clock, 
 and established their permanent camp, as they 
 saw the unmistakable signs that a herd of wild 
 horses made it their nightly rendezvous. Their 
 lodges were put up in the southern edge of the 
 grove, away from the trails of the animals. 
 
 The Indians kept very quiet all day, sitting in 
 the shadow of their lodges, smoking and talking. 
 They did not even build any fires, but contented 
 themselves with their dried buffalo meat and the 
 bread which Joe had brought, for fear of making 
 the slightest disturbance, and thus preventing the 
 wild horses from returning to their usual nightly 
 resting-place. Every once in a while, either 
 White Wolf himself or some of the other war- 
 riors would venture out of the timber and gaze 
 long and anxiously over the vast prairie, in hope 
 of seeing something of the bunch, which they 
 knew was grazing somewhere not many miles 
 away. Once the chief thought he saw in 
 the distance, moving objects which he took for 
 horses, for he was noted far beyond any other 
 
CAPTURING WILD HORSES 265 
 
 member of his band for his keen sio^ht. He was 
 right in his conjectures, for before half an hour had 
 passed from the time he had first riveted his atten- 
 tion, the bunch — for such it was — had swung 
 around, broadside to, and, approaching nearer 
 the timber, could be counted. There were over 
 forty animals, led by a magnificent black horse 
 which the chief said he would try to capture. 
 
 It was a beautiful sight, and Joe stood trans- 
 fixed as they kicked up their heels, and raced 
 after one another like a group of school children, 
 little suspecting that, before the sun went down 
 the next evening, many of them would be ridden 
 by the Indians who were now gazing at them so 
 covetously. 
 
 Night seemed to be very slow in coming to 
 the band of Pawnees, who smoked and smoked 
 incessantly, to pass the long hours before dark- 
 ness would invite the herd to seek its bed-o:round. 
 At last after dark, by the light of the crescent 
 moon, they saw the animals, led by the coal-black 
 stallion, cautiously walk into the timber about a 
 mile from the Pawnee camp. When the neighing 
 and pawing had ceased, the hunters wrapped 
 themselves in their blankets and buffalo robes. 
 
266 THE RANCHE ON THE OXHIDE 
 
 intending to be up before it was light, and sur- 
 prise the herd before it was ready to go out to 
 graze. 
 
 The ponies were securely picketed, saddles, 
 girths, and bridles examined, buffalo-hair lariats 
 overhauled, and all made ready for an early start 
 on the hard day's ride. 
 
 Long before the sun had showed the faintest 
 indication of his coming ; while the stars were 
 still shining brilliantly, the Indians and Joe were 
 up, and hastily breakfasting, or taking their matu- 
 tinal smoke. They then mounted their ponies, 
 and stealthily walked the animals in the direction 
 of the slumbering bunch of wild horses. 
 
 When they had arrived within a few hundred 
 yards of the place where the handsome creatures 
 were still unconsciously resting, one of the Indi- 
 ans and Joe, who was as good as the best man 
 among them, dismounted and crawled forward in 
 the brush to reconnoitre. They returned in a 
 few moments and reported to White Wolf that 
 all was quiet, not a single horse's ear had they 
 seen pricked up, so the animals had not as yet 
 been warned of danger. 
 
 White Wolf then gave his orders, makiner such 
 
CAPTURING WILD HORSES 26/ 
 
 disposition of his forces as would cause the herd 
 to be surrounded when the warriors had ap- 
 proached near enough to use their lassoes. So 
 quietly did the ponies do their duty, that when 
 the herd was awakened to hear and see their 
 enemies almost upon them, the lassoes of several 
 of the warriors had done their work. 
 
 As the others bounded away wdth astonishing 
 speed, out of the timber and over the prairie, a 
 spirited chase commenced. The Pawnees urged 
 their ponies to their greatest capacity, the manes 
 and tails of the wild horses in front were flying 
 wildly in the air, while their hoofs were beating 
 the hard sod, showing how tightly strung were 
 the muscles of the frightened animals. 
 
 The Pawnees were obviously gaining upon the 
 fugitives, quick-footed though they were. The 
 chief came up with the leader, the splendid black 
 stallion, and began to swing his lasso around his 
 head, gradually enlarging the circles by permit- 
 ting the rough buffalo-rope to slip gently through 
 his finorers. A sudden movement at the same 
 instant plunged the stallion into an increased 
 speed, when, White Wolf thumping the flanks of 
 his mettlesome pony, it dashed quickly forward, 
 
268 THE RANCHE ON THE OXHIDE 
 
 and the Pawnee threw his lariat with unerring 
 skill around the neck of the black horse. The 
 bunch was thrown into a panic, when the mem- 
 bers of it saw their leader tumble to the ground, 
 and wheeling round in their course, they were 
 completely surrounded by their pursuers. At 
 least ten were lassoed by the same number of 
 Pawnees, including Joe, who had long ago be- 
 come an expert with the rope. The remainder 
 of the bunch not yet caught were kept together 
 by the rest of the Indians, who were continually 
 circling around them, so that not one escaped, 
 and at the end of an hour the whole forty were 
 lassoed, and tied fast by the legs. Some fifteen 
 of them were not desirable animals, and these 
 were turned loose again. 
 
 The business of breaking them in began when 
 they had driven the remaining twenty-five to their 
 camp down on the farther edge of the grove. 
 The frightened animals, notwithstanding their 
 fetters of rawhide, kicked up the earth, shook 
 their heavy manes, cui-ved their necks, and, with 
 eyes that seemed all afire, gazed tremblingly at 
 their captors. 
 
 As White Wolf wanted the black stallion for 
 
CAPTURING WILD HORSES 269 
 
 his own riding, he began with him. It took four 
 of the stoutest Pawnees to hold the fiery creature 
 by a long lasso; this had the effect of partial 
 strangulation, which weakened and temporarily 
 overcame the wonderful power of the spirited 
 creature. Violent were his plunges as he tried 
 to free himself from the grasp of his captors. 
 His terrific leaps only served to draw the lariat 
 tighter around his neck ; his breathing became 
 more and more difiicult, and might have been 
 heard for the eighth of a mile. His heart beat as 
 if it would burst from his heaving chest, and his 
 veins stood out in great ridges along his quiver- 
 ing flesh. 
 
 At last, overwhelmed by his agony and fear, 
 powerless with suffocation, he fell, and for an 
 instant lay upon the ground without sense or 
 motion. The lariat was immediately loosened 
 around his neck, and as consciousness returned 
 to him, his already glazed eyes became bright 
 again, the fresh air dilated his nostrils, and his 
 tremendous chest rose and fell. 
 
 In ten minutes he was on his feet, but how 
 different he appeared from the magnificent ani- 
 mal which had stood in all his native pride and 
 
270 THE RANCHE ON THE OXHIDE 
 
 dignity at the head of his band. He was weak, 
 hardly able to stand, his great head drooped, and 
 his eyes were without that natural brilliancy 
 which had so markedly characterized them ; he 
 appeared only the ghost of his former self. Like 
 a monarch who had been dragged from his throne, 
 who has been scoffed at by those whom he had 
 previously despised, he was destined to become 
 the slave of man. 
 
 As soon as the horse somewhat recovered 
 from his exhaustion, he was mounted by White 
 Wolf, who kept his seat, notwithstanding the 
 animal's terrific efforts to throw him, and forced 
 him to run round and round in a circle. If for a 
 moment the horse showed the slightest mani- 
 festation of flagging or obstinacy. White Wolf 
 would give him an awful blow over the head with 
 his heavy buffalo-hair rope. Gradually he be- 
 came more passive, and in less than half an hour 
 from the time when the chief had mounted him, 
 he was declared broken, and was led away to be 
 picketed with the rest of the Indian ponies. 
 
 The remaining twenty-four horses were all sub- 
 jected to the same course of discipline ; some 
 giving up in a few moments, others as obstinate 
 
CAPTURING WILD HORSES 2/1 
 
 as was their leader. Before dark all had been 
 sufficiently subdued to suit a savage's idea of 
 gentleness, and the party went to bed that night 
 elated over their wonderful success. 
 
 The next morning they started for home, camp- 
 ing at the same place on the Walnut. From 
 there to the Oxhide, they made two night halts 
 instead of one, as on their outward trip. 
 
 Joe's share of the capture was three beautiful 
 ponies. Under the discipline of the kindness 
 which always prevailed at Errolstrath, these were 
 made in a few weeks almost as gentle as tame 
 horses. 
 
CHAPTER XVIII 
 
 THE LAST HERD OF BUFFALO THE STAMPEDE THE SOLDIERS 
 
 IN FULL CHASE JOE GETS TWO COWS — HAULING IN THE 
 
 MEAT RATTLESNAKES 
 
 The last big herd of buffalo ever seen In the 
 valley of the Oxhide visited their ancient feeding- 
 grounds during that same spring of 1869, when 
 Joe hunted wild horses on the Cimarron with the 
 Pawnees. One morning, shortly after his return 
 to Errolstrath, an immense number of the shaggy 
 ruminants came tearing across the Smoky Hill, 
 below the fort. They rushed up toward the 
 soldiers' barracks, and dashed wildly through 
 the post, over the parade-ground, and on toward 
 the Oxhide. 
 
 In a moment the whole garrison was in full 
 chase, enlisted men and officers, and a fusillade 
 ensued, which sounded at a distance like a gen- 
 eral engagement of troops. The firing was heard 
 on the Oxhide, and several of the Pawnees who 
 
 happened to be out on the highest bluffs saw the 
 
 272 
 
THE LAST HERD OF BUFFALO 2/3 
 
 herd coming. One of their number hurried to 
 their camp and notified the other warriors, who 
 immediately mounted their ponies and got ready 
 for the chase. Joe and Rob were hunting rabbits 
 with their hounds that morning on an elevated 
 plateau, and they, too, saw the cloud of dust raised 
 by the great herd, as it came thundering through 
 the Smoky Hill bottom. Forgetting all about 
 rabbits and 'everything else, they rushed to the 
 house for their guns. In a few moments they 
 joined the Indians, who were coming at a break- 
 neck gait toward the on-rushing mass. The 
 buffalo, wild with fear and excitement at their 
 proximity to the cabins of the settlers, were on a 
 general stampede. 
 
 When buffalo are stampeded, they become 
 absolutely blind, and rush without any aim into 
 anything that is in their path. Some of the 
 frightened beasts that now had reached Errol- 
 strath ranche, dashed through the front yard, 
 leaping over fences and gates as easily as a 
 o-reyhound. In their mad career they knocked 
 down the milk-pans, water-buckets, and other 
 thingrs that stood near the kitchen door. 
 
 Kate was standing on the wash-bench, trying 
 
2/4 THE RANCHE ON THE OXHIDE 
 
 to get a good look at the buffalo as they came 
 tearing along, and before she was aware of the 
 fact, she found herself sprawling on the ground. 
 An old bull that was separated from the rest of 
 the herd had come dashing round the corner of 
 the house, and striking the end of the bench with 
 his leg, sent Kate headlong. She picked herself 
 up unhurt, and rushed into the house, almost as 
 badly scared as when the Cheyennes had swooped 
 down on her. 
 
 She gathered her wits in a moment, and with 
 her mother and sister stood on the back ve- 
 randa, where they could all see the herd now far 
 up on the hills, and still running in their mad- 
 ness. The Indians, soldiers, and officers were 
 shooting at the frenzied beasts as they ran 
 among them, regardless of consequences. Now 
 and then they toppled one of the huge animals 
 over, but the white men in their excitement 
 missed oftener than they hit, while the Pawnees 
 rarely failed to bring down their game. 
 
 The party on the porch at Errolstrath watched 
 the herd and hunters until nothing but a cloud 
 of dust could be seen far in the distance, yet 
 the yelling of the Pawnees could still be faintly 
 
THE LAST HERD OF BUFFALO 275 
 
 heard long after the buffalo had vanished from 
 sight. 
 
 By noon, Indians and whites slowly retraced 
 their course down to the creek bottom, the Paw- 
 nees going to their camp, the soldiers to the fort, 
 and the boys, Joe and Rob, home. 
 
 " How many of the buffalo were killed after all 
 that terrible yelling and shooting ? " asked their 
 mother. 
 
 " Well, not nearly as many as ought to have 
 been," answered joe. " I never saw such a mixed- 
 up mess in all my life. Enough cartridges were 
 used to have killed five hundred, but the men 
 from the fort were as excited as the buffalo, and 
 they didn't hit an animal once in a hundred 
 shots, and then when they did, half the time the 
 ball struck them where it had no more effect 
 than if you had hit them with a stick ! 
 
 " The Pawnees killed more than all the others ; 
 they got twenty-five, and have gone to camp for 
 ponies to pack the meat on. I don't think that 
 fifty buffaloes were killed in all. I got two, both 
 of 'em cows, and I must take the wagon out and 
 haul 'em in. We will have enough meat to last us 
 a long while, but we shall have to smoke most of it." 
 
276 THE RANCHE ON THE OXHIDE 
 
 "• Where did the herd go ? " Inquired Kate. 
 
 " Most of the animals kept right on toward 
 the east, while some of them turned round and 
 travelled south. I suspect that the settlers on 
 Plum Creek flats will have a good time with 
 them, as a part of the herd that went south was 
 headed for there. I tell you," continued Joe, 
 "you've got to keep a clear head on your 
 shoulders when you go after buffalo. Most of 
 those fellows from Fort Marker are recruits, and 
 are fresh from the East ; they never saw a buffalo 
 before, and I don't wonder they were excited." 
 
 " I never saw so many rattlesnakes," said Rob, 
 " as I did on that big stony prairie where we 
 killed the majority of the buffalo. I guess I 
 counted fifty if I did one. I think that the 
 stamping of the buffalo must have frightened 
 them out of their holes." 
 
 " It's very lucky that the rattlesnakes out here 
 are not so venomous as those back East," said Mrs. 
 Thompson ; " more than twenty persons have 
 been bitten by them in the neighborhood since 
 we've lived here, and a little whiskey soon cures it." 
 
 " Do you remember, Gert," said Kate, " when 
 you nearly sat down on one that was curled up 
 
THE LAST HERD OF BUFFALO 2/7 
 
 on that stump you were going to take for a seat 
 in the woods last autumn, and he rattled just in 
 time ? " 
 
 " I guess I do," answered her sister. " There's 
 one thing I like about a rattlesnake : he always 
 gives you good warning that he is around. He 
 doesn't ever take you unawares, like some ani- 
 mals, a bull dog for instance, that says nothing, 
 and takes hold of you before you know it." 
 
 " Their skins make pretty belts and hatbands," 
 said Rob. " The cowboys on the big cattle 
 ranches kill hundreds of them while they are out 
 herding, and tan the skins to put around their 
 hats. I saw a whole set of jewelry that was 
 made out of the rattles and mounted with sfold 
 wire. One of the boys was going to send it to 
 Texas to his sister." 
 
 " Well, they may be odd," said Mrs. Thompson, 
 " but I certainly shouldn't like to wear them." 
 
 " I like the furs of animals better than any- 
 thing for ornament, either to wear or to have 
 in my room," said Kate. " I guess it would 
 make a city girl envious to see my chamber with 
 all its beautiful skins that Joe and Rob have 
 given me. One of these days I mean to have 
 
278 THE RANCHE ON THE OXHIDE 
 
 papa send some of those otter and beaver skins 
 to Kansas City, and get them made up into a cape 
 and muff." 
 
 " He will," said her mother. " I was telling 
 your father only the other day when we were up 
 in your room, that it was a pity so many magnifi- 
 cent skins should be tacked around the walls, and 
 lying on the floor, just for ornament, when there 
 are enough there to make us all a set of winter 
 furs. He said he would send them off in a few 
 days, so I think you will have your wish gratified 
 before long." 
 
 The boys were sent with the wagon to bring 
 back the meat of the two cows that Joe had 
 killed, and about noon they returned. The 
 robes were very fine ones. Joe asked the Paw- 
 nees to tan them for him, and when they were 
 finished, which would be in about a week, he 
 intended to make them a present to his father 
 and mother for their bedroom. 
 
 The buffalo meat was cut up that evening, by 
 Mr. Thompson, and on the next day was smoked 
 with corn-cobs, which are always used for that 
 purpose out West. 
 
 While getting the meat ready, Mr. Thompson 
 
THE LAST HERD OF BUFFALO 2/9 
 
 told the boys that he wouldn't be at all surprised 
 if, when they wanted buffalo again, they would 
 have to go miles away for them, as the country 
 was becoming so thickly settled that the herds 
 might never come as far east as the Oxhide. 
 " Of course," continued he, " the antelope will 
 remain with us a long time yet, but even they 
 will become scarcer each year, and then they, 
 too, will disappear, for it seems that the great 
 ruminants of the plains cannot live with the 
 white man as they can with the savages. The 
 latter have no permanent home, but congregate 
 in temporary villages in the winter, and as soon 
 as spring opens, they are off again, living on 
 horseback and depending upon the chase for 
 their existence. It has ever been so with the 
 Indian since the landing of the Pilgrims, in 
 1620. The white man has dogged their footsteps 
 as they themselves follow the deer. One of the 
 facetious old bishops of New England, I forgot 
 his name now, said : ' The Puritans, when they 
 landed on Plymouth Rock, first fell upon their 
 knees, and then upon the aboriginees ! ' It ap- 
 pears to be the fate of the red men to vanish 
 before the onward march of the whites." 
 
28o THE RANCHE ON THE OXHIDE 
 
 " I feel sorry for the Indians, father," said Joe. 
 " I tell you it would have made you almost 
 weep to hear White Wolf, that night we camped 
 on the Walnut, relate in his sorrowful manner 
 how powerful his tribe once was, before the white 
 man took their lands away from them." 
 
 " I have a warm spot in my heart for the 
 Indian," said Mr. Thompson, " but it is their fate, 
 I suppose, and cannot be helped. You cannot 
 civilize the old ones, and the only hope is in 
 taking the rising generation away from their 
 tribal affiliations when young, and teaching them 
 to live like the whites." 
 
CHAPTER XIX 
 
 THE INDIAN HORSE-RACE — KATE's PONY WINS — THE TRADE WITH 
 
 THE PAWNEES THE DANCES AT NIGHT THE INDIANS SAY 
 
 GOOD BY TO THE FAMILY — NOBLE ACTION OF WHITE WOLF 
 
 The Pawnees having remained on the Oxhide 
 much longer than in any previous season, they 
 began to make preparations for departure. Joe 
 asked the chief to give a dance with his warriors 
 at the ranche, for his parents and his sisters to 
 see how the Indians enjoy themselves. 
 
 White Wolf said he would be sure to do so 
 the night before they left. To-morrow, they were 
 going to have a horse-race, and, should his father 
 be willing, they would use that long, level stretch 
 of prairie between the house and the creek. It 
 was a distance of about four miles, the usual 
 length of a race-course with the Indians. 
 
 White Wolf said that the wag^ers would be ten 
 
 horses, and that if Young Panther wanted to bet, 
 
 he would make one with him. Joe replied that 
 
 neither he nor his father approved of betting, but 
 
 281 
 
282 THE RANCHE ON THE OXHIDE 
 
 that both of them dearly loved to see horses run. 
 " If I believed in betting, though," said Joe to the 
 chief, '' I would bet that my sister's pony, Ginger, 
 can outrun any pony you have." The chief 
 smiled, and told Joe that if he would not bet, he 
 might ride that pony in the race, and if he came 
 out ahead, then he would know whether his sis- 
 ter's animal was the fastest. Joe agreed to it, 
 and when he returned to Errolstrath he obtained 
 Kate's permission to ride Ginger in the race the 
 following day. Mr. Thompson had readily given 
 his consent to the Indians to use the trail in 
 front of the house as a race-course. 
 
 Joe went down to the camp that evening and 
 told the warriors that they might have the use of 
 the course. White Wolf then said : " We will 
 be up there by the time the sun is so high," 
 pointing with his hand to where the sun would 
 be at eight o'clock. 
 
 " All right," replied Joe ; " we will be ready for 
 you. The folks can sit on the porch and see the 
 whole length of the course. Be sure to come 
 promptly." 
 
 When Joe returned to the ranche, he an- 
 nounced that he wanted to get up very early in 
 
THE INDIAN HORSE-RACE 283 
 
 the morning, and as Rob was always the first one 
 in the house out of bed, he asked him to call him 
 the moment he awoke. 
 
 Rob, as usual, \vas out before sunrise. He 
 promptly called his brother, who lost no time in 
 dressing, washing at the spring, and going out 
 to the pasture to catch Ginger. He led him to 
 the corral, gave him a most vigorous currying, 
 after which he fed the pony an extra ration of 
 oats, to give him heart for the race. 
 
 Shortly after breakfast was out of the way, 
 Kate, who was on the veranda, feeding the mock- 
 ing-birds, came rushing into the sitting-room, 
 crying, " The Pawnees are coming ; I can hear 
 their tom-toms beating; they will soon be here ! " 
 
 All the family went out, and sure enough, 
 there were the Indians all dressed up in feathers, 
 and painted in every imaginable savage manner. 
 White Wolf had a row of white dots on one 
 cheek, flanked on each side by a streak of ver- 
 milion, while the other was green and blue. He 
 had on a war bonnet with eagle feathers sticking 
 in it around the upper edge, making it look like 
 a grotesque crown. Down his back dragged 
 a long trail of buffalo hair plaited into his own, 
 
284 THE RANCHE ON THE OXHIDE 
 
 and at every few inches for Its whole length (it 
 reached the ground when he walked) there were 
 fastened bright metal disks nearly as big as the 
 top of a tomato can. Around his wrists were 
 a dozen or more brass rings, and on his bare 
 ankles he wore as many rings of the same mate- 
 rial. He had an embroidered buffalo robe 
 thrown gracefully over his shoulders, half con- 
 cealing his coat of beaded buckskin. His leg- 
 gings were of the same stuff, and were also gayly 
 decorated with colored porcupine quills deftly 
 woven in them. The other warriors were simi- 
 larly dressed and painted, but wore only one 
 eagle feather in their bonnets, which was the 
 distinguishing feature between them and their 
 chief. 
 
 Following the warriors were the boys of the 
 band, each riding a pony, and leading others 
 which had been wagered on the race. 
 
 The race animals were ridden by their owners, 
 and came after all the others ; among them was 
 the wild coal-black stallion that White Wolf had 
 captured on the Cimarron. He looked like him- 
 self now, as he proudly pranced along, his mouth 
 frothing as he champed on his rawhide bit, and 
 
THE INDIAN HORSE-RACE 285 
 
 his neck arched as he stepped like a thorough- 
 bred over buffalo-grass turf leading to the house. 
 
 Several of the warriors had tom-toms in front 
 of them, which they were beating vigorously with 
 a stick as they rode proudly along. The tom- 
 toms, or drums, are made of tanned buffalo hide 
 stretched over a willow hoop, and the sound 
 resembles that of a drum, but as the pounding 
 is simply a continuous series of strokes without 
 any variation, it is not music, but a very mo- 
 notonous noise. 
 
 When the band had arrived at the house the 
 Indians dismounted, and after a series of " Hows?" 
 — their customary salutation — to the family on 
 the veranda, they dismounted and began to con- 
 verse among themselves in an excited manner. 
 Presently one of the warriors started on a run 
 toward the creek. He soon returned with some 
 sticks, and then he and another warrior began to 
 mark out the course. 
 
 This took them some time, and while they 
 were at the work, the boys who were to ride the 
 race began to cinch up their buffalo-hide sad- 
 dles, and prepare themselves for the impending 
 struggle. 
 
286 THE RANCH E ON THE OXHIDE 
 
 Joe was already prancing about on Ginger, 
 and he could hardly hold the spirited little 
 beast, so anxious was it to be off, as if it per- 
 fectly understood the meaning of all the prepa- 
 rations. The Indian ponies, too, seemed to 
 enter into the spirit of the thing, for they also 
 commenced to cavort around, and it was with 
 much difficulty that their riders could restrain 
 them from bolting down the track. 
 
 At last everything was in readiness, the ani- 
 mals in place, Joe on the outside of the four 
 who were to run. The animals were all jump- 
 ing up and down, stiff-legged, and bucking with 
 all their strength to throw their riders. 
 
 In a few moments White Wolf gave the 
 signal, and away they darted like meteors. Gin- 
 ger kept his place well, the black stallion lead- 
 ing for the first half-mile until a big roan of 
 one of the warriors took the lead ; then Ginger 
 made a dash ahead. For a moment it was nip 
 and tuck which would keep the lead, but when 
 the second mile was half run, the animals began 
 to show their powers of endurance. Some 
 flagged, others were far behind, and Ginger 
 and the roan were going relatively slower; 
 
THE INDIAN HORSE-RACE 28/ 
 
 when all at once, just as the home stretch was 
 reached, Ginger took a spurt and seeming to 
 gain his second wdnd, like a pugilist in the 
 ring, came in forty feet in advance of the roan, 
 the black stallion twenty feet behind him. The 
 other ponies were so far away, that if they had 
 been running on a white man's course they 
 would have been declared " distanced." 
 
 Such a shout went up from the veranda of 
 the house, where the family were sitting, as 
 they saw Ginger dash ahead, and Joe caught 
 the sound of it as the wind w^afted the paean of 
 victory to his ears. 
 
 White Wolf w^as disappointed in the result. 
 He thought that his black horse had great 
 powders of endurance, and as soon as they were 
 assembled in front of the veranda, he offered 
 Kate five of the best and youngest of his 
 horses in exchange for Ginger. Kate hesitated 
 for a moment, but considering that Ginger w^as 
 now nearly eight years old, and after consulting 
 wath her father and Joe, she decided to make 
 the swap. 
 
 As the chief owned the roan that had really 
 w^on the race, — Ginger being a mere outsider 
 
288 THE RANCHE ON THE OXHIDE 
 
 just to test Joe's belief that he was the fastest 
 animal, — White Wolf was, in fact, the winner, 
 and took the ten ponies that were wagered. 
 
 With the assistance of her father and brothers, 
 Kate selected five of the best and youngest of 
 the chief's bunch, including the roan. The In- 
 dians then returned to their camp, promising 
 to come up that evening and give a series of 
 dances, as they intended to start for their res- 
 ervation the next morning. 
 
 After they had left the front of the house, 
 and Joe had taken the five new ponies to the 
 corral, he told Kate that he would now let her 
 have Cheyenne back, and he would take the 
 roan, as the latter was too large a horse for her 
 to ride. Kate agreed readily to the proposition, 
 so she once more owned the little animal that had 
 brought her so safely from the Indian village. 
 
 When the family had finished their supper, 
 Joe and Rob, with a team of work horses, 
 drao:Q:ed several laro^e 1oq:s from the creek to 
 the front of the house to make a big bonfire, 
 for the Pawnee dance. 
 
 Shortly after dark the redskins came up 
 with their best toggery on, and when Joe, who 
 
THE INDIAN HORSE-RACE 289 
 
 had donned his Indian suit for the occasion, 
 told White Wolf he was ready, the Indians 
 commenced to circle around the Qrreat fire of 
 logs, in their savage fashion. Some of them 
 jumped stiff-legged like an antelope when he 
 is first startled. Others, bending nearly double, 
 shuffled in pairs, each one on his own hook, try- 
 ing to see which could make the most ridicu- 
 lous postures, for they have no regular figures, 
 but keep admirable time to the drumming on 
 the tom-toms. 
 
 When the first dance was finished, they gave 
 a representation of the scalp dance. The chief 
 crept along the ground, putting his ear close to 
 it, in the attitude of listening on the trail of the 
 enemy, then waving his hand for his warriors to 
 come on, they rushed into a supposed Indian 
 camp, and went through the simulation of killing 
 their victim, and wrenching off his hair with their 
 knives. The motions, v/hich at times were really 
 graceful, were carried on in perfect unison with 
 the monotonous pounding of the drums. 
 
 The next dance was named " Make tlie buffalo 
 come." The medicine-men, who claim to possess 
 mysterious powers, tell the warriors to dance, for 
 
290 THE RANCHE ON THE OXHIDE 
 
 that will make the buffalo come, and then they 
 can get their meat. The crafty old fellows are 
 sure never to order the dance until about the 
 season that the animals come to that part of tlie 
 country where the tribe may happen to be. They 
 are kept dancing night after night until the buf- 
 falo really make their appearance, then the medi- 
 cine-men claim that they brought them by their 
 incantations and the wonderful power of their 
 medicine. 
 
 For this dance. White Wolf's warriors and him- 
 self covered their heads with the skin of a buf- 
 falo's head, horns and all, so that they looked like 
 a lot of men with the heads of that animal as part 
 of their anatomy. It was a long dance, and dur- 
 ing its performance, the most indescribable antics 
 were gone through. 
 
 The family were well pleased with the enter- 
 tainment, and when it was over, Mrs. Thompson 
 invited the Indians into the sitting-room, where 
 the girls had prepared a little supper for them, 
 consistino- of cake and lemonade. The latter was 
 new, and created quite a sensation, but Joe told 
 them it was not fire-water, and they might drink 
 a barrel full without becoming crazy. 
 
THE INDIAN HORSE-RACE 29 1 
 
 At midnight when the dances and the supper 
 were over, the Pawnees rode back to their camp, 
 delighted with their evening's entertainment. 
 
 The next morning Joe was down at the Indian 
 camp very early to see his dusky friends make 
 ready for their departure. The chief told him 
 that they had camped on the Oxhide for the last 
 time; the whites had taken up all the country, 
 and the buffalo would come there no more. 
 Now when they needed buffalo meat, they would 
 be obliged to go out as far as the Walnut, and in 
 a few more years there would be no buffalo at 
 all. His people would have to take the " white 
 man's road" if they expected to live. He and 
 the other warriors made their youthful friend 
 some presents, and told him that they had to go 
 by the house to take the trail down the Smoky 
 Hill Fork to their distant home. He said that 
 they would stop a moment at the ranche to say 
 good by to all the people who had been so kind 
 to him and the tribe every year since they had 
 camped on the creek. 
 
 Joe returned to Errolstrath, feeling very sad, 
 because he had become much attached to the 
 Indians, and he knew that he would miss them 
 
292 THE RANCHE ON THE OXHIDE 
 
 SO much, and feel lonely for a long time. He 
 told the family that the Pawnees would come 
 soon to say farewell, and that they must be sure 
 to be out on the veranda when they came. 
 
 By nine o'clock, Kate, whose ears were well 
 trained to faint sounds, through her vigilance 
 when a captive in the Cheyenne camp, came into 
 the house from the porch where she had been 
 attending to her birds as usual, and said the 
 Pawnees were coming ; she could hear the tread 
 of their ponies' hoofs. 
 
 Then the family took their places on the ve- 
 randa, as they had promised Joe. Presently, 
 slowly coming up the trail, with White Wolf in 
 the lead, the band of Pawnees were seen approach- 
 ing the house. Arrived in front, they all halted, 
 and with their usual "How.f^ How.^*" saluted the 
 family. 
 
 All came down from the porch to shake hands, 
 when Ginger, who with the other ponies was run- 
 ning loose in the bunch, came up to Kate and, 
 neighing affectionately, began to rub his nose 
 against her arm and shoulder. The salutation 
 of her once favorite pony was too much for the 
 warm-hearted girl, and she burst into tears as 
 
THE INDIAN HORSE-RACE 293 
 
 she returned the animal's love for her by throw- 
 ing her arms around his neck. 
 
 " Oh, father ! " said she, " why did I ever con- 
 sent to part with Ginger ? I am so sorry now. 
 I would give worlds to have him back again." 
 
 White Wolf, noticing her weeping, asked in 
 his own language why the little squaw was feel- 
 ing so badly. Joe told him how she loved 
 Ginger and how sorry she was she had ever con- 
 sented to give him up. 
 
 White Wolf then said : " Tell her she shall have 
 her pony again. I am a chief and do not like 
 to see the white squaws cry." He dismounted 
 from his animal, and going up to Kate, took Gin- 
 ger's foretop in his hand ; then taking hers, he 
 pressed into it the bunch of hair. 
 
 Ginger neighed when the rude ceremony of 
 returning him to his former mistress was over, 
 seeming to understand just what had been 
 effected. 
 
 Kate took the chief by the hand and thanked 
 him as earnestly as she could find language to 
 express herself, which, of course, had to be inter- 
 preted by Joe. 
 
 Then Rob brought from the stable the five 
 
294 THE RANCHE ON THE OXHIDE 
 
 other ponies that had been given for Ginger, and 
 after a few more parting salutations the Pawnees 
 rode down the trail. 
 
 Ginger was restored to his stall in the stable, 
 and Kate was the happiest girl in the settlement 
 that day. 
 
CHAPTER XX 
 
 CO>:CLUSION 
 
 RETROSPECTIVE — THE OLD TRAPPER PASSES AWAY — MR. AND 
 
 MRS. THOMPSON ARE DEAD GENERAL CUSTER AND COLONEL 
 
 KEOGH ARE KILLED ERROLSTRATH BELONGS TO JOE AND 
 
 ROB 
 
 Twenty-nine years have elapsed since the 
 events related in this story. The Indians, buf- 
 falo, and antelope have all disappeared. There 
 is no longer any frontier. Granite monuments 
 mark the dividing line between great states. 
 The children of this generation will never know 
 l^y experience the hardships, the perils, and the 
 amusements which so conspicuously character- 
 ized the life of Joe, Rob, Gertrude, and Kate at 
 Errolstrath. 
 
 General Custer, Colonel Keogh, and nearly all 
 of the famous cavalry regiment commanded by 
 the great Indian fighter went down to their 
 death in the awful massacre at the battle of the 
 
 295 
 
296 THE RANCHE ON THE OXHIDE 
 
 Little Bighorn, or Rosebud, as it is sometimes 
 called. 
 
 The old trapper, Mr. Tucker, who was such a 
 warm friend of the family, has long since passed 
 away. Mr. and Mrs. Thompson are buried in 
 the quiet cemetery on the hill, near the ranche. 
 Kate and her sister have been married for many 
 years and still live in Kansas, but not at the dear 
 old home. Errolstrath belongs to Joe and Rob. 
 It is now a large ranche, comprising many thou- 
 sand acres. Where the buffalo and the antelope 
 used to roam in such vast herds are to be seen, 
 peacefully grazing, hundreds of mild-eyed Jerseys 
 and the broad-backed Durhams. A new house 
 with all modern improvements has been erected 
 on the site of the old one. On its broad ve- 
 randa may be seen every evening in summer the 
 children of the two brothers, to whom, as the 
 shadows lengthen, they tell of their own early 
 experiences when they too were children and 
 when the ranche was far out in the wilderness of 
 the great central plains. 
 
 The shrill whistle of the locomotive may be 
 heard at the ranche as the palace trains with their 
 load of living freight dash along the bank of the 
 
CONCLUSION 297 
 
 Smoky Hill, toward the Rocky INIoiintains. 
 Ellsworth has grown to be a beautiful town w^ith 
 electric lights and all the appliances of our won- 
 derful nineteenth century civilization. 
 
 The moon shines as brightly and the birds 
 sing as sweetly as of yore around Errolstrath, but 
 of all the familiar faces that knew it so many 
 years ago, only those of Joe and Rob may be 
 seen. Even they are bearded, their hair is 
 slightly mixed wdth gray. They are growing 
 old ; but the laughter of their merry children 
 serves to keep green the memory of their own 
 happy childhood. 
 
i'HE OLD SANTA FE TRAIL. 
 
 BY 
 
 COLONEL HENRY INMAN. 
 8vo. Cloth. $3.50. 
 
 .;:ace by Ccl. W. F. Cody (Buffalo Bill). Eight full-page repro- 
 .•lu^li.ns in photogravure of Illustrations by Frederic Reming- 
 ICN. Initials, Tailpieces, etc., in the text, comprising portraits 
 ci Luiujus Indians, scouts, trappers, etc., points of special inter- 
 tit en the Trail, etc. 
 
 PRESS COMMENTS. 
 
 From the New York Tribune : 
 
 ^ " Colonel Innian's recollections cover a period of more than thirty years 
 i- or events of the earlier part of the century he has been able to draw upon 
 reminiscences of comrades who had themselves participated in them. Hence 
 hi:i book is authentic in its data, and presents a picture of the Old Santa Fe 
 irail which lacks nothing of verisimilitude and burning color. He has, too a 
 straightforward and persuasive style. No better historian of his subject could 
 have been chosen. . . . Starting out to write a history of the Santa Fe Trail 
 from just before the time in the early twenties when wagon trains took the place 
 of pack mules. Colonel Inman tries to be historical and consecutive, but he soon 
 yields to the temptation to drop into plainsman's yarns, and to write as though 
 he were amusing the listeners around a camp-fire. It is not in the least to his 
 discredit_ Ihe book is better for its informality. . . The main point is that 
 Colonel Inman is unfailingly graphic and stirring, that he revives indubitable 
 pictures ol the old trail that is now no more than a memory, and he brings once 
 more upon the scene the Indians and Indian fighters, the red warriors and white 
 captives, the picturesque old stage coaches, the scouts, trappers, teamsters, mur- 
 derers and other desperadoes who belong to the romantic era of our history, 
 for that and for the excellent illustrations to his story let us be thankful." 
 
 Mrs. Lilian Whiting in The Inter-Ocean, Chicago: 
 
 " That truth is stranger than fiction is attested by the extraordinary develop- 
 ments of that new book by Colonel Henry Inman, ' The Old Santa Fe Trail ' 
 giving the story of a great highway. Here is a detective romance, a sensational 
 novel, a story as startling in its developments as is Irving's play ' The Lyons 
 1 J u'- ^u" ^^* ^ P^''^ °^ ^^^ history of our own country. . . . The story of this 
 old highway is a chapter in American history of the most romantic interest. 
 Ihe contrast of the life in the decade of 1830-40 to that of 1800-igoo in our 
 country is something beyond imagination." 
 
 THE MACMILLAN COMPANY, 
 66 Fifth Avenue, New York. 
 
" A record which even the * novels of incident ' could scarcely sur- 
 pass." — The Review of Reviews. 
 
 THE GENERAL MANAGER'S 
 STORY. 
 
 BY 
 
 HERBERT E. HAMBLEN, 
 
 Author of " Oh Many Seas." 
 
 i2mo. Cloth. $1.50. 
 
 The narrative of a personal experience of fifteen years as 
 railroad brakeman, fireman, and engineer. Telling of ad- 
 ventures, of narrow escapes, of brave, quick-witted courage 
 in danger, and of quiet work at the furnace or lever, uncon- 
 scious of the lives depending on it. 
 
 The history of a strike is in the book also ; in short, it 
 is a vivid picture of an actual life spent in railroad work, 
 and it is told with the author's well-known dramatic force 
 and characteristic speech. 
 
 It is as absorbing as any novel of adventure, and the illus- 
 trations are equally interesting, since the artist lived among 
 railroad men until he could catch precisely the group needed 
 for the story told. He made hundreds of sketches, and the 
 details of his finished pictures can always be relied upon. 
 
 THE MACMILLAN COMPANY, 
 66 Fifth Avenue, New York. 
 
ON MANY SEAS. 
 
 THE LIFE AND EXPLOITS OF A YANKEE SAILOR. 
 
 BY 
 
 HERBERT ELLIOTT HAMBLEN. 
 
 EDITED BV HIS FRIEND 
 
 WILLIAM STONE BOOTH. 
 i2mo. Cloth. $1.50. 
 
 COMMENTS OF THE PRESS. 
 
 " Every line of this hits the mark, and to anyone who 
 knows the forecastle and its types the picture appeals with 
 the urgency of old familiar things. All through his four 
 hundred and more pages he is equally unaffected and 
 forcible, equally picturesque. To go through one chapter 
 is to pass with lively anticipation to the next. His book 
 is destined to be remembered."— A'^2£/ York Tribune. 
 
 "The book reads like a romance, but is at the same 
 time realistic history, before w^iich the fancy ships and the 
 fancy sailors of the novelist are pale and faded." 
 
 — Baliiniore Sun. 
 
 "The charm of the book is its simpHcity and truth. 
 The author, as I happen to know, can spin thrilling yarns 
 by the hour, and this book of his is simply one long yarn 
 of his life. A seaman every inch of him, he writes as 
 only a sailor can. No landsman, no amateur yachtsman, 
 could write a book like this. The entire book bears the 
 stamp of truth, and in this age of literary shams that is a 
 crowning merit." — New York Herald. 
 
 THE MACMILLAN COMPANY, 
 66 Fifth Avenue, New York. 
 
YANKEE SHIPS AND YANKEE 
 SAILORS: Tales of J 8 12. 
 
 BY 
 
 JAMES BARNES, 
 
 Author of "Naval Engagements of the War of 1812." 
 "A Loyal Traitor," "For King and Country," etc. 
 
 With Numerous Illustrations by R. P. ZOGBAUM and 
 CARLTON T. CHAPMAN. 
 
 Crown 8vo. Cloth, gilt top. $1.50. 
 
 COMMENTS. 
 
 " There are passages in this book which are as strong 
 and captivating as the work of the best writers of the 
 day ; to mariners and those who love the sea and ships 
 these tales will appeal irresistibly. 
 
 " Each story is a gem by itself. It is told with a direct- 
 ness and a strength which carries conviction. All are 
 based upon actual occurrences, Mr. Barnes tells us, and 
 while some of the incidents related may come under the 
 head of tradition, yet most of them are historical facts, and 
 he has worked up each tale so cleverly, so compactly, so 
 entertainingly, that they may, one and all, be taken for 
 models of their kind." — Seaboard. 
 
 '■' Good stories well told are those of ' Yankee Ships and 
 Yankee Sailors.' They deal with the gallant defenders of 
 such vessels as the Chesapeake, the Vixen, the fiery little 
 Muisp, and grand ' Old Ironsuies.'' All the stories are 
 told in a spirited style that will quicken the blood and the 
 love of country in every Yankee heart." 
 
 — JVew England Magazine. 
 
 THE MACMILLAN COMPANY, 
 
 66 Fifth Avenue, New York. 
 2 
 
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 THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LIBRARY