From his manner the animal before it fell into our possession was the property of a prominent personage in the Cheyenne village. With the merits of the pony he seemed to be familiar; and asking to "swap" was the Indian fashion of asking "what will you take." As I had already learned to appreciate the value of the pony the Indian discovered that it was “no swap,” and went off.

Some of the warriors as the column was passing occupied themselves in trying to count the soldiers, but their primitive system of calculation was totally inadequate, so that in order to express our force one chief told another in the presence of the interpreter that he had tried to count the soldiers, and after keeping on for a long time, thinking the end would soon come, he got tired, and when he stopped he was not half done.

During the same day the column drew in sight of the Wichita mountains, at a distance of between forty and fifty miles The range resembled a dense black cloud upon the heavens. The fogs gathered about the summits of the peaks gave a peculiar and an ever-changing outline to the higher elevations, at times resembling broad table lands supported by innumerable columns, and again huge boulders rising high into the air. Perfect spires at times shot up into the heavens, which again changed to craggy cliffs.

Our last day's march before reaching Fort Cobb brought us into an extensive open country, presenting the most enlarged and fertile valleys we had yet encountered. The country now exhibited a material change for the better. The luxuriant grasses which covered the soil far and wide presented an unmistakable argument that at no distant time that entire country would be converted into vast pasture lands. At noon, while the animals, very much exhausted by the soft and slippery condition of the surface, owing to a heavy thaw, were moving ahead at a slow and laborious gait, one of the Indian captives pointed out the site of Fort Cobb by a lone tree which stood upon a hill at a distance of at least ten miles. This piece of information was decidedly gratifying. For two days before we

had anticipated camping at Fort Cobb the same night. The country was entirely new to every one attached to the command, and therefore from day to day we only had to move ahead and trust to the chances of making our destination sometime before our thirty days' supplies were out.

Our proximity to Fort Cobb was communicated to the commanding officer at that point by an officer and escort who camped with us the night before our arrival, and preceded us on the following morning.

The same afternoon, about three o'clock, the advance being a mile from the post, General Hazen, and Captain Rife, sixth infantry, met the column, and with the General and officers exchanged the warmest greetings. The troops poured over the hill, and descending into the valley went into camp on Pond creek, about half a mile from the post.

The physical features of the valley of the Washita, for a distance of over a hundred miles, followed by the column, presented altogether the finest section we had met with during the entire campaign up to that time. The soil in the bed of the valley was a rich black loom, producing a luxuriant growth of grass frequently six feet in height. In descending the stream the arable soil of the valley widened, and the adjacent country had a less sterile appearance. Everywhere along the stream there was an abundance of wood, cotton-wood, burr oak, élm, black walnut, ash, hackberry, box elder, Osage orange, and some locust. In the cañons, away from the river, quantities of cedar were met with.

The main stream we found fed by numerous tributaries, in many of which the water was of excellent quality, while again others were strongly impregnated with alkaline matter. The hills for miles away from the river grew an excellent variety of "bunch" grass. At different points the country was considerably cut by ravines with perpendicular banks. In many of these could be seen traces of gypsum. Along the march we met with hard sandy loam, red loam, gravel, disentegrated lime

stone, sand-stone in a variety of forms, gypsum, selenite, and a variety of alabaster.

The valley was alive with game, such as several varieties of deer, antelope, wild turkeys, pinnated grouse, and quails. It had also been in previous years a favorite resort of the buffalo, though there were very few to be found during our march through the country, the herds having been driven off by the movements of the army and Indian war-parties.

In our march we made from depot of supplies to the Canadian, 55 miles 1,487 yards; from Canadian river to the Washita, 18 miles; from camp on Washita to Pond creek, 113 miles 1,438 yards.

CHAPTER XXIII.

FORT COBB-ARROGANCE OF THE SAVAGES-THE PENETEGHTKA COMANCHESKIOWA DUPLICITY-TWO CHIEFS IN TROUBLE-SOME OF THE FUGITIVE BANDS COME IN-CONDITION OF THE TROOPS-OUR CAMP.

'HE arrival of Sheridan at Fort Cobb, was as unexpected to the garrison there as it was to the Indians, in the valley of the Washita. The principal object to be accomplished by this transfer of the centre of operations, was more ready access to all parts of the country inhabited by the hostile tribes.

Fort Cobb was situated on Pond creek, about a mile from its junction with the Washita river. The name of the post was more in remembrance of what it had been, than what it was at the time of our visit. The site had been selected some years before as a cavalry station, from which to watch the movements of the southern wild bands. It was, however, soon after abandoned, and the few mud huts, which had been constructed, were destroyed by the savages. The position, in a defensible point of view, amounted to literally nothing, and were it not for the fine water, abundance of timber, and winter grass, it might, quite naturally, be concluded that the person who selected the site never visited the spot. The buildings, constituting the old post, were constructed in a valley on an arm of Pond creek. A high hill commanded one side, a low plateau swept the other, while a thick underbrush concealed the approach of an enemy along the stream.

The conduct of the savages in violating their pledges to Sheridan, at Forts Dodge and Larned, compelled General Hazen

to reach Fort Cobb by way of Fort Gibson. Before his arrival, Rife's company of the 6th infantry, and Alvord's company of the 10th cavalry, were detached from Fort Arbuckle to take possession of the post. It was not until Noven.ber 8, 1868, that Hazen arrived. This officer had been sent out by General Sherman, then commanding the Military Division of the Missouri, to represent him under the provisions of the law, appropriating a large sum of money to carry out the various treaties which the government had made with the southern bands

It was not until November that the Indians, who were parties to the agreements, on the Arkansas were heard from. It was now discovered that, instead of returning to Forts Dodge and Larned, all the bands took a share in the predatory expeditions which followed. The Yamparicko Comanches made a raid into the Cherokee country, killing a half-breed and stealing a number of horses. The Kiowas came south and established a camp about sixty miles above Cobb, on the Washita river. From this point a large number of the warriors of the tribe, led by Kicking Bird, a chief of remarkable ability, began depredations across the Red river in the south into Texas, after which, some of the bands reported at Fort Cobb.

The delicate relations existing between all the southern tribes, as well as the additional fuel, added to the flame by the battle of the Washita, necessitated an increase of military strength at Cobb. Kidd, with Walsh's, Gray's, and Robinson's companies of the 10th cavalry, occupied the post early in December.

Up to the arrival of the troops, under Sheridan, the officers at Cobb were in constant anticipation of an attack. Double guards were on duty at night, and a vigilant watch was kept during the day. A stockade fort was erected on the hill to cover the defences in the valley, and to be used as a place of refuge in case of emergency. Satanta and Lone Wolf, backed by their warriors, were insulting in the highest degree. This conduct led to the order for reinforcements from Fort Arbuckle, making the garrison to consist of one company of the 6th infantry and three companies of the 10th cavalry. When the