"how!" to which we responded more emphatically using the same salutatory observation.

While I was watching and admiring the bead-work of the squaws in the lodge, with the vocal assistance of the interpreter I secured the promise of a beautiful awl-case nearly finished, for four cups of brown sugar. Sugar was a favorite commodity with the squaws. The next day I went over to the village, but found my red friend had very capriciously resolved not to part with her work, saying it was not her's, it belonged to her cousin. Determined to get one, after scouring the village from one end to the other, I was successful, and obtained a better one at an advance of one cup of sugar.

Christmas day, with its associations of home and winter recreation, was duly celebrated in camp. Milk punch, concocted of the condensed material, sugar, and Texas "spirits," was the popular beverage. With their usual facility of discovering everything that is going on, the leading warriors in the vicinity of camp in some way or other found out that the day was more than an ordinary affair. Resolved to convince themselves of the fact several delegations, painted and plumed, and mounted on their best war ponies, set out for the various headquarters. At the time at Hazen's tent a number of officers were present. As the warriors came up, and heard the conversation within, they probably felt reassured that something was going on.

The chief of the party dismounted, and poking his head through the entrance of the tent, cast one hasty glance at the crowd of officers. The chief exclaimed "how ?" and grinned invitingly. A chorus of "hows" were returned, but nothing further was said, notwithstanding the chief kept his feathered head in sight for some minutes.

After withdrawing his regal pate a half dozen other warriors got down from their ponies and gratified their curiosity by taking a peep.

Essahavit, war-chief of the Peneteghtkas, soon came along, and, bolder than the rest, entered the tent. A number of the other warriors followed him, and squatted in one corner, assum

ing their usual stolidity of countenance. Probably twenty minutes had elapsed, and all the officers except one or two had gone. Essahavit, unable to withstand the temptation, very methodically walked up to the improvised punch bowl--a horsebucket. He observed to the General, "bueno," at the same time evidently awaiting an invitation. After repeating this suggestion several times the old chief found his hints were not appreciated and left. The other warriors left also, observing as they filed out of the tent "white man no bueno."

In the afternoon Sheridan gave a Christmas dinner, which, however, was not so bountifully supplied with the game of the country as the feast of Thanksgiving-day at Camp Supply.

Saturday of each week was the ration day of all the villages in the vicinity of Fort Cobb. It was a great occasion at the post. From sunrise to sunset the squaws, with their papooses strapped on their back, and mounted on ponies, and sometimes a few warriors, could be seen descending from every hill. The squaw's duty was to receive the Government rations, which consisted of flour and meat. The women of each tribe seated themselves cross-legged on the ground, with their papooses around them. Outside of the circle the dogs collected, each group behind its owner, and impatiently smacking their lips and curiously gazing within over the shoulders of the women. The head civil chief, aided by several old men of the tribe, received the rations and distributed them to the various families, calling them by name, whereupon the head squaw of each came forward and received her allowance. It was observable that the savage chief was not unlike more civilized functionaries. He always went away with a decided increase of his pile, a surplus which he managed to secure to himself by short measurement.

The beef was generally killed by the young warriors, who for that purpose would visit the large herds of Texas cattle near the post. This kind of sport precisely suited the young After the necessary permission from the officer in charge was obtained several of the savages with bows strung would ride into the midst of the herd. The cattle seemed to know

men.

what was going on, and the moment a warrior put his eye upon one, the "spotted" bovine took to his heels as hard as he could travel. The warriors dashed after, and coming up alongside launched an arrow into the side of the terrified brute. Having dispatched the animal several squaws would set to work with knives and axes skinning and dividing the carcass according to the number of families entitled to it. As might be supposed there was always some dispute and dissatisfaction. Some complaining they did not get their share. A strong guard was always ready to put down any serious difficulty.

A crowd of several hundred squaws, it may be imagined, was not a bad place for forming some notions of Indian beauty. The better class always presented themselves at these gatherings in their best "outfits." The hard lot of the squaw is not conducive to beauty or freshness, though examples are found of both. There is no doubt but that the hard life is in a majority of instances the chief reason for the intense ugliness of the women of the southern wild tribes. The affiliated bands are less harsh, and present finer women and better developed men than any of the wild tribes. A Witchita, or a Caddo, in feature, and many points of dress, is more suggestive of an Italian brigand than a plain's` savage. The women of both these bands dress with unsparing extravagance. Their moccasins and leggins are covered with plates of silver, made of Mexican dollars hammered out. Their buckskin shirts are elaborately decorated with bead-work, their blankets are unusually new and clean, about their person they carry a profusion of beads and shell and silver ornaments. The men dress as well as the women, and wear a puritanic peaked hat, decorated with great streamers of blue and red ribbon, and when mounted on their fleet ponies present a very picturesque appearance.

The weather after our arrival at Fort Cobb became wet and stormy. Incessant rains poured upon the earth, deluging our camp, and raising the streams until they were entirely impassable. Such weather at this time was particularly embarassing, as the supplies were rapidly disappearing, and it was almost

impossible to move the trains for more. The troops who had constructed pits for their accommodation were compelled to seek other quarters. Everywhere the mud was of that peculiar pasty nature that it required more than an ordinary amount of physical exertion to manipulate a pedestrian tour about camp. Everything was topsy-turvey; stores piled on hill sides under canvas. Officers sat upon their bunks in order to keep out of the wet. Hunting and other amusements were entirely suspended. The whole camp was thus subjected to a sort of water embargo, which was infinitely worse than snow or cold. Our march had now brought us down to a latitude where, though snow was not a rare occurrence, it was an exception. The prevailing meteorological displays were rain, with an incidental "norther," and winding up with a variation of sleet and ice, trying both to men and animals.

CHAPTER XXV.

EARLY EXPLORATIONS ON THE PLAINS-THE SPANIARDS-THE FRENCH-THE AMERICANS-THE OCCUPANTS OF THE COUNTRY-THE COMANCHES.

PURPOSE here devoting several chapters to the traditions, localities, mauners, and customs of the wild Indians, against whom the operations of the campaign were directed. In the same connection, it will be necessary, in order briefly to introduce the subject, to say something concerning our own knowledge of the discovery and exploration of the country.

Owing mainly to the remoteness and inaccessibility of the plains, until the beginning of the present century, this section was comparatively unknown. We are indebted to Spanish dominion in Mexico for our first accounts. Having planted their flag upon the halls of the Montezumas, the daring soldiers of Spain, in search of mountains of gold and silver, fields of gems and precious stones, fountains of everlasting youth, and under the impulse of other notions, equally as extravagant, fitted out expeditions into all parts of the adjacent countries.

From the narratives of such often long and toilsome journeys, history has frequently gleaned a ray of light, and making due allowance for the magnified intellectual vision of these pioneer travelers, much that is reliable is to be gathered. The first description we have of the country, answering to that of which I have been speaking, is contained in an early Spanish work, subsequently translated into French, and entitled "Relation du voyage de Cibola entrepris en 1540, ou l'on traite de toutes les peuplades qui habitent cette coutree, des leurs moeurs et coutumes