thing beneath them. It would seem as if, in the awful convul sion of nature which must have thrown the underlying strata into such an extraordinary position, this, being the weaker part, gave way. In the process of time, this fissure had become filled, leaving but the embrasure described. This would farther appear to be correct, for, in standing in the embrasure and looking down, a sort of groove, filled with broken stones, can be traced to the water's edge. The descent is almost perpendicular, in a direct line, but a few communicating ledges, and apparently winding paths, intersecting this apparent crack, makes it seem as if the descent were feasible.

On one occasion, subsequently, while in camp near the bluff, the writer, with a friend, tried the experiment of a descent. He succeeded in getting down about a hundred feet. The traces of wild animals, wolves especially, had tempted him so

Here they disappeared, and the further descent was quite cut off. A vertical leap of forty feet extended below. Several rock-slides, occasioned by the displacement of a few stones in the descent, came crushing by and in rather alarming proximity. With considerable effort and danger of losing my footing, I managed to reach the top again quite relieved. This path is known among the Indians as the "Medicine Man's Walk," by means of which, according to tradition, in the darkness of the night, a famous savage doctor, of the necromantic art, passes from a cave in the bluff down to the stream below, or out upon the summit above. Judging from my own experience, the old savage must have been armed with claws.

CHAPTER XXXIV.

THE PROPOSED SITE OF A NEW POST-RUINS OF AN INDIAN VILLAGE-CAUGHT IN A STORM-A RACE FOR LIFE.

ESCENDING the bluff to the point where we had left our horses we rode for a short distance along the hillside, meeting with a variety of springs, saline, sulphur, and chalybeate, all in close contiguity with each other. The saline spring flowed rapidly, though with a small current, and spread over a large basin rock. The spring was evidently the resort of many of the wild animals of the vicinity. Deer and buffalo tracks were numerous. This was a great temptation to pass the night in the vicinity, and take a rare opportunity for still hunting.

Leaving the bluff we joined the escort, and climbing the steep sides of the canon come out again upon the open country. A spirited ride brought us to a high plateau, or swell, in the expansive valley. This was the end of our journey. About a year before General Grierson had passed the spot while on an exploring and scouting expedition towards the head waters of the Red river. This point lay about seventy-five miles from Fort Arbuckle west. The tract consisted of a high level sweep of about two hundred acres. Ten miles distant, west northwest, lay the eastern extremity of the Witchita mountains. Medicine Bluff creek passed on the north-eastern and eastern sides, at the foot of a clay and gravel bluff, about fifty feet in height, and a mile lower down joined Cache creek. The latter stream is a tributary of the Red river. In the vicinity we found red and yellow sand-stone, and an excellent quality of limestone. Oak, cotton-wood, walnut, pecan. ash, elm. hackberry,.

mulberry, and Osage orange grew in greater abundance than had as yet been seen on the surrounding plain. Buffalo, gamma, and mosquite grasses were met with in great luxuriance, and at the time of our visit, nothwithstanding the frequent severe northers, and inclement winter weather, under the lee of the hills the young grass gave quite a green cast to the surface. Game was evidently abundant, including black bear and panther.

Essetoyeh, having declined to ascend Medicine bluff, had left our party with his squaw, and having cleared the cañon, discovered a small herd of buffaloes within four hundred yards of him. He gave pursuit, and after putting several arrows into one of the unfortunate brutes succeeded in bringing him down with his carbine.

When we arrived on the spot the choice parts of the animal had been appropriated by Madame Essetoyeh, and were lying around in heaps on the ground. She was now busily engaged in getting the meat in some sort of a transportable condition, and had already festooned her pony with several yards of hump. The madam having taken her share the escort went to work with busy knives, and in a few minutes a wolf would have turned up his nose at what was left. It was now proposed that we would celebrate the occasion, and honor the locality with a repast, gotten up in true primitive style. The horses were lariated on the plateau, and while a guard was left to watch them, and at the same time to look out for Indians, we built fires under the gravel bluff. We commenced broiling small "hunks" of meat in a lively manner. Madam Essetoyeh had set apart a choice portion of the buffalo, broiled it, and now handed it over to us with her compliments. Courtesy prevented our declining to receive the proffered kindness, though we all preferred, under the circumstances, to do our own cooking, and to select our meat.

The dampness of the atmosphere in the morning now more than ever threatened rain. It was proposed, therefore, to set the escort in motion back towards the camp of the previous

evening. Our meal was thus abruptly terminated. Grierson, Woodward, and myself were, however, determined to visit some coal veins and bitumen springs known to exist about eight miles farther on. The Indian guide designated the spot to us, so leaving the command to get ready to retrace its steps our little party, with three orderlies, set out on a private tour of exploration.

On the way to the Cache creek crossing we passed the ruins of an old Witchita village. The Witchitas, according to tradition, were the original owners of the country, and gave names to the different localities. These people, however, under the wear and tear of constant attacks, and a feeling of insecurity at the presence of so many of the warlike tribes, some years before had abandoned the country, and established themselves upon the north bank of the Washita, about forty miles distant.

The Witchitas, as far back as tradition speaks of them, either among their own people, or the other tribes, were celebrated as being great deer hunters, and cultivating crops. They seldom went to war, except in defence of their homes. They lived in regular houses, similar in form to an ordinary wigwam, but constructed of thatch and mud, and raised corn, pumpkins, and beans. When I visited the spot the only traces left were heaps of earth, a number of large circular holes, as if the lodges were dug out before the superstructure was put on, and several acres of vines, with bushels of frost-bitten mock-oranges. The whole place was overgrown with these vines.

In the days of their prosperity the Witchitas kept up a brisk trade with the wandering tribes. They bartered corn, and their other agricultural products, for buffalo robes and ponies. All the men did was to hunt for meat, as the improvident habits of the wandering tribes made any dependence on them rather a precarious way of living. The women mostly tilled the soil and raised the crops. The tribe, through various causes, the ambitious young men joining war-parties, and difficulties frequently arising with other tribes, led to trouble. The vast herds of the Witchitas were scattered, and finally the bands themselves were compelled to remove, in order to save what little they had left.

The name Cache is evidently of French origin, the word meaning a hiding place. It must have been applied to the stream by the voyageurs in allusion to the custom of the Witchitas to cache, or secure in large holes for the purpose, the productions of their labor.

After a ride of nearly two hours we reached a deep cañon, in which the traces of coal, with a surrounding of blue clay, were very readily found. An examination indicated that it must exist in considerable quantities deeper in the earth, though that which we handled was too slaty to be of use. The bitumen, however, was less easily to be found. We scoured the summit of several hills before we discovered it. The substance was now quite hard from the cold weather, though it was very apparent that it had oozed through crevices in the earth, owing to a great subterranean pressure. The surface was covered with it in large quantities. An experiment with some small pieces the writer carried to camp with him proved that it was highly flammable.

Having satisfied our curiosity in these explorations, we proceeded to retrace our steps so as to make camp by dark. Instead of following the same route, by which we came out, we headed directly for the trail of the escort, in hopes of intercepting it and following it back. By this time a drizzling rain had begun. Our discomfort was increased by the necessity of crossing numerous streams, and forcing our way through almost impenetrable brakes. By way of a diversion, a steep bank along which we were riding gave way, precipitating Grierson and his horse some twenty feet below. Fortunately they

escaped without injury.

The country through which we passed was alive with game. The weather had driven every species of animal life into the sheltered valleys. In several instances we came within a few feet of some stray buffaloes before they discovered us. The number of deer was surprising. Everything surrounding us was in its wildest solitude. The foot of the white man had never trod the soil.

A ride of six miles brought us to the outward trail, but no