One Morning Our Vigilance Was Stimulated By Our Finding
Traces Of A Large Comanche Encampment.
Fortunately for us, however,
it had been abandoned nearly a week.
On the next evening we found
the ashes of a recent fire, which gave us at the time some
uneasiness. At length we reached the Caches, a place of dangerous
repute; and it had a most dangerous appearance, consisting of sand-
hills everywhere broken by ravines and deep chasms. Here we found
the grave of Swan, killed at this place, probably by the Pawnees, two
or three weeks before. His remains, more than once violated by the
Indians and the wolves, were suffered at length to remain undisturbed
in their wild burial place.
For several days we met detached companies of Price's regiment.
Horses would often break loose at night from their camps. One
afternoon we picked up three of these stragglers quietly grazing
along the river. After we came to camp that evening, Jim Gurney
brought news that more of them were in sight. It was nearly dark,
and a cold, drizzling rain had set in; but we all turned out, and
after an hour's chase nine horses were caught and brought in. One of
them was equipped with saddle and bridle; pistols were hanging at the
pommel of the saddle, a carbine was slung at its side, and a blanket
rolled up behind it. In the morning, glorying in our valuable prize,
we resumed our journey, and our cavalcade presented a much more
imposing appearance than ever before.
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