The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1889-09-06
CAPTURED BY C0MANCHES.

had been scouting from Fort Bas-
com, on the Canadian river, and car
rying dispatches between that point
and Fort Stanton, on the Rio Pecos,
for six months, before the Comanches
called the turn on me. 1t is agreed
that an Apache is a devil incarnate,
but in the old days there wasn'tmuch
choice between the tribes. All were
bloodthirsty and relentless, and it mat
tered little into whose hands q prison
or might fall. Every torture which
ingenuity could suggest was certain
to be applied, and no ransom, how
ever great, could effect the release Of
prisoner. 1t was while engaged in
such an effort that my first capture
came about.
a party of citizens from Santa Fe
had come out to Fort Bascom for u
hunt along the Canadian river to the
east. They were all well known men,
and were outftted in the finest style,
having the best of firearms, and being
accompanied by four hunters and
guides of long experience. The In
dians were bitterly hostile at this time,
and although seldom seen near the
fort, they were ever on the watch for
any one leaving its shelter This party
numbered twenty, all told, and was
strong enough to go anywhere, pro
viding it was we'll handled. 1t left
the post one Sunday morning, and
was gone three weeks, and, up to two
days before reaching the post, all went
well. Then DIR. Albertson, of Albu-
querque, tarried behind one morning
as the party broke camp, and three
Comanches dashed in on their ponies
and cut him off. They mounted him
on his own horse and had start of
half mile before the mishap was dis
covered, and, although pursuit was
made, it was useless. The doctor was
man of prominence, holding some
position under the government, and
having many friends, and the party
no sooner reached the post than it was
determined to make every effort to Sc
cure his release. It was idle to think
of sending out an armed force, and it
was finally decided that I should 60
out as an emissary to treat for his ran
som. 1t was agreed that could pro-
mise the Indians as high as $40, 900 in
cash for his release, and all were
hopeful that this large sum would in
duce the redskins to give him up. L
had been told time and again that the
Comanches had never been known to
[. give upa prisoner, and was therefore
in state of doubt as rode away on
my errand. I had got to put myself
in their hands in order to negotiate,
and if they refused to give up the doc
tor it was probable that they would
hang ON to me.
/ rode away to tho east, knowing
that the prisoner had been conveyed
to some camp in the Wichita range. I
left the post in the morning and rode
hard all day without sighting an In
dian. At dark went into camp, and
had no alarm during the night, and at
sun rise was again holding for the
mountains. At about IL o'clock,
while riding over broken ground, /
caught sight of an Indian taking COW
er, and hating my horse ! made the
peace signs with my blanket. Ten
minutes later was surrounded by q
dozen warriors, who were evidently
astonished at my foolhardiness. I
could speak their lingo fairly well,
and told them what had come for,
and asked to be taken to the nearest
village. This request was sullSily COM
piled with, and at the end of two
hours 1 found myself in the little viii
lage of Red Moon, chief of all the
Comanches. The village was scattered
. along the river for mile or more,
and numbered at least thousand
souls. My advent was hailed with
whoops and yells and other tokens OF
satisfaction, and even when it was
known that had voluntarily come
into camp on an errand of mercy it
was hard to restrain some of the