The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1889-09-11

watch tpr any one leaving its shelter.
THIS party numbered twenty, all told, ,and
was strong enough to 60 anywhere, pro-
Iding it was well handled. It.left the
post one Sunday morning and was gone
three weeks, and, up to two days before
reaching the post, all went well. Then
DR.. Albertson, of Albuquerque, tarried
behind one morning as the party broke
camp, and three Comanches dashed in
and cut him off. They mounted him on
his own horse and had start of half a
mile before the mishap was discovered,
and, although pursuit was made, it was
useless. The Doctor was a 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 secure his release. It was
idle to think of sending out an armed
force, and it was finally decided that I
should go out as an emissary to treat for
his ransom. It was agreed that should
promise the Indians as high as $40, 600
IN cash for his release, and all were hope
full that this large sum would induce the
redskins to give him up. had been
told time and again that the Comanches
had never been known to give prisoner,
and I 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 Doctor it was probable that they
would hang on to me. ..
rode away to the east, knowing that
she 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 Indian. At dark I
vent into camp and had no alarm during
the night, and at sunrise was again hold
ing for the mountains. At about II
o'clock, while riding over broken ground,
Il caught sight of an Indian taking cover,
md hating my horse I made the peace
Hgns with my blanket. Ten minutes
hter was surrounded by dozen war
nors, who were evidently astonished at
ny; foolhardiness, I could speak their
lingo fairly well, and told them what I
had come for, and asked to be taken to
the nearest village. This request was
sulkily complied with, and at the end of
two hours ] found myself in the village 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 I had voluntarily come into
camp on an errand of mercy it was hard
to restrain some of the young bucks from
doing me injury. I was taken directly to
Red Moons tent, and my reception there
was anything but cordial. He was any
thing but noble in speech and look. He
was dirty, unkempt and out of sorts, and
I had no sooner set eyes on him than I
knew my mission would be failure.
ssWhy does the dog of white man
come to my Campo" was his salutation.
ssFour days ago some Of your warriors
captured white hunter a suns journey
to the west" I replied.
:. "They did, and tomorrow he shall
d7e!" -,
81 have come from his friends to boy
his liberty. They will give Red Moon
more silver than he ever had before"
ssI spit upon the white mans money!
he retorted. "The white man has killed
NV young men, built his forts on my
hnd, and would drive us away if he were
strong enough. would not take food
from his hand if was starving"
named the price which we would pay
for the Doctor, and tried to make him un-
5srctand how many guns and blankets