The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1898-08-25
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what had seen to the Colonel who could
now no longer doubt the presence OF the
| SavageS.
| In obedience to his orders we did all in
| our power to make ourselves as safe as
possible, and lay down to sleep, fully
| expecting an attack before morning; but
| fortunately none came. As we had noth-
ing to eat, and consequent ly no cooking
we mounted and we c off at daylight,
| following the bed of the stream for about
II miles, where we found sweet water
| spring, at which we halted to rest cur
selves and refresh our horses.
CoMANCHEs ATTACK.
That night we killed u buffalo so old
| and poor that 1t was with difficulty he
could manage to walk, and he was the
| first specimen of game we had seen in a
week. Bad as was his meat we relished
1T as luxury, and after eating what we
wanted went to sleep entirely content to
take v hatever might come There is a
wide difference between famished man
and one with a full stomach. We put out
guards; but what did they care now that
they had plenty of meat and palatabIe
water? What else did they desire? Sleep
alone, and they slept.
The greater portion of the night wore
away without anything to disturb its
quiet. At about two hours before day
| light, and Just before the moon went
down, Pete Ross was aroused by the clat-
terInG of horses hoofs. Ross sprang to
| his feet and awakened his men lust in
time to Get the first shot. AS for the
| other companies, they needed not to be
| awakened by their officers, the wild
piercing war whoop sounded in their ears,
and each man in an instant had his
hand upon his truSty rife.
There was no miStakinr the shout 1t
was the war whOop of the wild Comanche
and no sooner had its echo died away in
the distance than the whole body of war
riors charged down upon our horses and
Stampeded them, and tut for the presence
OF mind OF few of the rangers all of them
must have escaped. However about 20
OF the men ran in among them, and by
constant firing got up q counter fright and
saved about half our animals.
The SavaSeS, having thus obtained pos
session of part of our horses, rode away
In triumph. Capt. Fltzhugh at once gave
orders to his men to mount and pursue;
but before he was off another party of Co
mancheS raised a demOniac yell and
came down upon us; but discovering that
we were prepared to receive them they
tired out of gunshot range, but they kept
up such noise during the balance of the
night that further sleep was impossible,
and we stood by our arms till daylight by
which time the last savage had disap-
peaTed.
IN WAR ATTIRE
AhC party uuHfEcIeO ABOUT gu, ana
were splendidly mounted, seine of them
on fine American horses of great size; the
second gang chiefly riding ponies. They
were armed with rifles, bows, lances and
pistols, which they used proniscuously-
some being busily engaged shooting ar
rows, though at the same time they had
six shooters dangling to their wrists and
fastened by a string.
They were for the most part naked ex-
cept that they wore bFeech-cIOuts, though
some sported leggins and all had head
dresses and moccaSins. few only were
in full dress. The Comanche people wore
the buffalo scalp, while most of the STAN
pede party sported KiOwa feather caps,
some of which fell into our hands They
were very nicely made of lorg white plumes
like swan feathers, and beautifully colored
at the tips with red, yellow and black
The quill part is sewed 10 close fitting
skull-cap made OF bucks,lin, and they are
set SO close together that when it is drawn
over the head the plumes stand out in
every direction, giving 10 the wearer
terribly-hiGeous appearance.
The buffalo scalp is worn with horns,
and it is so arranged that these protrude
from the top of the head, they being
scraped so thin that they are very light.