to
reconnoitre. To their surprise they saw a solitary man seated upon the
ground near the fire, so entirely absorbed in some occupation that he
did not observe their approach.

In a moment, Crockett, much to his joy, perceived that it was his lost
friend the juggler. He was all engaged in practising his game of
thimbles on the crown of his hat. Crockett was now restored to his
companion, and was near the plain road to Bexar. In describing this
scene and the departure of his kind Indian friends, the hunter writes:

"The chief shouted the war-whoop, and suddenly the warriors came
rushing in from all quarters, preceded by the old squaw trumpeters
squalling like mad. The conjurer sprang to his feet, and was ready to
sink into the earth when he beheld the ferocious-looking fellows that
surrounded him. I stepped up, took him by the hand, and quieted his
fears. I told the chief that he was a friend of mine, and I was very
glad to have found him, for I was afraid that he had perished. I now
thanked him for his kindness in guiding me over the prairies, and gave
him a large bowie-knife, which he said he would keep for the sake of
the brave hunter. The whole squadron then wheeled off and I saw them no
more. I have met with many polite men in my time, but no one who
possessed in a greater degree what may be called true spontaneous
politeness than this Comanche chief, always excepting Philip Hone, Esq.
of New York, whom I look upon as the politest man I ever did see; for
when he asked me to take a drink at his own sideboard, he turned his
back upon me, that I mightn't be ashamed to fill as much as I wanted.
That was what I call doing the fair thing."

The poor juggler was quite overjoyed in meeting his friend again, whom
he evidently regarded with much reverence. He said that he was very
much alarmed when he found himself alone on the pathless prairie. After
waiting two hours in much anxiety, he mounted his mustang, and was
slowly retracing his steps, when he spied the bee-hunter returning. He
was laden with honey. They had then journeyed on together to the
present spot. The hunter had just gone out in search of game. He soon
returned with a plump turkey upon his shoulders. They built their fire,
and were joyously cooking their supper, when the neighing of a horse
near by startled them. Looking up, they saw two men approaching on
horseback. They proved to be the old pirate and the young Indian with
whom they had lodged a few nig