s tent, drives far away his beasts of
burden, which transport his effects, and only carries with him his
horse and arms. Thus equipped, he goes every where; nothing arrests
him; and often, when we believe him twenty leagues distant, he is in
ambush at precisely rifle range from the flanks of his enemy.

"It may be thought the union of contingents might retard their
movements, but this is not so. The Arabs, whether they number ten or a
hundred thousand, move with equal facility. They go where they wish and
as they wish upon a campaign; the place of rendezvous merely is
indicated, and they arrive there.

"What calculations can be made against such an organization as this?

"Strategy evidently loses its advantages against such enemies; a
general can only make conjectures; he marches to find the Arabs, and
finds them not; then, again, when he least expects it, he suddenly
encounters them.

"When the Arab despairs of success in battle, he places his sole
reliance upon the speed of his horse to escape destruction; and as he
is always in a country where he can make his camp beside a little
water, he travels until he has placed a safe distance between himself
and his enemy."

* * * * *

No people probably on the face of the earth are more ambitious of
martial fame, or entertain a higher appreciation for the deeds of a
daring and successful warrior, than the North American savages. The
attainment of such reputation is the paramount and absorbing object of
their lives; all their aspirations for distinction invariably take this
channel of expression. A young man is never considered worthy to occupy
a seat in council until he has encountered an enemy in battle; and he
who can count the greatest number of scalps is the most highly honored
by his tribe. This idea is inculcated from their earliest infancy. It
is not surprising, therefore, that, with such weighty inducements
before him, the young man who, as yet, has gained no renown as a brave
or warrior, should be less discriminate in his attacks than older men
who have already acquired a name. The young braves should, therefore,
be closely watched when encountered on the Plains.

The prairie tribes are seldom at peace with all their neighbors, and
some of the young braves of a tribe are almost always absent upon a war
excursion. These forays sometimes extend into the heart of the northern
states of Mexico, where the Indians have carri