had
known as a boy so many years ago, with a countenance
beaming with delight. I never saw any one, even among
the white race, manifest so much joy as the old chief did
over the visit of the colonel to his camp.

He immediately ordered some of his young men to go out and
herd our mules through the night, which they brought back
to us at daylight. He then had the coach hauled to the
front of his lodge, where we could see all that was going on
to the best advantage. We had six travellers with us on
this journey, and it was a great sight for the tenderfeet.

It was about ten o'clock at night when we arrived at
Satanta's lodge, and we saw thousands of squaws and bucks
dancing and mourning for their dead warriors. At midnight
the old chief said we must eat something at once. So he
ordered a fire built, cooked buffalo and venison, setting
before us the very best that he had, we furnishing canned
fruit, coffee, and sugar from our coach mess. There we sat,
and talked and ate until morning; then when we were ready
to start off, Satanta and the other chiefs of the various
tribes escorted us about eight miles on the Trail, where
we halted for breakfast, they remaining and eating with us.

Colonel Leavenworth was on his way to assume command of one of the
military posts in New Mexico; the Indians begged him to come back and
take his quarters at either Fort Larned or Fort Dodge. They told him
they were afraid their agent was stealing their goods and selling them
back to them; while if the Indians took anything from the whites, a war
was started.

Colonel A. G. Boone had made a treaty with these same Indians in 1860,
and it was agreed that he should be their agent. It was done, and the
entire savage nations were restful and kindly disposed toward the whites
during his administration; any one could then cross the plains without
fear of molestation. In 1861, however, Judge Wright, of Indiana, who
was a member of Congress at the time, charged Colonel Boone with
disloyalty.[29] He succeeded in having him removed.

Majors Russel and Waddell, the great government freight contractors
across the plains, gave Colonel Boone fourteen hundred acres of land,
well improved, with some fine buildings on it, about fifteen miles east