o' Big Wichitu, an' they mout
cross a corner o' the Staked Plain on thar way home. Tharfer we must go
southart a good bit, and try for the north fork o' the Brazos. Ef we
meet Indian thar, they'd be Southern Kimanch--not nigh sech feeroshus
varmints as them. Do you know, Frank, I've been hevin' a dream 'bout
them Injuns as attacked us?"

"A dream! So have I. It is not strange for either of us to dream of
them. What was yours, Walt?"

"Kewrus enuf mine war, though it warn't all a dreem. I reck'n I war
more 'n half awake when I tuk to thinkin' about 'em, an' 'twar somethin'
I seed durin' the skrimmage. Didn't you observe nothin' queery?"

"Rather say, nothing that was not that way. It was all queer enough,
and terrible, too."

"That this child will admit wi' full freedom. But I've f't redskin
afore in all sorts an' shapes, yet niver seed redskin sech as them."

"In what did they differ from other savages? I saw nothing different."

"But I did; leastways, I suspeck I did. Didn't you spy 'mong the lot
two or three that had ha'r on thar faces?"

"Yes; I noticed that. I thought nothing of it. It's common among the
Comanches and other tribes of the Mexican territory, many of whom are of
mixed breed--from the captive Mexican women they have among them."

"The ha'r I seed didn't look like it grew on the face o' a mixed blood."

"But there are pure white men among them--outlaws who have run away from
civilisation and turned renegades--as also captives they have taken, who
become Indianised, as the Mexicans call it. Doubtless it may have been
some of these we saw."

"Wall, you may be right, Frank. Sartint thar war one I seed wi' a beard
'most as big as my own--only it war black. His hide war black, too, or
nigh to it; but ef that skunk wan't white un'erneath a coatin' o'
charcoal an' vermilion then Walt Wilder don't know a Kristyun from a
heethun. I ain't no use spek'latin' on't now. White, black,
yella-belly, or red, they've put us afoot on the parairia, an' kim
darned nigh wipin' us out althegither. We've got a fair chance o' goin'
un'er yet, eyther from thirst or the famishment o' empty stomaks. I'm
hungry enuf already to eat a coyat. Thar's a heavy row afore us, Frank,
an' we must strengthen our hearts to hoein' o' it. Wall, the sun's up;
an' as thar don't appear to be any obstrukshun, I reck'n we'd best be
makin' tracks."

Hamersley slowly and somewhat reluctantly rises to his feet. He stil