ough to take two
scalps. This at once constituted me a warrior, and, liking the
excitement and adventurous life, I soon became noted among the young men
of the tribe. I joined every war party, and, being singularly fortunate,
soon gained distinction as well as scalps and plunder. By the time I was
twenty years of age, I was admitted to be one of the first warriors of
the nation, and had attracted to myself a number of the more reckless
spirits, who would follow anywhere that I would lead.

"I had long been desirous of taking the command of a war party, thinking
thereby to gain notoriety, and if fortunate enough to be unusually
successful, I might thereafter be entrusted with the leadership of
expeditions of more importance.

"I had frequently importuned Tonsaroyoo, then as now the head chief of
the nation, to allow me to undertake such an enterprise, but up to this
time he had persistently refused to do so.

"Finding that I could not obtain his permission, I determined to do
without it, and secretly assembled those warriors on whose fidelity and
silence I could rely. I made known to them my plans, and succeeded in
inducing about thirty braves to take part in the rash undertaking.

"Leaving the village under the pretense of hunting, we crossed the
"Llano Estacado," to the head waters of the Pecos; and descending that
stream nearly to its mouth, diverged to the west and crossed the Rio
Grande. We traveled by night and remained concealed during the day, and
by the exercise of the utmost caution, succeeded in evading the Lipans
and Cayguas, through whose territory we had to pass. I had laid all my
plans before leaving the village, and was quite confident that the raid
would be a successful one. It was my intention to attack only the
haciendas, and if possible to effect my object by surprise, for I knew
that if I could return without the loss of a man, with a few scalps and
a moderate amount of plunder, I would receive far more praise than if I
had brought back twice as much booty, but with the loss of one or more
warriors.

"After crossing the river, the first hacienda within reach was that
which had been my former home. It had passed into the possession of Don
Rafael d'Echeverra, the brother of Don Ramon, and presented much the
same appearance as in former times. Unfortunately for the success of my
project, there was present at the hacienda a small party of American
trappers, who had for some reason strayed into this