proach the Indians as closely as possible without
being discovered, and finally to make a sudden dash into their camp, and
clean them out. We had everything "cut and dried," as we thought, but,
alas! just as we were nearing the point where we were to take the open
ground and make our charge, one of the colored gentlemen became so
excited that he fired off his gun. We immediately commenced the charge,
but the firing of the gun and the noise of our rush through the
crackling timber alarmed the Indians, who at once sprang to their
horses and were away from us before we reached their late camp. Captain
Graham called out "Follow me boys!" which we did for awhile, but in the
darkness the Indians made good their escape. The bugle then gave the
re-call, but some of the darkies did not get back until morning, having,
in their fright, allowed their horses to run away with them whithersoever
it suited the animal's pleasure to go.

[Illustration: THE INDIAN HORSE THIEVES.]

We followed the trail the next day for awhile, but as it become evident
that it would be a long chase to overtake the enemy, and as we had
rations only for the day, we commenced the return. Captain Graham was
bitterly disappointed in not being able to get the fight when it seemed
so near at one time. He roundly cursed the "nigger" who fired the gun,
and as a punishment for his carelessness, he was compelled to walk all
the way back to Fort Hays.

CHAPTER XIV.

EARNING A TITLE.

It was about this time that the end of the Kansas Pacific track was in
the heart of the buffalo country, and the company was employing about
twelve hundred men in the construction of the road. As the Indians were
very troublesome, it was difficult to obtain fresh meat for the workmen,
and the company therefore concluded to engage the services of hunters to
kill buffaloes. Having heard of my experience and success as a buffalo
hunter, Messrs. Goddard Brothers, who had the contract for boarding the
employees of the road, met me in Hays City one day and made me a good
offer to become their hunter, and I at once entered into a contract with
them. They said that they would require about twelve buffaloes per day;
that would be twenty-four hams, as we took only the hind-quarters and
hump of each buffalo. As this was to be dangerous work, on account of the
Indians, who were riding all over that section of the country, and as I
would be obliged to go from five to ten miles from the ro