something. They say that 'Wild Bill' never feared man, but I fear
you, a mere boy. Did you come out of that store?" "Yes, sir," I said.
"And did you see the Jew?" "Yes, sir," I answered; "Mr. Dreifuss is
dead." "How do you know that?" he questioned. "His hands feel cold as
ice," I said, "and there is a black spot on his nose." Again the man
laughed and said, "Do you know what killed him?" "I do not know,
sir," I answered, "but I was going uptown to inquire." "Well," said
the scout, "Mr. Dreifuss had the cholera." "That's too bad," said I;
"let us go back and see if we can be of any assistance." "No, you
don't," said the long-haired scout; "I have been stationed here, as
marshal of the town, to warn people away from the place. You take my
advice and go to the creek and plunge in with all your clothes and
play for an hour in the water, then dry yourself, go back to camp,
and keep mum!" This was the year of the cholera. It started somewhere
down south, and many people died from it in the city of St. Louis,
and it followed the railway through Kansas to the end of the track.
Many soldiers died also at Fort Harker, which was farther out West on
the plains.

At last we started on our perilous journey, an imposing caravan of
one hundred and eighty wagons, each drawn by five yoke of oxen. Our
force numbered upward of two hundred and fifty men, the owners,
teamsters, train masters or mayordomos and the herders of the
different outfits; all were Mexicans except myself.

Several days were spent in crossing the little stream formed by the
confluence of two creeks. The water was quite deep and had to be
crossed by means of a ferryboat. Here I met with my first adventure,
which nearly cost me my life. My wagon was loaded with supplies and
provisions and with several pieces of oak timber, intended for use in