the hills. When I got back, I found Captain Ross had formed my men in
line. 'What time in the morning is it?' I asked. 'Morning, hell!' says
he--'it's one o'clock!' And so it was. Directly I saw an Indian coming
down a hill near by, and then more Indians and more Indians--till it
seemed like they wa'n't ever going to get through coming. We had struck
a bigger outfit than the first one. That first Indian he bantered my men
to come out single-handed and fight him. One after another, he wounded
five of my Indians. I ordered my Indians to engage them, and kind of get
them down in the flat, where I could charge. After some running and
shooting they did this, and I turned the Rangers loose. We drove them.
The last stand they made they killed one of my Indians, wounded a
Ranger, but left seven of their dead in a pile. It was now nearly
nightfall, and I discovered that my horses were broken down after
fighting all day. I found it hard to restrain my men, they had got so
heated up; but I gradually withdrew to where the fight commenced. The
Indian camp was plundered. In it we found painted buffalo-robes with
beads a hand deep around the edges--the finest robes I have ever
seen--and heaps of goods plundered from the Santa Fe traders. On the way
back I noticed a dead chief, and was for a moment astonished to find
pieces of flesh cut out of him; upon looking at a Tahuahuacan warrior I
saw a pair of dead hands tied behind his saddle. That night they had a
cannibal feast. You see, the Tahuahuacans say that the first one of
their race was brought into the world by a wolf. 'How am I to live?'
said the Tahuahuacan. 'The same as we do,' said the wolf; and when they
were with me, that is just about how they lived. I reckon it's necessary
to tell you about the old woman who was found in our lines. She was
looking at the sun and making incantations, a-cussing us out generally
and elevating her voice. She said the Comanches would get even for this
day's work. I directed my Indians to let her alone, but I was informed
afterwards that that is just what they didn't do."