Wild Life in the Far West: Being the Personal Adventures of a Border Mountain Man. Captain James Hobbs
Heber Kimball, as I had called them), I bade my companions farewell, and started across the country alone, for the only spot on this broad earth that I could call my home.
The Shawnees had tried in vain to persuade me to go along to Missouri with them, and see my father and relatives; but the painful recollections of my boyhood prevented. I did, however, send a letter to my father, by them, which they promised to deliver, in which I told him of my health and prospects, and sent my regards to my relatives and friends of my childhood. Spiebuck was the most urgent of all for me to continue with them. He even called me crazy, to start alone on such a visit, though he knew I was familiar with the country.
DANGER FROM WOLVES. 103
The first night out, I came near being eaten up by the gray wolves. They caused one of my mules to break loose, and I had a great deal of trouble getting hold of it in the morning. There were eight or ten wolves around me in plain sight, growling, snuffing, and whining, and I could not sleep, fearing they might cut my rawhide ropes with their teeth, and let all my animals loose. I scared them off, by throwing powder into the lire, and they did not return. The smell of powder is dreaded by all wild animals. My camp-fire was made of buffalo-chips and little wild cherry-tree bushes. I had to fasten my mules to this small brush, though I often carried iron stakes to drive into the ground when there was nothing strong enough growing in the way of trees or shrubbery.
I rode hard next day, and in the afternoon was sadly disappointed, on arriving at the old Comanche camp, to find it moved. I unsaddled and staked out my animals, studying what to do. I made me a cup of coffee, and roasted a piece of buffalo-meat, and just at dark I crowded down a little supper; but, though I was faint and weary, my emotions and melancholy reflections deprived me of appetite. For- tunately, I picked up my rifle and started off for a little hill, where I could see down the Little Red river, and there appeared the smoke of various camp-fires, some three or four miles off. I returned, and, saddling up, mounted and rode for the fires, for I knew they were the fires of the Comanches. After traveling two miles, I came into a great drove of horses and mules, feeding, and rode a mile or two further, through animals thickly scattered over the plain, till I came to the first lodges of the Comanche camp.
Here I gave a regular Comanche war-whoop, and the
104 RECEPTION BY COMANCHES.
Indians, jumping up, wanted to know who it was. I answered that it was their friend Hobbs. An Indian ran out, shook hands with me, and, when I asked where "Wolf's" lodge was, he said about the center of the camp, half a mile below, and he went with me to show the way. Another Indian tore off at full speed, to announce to "Wolf" and my wife that I had arrived. As we went along through the lodges, the crowd around me increased, and they made such a noise that the whole camp seemed aroused. They re- marked that I was a true friend to them now, or I never would have returned to them.
When I reached "Wolf's" tent, he and Henry and my wife and child were outside, waiting to receive me. I was pulled off my mule, and nearly squeezed to death with joyful embraces. They then unpacked and unsaddled my animals, and took care of them. I commenced taking out my presents for my wife and child, and took out one of the bottles of whisky which I had brought for "Wolf's" special benefit. He said he was n' t afraid to drink that, as he was the first we had given him years before. Among the presents which I gave "Wolf" were a nice butcher-knife and a beautiful tomahawk which had a hollow handle, a pipe on the back and a mouth-piece to screw on the handle; also, a quantity of tobacco, lots of red flannel, calicoes, beads, trinkets, &c. The beads and the flannel I told him to give his wife, my mother-in-law.
Then I got out the presents for my wife and child, which were numerous and valuable, consisting of shawls and dress-patterns, ribbons, beads, mirrors, knives and forks, thread, &c, the whole filling one of the pack-saddles, and enough to last her for years. I knew she appreciated the liberal gifts, though she
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