Part 8 (2/2)

CHAPTER III

At the close of the war, General William Tecumseh Sherman was placed at the head of the Peace Commission which had been sent to the border to take counsel with the Indians It had become necessary to put an end to the hostility of the red man immediately either by treaty or by force

His raids on the settlers could be endured no longer

The purpose of the party which Sherreatest of the hostile chiefs Treaties were to be agreed upon if possible If negotiations for peace failed, the council would at least act as a stay of hostilities The ar, and it would soon be possible to h troops to put down the Indians in case they refused to come to terms peaceably

The camp of the Kiowas and Comanches--the first Indians hom Sherman meant to deal--was about three hundred e, and in the midst of the trackless Plains

By aons to carry the supplies, the party set out for its first objective--Council Springs on the Arkansas River, about sixty miles beyond old Fort Zarrah

I was chosen as one of the scouts or dispatch carriers to accouide was dick Curtis, a plains the Indians

When we arrived at Fort Zarrah we found that no road lay beyond, and learned that there was no water on the way It was determined, therefore, toCurtis said this would enable us to reach our destination, sixty-five miles further on, by two o'clock the next afternoon

The outfit consisted of two aon, which carried the tents and supplies Each officer had a horse to ride if he chose If he preferred to ride in the ambulance his orderly was on hand to lead his horse for hi, through herds of buffalo whose nu I remember that General Sherman estimated that the number of buffalo on the Plains at that time must have been y of the soldiers and scouts to keep a road cleared through the herds so that the a stop and rested the horses For thein canteens and cah to keep the on the way

Two o'clock found us still h the buffalo herds, but with no Council Springs in sight Curtis was on ahead, and one of the lieutenants, feeling a little nervous, rode up to another of the scouts

”How far are we frouide uneasily ”I never was over here before, but if any one knohere the Springs are that young fellow over there does” He pointed to s?” asked the officer, turning inthe e are now,” I said

”Why don't you tell the General that?” he deuide, not I; whereupon he dropped back alongside the a and reported what had happened

The General instantly called a halt and sent for the scouts When all of us, including Curtis, had gathered round hi out a s on it

”There has never been a survey made of this country, General,” said Curtis ”None of these maps are correct”

”I know that s?”

The guide hesitated ”I have never been there but once,” he said, ”and then I ith a big party of Indians who did the guiding” He added that on a perfectly flat country, dotted with buffalo, he could not positively locate our destination Unless ere sighted and guided by Indians ould have to chance it

Sher round on the rest of us ”Do any of you knohere the Springs are?” he asked, looking directly at me

”Yes, sir,” I said, ”I do”

”How do you know, Billy?” asked Curtis