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23 - Among the Camanches and Apaches- An Autobiography by Edwin Eastman · Among the Camanches and Apaches- An Autobiography

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  Speaker 1: Chapter twenty three, seven and nine Years Among the Comanches
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  Speaker 1: and Apaches, an autobiography by Edwin Eastman. This is a
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  Speaker 1: LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain.
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  Speaker 1: For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox dot org.
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  Speaker 1: The War Party the following morning found me entirely occupied
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  Speaker 1: with my new plan of escape, and I lost no
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  Speaker 1: time in gaining such information as I could concerning stone
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  Speaker 1: Hawan's intentions respecting his projected expedition. By making a few
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  Speaker 1: cautious inquiries of some of the warriors, whom I knew
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  Speaker 1: to be favorably disposed towards me, I learned that the
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  Speaker 1: party would probably depart within three days. The first point
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  Speaker 1: necessary to the success of my plan was to obtain
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  Speaker 1: the consent of Waco Metla, and this I feared would
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  Speaker 1: be no easy task. After considering the matter fully, I
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  Speaker 1: concluded that my best course would be first to get
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  Speaker 1: stone Owan's permission to accompany the party, and, if possible,
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  Speaker 1: induce him to intercede for me With the old medicine man.
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  Speaker 1: To the lodge of this redoubtable chief, I accordingly bent
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  Speaker 1: my steps, and on approaching it, found him seated without
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  Speaker 1: engaged in conversation with several of the older warriors. Not
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  Speaker 1: daring to interrupt their conference, I remained at a little
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  Speaker 1: distance until the interview was ended. From the few sentences
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  Speaker 1: I overheard, I concluded that the Chief was unfolding his plans,
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  Speaker 1: or some portion of them, to the principal warriors of
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  Speaker 1: his party directly. The council seemed to be over, and
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  Speaker 1: the warrior separated, leaving the Chief seated as before at
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  Speaker 1: the entrance to his lodge. I was about to approach
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  Speaker 1: him and proffer my request, when Issu Ditcha, the renegade,
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  Speaker 1: suddenly made his appearance, and, walking directly up to stone Hawan,
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  Speaker 1: addressed him as follows, my brother is going on the
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  Speaker 1: war path. Yes, Issu Ditcha, said the chief. I am
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  Speaker 1: weary of this idleness, and my young men are impatient
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  Speaker 1: and clamor to be led against the Arapahos who have
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  Speaker 1: invaded our territory and cut off several of our hunting parties.
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  Speaker 1: I have therefore determined to take out a strong party
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  Speaker 1: and strike a blow that will teach these cowardly horse
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  Speaker 1: thieves a lesson. Stonehwan, said Hissodcha. It is my wish
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  Speaker 1: that we should be friends, and that the ill feeling
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  Speaker 1: which has existed between us and our young men should cease.
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  Speaker 1: For this reason, I have come to offer you my
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  Speaker 1: services on your expedition as a volun and if you
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  Speaker 1: accept my offer, I will join your party with my
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  Speaker 1: entire band and serve under your orders. Let my brother speak,
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  Speaker 1: I await his decision. While hisso Ditcha was speaking, I
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  Speaker 1: observed a gratified expression upon the continents of stone a Wan,
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  Speaker 1: and I saw that he would gladly avail himself of
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  Speaker 1: the renegade's offer. But why issou dit Cha should make
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  Speaker 1: so unusual a proposition puzzled me extremely, and I awaited
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  Speaker 1: anxiously to hear the remainder of their conversation. As the
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  Speaker 1: renegade ceased speaking, stone Owan arose in silence, filled and
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  Speaker 1: lighted his pipe and passed it to Issau dit Ja,
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  Speaker 1: who took a few whiffs and returned it to the chief.
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  Speaker 1: The latter followed his example, and then emptying the pipe,
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  Speaker 1: he returned it to its case of fawn skin, gaily
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  Speaker 1: decorated with the quills of the porcupine stained in bright colors,
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  Speaker 1: and spoke as follows Issu dit Cha. Your words are good.
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  Speaker 1: You are a great brave and you shall ride with
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  Speaker 1: me on the war path. With your aid, I shall
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  Speaker 1: surely be successful. And when we return in triumph, who
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  Speaker 1: shall deny to the friend of stone Hawan a seat
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  Speaker 1: in the council. I know my brother's wish, and it
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  Speaker 1: shall yet be gratify. Now let us assemble our warriors
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  Speaker 1: and make ready for departure, as I wish to start
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  Speaker 1: before sunrise tomorrow. To this, the renegade yielded, already assent,
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  Speaker 1: adding that his party could be ready to leave in
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  Speaker 1: an hour if necessary. He then said, I must ask
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  Speaker 1: my brother one favor, and that is that da Techa
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  Speaker 1: da hair may accompany our party. Why does is so
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  Speaker 1: detcha ask? This, said the chief, looking at me in surprise,
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  Speaker 1: for on hearing my name mentioned, I had drawn nearer.
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  Speaker 1: Does my brother not know that no one but Waco
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  Speaker 1: mcnah can grant his request? Because said his odit Cha.
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  Speaker 1: If stone o Wan asked the medicine chief, he will
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  Speaker 1: not refuse. But were I to make such a request,
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  Speaker 1: it would be in vain. Stone o Wan reflected for
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  Speaker 1: a moment, and then addressed me so abruptly that for
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  Speaker 1: an instant. I was confused and unable to make a reply.
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  Speaker 1: The deck the hair said he, why do you wish
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  Speaker 1: to join the war party which I am about to
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  Speaker 1: take out. I was endeavoring to frame a reply when
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  Speaker 1: the renegade answered for me. The young man is tired,
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  Speaker 1: he said, of being left in the village with the
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  Speaker 1: squaws in old men, while the other young braves are
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  Speaker 1: going to war or to hunt and winning scalps and plunder.
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  Speaker 1: He thinks that he should be given the same privileges
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  Speaker 1: as others, since he has been regularly adopted into the tribe,
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  Speaker 1: and I think his request is a reasonable one and
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  Speaker 1: should be granted. I now added my persuasions to those
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  Speaker 1: of Hissodecha and Stone. Hawan finally said that if Waco
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  Speaker 1: Meckla's consent could be gained, he would have no objection
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  Speaker 1: to my forming one of his party. He also said
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  Speaker 1: that he would speak to the medicine chief and use
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  Speaker 1: his influence to get his consent to my making my
• 8:58
  Speaker 1: first appearance as a warrior. He was as good as
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  Speaker 1: his word, and a few hours later I saw him
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  Speaker 1: enter the temple, evidently in search of the old man
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  Speaker 1: Hissoditcha was confident that his request would be granted, and
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  Speaker 1: I accordingly busied myself under his direction and preparing to
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  Speaker 1: make my debut as a Comanche brave on the war path.
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  Speaker 1: The Renegade easily supplied me with the necessary weapons and
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  Speaker 1: equipments from his own stock, and I soon found myself
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  Speaker 1: provided with a long, steel pointed lance, adorned with a
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  Speaker 1: crimson pennon, and a sort of battle axe of an
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  Speaker 1: ancient pattern, evidently the spoil of some Mexican hacienda. Besides these,
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  Speaker 1: a war bond, a quiver of arrows, their points dipped
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  Speaker 1: in the subtle poison used by the Comanches, and a
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  Speaker 1: tomahawk and scalping knife were given me. These completed my
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  Speaker 1: offensive equipments. For defense, Besides all these, I received a
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  Speaker 1: circular shield made of the tough hide of the buffalo bull,
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  Speaker 1: stretched upon a wooden frame and dried and hardened until
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  Speaker 1: it was almost of the consistency of iron. To provide
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  Speaker 1: me with a horse was the next thing in order,
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  Speaker 1: and this did not promise to be very difficult, as
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  Speaker 1: more than two thousand mustangs were grazing upon the plane.
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  Speaker 1: The Renegade, however, was not easily suited in his choice
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  Speaker 1: of a horse. Thorough horse jockeys, as all the comanches
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  Speaker 1: are his, so ditch Aw seemed the sharpest of the tribe.
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  Speaker 1: In this particular of this fact I had become aware
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  Speaker 1: long before, for in the races which the Indians so
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  Speaker 1: frequently indulged in, he was almost invariably the winner, thus
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  Speaker 1: showing that he possessed rare knowledge and judgment of the
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  Speaker 1: points of a good horse. On this occasion I began
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  Speaker 1: to think that he would exhaust the supply before he
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  Speaker 1: found one to his mind. But after rejecting about forty
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  Speaker 1: for one fault or another, most of which blemishes I
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  Speaker 1: was entirely unable to discover, he fixed upon a large,
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  Speaker 1: pie bald Mustang as the one who should have the
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  Speaker 1: honor of bearing me upon my first war path. Leading
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  Speaker 1: the horse back towards the village, we soon reached the
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  Speaker 1: spot where the warriors who were to form the expedition
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  Speaker 1: had already picketed their horses for the night, so as
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  Speaker 1: to be ready for an early start on the morrow.
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  Speaker 1: Staking my new acquisition out upon the plain, we returned
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  Speaker 1: to the lodge, and my strange friend, handing me a
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  Speaker 1: hair bridle in a buffalo robe and leathern Girth told
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  Speaker 1: me to get some food and return to his lodge
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  Speaker 1: in an hour, and he would paint me for the
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  Speaker 1: war path. I was too much excited to eat much,
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  Speaker 1: and my simple meal was soon dispatched. On entering the temple,
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  Speaker 1: I had looked around apprehensively, expecting to meet Waco Meclaw
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  Speaker 1: and rather dreading to encounter him, feeling uncertain what sort
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  Speaker 1: of reception I might meet with. The old medicine man, however,
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  Speaker 1: was not to be seen, and I wandered through the
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  Speaker 1: various apartments with which I had become so familiar during
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  Speaker 1: the long years of my captivity, wondering if this was
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  Speaker 1: really to be my last look at them, or if
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  Speaker 1: my desperate scheme was to result in failure and end
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  Speaker 1: in my being brought back, perhaps to torture and death.
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  Speaker 1: It was now time for me to return to Hisseau Datcha,
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  Speaker 1: and I started to leave the temple for that purpose.
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  Speaker 1: Crossing the mystery chamber, I was about to ascend the
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  Speaker 1: ladder when a tall form suddenly emerged from the obscurity
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  Speaker 1: of a recess in the wall, and Waco Maclaw stood
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  Speaker 1: before me. The old man seemed strangely moved for one
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  Speaker 1: of his stern nature and practical stoism. Taking me by
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  Speaker 1: the hand, he led me to the center of the room,
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  Speaker 1: where the light of the sacred fire enabled him to
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  Speaker 1: more plainly discern my features, and gazed upon me for
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  Speaker 1: a moment without speaking. At length. He spoke in a
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  Speaker 1: low tone, unlike his usual sonorous accents. So my son
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  Speaker 1: is not content to remain in peace and safety with
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  Speaker 1: me here, but longs to go forth in search of
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  Speaker 1: adventure and to emulate the deeds of the foolish young
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  Speaker 1: braves who imagine that they are already great warriors. I
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  Speaker 1: was at a loss what to reply, but managed to
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  Speaker 1: mutter a few words expressive of my des desire to
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  Speaker 1: take part in at least one war party, and assured
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  Speaker 1: him that I would be certain to return in safety.
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  Speaker 1: You cannot be sure of that, said the old man,
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  Speaker 1: in what seemed to be a sad tone. We cannot
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  Speaker 1: control our fate. But as you wish to go, you
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  Speaker 1: shall have your wish. At Stowahan's request, I have given
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  Speaker 1: my consent, and I shall sacrifice to Kuwetsua cattle for
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  Speaker 1: your speedy and safe return. Now go and complete your preparations.
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  Speaker 1: For you have no time to lose, so saying, he
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  Speaker 1: turned and left the apartment without another word. At this moment,
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  Speaker 1: despite my ardent longing to ac from an existence that
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  Speaker 1: was loasome to me and returned to my own people,
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  Speaker 1: I could not avoid a feeling of regret at the
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  Speaker 1: idea of parting from this noble specimen of his race,
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  Speaker 1: to whom I was indebted for my life and for
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  Speaker 1: the many acts of kindness which had rendered my captivity endurable.
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  Speaker 1: But the measure of regret, I felt was not sufficient
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  Speaker 1: to turn me from my purpose, and, remembering my appointment
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  Speaker 1: with his so ditcha, I hastened to fulfill it. In
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  Speaker 1: crossing the open square before the temple, I met stone Awan,
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  Speaker 1: who informed me that the party would start at daybreak
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  Speaker 1: and warned me to be in readiness. Assuring him that
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  Speaker 1: there was no danger of my forgetting it, I hurried
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  Speaker 1: to the lodge of the Renegade, whom I found in
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  Speaker 1: no very amiable humor at my delay. On explaining the
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  Speaker 1: cause of my detention, his ill temper was abated, and
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  Speaker 1: he quickly proceeded to prepare me for my appearance in
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  Speaker 1: my new role of an Indian warrior. Stripping me entirely,
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  Speaker 1: he invested me with a new pair of leggings and moccasins,
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  Speaker 1: leaving me naked to the waist, producing a number of
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  Speaker 1: little packets containing pigments of various colors. He commenced operations
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  Speaker 1: by painting my face, neck and breast blood red, and
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  Speaker 1: my arms and the rest of my person that was
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  Speaker 1: exposed in alternate bands of black and yellow. Upon my
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  Speaker 1: breast he delienated with considerable skill the figure of a
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  Speaker 1: grizzly bear, upon my forehead a star, and across my
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  Speaker 1: face narrow stripes of black. My arms he encircled with
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  Speaker 1: black and white rings at regular intervals, and then, laying
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  Speaker 1: aside his colors, held up before me a small mirror
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  Speaker 1: that I might view the picture I presented. My contemplation
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  Speaker 1: of myself satisfied me that I made about as hideous
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  Speaker 1: looking as savage as any in the village. But of
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  Speaker 1: that the reader can judge for himself from the accompanying picture,
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  Speaker 1: which is a very accurate representation of me as I
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  Speaker 1: then appeared. Yes, So dit Chah finished his work by
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  Speaker 1: saturating my hair, which reached nearly to my waist, with
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  Speaker 1: a mixture of oil and some black coloring, which rendered
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  Speaker 1: my appearance more savage than ever. He then bound about
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  Speaker 1: my head a narrow filet or band of scarlet cloth,
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  Speaker 1: and placed in it two plumes stained blue. He then
• 19:04
  Speaker 1: stood off and viewed me for a moment, and pronounced
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  Speaker 1: my toilet complete with the exception of a few ornaments.
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  Speaker 1: These he soon provided in the shape of a pair
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  Speaker 1: of bracelets of roughly beaten gold. My necklace of silver,
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  Speaker 1: which Waco Mechla had placed upon my neck when he
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  Speaker 1: first took me in charge, I still wore, and the renegade,
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  Speaker 1: surveying his work with some complacency, remarked that no young
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  Speaker 1: brave of the party would present a finer or more
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  Speaker 1: warlike appearance from the Indian point of view than myself.
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  Speaker 1: He then presented me with a fine serape for protection
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  Speaker 1: against the weather, and advising me to get what sleep
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  Speaker 1: I could, dismissed me for the night, bidding me lie
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  Speaker 1: down and his lodge upon some skins. My excitement, however,
• 20:05
  Speaker 1: was so great, that I found it impossible to sleep.
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  Speaker 1: I was impatient for the dawn that I might be
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  Speaker 1: in motion and leaving my hated valley prison, as I
• 20:18
  Speaker 1: fondly hoped for the last time. The hours dragged wearily away,
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  Speaker 1: and it seemed as if the morning would never come.
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  Speaker 1: But at last a faint glimmer of light in the
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  Speaker 1: east showed that the time for action had come. I
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  Speaker 1: started up, and, taking my simple horse furniture, made my
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  Speaker 1: way to where the horses were picketed. I found many
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  Speaker 1: of the warriors already astir and lending their horses to
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  Speaker 1: the water, joining them, I had soon attended to the
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  Speaker 1: wants of my charger, bridled him, and, snapping the buffalo
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  Speaker 1: robe upon his back, I mounted him and rode back
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  Speaker 1: to the lodge of Hassou de Ja. At the same time,
• 21:12
  Speaker 1: he emerged from the lodge in all the full glory
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  Speaker 1: of his war paint. His horse had already been brought
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  Speaker 1: up by one of his band, and advising me to
• 21:24
  Speaker 1: eat as hearty a meal as possible, he mounted and
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  Speaker 1: rode down to where the warriors were assembling, hastily, devouring
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  Speaker 1: a few mouthfuls of tsao. I speedily followed him, and,
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  Speaker 1: although but a few moments had elapsed, found the party
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  Speaker 1: almost ready to start. The entire population of the village
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  Speaker 1: had by this time assembled to see us off, and
• 21:52
  Speaker 1: I found myself the subject of some very flattering remarks
• 21:56
  Speaker 1: as I rode through the throngs of women, children and DAWs,
• 22:01
  Speaker 1: while immediately surrounding the war party were grouped all the
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  Speaker 1: male members of the community who were not of the expedition.
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  Speaker 1: The renegade had directed me to attach myself to his band,
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  Speaker 1: and I accordingly did so, being received with great cordiality
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  Speaker 1: by the younger braves, who complimented me on my warlike
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  Speaker 1: aspect and fine equipments. Stone Hawan, who had been holding
• 22:32
  Speaker 1: a hurried consultation with Ton Sorrowyo, who stood aloof as
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  Speaker 1: though not wishing to compromise his dignity by invincing any
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  Speaker 1: interest in an expedition which he did not lead, now
• 22:46
  Speaker 1: rode up and gave the signal for departure. Instantly, the band,
• 22:52
  Speaker 1: numbering about five hundred warriors, wheeled and forming with the
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  Speaker 1: rapidity of thought in single fire isle, the only formation
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  Speaker 1: used on the march by the Prairie Indians, rode off
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  Speaker 1: at a rapid pace down the valley, amid the shouts
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  Speaker 1: and yells of those we left behind. By this time
• 23:16
  Speaker 1: the sun had fully risen, and on looking back, I
• 23:19
  Speaker 1: could see upon the summit of the temple, the usual
• 23:23
  Speaker 1: group of priests and their assistants, and among them I
• 23:28
  Speaker 1: could plainly distinguish the tall figure of Waco Macclaw. I
• 23:34
  Speaker 1: fancied that I could see him wave his hand as
• 23:37
  Speaker 1: if in a do but it may have been only fancy,
• 23:41
  Speaker 1: for the distance was too great to decide with certainty.
• 23:47
  Speaker 1: As we rode rapidly along, I noted every object rendered
• 23:52
  Speaker 1: familiar by my long resonance in the valley with a
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  Speaker 1: peculiar interest, for I hoped that I was looking upon
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  Speaker 1: the well known scene for the last time. It was
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  Speaker 1: a glorious morning, and the exhilaration of the rapid motion
• 24:11
  Speaker 1: as my horse bore me along with proud, springy step,
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  Speaker 1: seemed to increase my strength, and I experienced a buoyancy
• 24:20
  Speaker 1: of spirits and a vigor of body I had never
• 24:24
  Speaker 1: known before. I felt strangely hopeful and exultant. In fact,
• 24:31
  Speaker 1: it seemed as if I were already free. Riding rapidly,
• 24:37
  Speaker 1: we soon reached the valley's lower extremity, and, passing around
• 24:41
  Speaker 1: the face of the cliff, upon the narrow ledge described
• 24:44
  Speaker 1: in a previous chapter, we crossed the crest of the
• 24:48
  Speaker 1: mountain range and descended by a zigzag trail to the
• 24:52
  Speaker 1: plain below. Our route lay directly across the desert to
• 24:58
  Speaker 1: the eastward, and and it was well into the afternoon
• 25:01
  Speaker 1: before we had passed it and reached the Great Grass
• 25:05
  Speaker 1: prairie beyond. On reaching the prairie, our course was deflected
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  Speaker 1: to the north, and about sundown we halted at a
• 25:14
  Speaker 1: spring known as the Joho Caliente, which the leaders of
• 25:18
  Speaker 1: the party had evidently selected as our camping ground for
• 25:22
  Speaker 1: the night. The order to halt once given, we went
• 25:27
  Speaker 1: into bivouac with marvelous celerity. Our horses were picketed in
• 25:32
  Speaker 1: a wide circle far out upon the plain, as the
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  Speaker 1: Grammar grass there is longer and more luxuriant than in
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  Speaker 1: the immediate neighborhood of the springs. Stripping our animals of
• 25:46
  Speaker 1: their equipments, we bring them to within about one hundred
• 25:49
  Speaker 1: yards of the spring. Each man strikes his spear into
• 25:54
  Speaker 1: the ground and rests against it his shield, bow and quiver.
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  Speaker 1: He places his robe or skin beside it. There is
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  Speaker 1: his tent in bed. The row of spears are soon
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  Speaker 1: aligned upon the prairie, forming a front of several hundred yards,
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  Speaker 1: and our camp is complete. No drilled troops, and the
• 26:19
  Speaker 1: world can equal the rapidity with which these Indians form
• 26:23
  Speaker 1: or break camp. And yet every movement is executed without orders,
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  Speaker 1: and as if by intuition. Fires were soon kindled, and
• 26:35
  Speaker 1: strips of tosao brought forth, and cooked pipes were lighted,
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  Speaker 1: and the warriors sitting in groups around the red blaze,
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  Speaker 1: recounting their adventures and laughing and chattering incessantly. The paint
• 26:51
  Speaker 1: glitters upon their naked bodies and the glare of the fires.
• 26:55
  Speaker 1: It is a wild and savage scene, and yet grotesque
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  Speaker 1: and its very savageness. For two hours we remain about
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  Speaker 1: the fires, some cooking and eating, others smoking, others freshening
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  Speaker 1: the hideous devices of the war paint with which all
• 27:15
  Speaker 1: are besmeared. Then the horse guard is detailed and marches
• 27:20
  Speaker 1: off to the Cabalata, and the Indians, one after another,
• 27:25
  Speaker 1: spread their robes upon the ground, roll themselves and their
• 27:30
  Speaker 1: serapes or blankets, and are soon asleep. For a time
• 27:36
  Speaker 1: I found it impossible to sleep, although wearied with the
• 27:40
  Speaker 1: unaccustomed exercise of the journey. Reclining upon my robe in
• 27:46
  Speaker 1: a half sitting posture, I watched the scene around me.
• 27:51
  Speaker 1: The fires have ceased to blaze, but by the light
• 27:55
  Speaker 1: of the moon I can distinguish the prostrate bodies of
• 27:59
  Speaker 1: the savages. White objects are moving among them. They are dogs,
• 28:06
  Speaker 1: prowling about in search of the remains of their supper.
• 28:10
  Speaker 1: These run from point to point, growling at one another
• 28:15
  Speaker 1: and barking at the coyotes that sneak around the outskirts
• 28:18
  Speaker 1: of the camp. Out upon the prairie, the horses are
• 28:23
  Speaker 1: still awake and busy. I can hear them, stamping their
• 28:28
  Speaker 1: hoofs and cropping the rich pasture. At intervals along the line,
• 28:34
  Speaker 1: I can see erect forms standing motionless. These are the
• 28:39
  Speaker 1: guards of the Cabalata. At length, I begin to grow drowsy,
• 28:45
  Speaker 1: and lying down upon my robe, I wrap myself in
• 28:49
  Speaker 1: my serape, and in a few moments am asleep. End
• 28:56
  Speaker 1: of Chapter twenty three.