I immediately went over to the office of the quartermaster’s agent, and had Perry point him out to me.  I at once laid hold of him, and in a short time had treated him to just such a thrashing as his contemptible lie deserved.

He then mounted a horse, rode to Fort Wallace, and reported me to General Bankhead and Captain Laufer, and obtained a guard to return with and protect him.

The next morning I secured a horse from Perry, and proceeding to Fort Wallace demanded my horse and mule from General Bankhead, on the ground that they were quartermaster Hays’ property and belonged to General Carr’s command, and that I had obtained permission to ride them to Sheridan and back.  General Bankhead, in a gruff manner ordered me out of his office and off the reservation, saying that if I didn’t take a hurried departure he would have me forcibly put out.  I told him to do it and be hanged; I might have used a stronger expression, and upon second thought, I believe I did.  I next interviewed Captain Laufer and demanded of him also the horse and mule, as I was responsible for them to Quartermaster Hays.  Captain Laufer intimated that I was a liar and that I had disposed of the animals.  Hot words ensued between us, and he too ordered me to leave the post.  I replied that General Bankhead had commanded me to do the same thing, but that I had not yet gone; and that I did not propose to obey any orders of an inferior officer.

Seeing that it was of no use to make any further effort to get possession of the animals I rode back to Sheridan, and just as I reached there I met the quartermaster’s agent coming out from supper, with his head tied up.  It occurred to me that he had not received more than one half the punishment justly due him, and that now would be a good time to give him the balance—­so I carried the idea into immediate execution.  After finishing the job in good style, I informed him that he could not stay in that town while I remained there, and convinced him that Sheridan was not large enough to hold us both at the same time; he accordingly left the place and again went to Fort Wallace, this time reporting to General Bankhead that I had driven him away, and had threatened to kill him.

That night while sleeping at the Perry House, I was awakened by a tap on the shoulder and upon looking up I was considerably surprised to see the room filled with armed negroes who had their guns all pointed at me.  The first words I heard came from the sergeant, who said: 

“Now look a-heah, Massa Bill, ef you makes a move we’ll blow you off de farm, shuah!” Just then Captain Ezekiel entered and ordered the soldiers to stand back.

“Captain, what does this mean?” I asked.

“I am sorry, Bill, but I have been ordered by General Bankhead to arrest you and bring you to Fort Wallace,” said he.

“That’s all right,” said I, “but you could have made the arrest alone, without having brought the whole Thirty-eighth Infantry with you.”  “I know that, Bill,” replied the Captain, “but as you’ve not been in very good humor for the last day or two, I didn’t know how you would act.”