By this time the little dug-out was nearly filled with other Indians, who had been peeping in at the door, and I could hear voices of still more outside as well as the stamping of horses.  I began to think that my time had come, as the saying is, when into the cabin stepped an elderly Indian, whom I readily recognized as old Rain-in-the-Face, a Sioux chief from the vicinity of Fort Laramie.  I rose up as well as I could and showed him my broken leg.  I told him where I had seen him, and asked him if he remembered me.  He replied that he knew me well, and that I used to come to his lodge at Fort Laramie to visit him.  I then managed to make him understand that I was there alone and having broken my leg, I had sent my partner off for a team to take me away.  I asked him if his young men intended to kill me, and he answered, that was what they had proposed to do, but he would see what they had to say.

The Indians then talked among themselves for a few minutes, and upon the conclusion of the consultation, old Rain-in-the-Face turned to me and gave me to understand that as I was yet a “papoose,” or a very young man, they would not take my life.  But one of his men, who had no fire-arms, wanted my gun and pistol.  I implored old Rain-in-the-Face to be allowed to keep the weapons, or at least one of them, as I needed something with which to keep the wolves away.  He replied that as his young men were out on the war path, he had induced them to spare my life; but he could not prevent them from taking what ever else they wanted.

They unsaddled their horses as if to remain there for some time, and sure enough they stayed the remainder of the day and all night.  They built a fire in the dug-out and cooked a lot of my provisions, helping themselves to everything as if they owned it.  However, they were polite enough to give me some of the food after they had cooked it.  It was a sumptuous feast that they had, and they seemed to relish it as if it was the best lay-out they had had for many a long day.  They took all my sugar and coffee, and left me only some meat and a small quantity of flour, a little salt and some baking powder.  They also robbed me of such cooking utensils as they wished; then bidding me good-bye, early in the morning, they mounted their ponies and rode off to the south, evidently bent on some murdering and thieving expedition.

I was glad enough to see them leave, as my life had undoubtedly hung by a thread during their presence.  I am confident that had it not been for my youth and the timely recognition and interference of old Rain-in-the-Face they would have killed me without any hesitation or ceremony.