I was now about to mount my horse to follow the train when the Chief said, “No go now, stay eat dinner.”

I knew that it would be considered an insult to refuse, so I said, “Wa to,” which means “All right.”

I staked my horse out by tying him to a sage brush and accompanied the Chief to his wigwam, and it was not long before the squaws had a plenty of juicy Buffalo steak broiled and ready to eat, and I have no doubt the reader will think me a very strange person when I say that I enjoyed that meal, which was of broiled Buffalo meat alone without even bread, more than I would now the most sumptuous dinner that could be cooked and spread on the finest mahogany table, and that meal was spread on the ground in an Indian wigwam with wild Indians for companions.

After a while, which seemed short to me, I looked at my watch and was surprised to find that it was two o’clock in the afternoon.  I bid the Chief and his squaws good by and mounted my horse and was off in pursuit of the train.

I overtook them just as they were corralling for the night.  As I rode into camp, Capt.  McKee met me and said, “Mr. Drannan, you must bear a charmed life.  I never expected to see you again, either alive or dead.”

I laughed and answered, “Did you think I was going to marry a squaw and settle down in the Indian village, Capt?  I thought you had a better opinion of me than that.  I will confess that I like the Indians pretty well, but not well enough to be a squaw man.”

This answer made a general laugh and upset the gravity that was settling on all their faces.  Capt McKee then said, “Where have you been all day, Mr. Drannan?”

I told him I went to the Indian village which he passed and was invited to eat dinner with the head Chief, and they made such a spread that I like to not got away today.  He said, “What could you have had for dinner that it took all day to eat it?” I answered, “Buffalo steak straight cooked in the most approved style.”

This answer made such a laugh that the Capt. did not ask any more questions until he and I were alone that evening.  The wagon master and Capt.  McKee asked me to take a walk with them.  After we had strolled along a while, the Capt. said, “Mr. Drannan, how is it that you can go into those Indian villages be they large or small?  It seems to make no difference to you, and the Indians do not molest you.  Have you no hesitation at all in going among the Indians?”

I answered, “Yes sir, I would hesitate a long time before I went into the village of some tribes of Indians, but I have no fear of the Comanches in small bands or when they are all together, for they are all friendly to me, and instead of hurting me they would protect me from harm, and there is something else I can guarantee, and that is that this train will not be molested by the Comanche Indians, either going or coming on this trip.”

Capt.  McKee said, “Where in the world could you get that guarantee, Mr. Drannan?”