When we returned to camp from our walk, the wagon master said, “Boys, Mr. Drannan has hired the Chief of the Comanches to forbid his warriors interfering with this train going to Santa Fe or when it is coming back.  Now I want to know how much money each one of you are willing to chip in towards helping him out.  You must remember that the contract he made with the Indian Chief has not only saved the destruction of the train, but more than likely some of us would have lost our lives if the Indians had resented our passing through their country.”

Three drivers, all from Missouri, came forward at once and said, “Mr. Drannan, we haven’t any money now, but as soon as we draw our pay, we will give you twenty dollars apiece as our share.”

Another man cried out, “I will give twenty-five.”

Capt.  McKee frowned and said, “Don’t you think your lives worth more than twenty-five dollars, men?”

This remark seemed to stir them up, and in less than ten minutes they had subscribed four hundred and forty dollars.

The Capt. clapped his hands and said, “Mr. Drannan, you are safe,” and then told the men what the real expense would be to me.  The Missouri men answered, “Don’t make any difference to us what he is to pay.  The bargain he made to save our lives is what we want to pay for as far as we can.”

I said, “Now boys, I believe that I have been instrumental in saving some of your lives and probably the whole train, but you don’t owe me a cent of money for what I have done, and I want to say to you all that if there should be any Indians come near the train while we are passing through the Comanche country do not interfere with them in any way, and you may rest assured they will not with you.”

The Capt. now turned to the wagon master and said, “How much further do you want me and my men to accompany you?” He answered, “I will leave that for you and Mr. Drannan to decide.”

I said, “Capt.  McKee, I think you had better stay with the train until we cross the river at Rocky Ford, which will take the train nearly out of the Comanche country at this season of the year, and we ought to reach Rocky Ford day after to morrow night, and as far as having an escort is concerned, I do not think there will be any more need of one after we cross Rocky Ford.  I think the train will be perfectly safe to go on alone under the present circumstances.”

To this neither the Capt. or the wagon master would agree, for Capt.  McKee said, “You, Mr. Drannan, have been really the only protection the train has had, and it is no more than right that you should accompany it through to Santa Fe.  I with my men will go on to Santa Fe, and I will report that all is well with the train, and I will also report what you have done in protecting the lives of the men as well as the Government property on this trip.”

The next morning we broke camp early and hit the trail in good season.  Everything went along smoothly until about two o’clock, when we came in sight of a little Indian village.  It was on the opposite side of the Arkansas river.