I rode to the bank of the river where I saw a number of squaws on the other side.  I waved my hand at them, and they recognized me at once and began crying, “Hy-ar-hy-ar,” and they came to the brink of the river and waved their hands at me.  I called to them that in four months I would come with a plenty of beads and rings and knives to trade with them.  They clapped their hands and answered, “Good-good,” and I turned my horse and rode back to meet the train.

I will here explain that all this conversation had been carried on in the Comanches’ language, as the Indians, neither bucks or squaws, could understand a word of the English language at that time, and if I could not have talked with them in their language, I would not have had the influence over them that I had now.

That night when we went into camp, Capt.  McKee got off a good joke on me.

While we were eating supper, he said, “Mr. Drannan, I have caught on to your tricks with the Indians.  First you make love to the squaws, and then you get the good will of the bucks by giving them knives to scalp the white men with.  I saw how you made love to the squaws today when you were flirting with them across the river, and I saw them throwing kisses at you too.”

I answered, “Capt., you ought to be with me when I come down here to trade with them.  You would then see the real thing.  I will acknowledge that I get all the hand-shaking that I can stand up to, but as far as kissing and hugging is concerned, that the squaws save for their own if they give them to anyone.”

The Capt. laughed and answered, “Well putting joking aside, Mr. Drannan, I think the Indians of the Comanche tribe are all your friends, and no mistake, and I see that you have a wonderful influence over them.”

I answered, “Capt.  McKee, I have been trading with those Indians four years, and I have always done just as I agreed to do with them, which is the secret of what you call my wonderful influence over them, and I certainly have never had any trouble with one of the Comanche Indians yet, and I will tell you furthermore, Capt., that I intend, if I go back with this train, to carry the knives with me and stop at the main village and give them to the old Chief, for I do not know how soon I may have occasion to ask another favor of him, and I feel confident that as long as I keep his good will he will never refuse to do me a favor.”

We left this camp quite early in the morning, and all things worked satisfactory throughout the day.  We did not see an Indian and but very few Buffalos.  We reached Rocky Ford and crossed the river just before night and went into camp, and Capt.  McKee began to make preparations to leave the train, as with his twenty men and also the twenty-seven men who went with me from Bent’s Fort he intended to strike out in the morning for Santa Fe, where he could make his report, and the men could receive their pay from the Government for their services on this trip.