When we told them what we would sell the horses for, some of the men said that they wanted horses and would have the money to pay for them when they disposed of their crops in the fall.

The horses being off our mind, we started for the south, and as we were passing the house where we dined the day before, the lady came to the door and called to Capt.  McKee, saying, “Captain, when you get ready to come back this fall, send a runner on ahead, and I will have a square meal all cooked for you.”

All the boys heard this, and thinking it must be a joke on the Captain, they all cheered and clapped their hands.  The Captain took off his hat and made a bow and thanked the lady, and we all rode on, but the Captain did not hear the last of this joke all summer.  Whenever he complained of being hungry, some of us would remind him of the square meal that was waiting for him at the settlement.

We traveled four days, passing through several settlements before we heard of any Indians.  As we were going into camp on the evening of the fourth day, two men rode in and said that they had seen a band of Indians a couple of hours before, and there were as many as twenty or more in the band, and that four of the Indians had chased them several miles, and that the Indians seemed to be traveling in an easterly direction.

I said to the Captain, “Let’s have the men take supper with us and then go back and show us where they saw the Indians.”

He asked them if they were willing to go and show us, and they said they would.

We struck out as quickly as we could, and I think it was all of ten miles before we struck the Indian trail.  As soon as we found the trail the Indians had left, Captain McKee thanked the men and told them he would not trouble them to go any further.  They inquired if he intended to follow the Indians up and make an attack on them.  He told them that was what he expected to do if we found them.  They said, “Why, can’t we go with you and help to fight the wretches?  We both have guns and pistols too, and we would like to get even with them for the run they made us take against our will.”

The Capt. said, “I am willing for you to accompany us, but you must watch my men and do as they do, if you are sure you want to put yourselves in the same danger of being killed that we do.”

They both said together, “That is just what we want to do, Capt.  We want to learn how to fight the Red devils, and this will be a grand chance for us to learn to do it in style.”

Myself and my scouts took the lead on the Indian trail.  I told the Capt. to ride on slowly, and as soon as I came up with the Indians I would inform him of it.

We three followed the Indian trail until the day was breaking, and when we first saw their camp fires, we were only a short distance from them, as they were down in a little narrow valley, and we were almost over them before we saw them.