Jim and I were sitting on a wagon tongue talking as we usually did every evening when two little girls came running to us and said their papa wanted us to come and eat supper with them.  We went with the children to their father’s tent, and we found an appetizing meal waiting for us.  Jim and I had not tasted any fresh meat since starting out with this train of emigrants at Green river.  When we sat down, Jim said, “Lady, I am afraid you will be sorry that you invited Will and me to supper, for you may not have meat enough to go around.  We have not had any fresh meat in a dog’s age, and we are big meat eaters any time.”  She answered, “Oh, don’t be uneasy.  I have two pans full on the fire cooking now.  I know how much it takes to fill up hungry men, and you two are not the only hungry men around this camp, and you may be sure we appreciate the feast you planned to surprise us with”; and she turned to me with a smile.  “You see, Mr. Drannan, the boys told me all about your suggesting the Buffalo hunt.”

I answered that the meal she had set before us would pay for more than I had done.  Her husband said, “It has surely been a great benefit to all the people of the train, for we were all suffering for fresh meat, and you don’t know how much we appreciate your thoughtfulness in providing it for us.”

As I left the tent where I had supper, about a dozen middle-aged ladies came to me and said, “We would like to see that pretty thing you took off that Indian.”

I did not know what they meant by “A pretty thing” until Jim said, “Why, Will, they want to see that war bonnet you took with the old chief’s scalp.”

I went to our pack and got the bonnet and gave it to them, and for the next two hours that Indian adornment was the talk of the camp.  It was carried from tent to tent, examined by nearly everyone, old and young, in the whole emigrant train, and it was a curiosity to any white person, and still more so to those not used to the Indians’ way of adorning themselves.

Jim explained to the emigrants why this piece of Indian dress in our possession would be a protection to them in case of an attack on us by the Indians; he said, “The Indians have no fear of being killed in battle.  Their great dread is of being scalped.  They believe that if their scalps are taken off their heads in this world, they will not be revived in the next, or what they call the “Happy Hunting grounds of the Indians,” where they will dwell with the great spirit forever, and if they should see this bonnet which none but a great chief can wear they will think we must be powerful to have got it and will keep away from us, fearing they may share the fate themselves.”

Jim told the emigrants to be ready for an early start in the morning, and then we separated for the night, the emigrants going to their tents and Jim and I to lay our blankets under a tree.

Next morning after we had a hearty breakfast of cornbread and Buffalo steak, Jim said, “Now, men and women, Will gave you all a treat in Buffalo meat last night, but if all goes well, and we meet with nothing to detain us, in one week from tonight I will give you a treat that will discount his.”