As the number of men was to be limited to forty, too much care could not be exercised in their selection. I chose the great majority of them from the sharpshooters, men who, in addition to being cool and brave, were experienced and skilful marksmen. My standardbearer, a well-tried sergeant, was selected as the senior non-commissioned officer of the party. The officers who were to accompany me were my brother, Colonel Custer, Captain Robbins, and Dr. Renick, Acting Assistant Surgeon U. S. Army. As guide I had Neva, a Blackfoot Indian, who had accompanied General Fremont in his explorations, and who could speak a little English. Little Robe and Yellow Bear were also to be relied upon as guides, while Romeo accompanied us as interpreter. Young Brewster, determined to miss no opportunity of discovering his lost sister, had requested and been granted permission to become one of the party.
This completed the personnel of the expedition. All were well armed and well mounted. We were to take no wagons or tents; our extra supplies were to be transported on pack-mules. We were to start on the evening of the second day, the intervening time being necessary to complete our preparations. It was decided that our first march should be a short one, sufficient merely to enable us to reach a village of friendly Apaches located a few miles from our camp, where we would spend the first night and be joined by Little Robe and Yellow Bear, who at that time were guests of the Apaches. I need not say that in the opinion of many of our comrades our mission was regarded as closely, bordering on the imprudent, to qualify it by no stronger term.
So confident did one of the most prudent officers of my command feel in regard to our annihilation by the Indians that in bidding me good-by he contrived to slip into my hand a small pocket Derringer pistol, loaded, with the simple remark, "You had better take it, General; it may prove useful to you." As I was amply, provided with arms, both revolvers and rifle, and as a pocket Derringer may not impress the reader as being a very formidable weapon to use in Indian warfare, the purpose of my friend in giving me the small pocket weapon may not seem clear. It was given me under the firm conviction that the Indians would overwhelm and massacre my entire party; and to prevent my being captured, disarmed, and reserved for torture, that little pistol was given me in order that at the last moment I might become my own executioner, an office I was not seeking, nor did I share in my friend's opinion.
Everything being ready for our departure, we swung into our saddles, waved our adieus to the comrades who were to remain in camp, and the next moment we turned our horses' heads westward and were moving in the direction of the Apache village.
Chapter Fifteen.
A Peace Offering and Its Results.
THE Apache village had been represented as located only five or six miles from our camp, but we found the distance nearly twice as great; and although we rode rapidly, our horses being fresh, yet it was quite dark before we reached the first lodge, the location of the rest of the village being tolerably well defined by the apparently countless dogs whose barking at our approach called forth most of the inhabitants of the village.
As our coming had been previously announced by Little Robe and Yellow Bear, our arrival occasioned no surprise. Inquiring of the first we saw where the stream of water was, as an Indian village is invariably placed in close proximity to water, we were soon on our camp ground, which was almost within the limits of the village. Our horses were soon unsaddled and picketed out to graze, fires were started by the men preparatory to the enjoyment of a cup of coffee, and every preliminary made for a good night's rest and early start in the morning. But here the officers of the party encountered their first drawback. From some unexplained cause the pack-mule which carried our blankets had with his attendant failed thus far to put in an appearance.
His head leader had probably fallen behind and in the darkness lost the party. The bugler was sent to a neighboring eminence to sound signals with his bugle in the hope that the absent man with his mule might make his way to us, but all to no purpose. We were soon forced to relinquish all hope of seeing either man, mule, or blankets until daylight, and consequently the prospect of enjoying a comfortable rest was exceedingly limited. Saddle blankets were in great demand, but I was even more fortunate. A large number of the Apaches had come from their lodges out of mere curiosity to see us, hoping no doubt, too, that they might secure something to eat. Among them was one with whom I was acquainted, and to whom I made known the temporary loss of my blankets. By promising him a pint of sugar and an equal amount of coffee on my return to my camp he agreed to loan me a buffalo robe until morning. With this wrapped around me and the aid of a bright blazing camp fire I passed a most comfortable night among my less fortunate companions as we all lay stretched out on the ground, using our saddles for pillows. Early next morning (our pack animals having come up in the night) we were in our saddles, on our way, ready and eager for whatever might be in store for us. The route taken by the guides led us along the northern border of the Wichita Mountains, our general direction being nearly due west. As soon as it had become known in the main camp that the expedition of which I now write was contemplated, young Brewster, who had never relinquished his efforts or inquiries to determine the fate of his lost sister, came to me with earnest request to be taken as one of the party, a request which I was only too glad to comply with. No person who has not lived on the frontier and in an Indian country can correctly realize or thoroughly appreciate the extent to which a frontiersman becomes familiar with, and apparently indifferent to, the accustomed dangers which surround him on every side. It is but another verification of the truth of the old saying, familiarity breeds contempt.
After getting well on our way I began, through Romeo, conversing with the two chiefs, Little Robe and Yellow Bear, who rode at my side, upon the topic which was uppermost in the minds of the entire party: when and where should we probably find their people! Before our departure they had given me to understand that the villages might be found on some one of the small streams flowing in a southerly direction past the western span of the Wichita mountains, a distance from our main camp not exceeding sixty or seventy miles; but I could easily perceive that neither of the chiefs spoke with a great degree of confidence. They explained this by stating that the villages would not remain long in one place and it was difficult to say positively in what locality or upon what stream we should find them; but that when we reached the last peak of the Wichita Mountains, which commanded an unlimited view of the plains beyond, they would send up signal smoke and perhaps be able to obtain a reply from the village.
In the evening we reached a beautiful stream of water with abundance of wood in the vicinity; here we halted for the night. Our horses were fastened to the trees, while the officers and men spread their blankets on the ground and in groups of twos and threes prepared for the enjoyment of a good night's rest. One sentry remained awake during the night, and in order that the loss of sleep should be as little as might be consistent with our safety the relief, instead of being composed of three men, each of whom would have to remain on duty two hours for every four hours of rest was increased in number so that each member thereof was required to remain on post but a single hour during the night. While I felt confidence in the good intentions of the two chiefs I did not neglect to advise the guards to keep a watchful eye upon them, as we could not afford to run any avoidable risks.