Rangers and sovereignty Page: 56 of 188

RANGERS AND SOVEREIGNTY

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three men they were still in pursuit of the Indians.
At nightfall everything in camp was deathly still.
You could see men in little groups discussing in a low
voice what might have befallen "Jim" Hawkins,
Cupp and Springer. Some were listening for sounds
of hoofs or any token of their approach. Finally one
man said he heard the sound of horses coming, and
human voices, and still all was anxiety. When they
came up to the corral one of them sung out "all's
well. " Then the yell in camp went up which paid for
all our anxiety.
If we may claim any credit for service in the frontier
battalion, we are inclined to give it to the brave
men who did the fighting, at least, in a great measure.
They were all "generals." When we detailed a man
to go anywhere to make an arrest or do any particular
work, we didn't have to send another man
with him to tell him what to do.
My men had lost their pack mule in the fight, as
they were so busy looking after their own hair just
then, the mule had to take care of itself. When they
rounded up the remains of the battle and started for
camp the mule was missing. It had followed them by
sight or trailed them in the long chase, and soon after
they engaged the Indians the mule was with them.
The next morning I took four men with me and went
to the battle ground, and took the mule's trail, which
l:1 me up on a little ridge or raise of ground, where
t,i Indians had made their first stand. The mule's