US 1,500 head and finally nearly all we had on the first ranch; besides occasionally our horses. In order to not take up too much space. will have to leave out much of what might be most interesting to many. I could tell many things that transpired during that time which would be almost a repetition of the earliest days in Kentucky. I have lain in the cabin at night alone and watched and listened to the Indians all night signaling each other, but were afraid to approach it. One summer I concluded I would go down home to the settlement. I started about sunrise led one horse and rode another, leaving Brother Larkin and another man at the ranch. When I started they turned their horses loose, which went a short distance from the house and stopped to graze. They noticed the horses looking tip the branch in the direction I had just gone. They first thought the horses were looking at me, but walked out from the house to get on higher ground, when they saw some Indians laying flat on their horses coming down in the bed of the branch, single file, but just then they straightened up and rode out to the horses and made a dash on them and run them off tip the valley. They had left their shooting irons in the house, so they saw their horses driven off without being able even to give the Indians a parting shot. I had evidently passed within a few yards of them, but to give iiie a chase would be to foil their plans, so they let me pass. After the close of the civil war Brother William moved to Jacksboro (a little town on the frontier) and started a little trading house, buying pelts. etc., and would (after getting a load) haul to Fort Worth and barter for groceries, etc., and haul back to Jacksboro. On one of his trips (which was the last he made) after starting back from Fort Worth and when the time came to stop for the night he turned a few steps from the road, unharnessed his horses and with long ropes staked them out on the grass, which was good anywhere at that time. After eating his meal, placed the boxes. etc., along on one side and fixed his bed on the other side, then lay down for the night (his wagon was covered). As a precaution in case of emergency he carried with him a Colts pistol (dragon size). The moon was shining very bright. Some time during the night he was waked up by a noise around the wagon. He cautiously raised the wagon sheet and peeked out. What he saw was not very inspiring. There were a number of Indians in very close proximity; he placed his

[Continued on page 561]