As we reached the crest of the grade coming onto the upland, about two miles from our recent camp, with the officers we turned out on the side of the trail as the command marched by, to take a parting look at Camp Coyotelope; and we noticed what appeared to be a number of Indians—some mounted and some afoot—moving about in the vicinity of the dugouts.
"Some of To hausen's people," suggested Bill, "looking after the bodies of old Nosey and his pard and gathering up the leavings about the old camp. They'll take them two dead bucks back to their camp and bury them."
I had dismounted and taken out our field-glass to get a better view of the Indians and verified the scout's surmise, for I could plainly see a group gathered about the body of each of the two dead Indians, apparently lifting them onto their ponies.
"There, Peck," said Bill, noticing the field-glass I held, "is another thing I'd like to buy or trade you out of, for I got mine broke yesterday morning when my horse fell with me; and I need glasses, and you're going back to Leavenworth where you can easy get another pair." As he took the glass to examine it, he asked: "How much is it worth?"
"It cost us twenty dollars in Leavenworth," I replied. "They are handy things to have on the plains, but we won't need it much going back to the settlements. I'll speak to Tom about it and I guess we'll let you have it when we get ready to start on the home-stretch from Fort Larned."
"Well, it ought to be worth more out here than it cost you in Leavenworth and I'll pay you whatever you think it's worth. Of course, I ain't got the money now, for it's going to take all I can borrow, I reckon, to pay you for this horse; but if you'll trust me till I come in to Leavenworth, I'll pay you then—that is I'm supposing that you fellows will hang up in Leavenworth for a while—anyway, till you blow in your money."
"Well, as to Tom and me," remarked Jack, "I believe each of us has planned to take a trip East when we get in, but I think it'll be a safe wager that you'll find Peck about Leavenworth, for there's a curly-headed girl there that he talks about in his sleep."
"Well, that do settle it," said Bill with a chuckle and a wink at Jack.
As we passed over the recent battle-field, we rode around and looked at the bodies of all the dead Kiowas, hoping though hardly expecting to find Satank, but were disappointed—the murderous old fiend had escaped again. These bodies were all considerably torn by the wolves, but their features were still in good enough condition to have enabled us to identify him had he been among the fallen. An inscrutable Providence permitted this bloodthirsty demon to roam the plains for several years longer.
As we neared the post, several officers and soldiers came out to meet us, anxious to hear all about the fight. The cavvy-yard of captured ponies, with their Indian saddles and bridles, together with other trophies of the fight carried by Saunders' men, attracted much attention. Saunders' men seemed much elated over the fact that this, their first engagement with the Indians, had been so successfully planned and executed.