"While busy trying to focus the glass on a little cloud of dust that Satank kept tryin' to point out to him, the ol' rascal put the muzzle of his rifle to the back of Peacock's head an' put a ball through his brains. While Satank dismounted to scalp Peacock his warriors rushed into the enclosure through the gate that Peacock had left open as he come out, an' it was such a complete surprise to the ranchmen that they were all soon killed 'cept the sick man I spoke of. They found him in bed but never offered to disturb him. I've known of Injuns, several times, a-sparing sick people thataway, but don't know why, unless they have a superstition ag'in harming sick folks.
"When Rath an' Long, down here at the Bend, saw the Kiowas going back across the river, a-drivin' Peacock's herd, they begun to think something was wrong, so they got out their spy-glass, took a close look, an', although the Injuns was two or three miles away, could see that they had a lot of the ponies packed with what seemed to be some of Peacock's goods. This made 'em suspect that the Injuns had captured an' plundered the ranch, ef they hadn't killed Peacock an his men; so they dropped their work, mounted their horses, an' went a-flying up to Peacock's to see what was up, an' found all hands killed 'cept the sick man, an' he told 'em what little he'd seen an' heerd of the fracas, from where he lay in bed, not bein' able to get out, an' how after killing the other men the Injuns had come to the open door of the room where he lay helpless an' fully expecting to be murdered, an' how surprised an' glad he was when they turned away without disturbin' him.
"Peacock had left no heirs on the place, an' there was no one in this part of the country that had any claim on it, so Rath an' Long decided to abandon the ranch they had just begun to build here at the Bend an' move up an' take possession of Peacock's place, jumping the claim, same as Peacock had done after Allison died. An' Rath is holding it yet, but George Long quit the business an' went back to the settlements—got scared out, I guess. Charley Rath—barring the everlasting danger from Injuns—has got a bully good layout in that Walnut Creek ranch, both for trade of the road an' for Injun trade, for there he gits part of the trade of Kiowas, Comanches, Cheyennes, an' 'Rapahoes; but it's more directly in the Kiowa range than the others."
"Well, Tom," I asked as the old man seemed to be at the end of his yarn, "as the Kiowas are now living under a treaty, do you think their friendship is to be depended on?"
"I wouldn't feel a bit uneasy in the neighborhood of ol' To hausen's band, for him an' his followers has kept faith with the whites right along, through all the late troubles. He's one of the few good Injuns. But his band is a small part of the tribe now though he used to be their head chief. Most of the Kiowas follow the lead of Satank now, an' you know Satank hates a white man as the devil hates holy water, an', although he may keep the peace for a while, it ain't to be depended on. I would never feel perfectly safe in the neighborhood of Satank's band. An' then Satanta an' Big Tree run with him, an' they're as bad as Satank."
"What I was thinking of," I added, "is that the winter camp we're intending to establish, north of Fort Larned, will be right in the range of the Kiowas, and if they should happen to find our layout in the course of the winter they might make trouble for us."
"Well, we won't borry any trouble on that score. We knew there was a risk to run afore we undertook the expedition. When a man goes into the country of hostile or doubtful Injuns he takes his risk. But at this time of the year the chances are that we won't see any Injuns, 'cause they generally hole up in as snug shelter as they can find in winter an' don't ramble about much. An' then, ag'in, we'll not be more'n twenty miles from Fort Larned, and they'd hardly dare to disturb us ef they should find our camp."