Page:The Red Man and the White Man in North America.djvu/128

108 "When a young man,—new to the plains, with a heart full of romance, and head stored with Cooper's and others' fictions of 'beautiful Indian maidens,'—I was on the escort of General S., commanding the Department, on a long scout, or reconnoissance, through Texas. One day, when camped near what afterwards became Fort Belknap, we were visited by a then prominent chief of the Northern Comanches, Pa-ha-yu-ka, who brought with him a few warriors and his family,—several wives and one daughter. The daughter was a vision of loveliness, apparently about fourteen, but ripened by the southern sun to perfect womanhood. Rather below the medium height, her form was slight and lithe, though rounded into the utmost symmetry. Her features were regular, lips and teeth simply perfection, eyes black, bright and sparkling with fun, and the whole countenance beaming with good humor and bewitching coquetry. A tightly-fitting tunic of the softest buckskin, beautifully embroidered with porcupine quills, reaching half way between the hip and the knee, set off to admiration her rounded form. The bottom of the tunic was a continuous fringe of thin buckskin strings, from each of which dangled a little silver bell, not larger than the cup of a small acorn. Her lower limbs were encased in elaborately fringed leggings, and her little feet in beaded moccasons of elaborate pattern. Her beautiful hair was plaited down her back and adorned with huge silver buckles. The parting of her hair was carefully marked with vermilion paint, and a long gold or brass chain was twisted carelessly about her hair and neck. What wonder if, with one look, I literally tumbled into love? She saw my admiration, and with the innate coquetry of the sex in every clime and of every people, met my eager glances with a thousand winning airs and graces. We could not speak; but love has a language of its own. I haunted that Indian camp-fire. Neither duty nor hunger could tear me away; and it was only when the Indians retired for the night that I could return to my own tent and blankets to toss and dream of this vision of paradise. Next morning with the sun I was again with my fascination. The General gave the Indians a beef. Some time after, a warrior came and spoke to the girl. Rising from her seat, she gave me a look of invitation to accompany her. Proceeding a few yards into a little glade, we came to several Indians standing around the slaughtered beef, which was turned on its back and the stomach split open. Taking a knife from one of the men, my 'beautiful Indian maiden'