midnight
The nickering of a pony warned them of the presence of the enemy , and circling wide , they avoided an ambush , though pursued by the stealthy Comanches . Wilson was mounted on a good horse , while Yankee Bill rode a mule , and so closely were they pursued , that on reaching the first broken ground Bill turned into a coulee , while Mocho bore off on an angle , firing his six-shooter to attract the enemy after him . Yankee Bill told us afterward how he held the muzzle of his mule for an hour on dismounting , to keep the rascal from bawling after the departing horse . Wilson reached camp after midnight and reported the hopelessness of the situation ; but morning came , and with it no Yankee Bill in camp . Half a dozen of us started in search of him , under the leadership of the one-armed plainsman , and an hour afterward Bill was met riding leisurely up the river . When rebuked by his comrade for not coming in under cover of darkness , he retorted , `` Hell , man , I was n't going to run my mule to death just because there were a few Comanches in the country ! '' In trailing the missing cattle the day previous , I had accompanied Mr. Loving to the second Indian crossing .