The next day two Indians came to us, but they
could not talk English, and we could not speak their
tongue, so we had no conversation. I am certain from
the actions of the two Indians that the old chief had kept
his word with us and notified his tribe to let us go in
safety.
On reaching the Pawnee Fork, a tributary of the
Arkansas, we found Capt. Bullard's train of thirty
wagons. They lay by all day searching for eight
mules that had been stampeded by the Indians, although
picketed and closely guarded. The company could not
find a trace of them.
The men were a rough, boisterous set, and, while our
animals were weary, I concluded that it was best to



S60 LEE GOES TO SANTA FE



go further before camping. It was raining, but that
made traveling better, for the country was sandy.
We camped that night at Ash Creek. We now felt
that we were over the worst of our dangers, but we still
had enough of trials before us to keep the expedition
from becoming a pleasure trip.
