It was concluded by them, it would be wisest to obey. This, the more especially, as I had collected some dozen of my immediate friends, who stood ominously close to me, with rifles in hand, and six-shooters very palpably visible. In another ten minutes, they had all left the camp. When we arrived at Fort Laramie, Crim reported this gang of marauding horse-thieves to the officer in command of that post. Several days on our route beyond the fort, we were overtaken by the Pony Express, and learned that this very band had been captured in its immediate vicinity. Military justice is very prompt. It may make an occasional mistake, although not often. They had all been hung. CHAPTER IV. CAUGHT BY THE INDIANS--A PLEASANT RIDE--ONE PITYING FACE--BENEFIT OF BEING A MASON--THE EVIL EYE--INDIAN BEAUTY AND INDIAN EATING--THE OFFER OF MARRIAGE--DECLINING IT, MAKES ME A FRIEND--A SECOND AND MORE TEMPTING OFFER--DECLINING IT, DOES NOT MAKE ME AN ENEMY--PULLING UP MY STAKES WITH HONOR--THE PONY EXPRESS--AGAIN WITH THE TRAIN. Previous to our reaching Fort Laramie, we had been able to procure plenty of fresh meat. The antelope and buffalo had almost seemed waiting for our rifles. Now, however, we met with few or none of either of these, and the scarcity began to be severely felt. Even Captain Crim grew more peppery with us than he had before been, and Brighton Bill lost his usual ruddy jollity. Consequently, one morning, I started out with a determination to find fresh meat or die. To tell the truth, it came very near to being the latter. As yet, all the Indians we had met with on the Plains had been of friendly tribes, and at this time no danger was anticipated. I was already some six or seven miles from our train, on the upper side of the North Platte, past what they call the Rattlesnake Hills, when I beheld approaching me a party of Indians. At this time, I was unaware what tribe they were, although now I should pretty readily be able to tell that they were Cheyennes. These are generally hostile to the whites, unless overawed by superior numbers. I necessarily mean, a proportionately superior number--about one, perhaps, to three. The party approached me in an apparently friendly manner, or else the fleet gelding I was mounted on might easily have distanced them. On approaching nearer, they requested, in the usual Indian manner, for tobacco or powder. The first, I readily enough gave them. The latter I was not inclined to part with. Suddenly one of the Indians drew closer to me, and laid his hand on my rifle. I pulled it back from him, and at the same moment was grasped round the waist from behind, by a savage whom I had not previously noticed.