A Mule Lunching from a Pillow 78 General Custer as a Cadet 87 "O Golly! what am dat?" 108 Measuring an Alligator 125 General Custer at the Close of the War--Aged 25 168 "Stand there, cowards, will you, and see an old man robbed?" 188 General Custer with his Horse Vic, Stag Hounds and Deer Hounds 212 Kansas in 1866 and Kansas To-day 221 Conestoga Wagon, or Prairie-Schooner 223 The Officer's Dress--A New-comer for a Call 239 A Suspended Equestrienne 246 General Custer at his Desk in his Library 259 Gun-stand in General Custer's Library 287 Trophies of the Chase in General Custer's Library 297 Whipping Horses to Keep them from Freezing 316 A Match Buffalo Hunt 341 Gathering and Counting the Tongues 343 Supper Given by the Vanquished to the Victors of the Match Buffalo Hunt 345 A Buffalo Undecided as to an Attack on General Custer 368 A Buffalo at Bay 377 The Addled Letter-Carrier 385 Negroes Form their own Picket-line 389 An Attack on a Stage-coach 392 TENTING ON THE PLAINS. CHAPTER I. GOOD-BY TO THE ARMY OF THE POTOMAC. GENERAL CUSTER was given scant time, after the last gun of the war was fired, to realize the blessings of peace. While others hastened to discard the well-worn uniforms, and don again the dress of civilians, hurrying to the cars, and groaning over the slowness of the fast-flying trains that bore them to their homes, my husband was almost breathlessly preparing for a long journey to Texas. He did not even see the last of that grand review of the 23d and 24th of May, 1865. On the first day he was permitted to doff his hat and bow low, as he proudly led that superb body of men, the Third Division of Cavalry, in front of the grand stand, where sat the "powers that be." Along the line of the division, each soldier straightened himself in the saddle, and felt the proud blood fill his veins, as he realized that he was one of those who, in six months, had taken 111 of the enemy's guns, sixty-five battle-flags, and upward of 10,000 prisoners of war, while they had never lost a flag, or failed to capture a gun for which they fought.