THE YOUNG TRAIL HUNTERS; OR, THE WILD RIDERS OF THE PLAINS. THE VERITABLE ADVENTURES OF HAL HYDE AND NED BROWN, ON THEIR JOURNEY ACROSS THE GREAT PLAINS OF THE SOUTH-WEST. BY SAMUEL WOODWORTH COZZENS 1877 [Illustration: Prairie on Fire.] TO THE READER. From my youth up, no book ever fascinated me like one of travel and adventure in Indian lands, where danger attends every step; and, believing that the hair-breadth escapes of my young friends, Hal and Ned, in crossing with me, the great plains of the South-West, a few years since, will prove entertaining, as well as instructive, I have taken great pleasure in recounting them. The delineation of the habits, characteristics, and barbarous customs of the savages, who, for centuries, have roamed over those vast plains, is the result of my personal observation among these, now fast vanishing, Indian tribes. If this narrative proves a sufficient inducement for you to follow "THE TRAIL HUNTERS," to the end, a future volume to be entitled "CROSSING THE QUICKSANDS, OR HAL AND NED ON THE PACIFIC SLOPE," will acquaint you with some of the startling adventures befalling my young friends, after reaching their homes in the far west. Hoping to merit your hearty commendation, I have the honor to subscribe myself, THE AUTHOR. CONTENTS. CHAPTER I. The Wild Mustangs.--Hal and Ned.--The Black and the Bay.--Manuel the Herder.--The Mustang-breaker.--Life on a Stock Ranche.--A Sudden Start.-- On the Road.--The Lone Mule.--The Stampede.--Attacked by Comanches. CHAPTER II. Under the Wagons.--The Lost Stock.--Jerry Vance the Wagon-master.--His Pluck is aroused.--We take the Trail.--The Comanche Camp.--A Surprise.-- The Result.--Visitors.--Cuchillo, the Comanche Chief.--The Missourians. --The Arapahoe Guide.--The Farewell. CHAPTER III. The Return to Camp.--The Boys Missing.--A Search.--Treed.--The Wild Mexican Hogs.--An Adventure.-The Combat.--The Release.--A Cry of Distress.--An Ugly Customer--The Panther.--A Terrible Struggle.-- Victory.--Old Jerry wounded.--Camp at last. CHAPTER IV. Jerry's Story.--"Byse hain't got no Bizness on the Plains, nohow."--A Hunting Expedition.--Antonio, the "Mustanger" of the Leona.--"Creasing" a Wild Horse.--The Prairie-dog Town.--Wild Turkeys.--The Missing Boys. Prisoners in the Hands of the Comanches.--The "Lingo" of the Plains.--The Ransom and Rescue.--Dog Meat. CHAPTER V. Comanches in the Distance.--Attacked.--The Fight.--The Arapahoe Scout to the Rescue.--Wounded.--Comanche Signals.--More Trouble.--The Ambuscade.-- A Night Attack.--A Mule killed.--Ned's first Indian.--"A'stonishin' Boy."--Old Jerry's Pride.--Once more on the Road. CHAPTER VI. The Track in the Sand.--What made it.--A Lesson on Trailing.--What constitutes a good Woodsman.--A Discovery.--Indians.--A Female Captive To the Rescue.--Our Ride.--A Run for Life.--The Fight.--Death.--More Hints about Trailing.--The Mexican.--Old Jerry's Observation. CHAPTER VII.