Not being an orthodox Peace Commissioner, in good standing in that
fraternity, I did not send a despatch of this character. What I did,
however, answered every purpose. I went to the station of the guard
near by and directed the non-commissioned officer in charge to have
his men keep a watchful eye upon those same “untutored sons of the
forest,” as I felt confident their plans boded us no good. Romeo was
also told to inform the chiefs that after the camp had quieted down for
the night, it would not be prudent for them to wander far from their
camp fire, as the sentries might mistake them for enemies and fire
upon them. This I knew would make them hug their fire closely until
morning. Before daylight we were again in the saddle and commencing
the last march necessary to take us to Fort Cobb. Again did it become
important, in the opinion of the chiefs, to despatch another of their
number to hurry up the people of their villages, in order, as they
said, that the villages might arrive at Fort Cobb at the same time we
did. As the march progressed these applications became more frequent,
until most of the chiefs had been sent away as messengers. I noticed,
however, that in selecting those to be sent, the chiefs lowest in rank
and importance were first chosen, so that those who remained were the
highest. When their numbers had dwindled down to less than half the
original party, I saw that instead of acting in good faith this party
of chiefs was solely engaged in the effort to withdraw our attention
from the villages, and, by an apparent offer on their part to accompany
us to Fort Cobb, where we were encouraged to believe the villages
would meet us, prevent us from watching and following the trail made
by the lodges, which had already diverged from the direct route to
Fort Cobb, the one the villages would have pursued had that fort been
their destination. It became palpably evident that the Indians were
resorting, as usual, to stratagem to accomplish their purpose, which of
course involved our deception. Fortunately their purpose was divined in
time to thwart it. As no haste was necessary, I permitted the remaining
chiefs to continue the march with us, without giving them any grounds
to suppose that we strongly doubted their oft-repeated assertions that
their hearts were good and their tongues were straight. Finally, as our
march for that day neared its termination and we were soon to reach
our destination, the party of chiefs, which at first embraced upwards
of twenty, had become reduced until none remained except the two head
chiefs, Lone Wolf and Satanta, and these no doubt were laughing in
their sleeves, if an Indian may be supposed to possess that article of
apparel, at the happy and highly successful manner in which they had
hoodwinked their white brethren. But had they known all that had been
transpiring they would not have felt so self-satisfied. As usual, quite
a number of officers and orderlies rode at the head of the column,
including a few of General Sheridan’s staff.
As soon as the scheme of the Indians was discovered, I determined to
seize the most prominent chiefs as hostages for the fulfilment of
their promises regarding the coming on of the villages; but as for
this purpose two hostages were as valuable as twenty, I allowed all
but this number to take their departure apparently unnoticed. Finally,
when none but Lone Wolf and Satanta remained, and they no doubt were
prepared with a plausible excuse to bid us in the most improved Kiowa
_au revoir_, the officers just referred to, at a given signal, drew
their revolvers, and Lone Wolf and Satanta were informed through Romeo
that they were prisoners.