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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
The San Pedro.--An Antelope Hunt.--We strike a Fresh Trail.--An Attack of "Buck Fever."--Hal a Victim.--I endeavor to comfort him.--A Promise.--The Black-tailed Deer.--The Call and the Snake.--Another Attempt.--Defeated by a Panther.--The Rio Pecos.--The Country through which it runs.--Old Acquaintances in the Distance.--On a Bender.--Ned to the Rescue.--Old Jerry's Bear Story.
The Comanche War Trail.--A Visitor in Camp.--Hal loses his Pony.--An Adventure with a Horse-thief.--Creeping Serpent.--Hints on Horse-stealing. --Dust in the Distance. Hal recognizes his Pony.--A Good Shot.-- Its Effect.--The Prairie on Fire.--Imminent Peril.--Hard Work.--Comanche Springs.--Fort Davis.--A Pretty Girl,--Patsey McQuirk.--Ned kills an Antelope.--Don Ramon.--The Camp attacked.
Juanita captured.--A Brutal Murder.--Once more on the Trail.--We lose it.--The Hide for Life.--Return to Camp.--The Messenger to the Fort.-- Terrible News.--The Dragoons in the Saddle.--Hal taken Prisoner.--Off for El Paso.--We start for the Silver Mines.--The Cave.--Adventure with a Bear.--The Mine.--What we saw.--We start for Fillmore.--Good News.
Tom Pope the Scout.--His Report.--An Expedition planned.--Tom's Story.-- A Comanche Village.--The Prisoner.--A New Way of Cooking Steak.--Big Eagle the Chief.--An Escape, and Pursuit.--Soldiers from the Fort.--Our Expedition starts.--The Organos Mountains,--Ned's Adventure with a Rattlesnake.--We strike the Trail and follow it.--Hard Riding.--A Discovery.--Is it Comanche or Apache?--The Moccasin.
The Tell-tale, and what it said.--Jerry's Decision.--The Ride.--A Reconnoissance.--The Indian Camp.--Military Rule.--A Happy Thought.--The Rifle-shot.--The Rescue.--How Ned obeyed the Lieutenant's Orders.--On the Rampage.--Hal on Hand.--The Spoils.--Rejoicings over Juanita's Return.--What Tom says.--Ned wounded.--A Mountain Carriage.--Arrival at the Fort.--The Little Gold Ring.--Good-bye, Juanita.--"Disrispict."--A Fight.
Once more on the Road.--We cross the Rio Grande.--Mesilla.--Hal's Purchase.--A False Alarm.--A Ludicrous Scene.--An Unexpected Arrival in Camp.--Patsey's Adventure with the "Divil."--"That bar" again.--What Jerry says.--An Unsuccessful Hunt.--A Startling Echo.--Apache Visitors.-- El Chico.--The Apache Chief.
Mr. Mastin.--Mangas Colorado.--Cadette.--A Terrible Battle.--Hal begins his Story of Apache Land.--An Interruption.--"The Bear's goned."--The Pursuit.
A Bear Hunt.--Patsey explains.--A Promise.--Continuation of Hal's Story.-- Warm Blood.--A Feast of Mule Meat.--The Mountain Cave.--A Punishment.-- Despair.--The Crack of a Rifle.--Liberty.--The Smoke Signal.--The Spy.-- The Two Eyes.--A Horrible Situation.--Relief at last.--A Dissertation on Apaches.--Their Manners and Customs.--A Surprise.--A Desperate Adventure.--Arrival at Apache Pass.--"Sooap."--An Attack.
The Herd in Danger.--We rally.--The Fight.--Death and Burial.--Patsey in Trouble.--"Shnakes."--A Lively Dance for a "ded Mon."--Rocky Mountain Sheep.--A Description of them.--The Wild Ox.--Not a Success as Lazadors.--An Exciting Chase.--Tit for Tat.--The Boys worsted.-- Mountain Dew.--Patsey pronounces.--The Buckskin Suit.--The Old Mission.-- Arrival at Tucson.
Hal's Trade.--The New Mule.--A Storm.--Patsey's Ride. A Laughable Adventure.--We start at last.--The Pimo Indians.--Manners and Manufactures.--A Duck Hunt.--"How they hoont Ducks in the ould Counthry."--A Bath.--Arrive at Yuma.--Crossing the Desert.--Terrible Suffering.--Carrizo Creek, and the "Thirst of the Gazelle."--Jerry's Story.--Angels.--Arrival at San Diego.--Good News.--A Stock Ranche.--Mrs. Hyde that is to be.--An Invitation from Old Jerry.
THE YOUNG TRAIL HUNTERS.
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