The Second William Penn | Page 6

little bread." Bread, in the Mexican or Indian language, is "pan," and
when they understood they would say "si," which is interpreted "yes."
They showed us their appreciation for the little they received just as
though we had given them a whole loaf of bread apiece.
If we only had a few cups of coffee and had seventy or eighty Indian
guests we would give it to one of the Indians and he would divide it
equally among his number. He would place the cup so it would contain
an equal amount of the coffee. Then one of the Indians would get up
from the ground (they always sit on the ground grouped all about us

when they ate with us) and take the cups and hand them around to
every fifth man, or such a one as would make it average to every cup of
coffee they had. The Indians would break the bread and give to each
one, according to what his share equally divided would be. When they
come to drink their coffee every Indian who had a cup would raise it to
their lips at once, take a swallow of the beverage, then pass the cup on
to the next one. They did the bread the same way. After finishing their
repast they invariably thanked us profusely in their Indian style for
what they had been given. There were times when I had plenty of
provisions to give them all they needed or required to satisfy their
hunger. At no time was my coach surrounded with hostile intent
without departing from it in friendliness. At the same time I knew they
had some great grievances.
[Illustration: The First William Penn, in 1670, Treating with the
Indians.
This picture is placed in the book for the purpose of drawing attention
to the methods employed by the First William Penn in connection with
the same methods employed by the Second William Penn to successful
treaty with the Indians. His friendliness overcame any hostilities which
they might have previously had.]
CHAPTER III.
Ryus' Coach Is Surrounded by Indians, Their Animosities are Turned to
Friendliness, Through Ryus' Wit and Ingenuity--"Hail the Second
William Penn."
At one time in the year of 1864 when I arrived in Fort Larned on my
way from Kansas City, Missouri, to Santa Fe, New Mexico, there was a
great scare, and a commanding officer, Colonel Ford, told me that they
expected a raid on them most any time from Indians.
In July of that year the Cheyennes, Kiowas, Arapahoes and some
Comanche and Hickory Apaches were camped a mile north of Fort
Larned. The commanding officer of the fort told me he could only let
me have about thirty soldiers for an escort. I told him that if we should

have trouble with the Indians thirty soldiers would be just as good as a
thousand, and that I had rather take my chances with thirty soldiers
than more.
We left Fort Larned a little before noon and arrived at Big Coon Creek,
twenty-two miles from Fort Larned, where we stopped for supper at
about four o'clock in the afternoon. A lieutenant of my escort in charge
of the soldiers put out a guard. While we were eating supper the guards
shot off their guns and came rushing into camp with news that a
thousand or more Indians were hidden along the banks of Coon Creek.
The lieutenant placed double guard and came out to me and gravely
suggested that we go back to Fort Larned and get more soldiers before
attempting to cross farther into the Great Divide.
I told the lieutenant to take his soldiers and go back to Fort Larned and
I would go on. He asked me why I did not go alone in the first place. I
told him that I needed him NOW, and he asked me how that was, I told
him that if he would take his soldiers and go back to Fort Larned the
Indians would follow him and let me alone. He said he would go with
me. We finished our dinner and I went to the soldiers' wagons and got
two big armfuls of bread, about sixty pounds of bacon and a large
bucket of coffee. I took them down to our camp, spread a newspaper
upon the ground, laid the bacon, bread and coffee on the spread, placed
a handful of matches near the bread, then went to our own mess and
took several cans of coffee and bread from it, left them one of our
buckets and an extra coffee pot that I carried with me, and got a large
camp kettle from the soldiers and left it for the Indians. Then I gathered
a few more buffalo chips and placed on the fire to