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so that we might receive the Chiefs talk and proceed on our journey immediately, to which they consented. On the 19th instead of doing as they promised, they plead the Sickness of one of the company as an excuse for not starting and would not even attend the Council as intended, but promised me faithfully to be ready on the ensuing morning. 20th Midday arrived but Conner had not returned from a dance and frolic at the Keechi village. The council at which the Wichita was to give an answe-t was delayed without any ostensible reason and we lay lounging and wasting our time in camp, expending the goods designed for the Comanche among the Wichita for subsistence, our hunters being unable to find any game, while the principal business of the Commission remaining unaccomplished and unattended to. Second-Eye and Harry have not returned from Red River al- though sixteen days had elapsed and they were to have been absent but ten. Their absence I believe was the only reason of our delay although other reasons were daily assigned. Towards evening a runner arrived in Camp with the information that a company of white men were at the Keechi village. We rode over and found them to consist of a portion of Col. Snively's ex- pedition under command of Maj Chandler, on their return home. I cannot avoid mentioning in this place the praiseworthy conduct of the command who almost destitute of provisions, and in sight of the flourishing cornfields of the indians, did not touch an Ear of but what they traded for. Another circumstance spoke vol- umes for their discipline and desire to conciliate the indians. It appears that they found in the prairies above a broken down horse which they recruited and brought with them. The Keechi Chief as soon as he saw the horse recognized him as one that had been stolen from him by the Pawnee. He informed the commander of the fact saying he had no horse left to ride to the council which he was anxious to attend. To the credit of the corps the horse was given up without ransom, the men agreeing among themselves to remunerate the one who had found him, fifty dollars his appraised value. I learned that throughout their trip the greatest kindness was shown to all the indians disposed to be friendly. Such conduct on the part of our people will exert a most beneficial influence on the different tribes. On the 22d we met the Wichita
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