by J. T. Edson
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i The meaning of ‘Nemenuh’ and various other Comanche terms, spelled phonetically, which appear in this narrative can be found in Item One of the APPENDIX.
ii The breechclout is still worn by present day Comanches of a conservative nature. It is nothing more than a form of (g-string’ made from braided cord, passed between the legs and wrapped around the waist. While it cannot be seen, nor is it decorative, it is accounted magically protective of the male wearer’s sexual organs.
iii For example, the heel fringes of the Cheyenne were made from either two small tails of whitetail deer, a strip from the tail of a buffalo, or its beard, which trailed behind.
iv More detailed information about the ‘hackamore’ is given in Item Three of the APPENDIX.
v At the height of their power prior to the coming of the white men—having driven out its previous less aggressive occupants—although not every band covered all parts of the terrain, the Comanche Nation held sway over most of Texas from the Pecos River almost to where the cities of Fort Worth and Austin now stand. They also extended their domain into Eastern New Mexico and as far north as the Arkansas River in Colorado and Kansas as well as raiding hundreds of miles south into Mexico.
vi Although the Japanese also tended to be short in stature by Occidental standards, their warriors used bows exceeding six foot in length. A description of Japanese archery techniques is given in the Ole Devil Hardin series. For comparison, an explanation of some forms of Occidental archery can be found in the Bunduki series.
vii According to Comanche folklore, being inveterate gamblers, the Pahuraix had acquired their uncharacteristic physical conformation as a result of having to stand and reach high to pile up the large amount of property they invariably used as stakes for bets.
viii Caucasian—a member of the white sub-division of the human race. The name was derived from a skull found in the Caucausus which was taken as establishing the type.
ix Although we have received the general background of ‘Becky Ingraham’, neither we nor the world’s foremost fictionist genealogist, Phillip Jose Farmer—author of, amongst numerous other works, TARZAN ALIVE, The Definitive Biography Of Lord Greystoke and DOC SAVAGE, His Apocalyptic Life’—with whom we have consulted, have been able to discover her real identity or even the true location of the town called ‘Surbition’ in the documents from which we produced this narrative. Therefore, we will continue to use her alias in the interests of avoiding confusion.
xAn example of how dangerous a failure it is to take such a precaution when drawing a single action revolver is given in: THE FAST GUN.
xi Although James Butler Hickok had not at the time of this narrative acquired the sobriquet, ‘ Wild Bill’, he had already started to make his name known as a competent gunfighter in Illinois, Missouri and Kansas. Some details of his later career are given in, Part One, ‘The Scout’, UNDER THE STARS AND BARS and Part Seven, ‘Deadwood, August the 2nd, 1876’, J.T.’S HUNDREDTH. He also makes a brief 'guest’ appearance in, Part Six, ‘Eggars Try’, THE TOWN TAMERS.
xii Although Samuel Colt—whose honorific arose from his having been appointed a Colonel of State Militia by the Governor of Connecticut—commenced production of his firearms at Paterson, New Jersey, he transferred operations first to the Whitneyville Armory, Hamden, near New Haven, in the same State and then to Hartford, Connecticut, where the company is still in operation.
xiii The name ‘Plenty Coups’ was given by many Indian nations to warriors who had been successful on the war trail.
xiv Further information about Colonel James Bowie and his knife is given in: Item 4a of the APPENDIX.
xv ‘Tshaoh’, ‘Enemy People’ - the name given by Indians of other tribes, often with good cause, to members of the Comanche Nation.
xvi‘Pemmican’ and ‘jerky’ were staple foods much used by the North American Indians of all tribes, although each had its own way of making them. They were portable, long lasting and, containing much nourishment in a small compass, ideal for carrying as emergency rations when travelling long distances with the possibility of not being able to hunt for fresh food. ‘Pemmican’, often referred to as ‘Indian bread’, was made of venison, buffalo or pronghorn meat—as available—which was dried, mixed with tallow, pounded and pressed tightly into cakes. Sometimes a few service-berries were added to improve the flavor. ‘Jerky’, dried meat. The process was accomplished by stripping the hams of an animal in a manner which left a thin membrane covering each piece and cutting other portions of the carcass into slices about an inch thick. In either case, the pieces were dipped into a strong boiling brine. Then they were smoked briefly and the curing process was completed by exposure to the sun. Despite looking unpalatable, in addition to being lighter to carry than pemmican, it was even more sustaining against fatigue and, if cooked into a soup, the portions swelled to considerable proportions and served as a most nourishing meal.
xvii The significance of Singing Bear’s behavior is explained in: OLD MOCCASINS ON THE TRAIL.
xviii While the number might be more, or less, generally a Comanche tipi was supported by twenty-two poles—pine or cedar being the woods most favored—peeled, seasoned and pared down to a suitable diameter. A more detailed description and how one was erected is given in: COMANCHE.
xix The ‘papoose board’ was also called a ‘cradle board’. It was either a basket made of rawhide fastened to a flat, angular plank, or a soft buckskin sheath that laced up the front and was securely anchored to a back board.
xx The ‘night cradle’ comprised of a stiff rawhide tube which was sufficiently sturdy it allowed the baby to sleep between its parents without the danger of either rolling upon and suffocating her.
xxi Although the sign of the red hand was also made when a Comanche brave elected to ride pukutsi, there was a difference. Such an action could only be taken when there was to be a battle with warriors from another nation. Having made the hand print on his bare chest and shouted, ‘Pukutsi!’, so all might know his intentions, the brave charged forward alone and carrying whatever weapons he chose, with the objective of being first into the fight and, unless victory was won, dying instead of withdrawing. An explanation of how a lance carrier differed from a warrior electing to ride pukutsi can be found in Item 2 of the APPENDIX.
xxii Among white men, Cuchilo—the Spanish word meaning knife and granted because of his skill in wielding one as a weapon—became known as ‘the Ysabel Kid’. How he achieved the distinction of the two Give-A way dances at such an early age is told in: COM ANCH E. Information about his career in later life is given in various volumes of the Civil War and Floating Outfit series.
xxiii Two of Annie Singing Bear’s meetings with Cuchilo are described in: WHITE INDIANS and BUFFALO ARE COMING!
xxiv Although the participation of Singing Bear is not recorded, what took place at the meeting is told in: THE DEVIL GUN.
xxv White men too sometimes made a similar mistake when first seeing the heliographic signaling of pronghorn. See: Chapter Six, ‘The Yap-Eaters’re Tough Hombres’ FROM HIDE AND HORN.
xxvi One method employed by the Comanche and other Indian nations for hunting wild fowl is described in: OLD MOCCASINS ON THE TRAIL.
xxvii The Comanche also used the word, ‘haints’ to mean a brother-in-law.
xxviii Although long hair was generally regarded as unacceptable for men throughout much of the Old West, legend has it many civilian scouts for the United States Army allowed theirs to grow so it offered a better trophy should they be scalped by Indians.
xxix ‘Tawk’, the name by which a Comanche grandfather and grandson addressed one another. Because of the way in which her life had developed, Annie Singing Bear was entitled to use it in conjunction with Brother-To-The-Hawk.
xxx As the hook which retained the loading lever beneath the barrel when not in use had been repositioned, we susp
ect the shortening had been done by a white gunsmith before the Colt 1860 Army Model revolver came into Annie Singing Bear’s possession.
xxxi A description of how an Indian shield was made and used in a fight is given in: Chapter Eleven, ‘It is Their Right To Kill You’, GO BACK TO HELL.
xxxii The title ‘Colonel’ was honorary and granted by his fellow Texans to Charles Goodnight as a tribute to his ability as a fighting man and a leader. His sobriquet had originated after he had started to wear the vest made from the skin of a jaguar—called ‘tigre’, ‘tiger’, by Mexicans—which had strayed north into Texas and he had hunted it down when it took to killing his cattle. Details of his career are recorded in: GOODNIGHT’S DREAM, FROM HIDE AND HORN, SET TEXAS BACK ON HER FEET, SIDEWINDER and THE MAN FROM TEXAS.
xxxiii Why the Ysabet Kid elected to ride pukutsi and the reason he swore the oath of vengeance is told in: SIDEWINDER.
xxxiv Some of the events leading up to the victory and how it was brought about are recorded in the Ole Devil Hardin series.
xxxv Some details about the career of Texas John Slaughter are given in: Part Eight, ‘Affair Of Honor’, J.T.’S HUNDREDTH; GUN WIZARD and SLAUGHTER’S WAY.
xxxvi As yet, we have only recorded a few of the events in the life of Big Ranse Counter. However, we have the honor to be biographer for his youngest son, Mark, whose career is recorded in various volumes of the Floating Outfit series. We also have the privilege of serving in the same capacity for two more of his descendants, Sergeant Ranse Smith of Company ‘Z’, Texas Rangers and James Allenvale ‘Bunduki’ Gunn. Details of their careers can be found respectively in the Alvin Dustine ‘Cap’ Fog and Bunduki series.
xxxvii Some events in the career of United Stales Marshal Solomon Wisdom ‘Solly’ Cole can be found in: CALAMITY SPELLS TROUBLE; Part Seven, ‘Deadwood, August 2nd, 1876’, J.T.’S HUNDREDTH and Part Six, ‘Mrs. Wild Bill’, .J.T.’S LADIES.
xxxviii Examples of the power of Comanche ‘medicine’, particularly the ability to transmit messages by thought to a receptive subject over long distances, are given in: SIDEWINDER, GO BACK TO HELL and WHITE INDIANS.
xxxix ‘Rio Bravo’; the name given by Mexicans to the river which Americans call the Rio Grande.
xl Used when there were sufficient men to justify it, in addition to carrying the belongings of the trail crew, the ‘bed wagon ’ transported various pieces of equipment such as a rope to make temporary corrals for the remuda and spare ‘ready-made’ horseshoes which would otherwise have had to be packed into the chuck wagon.
xli ‘Grand Jury’; under the legal system of the United States of America, a special jury formed of a statutory number of citizens—usually more than twelve—to investigate accusations against persons charged with, or suspected of a crime and indict them for trial before a ‘petit’ jury if there is sufficient evidence.
xlii The Comanches did not attest to the truth of a statement by invoking the name of Ka-Dih, but said, ‘Sun, Father, Earth, Mother, do not let me live another season if I am lying.’
xliii Another investigation, the details of which we know nothing, prevented United States Deputy Marshal Solomon Wisdom ‘Solly’ Cole from catching up with the trail herd. However, after Don Ruiz Caraballeda had completed the transaction and left Kansas, the man to whom the counterfeit money had been passed was betrayed by a colleague before it could be put into circulation. He did not tell the authorities from whence the money had come and the haciendero returned to Mexico. Although Benito Velasquez survived the journey, neither he nor his uncle ever disclosed the reason for the injury he had inflicted.
xliv The granting of a ‘man-name’ to commemorate a meritorious deed was not solely the province of people related to the person who received it, but could be done by somebody who was not a member of the family and, particularly if the donor was considered to be of importance, it would receive acquiescence. Therefore, although Colonel Charles Goodnight was white, his connection with the Tanima band and reputation as a warrior made him eligible and Annie Singing Bear’s Pahuraix name was accepted by all the Comanche nation as being changed from ‘Should-Be-A -Boy’ to ‘Is-A-Man’.