Accordingly, that night, I mounted an excellent horse, and next morning
at daylight reached General Sheridan's headquarters at Fort Hays.
The general was surprised to see me, and still more so when I told him
of the time I had made on the rides I had successfully undertaken. I
believe this record of mine has never been beaten in a country infested
with Indians and subject to blizzards and other violent weather
conditions.
To sum up, I had ridden from Fort Larned to Fort Zarrah, a distance of
sixty-five miles and back in twelve hours. Ten miles must be added to
this for the distance the Indians took me across the Arkansas River. In
the succeeding twenty-four hours I had gone from Fort Larned to Fort
Hays, sixty-five miles, in eight hours. During the next twenty-four
hours I rode from Fort Hays to Fort Dodge, ninety-five miles. The
following night I traveled from Fort Dodge to Fort Larned, thirty miles
on mule back and thirty-five miles on foot, in twelve hours, and the
next night sixty-five miles more from Fort Larned to Fort Hays.
Altogether I had ridden and walked three hundred and sixty-five miles
in fifty-eight hours, an average of over six miles an hour.
Taking into consideration the fact that most of this riding was done in
the night over wild country, with no roads to follow, and that I had
continually to look out for Indians, it was regarded at the time as a
big ride as well as a dangerous one.
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