Page:Don Coronado through Kansas.djvu/303

286 HAED PUSHED FOB PRESENTS. swered for the drums, fifes and bugles as now used in battle. There were other sports, such as -wrest- ling, jumping, etc., enough to make up a long celebra- tion, but the day's pleasure must be ended. The of- ficers and men of the troop are getting tired of exert- ing themselves in the warm, enervating July sun, and because there has ceased to be any fear of attack, and no likelihood of reward, for there is no metal of any description among the natives, except once in a while a trinket is seen from copper, which no doubt came from the lake country, but they must not appear to neglect the Pawnee chief, as he might take offense. The time has again arrived for the Europeans to entertain nature's children, so the party has racked their brains for a change of program; but the first thing done is to march in a body, the footmen bring- ing up the rear, the whole being led by Father Padilla, who leads on foot, carrying a large cross (he always walked), which he made from some deer leg bone?. The troop made the best appearance possible, and drew upjsefore the chiefs in regular military style. The priest knelt down and asked a blessing, then Cor- onado advanced toward the chief and presented him with some articles, it being hard for the commander to procure appropriate presents, for they were get- ting scarce, so he concludes to begin to part with some of the personal equipment, and upon making requisition upon all his men he has found many arti- cles could be spared without injury to the enterprise; some have a ring, others an extra dagger, others flint and steel; then there are clothes that are not needed because of the extreme heat, so the chief is given two