There were mysterious rumours afloat about treasure which had been
buried by the pirates in Texas, known only to him; a thing not
improbable, as the creeks, lagoons, and bays of that country had always
been a favourite resort of these freebooters; but nothing had ever been
extracted from him relative to the question. He was now living with an
Indian woman of the Flat-head tribe, by whom he had several children,
and this was also a subject upon which the western farmers had much
to say.
Had the squaw been a Creek, a Cherokee, or an Osage woman, it would have
created no surprise; but how came he in possession of a woman belonging
to so distant a tribe? Moreover, the squaw looked so proud, so
imperious, so queenly; there was a mystery, which every one was anxious,
but unable to solve.
We left our host early in the morning, and arrived at noon at the hot
springs, where I was to part company with my entertaining companions.
I was, however, persuaded to remain till the next morning, as Finn
wished to give me a letter for a friend of his in South Missouri. Of the
hot springs of the Arkansas, I can give no better description, than by
quoting the following lines from a Little Rock newspaper:--
"The warm springs are among the most interesting curiosities of our
country: they are in great numbers.
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