INTRODUCTION.



THE purpose of the writer and compiler of the fol-
     lowing pages is to bring within the compass of
a moderately-sized volume, and into orderly sequence,
the substance of various narratives of romantic ad-
venture in the Great West during the period of its
first settlement by a civilizing race.
  These tales are, for the most part, but fading le-
gends in the memory of the present generation. Some
of them are out of print; others to be found only in
rare collections. They are often prolix and tedious in
details that, however interesting they may have been
at the time they were written, have lost flavor and
significance with the passing years.
  The object, in a word, is to present as fully and
fairly as may be done from the material at command,
a picture of pioneer life during the most picturesque
period of American history-a period abounding in
daring personal exploits, hardships, sufferings, perils,
and wonderful escapes from imminent death. These
could come to pass only in an unsettled state of soci-
ety, where the safety of the individual depends more
upon his own vigilance, readiness, and sagacity, than
upon the protection which either civil authority or mil-
itary supervision could afford him.
                                             (xi)