This is a subject and theme that has always fascinated me.   The stealth and single-minded work that accompanied the preparations for a raid were slow and methodical requiring several clandestine visits to get a lay of the land and the movement of people and horses.   To do all that ground work and spying in the winter was very difficult.  The results of poor or rash planning was usually death.  As much as these warriors wanted those horses, the owners wanted them even more.

This painting is one of many that "got away" before I could get a slide or high quality photo of it. This image was sent to me by the owner of the painting.  I had not seen it for years.  During the early years of my career, whatever money we could earn was mostly spent on building materials, food, and the needs of life in the sub-arctic climate of alpine Central Idaho.  I did not own a good camera and could not afford to buy film had I owned one.  I had a simple Kodak camera but it was not designed to take high quality images.  I never got a really fine SLR until about 1976.  I used it with vigor and later  I got a nice Medium Format camera.  This painting was produced during the camera-less period of time and was purchased by my good friend Bill Todd, Jr. who owned Shorey's Bookstore in Seattle.  He not only sold my paintings from the earliest beginnings but was a source for historical research materials of the American West.  Bill sold it that year and I have a written record of it (I found my journal and looked it up) but I never saw it again.  Until now.  Most of the many pieces that got away before I could get a good image of them will never be seen by me again.