Life in captivity tested Ole in every possible way. The Comanches fed him whatever was available, and at one point, they offered him cooked horse flesh.

In March of 1867, fourteen-year-old Ole T. Nystel found himself in the middle of a terrifying ordeal that would change his life forever. While cutting trees in Bosque County, Texas, with a man named Quested, both were ambushed by a band of Comanches on March 20. The Indians ran toward them, screaming, faces covered in warpaint. Having been taught the devil would come after you if you were bad, so he thought maybe he’d somehow been bad.

During the attack, both Ole and Quested were shot. Ole took an arrow in the leg before being captured, while Quested managed to escape despite being wounded himself. For Ole, what followed was weeks of hardship, fear, and the will to survive among people whose language and ways he could not understand.

Life in captivity tested Ole in every possible way. The Comanches fed him whatever was available, and at one point, they offered him cooked horse flesh. Though starving, he turned it down, his stomach twisting at the thought. He watched in horror as a black man was killed by the Comanches with a spear. The Indians then made a point of saying they didn’t want the man’s scalp, but would love to have young Ole’s instead. The incident showed Ole how thin the line between life and death was in their world and reminded him that obedience, even when it felt wrong, might be the only way to stay alive.

As time went on, Ole was offered several wives by the Comanches, who wanted to integrate him into their tribe. One of the women whom he described as “homely” constantly harassed him in an attempt to end her “old maid” status. He eventually “roughed her up” just enough to make her advances stop. This oddly earned him respect among his captors. Ole was also beaten regularly, especially when he tried to run away. Each time he was caught, he was punished. One time, he was stripped naked so that the blazing Texas sun would burn his skin and raise painful blisters, a method meant to toughen his Nordic skin. Despite their cruelty, some among the Comanches began to believe that Ole was protected by the Great Spirit because no matter what they did to him, he survived.

Ole’s release finally came through Eli Bewell, who exchanged $250 worth of goods—coffee, sugar, paper, and other valuable supplies—for the boy’s freedom. Bewell’s generosity saved Ole’s life, and an Indian agent later repaid him for the ransom. After months of terror and uncertainty, Ole was free, though he bore lasting physical and emotional scars.

Eli Bewell and his wife cared deeply for Ole and wanted to adopt him as their heir, offering him a home and a future. Yet Ole’s heart remained with the family and the life he had left behind. Despite their kindness, he longed to return home and reclaim the life lost on that spring day in 1867. His story exemplifies courage and endurance, a testament to the human will to survive and the enduring pull of home, even after the darkest trials.​

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