The Idaho world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1864-1918, 1871-02-16
From the Trinity California; Journal.
A CALIFORNIA INDIAN ADVENTURES.

Several years ago there llVeu IL = In
ity county a man named Ross. ne
}, was a great hunter, his favorite hunt.
ing ground being over the hills ana
valleys on the head of Eel river. It
was his ambition to kill an elk, and
never having come across any IN his
rounds, he one day asked an Indian,
whom he supposed to be friendly, II ne
could show him one. The red-skin said
he could, but would have to go home
/ first and would return at the end OF
five days, and lead him where ne would
find the coveted game.
At the end of the appointed time the
elk-fnder returned, and the pair set out
on their hunting expedition. On they
travelled, till nearly nightfall, but not
even a track did they see. The day
was foggy, and our hero was therefore
unable to tell in what direction he was
going; but as night drew near he told
his guide they had better return home,
and come again some other time.
Accordingly, as Ross supposed, they
began to retrace their steps. Before
great while he found himself in very
steep, rocky, unfamiliar country. Lat
er still, and sometime after dark, they
came to ridge overlooking a noisy
mountain torrent foaming along at a
great distance below.
Here they began to descend. The
side of the ridge down which they were
making their way was very steep and
thickly covered with loose rocks. The
aborigines, however, had rolled the
rocks aside and made narrow trail
which could be travelled in single file,
but not otherwise. When some way
down, the hunter saw, at distance,
through the fog, number Of blazing
camp-fres.
Like a flash he realized that he was
betrayed. Well he knew that if he ev-
er reached the foot of the hill he never
would return. But what to do was the
question. He dare not shoot, because
it would alarm the comrades of the
treacherous villain who had misled him.
He could slay his betrayer in that way,
but his own life would pay the penalty
The scoundrel, who thought he was
leading an unsuspecting victim to GER
tain slaughter, must be put out of the
way, but silently.
1t was case of life and death with
both of them, and white mans intel
lect against an Indians. Laying his
left hand upon the copper-colored ras-
calls left shoulder, Ross insisted upon
going slow, saying that he was afraid
of falling down the hill. Keeping hold
of his guide he managed to slip his gun
under his suspcndcrs so that he could
carry it in that way. Then drawing
his knife Ia very large one), he drop
ped his left hand down the Indians
back, to feel where his heart ought to
be, and, upon finding the spot, struck
for dear life. His aim was true, ard
being a powerful man, the knife went
from one side to the other, through the
body, cutting the heart in twain. Mr..
Bad-lndian never groaned nor kicked,
but, giving one short, almost inarticu-
late gulp, fell forward with his life-blood
flowing in torrents.
Our hero was not yet safe. It was
so dark he dared not attempt to find
his way up the HILL Besides, in the
morning the red fiends would discover
what had taken place, and track him to
wherever he might be.
Sitting down in his footsteps he wait
ed for daylight. At the first glimpse :
of dawn he was on the alert, and tum-
bled the corpse out of the path down
the hill. Then, finding his way to it,
he covered the dead man with stones,
hiding him completely. With water,
carried from the brook in his hat, he
washed away the blood that appeared
along the trail; then, ere the first rays !
Of the morning sun, he assembled the
lill and FASTENED home. l.
Telling the adventure to his neigh 1
oors, they organized and made a raid
lpon the camp he had discovered. The
indians were surprised, many of them =
killed, and the contents of their wig 7
vans captured.
About a year and a half before the
we have detailed dentist
started from Weaverville to go to Hum q