The Albany register. [volume] (Albany, Or.) 1868-18??, 1871-02-25
T1le .Alba,.g gegister,
Grignon, the Coniurer.

IL was pleasant event IN my life W hen
was thrown into the company of Grig-
/ non, the Coniurer I was on my way to
California, and had taken the overland
route in preference to any other. It was
on my journey across the. plains that [
made his acquaintance Our party over
took a single wagon. It contained sol
itary man. The horses were dead, and
the man nearly so. This man was Grig>
non, and paid the utmost attention to
his wants. Being medical man I gave
him all the benefit of my skill and care.
As no recovered, he naturally entertain
ed strong friendship tor me. His wag
on ad fallen behind the train to which
he belonged, and they had been COM
PEELED by their own necessities to desert
him.
We had come into the country of the
warlike Indian. and they were not slow
in becoming acquainted with the fact
Every day they prowled around us in
great numbers, threatening and insulting
US.
Every day made matters worse. We
did all that we could to be friendly, and
determined to avoid an open rupture as
far as possible, forsthere were only twelve
on our side, and on their side apparently
twelve hundred.
We held a council of war and deter
mined to bring matters to crisis at once.
The crisis soon came.
One day a big Indian came riding
along by US. He began talking in con-
tcmptuous way, and gesticulating furi-
4 ously At last he asked one of our men
for his gun. The man refused. The In
dian repeated his question, and attempt
ed to take the gun from his hand The
f. man drew back. At this the Indian
sprang forward, fourishing his knife and
r threatening. The man then calmly lev
elled his piece and shot the Indian
: through the heart.
/ As the wretch fell shrieking from his
a horse the plain seemed to be a live with
other Indians. From behind every ciump
of trees, every hillock, every rock and
: every piece of rising ground, they poured
forth in countless numbers. We had
never before seen so many assembled to-
gether as now.
And now our companion, the conf urer,
came out conspicuously. He had been
in the French army, he said, and under
stood all its admirable discipline. 4 few
words Of warning and ashort explanation
sufficed to make us form 4 circle OF the
wagons, and draw up behind them, with
the baggage heaped up for breastworks.
There we waited for the sayages.
But they did not come just then, they
waited till night
Night came. Our defenscs were made.
Our wagons were arranged more closely,
and the barricade of baggage was made
g higher, deeper aud more effective.
Shortly after dusk the tramp of thous
! ands Of hoofs shook the plain Down
f upon us showered the Indians Shouts
and yells burst around.
J At last our yolley burst in thunder
upon them
G The effect was terrific Many must
i have beeu wounded killed, judging
1 by tue awful uproar that rose For a
time there was a confused hubbub Of
sounds Horses were tramping, men
calling; groans We're mingled with cries
of rage During all this time we fred at
intervals whenever we heard a sound,
outstanding our ammunition, and not
g willing to waste 4 shot.
! At last there rose a wild tramp of
horses, the sound moving away from us,
and seeming to show that our enemies
had retired bafied from the assault
Yet we were afraid of some plot Grig-
non made us keep cur watch, and all
that night we lay on our arms, expecting
every moment to hear the Indian yell
which announced the assault of the saw
ages.
After long night, which seemed in
te.nlinable, morning daWned. As the
light illumined the plain we looked
around anxiously for our enemies, but
saw none whatever. We took hasty
breakfast, and then deliberated on what
we ought to do. Grignon gave it as his
opinion that the Indians were yet in the
neighborhood and were waiting to attack
US on the march He thought that it
would be better to wait at least another
day. We all yielded to his opinion, and
waited as best we could.
After few hours, at about 10 o'clock,
ten or a dozen horsemen appeared over
billock in the distance, riding slowly to-
ward US.
aThey wish to have parley,'' said
Grignon. sSome of you step forth" and
see what they want. / wish to have a
little to say, but will wait.
One of our men was selected, and went
outside Of our enclosure to meet them.
Mean while Grignon lifted trunk out
of the wagon which belonged to him,
drew it outside, aud busted himself cool
ly in arranging and turning over the
things.
Our representative stood outside wait
ing for the Indians Ten of them dis
mounted, and walked toward US in a
friendly manner, while the rest held the
horses.
One Of them addressed our men in
broken English
The Indians, he said, did not want our
lives. They wanted powder.
They were very much in want of buI>
lets.
One of US said in low voice that bull
lets were the only thing they would get
from US, but the Indians did not hear
him. Our representative refused very