Pioche daily record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1872-1876, 1874-02-27

iectly familiar with the Piute tongue,
knows nothing, or very little Of the Nav
abos language, 50 tie services OF our
Huck-l-bur was called into reQuisition.
The chief VIC came 10 see, forgot to
mention. was not there. but was only,
so they said, d,stau; few miles. As We
were anxious 10 get back, We got the Nav
ahoe to dispatch the PitGte that night to
him So that he might be there early in
the morning. and the business be closed
that day. After his departure the talk
went on. The Eayahoes present ex-
pressed themselves anxious that the az
fair should be settled without further
b!oodshed. and that that was the wish Of
the principal men Of the tribe. They said
the Nayahoes have long known Ham.
lin, and they believed he would do what
was right. Everything looked prom
isiug and after smoking inuumerable
cigarettes with our'sivage friends, we re-
tired to T ST on a pile Of buffalo skins and
Navahoe blankets. worth a horse apiece,
and slept soundly aud well. The next
morning the Indians gave Us an excellent
breakfast, and We passed the morning
sauuteriug about, examining such arti.
clus Of Indian manufacture as were new
to US. and endeayoring to while away the
time TIL the arrival Of the chief.
A little before noon twelve Nayahoe
braves. armed with bows and arrows and
rifles, rode uY on a gallop, and dismount-
ing, entered the lodge without shaking
hands and called. in an insolent tone Of
voice for tobacco. We gave them some,
and after smoking awhile, they threw
everything out Of the lodge, saying there
were more Navahoes coming, enough to
I'LL the lodge. SuTe enough. there soon
rode up some more Navahoes. making
nineteen in all, but still no chief. To
our inquiry as to his whereabouts,
they replied he was gone 10
Fort Defiance. We took our seats,
completely filing tie lodge, and all
hands smoked in silence for some time,
Then the Indian whose lodge We occu-
pied commenced talking, and spoke with
only an occasional momentary Interrupt
ton from the others for about an hour.
After him five or six others talked in
rapid succession, and from their earnest
tones and impassioned gestures, so diff
ferent from the usual manner of Indians,
VIC could see they were much excited.
We could not, Of course, understand
much of what they said, but could gath
er enough to know that the temper they
were in BODIED no good to US. One old
scoundrel. Of bravny frame and hair us
white as snow, talked in a stentorian
voice, and bis frequent use of the ges-
ture of drawing his hand across his
.k~aot lnAl..l larly In
about an hour more they ceased speak
ing, and after Il pause, told their inter
prefer TO talk. He rose slowly and walk
ing across the lodge, seated himself by
Hamlin. He WAS a Piute, slave OF the
Navahoes, aud as they have the unpleas-
ant habit OF sometimes killing their in
terpreters when they don't interpret to
suit them, and MS what he was about to
reveal was not calculated to render us
very aminble, | could excuse the tremor
that shook him in every limb. He final
ly commenced in a low tone, to speak to
the following effect: The Navahoes be-
lieved that all Hamlin had said the night
before WAS lie. that they thought he
WAS OF the parties to the killing, and with
the exception of three, our host and two
others Of the older Indians, had given
their voice for death. Most of them were
of the opinion that it WAS best not to kill
my brother and myself, as We were Amer
leans, but to make US witness the torture
of Hamlu, and thcn send US back on
! foot. As We were not likely to desert q
conrgds at such time, this was bu,
small comfort. Hamlin behaved with
admirable cOOlness-not a muscle in his
face quivered, not a feature changed-as
he communicated TO us, in his usual tone
OF voice. what We then fully believed to
be the death warrant OF US all. When
the Interpreter ceased, he, in the same
even tone and collected manner, com
menced his reply. He reminded tie
Indians of his long acquaintance with
their tribe, OF the many negotiations he
bad conducted between his people and
theirs, and his many dea. ngs with them
| in the years gone by, and challenged
them to prove that he had ever deceived
thom-ever spoken with fOrked tongue.
! He drew a map of the country on the
ground, and showed them the impossible.
ity of his having been participant in
the atiray. To their insolent query,
'imme-cotch navaggi ?" amt you
afraid he replied, with admirable pres
ence OF mind, why should we be afraid
Of our friends? Are not the Navahoes
our friends, and We theirs2 Else why
did We place ourselves i'll your power. Il
He spoke for long time, and though
frequently and rudely interrupted, hi,
| patience and nerve never gave way
and when he ceased, it was apparent
| that his reasoning had not been without
effect in their stubborn bosoms. But
the good influence was Of short duration
A young Indian, who we afterwards
/ learned was "a son Of the Chief, and
brother of two of the slain Indians, ad
dressed the assembled warriors, and we
could see that the tide was turning fear.
fully against us. He wound up his i'm
FASHIONED harrangue by springing to his
feet, and pointing to ali Indian who haC
not yet spoken, called to him to come
forward. The Indian came and kneelet
before him, when, with one hand ht
took back his buckskin hunting shirt
revealing the mark OF recent bulle
wound, and with the other pointed tc
the ire, utterng, or rather Kissing few
|
learned were demand for instant dealt
by fire. The effect was electric. Tn,
sight OF the wounded brave reused thei
passions to the utmost fury, and as w
glanced round the savage circle, on
hands involuntarily frightened thei
grasp on our six-shooters, for i
seemed that our hour had come
Had We shown symptom Of fear We
were lost; but we sat perfectly quiet ant
kept wary eye on the foe. 1t was {
thrilling scene, The erect, proud athe
letic form OF the young chief, as he stoot
pointing his finger to the wound in the
kneeling figure before him-the circle O
crouching forms-their dusky and painted
faces animated by every passion thai
hatred and ferocity could inspire, ant
their glttering eyes fixed, with one ma
lignant impulse, upon us-the Who'll,
partially illuminated by the fitful CLEAN
of the freight (for by this time it wa.
dark, formed picture not easily to b.
forgotten. The suspense was broken b,