The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1881-04-22
a mule and tried to escape, but were
both run down and shot.

wagon, before he dropped his relnS. Al
for myself I jumped down and fred one
shot, then dubbed by gun. But lance
thrust from one of the mounted Apachei
went through my clothes and tore
through the skin along my ribs, with such
force that it poked me headlong, partly
beneath the wagon.
Three or four others drove their lances
at me as I lay there, and arrows struck
into the ground close beside my cheek.
The mules were jumping, too, and ]
barely escaped the heavy wheels.
The instant the wagons moved from
over me, was seized by two or three OF
yelling savages at once. That my last
hour had come I had no doubt. But in
stead of dispatching me, they tied my
hands behind my back and let me get
up-saving me from torture, it may be,
or possibly for ransom.
The chief, stalwart, hideous-faced
old rascal, seemed to give some order,
when three others came dragging the
Mexican, LONE, out where I stood. He
was severely wounded, one arm hung
helpless, and an arrow was sticking in
one of his legs. An Apache caught hold
of it and jerked it out. Oh, how the
poor fellow screamed! They tied us two
together with about four feet of rope
slack betwixt us.
The savages seemed jubilant over their
prize, particularly the powder; and no
doubt all the supplies were very accept
able to them.
They whooped and danced and squall-
ed extravagantly; and, as soon as the
party came back from pursuing after
Powell and Uncle Nat, the whole band
set off toward the mountains, in the
northeast, driving the three wagons along
with them.
The Mexican and I had to plod be-
hind, tied together. Poor LONE was in
sorry plight, and groaned at almost
every step. AS for myself, I was not
much hurt; but I thought our chances
looked poor indeed.
In this way we went on for an hour or
two; but about an hour before sundown
the band halted, and, after some consul
tation, the chief with all but eight of the
party set off on another expedition.
These eight then continued on with
the wagons and with US in charge. We
presumed they were going to some one
of their villages; and what sort of recep-
tlon there was in store for us when we
reached it was not hard to guess.
Night fell. By this time we had en-
tered among cliffs and mountains. Still
we kept on, hour after hour, till it must
have been past midnight. I concluded
we were to travel all night, but at
length our captors halted the horses and
turned the mules loose.
They then tied me fast with my back
to the hind wheel of one of the wagons
SO that I stood back to the outer side of
the wheel. LONE they served in SINH
lar way at the forward wagon. Without
kindling fire or preparing food, the
Indians lay down near by and seemed to
go to sleep.
It was not a pleasant situation, stand-
ing there, tied in that way The night
was dark, but could see that we we're in
a deep gorge, with high crags and rocks
saying his Catholic prayers.
On account of his broken arm, the saw
ages had not tied him as they had me.
Later on, he slipped his sound arm out.
and, untying himself, crept along where
I was. But he was SO sick and faint
hearted that could not persuade him to
unbind me. He seemed not to dare to;
and he did not understand what said in
English very well.
While I was whispering to him, order
ing him in no gentle tones to cut my
rope, one of the Indians started up. On
that, LONE skunk back to his wheel, and
would not again stir from it. was so
angry with this poor spirited fellow that
I could almost have seen him tortured
with relish.
Not long after it began to get light,
and the Indians, waking up, built a fire
of brush-wood, and for some time sat
warming themselves by it; for the morn
ing air was very chilly. Then toward
sunrise they knocked open one of the
beef barrels, and getting out some of the
salt junk, set it roasting on stake stuck
slank wise over their ire.
While this was in progress two or
three of them were overhauling the con-
tents of the farthest wagon, while the
rest sat round the fire. From where
stood / could see what they were about
very well, though the distance back to
the fire was fifty or sixty yards.
After while saw one of them with
his hatchet break open one of the blast
ing oil boxes. It was full of what
looked to be -four or plaster; but packed
in it were bright tin cans as large as q
quart measure.
The Indian looked at them curious1y;
then he cut one open with his ak and
tasted the contents. He did not seem to
know what to make of the stuff, and car
ried it to the others.
Under any other circumstances I
should have laughed to see them taste it,
and spit and jabber about it. They cut
open several cans, tasted the oil, and
threw them down. Then another took out
of the box what looked, from where
was, like bundle of rats tails-prob-
ably fuses.
saw one of them chew the end of one
of these. then spit it out. Meantime, an
other had taken out of the box handful
of smaller cans, not more than an inch
or two in diameter, but eight or nine
inches lohg, each with one of those rats
tails stuck in the end.
I did not myself then know what they
were, or I should have watched the pro-
ceedings with very different feelings.
The savages looked at these, held them
before each other by the tails, then they
began to laugh, and, from laughing,
began to throw them at each other, and
that. led to regular frolic. They ran
and lodged around the wagon and round
the fire, pelting each other with these
cans.
Just then, right in the midst Of the
game there came the awfullest explosion
ever heard. Twas tremenduous! It
blew everything: fiat all around. Even
ont where was the force was SO great
that it blew the wagon fifteen or twenty
fs<.&se1 1o,,.doS5 - ~, q ono side with the