Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1883-04-11

the bright, cold m Don before me. With
sigh frightened my belt, took up my
rifle, which had leaned against pine,
and once more shot ahead. Breaking
| open my cabin door, I took off my snow
shoes and crept down the steep wall of
snow, and soon had roaring fire from
the sweet.smelling pine wood that lay
heaped in cords against the walls.
Seven days I rested there, as lone as the
| moon in the clear blue above. Queer
days! Queer thoughts had there then.
Those days left their impression clearly,
as strange creatures of another age had
left their footprints in the plastic clay
that has now become solid stone. When
the mind is so void queer thoughts get
into ones head; and they come, and e.
tablish themselves and stay. I had some
books and read them all through. Here
| began to write. My mother in Oregon
has mass OF worthless manuscripts,
tied together with sinews and thongs,
written here, among which you will find
my plans, laws and SO on for my Indian
republic which 1 proposed to establish
here, with Mount Shasta for its geo.
graphical center.
On the eighth day my door was dark
ened and spra4g up from my work,
rifle in hand. Two Indians, brave,
handsome young fellows, one her broth
er, my best and dearest friends in all the
world, stood before me. And sad tales
they told me that night as feasted
them around my great fireplace. The
tribe was starving over on the McCloud!
The gold diggers had so muddled and
soiled the waters the season before that
the annual run of salmon had failed, the
Indians had for the first time in centuries
no stores Of dried salmon and they were
starving to death by hundreds. And
what was still more alarming, for it
meant The ultimate destruction of all
the Indians concerned, I was told that
the natives OF Pitt River valley had re-
solved to massacre all the settlers there.
After days rest, these two Indians,
loaded with -four for the furnishing tribe,
set out to return. Again I was left
alone, this time for nearly three weeks.
The Indians returned with other young
men to carry -four back to the furnishing,
while We who were strong ndrested pre-
pared for grand hunt for a great band
Of elk which we knew wintered near the
warm springs high up on the wooded
slopes of Mount Shasta. PerhapsI might
mention here that this cabin full Of pro-
visions had remained untouched all the
time Of my absence. I will say further
that believe the last Indian would have
starved to death rather than one crumb
OF bread had been touched without my
permission. These Indians had never
yet come in contact with any white man
but myself. AS fer their valor and PROV
ess. I can only point you to the Modoc
battle felcs, where the whole United
States army was held at bay so long
nearly twenty years after, and pass on.
After great preparation we struck out
steeply up the mountain, and for three
days wallowcd through the snow in the
dense, dark woods, when We struck the
great elk tail. A single trail 1t was, al d
looked as if saw-]og had been drawn
through the snow. The bot
tom and sides of this trail were as hard
and smooth as ice. Perhaps thousand
elk had passed here. They had been
breaking from one thicket OF maple and
other kinds OF brush which they feed
upon at such times, and we knew they
could not have gone far through this
snow, which reached above their backs.
We hung up our snow-ehoes now, and,
looking to our arms, shot ahead, full of
delightful anticipation. At last, climb
ing little hill, with clouds of steam r,s-
ing from the warm springs of that re-
gion, We looked down into little valley
Of thick underground, and there calmly
rested the vast herd of elk. I peered |
through the brush into the large clear
eyes of great stag, with head Ct |
horns like q rccking-chsir. He was
chewing his cud and was not at I'LL dis !
1t is possible we were not |
yet discovered. More likely their num-
bers and strength gave them uncommon
courage and they were not to be easily |
frightened. I remember my two In
1ians looked 1T each other in surprise at
heir tranquility. We lay there some
line on our breasts in the snow, boxing
It them. The Indians observed that
only the COWS were fat and fit to kill.
some of the stays had somehow shed
heir horns it seemed. There were no
calves. So the Indians delighted to
Know that there was yet another herd.
We fell back and formed our plan of at
ack at leisure. 1t was unique and des-
,erate. We did not want one or two elk,
n ten; we wanted the whole herd. HUI
nan life depended upon our prowess.
tribe was starving and we felt re-
possibility IN our work. It was finally
decided to go around and approach by
he little stream, so that the herd would
lot start down it-their only means of
escape. It was planned to approach as
closely as possible, then fire with our RI
les at the fastest, then burst in upon
hem, pistol in hand, and so, breaking
heir ranks, scatter them in the snow,
where tho Indians could rush upon them
nd use the bows and arrows at their
racks
Slowly and cautiously we approached
Up the little warm, willow lined riyulet.
md then, firing our rifles, we rushed
nto the corral, pistols in hand. The
Door, helpless herd was On its feet in
econd, all breaking out over the wall of
NOW, breast high on all sides Here
hey wallowed and houndered in the
'now, shook their heads and called help
ess]y to each other. They could not get
IN at all. And long sfter the last shot
and last arrow were spent I leisurely
walked around and looked into the ewes
II some of these fat, sleek COWS as they
ny there, up to their briekets. HELPLESS
n the snow. OF course the Indians had
10 sentiment in this matter. They
wanted only to kill and secure the meat
or the hungry, and half an hour after
he attack on the corral Of elk, they
we're quartering the meat and ham, cling It
Up in trees secure from the wolves.
In this way they hung more than 100
Xix, not taking time to skin or dress them
IN any way. The taIlow was heaped
upon our camp fire, to be defended |
against the wolves at night. And such |
4 lot Of wolves as came that night! And |