The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1883-04-14


solied the waters the season before that
tue annual run of salmon had failed fbe
indians had for the first time in centnrie 9
no stofes of dried salmon and thew We're
starving to death by hupdreds' And
what was still more alarming. for It
meant me ultimate destruction of all
tne ihulans concerned, 1 was told that
tue natives OF Pitt River valley had re-
solved to massacre all the settlers there
after days rest, these two Indians
Ioaded with flour for the famishino tribe
set out to return. Again | was left
alone, this time for nearly three weeks
Inc indlans returned with other Young
men to carry Hour back to the famisbino
"hlle we who were strong and rested IRE.
pared for grand hunt for a great hand
OF elk which we knew wintered near tba
warm springs high up on the wooded
slopes OF MountShasta. Perhars I mioht
mention here that this cabin full of pro.
VISIONS had remained untouched all The
tlme OF my absence. | Will saw further
that L believe the last Indian would have
starved to death rather than one crumb
OF bread had been touched without NV
permission. These Indians had never
yet come IN contact with any white man
but myself. As for their valor and prov
esq. L can only point you TO the Modoc
battIe-hel5s, where the whole United
States army was held at bay SO long
nearly twenty years after, and pass on,
Alter great preparation we struck out
steeply mp the mountain, and for three
days wallowod through the snow in the
dense, dark woods, when We struck the
great elk tail. \ single trail IT was ard
looked as If a slt%-log had been drawn
repeatedly through the snow. The bot
Tom and sides Of this trail were as hard
and smooth as ice. Perhaps a 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 onr snow-shoes now, and,
looking TO our 5rms, shot ahead, full of
delightful anticipation. At last, climb
ing little hill, with clouds of steam rls-
ing from the warm springs of that re-
glop, we looked down iuto little valley
OF thick underground, and there calmly
rested the vast herd of elk. / peered
through the brush into the large clear
eyes OF great stag, with 4 head Of
horns like rCcking-chair. He was
chewing his cud aud was not at all dis.
concerted. 1t Is possible we were not
yet discovered. More likely their num-
bers and strength gave them uncommon
courage and they were not 10 be easily
heightened. | remember my two In
dams looked at each other in surprise at
their tranquility. We lay there some
time on our breasts in the snow, looking
at them. The Indians observed that
only the COWS were fat and fit to kill
Some of the stays had somehow shed
their horns 1t 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
tack at leisure. 1t was unique and des-
Perate. We did not want one or two elk,
or ten; we wanted the whole herd. HUI
man life depended upon our prowess.
tribe was starving and we felt re-
sponsibiiity in our woIk. It was fiuallv
decided to go around and approach by
the little stream, so that the herd would
not start down it-their only means of
escape 1t was planned to approach as
closely as possible, then fire with our IL
fies at the fastest, then burst in upon
them, pistol IN hand, and so, breaking
their ranks, scatter them in the snow,
where the Indians could rush upon them
and use the bows and arrows at their
backs
Slowly and cautiously we approached
up the little warm, willow-lined rivulet,
and then, firing our rifles, we rushed
into the corral, pistols in hand. The
poor, helpless herd was on its feet in q
second, all breaking out over the wall of
snow, breast high on ali sides Here
they wallowed aud houndered in the
snow, shook their heads and called help
lessly TO each other. They could not get
on at all. And long after the last shot
and last arrow we've spent | leisurely
walked around and looked into the eyes
of some OF these fat, sleek COWS as they
lay there, up to their b1iskets, helpless
IL the snow. OF course the Indians had
no sentiment in this matter They
wanted only to kill and secure the meat
for the hungry, and half an hour after
the attack on the corral of elk, they
were quartering the meat and hanging It
up IN trees secure from the wolves
In this way they hung more than 100
elk, not taking time to skin or dress them
ID any Way. The tallOw was heaped
upon Our camp fire, to be defended
against the wolves at night. And such
a lot of wolves as came that night And
such noise, as we sat there fe3stiUg
about the fire and talking of the day S
splendid work. The next morning,
loaded with tallow, my two young friends
set out on a long, tedious Journey to the
starving camp on the McCloud River.
They we're going to bring the whole
tribe, or, at least, such of them as could
make t5e trip, and the remainder OF
our winter was to be spent on Mount
Shasta.
[ was once more left alone. But as
our ammunition at hand was spent,
was IN great fear and in real danger Of
being devoured by wolves. They drew
a circle around that camp and laid siege
10 it Ike an army Of woll-drilled soldiers.
They would sit down on their launches
not twenty steps away aud look at me 10
the most appetizing fashion. They
would HEX their chops as if to say
Wen get you yet; it's only a question
~ tAAAiIs -At-'A L Ntoh ~ put II vi 1tbC1h
| that wolves, so far as [ can testify, are
better behaved the books tell you they
are. They snarled little at each other
as they sat there, over Il dozen deep,
around me, and even snapped now and
then al each others ears: but ] saw not
one sign Of their eating or attempting TO
eat each other. BY day they kept quiet
and only looked at me. Bat it was OBJ
served that each day they came and sat
down little bitcloser. Night, of course,
was made to ring with their howls, both
far and near.
At last-ah, lofty relief of Lucknow!
my brave bows come back breathless
into camp. And after them for days
come stringlpg. struggling, creeping, a
long black line of withered, starving
fellow creatures. To see them eatl To
see their hollow eyes i'll and glow with
gratitude Al, [ have had some few
summer days. some months of glory
when the heart throbs full and the head
tops heaven, but l have known no de-