The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-12-27

together for come time, looking at the shore, and
sky and sea. Mrs W. seemed much attracted
by the conversation Of her new acquaintance,
and led him on to tell of his previous life. In
some curious way. passing from one subject to
another, he was drawn to speak OF strange ep-
ISOLDE which was wholly new to me.
"In 1861" said he. II was in the government
service, and encamped with a party of about
forty frontiersmen in the Walla Walla valley, in
Oregon, just where the streams unite to form
the river. The valley was thickly wooded and
the mountain rose abruptly on one side l
doubt if party ever encamped under
more peculiar circumstances. There was.
as l Just said, about forty of us. includ
ing Governor, afterwards General Stevens,
and three other men. we'll known at that time in
connection with Indian affairs. Near us were
encamped about l, 100 Indians, who had come
thither, nominally for a conference but really
was and am we'll satsfed-with the intention
Of taking our scalps. l knew their ways well,
and there was no mistake to my mind about
their purpose Ny four companions, Governor
Stevens, Borland, Duval and Sinclair, had been
hopeful at first, but had come to agree with me;
and sitting there by the campfire one night
which | remember as if it were yesterday, we
knew that any moment might be our last. Nat
urally we spoke of death, and gradually drifted
into discussion as to the way III which each OF
US would prefer to make his exit from this world
" For my part said the Governor, would
| crave the boon of bullet straight between the
eyes WELL said Borland, Il would not care
to go quite as quickly as that. There is a place
near the heart where the bali would give it's vic
tim some minutes What do you say. DuvaW
l asked.
Give me the muzzle of Derringer just over
the right ear And you, Sinclair L would
have it take me in the back of the head. And
now you have been questioning the rest Of US;
what do you say yourselfP
=" Oh, said l, L would like better job made
than any of you. would have my head blown
off, once for all. by cannon shot.
well, madam there WAS something very
strange about what happened I suppose some
of the party had what they call presentiments.
We were not attacked by the Indians in camp
near us-I suppose because they missed the
chance OF surprising us-and we separated. Bor-
| land went down the river. AS he reached the
Cascades, the wellknown battle which took its
| name from them was beginning. He was shot
from ambush, near the heart He was carried
to shelter, and lived just thirty minutes. Du-
which mastered him at times. Not
| long after we parted, and in de-
lirium, he put the muzzle OF Derringer to the
side of his head and blew his brains out Sin
clair went, like the brave but rash man that he
was, among the men bers of tribe which he had
known well, but which had become disaffected.
While he talking with them a shot hit him
full in the back of the head, and he never knew
| what hurt him. Governor Stevens was West
Pointer. He went East and became general
in the union army and good one. While he
was leading charge, just about the time Phil
| Kearney was killed. rifle-ball struck him just
| between the eyes. Well, man won't go till his
| time comes, and have not seen a cannon fired
| from that time to this"
| Miss r. sat at little distance from me, on the
| left; Mrs, W. at my right and She
| turned to me, and saw the question in her eyes
| before she whispered it:
| What do you say to presentments now9"
smiled and sat silent, as did we ALL for some
time Mrs. W. then began to show signs of rest
| lessness. Miss r. had been very quiet from the
| first. l had glanced at her once twice and
thought how strange her lot in life had been.
Had she forgotten Robert? was specializing on
| this question when Mrs w. suddenly asked our
friend from the village to tell her more of his
| adventures in the West
well, madam" said he, 81 was thinking just
| this moment of strange and sad one 1t might
| interest you to hear of it." His voice and man
ner were quite different from what they were
during the previous narration. He spoke slowly
| and in low tones and he never once turned his
eyes from the line of coast to the northward.
| "a number of years ago." he said. II was GO
| ing from Leavenworth across the plains. | had
with me party of twelve men, well armed and
| equipped We reached the mountains without
| encountering any special danger or difficulty
and worked our way into the Wet mountain val
ley. We knew the Indians were troublesome in
| that region, and we were continually on our
| guard. One morning, when | was little in ad
vance of the rest saw man emerge from
| group of trees and signal to AS ap-
preached each other, saw he was about sixty
years of age, with gray hair and heard, and he
was lame and walked with difficulty. He held
out his hand as we met, and he addressed me
eagerly.
"'Pard, said he. I'm mighty glad to see help
| COMM an no mistake Say, are yer doctor?
| MOI Well, perhaps yer know somethin' about
cine in yer outfit He went on to explain that
a party of five of them had been followed and
| harried by the Indians, and had no rest, and
were fighting all the time. He. himself, had
| wound III the leg, and lost much blood that he
was faint and weary. But don't mind me, he
went on. Jest come az look at one O my pards
him that We thought the world of. He got an
arrow through the thigh three days ago, and he's
| mighty bad. poor fellow. Come along this
way We reached a rude encampment,
and were greeted with JOY by two or three
| thin, worn men, On pile Of blankets, under
rough shelter of boughs, lay the youngest
the Benjamin of the party. stopped down and
| looked at MIN, and knew enough about surgery
| to tell that he wasn't long for this world he had
| been very badly wounded fever had ensued and
he was now quite unconscious. He was a fine,
handsome fellow. and we all felt mighty sorry
! for him. The old man vino had gone to meet me
wept like child when told him there was no
hope. Night was coming on and told my men
to see to the camp, get supper and stand guard,
that the poor fellows we had met could get
| square meal and then some rest, which they
needed sorely. staid by the sick man. He lay
quiet for some time There was nothing in the
world to do for him. l have seen plenty of men
die. and | knew his call had come. Later
in the evening he restless, and I gave
| him a little water to moisten his lips:
but am sure he quito unconscious. The
! moon came out before midnight, and it was very
bright in the valley. do not know at what hour
l saw the poor fellow move Then he began
| picking with his thin fingers at the miners
blanket which covered him, and this is sure
sign that death is not far away. Then he began
to speak in low. faint voice. yet quite distinctly
enough for me to understand 1t was the most
remarkable communication ever heard in my
life 1t was sort of NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. of
scenes through which the speaker supposed him
| self to DO passing. 1t was terribly pathetic,
seeing him lying there so near his end and
hearing him talk he did. He was on a ship,