The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1886-01-28

And what Of the Danites who had fol.
lowed me out of Salt Lakea OF the others
who would followi tt DANTE was a grim,
silent, determined foe. he was implaeahie.
relentless.
H..
The women whom I had so strangely res
cued from such q strange prison were in no
condition to travel. They were hardly more
than skeletons, and the reaction was such q
shock that they were mentally as well as
physically Frustrated.
It was three days before they seemed to
fully realize the great and sudden change
IN their prospects, and sg when they had used
their wardrobes, and had a chance to wash
up and satisfy their hunger, I could hardly
recognize them as the same women. They
were a thousand times grateful, and seemed
had been small children.
While giving them all possible attention
l did not entirely neglect the object for
which 1 had placed my life in peril. The
l rode for several miles up and down the
base of the mountain in making my ex-
aminations. On these trips / kept a sharp
eve out for Indians, Danites, or strangers
OF any sort; but it seemed as il we three
were entirely out of the world.
rescue I decided to move. The women
were now in good spirits, and / found that
both had plenty of pluck: They were to
There was another thing to encourage
me. Both had used firearms, and, after q
brief inspection of the carbines of the Nor
mons, the women were confident that they
could make use of them on a pinch. While
neither was a marksman, or had ever made
use of anything larger than a pistol, it was
a comfort to know that they would not be
entirely a burden on my hands in case we
had to turn at bay.
assembled the mountains to a spot from
which I could view the plain for miles
around. 1t appeared perfectly destitute of
all human or animal life. We then rode
u and headed to the east, and after a
journey Of about twenty miles we came to
another valley or canyon breaking into the
mountain like the one we had left. There
was a difference, however, in the fact that
the entrance was not over five yards wide,
and at the end of a hundred feet the gorge
opened into a circular basin of about two
acres. 1t was a capital hiding spot, but I
gave it q careful inspection.
After dinner had been prepared and eaten
I staked out the horses at the further side
pretty well done up with the ride, it being
their first for several years, and at two
o'clock, as l picked up my rifle and started
for the plain to AVE a look around, both
were asleep on the blankets. l was a bit
alarmed asI walked away, though I said
toward the horses, I noticed that all had
ceased grazing and had their heads up and
their ears working. The sagacity of a dog
in detecting danger has often been extolled,
but he is far behind the horse in that par
ticular sense. These animals could not see
danger, but instinct was stronger than eyes
or ears. That some one was within a mile
of us l could not doubt. It could not be
la 49, -
signs of trepidation. II human beings
they must be enemies.
AS I hurried down the gorge I remem-
bered that our trail for the last ten miles
which would leave only here and there a
footprint. An Indian or dog might follow
such a trail, but white men could make
nothing of it. As I came within a few feet
of the mouth of the gorge, hugging the
right hand side; I found a place where l
could scramble up and take an observa-
ton. After attaining a height of thirty
feet ! carefully crept forward for a look
down on the plain. Half a mile to the east
of me were two white men riding at full
gorge was a white man on foot, leading his
horse and carefully scrutinizing the ground.
To the west, about half a mile, was a fourth
white man, mounted, n holding n end
of a long rope attached to a monstrous
great dog. The dog was running about
and shifting the air, and seemed to be highly
The Danites were at hand! They had
followed our trail by the help of the dog.
Coming near the mouth of the gorge, the
dog had been kept back for fear he might
betray them. Two of the men had galloped
on to pick up our trail if we had left the
valley, mi even now were returning.
When the four men were satisfied that we
were in the valley what would be their
programme?
AS 1 scrambled down the rugged cliff 1
realized that these men must have been
sent from Salt Lake to overhaul me. They
must have visited the other valley, and
they must have discovered that I had set
and they sought my life. 1t was idle to hope
they might withdraw, or that our men
would fear to attack one.
As soon as reaching the ground I ran to
the upper end of the gorge: Here was
really the narrowest spot, and a number of
large stones were lying about. It wasn't
the work of five minutes to roll these in
line across the gorge and build me a breast
work two feet high. just at the centre,
where l lay fiat down, was an opening
through which I could thrust my Win
chester and fire while fully protected. 1
expected the dog would be my first visitor,
and quickly prepared for him. My hat was
placed on the rocks directly over me, and I
let go Of the rifle for the hunting knife. I
had just turned my back when a low venge-
full growl from the animal came up the
gorge. He had been let loose! heard his
footsteps when he was fifty feet away. He
saw the hat, growled savagely, and next
instant was in the air above me, the hat in
his fore legs, and when he struck the ground
he hadn't life enough to roll over.
wanted to kill the dog without alarm,
and I had succeeded. The women, sleeping
not more than two hundred feet away,
were not disturbed With the dog gone,
thu n oo,,Id M 1anro- t,o;l III 70 40 ,of
outside. Believing they would hesitate
some time before trusting themselves in the
gorge, | occupied the next ten minutes in
strengthening the breastwork and increas-
ing the height. When I had used up all the
loose rocks within convenient distance, the
defense was one which a company of in
fantry would have hesitated to attack.
1t was a long half hour before I detected
any movement down the gorge, and then
the first thing seen was a flag of truce,
made by tying a handkerchief to a long
stick. The man who carried it waved the
flag in a vigorous manner, and came for
ward with slow and h~esitating steps. I let
him come within thirty feet of the breast
work before showing myself, as I could not
be certain that it was not a ruse to expose
me to the bullets Of his companions. As he
caught sight of me he approached to within
fifteen feet n halted.
"Who are you, and what's wanteds"
asked.
81 am a friend, and want to talk with
you" he replied.
The man was squat, broad-shouldered,
and evil looking, and his attempt to look
pleasant really distorted his features.
well. what do you wan to Say?"
1.-THE Mormons are after you. There are
about fifty outside. They DOM want any
fuss with you. If you will go o. East they
won't put a straw in your way, but they
must have the women and horses"
'tWha women and horsesl"
"You AVE two horses belonging to them
I a see them over there. The women you
tool out of a cave in the other valley"
"Then you may prepare to die. AS 6
~prospector like yourself, and as one who
wants to live to get back to the States,
advise you to deliver up the women anG
horses"
go back to your gang and tell 'em to dc
their worst. know 'em for accursed Dan
ties, and l know you for the biggest villain
of all, and the next one of you who come.
--:%lsz - I'LL ~ - L,IIa%