Mohave County miner., 1888-12-15
ARIZONA TWENTY YEApls Ago.
Early Troubies with Indians ms
Related by Capt. w. III. Hardy.
one Of the Oldest Settlers or Me
have County.
Continued fran last ueek)

around in that brush to .hunt dead or
wounded Indians, a. well know as long
as there Is life Ia an Indian he win fight
back. He is like wounded wolf or
bear"
During all this time tlie cook had been
perfectly obilyious Of what was g,ing on.
He had cooked breakfast, the balance Of
the teamsters had harnessed and fed the
teams, and a man had been set of work
and dug shallow grave. The Dutchman
was wrapped in bis blanket and buried
under large juniper tree, without cere-
mony or prayers. 1t would have fright
ened tramp TO have heard some OF the
remarks that were made at that break
fast.
When breakfast was over jack said !;
owe have the start OF the indians and
there must be over one hundred OF least
around our camp. Our trouble is not yet
over, for they may try to retaliate, but
We will keep on the safe side"
Twas ready to obey orders, and 80 in
formed the wagon-master.
Said he: 1--WE may be attacked in the
canyon ahead. You take those three
men and follow the rear OF the train, and
/ win take these other men and keep
along ahead on the side Of the canyon, so
/ can defend the advance"
We went all right for three or four
miles, when / heard Jacks rifle crack
and whoa all along the train. jgmped
on rock and saw the sport. Jack had
scared out OF thicket fine buck, and
about the second jump the buck made
Jack shot him through the heart. The
buck made few jumps and fell in the
road not five steps ahead OF the lead
team, dead. The team started 10 turn
and stampede, but little help OF the
cook stopped them and got them around
all right. The entrails were taken ont of
the deer and its carcass thrown on the
wagon, to be served for supper.
have the antiers OF that buck over my
cabinet--;s fine four-pronged pair they are,
too.
Again we started down the rough rad.
Soon Jack and one OF bis men fired four
or five times. Again / looked and saw
they had killed two wild turkeys. These
we're also thrown on the wagon.
About p. m. we came TO little
prairie and small spring Of cold water.
We camped and turned ont. at once
wrapped myself in my blanket and fell
asleep, only to awake. / dreamed / was
in an Indian fight and got shot, and as !
jumped up the boys had good laugh.
However, soon got to sleep again. AT
6 p. m. was awakened for supper. We
had venison, roast, broiled and stewed
turkey q Ia campfire.
was hungry and particularly hungry
for wild meat; hence got outside OF an
immense quantity OF this choice fat game.
Is there a man living who has spent a
few years on the frontier or even went
ont on hunt and cooked by campfire
that did not relish choice game when
cooked to order or to suit his taste?
After supper was over and night came
on l saddled my horse and rode to Pres
colt, a distance OF about As miles, arriving
in Prescott before daylight.
As soon as the teams had arrived and
unloaded they started back. waited in
Prescott five days, then left at sunfet,
reaching the train at Juniper, at che
same camp that had been made on the
way out. The boys had killed three
deer and one bear, SO meat was plenty,
bat they saw no signs. Of Indians. /
travelled with the train the next day,
then travelled during the night and arrived
home during the next night, making the
trip, 165 miles, in three nights.
| soon after this sold my horse to G. G.
Bean for 800 cash. This horse was
ridden by George Franklin, now citizen
Of Apache county, from Santa Fe, N. NJ,
to Prescott, $40 miles, in five days, with
out grain.
The horse OF which / have frequently
made mention is still owned by G. C.
Bean, OF Prescott, is 20 years old, and
sound. 1t would probably take $500 to
buy him, even at his great age.
A word about these young men who
fo,,naJ Sbsa I;tttu ,,..,., <,f tna,,,ota~e .,r
band of scouts. They were all bricks and
had not a cowardly hair in their head.
Several oil them still live in this Territory
at the present time.
During the two years that these men
were in my employ not one got killed ts
wounded. Three men in my employ
who were at work repairing the road near
Union Pass were killed by Indians during
the summer OF '66. Their names were
Thos. Mccall, VIM. Brown and john
Killian. Mccall was caught in the same
kind of trap that the Dutchman wac.
A horse had been stolen. Mccall fol-
lowed and got in sight OF it, but was
filed with arrows before reaching his
property.
This trap business Ii an old game of
the Indians. Gen. Custer was caught III
q trap. When Caster saw the Indiansir
force, had he fallen back to high ground
| and allowed the Indians to attack bim
he might have got away with the fight.
A man to deal with hostile Indians must
| harn no fnrr IIn must look ard laIiyl