The leader., 1889-12-21
with detail of twenty men, some from

with detail of twenty men, some from
other commands, some sent to the quiet
little California post from the enlisting
depots, but all new to garrison duty in
the mountains. The Sierra Nevadas
northeastern California touches them
enjoy long seasons of fair
weather, and winter did not fall
until December. Then one stormy
night, after a heavy snow, the report
came into camp that three men had de-
serted. They left the day before,
mounted and armed, with official per-
mission to hunt in the mountains, and
had been seen by the mail carrier nearly
a hundred miles across the valley, making
for the railroad at Winnemucca. A de-
tail of ten men was instantly mounted
and sent in hot pursuit. 1t was Just my
luck that these men should have hap
pened to come in my first party. ! had
slept and eaten with them, had borrowed
tobacco and shared money, had helped
and been helped by them in many ways,
and now must sit that saddle till I
sighted them, and then arrest, even to
the taking of life. For that was the
order.
The first night out we slept in row
of haystacks at Cedarville, and started
next morning with the dawn. It was
still showing lightly, and there was little
hope of overhauling the fugitives, but
the evening of the third day, as we saw
for the first time the trailing line of
smoke from a Pacific Railroad train,
some sharp eye in the party discovered
the deserters in canon. We turned,
rode toward them, and were seen. In an
instant the three men sprang to their
arms. Arrest meant to go to Alcatraz
Island for five years, in the constant COM
panionship of ball and chain. Resist
ance, however hopeless, was better than
that. The snow was so deep that we
could only go forward slowly, and they
could have shot every man of us long be-
fore we reached them.
$50 back, there!" one of them cried,
$50 back, or we'll shoot" and three
army carbines were leveled at our party.
confess to allowing my horse to have
his own way then, and dropped little
behind heavy-set lance corporal on a
very strong mount.
"You fellows come out of there"
yelled our Lieutenant. "Put down your
guns and come out quick"
A rifle shot answered him.
"Boys, make readyl" commanded he
calmly. "Come on! Take aim !'-and
he leveled the gun that had lain at his
saddle bow-s'fire! :"
His own weapon and two or three 9th
ers answered the command, but the de-
serters saw how serious matters were,
and resolved on real fight, which at first
they had not thought would be necessary.
They fired again, and the horse rode
groaned, trembled and fell heavily in the
snow. was at the very rear of the line,
and had been riding forward simply be-
cause the rest we're, but sitting in a fright
that was aging me. And that ounce of lead
| traversed our column and unhorsed me-
/ went forward on foot, for the fall
had not hurt me, and I have very con.
| fused recollection of gunshots, oaths and
! general turmoil. WhenI could take my
bearings again we were on our way back to
camp, the three men mounted and riding
| before. myself on the pack mule, and the
smell of real burned gunpowder In my
| uostrilsi
Two of the men were returned to duty
along toward spring, but the third, their
leader, was to go to the court martial and
take the sentence of an outraged military.
He still lay in the guard house witha lame
shoulder, when was ordered one day to
take him to the blacksmith shop to have
irons put on him. l opened the
old wooden door and told him my errand.
He was spirited fellow, and the pros
pect of standing by an anvil while red
hot bands were welded upon him smote
him like blow. saw him straighten
up moment, his eyes afre, his nostrils