The Odessa herald. (Odessa, Del.) 1888-1892, 1891-05-02
TRAILED BY INDIANS.
AN OLD HUNTERS STORY.

AN OLD HUNTERS s STORY.
at was in '48, and I'd been out
trading 'mongst the Flatheads and The
Nez Perces for nearly two years off
and on, when one day | caught on to
scheme the Flatheads had got up to
raid the little settlement near TO where
Cnaton, New, now stands. There
were three families living there, and
the plan was to wait until the men
went to Carson City for provisions,
when the women and children were to
be killed and the cattle run off by one
party, while another waylaid the men
-Sa tho way back and murdered them.
was up about Wianemucca when
got hold of this, and set off for Cam
ton as hard as could go, but the men
were gone by the time / reached the
settlement, which was called Ridley's
Camp. i had reason to fear the lndi-
aus were only few hours behind me,
md we had to move quickly. Our
only chance was 10 hide in the noun
tains till they left the neighborhood
or work our way as best we could by
might to Carson City.
1t was useless to think of saving the
men, SO just kept that part of the
business to myself. There were in all
thirteen Of us, two women and their
seven children, and three littlc chaps
whose mother mad died the week be-
fore, and me. The first thing l did
was to stampede the cattle and horses
to keep the Indians from getting them,
then, as-twe started, Llshat VI We
Souses to keep the redskins as longsas
1ossib1e there before they found out
fhe people had run away.
We made the little creek called
Snake River by daylight, and, after
reconnoitering, made the whole party
wade out to an island in the middle,
which was about 20 by 80 feet, and
covered with flags and rushes aud
Come stunted willows. Here We lay
all day, for the most part down on our
stomachs un,ler the brush. OF course
we could build no fire nor move about,
80 we ate the cold victuals the women
had brought along, and l dipped up
water in my cap. Twice parties of
Indians stopped not hundred yards
below where we were TO water tlieir
horses, but, judging from their ac-
tions. knew they did not suspect any
one was near them, but were proba-
bly, on their way to Ridley's. They
did not linger, but rode on at once,
much to my relief, for all the time
they were within hearing / am sure
j did not draw breath minute for
fear one of the children would cry
out, when we would have all been
massacred; but the poor little things,
with the exception of a child few
weeks old, were too badly scared to
STIR or speak unless bidden; and as for
the women, they put any man ever
saw to shame with their calmness and
courage.
When night came we struck out for
line of hills lying about five miles
away, and where l counted on finding
a cave, or at least a hiding-place. OF
course and the women and the larger
children could have made il without
difficulty; but being obliged to wait
on the little ones and to carry them
evrey half mile or SO, we were nearly
all night getting to the nearest hill.
We'd gone about mile, when low
down OH the horizon saw dull glow,
and knew tho Indians were burning
the camp and that they'd be OH ouI
trail in little while. When we got
to the hill could sec nothing like Q
cave, and, while it was pretty heavily
wooded, there was 10 place to hide
where the Indians would not spy u,
directly. l was looking about mt
when / caught glimpse of a black bcal
running round rocky spur abou
half way up the hill. followed JUS
in time to see her go tumbling OIL
climbing down a sort of gasl
in the earth, and which l knew
must be her den. Without stop
ping jumped at her and found myself
in little cave, about ten by ten feet
but with another larger one leading
away toward the center of the hill
The bear began to growl when sh,
saw me, and saw, when my eyes go
accustomed to the dim light, that sh,
had two cubs in the den with her
which she was going 10 defend. So
aiming as carefully as could, l firet
at her, breaking her skull, after whicl
killed the two cubs and transferred
my purity to the cave. The last of tn
cold meat and bread were then eaten
cad tho women and children, OrssplnI