The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1892-04-23
rode with the others down to their

rode with the others down to their
camp
After watering their animals and
bringing pailful from the springs, the
white men moved up the side hill some
two hundred yards above, and picketed
their animals in little depression out
of sight of the Indian camp A seuti-
mel, however. whom they could see
posted upon a rock u. on the opposite
bluff. had them in full view.
Nov, boys" said Mack to his COM
panions after they had lighted fire,
'git out your Dutch oven, and III git
out mine and my self-raisin' -four, and
while you take the hatchets and cut a
big lot of sage brush for a bonfire, I'll
mix and bake bread enough to last us
three days
'Then after that's done we'll eat a
big supper, and light big fire, and be-
hind the blaze of it Wen crawl to our
horses and get out of these diggin's.
It'll take us three days or three nights
to reach Fort Collins, and those fellows
IL follow us clean through unless we
can dodge them somewhere on the
trail"
In three hours everything was in
readiness for departure. No Indians
had ventured near them. Evidently
the Indians were trying to throw the
white men off their guard by show OF
indifference.
1t had grown quite dark. Mack re-
solved to trust to not unfamiliar rusc.
He first allowed the fire to sink low,
and then gathered quantity of sage
brush, and wrapped it up in three OF
their extra blankets.
These bundles were then placed near
the fire so that they should look, at a
distance, like the figures of men
squatted before the blaze.
Then Mack and his comrades piled
on brush until the flames leaped high;
and behind this blaze they crept away
to the horses, mounted them, and. lead
ing the repa cked mules. rode straight
up the side hill until out of range of the
| freight
They then turned and fode several
miles parallel with the trail, guiding
their course by family seen stars. BY
and by they struck into the trail, and
urged their animals forward. They
had heard no sound of Indians in pur.
suit.
Before daylight, they turned off and
rode about four miles to the left, where
they hid their horses in little pocket
which had grass and water, and be-
took themselves to quaking-asp
thicket near at hand, for rest, and by
turns, for sleep. Here they proposed
to remain all day, and to go on again
at night One of them kept guard at
the edge of the thicket. overlooking
the route and the surrounding country.
Late in the afternoon a squad of In
dams were discerned in the distance,
looking for their trial Crowded be.
hind tufts of buffalo grass, they
watched this band closely and anxious.
".
At shutdown signature about three
miles away announced that their
tracks had been discovered. But it
would yet be an hour or more before
the Indians would overtake the little
party.
| AS soon as it grew dark enough to
cover their retreat Mack and his COM
panions started. They crossed the trail
and rode until midnight on the other
side. Then they crossed back again,
rode two miles out to the left and
camped until daylight,
Rising again, they took the trail di.
rect, and rode at as rapid a pace as
their animals could be expected to sus-
tain.
Mack thought they had gained lead
during the night which would make ii
impossible for the Indians to come up
with them. but at about ten o'clock
they discovered a signature upon q
hill not more than mile off at the left
and somewhat in advance of them.
The building of this fire was proof
that the party ahead were scouts, and
that the main body of the Indians was
behind Mack kept his men to the
trail. and they urged their animals for
ward.
All that day they rode, but the In.
dams who were signalling kept steadi
~ in advance Of them. During the day
they counted no less than seventeen
fires, all built at no great distance from
the trail, but during all this not an
Arapahoe was seen.
That night. when their horses and
mules were almost exhausted, the
| white men made out the dim forms OF
two mountains few miles in advance.
Mack knew that these marked the pas
sage of the trail out upon the open
plains, within three or four hours
ride of Fort Collins Hidden in the
mouth of canyon they escaped obser-
vation- They rested and fed their
horses, took food and before daylight
were again in the saddle.
''If we have any trouble 1t will come
In the pass between the mountains, y
Mack told his comrades. ''If we don't
run against a party of them there
we're out of the woods. If we do, it'll
| faka n ooOd buuch of ,au, N claap nc