The Portland daily press., 1892-12-27

NE SICK HAL udu UO1tl OOAldSOA4 oAAeso
the only hope of escape was by way OF
Williams pass, and had made pretty
fair guess as to the distance-100 miles.
Mary determined to try for the fort.
While her father could not be induced
to make the start with her, he provided
her with rifle and ammunition and
three or four days provisions and ad-
vised her to the best of his knowledge.
Perhaps he did the best thing under the
circumstances, as he was under sur
veillance, while the girl was not. No
one could have suspected that she would
attempt to escape out OF that valley
alone. He was one Of party quarrylng
stone for building purposes, and he man
aged to secrete the rifle and provisions
in the mouth of the pass. She made her
start at 10 o'clock in the forenoon, and
it was 7 o'clock in the evening before
she was missed. 1t was in summer
time, and she had gone out with other
women in the morning to pick straw
berries. 1t was at first supposed she
was lost, but about midnight the ia
theirs demeanor led to suspicion, and the
plot was soon revealed. He was put
under guard and q party of six mounted
men dispatched up the pass in pursuit of
the girl. Williams pass is rift, ra-
vine and valley thirty miles long. In
some places it narrows to the width OF
fifteen feet, with rocky sides 100 feet
high, and at others it widens out to half
a mile, and you find carpet of grass
and groves of trees. From the north
mouth of the pass, which is in Wyom-
ing, to Fort Bridger, is mostly sterile
plain, broken by outcropping of rock,
with three OF four small creeks crossing
it to fall into the Green river. At the
time write Of every tribe of Indians in
that country was hostile to the Gentiles
and in league with the Mormons The
girl therefore had foes before and foes
behind.
A government freight train which had
reached Fort Bridger and unloaded and
was about to depart again met with dis
aster. AS the mules were being driven
in, thunderstorm broke and stampeded
the herd. For week small parties were
sent out in different directions, and most
of the animals were finally recovered.
Four of us took the trail of eight or nine
mules, which went directly south, but
before we got away they had eight hours
the start. For the first twelve miles the
trail showed every animal on dead run.
We reached the point where they had
begun to stack up, and were then obliged
to go into camp for the night. It was
afternoon next day before we got sight
of them, and then they at once broke
into run and headed for the pass. We
were obliged to go into camp again, and
our location was within mile of the
mouth of the pass. We entered it just
at sunrise next morning, and had pro-
ceeded about five miles when we encoun-
tered u strange spectacle. Just here the
pass was about 200 feet wide. The mules
came down as if running for their lives,
and OH the back of one, riding man
fashion and holding her rifle in herright
hand and clinging with her left to
neck strap made from the skirt Of her
dress, was young woman-Mary john
son. We drew aside to let the herd
pass, and but for her exclamation as she
few by we should have been dumfound-
ed by the queer sight.
ssMormons- -Indians-look outr' she
shouted, and we turned our heads up the
trail just as body of horsemen came
into view.
A quarter of mile in the rear Of us
the pass narrowed suddenly to twenty
feet, and we fell back without delay and
dismounted. The other party had halted
at sight of us, instead of charging, and
before they advanced we were pretty
well fixed to hold the pass. There were
score of stunted trees growing on the
rocky sides, and these were uprooted
and thrown down, and every rock which
could be moved was tumbled into tho
pass. In ten minutes we had it blocked.
The girl came up from our rear just as
one of the Mormons advanced with
flag of truce. She gave us her story in
a few brief words and then crouched
down behind the breastwork to help US
defend it, The messenger claimed her
as his lawful wife. He was very gentle
in his speech at first, but after finding
that we would not give the woman up
he declared that his force numbered
twelve Indians and six white men, and
that none of US need hope to escape
death. What he said about numbers
was true, as the pursuing white party
had come across a band of Indian hunt
ers and enlisted their services. We knew
what to make ready for when the flag
of truce man departed. The entire force
charged us on foot. Every man of us
had pair of Colts six shooters besides
his rifle. We placed the rifles within
reach Of the girl and used only our re-
volvers. She fired the first shot from
her own weapon, and her bullet killed
white man SO stone dead that he never
moved foot after falling. An Indian
was also killed by one Of us, and those
were the only dead, but several OF them
must have been wounded in the fusll-
lade. They stopped and broke before
reaching the breastwork.
The next move of the enemy would be