Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1892-12-16

"Worth at least seuenty:fuc dollars"
ney when the lookout at the mouth Of
the canyon. whose services had never
for moment been dispensed with, sent
an alarm into camp that something was
wrong.
In five minutes every man was at the
barricade or wall. Opposite the mouth
of the canyon, across the narrow valley,
was fine spring. A single Indian had
come galloping up to dismount, but five
minutes later band Of at least forty
arrived and prepared to camp. The
ponies were unsaddled, two or three
fires kindlsd, and it was evident the red
skins had gone into camp for the night.
The captain, Joe and two or three other
plainsmen drew aside for consultation,
but it was a brief one.
"It's Just one chance In q hundred that
they may overlook us" said the captain.
1.-THE horses must be led as far up the
canyon as We can get them, the fire put
out and no man must close his eyes
tonight"
The horses were ct once led away, the
fire smothered, and quarter of an hour
after the Indians arrived the canyon
was plunged in midnight darkness and
seemed to contain no living thing. The
white covers had been removed from
the wagons and carried up the rift, and
one standing twenty feet away could
not distinguish the vehicles. Joe and
Hsrkins were ordered to remain with
the wagons a. protection to the girls,
while the others took places along the
enhancement, and thus the night
came on.
The Indians were on tho warpath, but
they seemed TO have not tho slightest
suspicion Of tho presence Of the train.
They could plainly DO heard singing.
laughing and talking, and few Of them
acted rs II they were hilarious with
whisky.
GAN we've got to DO IL to keep quiet"
whispered one Of the men to the cap
tain.
II don't know. Those Indians are
too much of their guard. They are
acting part. / think they have some
plan in their heads. II some Of them
are not crawling this way before mid
night I shall be greatly mistaken"
At ten o'clock the campfires Of the In
dams had burned low and all was quiet
on that side OF the valley. The men in
the mouth Of the canyon crouched BE-
hind rocks and logs, and the darkness
was 30 dense that the keenest pair Of
eyes could not see a yard distant. One
looking over the barrier into the valley
could see a hundred feet quite distinctly,
q the night was starlight and the trees
cast no shadow there.
Eleven O'Clock found everything quiet.
a quarter Of N hour later, az the cap
tain raised his head for a keen look
.round nun, 1t seemed to him that the
DARKNESS OF earth was blackened at q
spot not over Fifty feet away. A spot Of
black paint or an inkstand stands ont in
relief. A human figure dressed In black
Will stand out in relief against the gloom
Of midnight.
Was he mistaken Did the object
mover Was there an object 10 heoiu
WITH He touched the man p..re<t
him on the shoulder and whispered hi.
tuspicicns. After q steady LOOK the
man returned the whisper with:
Its an Internal redskin creeping mn
to make sure that we are still herri a.
a part of the same band we saw four
days ago. and they suspect we are hid.
den away in some Of the canyons,
Pass the word 10 every man 10 liz
low for his life and make no move unt,l
he gets the wordi That fellow viii
come right in among u.s."