The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1892-09-24
THE DESERT MIRAGE.


All summer in the year 1877 the
Indians had been making life misor-
able for the settlers in the Gopher
Hills region. The Sioux were then
nominally at peace with Uncle Sam
and his white nephews so the assist
ance we received from the military
was very slight indeed
Finally. just before the cold wealth
err came on. affairs took on a new
phase. The raids increased in mum.
Der. Almost every night someone was
robbed OF n choice bunch OF cattle or
several head OF fine horses. One
night Pitchers ranch. on the north
fork of Buffalo creek would be Wis
tied; the next Hapgoods on the south
fork sixty miles away. would suffer-
And in each case was detected somo
OF Adam Gibson's work Gibson was
one OF the most expert horse and cat
tie thieves in the country was reck-
less and daring. and had quite band
OF white followers as foxy and desper-
ate as himself. There was but one
view to take OF affairs: Gibson had
gone into partnership with some OF
his theving Sioux friends and the re-
suit was a combination which II al
lowed to exist would soon drive all
the cattlemen out OF the country.
Three days after Hapgood horses
were run off a dozen Indians with
Gibson and his eight desperadoes
made an afternoon raid on Meeker's
ranch, killing old Captain Meeker
and two OF his men. and running off
a bunch o: twenty horses. There
was hurried rallying of settlers and
that night preparations were made
for pursuit
Before dawn twelve brave men we'll
armed and mounted left Haps oods
on the trail of the horse thieves. with
the promise OF re-enforcements be-
fore noon.
The re-enforcing party. OF which
the writer was one started on the
trail OF Pens boys few hours later
and were making good progress when
a heavy norwester drove us into cover
at the camp OF a squaw man on Tur-
tie Ridge. The storm ragged all night
and part OF the next day. Then. in
the bitter cold. we again took up the
trail-or rather took the direction in
which we believed the raiders had
gone, for the snow had obliterated
the trail-and worked rapidly into
the hills.
That days search brought us no
signs OF the fugitives nor OF Harvey
and his men. but on the third day. the
weather having moderated to a great
extent we were able to search more
thoroughly and toward evening. in
little canyon in the mountains found
and rounded up Captain Meeker's
stolen horses.
There were however no signs to
indicate that human beings had been
near. and. after two days more hard
work in the worst piece of country a
man ever got into we gave up and re-
turned home discouraged.
Several days passed and nothing
was heard from Harney's band. More
searching parties went into the hills
In the terrible December weather but
could find no trace. The days and
weeks and months went by. and it
finally came to be the beliefof all but
the immediate friends of the missing
ones that they had been frozen to
death. with their horses in some
lonely place in the hills inaccessible
until the snow melted.
When June came there was more
searching but it ali came to naught
for nothing could be learned to indi-
cate the fate OF the lost ones. And.
too no man OF Gibson's band OF raid
ers was ever seen or heard of again.
The summer Of 1877. nearly three
years later than the occurrence just
recorded. was terribly hot dry sea-
son. For weeks together the sky was
perfectly cloudless and hardly a spear
OF grass, to say nothing Of other yege.
tation. could be seen on the dusty.
desert-like plains. Not drop OF
rain fell and the sky's clearness was
that OF polished brass. Lakes and
springs creeks and coules, all dried
up and the few wells in the Gopher
hills country were at very low ebb
and soon there was nothing for the
cattle 10 eat
1t was when this state OF affairs
came upon the country that the set
tiers began to emigrate to more
favored ranges to remain until the
drought should be at an end. and
among the emigrants was the Merrick
outfit to which the writer belonged.
We had been on the road westward
nearly week, travelling slowly. IN
account of the cattle and had camped
one night near the foot OF q long
range OF hills beyond which. the next
day. we hoped to find water and good
pasturage 1t was very late when we
camped. for it was necessary TO cover
as much ground as possible. and the
nights being comparatively cool we
kept the cattle on the move as long
as we could every evening. just af-
ter sunset We had noticed heavy
mass OF scudding clouds on tho south.
ern horizon. but had paid little atten-
ton TO 1t. as we felt that no such good
fortune as a rain9Iorm could befall US
and it didn't But just after we
turned in Merrick, Joslin and myself
leaving Belts John Merrick and the
Swa1a Apdaranu talxa first watch