Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1893-07-21

this. The one / was on must be 9
tributary and would form an accute
angle with it. At a venture 1 Gu,
across the angle. / was right, the
cattle were coming. Speaking tc
them as they came up, l got them
quoted, drove them back to camp
tied them to the wagon and retired tc
rest, satisfied that in them we had the
most vigilant and trusty guard that
we conld have. The next morning
while we were packing up, the Indians
got away with then. ,,z-ain. This
time they had about a hundred rods
the start OF me. 1 started after them
as soon as l could. Going to the
point of the bluff where the cattle
were last seen, as I could not hear the
bell or see the cattle, l climbed up the
bluff about sixty feet. Nothing was
to be seen, so running down to the dry
bed of the creek, 1 found the track
in it and Indian tracks on each side,
There was gap in the ridge on the
east side of the valley, nearly in line
with big smoke, to which il was evi-
dent the Indians were stearing. To.
ward this l took bee-line, hoping to
gain full half mile by avoiding the
crooks of the creek. When 1 reached
the gap, the tracks were still ahead OF
me, and the bell out of hearing.
climbed the first roll, or ridge. 1 saw
that there were still eight between
me AID the smoke. I struck for the
smoke. / might reach it ahead of the
cattle. I hastened on till there was
only one ridge between me and the
smoke. l turned down to the creek.
There were no tracks. l had passed
them. To avoid me they had been
driven up valley to the south. de-
termined to go over this ridge to the
and either head them or
pursue them up the next valley. I
started up the slope toward the south
west. When about half way up, one
of the black steers came over the
ridge on the run, then the others, one
after the other. They stuck up their
heads. took one good look, then came
bounding dowp the slope and sur
rounded me. snuffing from pure joy.
They were rescued from the knife OF
the starved Diggers. That meeting,
away back in the foot hills of Port
Neuf. was a joyful one all round,
whether there was one or fifty Dog
ribs maddened on account of disap-
pointed hopes of enjoying a feast oi
jerked beef. However, there was no
time to be lost in plessur able refiec-
tions. The smoke to the east denoted
a big band Of Indians there, while the
party that had driven the cattle of
we're to the west. These might cut
off our retreat, while the others came
up from behind. Though, being Dog
ribs, or Diggers, they were not armed
even with respectable bows and ar
rows, yet on account of numbers they
were formidable, so turning the cattle
into the dry bed Of the creek and
crossing over to the north bank so as
to be out OF the bow-shot of the In.
dams should they attempt to head
ME off, beat hasty retreat to the
plain. When out Of bow-shot of the
bluff, / looked back and saw my friend,
Mr.. Tie-up. and fourteen others taking
q surly parting look at me, and no
doubt giving vent to imprecations Of
evil against me because l had robbed
them OF feast for which they evident.
ly had tooth. That night the ad.
venture being fresh in our minds, we
made an early camp in order to let the
cattle Craze before dark. They were
then safely tied to the wagon for
the purpose of securing them and af.
a reliable guard for ourselves.
At Raft river, or rather at the ridge,
we had to pass over just before we
reached it, we had a snow squall with
all the indications OF q severe storm.
As we had seven or eight hundred
miles yet to travel it was productive OF
no pleasant feelings, but it blew over.
At the crossing of the river a company
Of California emigrants had a severe
battle with the Indians, who were
secreted in the drift at the ford, about
two weeks before. BY dividing their
forces, q part going below and coming
up behind the drift, they drove them
from their hiding place and routed
them. The Californians had left an
account Of the fracas on a willow stake
by the road. We read the account,
turned off on the Oregon road, and
passed on to a pond which we named
Goose lake, on account of the signs of
geese around it. Whether there were
Indians in the valley or not, we were
not molested.
On Rocky creek We found where our
friends had camped. The Goals were
as fresh as if they had not been gone
more than an hour or two, though
we found after catching up with them
that at camp they were two days ahead
OF us. The Indians had freshened
them to deceive us, possibly TO induce
US to travel late; il so, it had its
desired effect. We watered the team
filled the cans with water and passed
on. About dark we found a patch OF
good grass and camped. AS we were
unyoking. the Indians caused blaze
to shoot up fifteen feet or more in
hight but short distance ahead. Ny
wife and brother thought it was the
camp fire OF our friends and wanted to
drive on. / thought it was an Indian
ruse to induce us to travel in the dark
knowing that it would be easier to
overpower us when travelling then
when in camp, because when we were
on the move my brother was ten te
fifteen rods behind without his gun