The Progress., 1893-01-28


CORPORAL rAT WITH 4 FLAG OF TRUCu
ed straight IN for twenty feet. and then
we agreed that there was more ore in
slght than We had ever seen before.
There WIS lrine worth half p million
dollars If IL was good for % ccut. and for
time our J. = find broke ms all MP Then
we began to canvass the drawbacks.
Nevada WAS n new country then com
pared with today. Only n few mines
had been opened, and little or no ma
chinery introduced. We were far from
any settlement, right in the Indian coun-
try. and if we had had y thousand tons
of ore ont of the ground it would have
been worthless. Our only show was to
satisfy ourselves that we had good
strike and then hang on till things came
our way.
My partners were named McCabe aud
Thomas. While Thomas and staid TO
make rough survey and rude chart
and do further developing. McCabe
started for Austin with the pack mulo
TO bring out a supply of provisions. lie
left us about 8 o'clock in the morning.
Up TO that time we had not seen nm In
dian. though knowing there were plenty
in the valleys below us. McCabe had
been gone about two hours when the
pack mule came into camp on the dead
run, and we We're hardly on our feet be-
fore we caught sight of dozen Indians.
The ravine ran north and south. and we
had our camp at the south end. Wed
have been surprised and wiped ont but
for the mule. As it was. Thomas opened
fire and held the crowd off while | 20,
our stuff into the ravine, which was the
only place Offering any shelter. In ten
minutes from the first alarm we were
under cover, but the outlook was any
thing but hopeful.
Just where we had drifted into tue
bank was an Overhanging of rock
which made the spot safe shelter. aud
there we brought up. The bottom oi
the ravine narrowed there TO the widtl
Of wagon track and was obstructed
with pieces of rock which had fallen
from above. In fifteen minutes we had
a pretty good breastwork each side of
us, and then we waited to see wha'
move tho enemy would make. We
were quite sure they had killedMcCabe.
and may tell you here that such was
the case. We had two single barreled
rifles and two revolvers, with about fif;y
rounds of ammunition apiece. We hau
enough -four and pork TO last us week,
and we had the mule with us if driven
to extrem''y. We didn't feel like
whooping. but we were not SO badly
dismayed ~ the prospect.
Perhaps you may have read of Cor
poral Day. He was in the regular arni.
and stationed mt Fort Bridger. in wv
omiug. For some derelicisDn of duty
he was reduced TO tho ranks. In re
venge he attempted the life Of his colo
mel aud then fled to the Indians and
became n renegade. He sworc never Ia
spare white captive, and on one occa-
sion he assisted in the torture Of three of
his old comrades. He kept drifting far
ther west. aud it was the corporal who
was at the head Of the gang which at-
tackled us. IL was now five years since
be became u renegade. and stories of his
ferocity and cruelty had been circulated
among miners and prosPc"toss all o'''
Nevada.
The first move made 10y the eneiuy
was to get possession of both ends of the
ravine. The next was to push Corpora
Day forward from the south end with '
flag of truce. AS he dressed like All an
dian and las very dark complexioned
. 80 tlr
til he spoke He came forward to with
in twenty feet of the south breastwork
and called out ia cheerful way:
well. boys, there's no tenderfoot
about you' All ready for business. |
see, Eve come to have u little talk with
YOU. You are only two. while we can
bring I'D 500 men If need he. Ii will be
much more sensible ia you to surrender
at once. No use trying to hold ont
against sue , odds.
And what IL we surrender asked
Thomas.
We'll. they'll gobble your outfit and
let you go. III pledge you my word that
no harm shall come to either of YOU
He spoke like an honest man, and yet
a. he talked we recollected half dozen
instances where he had induced surren-
der i'm like manner. and then solicited
the honor OF binding the prisoners to the
stakes. After brief consultation he
was informed that we proposed to hight
it out. We expected that he would
bluster and threaten, but he did not.
On the contrary. he said he was sorry
for our determination. rs he could not
influence the redskins in case any were
killed or wounded. He finally with
drew, saying he would give us half an
hour to make up our minds.
When he had gone we debated the