The Lebanon express. (Lebanon, Linn County, Or.) 1887-1898, 1893-11-17
MACK'S ESCAPE.

cid fr0ntiersnlan whom every one calls
esquire Mack, In the early days he
went to California, and had many curl
GUS adventures there which he delights
in recounting
At the breaking ont OF the civil war
he was making shingles near some min
ing town in the Sierra Nevada The
news from home filled him with patriot
ic fire, and with several comrades he
turned his face eastward aud travel
Cd rs rapidly as possible toward the
Estates"
Arriving at Salt Lake City, he learned
that Indians had been raiding the trail
ahead. firing upon wagon trains and
Burning express and stage stations
This news disheartened his companions,
who resolved to stop ut Salt Lake City
until the trouble was over
Not 30 with Mack He was of the sort
Il men who are bound TO 70 through
when they have begun thing. He
presaed on, taking his chances, on the
"Cherokee trail"
Mack had been a wagonmaster along
this trail, and knew the ground well.
90 had heard that the Indians were raid
ing about Green river, but he knew that
ut the crossing Of the trail over this
stream he had good friend in the per-
con Of Bat Lavigne, an old French Cana
aian trader who lived here.
Lavgne had great deal Of influence
anong the surrounding tribes OF Utes,
Uintahs, Cheyennes and Arapahoes, He
WAS married to an Arapaho woman, and
was reckoned member Of that tribe.
He must he aware uf tho movements of
the Indians
Ho Mack, riding an excellent cayuse
and leading u good sized puck mule,
pushed boldly on to Green river cross
my and brought up ut Bat Lavigne's
adobe dwelling one evening at sundown.
LAvigne made him welcome heartily.
The trader told him that a big war
party Of Arapahoes had "mixed medi-
sine" at Green river two days before,
and h,ad set out from there upon an ex-
psslition to the east. He had been with
them during the powwow, but did not
know whether they had excepted white
blood" in mixing their medicine or not.
II they had not, the trail would be ex-
tremely dangerous
But there were no other Indians to be
feared at present, he said II one kept
straight upon the old Cherokee trail,
which passed over line Of neutral
ground between tho mountain tribes. Ii
the Araphoes were again to go plum
dering and killing whites, as they had
done few weeks before, they would
keep to this trail to avoid other enemies.
Mack strhng desire to get forward
upon the way home got the better Of his
prudence md he again took the trail
east ward.
AT about noon on the third day hs
came upon the Hmoldering ruins Of an
old freight or way station.
Mack knew very well, from certain
signs which he slw in the neighborhood,
thni the building had been fired by In.
diana II people had been living in II
they had probably been killed OR taken
pris0nerL
Whittier the Indians had gone Mack
could nut determine, The ground was
hard and baked. and no tracks Of any
sort could t@ discovered, but the party
could not be far distant,
Mark Iiek-ted his animals among
some sage brush near at hnnd, and att
hisnmn lunch while considering whether
II wIw l,esi TO ~ back or 80 ahead. III
hal now No doubt that the building had
been burned by the Arapahoes, and that
they hal MT excepted white blood" II
making up their protective medicine.
Az he mt in this meAtative mood thu
traveller. happening to Gust his eye