The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1893-03-02

supposed everything was so wet that il
would be folly to think of fire and i'm
possible to start one; but in this l was
mistaken. While mother and l sat on
the saddles that had been carried in to
furnish us with seats, Dick Bradley pro-
duced his flint and steel-every noun
taineer carries these primitive appliances
and, tearing off some dry splinters and
bark from the inner side of the logs, he
soon had a blaze, and, following that, a
fire. Except the four log walls and the
roof, which must have been the better
part, for it kept the clay floor dry, there
was absolutely nothing to this cabin.
The pile of ashes on the big hearth
showed that the place had once been in
habited, but, miserable though / was,
did not wonder that the builders had
abandoned such wretched place"
Dick Bradley threw a circle of pickets
sround the cabin and, although he was
entirely ignorant of military methods.
hs arranged to visit them every hour,
gave them countersign and detailed a
rrief. While this was being done, the
men not on picket carried in logs to be
ursd as fuel or for seats, and then sat
down, and soon the cabin was filed with
sta and the odor of toasting flannels.
Az soon rs the saddle blankets were
sufficiently dry, bed was made for
Ms. Peters and her daughter.
But" continued Miss Peters, sal
though thoroughly wearied, sleep was
out of the question. The whistling of
the wind through the surrounding trees,
the ceaseless beating of the rain on the
clapboards and the hoarse whispering
of the men crouching beside the fire
kept mother and myself awake, as the
roar of a battle might not have done.
when my fathers watch told that
daylight was due, the men about the fire
began to eat of the eornbread and
cooked pork they had brought with
them, and Dick Bradley and father
went out to visit the pickets. With the
dawn of day the rain ceased and the
wind died out. Mother and / left the
cabin to look about us. We saw the
horses standing with lowered heads and
dropping hips at the chimney end of the
cabin. We were in the midst of forest,
seemingly on the top CT considerable
hill. Down through the trees and in a
direction we took to be the north we
saw the red rntted trail that looked like
fresh wound
while we stood looking about us, We
saw father and Bradley coming hurried
ly back and evidently much excited.
Father did not appear to be weary, but
there was an anxious, panied look in his
eyes such as we had not noticed since
the day the meeting house was burned"
The pickets had reported suspicious
men seen in the distance since daylight.
These men were gathering along the line
of the trail over which the fugitives must
pass on their way to the north. They
were in considerable force, and that they
were not friends was manifest from their
actions.
The cabin might afford some shelter
from a storm, but it was worse than
useless as place of defense. On a spur
of the hill to the north and about n
quarter of mile from the cabin, Brad
ley had either discovered that morning
or knew IN advance of place that of
fered advantages for defense. Without
any excitement, he told the men in and
about the cabin that there were
strangers in sight, and that a fight
might be looked for before they could
resume their journey.
The men seized their rifles, the horses
were resaddled and. as Mrs. Peters and
her daughter preferred to walk, the ami
mails were led to the point indicated.
This was a bare projection of the hill,
where mass of irregular rocks af-
forded place of concealment for
larger force than required it now, but
as it was some distance from wood and
water it was not a desirable place in
which to stand protracted siege.
The fugitives were not kept long in
doubt as to the character of the people
who had aroused their suspicion. Brad
ley was disposing his men at the points
where their rifles could best check an
approach, when Ella Peters, who was
looking down the slope. called out:
There is man approaching with
white fagt'
The white flag proved to be hand
kerchief fastened to the end Of a sword.
This was responded to by fastening
Elias handkerchief to the end of rifle,
which Dick Bradley carried rs he and
Father Peters walked down to meet the
two men i'll gray who were approaching.
The fear that these people belonged to
Het Magoone's gang was soon set at
rest. They were dressed in gray uni
forms. and the network of gold lace on
the collar and sleeves Of one of the men
Indicated that he was an officer. As
Father Peters and Bradley went down
10 meet the truce, it was decided that
the former should do the talking, so
when the Confederate announced him.
self as belonging to General Zollicoffer's
command, and peremptorily demanded
ito know who the people up the hill were,
he was answered:
eve are Union men making orr way
to the north, but we do not want fight
unless it is forced on US"
why are you going north" was the
uext question.
1--WE deny your right to ask replied
Father Peters.
u am here to prevent recruits going
through to the enemy, and if you do not
surrender you must take the conse-
quences," said the Confederate.
I'VE are quite ready for that" said
the old clergyman.
"And If nothing but fight win suit
you uns, broke in Strong Dick Bradley,
come ON, jest as quick ez you uns dog
gone please. Now go back and tell yo'r
rebils that
The Confederate became gentler after