St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1894-05-20
THE KILLING OF BAKER

have turned back after the first week OF
prospecting appalled,, if not completely dis
heartened, at the difficulties that beset them;
but the gallant fellow cheered them on. He
enlivened the camp fires by stories of men
who had won fortunes in the face of greater
obstacles, and he pointed to the fact that
they had already found, in many places, gold
in paying quantities as an Indication of the
wealth of this region.
They had gone as far to the westward as it
was possible to go without wings over that
unexplored and trackless land, when one
night they made camp in grassy valley at
the bottom of a canyon not far from the juno
ton of Green and Grand rivers, whose united
waters go to make up the Colorado proper.
Baker was in his usual spirits, and noting
the dependency on the faces of his compan-
ions, he tried to cheer them up by singing
songs of love and home, and recounting sto-
ries Of the wealth that had come to daring
spirits in that land where fortune was so
lavish of her favors.
It was decided before the men went to
sleep that night, that they should return back
to the Mancos, branch Of the San Juan,
where they had found good promise" and
there 60 to work. They had breakfast the
next morning before the daylight, long visi-
BILE in the upper world, had crept into the
canyons depths.
The packs were placed on the mules, who
had had their first good feed of grass for ten
days, and in high spirits the little party
started back up the tortuous trail by which
they had descended, Baker. as usual in the
advance, with his rifle slung at his shoulder.
They had climbed up about half the distance,
when suddenly the shriIl yell of the Noun
tain Apaches, accompanied by the crack of
rifles and the whizz of arrows, brought them
to a halt. S4ass.
White was behind Baker about fifty feet,
the others following with the mules. s'With
the first yell,'' said White, 81 saw the captain
halt and try to unsling his rife. The next
instant he had plunged forward on his face,
and I saw the red devils swarming about
him. I fired and kept firing until my Spen-
Ger was empty, and I saw that the captain
was dead and more Injins a pouring down;
then I shouted to the others to get back, and
got back myself.
The fact that the Apaches stopped to scalp
and rifle the dead body in their path gave
the men chance to regain their camp of the
Here hurried consultation was held. With
the savages on the uplands and between them
and the nearest white settlements, about two
hundred and fifty miles to the east, retreat
in that direction was out of the question.
The canyon wall to the north could not be
scaled, so that the only avenue of escape was
the mighty rift in which they found them
selves, and which continued on no one knew
how or whittier
that they must be moving. The mules were
fastened one behind the other, and Henry
Strole a bright young German, was sent
ahead to lead them, while White in command
of the others-four all told-brought up
the rear. The only watch in the party was
Bakers, so that now they had no means of
telling the hour, but they kept on over the
rugged bed of the canyon till the sun looked
straight down and the short shadows told
they could lead the mules no further. The
deepening water flowed from bank to bank,
and the only means Of going on with the
stream was "to swim or float"
In theclefts of the rocks about them they
saw quantities of driftwood, and they de-
cided to kill the mules, build raft and trust
themselves to the current of the unknown
river. Action promptly followed decision.
The animals were shot, and raft sufficient
to float the men, with their arms, food and
mining tools was constructed. As they had
no nails they used the grazing ropes, halters
and bride reins to fasten the logs together.