The Kootenai herald. [volume] (Kootenai, Idaho) 1891-1904, 1894-03-24
Following is Evans account of the

think we were betrayed. / know
the men now. although thought at tirst
it was mere accident their being at
the cabin. Now believe differently.
We left Fort Defiance on Saturday,
the 10th of June, and the next morning
at daylight went into camp on the hill
about one mile south of the Widow Per.
kins' house, eat breakfast and then
went to sleep under an oak tree where
we could watch the surrounding couu.
try. We woke up and eat our dinuer at
noon and then watched the Perkins
house till o'clock p. m.
proposed to Sontag that we go to
the house after dark, get our horses al
eat and drive out TO the main road. He
replied that there was treachery at that
place and that he had been shot at in
that cart once and that he would not
ride in it any more.
His words were prophetic. l told him
it was easier riding than walking. and
that if we were fired on and badly hurt
it would be almost impossible to get
back TO camp. He insisted on walking,
and so that we might reach visalia in
time to go to bed and sleep before day
light, we started at once and took the
trail that came out of the hills near the
cabin. We carried a shotgun and rifle
apiece, intending to hide two of them
in Patterson's grain. But as we APP
preached the house we saw the manure
and little straw where an old barn
had stood but which had been torn
down and removed and 1 walked rapid
ly to it to see If we could put the guns
in it so that we could find them handily
when we could come back some other
night
sat down with nv right side toward
the house and unstrapped my shotgun
and looked into the straw. There was
squirrel hole in it next to me, and l
was thinking how to cover up the guns
when bullet struck me in the right
side and went through my back, graz
ing the spine. 1t hit me like a sledge
hammer. AT the same moment bullet
hit me in the right eye, destroying the
sight.
fell backward, my right hand slipped
off my Winchester, drawing the ham
mer partly back and discharging the
gun, though did not know it at the
time.
Mr.. Sontag was coming to me and he
said: "Did your gun go off,"
answered him; "Look out Pm hard
hit" and then another ball struck my
right wrist, passing through my arm
and coming out near the elbow.
The blood was pouring out from my
eye and another stream was running
down my back. I rallied and sat up,
took my shotgun in my left hand, cooked
it and fired both barrels into the house,
laid it down-tor l could not put the
cartridges into it with one hand-and
took up my Winchester. 1t snapped, so
| worked the lever to put in another
cartridge, and at that moment l saw a
man look ABOUND the corner of the house.
AS | brought my gun to bear on him he
stepped quickly back out of sight, but
l swung my gun in the direction and
sent bullet through the corner of the
house. 1t struck him, breaking his leg.
Il fell over, saying TO Mr. Sontag:
"Goodby John, I'm done for" and faint
ed away.
When came to the sun had set and
Mr.. Sontag was to my right trying to
get shot at an enemy who was firing
at us from a rock pile on a ridge about
300 yards away to the south of us. Mr..
Sontag raised up, when he was shot
through the shoulder, the ball breaking
his right arm. The shot came from
rock pile about 100 yards to the west.
[ told him to keep down, and asked him
where he was shot. He said in the side.
IL little while he raised up again
and was shot in the face. He groaned
and moaned pitifully for some time and
did not answer me. Then he asked me
to kill him and end his misery. l told
him to keep up his nerve and when it
got dark we would get out of that hell
hole.
Bullets were ploughing the ground
under me all the time, and several of
them brushed my hair. could not see
20 feet from me, and drenched with
blood and craving cup of water, had
to wait for the coming of night. listen.