The San Francisco call., 1895-07-28

to settlers in other places. And so the
years went by till l was big stout girl of
IL, as handy with gun as my brother Will
was, though he was two years older. Five
or six other families had settled near us,
and we had little school and a trading
station, where Indians and white people
brought their furs and skins.
'Everything went well with us till one
day big indian we called Long Jim
kicked fine colt and famed him so that he
had TO be shot Father was sure enough
angry, and he sent Jim off without paying
him for his days work. Jim was pretty
ugly and mother tried to make father give
in, but he wouldn't and we didn't see jim
again for a month. Then one afternoon
Will and my little brother Tom and were
coming home from school and Will knelt
down by the creek to drink.
"He hadn't more'n got his lips to the
water when q gun went off, and the poor
fellow dropped like he was dead. | didn't
need to be told that Jim was around and
i grabbed hold of Tommy and started to
run. didn't get foot, / guess, before I
was thrown down and gagged and tied. I
didn't know any more until it was dark,
and then heard poor little Tom moaning
and calling for mother. | was being
dragged along by my arm, and was bruised
ami sore all over. We were going through
some chaparral bushes, and pretty soon l
found out that if. didn't want my ewes
scratched out by the bushes and sticks I'd
have to help myself for that Indian was
carrying me like you've seen baby car
rving an old doll-iust catching hold any,
where that was convenient.
well, Strengthened up and tried to see
where Tom was. / couldn't hear him
moaning any more, and the Indian who
had been carrying him was walking in
front of US now. | made up my mind that
my poor little brother had been killed,
and / was glad-yes, really and truly glad,
because it was better to be dead than to
be in the hands of those Indians.
.By and by the moon came up bright
and clear and | could see that we were in
big clearing where there was cattle. Old
Mount Lassen was right ahead of US, and
though | couldn't see the river, could
hear it ripping not far off, don't know
what them Indians was thinking about to
keep so near settlement, but sure L m
alive / knew in minute that we wasn't
but two or three mics from Pete Hum
phrey's cabin, where father had taken me
year ago when he brought Mr.
Humphrey some butter kegs.
81 tell you my heart thumped pretty
hard and / was so wide awake as a mouse
that's running away from cat. Jim and
the other Indian stopped and killed steer
and loaded themselves down with meat,
keeping silent as shadows all the time.
."rhey tied me to a tree meantime and
when they started on Jim tied rope of
rawhide around my waist and tied me to
his arm. Then he stalked along, and had
to run or be dragged. pretended to be
stupid and not to notice anything, but all
the time / was gnawing at that rawhide,
watching that Jim didn't see me at It.
Then ran along SO that Jim couldn't feel
me drag; and then the Lord must have
helped me, for the moon went under a
cloud and it was dark as could be.
Il caught up a loose piece of brush beside
the trail, and slipped off my skirt and
twisted it on the branch till it looked as
much a1s rke giri as II dud ,.i., ilke ANYTHING
slipped away into the bushes like little
wild animal I crauled fnnn NV hard.