The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1896-08-13

command dismounted and were out on
the skirmish-line. Heavy firing and
cannonading was continually going on.
After coming out of the canyon and get
ting on the high bluff we drove the In
dians back to cover and again moved
ON. We came out on rough, rolling
prairie, and such a hot, dusty afternoon
as we had of it. We only made 10
mile march that day, and hard days
work we had of it. We got into camp
about one hour before sundown, tired
and hungry, having had nothing to eat
since early in the morning and had no
water except what was in our canteens
in the morning.
We camped by the side of a big mud
hole. To the east the prairie sloped
back for nearly mile to the top of the
ridge. Our immigrant train was camped
on the east side of US. Shortly before
sundown we saw the Indians lodging
up on top of this ridge and dropping
back again out of sight But several
hundred of them came dashing over
that ridge for our camp. The women
and children belonging to the immigrant
train rushed screaming to our camp.
The soldiers, without stopping for
orders, grabbed their guns and went
out. The cannon were at once turned
on the reds, the shells singing through
the air and bursting in front or among
them, which soon put a stop to
THEIR SAVAGE INTENTIONS.
They retreated. The only damage they
did, beside soaring the women and chill
dren nearly to death, was to capture two
horses.
On the morning of the 9th we were
again in the saddle very early, with a
mountainous country before us. Skir-
mishing and fighting soon began. About
noon we came out of the mountains on a
very rough, rolling prairie. We had no
further trouble with the Indians that
day.
One of the hardships of the expedi-
ton was our trouble in finding water fit
to drink, occasionally having to dig
wells to obtain it. We marched over a
rough, rolling country, with no grass on
the prairie, the hills and prairie looking
more like chalk than ground.
We came to a creek, orwhat would have
been creek, had there been any water
in it, the banks of which were some 1O
or II feet deep, and about the same dis
tance from one bank to the other. We
had bridge timber with US, and made g
bridge to cross. As we marched In four
columns, we now had to single out and
cross one column at time.
Our company crossed, and while wait
ing for the rest of the command a com
rade and | went short distance down
the creek-bed to look for water. While
! doing so we were rewarded with slngu
lar sight in those surroundings, which
suggested possible habitation of an ex
tinct people. This peculiarity consisted
of pile of slabs and a tree lying near
by, cut up into logs of exact length, the
same as seen around any saw-mill, but
all petrified.
Early the next morning we were
again ON the march; our horses ant
mules looked bad, having had nothing
to eat for SO hours. We had a yer,
rough country again to march over
with no vegetation visible.
Our horses and mules had been giving
out for the want of food and water, ant
during the day we had shot about Z;
head. While the horses belonged to th'
Government, the men were just as anxi
Gus to save them as if they had beer
their own, and would frequently wall
miles rather than let the worn-ou
beasts carry them. We were getting