Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1900-12-21

Everything in the encounter With their
fleeing foe had demonstrated that he
was a man of resources, of stronS |
physique, great endurance and indom-
liable courage. These conjectures had
barely taken form when the bandits
shaped their curse in consonance with
them. They abandoned the chase ana
turned back toward the camp.
THE LooTING OF THE CAMP.
Fisk, from his eminence. commanded
a full view of their actions. The camp,
was only a mile distant, and there was
no place Intervening in which the BAN
dts would be concealed from his vision
except in the willows which had afforded
him temporary shelter. He noticed thai
ten men, all mounted, had Joined in the
pursuit. and that but two of the band
remained in the camp. one of whom
lay motionless. at full length, where he
had falen in the first charge. and that
the other limped about among the
wagons as If wounded. The fiend he had
last shot at was with the pursuing party,
and Fisk believed him to be an Indian,
although all the others appeared to be
white men.
Fisk was in a quandary as to what
course to ~adopt-whether to push on in
the direction of Bannack and notify his
friends of the atrocities at the camp, or
to stay where he was and continue his
watch upon the. outlaws. After refiec-
ton the latter action seemed the better,
and The kept his gaze fixed upon the
camp. On the return of the outlaws they
hurriedly looted the camp chests anc
trunks, hustled the surviving children
into an empty wagon, threw into it a
r1nntftr of halIi,r md .lVo vSipr r.
apart from the other vehicles. set fire to
the latter. Then they selected twenty
of the best horses. packed several of
them with the loot of the camp, and
driving the others loose. the whole band
mounted and rode away to the north,
taking their dead companion along, tied
upon the saddle of a horse.
Even then. although Fisk had care
fully noted the number of departing
outlaws, he thought 1t best ITO remain in
his place of refuge overlooking the camp
until the return of his friends.
ElURN OF THEREVELERS.
An hour later he saw THE absent menu
bers of the train emerge from "A noun
tain canyon to the north and cross the
valley to where the smoking ruins OF
the camp lay. He hurried to them and
IA liiOll stIIallSu Sl thV olSoSlCI Z
fore he had time to render an account
of the recent occurrences. their atten-
ton was attracted to the imprint OF
moccasin tracks, and they hastily con-
Guided that The destruction of the emf
grants and the camp was the work OF
Indians. He had hard work to convince
them of their fallacy of Judgment, ana
that at most only one indian was in tho
band, but after having heard a complete
recital of the events, and having un-
wavering confidence in his integrity ana
cool courage, they We're compelled to ac~
cept his version of the matter, and they
became satisfied that the inhuman
slaughter was the work of white OUT
laws.
By comparing notes and estimating
assets in money and jewels taken with
the visiting party to Bannack, it vas
determined that the loot in money Sc
cured by the robbers amounted to SIG, 900,
and the loot IN stock and other articles
amounted to o~ne-fourth as much more.
The cry for vengeance was upon every
lip, but a sad duty was TO be performee
first. Stirling the angu.shed throObinS
Of sorroWing hearts, every man Went to
work in fastening the ~obsequies of the
dead, and When night had fallen the last
solemn rites had been performed and
the victims Of human lust for gold were
laid to rest beneath the sod of that
mountain-girded valley, and a cross
alone marked the the spot where a few
hours before a merry, hopeful band OF
emigrants had pitched their tents.
The news quickly reached Bannack,
where the ladies of the visiting party
of emigrants had remained, and Christ
mas festivities We're abandoned for a
mass meeting of coincidence. at which
pans were formulated for the pursuit.
of the murderers.
Early the next morning a large party
including all of the surviving male emil
grants capable of bearing arms, anG
many citizens of Bannack, prominen,
among the latter being Charlie Forbes
started in pursuit of the perpetrators
of the das,ardly deed. At Gold Greer
news was gained Of the villains and sew
eral men Joined in the pursuit, they
averring that While their suspicion O.
the fleeing party had been formed at thu
time of their passage, they could no
muster sufficient forces to attempt thei'
arrest. At Missoula several, more set
tiers Joined in the pursuit, which wa!
kept up until the deep snow in Io Ii
pass Was encountered. 1t appearing tina
the robbers and murderers had forced
passage which, in the interim of tw
days, had now become an impossibility
t the pursuit was abandoned at this point
, and the bereaved relatives of the slain
/, as Well as the would-be a~vengers of tn
atrocity, reluctantly resigned the pun
} ishment of the m~alefactors to the judg
: ment of Almighty God, the identity O
, the culprits being thus far u~nestablished
The pursuers returned to their homes
n the emigrants returning to Bannack
/ where they assumed various avocation
e in the industries of the place. Charii
: Forbes returned with them, avowing hi
h distress in having been the messenge