The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1901-06-07
Trailed by
@ Indians.
svvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv
A STORY OF THE EARLY
DAYS IN NEVADA.


The old Indian hunter laid down his
paper saying: I've been amused nightly
to hear some folks discussing the threat
encd outbreak among the redskins. IL
coolneSs with which they talk of such
and the Sneaking sympathy they've
with the devils. I'd just like to take su i
and give them just Il months residence
on the plains when the Indians are hJl!-
ing councils and breathing out fire and
murder and worse. l tell you. I'll he.
mighty little talk of sympathy then and
see precious little coolness. But it take
Us, who have gone through such, to know
the horrors of an Indian war, the tcrrors
threatening not men al.uc, but wo,aun
and children-aye the very baby in the
cradle. don't believe in peoples hail.
turning white with trouble and anxiy;y.
for mine would be as white as cotton II
such would do it. Especially once did
have fearful experience with rcds&n-
Want To hear about it?
well, it was in 1SiS, and I'd been orr,
trading among the Flatheads and g., ,
Nez Perces for nearly two years off Il !
on, when one day | caught on to a Sckcun
the Flatheads had got up to raid littr
settlement near to where Canton, Ncv.
now stands. There were three familiys
living there, and the plan was to wait un
I'll the men went to Carson City for pro-
visions. when the women and child",Y
We're to be killed and the cattle run IT
by one party, while another waylaid til,
men on the way back and murdered them
| was up about Winnemucca when | g3t
hold of this. and | set off for Canton as
hard as could go, but the men were gone
by the time | reached the settempn,
which was called Ridlcy's camp. | had
reason to fear the Indians were only ii
few hours behind me. and we had t.
move quickly. Our only chance was &,
hide out in the mountains till they lcf,
the neighborhood or to work our way as
best we could by night to Carson City.
1T was useless to think of saving IL"
men. so | just kept that part Of the bust
ness to myself There were in all l3 os
us, two women and their seven children
and three little chaps, whose mother HAD
died the week before, and me. The first
thing did while the women were getting
ready was to stampede the cattle and
horses to keep the Indians from getting
them; then. as we started. | shut up the
houses to keep the redskins as long a,
possible there before they found out tire
people had run away.
1--WE made the little creek called SnaE,
river by daylight, and after reconnoiter
ing | made the whole party wade out t.
an island in the middle. which was about
20 by 80 feet and covered with flags and
rushes and some stunted willows. Here
we lay all day, for the most part dowH
on our stomachs under the brush. OF
course we could build no fire or move
about, so we ate the cold victuals tie
women had brought along. and | dippct
up water in my cap. Twice parties of
Indians stopped not a hundred yards he
low where we were to water their horses
but Judging from their actions | knew
they did not suspect any one was near
them, but were probably on their way L,
Ridlcy's. They did not lingcr. but rod
on at once. much to my relief, for all th"
time they were within hearing | am Su"c
| did not draw breath a minute for fpa"
one Of the children would cry out. when
we would have all been massacrcd. Ilt
the poor little things, with the exccptipI
of a child few weeks old, were too bad
ly scared to stir or speak unless hidl .
and, as for the women, they put any man
l ever saw to shame with their calmnos ,
and courage.
"When night came. we struck out fer "a
line of hills lying about five miles AVA.
where | counted on finding a cave. o..
at least hiding place. OF course
IL = -. l