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

The old Indian hunter laid down HI,
paper saying: I've been amused nightly
to hear some folks discussing the threat
e!cd outbreak among the redskins. III
coolneSs with which they talk Of suol
and the sncaking sympathy they've
with the devils iii just like to take su !,
and give them just months residence
ON the plains when the Indians are hal =
ing councils and breathing out fire and
murder and worse. l tell you. ia 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 alone, but women
and childlcn-aye, the very baby in the
cradle | don't believe in peoples hal.
turning white with trouble and anxiety.
for mine would be as white as cotton if
such would do it. Especially once did !!
have a fearful experience with redsE:n..
Want to hear about it?
well, it was in 1878. and Ia been d..
trading among the Flatheads and t.
Nez Perces for nearly two years off a.
on, when one day | caught on to a schemr
the Flatheads had got up to raid H.,32
settlement near to where Canton, Ncv.
now stands. There were three famlius
living there, and the plan was to wait I'M
I'll the men went to Carson City for pro-
visions. when the women and child"ta
were to be killed and the cattle run III
by one party, while another waylaid tn,
men on the way back and murdered thea
| was up about Winnemucca when t
hold of this. and | set off for Canton as
hard as | could go, but the men were gone
by the time | reached the settlemeu..
which was called Ridley's camp. l had
reason to fear the Indians were only
few hours behind me, and we had t.
move quickly Our only chance was t,
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 tha
men, so | just kept that part of the bust
ness to myself There were in all Is @.
us, two women and their seven children
and three little chaps, whose mother hal
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 the
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 10y 80 feet and covered with flags AMI
In. 4
we lay all day, for the most part dow.
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 | dipped
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 t.
Ridlcy's. They did not linger. but rod
on at once much to my relief, for all tie
time they were within hearing | am sure
| did not draw a breath a minute for fca"
one of the children would cry out when
We would have all been massacrcd, idt
the poor little things, with the eXccptipG
of child a few weeks old, were too bad.
iy scared to stir or speak unless bldde;.,
and as for the women they put any man
l ever saw to shame with their calmHe+S
and courage
wv hen night came we struck out fer
line OF hills lying about I'VE mlles AVA.
where counted on hndIng cave. o.
at least hidIhS place. Ot course
and the women ana the larger ch'Idr'1
could have made IT without diillrulty t2t
helng Obliged 10 want on the hltle on
and TO carry them every half mile or :.
we were nearly ail night getting to
nearest NH. Ncd gone about a Nl.'
when low down on the horizon | saw
dull glow ami knew the Indians WEI
burning ne camp aud that they d be 2.
our tran IN a niue While. Nhen we
To the h:IL could see nothing IKE q c's
and while II was pretty heavily woe
there was no place 10 mae Whefc tine b.
dams would not spy us directly. VIZ
looking ahnUt me When caught
glimpse ot black bear running aro7'
a rocky spur about half way up the u
] followed Just in time To see lcr E.
tumbling or climbing down sort of g