Wallowa chieftain. [volume] (Joseph, Union County, Or.) 1884-1909, 1902-12-11

highly even, than the fair captive.
whom they had taken, for stock Of
all kinds was scarce with them. They
had been forced into the rimrocks and
lava beds by the United States SOL
diers, and the scanty vegetation there
had caused their animals to disappear
almost as rapidly as the pangs of hun
ger. which prompted the decaying
race in butchering and eating them.
While viewing the band of fat mules
and horses from the crevices of the
rimrocks the previous evening. the
eagle eyes OF old Egan, the chief, saw
Bertha Lyle in the camp and she was
indeed rare picture in this section
OF country, and especially so after the
proposition that had come from
the lips of Martin Lyle, the
Lord of The Desert. As 1t were.
1t was the killing OF two birds
with one stone with the chief. II was
the obtaining Of animals for his hun
cry and hard beset tribe and obtain
ing prize of far more personal value
which meant more wealth for his tribe
and white squaw for his wigwam.
After the surprise of the attack OF
the previous night the men rallied to
defend the camp. But IL was too late.
the work was done. While the main
body of the red men had charged on
the camp. detachments OF the party
had not been idle. They corralled the
horses and had them on the road.
ready to join the main band with their
captive. They disappeared as silently
as they came and the handful Of
whites that still survived knew that Il
was useless to follow them in the dark,
besides, they did not know but that a
redskin lurke1 behind every boulder
on the mountain sides.
They had spent the remainder Of
the night in ministering to the wound
ed, and preparing the dead for burial
They were in a predicament indeed.
They had neither horses to pursue the
marauding band of Indians. or to con.
tinue their journey. While some Of
the members of the party aroused
at the fate OF the white girl,
were willing and anxious to pur-
sue the Indians on foot, all
saw the futility Of such an attempt,
and the leader of the escort showed
no concern about her capture and no
inclination to follow her captors. but
rather cursed the fate OF being left
afoot. The morning was consumed In
burying the dead and the afternoon In
reconnoitering. The trail OF the In.
dians was discovered, which showed
that they had gone In southerly d.
rection, course that led to the east
Of the stone house on Mount Juniper.
Fortunately, that night another pack
train arrived from the west. II had
few surplus horses, and as these
men Of pioneer days were always will
ing to lend helping hand to the dis.
tressed they supplied the stranded
party with few horses. The strand.
ed packers returned with this train
to Fort Boise while four members OF
the escort with the daring equal to
those times. and against the admoni.
tion of their leader. entered into a
solemn oath that they would follow
the Indians and would never return
until they had recaptured Bertha Lyle
and placed her in the stone house with
her uncle. Early the following morn
ing, armed and provlsioned and
mounted these four started out on
the trail of the bandit Indians. The
packers moved on, taking the wound.
ed cowboys with them, all OF whom
died and were buried at Boise
City. Dan Follett and the others
started for the Stone House.
The four cowboys who went in pur-
suit Of the Indians were familiar with
that part Of the desert, and being on