The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1902-12-05
CHAPTER x.
A Surprise and a Fight.

knew that he had a dlf1cult task be-
fore him. The Indians knew of Ham
mersley from one end of the desert
to the other and his prowess struck
them more forcibly than any other
characteristic of the man. While
they had never come in contact with
him before in cunning they knew that
he was familiar with every trail of
the desert and with every crevasse
and cavern among the rimrocks. And
now that they were in the vicinity
of his home they knew that he was
still more familiar here than they, and
that it would take quick work to res
cue the captive before he reached his
home among the rimrocks. If once
there he could stand out against a
larger band of Indians than Egan's
present detachment. and Indian sa-
gacity suggested proper tactics in
stantly.
Egan ordered four of his best
scouts to attempt to follow the fu-
gitives while he and seven of his war
riors made straight for the trapper's
quarters to get possession, intending
when the trapper arrived with his
prize, in case they were not appre-
hended by the trusty scouts, to cap
ture the two.
Egan had left his horses in care Of
warrior, and the chief and his com
panions had proceeded on foot. He
knew that the trapper cared nothing
for the horses, and that he and his
men could make better time on foot,
and, besides, they had to cross the
wall of rimrocks in order to reacn
the trapper's place OF abode. They
moved off in trot travelling in this
way until late hour in the morning.
1t was almost daybreak when they
ascended the rimrocks, surveyed the
horizon and descended to the oppo-
site side. They saw the rocks that
overhung the trapper's home and
placed themselves as sentinels at a
safe distance from the entrance and
guarded every path that led to the
place. Indian courage was not great
enough to induce them to enter this
place by night. While they had made
quick trip from the scene of the
previous night they knew that it was
possible that the trapper had made
a quicker one. They had, from a lack
of knowledge of the country, been
compelled to take a roundabout way,
while the trapper could have come a
straighter course, doubtless, and ar
rived first. They doubted this, how.
ever, as he was burdened with his
companion, provided the Indian
scouts had not overtaken them. and
they had great hopes of finding the
place vacant on the following
morning, and either take the two
prisoners before or after they
should enter the place. It was
Egan's intention to enter the
place If it proved to be unoccupied the
following morning, provided the trap
per did not fall into their hands before
that time, and then surprise him upon
his arrival. If his scouts should sue
ceed in capturing the girl, for this
was all they desired, they were to
signal the chiefs detachment at the
earliest opportunity. Thus Egan and
his men concealed themselves among
the rocks in front of the trapper's
cave and waited for developments.
Daylight comes on the Oregon des-
ert almost as quickly as darkness
AS soon as the sun sinks behind the
distant rocks night is upon the des-
ert as If light had been extinguished
in room; and daylight comes with
flash, as it were.
The sun rose above the level
horizon as if it had popped out of
the sands, and soon peeped over the
rimrocks. Old Egan and his war
riors, cold and still as the rocks
among which they lay, were eagerly
peering through the sage brush to
discover if there was any life about
the trapper's home. For some mo-
ments everything was quiet and the
old chief was planning for a more de-
finite reconnoiter. It was still shad-
owy about the entrance of the cave
and nothing could be but dimly seen.
The door at the entrance was closed
and the marauders were coming to
the conclusion that they had out
travelled the owner. They were soon
surprised, however.
The door opened suddenly and
stalwart man of the desert walked
out carelessly, and uncovered, as If
he had never thought of danger. A
hist. passed down the line of war
riors, unconsciously. but almost loud
enough to be heard by the frontiers
man. But not suspecting danger he
strolled out into the sage brush, sur
veying the country about him. One
common thought took possession of
the Indians. Quickly every man
reached to his quiver. drew an arrow
and placed 1t to the string of his bow.
Carelessly the white man strolled on.
Nearer and nearer he came.
Indians in the bitterest warfare DOS
sess some policy and some sense of
reason. The first thought of all
was to shoot the man down and then
rush into the eave-house, secure the
girl and proceed on their journey.
But Old Egan reasoned. To kill the
uapper, who was the friend of every
body, and had not an enemy on the
desert, and who had never crossed
his path before, did not seem to him
exactly right. To rush upon him and
capture him by force and then bind
and leave him so he could not pur-
sue them after they had retaken their
captive was the plan that suggested
itself to him.
But wise plans are often thwarted.
when the frontiersman had ap-
preached a little nearer to the left
there was a swish" and he fell TO
the ground pierced through the heart
by an arrow. A young warrior near
whom be had approached could rot
resist the temptation and fred the