Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Benton County, Or.) 1900-1909, 1903-01-20
LORD OF THE DESERT
CHAPTER XIII.
By PAUL de LANEY.
at Hell's Trap,

at He1l's Trap.
Hammersley had located the In
dians at "Hells Trap" Upon being
notified of this, General Crook had
come in advance of his command,
which was to march by night, to
view the situation.
1t was about o'clock in the after
noon when he and the trapper
stealthily climbed to the top of the
rimrocks overlooking this remarkable
place, and lying fiat on the capstone
Of the rimrocks, they looked into the
Indian camp below. There was moth
ing about the place to indicate a trap
or place for harsh name. It was
a. beautiful natural meadow in the
bend of a mountain stream, sur
rounded on three sides by towering
rimrocks, the river forming a dis
tinct peninsula, almost creating an
island, so close did the entrance
point of the stream come to the point
of exit after making the circuit of
the little valley.
Through this narrow neck the In
dians had entered, and while their
animals grazed on the luxuriant grass
they had pitched their tents among
the willows bordering the stream and
prepared for a. few days rest after
their long siege at the Stone House.
Here game and fish were plentiful,
and the launches of deer and ante
lope, and fish frys alternating the
tfeasts on the Lord of the Deserts
fatted bullocks, made garden of
Eden for the braves, instead Of a
"Hell's Trap"
Here they felt safe. In this am
phitheater they were isolated from
the world and there were numerous
outlets through the rimrocks where
they could make their escape if at
tackled, and they had as prisoners
four cowboys, the only persons they
had discovered on their trail from the
Stone House, and they now felt as
safe in this retreat as if among the
lava beds of the klamath country.
They regarded casual lookout as
being sufficient for their safety from
surprise, in view of the fact that
hunting parties were continually COW
ering the territory in the immediate
vicinity of the camp.
It was a continuous feast and holi-
day for the hunted bandits.
81 cannot understand why they call
this Hell's Trap" said General Crook,
as he looked down upon the placid
scene.
There is no reason for it now, it
is true" replied the trapper, "but !
have seen it when the name of Hell's
1 Trap was not too harsh for it. The
river, now fordab1e at most any point,
rises from the snowbeds of the great
mountains yonder. The warm south
winds at times start the snow to melt
ing, and the water comes dashing
down from every point, filling the ra-
vines and gulches, and these flow into
the river, making it rolling sea of
water as suddenly as cloudburst. Tt
is on these occasions that the place
bears the appearance of 'helps
trap
''It has always been a great grazing g
place for wild animals of all kinds,
and the rise often comes down upon
them suddenly and fills the banks
all around them and breaks across
the narrow neck yonder, imprisonlng
them completely before they have
time to escape. No living thing can
ford the river during the rises.
''The Indians make it a point to
take advantage of these rises. They
stand guard outside, and as soon as
the water is at its highest they rush
through the current overlooking the
neck and slaughter the animals by
| the wholesale. In this manner they
long ago secured their winter meat
food. This has given it the name of
'Hells Trap"
After a few minutes in silence Gen
eral Crook remarked that there
seem to be four canyons, Or out
lets from the place, through the walls
of the rimrocks, besides the main
entrance through the strait" or
neck But the trapper showed him
| the fifth.
"To make a wholesale capture" re-
marked the general, 81 will have to
station me nat all of those points and
charge in over the neck My men
will arrive about midnight, and
will then require your assistance N
stationing the men for an early morn
ing attack" he continued.
Before the trapper had time to re-
spond, if he had intended to reply, a
sight caught the eyes Of both men
that riveted their attention in the
same direction.
They placed their field glasses to
their eyes and a groan escaped stimuli
taneously from each. The sight that
greeted them has often been seen on
the American border. Human beings
put to torture by savages, in full
view of friends who were unable to
render them aid!
The savages marched forth into an
opening four white men in single file
their arms bound to their sides, and
each being led by a painted war
rior.
The general and the trapper imme-
diately recognized the men as four of
the cowboys who had been sent out
on the trail of the Indians from the
Stone House. This is the first that
either had known of their fate. Gen
eral Crook, as well as the trapper,
had supposed that all of the men were
safe. The latter had not seen these
men since two days before, but he
supposed that they had either lost
the trail or were lettering somewhere
close at hand among the rimrocks
But they had acted indiscreetly and
had been entrapped by the Indians,
and were now about to pay their last
earthly penalty.
The mode of the American savage's
torture of his prisoners is well known.
1