The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1903-01-02
CHAPTER XIX.
ThIeves "Fall out."

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intrenched and the besieged in the
Stone House can only remain cooped
In until relief shall arrive from the
fort.
II they are even spared this privi-
lege they will feel thankful for it
requires time to communicate with
the military authorities and then sol
diers move with deliberation and pre-
pare before they move.
Old Egan's messages are already
sent out and his reinforcements are
doubtless on the road. While SOL
diers are preparing "rations" and
rolling their blankets and seeing to
their equipments generally. Indian
warriors are already In the saddle
and riding night and day toward the
seat Of their campaign,
If the Indians should surmise that
relief had been sent for they would
hurry the final attack, and the be-
sieged felt much alarmed for fear
that they might discover the tracks
of Metzger, who had borne the mes
sage to the trapper. There was also
some fear Of delay in communicating
with the military post as the trapper
was known to spend a great deal OF
his time away from home, working
among his traps I'm the rimrocks.
While 1t was considered best that the
trapper should make the journey to
the fort, yet, Metzger had received In
structions to go, should he be unable
to find Hammersley.
Tho hncinnnd daknrxx.tunJ - dto
rather than fall into the hands of the
Snakes, for they knew that Old Egan
would show no mercy now, having
caught the Lord of The Desert in his
treachery, and they guarded the loop
holes with close scrutiny never fail
ing to send bullet at the slightest
exposed portion of an Indians body.
They were we'll supplied with pro-
visions, water and ammunition, and
unless actually overpowered, would
be able to Withstand siege indefi-
nitely.
The Indians were likewise prepared
for the siege. Besides the pure water
that flowed from the mountains above
the Stone House, they had the great
meadows for their stock to Craze upon
and had the Lords choicest bullocks
to select from when they became
hungry. To the starving warrior
from the rimrocks and lava beds this
life was truly dream; plenty to eat
and drink. only desultory guard duty
just exciting enough to stimulate
their energy-Old Egan's braves were
in their element. But summer can
not last always even with the savage.
While his warriors were reveling In
the luxury of hazardless siege and
the hope of an old time assault and
division of the rich booty, Old Egan
was scanning the desert for his re-
Inducements. Intuition admonished
him that delay would not help his
cause: that the sooner he had taken
his prey and vanished among the lava
rocks of the far south, the better.
He had never yet been overtaken by
the ''blue-birds" of the Great Father
.4nd had no desire to encounter these
men of iron and lead under the COM
mand of General Crook. All who had
met them so far had been routed or
captured and Egan's sins had been
too numerous for the willy chief to
even think of falling into the hands
of the government. He knew full
we'll that his enemy was well equip
ped and that to attack him, armed and
protected as he was, that he must
meet with failure and great loss,
but when his horde of warriors and
allies should arrive he expected by
force Of numbers and by simultane-
GUS attack from every direction to
take the Stone House and its Occu-
pants and its treasures, without great
loss. The known wealth of the place
made 1t the most coveted place in the
mind of the savage on the whole
western border. Arms and ammuni-
tion, provisions, "fire-water," gold,
valuables of all kinds, we're magnified
in the Indian imagination until even
the great wealth of Monte Cristo
would not have compared with that
Of the Lord of The Desert.
The same humdrum precaution was
preserved by the besieged and be-
siegers until about two o'clock In the
afternoon when the Indians took on
new energy and there was general
confidence and activity in their ranks.
The outlook who had been placed on
the peak overlooking the desert, sig
nailed Old Egan that reinforcements
were coming.
The chief could not resist climbing
to the summit Of an adjoining foothill
and looking for himself. He was re-
warded by seeing cloud Of dust far
out on the desert to the south that,
from its length along the plain, he
knew a band OF his warriors were
coming In single file as rapidly as
their steeds could bring them. A
little later another cloud Of dust from
the southwest announced other rein
forcements on the way, and, though
the Indians preserved a silence while
in view of the occupants Of the Stone
they could not resist chanting
their war songs in their concealment.
It was not until the first war party
arrived that the whites fully realized
their danger. They had felt reason
ably safe against the enemy In his
former strength until reinforcements
could arrive from the fort, but now
that he was reinforced he might be
to attack and might sue
ceed Before succor could arrive for
them.
Just at nightfall another band of
reinforcements arrived, and, the |
Indians now becoming more bold. |
rent the afr with their warwhoops. But
the new arrivals were hungry and |
thirsty. and as darkness came on the
Lord of The Desert beheld their |
campfres in every direction and he
saw them busily engaged in cooking
and feasting upon his choicest beeyes,
which had been fattened for the pal
ates of different race. Martin Lyle
was hot coward. He was a villain l
and a thief and a drunkard. but with |
all Of this he was man Of courage
Of the true Scotch stripe. When he
saw his property being sacrificed. his
home surrounded by an enemy, his
life and that of his companions
he rose from his big arm
chair. dressed and armed himself for
battle and took active command Of
his men.
His long benumbed brain became
active his ewes flashed with fha Are