Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Benton County, Or.) 1900-1909, 1903-01-06
CHAPTER XIX.


ulGNeS dlI Out.
Another morning finds the Indians
holding their ground. They are well
fntrenched and the besieged in the
Stone House can only remain cooped
In until relief shall arrive from the
fort.
If 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 great deal of
his time away from home, working
among his traps in the rimrocks.
While it 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.
The besieged determined to die
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 a 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 a siege indefi-
nite1y.
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 a hazardless siege and
the hope of an old time assault and a
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.
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 a 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
House. they could not resist chanting
their war SONGS in their concealment.
Just at nightfall another band of
reinforcements arrived, and, the
Indians now becoming more bold,
rent the air with their warwhoops. But
the new arrivals were hungry and
thirsty, and as darkness came on the
Lord of The Desert beheld their
campfires in every direction and he
saw them busily engaged in cooking
and feasting upon his choicest beeves.
which had been fattened for the pal
ates of different race. Martin Lyle
was not a coward. He was a villain
and a thief and a drunkard, but with
all of this he was a 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
threatened, he rose from his big arm
chair. dressed and armed himself for
battle and took active command of
his men.
Dan Follett had been watching the
proceedings with studious silence |
He came to the conclusion that
crisis was at hand. Meeting the |
Lord of The Desert in the front yard
ne told him he would sneak with him. |
"Mr. Lyle" he said. 81 think it high |
time for a settlement between us. II
have performed all of my agreements |
with you and you have put me off |
from day to day. and now that have
no obligations remaining unfulflled /
demand that the deeds be signed and |
that you pay the balance due me-"
Tut, man. this is no time for set |
tling business affairs. when our very |
scalps are quivering on our heads. |
There is plenty of time. Wait until
We have repulsed this band of blood !
thirsty savages. which your awkward !
ness has brought to our door, and |
then we will talk about settlement" |
But we must settle now," de-
manded Follett. "You have thus put |
me off from time to time and I now |
must have settlement without fur
ther delay"
'T am a man of few words. as you
know, Follett." responded Lyle. "and |
I answer now. once and for all, wait
until am ready to settle"
$50 am I a man of few words and |
also cf quick action, your Lordship,