The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1909-04-18

with a wild beast. I looked first
for their tracks as indications OF
their presence. I knew they would
witness the breaking up of our party,
and ] expected that they would am
bush and attack me.
Sure enough, ! had not gono far
before [ crossed the trail Of party
Of five going on ahead of me. The
tracks were fresh and the party often
ran. The planting Of an ambush was
detail after orr trip along it IS we came
out. There were q number of places
that were suitable for ambush, and l
knew Just where to apprehend it. Sure
enough, ~ J nearcd the spot that I
had selected as the first suitable spot
the tracks left the trail and took
dciour. Tie ln1iars had evidently got
ten into place.
"It is no comfortable thing to walk
deliberately into an ambush when YOU
know IL is laid for YOU and that the
( sayages have the drop But there was
no matter Of choice for me. There was
/ tho absolute necessity of reaching camp
/ or soon perish from thirst and the rest
I of my party after me as well. Any in
! dication of fear upon my part would
! but encourage The Indians and lessen
| my chances 10 that extent ] walked
deliberately into The ambush. without
! looking TO left or right and with an APP
| parent ignorance OF lis existence. The
! Indians evidently were unable TO SUM
| mon the courage to fire upon me, They
! evidently remembered previous encoun
| teTs with white men and the death
! dealing qualities Of the firearms they
! saw trapped about ms"
- But after the first opportunity for
! ambush passed | felt in no way secure.
! There were TWO other places ahead that
offered even better chances 10 the Seri
I surrniscd that the flect-footed natives
| would skirt around me and soon get.
ahead, This they Immediately did.
and l had gone not more than mile
when their footsteps Tcappeared. They
ran on ahead Of me and again left the
trail when ] approached the right op-.
| portunity for an ambush. Again [
! awaited the attack. but again the cour-
age of the Seri evidently failed them
"Thc foot prints soon reappeared in
| the trail and | began to wait for the
third ambush. This last opportunity in
reality offered the best chance to them
OF all and it occurred to ne that the
other layings in wait had been but in
preparation for this last aud best scene
OF attack. They had been studviuy me
and nv actions and would here fall upon
me. They must do SO or forever lose
| their opportunity.
''The bushes behind which they would
hide were here close uDon the trail.
They might lie low until | had passed
| ard then al! drive arrows into nv back.
] though of charging the clump and
preciDitatng the struggle. bat decided
that quiet and determined pursuance
/ OF my journey would be best after all.
] walked past them and cut upon the
4
further opportunity for their attack ox-
cept in the open and saw no moro of
them.
''But fine troubles Of the day were in
no wav over with this escape When ]
reached the camp the wagon and the
driver had already gone back to the
rancho. AS I later learned. they had
deserted the camp hut that morning,
having given up all hope OF our re
! turn. The desertion was also hurried
! by the fact that the Papagos had de-
! veloped a superstitious belief to the
/ effect that all the party had persisted.
| Their gods had told them so, and one
woman, the wife of II member of the
PARTY, actually died of grief. The
: The Papagoes who were with the driver
! had been summoned by q runner and had
/ gone home.
''It was probably nine o'clock at
/ night when I reached the deserted camp
after a journey OF fifteen miles. 1t
! was thirty miles further over the desert
! to the rancho, but here was the only
! opportunity to get the supplies and
water and my life, as we'll as the lives
Of the entire party, depended upon my
/ ability TO make the trip and again
/ bring back the wagon, l set out across
! the soft sand of the desert and when
! the sun rose N the morning I was just
/ pulling into the stockade of the
ranchero.
"'The natives would never believe
made the trip across the desert. but be-
acknowledged my presence, but be-
lieyed that I had been marvelously
transported by the gods, The relief
party was quickly outfitted and we sue
ceeded in meeting our party, much worn
by hardship, but still sticking together,
and, as consequence, safe from attack.
We brought with us many pictures,
quantities of specimens, an excellent
Topographic map, and more information
with relation to this strange people
than the world had contained before
| We escaped from Seriland without a
| scratch -
! WILLIAM ATHERTON DU PUY.