The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1914-03-20

turned and Scooted into the WILLOWS
like coyote, Not wanting to stir
up the brush looking for trouble we
moved on toward our dug-out and
found everything as we had left it.
We kept our horses hid in the
thick brush along the river bank, to
keep them from falling into the hands
of any prowling red-skin. Here a
man named Kennedy offered us SOL
apiece for each indian pony we
could bring him. We told him IL we
captured any we would let him know.
So next morning we started out to
hunt indian ponies. We travelled west
about four miles to a large open
country Ezra flat), where we saw a
bunch Of % ponies, but as each one
had a buck indian on his back, we
concluded that we did not want that
kind Of horses, SO We slipped away
without them seeing us. That after
noon we saw two more lunches of
indians, but steered clear of them.
On account Of the indians here we
could do no hunting to supply our
camp with fresh meat, SO decided to
go back to our main camp on the
head of Antelope and begin trapping.
The next morning we loaded up with
xy hot n ~, w., =, ;+;ou ond or,,h W. raad
ed and struck out. We passed the
hill where Henry had killed the three
indians few days before and found
that their friends had buried them
where they fell on top of the hill.
(All the old timers know of this
grave.) We arrived at our cabin
without seeing an indian for which
we were very thankful as we did not
care to make their acquaintance at
this time. We had left the carcass
Of big buck deer hanging to a tree
in front of our shack, which had been
pulled down and devoured by mount
ain lions and their tracks were thick
around the cabin. It took four days
to string our traps and by that time
we had dropped into the routine of
camp life. We killed IL big buck
deer for our winter meat. Their
skins made fine beds and carpets for
our floor. We had made large fire
place in one end of our cabin and
had dragged up plenty of wood to
last until spring. One morning
while making my daily scouting trip,
I saw large band of indians. They
were in some what of a hurry travel
ing down Antelope creek l decided
to follow them and see IL there was
any show to stamped their horses
at night. 1t was necessary for me to
keep out of sight in order to save
my top knot They travelled until
after they had crossed Lost river
they camped by small creek in a
rye grass fiat among large herd
of Antelope (Henry Evans ranch.
Here I got my first opportunity to
count them, and made out that there
were seventy-four of the red boys in
the bunch. This being about seventy
more than I cared to tackle alone,
crawled back to the river and
passed the night without a fire.
Next morning the indians followed
Pass creek to the mountains and
were swallowed up in the dark can
yon. Concluding that they were
leaving the country, left them here
and started back down the creek.
After travelling about mile I was
surprised to see white flag on a
ramrod being waved at me from a
bunch of willows.
Some one calling to me in the
Piute jargon telling me not to be
afraid, but to come over to them.
Now l never did go much on the
white rag business so I prepared for
a quick run if anything looked
wrong. So I sang out and asked
them what they wanted and one of
them said, Don't you know me, me
Piute Jim, me know you long time,
me heep savy you, me your friend"
I then recognized him as young
sub-chief of the Piutes, whom I had
seen many times at Dry Town, near
Wadsworth, Nevada. rode up to
him and found five other Piutes with
him.
He said he was not fighting the
white men, that he was only hunting
for his winter meat, and would leave
for Nevada in about one moon. I asked
him about the fight at Battle Ground.
He said he knew nothing about 1t ex-
cept that the indians had lost eleven
of their braves in the Engagement
and had about twenty wounded.
The Piutes travelled with me until