Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1915-10-22

Immediately.
Meanwhile the Indians were picking
of the men one by one. Every time
they dropped a man there arose a
hideous yell that, witk the loss of their
companion and the prospect of death
for themselves, froze the blood in the
pioneers veins. Efforts would have
been made to turn the boat 50 that
they would get the protection of the
salt kettles, but any man who attempt.
ed to $ ON a for the purpose must
stand up to be shot down.
Solomon Spears and several others
were killed, and it looked as If the
whole party would fall before the red
men. A la named Fosset, one of the
two who had gone ashore, had suffered
a broken arm from a bullet, but had
retreated to the boat. Not being able
to hold a rifle, he busted himself by
trying to loose the chain. Taking a
pole, be lay low In the bow and en-
deavored to force the hook out Of the
link With the poles end, but be only
drove It inward Finally with a short
projection caused by the cutting Of a
branch from the pole he succeeded in
removing the hook from the link.
What must have been the feelings of
those who yet lived on the boat to see
the chain unwound from the tree and
rattle down the bank into the water!
Would the eddy have sufficient force
to carry the boat out into the current?
Would the chain retard her sufficiently
to prevent her moving? One Of the
men sprang to an oar which he could
work overhead without exposing him.
in working the boat out into the current.
For the first time since the fight
began an hour before those who lived
could spare a moment to count the
dead and wounded. Five of the party
were killed outright and four wound
ed. Solomon Spears was MORALLY
wounded He urged the survivors to
pun the boat TO the opposite side of
the river and fee for their lives.
But the current carried them to a
position farther downstream where
they would again be within range Of
the Indians rifles Running down the
bank, yelling as only savages could
yell, they again attacked the whites.
Two of the men who had been spared
to fight, Crepps and Crist. each seizing
q rifle, assembled the bank. The Indians
fired q volley at them and fell back
into a ravine. putting a bullet into
CreppS side and crushing Crist's heel.
Another nan who had followed the
two into the fight returned to the boat
and reported that be had left his COM
panions on the shore powerless to get
away
Taking advantage Of the retirement
of the Indians, the few remaining
aboard the boat pulled her again out
into the middle Of the river.
With the boat fun of dead and
wounded. with only III o. two able to
man the oars, the chance of escape
vas still small. But fortunately they
were In the current. and the Indians,
either satisfied with their work or not
caring further to expose themselves.
permitted them to drift away, and they
reached q point of safety.
The settlers, having been reused by
the story Of the massacre, went at
IN to the scene of the final encounter
to rescue the two men who had fallen.
Crepps was found to be MORALLY
wounded. He was brought away, but
died during his removal. CRISIS efforts
to save himself were thrilling. Not
being able to touch his wounded heel
to the ground, he craw1ed into a
thicket; but, realizing that the Indians
would find him there, he took off his
moccasins, bound them to his knees
and started to crawl eight miles to a
salt Hex For three days he had not
tasted food. Weakened by hunger,
suffering excruciating pain from his
shattered heel, his progress was neces-
sarily very slow, being not more than
half a mile an hour.
One night-it was the second after
he commenced his tortoise Journey
while lying near a trail be heard the
sound of horses hoofs. He called for
help, whereupon the sounds were
heard going away from him. This
was naturally a bitter disappointment.
Crist lay where he was, intending to re-
ume his journey in the morning, hop
Ing against hope that he would retain
the strength to finish it.
The horseman who had passed, hear
ing q voice in the wood, either from
fear OF an enemy or superstition hur-
ried on and, riding 10 a settlement, re-
ported his experience. The settlers.
roo1fs.in0 fhaf Soma Uhifo mon mi0ht
be needing assistance, formed a posse
and rode out 10 where the voice was
heard There they found Crist ex-
hausted and brought him in.
The story OF the woman of the party
is given in a few words, and yet it
must have been a long and narrowing
one. She was carried to Canada and
ransomed by a trader. In this sen
tence her story is summarized. What