Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1916-07-07

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. broken arm from q bullet, but had
retreated to the boat. Not being able
to hold a rife, he busted himself BY
trying to loose the chain. Taking a
pole, he lay low in the bow and en-
deavored to force the hook out Of the
link with the poles end. but he only
drove 1t inward. Finally with a short
projection caused by the cutting Of
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
self to the enemy's fire and succeeded
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.
ell. Solomon Spears was MORALLY
wounded. He urged the survivors to
pull the boat to the opposite side Of
the river and fee for their lives.
But the current carried them to q
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 selling
a rifle. assembled the bank. The Indians
fired volley at them and fell back
into ravine, putting bullet into
Crepps' side and crushing Crisis heel.
Another man who had followed the
two into the fight returned to the boat
and reported that he had left his CON-
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
iutO tue u1uOlC VI Tue river.
With the boat full of dead and
wounded. with only one or two able to
man the oars. the chance Of escape
was 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 point Of safety.
The settlers, having been reused by
the story Of the massacre, went at
once 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 crawled into
thicket; but. realizing that the Indians
would find him there. he took of his
moccasins, bound them to his knees
and started to crawl eight miles to a
salt lick. 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 mile an hour.
One night-it was the second after
he commenced his tortoise journey
while lying near trail he heard the
sound Of horses hoofs. He called for
help, whereupon the sounds were
heard going away from him. This
was naturally bitter disappointment.
Crist lay where he was. intending to re-
sumo his journey in the morning. hop
ing against hope that he would retain.
the strength to finish 1t.
The hOrseman who had passed, hear
ing voice In the wood. either from
fear Of an enemy or superstition hur-
ried on and. riding to settlement, re-
ported his experience. The settlers,
realizing that some white man might
be needing assistance. formed a posse
and rode out to where the voice was
heard. There they found Crist ex.
hausted and brought him In.
The story Of the woman Of the party
b given In a few words. and yet It
must have been II long and narrowing
one. She WIS carried TO Canada and
ransomed by trailer. In this SEN
tence her story IL summarized. What
she suffered during that long journey
Of hundreds Of miles and how her cap
tors treated her are among the dread
stories of that thrilling period. Taken
to Canada and ransOmed by n trader
there Ia scarcely enough Of II for an
epitaph on a tombstone. And yet who
knows but that in some old trunk. IN
q dingy garrett yellow manuscript
lies hidden which now and again
through successive generations some
Descendant Of that woman may take
out. peru%e and put back to he read
later on BY some other Of her progeny?
II In the story Of these flatboatmen
~ are impressed with their hardi.
heod one other item arrests our atten-
ttoo. II b that twelve white men and
one white woman defended themselves
against 40 Indians for an hour. the
enemy being above them on the bank
and protected BY trees. and that the
whites succeeded In loosening their
boat and pulling It out into the stream.
Later these same Indians. or large
part Of them. were put to 6ight BY two
white men.
An Al In This