On my return I told the
boys that we would have to stand guard that night, each one taking
a turn of two hours, and as soon as supper was over we put the
fire out so as not to give the redskins any advantage in that way.
The next morning we got breakfast, and as soon as it was light
George Jones and I went to the nearest ridge to look for Indians.
I saw them just breaking camp, and they were about two miles away.
That day we had to travel very cautiously, being in an entirely
new country and knowing it to be full of hostile Indians.
That night we camped on a small stream which afterwards we found
to be a tributary of McCloud's river. From what we had seen, there
appeared to be plenty of water and grass, and from the Indian sign
we had seen, they appeared to be in large bands, so we concluded
to return to the command. The first day on our return trip, just
about noon, as we were looking for a place to stop for lunch, we
were discovered by about twenty Indians. The red devils made for
us, and their war-whoops sounded as though they were bloodthirsty.
They came pell-mell over the hills and hollows in hot pursuit of
us, and I tell you things looked a little blue; only five of us
and at least twenty Indians, and no telling how many there would
be in a short time.
I told the boys that we would give them a round, anyway; and I had
four men that were not afraid to face an Indian even in a hand-to-
hand fight, if necessary; and then one feels more brave when he
knows that he has got companions who will stay with him till the
last dog is hung.
Pages:
189
190
191
192
193
194
195
196
197
198
199
200
201
202
203
204
205
206
207
208
209
210
211
212
213