I did not see any fresh Indian sign on the entire trip; neither
did the other scouts see any sign of them, and we concluded that
if we did not have any trouble for three days, we would be out of
danger of the Sioux, for by that time we would be out in the
Bitter Creek country and there was no fear of Indians there.
All went along smoothly and we did not see or hear of any more
Indians until we got to Fort Bridger. Here I met one of Gen.
Connor's men who told me that the Utes were very bad in the
vicinity of Fort Douglas near Salt Lake, that being the place
where Gen. Connor was stationed at that time. He said that they
had not been able to get a fight out of the Indians yet, although
they had followed them around a great deal.
We decided to take Sublet's Cutoff, leaving Salt Lake City about
one hundred miles south, as Jim said he would rather fight Indians
than Mormons.
Six days after leaving Fort Bridger I met two of Gen. Connor's
scouts in Cash valley, and they told us the Utes were very bad
farther West, and advised us to take the Goose Creek route to
avoid the Indians. We took their advice.
Here was a scope of country that neither Jim nor I had ever been
over, it being a new road just made the year previous.
After traveling four days on this road, late in the evening of the
fourth, I discovered a little band of Indians about six or eight
miles from the road on a stream that I have since heard called
Raft river, which is a tributary of the Snake.
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