So they would stop
occasionally from half a day to three days in a place to prospect
what they called the most favorable looking places for the yellow
metal and most generally finding a little gold, but not as they
considered in paying quantities, and while they were prospecting
it was my business to scout all around the camp to prevent a
surprise party by the reds and to kill game to live on.
We arrived at the Gila, striking the middle fork a little more
southwest than I had ever been before. I told them we were now in
the Apache country and that those were the worst Indians we had to
contend with. We found a nice place for a camp and Mr. Campbell
proposed to build a log cabin in order to protect ourselves
against the Indians, but I told them I thought they had better
prospect a week or ten days first, and if they found it to pay
them we could build a cabin, and in the mean time I would try and
locate the Indians and watch their movements.
The first four or five days I didn't go very far away, but made an
entire circuit of the camp every day. After being here five or six
days, I struck out in a southwesterly direction, intending to go
about ten or fifteen miles from camp.
Up to this time I had not seen any fresh Indian sign whatever, and
had about concluded that we would not have any trouble this winter
with them. After riding about ten miles or so I came to a nice
little brook, and there being fine grass, I stopped and let my
horse feed for an hour or more.
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