Everything being understood between us we separated, each taking
his appointed route, and I striking direct for the late emigrant
camp. Before I got there, however, I ran onto the trail of
apparently three Indians and concluded to follow them up. I had
not gone a great distance away until I espied them in a little
ravine a short distance away and they were having a scalp dance. I
tied my horse secure from observation and then commenced to crawl
upon them. They were circling two scalps that they had hung upon
sticks stuck in the ground, every now and then drawing their bows
as if going to shoot at them. I crept along cautiously, expecting
that the Indians would be so absorbed in their scalp dance that I
would get in close pistol shot before they discovered me; but in
this I was mistaken, for when yet a long rifle shot away they
espied me, and the moment I saw I was discovered I opened fire
with both pistols, which caused them to flee in hot haste, leaving
the two scalps hanging on the sticks. I went up to where they were
and found that one scalp was that of a woman and the other that of
a man.
I was now certain that there had been some emigrants murdered, and
I soon made up my mind that about the first thing to do was to
locate the bodies and bury them; but on consulting my watch I saw
that I must hurry if I made Sand Point by three o'clock.
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