We had only gone about four miles when we came in
sight of them, six squaws, a little boy, a little girl and a baby.
When they saw me coming they all stopped. I rode up and asked them
where they were going. They could all speak a little English.
There was one in the crowd named Mary, with whom I was well
acquainted, who said: "We heap hungry, too much hungry, we go
Clear Lake catch fish." I told her that we would have to take them
prisoners and take them all back to headquarters and keep them
there until we got all the Modoc Indians and then they would have
to go on to the reservation. "No, too much hungry, you all time
fight Captain Jack, Injun no catch fish. All time eatem hoss. No
more hoss now; Injun eatem all up, eatem some cow too. No more
hoss, no more cow. Injun all heap hungry."
It was some time before I could make them believe that they would
be fed when at headquarters, but they being acquainted with me and
knowing that I had been a friend to them in time of peace. I
finally succeeded in getting them to turn and go to headquarters.
These were the first prisoners that had been taken to the
General's quarters during the Modoc war.
Gen. Wheaton was away from his quarters, so I left the prisoners
in charge of George Jones and the other scouts, with instructions
to let no one interfere with them while I went to hunt the
General.
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