I had no trouble in finding the
place, but the cabin and surroundings showed that no one lived
there. I spent the balance of this day and the next in riding over
the sheep range, but could see no one, and only about twenty head
of sheep.
On my return to Jacksonville I went by way of Bybee's ferry, on
Rogue river, and learned that about three weeks previous to that
time a band of two thousand head of sheep had crossed over the
ferry, driven by two men. Now it was almost a foregone conclusion
that some one had murdered McMahon and driven his band of sheep
away, and when I returned to Jacksonville there was no little
excitement about the city in regard to McMahon. Some of the
business men and citizens with whom I was well acquainted,
prevailed upon me to accept an appointment as deputy sheriff, and
start out and track the band of sheep up if possible and capture
the thieves and murderers, the sheriff himself being very busy
just at that time, it being near time for court to sit in that
county. After receiving my appointment and taking the oath of
office, I struck directly for Bybee's ferry, and for the first
twenty miles beyond the ferry I experienced no trouble whatever in
keeping track of the sheep, finding a number of people who had
seen them, and all gave the same description of the two men who
were driving them.
Leaving the settlement, I went into the mountains, spent five days
tracking sheep here and there in every direction between Rogue
river and Umpqua.
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