CHAPTER III. Pioneer Days, Chapter III

thought about all the pale-faces in the world were in the crowd. So, in my judgment, if all ten men had gone in, not a living soul would have come out, as those Indians, concealed around those lodges, whilst we were destroying them, could have sent their arrows through the tules and killed every man, and we would not have seen them. So the fact that these five faint-hearted one who would not go in, in my judgment, saved the lives of the five brave ones (excuse the remark) who did go in. So, more by good luck than by good judgment, we ten adventurers mounted our horses and struck out for more fun, not realizing the danger; but we soon found it. As we started we again separated, five going to the right up the lake, with the understanding that we would meet three or four miles west at the foot of the mountain and report progress. We bad proceeded but a short distance when the party who were going up the lake gave a warwhoop and formed in a circle, with revolvers in hand. We put spurs and charged on double quick and soon joined our excited comrades, ready for any emergency that required bravery to execute. In the center of these ten men lay an Indian, face down, in the sage brush, which was not more than a foot high, and another council of war was held to decide the fate of the prisoner.

CHAPTER III

I have no doubt, Mr. Editor that you would have been delighted to have heard the patriotic speeches made on the occasion. We had the prisoner at our mercy (that is, if mercy could have been thought of under the circumstances), lying flat on the ground, face downward, without moving a muscle, barefooted, no clothing but a mat made of cedar bark around his loins. Some were for shooting him on the spot; others, more lenient, proposed to take the prisoner to camp and hoist a wagon tongue and hang him, as no tree was in sight, so as to show these savages the civilized mode of disposing of prisoners. Your scribe said nothing on this occasion, being a youngster in the crowd. The latter proposition being agreed to, the next thing to be done was to get the prisoner to his feet so as to made the journey to camp, fifteen miles away. One of the party, more brave than the rest, dismounted to get our find to his feet. This task I had no desire to perform, as I supposed a bow and arrow might be concealed lengthwise under the body that could be brought into requisition and the arrow shot through a man quick as thought. In this, as in all other similar circumstances, there is fortunately some one fitted for the occasion, so one brave motioned the prisoner to arise instantly. A pitiful moan proceeded from the prisoner, and when raised sufficiently to see, tears were streaming down the face and the deathly moan still proceeded, and when erect it was discovered to be the oldest woman, I think, my eyes ever beheld. This being discovered, our brave who volunteered so bravely, slipped back, mounted his horse and put his revolver in the holster. In fact, all feeling in the entire crowd of adventurers for blood, either by shooting or hanging, or any savage disposition that any of us had previously entertained, soon became very much modified, so much that it was not long till all those deadly revolvers were quietly put away to rest for a time in the holsters. We sat on our horses and left alone this poor, old woman, we waiting developments and she expecting nothing but death. The moans and tears continued, and she now commenced making an inspection of her captors. In doing this she looked every man square in the face, until

she made the entire circle. I must say that when it came my turn to face this poor, ignorant savage (a human being nevertheless), with fear of sure death depicted in her countenance, together with the pitiful moan and teas, I confess I felt almost sorry that I had not remained in camp. She then became quiet and told us by signs all about the theft, making it as plain as if spoken in English. The story was that, while we were asleep, five Indians had stolen ten head of cattle and killed seven head, and took the meat, together with the three living oxen, and concealed them somewhere in the tule swamp, and lastly, she showed us by signs that could not be disputed, that she had not eaten of the meat. I suppose it would be too much to say that this decrepit old savage understood hypnotism or mind-reading; but I must say from the effect she produced on those men, seeking revenge for the loss of part of their teams, one would reasonably suppose she understood both.

We sat on our horses like so many pictures a considerable time before the silence was broken. Finally, some one broke the circle without uttering a word and started for camp, leaving this old squaw the opportunity of giving the lie to the sign she gave us of not eating any of the stolen cattle. So we struck out, single file, leaving our hypnotized alone on that bleak, lonely desert, disappointed in the experience she had passed through. She expected nothing but death would atone for the manner in which we had been treated by the tribe, and perhaps some of her sons were engaged in the theft.

We rode on, single file; not a word was spoken-hungry, thirsty and tired-until some one broke the silence by inquiring the supposed age of the squaw. The answer came, that, judging from her physical appearance, her birth would date back to the building of the Egyptian pyramids; others, more conservative, placed the date of her birth about the time of the invasion of Britain by Julius Caesar; but, still more conservative e, your scribe, as he is always conservative in all things, would place the date of her birth not later than the landing of the Puritan fathers in the Mayflower. Event his may seem a little extravagant, but all such doubts would be removed could the individual in question have been seen.

So, with a final farewell to Tule Lake, the Indians and grandmother squaw, we arrived at camp at 10 o'clock at night all safe and sound, more by good luck than management. All seemed rejoiced at our return. Owing to our long absence, and the lateness of our return, fears were entertained that the Indians had taken us all in, and treated us as they had the oxen-slaughtered all hands.

Next morning we got an early start in order to reach Kiamath Lake, as there is no water between Lost River and the lake. Arriving late and preparing to place guard, and in calling the roll, it was found that there was a man missing. The lateness of the hour prevented any investigation that night; but next morning a party went back,and found the missing man, stripped and dead. He was a man 50 years of age, and had been walking and thriving cattle. He probably became weary and stopped to rest and perhaps fell asleep. The Indians stealthily approached him and shot him with arrows. We buried him along on the desert, to remain till the final summons for all to appear.

When the party returned we proceeded down the lake till it closes in and forms