Part 18 (1/2)

The third side of our triangle was a dry swamp, covered with a dense growth of willow bushes. By order of the colonel, these bushes were cut down for a distance of sixty or eighty yards, so that no foe could approach unseen. By four o'clock in the afternoon, the labor of establis.h.i.+ng our camp was completed. At some distance from us there was a large and constantly increasing band of Indians, curiously watching our proceedings. They were all well armed with their native weapons of lances, bows and arrows.

As I was talking in one part of the camp with Joe Walker, Colonel Hoffman approached us and said,

”I want one of you to go and have a talk with the Indians.”

”Very well sir,” I replied, and turning to Joe, added, ”will you go, or shall I?”

”You had better go, I guess,” Joe replied.

I at once set out towards the Indians, and when I arrived within speaking distance, hailed them in Spanish, saying that I wished to see their chief and to have a talk. I had left my rifle in the camp, but still had my revolvers, and my knife. A young fellow, tall, of splendid proportions, and one of the fiercest looking Indians I ever saw, stepped out towards me, with his bows and arrows. He was entirely naked except his breach clout and a small plaid shawl thrown over his shoulders. The ends were fastened down by a piece of black tape. On this tape was strung a pair of common shears, apparently as an ornament.

His color was like a new piece of copper, clear, brilliant and exceedingly beautiful, like one of the most majestic statues in s.h.i.+ning bronze. ”How do you do?” said he, in Spanish, as he approached me and held out his hand. I took his hand, returning the salutation in the same language.

”Why do you come here?” he then promptly said. ”This is our country. We have nothing to give you, for yourselves or your horses.”

I gave him some tobacco in token of good will, and then replied: ”We have come to look at the country. We do not wish you to give us anything. If you are friendly, we shall give you presents. If you attack us, we shall kill you.” I then added: ”Some of the Indians of this country ma.s.sacred a party only a year ago. We shall have no more killed by them. We shall build a fort here, to protect our emigrants.”

He replied a little angrily, ”I am a Mohave. My people own this country. I shall kill whoever I please.” I had not any doubt that the shawl and the shears came from the party they had ma.s.sacred. I pointed to the shawl and said:

”Where did you get that?”

”I bought them,” he replied, evidently annoyed. ”I bought them from the Piute Indians.”

”My brother,” I replied, ”does not talk with a straight tongue. It is forked, and his words are crooked.” He now added, with considerable warmth:

”Go to your own camp, and prepare for war. I will not kill you. Your guns are short. I will take your horses, and my men shall have a big feast.

Your horses are fat and good. I have many men many braves. You have but few. Go to your camp and prepare for war.”

”Indian,” said I, ”I go, but remember that our short guns kill an Indian every time. We never stop to load them.”

I turned to go back to the camp. It is not etiquette on such an occasion to back out, watching your opponent, as though you were a coward and feared an attack. I turned squarely round, with my back to the Indian, when I saw the boys at the fort suddenly raise their rifles with their muzzles directed towards us. At that moment, an arrow whizzed through my buckskin s.h.i.+rt, just making a flesh wound on the shoulder. I had slightly turned as the arrow left the bow, otherwise I should probably have received my death-wound. Instantly, with my revolver already in my hand, I discharged in quick succession, two shots at the savage, who was distant but a few feet from me. The first bullet broke his arm; the second pa.s.sed through his heart. I instantly seized the shawl and shears and taking a little of his hair to remember him by, started on a jump towards our men, who were rus.h.i.+ng towards me as fast as possible. The arrows flew so thick and fast, that you would have thought it was hailing. Night soon came on, and the Indians retired, probably to get recruits and to renew the battle in the morning with the certainty of our destruction. We doubled our guard for the night, during which I was awakened but once. Joe Walker and I slept together. So much used were we both to such little affairs, that I do not believe we should have awakened at all, had we not been called.

About twelve o'clock, a sentry came to where we were sleeping, and touching me, said:

”Guide, I believe there is an Indian creeping up behind a bush.” Joe says, ”Bill, get up and see what it is. My eyes are not as good in the night as yours.”

So out of my blanket I got, grabbed my revolver and went towards the bluff. The sentinel accompanying me, pointed out the bush. I did not like to fire into it, lest I should give a false alarm. I watched it about ten minutes, and there was not the least movement. ”I guess,” I said, ”it is nothing but a bush.” But at that moment, I perceived a very slight agitation of the branches. It proved that there must be somebody there.

”Oho! Mr. Indian,” I exclaimed, ”at your old tricks.” I raised my revolver, took deliberate aim at the very heart of the bush, and fired.

Mr. Indian gave a hideous yell, and he had gone to his happy hunting grounds. In the morning, we prepared to leave. The Indians, as we afterwards learned, had fifteen hundred warriors within a radius of five miles. We numbered but about fifty men. But we had rifles, they had only bows and arrows. The superiority of our arms raised us above all fear.

It was manifest however, with the earliest dawn, from the large number of warriors a.s.sembled, and the menacing cries they raised, that we must have a fight. Colonel Hoffman detached every fourth man, each one to hold four horses. The rest of the dragoons were marshalled on the bluff, which as I have mentioned, lined one side of our encampment. As our rifles could throw a bullet more than twice as far as any arrow could be thrown, the battle was rather a source of amus.e.m.e.nt to us, than of terror. No Indian could approach within arrow shot of our ranks, without meeting certain death. It must be confessed that we had no more compunctions in shooting an Indian than in shooting a bear or a wolf. As they dodged from tree to tree, a.s.sailing us with their impotent arrows, our keen marksmen watched their opportunity to strike them down with the invisible death-dealing bullet.

Old Joe Walker practiced with our Hawkins' rifles and revolvers, as he said, ”just to keep his hand in.” After an hour or two of this strange battle, in which the Indians suffered fearful carnage, and we encountered no loss, our foe in rage and despair retired. They left sixty of their number dead, besides taking with them many wounded. We continued our march without further molestation.

And now my friend, if you shall find anything interesting to you in this short sketch, I shall be satisfied. I have written a great deal more than I expected to write, when I began. And yet you have but a very brief narrative of my adventures in California.

Yours truly,