THE WEST SHORE.
310
were feasted and sent back, returning the next day with
forty more. The men, fifteen in all. dared not rink a
fight then, but closely watched the Modocs to prevent
treachery on their part. The result of thus hob-nobbing
with their intended victims was that in a few days their
provisions were entirely exhausted.
They then moved camp to the mouth of Lost River,
to be nearer the expected supplies, and failed to invito
their guests to accompany them. Here they wore abso
lutely without food for six days, save old duck bones and
scraps dug from the sand, thrown away when they were
in camp here before. Had the Modocs known of their
distressed condition and loss of ammunition they would
probably not have left them in undisturbed possession of
their camp.
The cause of delay was that the messengers arrived in
Yroka on election day, and, being gxd Democrats, aided
to elect Franklin Pierce President of the United States.
This made it necessary for them to get gloriously drunk,
and to so remain for several days; thou the supplies
contributed by the people wore gathered up slowly, and
when they again started for the field they wore a week
behind time.
The famishing men could have killed a horse for -food,
but they foared to deprive themselves of their animals.
At length, on the sixth day, it was decided that one of
their number, who was still strong enough to accomplish
the feat, should climb a neighboring hill that overlooked
the trail and see if ho could espy the expected train. If
so, ho was to fire his pistol; if not, they were to kill one
of their animals for food and return to Yreka. Nlowly
the man dragged his toilsome way up the hill, with four-
toon pairs of hungry eyes following his evory stop. At
last lie stood upon the summit and scanned the distant
horizon. Five tou minutes, that Boomed liko houre,
passed, and still ho stood liko a stone monument on the
brow of the hill. At length he slowly raised his arm,
and a puff of white smoke shot upward from his hand
Then ensued a scone of frantio joy. Men hurrahed
and hugged each other, and started with feeble f(xtsteis
to meet Hie coming train. When they reached it they
made a fierce onslaught upon the provisions. Again and
again they filled thoir stomachs with food they wore tx
weak to retain. In a few days they were recruited; and
now fully supplied with provisions and ammunition, were
again ready for their work of vengoanco.
Invitation was Bent to the Modocs to visit tho now
camp, and some half hundred braves, with their families,
came and camped on the bank of the river, living on the
provisions of the whites. Wright sought by sjiecious
promises to induce them to deliver up tho projiorty taken
from tho emigrants, and this they agreed to da They
brought iu a few old guns and pistols, and then said they
would give no more; -that they were stronger than the
whites, and would as soon fight as not. Old Kchonchin,
tho hood chi-f, left tho camp willi a immlW of others
when he saw that trouble wua brewing.
To p'roMrly undersold the secno, a correct idea must
first be had of tho location of the camp. Tho river t
that time, the middlo of Novombor, 1852, was very low,
and had two bnnlcn oiia Jow lwnol down bv Hi wnfwrV
edge, and tho other rising like a terrace back of it On
tho low bench tho meu did their cooking, while they
slept on the high bank alove. The Indian camp was
but a fow yards down tho stream on tho low ground.
It was tho custom of both parties to leave their wea
pons in camp and mingle unarmed where tho cooking
was done. One night Old Mary informed Wright that
tho Modocs had planned a massacre of the whites for the
following morning. When tho men were gathered on
tho lower ground eating thoir breakfast, the savages wero
to slip in between them and thoir camp, whero thoir guns
wore, and kill every one of them.
This was not pleasant news for Wright It had loon
his iutcntion from tho first to coax all the valuables
possiblo from them, then pick a quarrel and kill nil ho
could of them. It seemed now that they wero likely to
get ahead of him, and tho biter would Ih) bitten. It was
evident to him that lie must either depart hastily in the
night, or elso forestall thoir treachery by equal treachery
on his part llo decided to do tho latter, and quickly
formed a plan to slay tho whole band.
Kix men wero sent across the river at tho Natural
Dridgo and posted on the bank just opposite the Indian
camp, where they lay on their arms all night The other
men wero stationed on tho high bunk in the rear of the
Modoc camp and within twenty paces of it It was
arranged that Wright would go into the Indian camp at
daylight, and when all was ready, shoot one of the braves
and fall to tho ground out of harm's way. This was to
Iw tho signal for them to pour a deadly rain of bullet
among the doomed savages.
Taking somo beef in his hand, Wright advanced into
the Indian camp, threw down his load and sat down
Tli abirr haa Immi clrrtilnlnl anal ntrelljr bnlll Hint an altampt n
Unit mada t potann Ilia IiiiIUiu by luminal (hm tu hamiuat upon a laarf thai
haul hmn pmiwrml with atrjwhnln. I luMtltM tlili null erfull and
m wtixttnl th otorr l not foutulnd on font. Tha onljr rldon tu nix.rt
It ww nf tin poorant kind of haarr, whlla nil th illrwl t-llmmif that ean ha
luul, that of aurrlrlna; miulwn( tha Aumpanr, enntrwarta It. Km ull
oIIiimm uf Yroka, with ual opportimltla to )uda .if Ilia facta, dlffar In IWf
oiilnluna on th Milijmt. J. Alalllek anil i. V, llurnw, two niamhar of tha
souipai.'. ajr that whan llwif RIM wara In Yrak aftar proflaiona a awlalit
.hilclan MMMtiKl that thr potaoa 111 aaraaaa, ami uflaml Ui farnUh tha
malarial. Th Rafidlh ImiWIUm tha? hal ommlltail apon balplaaa amlnranta
luul an HIImI Oh paopla of Yroka with altar horror nnd Indlanalloa thai thny
waiitnl Ilia pari" raliini Mlrmliill. It waa with IliM f .llo tlial lb Mip
pllnl tli aomtwnr Wllh pnnrliloiia siul ammanllloG. Tha pl.Hi.la. who
liKikxt upon th aM aa an many raranowa wllil baaata, propoaad Ihla way of
dwpo.tr of Ihmn a tha iiluaMt ami moat affantnal. Th wan aaul tiff woald
onwlt with thalr eompanloua alam! It, awl dapartad without tahla th pi
with thorn. Th proportion Waa HHd with aaorn bf tha battar alamaMl irf
Ih mhnui, and with oonUmi-t bf Ih othwa, Th Uttar wwa banting Mi.
ana for atrlumant atd plaor thaf wantatl to ahool Ihara. and would aoott
think of killla Uwa with polaon a lb aoUin.ia.tl honiar woold think of
plm-in out araatde for tha Bolila back hi boamla haI a(."l oa Ih moon
lalna. Nrtlwl". It waa whiaparad howl In Yr-ka thai IW WrM waa
guln m twiao th Hodosai nd whan b ratfil ami bowd thai tha Indiana
bail la-n klllad m baltl. II waa than rpurtd Hurt ba bad aluw.ut-1 to do w
and fallad. No nmonnl of WtaJ waa nlda to baad tUiulm. It wa
tpnwl alwoad, and an mrrlMl to tba aara ut Ih Hodoa In afl-r rwrn, who
now Rrmlr b.lla thai WrlaM bad allipld to polami lba. Thai. I b
llan, U. b ll.a hottota fa of II pobwn . Th bf Wrtitl.t "
amp. !) awmliK of 11 mmmmrm waa Iwl om of aataral ptaw. ba bad
aia I.U lniawb.1 ltima, who wwa l.r.li with hlra. a It wwa. H-m-I-mi.
J,,Bin Millar and othar. bat laid .. lw.14. trr- In tWr wrtiinn aUail
IU l.m i-m II.- (. ". " aa Immom Haw did !
Hm Uiaato Inraattcata. H"atar wall wrtttaw ami ant-rtatntng lbr wriiinr
nutf ba, thf am t bM.