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About Lake County examiner. (Lakeview, Lake County, Or.) 1880-1915 | View Entire Issue (Aug. 6, 1903)
Supplement to LAKE COUNTY EXAMINER, Lakovlovt, Orotjon. LORD OF THE DESERT By PAUL de LANEY. but General Crook In formed Mm t hat they had "whole" breeds to denl with Just now, ami that lis would take up Kollotts cant later. Hammersley, at th bend of thn band of rowboya. had followed tho I fort. Jinny of them were In the j mountains throughout the day sertir-l proof CIIAPTl K XXI Continued. Hammersley was ron-ptussed. It came his turn to ouplain, but being a man of voracity lio iliil not know how to meet a liar. Put bo related his story In a straightforward man ner without comment, or-d remember ing tho messsee from the T.ord of the I)esert. he drew it forth and handed It to the general. "Poth stories seem to be straiKht." said nencrnl Crook, "but No. 1 Is dark enough to have Indian blood In him and this being the cae the bur den of pronf Is cast upon him. Put you may put them both In safe-keep, ing until morning and we will take them along with us to the 'Stone House' they tell about and let this 'IiOrd of the Desert Identify his mes senger." Immediately upon the departure of the guard with the prisoners. General Crook pave orders for the prepara tion of ten davs' ratiors for one com pany of soldiers, and ordered the lOiierod mom lor eseape. and opportu march to begin . ' daybreak the next Ir,i,' ftp" opportunity far reform I in m- in iin ruiieu was no ex- the der-nrturo of the r option prisoners the shout I l-'pon testing the locks of the Irons gunshot, followed hvjwu i.ouuu nis nnsies ne discovered one liaa railed to lock, and It Ing timbers for the buildings, while the hammers about the fort reminded one of tjie building of a new town Even the guardhouse was a crude affair, hurriedly thrown together to imprison refractory soldiers. ruiiott Posan planning earlv to eseape. Me saw that If once freed : from the irons on his legs, that he could break his way through the roof nt night and get away unobserved When the last meal was brought that night he Implored the soldier to assist him In removing the Irons nut me soldier had no sympathy for him. Although the wounded guard was only slightly injured, there was not a soldier in the fort that was not prejudiced aealnst the man who ihad made the knife thrust. i Put there was a certain pluck that seems always to attend the wicked and the daring for a certain length of time. Loophole after loonhole Is seeing him. He knew that Crook's men would arrive at the Stone House between midnight and day, and he did not hesitate In his course. He rod boldly up to the warriors, who lm- mediately surrounded mm. He tie- trail ot the Indians all day and kept mantled a conference with Oil Knrati. General neonk r.,iie.i "rim When brought before the bandit moved out with hi. Chief the latter niltrt1!itct him. hut; Mia Stnnn Unium t be told the story partly In detail, and to navel bv nlcht the Indian was finally convinced. Put i Indians off their guard. He started It was not long until he had Positive tint nn one of tila ,trt..t-i.,l,,...l iiioinn scouts nail been sent never Interni ng to return until ni nurueuy. ana one or tneir mini ber soon returned bringing the news that men numerous as tho stars were coming, armed with long guns with long knives on the ends of the bar rels. imu i-.gan took in ine situation at a glance. He dismissed his warriors and beckoned Kollett to remain. We have been enemies," he said to the Canadian. "Now we will be friends. We have but little time for talk, but It Is Important. Indian like revenge. Trapper has done mo great wrong now. Trapper did you great wrong: toil may go live with my people. You may be my friend. You know the "White Grlr.ily's" niece she not dead!" nan Kollett rose to his feet lu sur prise. Put the chief remained calm and continued his conversation. He told him the facts of her eseape, and the fraud In the scalu he had given ho nan punisned uiese bandits, the most troublesome and bloodthirsty at that time ronmlTg the American plains. CHAPTER XXtll. ..t Hell's Trap. morning. Shortly after guard and the "halt!" then a several others. "What moans tl.'S heard. ?" nsked the gen eral of a staff officer as he rushed to the door. In a few minutes a strong guard appeared with Dan Follett. two sta! wart soldiers on either side of the Canadian bo-ding him fat. "What does this mean?" inquired General Crook. ".lust as we had unlocked the door of the guard-house." replied the ofii cer with a s.ilu'e. "this prisoner drew a knif like a runn. stabbed the near est guard and made a break for. lib erty, and had he r.ot run into the arms of a detachment of soldiers who were on their wnv to bed. he woul hav made good bis eseape." "Search him to the sum. p!are him In irons and release the other pris oner!" promptly ordered the general "F might have known that that In dian was a liar!" said tHe old war rior to himself. The general was about half un dressed and was hurry'ng to bed in order to get a little sleep befire the early morning march when he was disturbed again. An officer was id mitted who had long been on th1 general's staff and who. with a fa miliarity with which such association countenances, said: "We searched the prisoner ard here is what we found next to his skin." at the same time producing a belt with a ba attiched to it. General Crook opened the hag and to his astonishment, found the OOCV therein. that was easy to draw forth the bolt and likewise release one limb. With one limb free he tied the loose end of tne snaekle to the belt at his waist. ana wnen an was quiet in the fort he silently removed the slabs at the corner of the roof and climbed out and stole away like a cat. unoe among the rocks of the des ert, he pounded the remaining lock Into pieces and was soon walklne as free as before he fell into the hmd or tne soldiers. fortune still favored him farther. He found his stolen Indian pony still are too impatient iai in ine guicn. where he had left it the night of his capture, and. !inuii'in:; ine ammai. ne rode sv Like the viham on the stage, he ex claimed: "Now for a ride night and dav! will beat General Crook and his men him, at the same time repeating that he and the Canadian were friends now. Put where is she?" Inquired the Canadian. his mind. Hammersley had located the in. dians at "Hell s Trap." notified of thli, General come in advance or his command, which was to inarch ly nlirht. to view the situation. It was about A o'clock In the after noon when he and the trsn.ier stealthily climbed to the ton of the rlnirocks overlooking this remarkable place, and lying flat on the capstone or me rimrocks, they looked Into Mm Indian camp Ndow. There was noth mg about the place to 'mllcate a trap or piaee lor a narsti name. It was a tieautlfiil natural meadow In th bend of a m.Mintalii stream, sur rounded on three sides liy towering rimrocks. the river forming a dis tinct peninsula, almost creating an iKiiimi. so close bsfor the loopholes at the Stone House. These men had fired the fatal snots in many Instances. It was now the Indiana turn. Iilndln tho prisoners, hands and feet, and tying them to short stakes drlvtyt deeply Into the ground, their prostrated oodles were made the sub Ject of every Indignity, every cruelty and every torture that the depraved rimes and their allies could Invent It was well even for the Iron nerves of the Intrepid general and the desert trapper that the position of the men partially obscured them from view and that they could not see all that was done. Tho torture was kept tip almost un til sunset, when tho Inst life sue runmeti. ami ine savages were even then desecrating their mutilated bodies when Interrupted bv a chorus the center of the bend tm taken so close did the entrance A hundred things entered P01 111 stream come to the point With Pertha I.ylo in bis or "'r making the circuit of possession, he could get revenge on Hammersley, on the Lord of the Desert, on everybody! With her under his control, he could demand a ransom. He could make terms with General Crook, he could possibly get possession of that $10,000. Plans came on so thick and fast that Coy clouded his brain, and he saw a thousand advantages In the posses ion of Pertha I.yle as a prisoner in an Indian village. Where Is she?" he demanded ajrain. "Put wait!" said the chief. ' You to make a gixd brave for Fran's band. I told you she escaped. The trapper still has her!" But I have been to his home in his absence," said Follett, "and she was not there!" He hide her when he go away replied the chief. "He fear someone o the Stone House and warn Egan of steal her! Now. me and my men will danger, and we will away to the ava beds, and from that nolnt con- inue to harass Uncle Sam and his subjects to the end of our lives! Hammersley. 'the trapper.' and -yle. the 'Lord of the Desert.' yon may yet fall into the clutches of te lalf-breed:" "well, it thla don't beat me!" aaitl the old veteran. "An Indian la the most Incomprehensible being: on earth. Where on earth did he get th's money? Wbat on earth was he goins to do with it? If this ain't a puzzler! Send for his companion or rather the man whom we brought here with him." Hammersley v.a sent for and asrair: told his story, not vpry're one poinv "Has anyone in that country srrea wealth?" inquired Genera! Crook. "The Lord of the Drs.rt i sup posed to be very rich," n plied the trapper. "You say he an 1 the 'Lord' are friends?" queried the oil cer. "Yes, in crimes ard damnaMo deeds, replied the trapper. "What do you know?'' asked Gen eral Crook. "I know a great deal. General." re plied the trappf-r. "It is a lonz story, and some of it is yet unfinished," ne continued, "but when we reach the Stone House I hope to enlighten you." General Crook then informed the trpaper or tne findirg or the money on the person of Follett. "I think I understand it now," said Hammersley, after hearing this. "Fol lett that is the half-breed s name knew that I had been requested to rome to you. and for some reason he decided to intercept me and pie vent your learning of the predica ment of the Lord of the Desert. Thy may have fallen out. He simply robber, the Lord of the Desert, and intended, after killing ir.e, to make his escape. I can explain It in no other way. Before attacking me with his knife he must have attempt ed to Bhoot me, for I am sure I heard the snap of a revolver hammer or that of a (run." "Here are his weapons," said one of the officers, and upon examination it was found that the hammer of one of the revolvers rested on a percus sion cap that bad failed to explode, though its battered condition showed that an attempt had been made to fire it. "Guard him close and see that he is kept l.ere until my return," command ed the general, as he dismissed those pit-sen: am paced the bag of money iron depository of the com- CHAPTER XXII. Cruel Revenge. The sieee is nearing a crisis at More House. Almost a week lassed since the arrival of Egan 113 btaves. He has htpn $10.- almost dally, until the plain swarms with savages. His last reenforce- the has and in the inand. Long soldiers would an of crders hair's before the dawn of day the were atlr. Everything was work and bustle about the fort, in preparation for the march at break of day. At this time the march begin, for Gereral Crook was fleer of the old school and his would not be varied to a breadth In any detail. At dawn of day the company moved out with General Crook and his staff in the li ad, and Hammersley as chlsf guide and scout. It was the purpose to march by day for two days and then to change the march to night time, so as not to be detected by tho Indians in tho vicinity of the Stone Hon se. It was also planned to roach point between midnight and and attack the Indians at dawn. After the departure of one pany from a small garrisoned the place looked deserted. The bad been only recently entahliehe:! and most of the men were kept busy constructing the buildings about ihe that dav, comfort, post mencs arrived at nlghUall. and the morning is set apart to determine h long-drawn-out struggle. The Lord of the Desert has trul risen to the desperate man that he :s. Hifhout sleep night or day he has kept his enemy at bay. His best marksmen have beon kept at the loop holes ard a standing reward of $30 for every fatal shot fired has been offered, with a discount ot $10 for very wa.-ted load of ammunition Th.: results have heon astounding. Nearlv every bullet that has been ent forth has found a victim. Once, twice, thrice, four, five times have he Indians been repulsed by the wonderful marksmanship of the cowboys. It seemed impossible to reach the stone wall, so fatal were the shafts of lead. Tunneling had been attempted, but the rocks, so numerous a few feet beneath the soil, made this Impossi ble at every point. The Impatience )t Old Egan grew beyond control. At nightfall he had called a coun cil of the chiefs. He determined to end the siege. "Tomorrow," he ?aid. "when the morning star begins to fade. I will lead my men over the store wall! We will capture the "Whin Grizzly" and his cubs, and my men may put them to torture! We will divide his guns and powder and shot among the bravest warriors, and his wealth shall go to the chiefs who are the first to cross the wall. Then we will drive away his cattle and his horses to our villages, and he hurgry squaws and children shall feast!" In the quiet preparation for the morning attack an unusual silence pervaded the place. The Ixrd of the Desert was the more watchful. He had long been taught that Indian si lence VaS not a sign of Inactivity. He cast many glances in the direction of the fort, as he had done for the past ciay and night. It was high time that assistance should arrive. He sometimes doubteu. Was the trapper absent from home? Could It be possible that he had refused to go his errand? He knew that the trap-j per could be depended upon In all cases or humanity, but his guilty conscience told him that he did not merit aid from any human hand. What had become of Dan Follett? Oh, he was merely sulking In some safe retreat perhaps doing him a service in some way! "Dan will show up, he'll show up! I can al ways count on Dan showing up!" ex claimed the Ixird of the Desert, half audibly. The Iord of the Desert had not thought of looking after the safety of his treasure for all these days, or perhaps he would not have thought so favorably of Dan, and confided so earnestly In his "showing up." lint Dsn Follett "showed up." Not as the friend of the besieger! of the Stone House, but to warn Egan and his followers of their danger. It was nearly midnight when he arrived, for he had been compelled tsi travM a tnnff rilutflnpa slntA iilp-ht. full tr nrrlve nbead of General Grook ' and his command. He had passed them during the day, by shadowing I them from behind the rimrocks, but after the plain was reached between the rimrocks and the Stone House he was compelled to secrete himself mo nme valley. in rough this narrow neck the In. Hans hud entered, and while thilr animals grazed on the luxurlmt gra they had pitched their tents, among me wiiiows Bordering the stro.:m and prepered for a few days' ro t after tneir long siege at the Stone House. Here game ami flsh vere plentiful ami the haunches of deer and ante lope, and fish frys alternating the feasts on the Lord of the Desert's fatted bullocks, made a garden ol Eden for the braves. Instead of a "Hell's Trap." Here they felt safe. In this am phltheafer they were Isolated from the world, and there were numerous outlets through the rimrocks where they could make their escape If at tacked, and they had as nrlsonera four cowboys, the only persons thev had discovered on their trail from the Stone House, and they now felt as safe In this retreat as If among the lava beds of the Klamath country i ney regarded a casual lookout ns being sufficient for their safety from surprise, in view of the fait that hunting parties were continually cov ering the territory In the Immediate vicinity of the camp It was a continuous feast and holl lay for the hunted bandits. 'I cannot understand why they call this HmII's Trap." said General Crook is he looked down upon the placl scene. "There 8 no reason for It now, I is true," replied the trapper, "but have seen It when the name of Hell's Trap was not too harsh for it. The river, now fordahle at moat any point rises from the snowbeda of the great mountains yonder. The warm south winds at times start the snow to melt- waiting to see whaflng. and the water comes dashing lown rrom every point: nning tne hurry away tonight. We will go to hell trap, where soldiers never find us: and if they find us they can never get us. You take two. four, ten braves, go to trapper's home while he away and get girl and bring her with you! See! make trapper mad you get even, and von have white squaw. Egan a good friend as well as bad enemy. Within another hour Dan Follett and four of Egan's most stealthy braves were riding across the plains toward the trapper's abode, and Egan and a majority of the chiefs and warriors had quitted the vicinity of the Stone House as silently as the desert nixht breeze. Only a email scouting party remained behind. The cowboys stood at their posts and the Lord of the Desert kept watch over all with the vigilance of a trained general the early morning would bring. "The blrd have flown." was the first expression of General Crook when he arrived in the vicinity of the Stone House. "There are no In dians about the place." he said, "but they may be close at hand. We will wait until daylight before we ap proach nearer." He secreted his men In a grove of Junipers on the mountainside, some distance from the premises, and wait ed developments. As soon as the morning light be gan to break, the general, accom panied by Hammersley, began to reconnoiter. "The whites are vigi lant," he remarked, as he pointed to the rifles in the loopholes In the wall. "They are evidently expecting the Indians, but I see no cover be hind which the redskins could con ceal themselves from our view. I am of the opinion that the red rascals have 'smelt a mouse' and left during the night. We must communicate with the whites as quickly as possi ble and get on the trail. Can't you creep up near that guard and man age to communicate with him?" "That will be easy," replied the trapper, and he started In a stooping posture, keeping himself well hidden behind the runty Junipers. "Hello, there!" spoke the trapper In a low tone, at a short distance from the man at the loophole. The astonished guard looked in a dozen different directions In an In stant. "I am the trapper, returned from the fort with aid. Tell the Iord of the Desert I wish to speak with him." him." In a few moments this personage was at the loophole and Hammersley walked to the place, being well shielded from the main points of the plain. Daylight was rapidly coming on, and the Lord of the Desert, upon consulting his men, soon concluded that the Indians had made their es cape. The guards, however, were certain that some of the Indians had remained until a late hour in the morning ,as they had been seen skulking about the place Just before dawn. A short reconnoitre was made and General Crook was Informed of the result. His men were marched In side the stone wall surrounding the Stone House and were ordered to prepare their breakfast and to take a few hours' rest. In the meantime, the general held an Interview with the Fxird of the FJesert and began preparations to pursue the Indians as soon as his men were refreshed. Scouts were sent out upon their trail, under the leadership of the never-sleeping but ever-fresh Hammersley, and they soon strucjc the trail and sent word back to the Stone House accordingly. When General Crook Informed Martin I,yle of the episode with Dan Follett, the Lord of the Desert went to his treasury and found a large sum of his money missing. He be- . came frantic lie wanioH tn n n until night to prevent them from the fort and lynch the half-breed; vines and gulches, and these flow Into 'he river making It a rolling aca of water as suddenly as a cloudburst. It is on these occasions that the place bears the appearance of a 'hell's trap." "It has always been a great grazing place for wild animals of all kinds, ind the rise often comes down upon them suddenly and fills the banks ill around them and breaks across the narrow neck yonder. Imprisoning them completely before they have time to escape. No living thing can ford the river during- the rises. "The Indians make It a point to take advantage of these rises. They stand guard outside, and as soon as the water is at Its highest they rush through the current overflowing the m-ck and slaughter the animals by the wholesale. In this manner they long ago secured their winter meat food. Tills has given It the name of Hell's Trap."' After a few minutes In silence Gen eral Crook remarked that there seem d to be four canyons, or out lets from the place, through the walls of the rimrocks, besides the main entrance through the "strait." or neck. Put the trapper showed him the fifth. "To make a wholesale capture," re marked the general, "I will have to station me nat all of those podnts and charge In over the 'neck.' My men will arrive about midnight, and I will then require your assistance !n stationing the men for an early morn ing attack," he continued. Pt.fore the trapper had time to re spond, If he had Intended to reply, a sight caught the eyes of both men that riveted their attention In the same direction. They placed their field glasses to their eyes and a groan escaped simul taneously from each. The sight that greete d them, has often been seen on the American border. Human beings put to torture by savages, In full view of friends who were unable to render them aid! The savages marched forth Into an opening four white men In single file their arms bound to their sides, and each being led by a painted warrior. The general and the trapper Imme diately recognized the men as four of the cowboys who had been sent out on the trail of the Indians from the Stone House. This is the first that either had known of their fate. Gen eral Crook, as well as the trapper, had supposed that all of the men were safe. The latter had not seen these men since two days before, but he supposed that they had either lost the trail or were loitering somewhere close at hand among the rimrocks. Hut they had acted Indiscreetly and had been entrapped by the Indians, and were now about to pay their last earthly penalty. The mode of the American savage's torture of his prisoners is well known. It has been described often enough. with Its harrowing variations. The Snake Indian was the most cruel, and In this case his Incentive was great. Many of his companions had fallen rpon being of yells from rrook had in the river. Turning their glnsses In this din tlon. the two white men saw another sight that startled them still more. A mounted party bad Just passed l li rough nil opening In the rimrocks. and was fording the stream and betid ing toward tho Indian camp. In front rode an Indian warrior, next came a white man bound to his horse, then came a white woman, her feet hound by rope which encircled the horse upon which she rode; then followed two warriors mounted on one animal, and brlniclug un the nnr was Dan Kollett! "Pertha Lle. as sure as I live!" gasped the trapper. Aim in a I cursed lis r-breetl " ei claimed General Crook. I lie trapper started to rise and rush to the rescue, hut the cool headed general restrained him. "Cool. my boy! Ctsd!" he advised. "Care ful work requires careful action, and I see now that we have lot of IkiHi on hand!" The trapper had already Informed General Crook of the entire situation no isr as ne Knew it, imt both were at a loss to understand how Kollett hail escaped ami how he had succeed ed In wntlclng Pertha and her com panion from the secret caverns of the trapper's home. "Wo will solve these toy KterliniK problems later, young man." mild the general. "We have practical ones ahead of us now!" Old Egan greeted Kollett with full fellowship as a chief, and enst a vln llctlve glance at his fair captive. The party was stxn dismounted, ami while Metzker. the cowboy captive, was b-d away ami bound to a slake where hU late friends had been confined. Per tha was given a tepee all to herself among the willows, and two lithe some braves were placed as guards over her. "This complicates matters," said General Crook. "I Intended opening the campaign at daybreak tomorrow ami not leaving one of the red devils to tell the tale, after witnessing the butchery of those poor fellows a while ago. but now that cannot, be done, for It would hazard the glrl'B pafety and life. It will never do to shoot Into the place while she Is In It." I'll rescue her before morning General. said .the trnpper, "It's a tlckllith Job, young man, but If you succeed, my men will do the rest'" Night was now coming on. ami they returned to the temporary quarters of tne great Indian fighter. In a secret nook among the rimrocks. there to plan the rescue of the woman, and the early morning attack, the for the tin- un- r bank. Hit Hi nt n li. mi-. The them guard (Copyright. li02.) CHAF'TEIt XXIV. "Duniler and Pllxen." It whs after midnight before the troops urrlved. It was also tbU hour before the Indians hud quieted down to sleep. The afternoon s war tluiict over their captive victims the wild excitement of the torture ami the iir rlvul of the Kollett party with the two captives had arotihed the blood of the saviigcs ami many tales of former acts of bravery, ami deeds of larlug were told beneath the willows and the tepees In Hell's Trap, that night. Hammersley hail decided to go on his mission of rescue alone. It was decided first to station the troops at every point at which the Indians could possibly escape and then for the trapper to attempt the rescue. "ATtJl . v.-. Follett rushed to the tepee of bis fair aptive. t for the oecnslon he entered the chun nel of tho stream nntl hugged the banks with the silence of a benvur, always keeping, in the shndows of iho willows and never risking his weight upon his feet until bo knew they were firmly placed. While M.i tntk ,, no) prove n dlf. flcillt Olio. It wns H tedious line lllu bearings had been so well tnkixi it.ni he rccoRnisrrd the verv dump of bushes III wlibh lleilha's tenet U'uM pitched without trouble. Kitrlhcr away from the stnvmi be snw the tils mill thicket to whl.h nm-nr Mctt..r the other cipllve had been tnken it ii il iiom wnlcti the four cowboy previous cvcnlim bud I (neir lust walk. .Ike n sniike ho emu I, ..I It fl i niiiiiMKmeiit timing i the tlennn let-growth, hmvlnu Inch bv In, I. in ne lonciied tht rtur of llerthn's tepee. Mild while III,, iii,,,,.!- .I......I near the ftont be rlpp.-d a bole ln the car Wall or the lent mid i-oon gave Pei I lid no nssiirliiK tom b ilmi t.,1.1 her ft friend was u lili I r III A few mo.nients time thev tint retimed the l-upper's nlcp t (he ' "f stream. In the mime .. ner ns he lm,! ainirn u bed n,,,i ii..-. thn hiding In II ibitk mtiik nti.l..a ii... Willows lfnh bllliir i.vnr II.- ... blllikllienl. lliiinmelHlev went to l. tempt the re'eme of t10 other pi iHoner. lie found Met i;er ho ,-iir. lv tt.i that even the Indians did not fear his t scape. Hound band ntnl r.u.t Ktieithe.l fi le-igti, between two 'H'lliigs. his holy baiely touching ." M'linni, ne whs enduring it tor ture I bat would have killed an ordi nary tunn. Put his was one of those Iron tons Itutltuis of the desert. The trnpper iih it web nm,. visitor "lid b h knife furnished Immediate re lief. Win n rt leiiMci from l,U , r,lmped position He ti whoy Mood erect and exert Itlng hi !n,,M noiselessly for a moment h- 'iidimied i l,,,t ri," WBW ready to go. The trnpper hat,le, Mm a revolver rnd it knife mid th,. two walked ttllt-ntly awiiy ,, ndy (o defend IheiiiM-lves. even unto death. When tin y rent-licit th,. p 0 where Pertha wmm iiiiiicMled th,- trapper was struck with nwe. lie Haw tuit.H f willows :ind t.p:i of Kai-e l,,sli ...,.i t hunks of woo l lloatl-ig down the t-tl-fllm. Tlietie Irurearilriif ,, l .....,. moment. Seizin the WolMIln be ,!,, her after Mm ami Metier f..n,.u.i tt a rapid puce. It was two hundred yards to a shal low place in the ntreain and when H.Ih wns reaelietl the iher wan already i-H-ing at a rapid rate. The fnim,,.!- elzt-il lletiha bi his nrtiiK im if hho were a mere child and plunged Into th.. foamlNg rapids, follow. ,t 1 v II,,. lowboy. Aitaltwt the hem v , ,,V-r..... which alliitet swept their feet from under Illetll. tiny made the fnrtbei Hlmre. and iin thev MNeendei tin the (tapper exclaln ed: tl-ell link A he 1,1 rl '" iii.MHl.y iitid his t'OUlp.'llllo!IH m-tosH the op.-n rnt ndow fur the st openlui; In the rlmro, I m I'ght of bienklpg tnoin ininb it coi-nlable to their friends on in i ne rim rn Vh who mi 1,1 Hi-arcely restrain lipplauie. lm the dilllltiK of n soldiers life prevented this out brenk, The water dime with a rush down the mnuutnlt- stream. The sound clomped from a murmur over the pe-bb-s to a ripple over tbt rucks: and then to n roar over the boulders and ngnlnst the lingular banks. So loud followed the growing roar that the ravages were wakeliel. lan Follett rushed to the tepee of hU fair c;ip live and flndluit that t-he was yoee he kicked the tlrowsy guards In their r.ldes and irave the nbiitn. The whole camp was :i t i r Instantly. Dlscoverltu: the fleeing fugitives Kol lett plunged ll-.to the rt ream, follow- c-d by some of the most tlarlni? war riors, and gave pursuit. Put when v.lthln ,r,( yards of the opening In the rlmrot-ks where the fugitives had passe,! safely through, it t loud of smoke rose, li rt port of a dozen illlea rang upon the morning air and n half dozen Indians sank down In the meadow. Another Volley and the nks wer- thinned to h reinnHtit. Kolletlo remained untouched. He turned and tiled to rally the men who had been following In the rear mid were now panic ,, lib ken. At least one fourth ,,f (he entire war nai-tv bud lushed across the stream un -armed lu pursuit of the fugitives. When they returned they found the river In these few miuutCH a hci-IIiI nif foam made black by the earth gathered bv the Hood lis It tame. To cross the stream wns a task no warrior would attempt. They turned for other open ings In the rimrocks. Put here they met with disappointment. When ap proaching these points, and sufety seemed Just In sight, they were met w.'th volleys from the soldiers' rifles Hint mowed them down like grass be fore a scythe. A not her opcnluu and another waH tried with like results until terror-stricken Ihev ran al out the meadow, hiding here ami there In the tall grass soon to be spied out by tho revengeful soldiers nn, I shot like sago hens. Put the daring Kollett would not give up. He snw old Egan organizing the men on the other side of the river, snd plunged Into the mail stream to Join him, ami made the oilier shore. Mounting their horses, the chief nnd tiuir-hrcc'l led the tuen where the water was to the tlunger point, nal slaughter began. General Crook led his men In per son, and when the savages were In itsy range lie gave tho command to fire. It wns n deadly lire. Every shot found Its mark. The snvagcH fell from their horses like hall. Rome of them tried to dnsh through the lines while others turned back toward tho iglng torrent. "Charge," came the command from Crook, It was not technically a hu mano warfare, though It was con ducted nt-cording to human tactics. Every shot that wns fliud was fired by a man mini for revenge. They barged upon tho savages, sparing none nrnl taking no prisoners, for they refused to surrender and did not nsk for mercy. To thn brink of thn -itrenm they ran, many falling pierced with lend beforn they reached this point. Homo plunged Into tho flood never to rlHe agnln; others tnndo It Rcro.-tH tti fall before the rides In the I hands of Iho guards ut the openings to the "neck" rapidly rising Put here the. Should he fall or fall in the attempt was the purpose to force the bent terms possible with the savages, but should 'he succeed, it was the determination to wreak that mer- dless revenge upon the Indians that the occasion seemed to Justify. The men had all been Informed of the torture and death of the four white men and of the arrival of the two new captives, anil this stirred the soldiers to a revengeful spirit that caused them to forget their tired ami hungry condition and loss of sleep. They now felt that they hud at last encompassed the enemy and they were eager to strike the blow. Ten well armed and equipped sol diers accompanied by five cowboys were placed In each gap in tho rim rocks and 100 men, Including cow boys and soldiers under General Crook, guarded the neck of tho peninsula. It was half way between midnight nun uuwii wnen me trapper marten on i n0 rimrocks nis perilous mission. Armed suitably I nt tho storv Is betier told i , ' ' " " tllU