MYSTERIOUS VISITORS. EXTRA SENTRIES. AN ANXIOUS NIGHT.
The next following day, as we wended our way among the sand dunes,
alkali flats and faded sagebrush, there came to us--whence we knew
not--three men, equipped with a small wagon, covered with white
ducking, arched over bows, similar to the covering on most of the
emigrant wagons; drawn by two large, handsome, well-harnessed horses;
all having a well-to-do appearance, that made our dusty, travel-worn
outfits look very cheap and inferior.
They told us that they were mountaineers, of long experience on the
plains; well acquainted with the Indians and familiar with their
habits and savage proclivities. They said that the Shoshone Indians
were very angry at the white people who were passing through their
lands; that this hostility recently had been further aroused by
certain alleged acts of the whites along the emigrant road; and that
the feeling was now so intense that even they, our informants, were
alarmed, notwithstanding their long, intimate and friendly intercourse
with these Indians; and, believing themselves no longer safe among the
tribe, they were anxious to get out of the Shoshone country; therefore
they requested the privilege of placing themselves under the
protection of our large train until we should have passed out of the
Shoshone lands and into those of the Pah-Utes, which tribe they said
was known to be friendly toward the white race.
One of these men was a specially picturesque figure; weighty, with
large, square shoulders; well-formed head; full, brown beard, cropped
short. He wore a deer-skin blouse, leathern breeches; broad,
stiff-brimmed hat, low crown, flat top, decorated with a tasseled
leather band; a fully-loaded ammunition belt--a combination make-up of
cowboy, mountaineer and highwayman.
The three men spoke plain English, with a free use of "frontier
adjectives."
Having received permission to take temporary protection by traveling
near us, they placed themselves at the rear of our train, and that
night pitched camp slightly apart from our circle of wagons.
Some of our men visited them during the evening, eager to hear their
tales of adventure; and listened, open-mouthed, to descriptions of
life among savage associations, in the mountain wilds, jungles and the
desert plains.
The visitors dwelt with emphasis on the threatening attitude of the
Shoshone Indians towards the emigrants; warning us that our position
was hazardous, with caution that there was special risk incurred by
individuals who wandered away from the train, thus inviting a chance
of being shot by Redskins, ambushed among the bunches of sagebrush.
They were especially earnest as they assured us of the peril there
would be in loitering away from the body of the company, as they had
noticed some of our boys doing, that day, while hunting for sage
fowls.
After awhile, he of the big hat inquired--and seemed almost to tremble
with solicitude as he spoke:
"Are you prepared to defend yourselves, in case of an attack?"
Here unpleasant surmises gave place to distinct suspicions in the
minds of some of our older men. They regarded that question as a
"Give-away." All the day, since these three joined us, we had felt
that they might be spies, and in league with the Indians. So now not a
few of us were giving closest attention, both with ears and eyes.
An answer was ready: That we were prepared, and waiting for the
encounter; with a hundred and twenty-five shots for the first round;
that we could reload as rapidly as could the Indians; and had
ammunition in store for a long siege.
The actual fact was that, although every man of us had some sort of a
"shooting-iron," they were not formidable. In kind, these varied well
through the entire range of infantry, from a four-inch six-shooter to
a four-foot muzzle-loader, and from a single-barreled shotgun on up to
a Sharp's repeating rifle. The weapon last mentioned carried a
rotating cylinder, for five shells, and was the latest thing in
quick-fire repeating arms of that time: but there was only one of that
class in the train. Had we been seen on muster, standing at "present
arms," the array would have been less terrifying than comical.
Just how our visitors received our bluff with reference to
preparedness for battle we could not know. The next morning these
mysterious strangers took position in the rear of our train once more,
carrying a small white flag, mounted on a pole fastened to their
wagon. Upon being asked the purpose of the flag they replied that it
served as a signal to any one of their number who might go beyond
view, enabling him to determine the location of the wagon.
Captain John reminded them that, according to their statements,
wandering out of sight was too hazardous to be done or considered;
adding that therefore there did not seem to be any need of the flag,
and he wanted it to be taken down.
It came down.
During the noon-hour stop that day, while the doctors were dressing
Mr. Wood's wounded arm, he obtained a first look at our three
proteges. He at once indicated the man wearing the big, brown hat,
and stated, excitedly but confidentially, to those of our company who
were near him:
"I believe that man was with the Indians who killed my wife and
child."
That statement naturally created a much greater feeling of uneasiness
among us. The assertion was whispered around; and every man of us
became a detective. The leading men of our party put their heads
together in council. The situation was more than ever grave and the
suspense distinctly painful. We feared something tragic would happen
any hour.
Mr. Wood was asked to obtain another view of the man and endeavor to
make his statement more definite, if he could. His wound, and the
terrible shock he had sustained two days previously, had so prostrated
him that he was unable to make haste. Arrangements were made to
disguise him and have him go where he could obtain a good view of the
three men, but his condition prevented it.
Later in the afternoon the three-men-afraid-of-Indians announced that
we had passed out of the territory of the savage Shoshones; they felt
it would be safe for them to dispense with our kind escort, therefore,
after camping near us that night, they would withdraw and bid us a
thankful good-bye.
We camped that night on a level place, where there was sage-brush
three or four feet high, and thick enough to make good cover for an
enemy. Our people, having become thoroughly distrustful of the three
men who had made themselves appendages of our train, feared an attack
would be made on our camp that night. Suspicion had developed into a
fixed belief that the trio were confederates of the Shoshones, and had
come to us under a pretense of fear on their part, in order to spy out
the fighting strength of our company.
The place where they halted their wagon and prepared to spend the
night was not more than a hundred yards from where our vehicles were
arranged, in the usual hollow circle, with the camp-fire and the
people inclosed.
When darkness set in, guards of our best men, armed with the most
effective guns we had, were quietly distributed about the camp, the
chosen men crawling on their hands and knees to their allotted
positions, in order that the three strangers should not know our
arrangements. There was an understanding that, if there should be an
attack during the night, the first thing to do was, if possible, to
shoot those three men; for, under the circumstances, any attack
occurring that night would be deemed completion of proof that they
were responsible for it and for any atrocity that might follow or be
attempted.
The night passed without notable happening--except that at the break
of day the three men and their wagon silently stole away.
There was a feeling of great relief on being rid of them; but there
remained some apprehension of their turning up at some unguarded
moment and unpleasant place, to make us trouble; for their absence did
not remove the impression that they had come among us to gauge our
desirability as prey and the feasibility of overpowering our entire
train.