The doctor and his little daughter stood at the landing, the mother
remaining at the house, and watched the canoe as it put out from the
shore and headed toward the bungalow on the other side of the lake. The
fact that the boys had to sit facing the other way did not prevent them
from turning their heads several times and waving a hand or paddle in
response to the good-bye greeting of Sunbeam. Mike having no paddling to
do indulged in the exchange much more than his companions.
By and by the girl at the request of her father ran to the house and
brought back his powerful telescope, which he pointed at the boat.
Unaware of this, and carrying no binoculars, the lads did not know how
distinctly they remained in the field of vision of their friends and
naturally the signalling between the parties stopped.
The clearing of the skies proved only temporary and our young friends
had not paddled half the distance when they saw they were in for a
wetting. A cold, drizzling rain set in and was steadily falling when
they drew the canoe up the bank and hurried into the building, whose
shelter was most welcome. The other Boy Scouts, who had been taught
considerable in the way of reading weather signs, had made haste to
return from their wanderings, none being so far off that he did not get
back in time.
Of course even had the party been camping out of doors, they would have
been well guarded against so disagreeable a change, but they were better
shielded with so roomy a structure at their command. They prepared
supper in the big fireplace, and found the warmth of the crackling logs
very acceptable. Everything having been adjusted for the night, several
of the troop straightway notified Scout Master Hall that, inasmuch as he
had shifted the responsibility of telling a good story upon Uncle Elk,
he could do so no longer, but must now “come down” with one of his best.
The demand quickly became unanimous, and the good-natured leader saw no
way for him to escape.
There was equal unanimity that the story should be an “Injin” one, for
you know boys will never lose their fondness for that kind of yarn and
Mr. Hall also conceded the point.
“Due mainly to the fact that I don’t see any way of dodging it. An
Indian or adventure story, to be fully enjoyed, should be told round a
camp fire in the depth of the woods; but as that is impractical
to-night, let us imagine that the blazing hickory there is kindled miles
from anything resembling a human habitation.
“You know how prone every one is to declare some incident ‘funny,’ when
he should say it is strange or remarkable. I heard a woman at home the
other day say that ‘it was the funniest thing in the world’ that she had
to attend three funerals in a single week. All the same, there is
something funny in your request, for I was about to ask whether you had
any objections to my switching off from the usual run of yarns and
telling one about Indians.”
He looked into the glowing faces. It was Mike Murphy who gravely
replied:
“I’m sorry to say, Scout Master, I have a sorrerful ’bjection to your
telling us such a yarn.”
“What is that?”
“My ’bjection is to the wurrad ‘one’; I move to amind the same by saying
ye shall relate eliven of ’em before ye puts the brake on. The first
Injin I obsarved in this country was a wooden one in front of a cigar
store in Boston town; I tried to open a playsant conversation with him,
but he was as glum as Chester or Alvin after I’ve run ’em a fut race.”
Inasmuch as Mike’s legs were so short that there wasn’t a boy in camp
who could not leave him far behind in a contest of speed, a general
smile followed his sober words.
“Last spring,” began Scout Master Hall, “I made a trip to Denver,
Colorado, and took a run down to Trinidad, in the southern part of the
State. While there I noticed a handsome monument surmounting one of the
hills surrounding the city. The rocky point is known as ‘Simpson’s
Rest,’ and the story connected with it is one of the most extraordinary
of the many that marked the early days of that region. Bear in mind, my
young friends, that that which I tell you is true in every particular.
There is no need of my relating fiction, when fact is much more
interesting.
“It is now more than sixty years since John Simpson built a cabin on the
present site of Trinidad, which was then on the old Santa Fe trail.
Times without number he sat in his little front door, smoking his pipe
and watching the strings of prairie schooners that passed on their way
to or from Santa Fe. The trail makes a sharp turn to the south not far
from where the Simpson cabin stood, and after climbing the precipitous
Raton Mountains, on what is now the Colorado line, the gold hunters
found themselves at the door of their El Dorado.
“Simpson was one of the greatest hunters, trappers and Indian fighters
of his day. He and the renowned Kit Carson, who was the guide of Fremont
the explorer, were intimate comrades and had many thrilling adventures
together. In the days of which I speak, the Ute and Cheyenne Indians had
their hunting grounds in the foothills adjoining the Rockies, and did
not as a rule harass the settlers. But Simpson could never be quite easy
regarding them, for his long experience with red men warned him always
to be on the alert, though for several years his family suffered no
disturbance during his absences, which were sometimes extended for
weeks.
“In the month of May, 1855, Simpson came back from one of his hunting
expeditions. He hurried his return, for he had heard that the Utes and
Cheyennes were on the war path and he knew his home would be one of the
first to receive attention. He hoped that his presence and reputation as
a dangerous Indian fighter would keep the redskins from molesting him.
“He had two children, Bob aged fifteen and Nora two years younger. They
were bright, affectionate and as fond of each other as of their parents.
On this morning in spring the brother and sister started to go to a
small stream of water which ran near their cabin. They had not reached
it when they were startled to see a party of dusky horsemen galloping
toward them at a terrific pace. The riders brandished their lances and
filled the air with shouts. They were still a considerable distance
away, and the children were more astonished than alarmed.
“While staring at the party, they heard the shout of their father, and
turning their heads, saw him running toward them, rifle in hand, and
beckoning to them to hurry to the house. You may be sure they lost no
time in obeying, while he with loaded weapon confronted the dusky
horsemen. I suppose there must have been near a score of them, but every
buck of the crowd knew the white man was a dead shot and never shrank
from a fight, no matter how desperate, and they hesitated.
“You may set it down as a fact that no matter how numerous a band of
Indians may be, when they are morally certain that the first two or
three to rush forward will be shot down, those two or three will never
make such a rush. You have read in your history of colonial days, of Mr.
Dunston of New Hampshire, who stood off a party of marauding Indians
simply by threatening to shoot the foremost, until his children made
their escape. Something of the kind happened in the case of Simpson. As
he walked slowly backward, he held his deadly rifle grasped with both
hands, and ready to raise and fire on the instant needed. He never once
removed his keen gaze and his enemies did not even fire at him. They
yearned to do so, but dared not take the fearful risk.
“When Simpson reached his cabin, he found his terrified wife and
children making ready to leave. He told them the Indians had massacred
several families on the Arkansas River, they would soon be joined by
more warriors, and it was impossible to defend the place against their
enemies. Their only hope was to reach the top of a hill near the house.
There they would have the advantage of a naturally strong defense, and
might be able to hold off the redskins until help came to the whites.
“Two burros were hastily loaded with provisions and a keg of water, and
Simpson stowed about him all the ammunition he possessed. This took but
a few minutes, during which the redskins galloped back and forth and
hovered in the neighborhood, eager to attack and yet afraid to do so.
“‘Off with you,’ he said to his wife and children, ‘go as fast as you
can and I’ll stand ’em off till you’re at the top of the hill.’
“He used the same maneuver as before and the whole party safely reached
the refuge. Nothing better intended for defense can be imagined. The
summit of the hill is flat and surrounded by a high rocky wall. The only
way to reach the top is by means of a single narrow, stony path. It made
me pant to climb it last spring, and I wondered how those burros
succeeded with their heavy burdens; but you know they are used to such
work and no doubt did as well as the defenders of the natural fort. At
any rate, all, including the burros, reached the refuge and were quickly
joined by Simpson, who had held the Indians at bay. So long as he was
unhurt and his ammunition lasted, he could defend that pass against
double the number that had attacked him.
“It proved just as he said it would, for they had been only a few
minutes on the flat surface of the hill when the second party to which
Simpson had referred were seen approaching in the distance, shouting and
brandishing their spears and as eager to attack the whites as the others
had been.
“‘We’re in for it,’ said the father grimly, as he scanned the new party
of horsemen, ‘but they haven’t caught us yet.’
“The fortress of the little company could not have been better had it
been constructed by a party of army engineers. The Indians may have
believed they would be able to rush the defenders, but it would be
desperate work. Several of them, led by their chief, clambered up the
narrow, rocky passage as if they meant to make a friendly call. Standing
at the top, loaded rifle in hand, Simpson waited until they had come
quite near when he shouted to them to halt. The leader, who could speak
English, urged the white man to surrender, assuring him that no harm
should be done to him or his family. Such treachery is common on the
part of Indians, who are quick to violate their most solemn pledge the
moment they can gain the chance. Simpson was too much of a veteran to be
deceived by so simple a ruse. Pointing his weapon at the chief, he
called:
“‘Get, or I’ll shoot!’
“The whole band made a rush down the path, tumbling over on another,
each fearful of being winged by the terrible white man above. They were
aflame with rage, and gathering at the bottom of the hill made
preparations to overwhelm the brave defenders by a resistless
charge,—something which they would not have done except for the
humiliation that had just been put upon them.
“You may be sure that Simpson did not remain idle or throw away any
precautions. With wife and children helping, he rolled several boulders
to the head of the path, and held them poised until the warriors were
quite near. Then the huge masses of stone were rolled over and went
bounding and crashing among the yelling bucks who were scattered right
and left, with several badly hurt and one or two picked off by the
pioneer with his rifle. He fired as fast as he could aim and reload, and
repulsed the hostiles so decisively that they did not again try to storm
the fort.
“One recourse remained to them: that was to reduce the fort by regular
siege. It was clear that the garrison dare not come out of the defenses,
and sooner or later their provisions would be eaten. Starvation is a foe
against which no bravery can avail. All the Indians had to do was to
wait until the food was gone and they were brought to the last
extremity.”
“What about water?” asked one of the boys.
“It is harder to bear thirst than hunger, and yet it may be said that
our friends never suffered that torture. Before the keg was exhausted
several showers of rain fell. The tops of the rocks which formed the
wall had quite a number of depressions and cavities which held a goodly
quantity of the precious fluid. The besieged were devoutly thankful for
this mercy. The matter of food, however, was different. There could be
no renewing of that, but, as I told you, they had brought considerable
with them. This was doled out, each content with what the head of the
family gave her or him, especially when they saw that he ate less than
any one of them.
“As the stress tightened, Simpson shot one of the burros and they
feasted upon his raw flesh, since there was no way of kindling a fire.
In due time the second animal followed the first, he forming the last
reserve. Two burros can be made to last four persons a long while, if
their flesh is sparingly used, and the family underwent no real hunger
until at the last.
“I doubt whether the history of the West contains so strange an episode
as that of the siege of John Simpson, his wife and two children. They
took turns in keeping watch, for the red man is subtle by nature and
they could be counted upon to test thoroughly the vigilance of the
little company. More than once several of the Utes or Cheyennes stole as
noiselessly as shadows up the flinty path, but before they could do any
harm the crack of the deadly rifle sent them skurrying to the bottom.
Simpson always stood guard through the night, for he knew that was the
time of greatest peril. He gained the needed sleep during the day, when
his wife and children could act as sentinels and if necessary rouse him
from slumber. Sometimes, by way of variety he exchanged shots with the
besiegers below, and they quickly learned the wisdom of keeping out of
range of the white man who had a way of always hitting that at which he
aimed his rifle.
“That remarkable siege lasted for five weeks. By that time, despite the
parsimony in the use of food, not a particle remained. All the Indians
had to do was to wait until the family fell like ripe fruit into their
grasp. Simpson said little and never once hinted at the dreadful fate
which impended. Nor did any one speak of it, for the fearful theme was
in all their thoughts and there was no need of doing so.
“It was near the end of the fifth week, that the besieging red men
suddenly grouped their ponies together and with shrill cries dashed off
at full speed. They had seen the approach of a troop of cavalry from
Fort Lyon, a hundred and fifty miles distant, and very much preferred
their room to their company. Simpson and his family were rescued and
to-day you will find quite a number of their descendants living near
Trinidad. The hero certainly deserved the tribute of the pretty monument
that has been built upon that memorable spot.
“Such is my ‘Injin’ story,” added Scout Master Hall with a smile; “I can
claim two merits for it: it is true and it has a pleasant ending, but I
am compelled to add one unpleasant fact. The monument has been so
defaced and mutilated by relic hunters that it is ruined. One person has
had the unspeakable cheek to daub his sprawling initials with a paint
brush all over the tomb, earning for himself a reputation that no one
envies.”