which Jane was to get another
piece of land for her pasture and Meeker again set the plow to going,
only to have the man in charge of the work shot at by two bucks who were
concealed in the sage brush. Meeker had repeatedly asked aid of both
state and Federal government. He begged for troops, as the lives of the
white people were in peril. As the aged philanthropist listened to the
council held in a smoke-smothered lodge, where warrior after warrior
gave utterance to his opinion in a language absolutely unintelligible to
any but a Ute, and when at last Douglas made his measured, forcible,
irresistible appeal to his brother savages to resist the onward march of
the white people, he (Meeker) must have known his doom was at hand.
Signal fires were constantly seen as night came on, and the murmur of
discontent increased with the uncertainty.

Finally word came that troops were on the way. Captain Payne with
colored, and Major Thornburg with white troops had been despatched to
the Agency. The morning of September 30, 1879, saw the White River
plateau under sunny skies--the air was warm and inviting. Twenty or
thirty bucks of Douglas's band sauntered forth as though in quest of
venison, others of the various bands had been out among the hills on
similar errands, and it was not unusual for the majority of the whole
Ute nation to be scattered throughout the reservation even beyond the
lines for short periods.

Susan, Jane, Antelope and a few others wandered about the Agency
buildings laughing, chattering and in the best of spirits. All seemed
happy, Susan especially, and Antelope had not been so gay for a long
time.

Still there was an ominous phase to their very good humor. It had that
practical joke fatality which foreboded evil in every smile and made the
heart sick for those who watched the sage-covered mesa and feathery
clouds which floated from range to range. But a few miles away toward
the Red Canon on Milk Creek the troops were hastening. As the advance
line swung up to the narrow gorge a few Indians in warpaint suddenly
came into view. The cavalry made an attempt to flank the defile and thus
saved the entire command from being literally shot to pieces by Indians
surrounding the open death trap into which they would have marched.

Hostilities were begun at once by the Indians. Major Thornburg in his
attempt to cut through to the main body was killed, with thirteen
others. The rest of the troops reached a place of