of the
cowboys had an arm badly shattered; and that they feared another
attack the next morning. I returned to camp and told my companion of
our danger.

A WELCOME HAVEN

After giving the animals plenty of feed and rest, we again took the
trail at 4:30 A. M. As the day dawned, with the aid of a field glass,
I discovered Indians swooping down on the ranch with the stockade at
breakneck speed, and others coming in our direction. I told Patrick to
urge the mules to a gallop. He suspected the cause and did so at once.
Over the rolling ground we flew until the sun was well up in the
heavens, and as each hour passed the redskins gained on us, until at
last they could be seen with the naked eye. The harsh and cruel
war-whoop of those blood-thirsty savages echoed and re-echoed back
from the distant hills, and over the desolate plains until men and
beasts were crazed to desperation. The lash was put to the already
tired mules, and we strained every nerve to reach the crest of the
next knoll, hoping against hope for succor. On they came, their
warwhoops for scalps and the white man's blood was now continuous. The
long feared report of their rifles was at last heard; bullets pierced
our canvas covered wagon. We made a last desperate effort and reached
the summit of the bluff. Not a half a mile from its base was a large
corral of white covered wagons. Down the incline we flew, looking
neither to the right nor the left, and, on reaching the corral, both
men and beasts fell into a heap exhausted.

The red devils rode to the top of the hill, and the warwhoop of anger
they sent up rings in my ears at times to this very day.

That evening we again took the trail and made the remainder of the
trip by night drives. Reaching La Port the third morning, we secured
our load and after giving the animals a much needed rest we started on
the return trip. The fourth morning we arrived at the ranch with the
stockade. Three mornings after we reached the foot of the hills where
the company had a log cabin for their hunters and trappers, who, with
their trusty rifles, furnished antelope, deer and buffalo meat for
their small army of employees. On entering, a sight met our gaze too
revolting to pass from memory. Upon the earthy floor lay two of those
sturdy and warm-hearted dwellers of the plains and rockies, cold in
death, scalped and mutilated almost beyond recognition--a deed
committed by those dastardly red fiends of the Far West. Both wer