Page:California Inter Pocula.djvu/109



heartened they  continued  their  way,  but  were  soon obhged to  bury  a  portion  of  their  property. That day they  encountered  an  ominous  snow-storm,  and made but  six  miles;  the  next  day  they  passed  over some low  mountains,  and  encamped  ni  a  well-watered valley. October 1st  saw  them  slowly  travelling  along down Ofirden  river.

And now  begins  a  tale  whose  sickening  details  blot pages of  our  annals ;  a  tale  before  which  I  would gladly close  my  eyes  and  lay  down  my  pen ;  a  tale which calls  in  question  whether  indeed  there  be  in man,  left  to  himself,  any  divine  spark,  any  innate good. More bloody  than  beasts,  more  insane  than demons, these  human  castaways  in  a  desert  wilder- ness, surromided by  their  wives  and  children,  first shot at  by  savages  as  they  pass  along,  fall  to  fighting among themselves. Some oxen  becoming  unruly,  two teams are  entangled,  whereupon  the  drivers  swear ; then one  of  them  threatens  to  thrash  the  owner,  and dealing him  a  heavy  blow  with  the  butt  end  of  his whip, receives  in  return  a  stab  which  stretches  him dead upon  the  plain. Reed, who  does  the  killing, though regretfully  and  in  self-defence,  is  driven  from the camp. Thereupon he  marches  on  before  the  oth- ers, dodging the  arrows  of  the  savages  and  giving  the company warning  of  impending  attacks,  and  thus passes over  the  mountains  into  California. Continu- ing their way,  an  old,  worn-out  man,  whose  feet  had swollen to  bursting,  is  left  behind  to  die. In vain does my  unwilling  credulity  look  for  escape;  in  vain do I  seek  some  excuse  for  the  pitiless  act ;  the  doers of the  deed  themselves  tell  the  story,  and  say  their cattle could  not  draw  him. Hardcoop, from  Antwerp, Belgium, sixty  years  of  age,  ill  and  worn  out,  was  the abandoned man,  and  Eddy,  the  narrator  of  the  fact, he who  refused  him  conveyance. One Kiesburg,  a most  loathsome  villain,  of  whom  more  hereafter,  thrust from his  wagon  the  old  man,  and  when  besought  by his  companic^ns  to  return  for  him,  replied,  "  I  will  not

<jal. Int. Poc,   7