Page:California Inter Pocula.djvu/555

 very tall man, and had an advantage of a few feet in distance, started to run, pursued by Hooker Jim. Finding himself close pressed, when he had gone 150 yards, he turned and fired with his pistol, which checked the advance of the enemy. By repeating this manoeuvre several times he escaped to the picket line. Riddle also escaped by running, though he was pursued by Shacknasty Jim, assisted by Brancho, who with Scarface, Steamboat Frank, and Sloluck, had been concealed in the rocks near the council-ground. Toby escaped with only a blow given her by one of the Indians who coveted her horse; Jack interfering, she was permitted to follow her husband.

It was but a few moments after Jack had uttered his "all ready," when General Canby lay stripped naked upon the ground with a bullet hole through his head. A short distance from him was Thomas, also dead, and nearly naked. Near the clergyman lay Meacliam, stripped, and with five bullet wounds — in the face, the left hand, the right wrist, the lobe of one ear, and the side of the head, and a knife-cut on the other side of the head. With all these injuries, however, he was not dead, and revived half an hour later when the troops reached the spot. Can any one tell why, what is so frequently the case, that the two men who trusted in the Lord perished, while those who did not were saved?

Some would say that these chivalrous persons should have exercised better judgment, and not have depended on God to work a miracle to save men from destruction, who, when fairly warned of their danger deliberately walk into it. Even the plea of duty does not here obtain, for there was no obligation resting on them to risk their lives; no principle involved in it, no important issue turning upon it. It made no whit difference to any one whether or not those savages were seen on that particular day, by those particular persons, and in that particular way. The last telegram from Canby on the subject, dated April