Page:Life Amongst the Modocs.djvu/348



We set spurs to our horses, and dashed up the hill right into their faces. They did not fire a shot as we approached, but halted, let us pass, and then, as if recovering their senses, sent several random shots after us. An innocent good-night.

I had my pistol in my hand ; and as I could hear but imperfectly, and was otherwise suffering fear fully, I hardly knew what I was doing. I fancied I heard our pursuers upon us, and attempting to wheel and fire, I accidentally discharged my pistol into the shoulder of my own horse as we turned the top of the hill.

The poor beast could only spin around on three legs now, and as we could not get him to follow the road farther, the Indian led him off to a thicket of chaparral, left him, and we hastened on.

I now rode the remaining horse, and the Indian ran along the dusty walk at my side. We reached a little mining camp called Churn Town, a camp which I had visited often before, and there finding a number of horses tied to a rack, we determined to procure another, since it would be impossible to over take our companions half mounted as we were.

The Indian took some money, and went through the town, in hope of meeting some Mexican with whom he could deal, and I went down to the saloon to see what I could do in the same direc tion. I found a large number of miners and settlers engaged in a political meeting. A popular lawyer was making a great speech on Popular Sovereignty.