Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly vol. 3.djvu/170

160 were gathered on the plain, Way mire sent Lieutenant Bernon to solicit their aid, who returned in haste with the information that the citizens refused to join him. On receiving this news, the Indian force all the time increasing, Waymire withdrew to the plain, mounting his men and forming a line diagonal to the canyon, when the volunteers rallied and fought for a short time. The small force of cavalry was now on the defensive, and it retreated firing, the Indians endeavoring to surround it on the plain, whose broken surface, familiar to them, gave them great advantage. Three quarters of a mile to the east was a large hill, which, could it be gained, offered comparative safety, and of this the Indian horsemen were endeavoring to secure possession. On each side of the summit was a bench, one of which was occupied by six citizen volunteers, including their surgeon and a wounded man.

Waymire sent Corporal Meyer with five men to occupy the summit of this hill, and a brisk race followed, in which the corporal won, having the shorter arm of a triangle, and the command was soon in this defensible position and able to repulse a much larger force. After resting for an hour, and considering the chances of escape, with several of the men on foot, their horses failing from fatigue or wounds, retreat to camp twenty miles distant was determined upon. The route lay across Dry Lake, and was effected in good order, although the Indians followed, at one, time passing with a body of horsemen in an attempt to get to the front. A desultory firing was kept up, "in which several of the volunteers rendered very efficient service with their, rifles."

On reaching camp which with the entire pack train was left in charge of twenty men, it was found to be secure, to the satisfaction and surprise of the troops. "That it was so," remarks Waymire, "I can only attrib-