Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly vol. 5.djvu/388

378 view of the face of the hill, down which our wagons must come.

While we were quietly seated upon the rocks we saw an Indian emerge from the edge of the timber at the foot of the hill, about three fourths of a mile distant, and start in a brisk run across the intervening prairie towards us. I directed the men to sit perfectly still until the Indian should be hidden from our view, and then to separate, and let him fall into the ambush. We occupied the highest point of this lonely ridge, and we knew he would make for the same spot for the purpose of overlooking our camp. We waited until he came to the foot of the ridge, from which position he could not see us, and then we divided our men into two parties, each party taking up a different position. Very soon the Indian came within about thirty feet of one of our parties, and suddenly found himself confronted with four rifles pointed at him, with a command by signs to stop. Of course it was a perfect surprise to the poor old Indian. He was about sixty years old, was dressed in buckskin, had long coarse hair and dim eyes, and his teeth were worn down to the gums.

Notwithstanding the suddenness and completeness of the surprise, the old hero was as brave and cool as possible. I had with me only an axe with which to blaze the new and better way, in case we found it, and was at first some little distance from the Indian. As I came toward him with the axe on my shoulder he made the most vehement motions for me to stop and not come any nearer. I saw that he was apprehensive that I would take off his head with the axe, and at once stopped and threw it aside. At first he would allow no one to come near him, but coolly wet his fingers with his tongue and then deliberately dipped them into the sand at the foot of the rock on which he sat, and, with his trusty bow and arrow in his hands, he looked the men full in the face as much as to