Page:The Indian History of the Modoc War.djvu/113



brought in, of course the soldier boys rushed up from all directions to see the noted warriors' heads. Some would give one of the heads a vicious kick and say : "Hello, you black demon. How do you like this?" It looked rather silly to me for civilized men to kick a powder-smoked Indian's head from one place to another and ask that head how he liked it. Kind reader, there is some awful people in this world, but anyhow the news that the two noted warriors, Scarface Charley and Bogus Charley had been killed in action, went from one city to another, all over the United States. It was all a mistake. Scarface Charley died near Quapaw r agency, Indian Territory, now Oklahoma, in the year 1896. Bogus Charley died near Lewiston, Idaho, aboard a passenger train, on his way to visit his sister, Kate Duffie, who resided in Lewiston at that time. I just mention these facts to show the public that many rumors about Indians that is in history today is false.

The last hard battle the Modocs fought in and around their fortified caves, was sometime in the latter part of April, 1873. I am unable to get or remember the exact dates. The Modocs had contested every inch of ground that forenoon against the soldier boys. The soldiers was closing in on the Modocs from all sides. The Modocs were hard pressed all day. They knew they would not be able to stand the soldier boys off much longer, as their ammunition was almost ex- hausted. Scarface Charley sent a runner to each and every man. The runner came back to Scarface Charley and reported that no one had been killed or w r ounded since the two boys was killed by the mortar shell. Scarface Charley was not satisfied with the report. He told the runner to stay in his place and hold it by all means while he himself went or got among the \varriors to see just how they were fixed for cart- ridges. Rifle firing was in full blast all the time on both sides. Scarface made the round; was telling the runner or his com- rade that their comrades just had twenty rounds to a person left. He was telling his comrades not to shoot without he