Be that as it may.  Mulkey was re-captured, and my own arrest was ordered.  A little boy, God bless him, overheard Major Rinehart give the order to Lieutenant Tichnor, and ran and told me.  Now, I did not relish the idea of a residence either at Ft.  Vancouver or Alcatraz—­nor did I know how long it would last.  Consequently I leaped upon the best horse I saw standing hitched to the Court House fence and rode out of town, sending the horse and saddle back by a son of “Uncle Jimmie” Howard.  That boy is now a Baptist minister and I seriously question if he would now accommodate me so far as to return a “lifted horse.”

Under all the circumstances, I concluded to absent myself permanently—­ at least until Major Rinehart’s soldiers should move on.  Securing an “outfit” I joined a small company in the mountains, crossing the Cascades by McKinzie Pass.

Chapter V.

Taking Revenge on Marauding Snakes.

On reaching the east side of the mountains, it became necessary to travel in the night, at least through the open country between the Deschutes and Bridge Creek.  The Snake Indians were raiding the country, and encumbered as we were with a small pack train, and with only a small company, we deemed that plan safest.  During the day a careful guard was kept out and no fires lit.  We thus passed safely through the dangerous country to Bridge Creek.  We arrived there in the morning and finding quite a company from the Dalles, concluded to “lay by” a day or two and rest our animals.

About 3 o’clock that evening we saw a horseman coming, and riding as if his life were at stake.  Coming up, the horseman proved to be Jim Clark, who informed us that the Indians would be upon us in a few minutes and that they had killed his brother-in-law, George Masterson, a lad of 18 years.  Horses were at once rounded up and preparations made for defense.  While the horses were being driven in, Clark related the circumstances, which left a doubt in our minds as to the fate of young Masterson.  Accordingly, and as quickly as possible, every man that could be spared from camp saddled his horse and started back with Clark, either to save the boy or avenge his death.

The circumstances, as related by Clark, were that he and the boy had left the house, afterwards known as the “Burnt Ranch” for a load of fire wood.  The house was located on the John Day River about a mile below the mouth of Bridge Creek.  Opposite the house the river makes a sudden bend around the point of a high mountain, where the action of water and erosion of time had washed away the base of the mountain leaving a precipitous cliff, hundreds of feet high.  Under this cliff a great amount of drift wood has been deposited, and here Jim Clark went for his fire wood.  The high bank of the river next the house, which was 600 yards away, had been cut down so as to give an easy grade for loaded wagons.  Clark said for the first time they had left their rifles and other arms at the house, immunity from attack rendering them careless.