When sufficiently revived, he told us that when he threw himself from his horse, he leaped into the brush, and coming to the creek, a small stream, ran down until he saw the overhanging bank.  He said several times the Indians in their search for him were within a few feet of him.

After finding of young Masterson, we returned to camp.  Clark had lost a great deal of property, besides that which had been consumed in his burned home.  He was positive the party did not comprise more than fifteen or twenty warriors.  He begged us to help him recover his property, or to at least get revenge.  Accordingly Perry Maupin, John Atterbury, myself and three others, whose names I cannot now recall, volunteered for the undertaking, making seven in all.

Getting off at daybreak we struck the trail of the Indians and followed as fast as the nature of the country would permit.  In places the trail was very dim, and this occasioned considerable delay, but just about sunset the camp of the savages was located.  As night was now upon us, it was deemed best to await until daylight to make the attack.  We were satisfied they would remain until morning, probably feasting on some of the stolen stock.  They were camped on the west branch of Trout Creek about one mile above the forks.  Their position was two hundred yards from the creek at a spring, and surrounded by a few scattering willows and quaking asps.  On every side was open ground, with a high, bald mountain on the north side, and presenting a splendid opportunity for attack.  The location of the camp also indicated that they felt secure from pursuit.  Everything being settled, both as to the manner of approach and point of attack, we withdrew and awaited the coming of morning.  Unsaddling our horses and picketing them, a portion lay down in an effort to get some sleep, the others standing guard.

At 3 o’clock we saddled our horses and by taking a circuitous route were enabled to approach the camp from the southwest side, and by following a slight depression in the ground reached a point within 150 yards of where the savages rested in fancied security.  To prevent the possibility of arousing them by any accidental noise, we had dismounted some distance back, and carefully led our horses by the head, lest a stumble or neigh might discover us to the enemy.  It was yet dark when we reached a spot opposite the camp, and standing at our horses’ heads, impatiently awaited the dawn.  Streaks of light soon began shooting through the eastern sky, but it seemed an eternity before we could see well enough to shoot.  Any one who has ever experienced waiting under similar circumstances will appreciate our impatience and the slow passage of time.

But daylight came at last, and swinging into our saddles, we formed in line and slowly, cautiously advanced.  As our heads rose above the slight elevation that had obscured the camp, our revolvers in hand, we spurred our horses into a run and began yelling like furies.  Scarcely had we done so when several Indians sprang up and rushed towards us with hands up and calling at the top of their voices: