votes, but his talents as a speaker and his popularity among all classes were in his favor.  About that time, however, the exposures regarding the past life of Senator John H. Mitchell were given to the world by the press of Oregon.  To offset the charges, there were dark hints and innuendoes thrown out about the disappearance of Brown and the subsequent marriage of the widow to the young doctor.  The talk was easily silenced, as it was shown that the doctor came to Canyon City after Brown’s disappearance; but it was enough to sting the proud, sensitive heart of the young man to the quick.  The mere fact that a suspicion of dishonor attached to his name was sufficient to cause him to withdraw from public life forever.  As an orator he had few equals and no superiors, and only for his innocent connection with the Brown tragedy at Canyon City would have achieved a name the equal of that of his distinguished brother, Senator and Vice-President Hendricks of Indiana.

Dr. Hendricks and his wife have long since passed over the river, to the white walled city of God.  And there, let us hope, their rest will be eternal, and that the poison tongue of slander will come not to blast, to blacken and to sting.

I remained at Canyon City and vicinity until September and then returned to the valley.  During the summer and fall many depredations were committed by Indians.  A party of eight men prospecting in the mountains to the west were surprised and all killed.  Every one had died apparently in his bed.  The little stream, a tributary of the south John Day river, was ever after known as “Murderers’ Creek.”  The next year, I think it was, Joaquin Miller, then judge of Grant county, led a company of a hundred miners against the Snakes in Harney valley.  He was joined by Lieutenant, now Judge Waymire of Oakland, in command of a troop of U. S. volunteers.  They were repulsed with some loss and returned without accomplishing anything of importance.  The war dragged along until the summer of 1867, when Chief Polina led a band of warriors into the John Day country north of Bridge Creek, where they robbed a settler named Clarno of a number of cattle and horses and started back.  Howard Maupin then lived at Antelope valley, 15 miles from the Clarno place.  The Indians attempted to capture his horses in the night, but were frustrated by the watchfulness of the dogs that gave the alarm.  The horses were corralled, and Maupin and his son and a young German stood guard all night.  The next morning Jim Clark and John Attebury arrived at the station, and it was determined to follow and punish the Indians and recover the stolen stock.  They followed the trail into the rough brakes of Trout Creek and located the camp.  The Indians had halted in a small basin on the mountain side through which ran a small branch, bordered with willows, where they had killed an ox and were enjoying a feast.  The five men approached as near as possible and then leaving their horses made their way up the ravine upon which