Capt.  Humphrey agreed with me that we did not have men enough to attack the Indians in such a stronghold.  There remained nothing but to return to the Stewart ranch and go into camp for the night.  While returning we decided to hold the Indians in the canyon if possible and send a courier back to Gen. Brown for reinforcements.  Accordingly Ad.  Marcks was selected for the night trip.  He was familiar with the country and undertook the night ride without hesitation.  That night a strong guard was kept around the camp, and daylight came without incident worthy of mention.

It was then decided to circle the canyon into which we had driven the Indians on the previous day.  We made the start soon after sun-up, taking a course to the east of the point ascended the day before, and which would enable us to ascend with our horses.  We reached the summit of the first steep raise and were rewarded by seeing three scouts disappear in the canyon.  We gave chase and fired a few shots from the rifles of the scouts which had no other effect than to cause them to lean a little further forward on their horses and go a little faster.  As we passed up the ridge we could see the smoke from the camp fires of the Indians coming out of the canyon.  The camp was evidently several hundred yards long and indicated they were in considerable force.  Nearing the timber line, the pines became very thick, in fact so dense that we could force our horses through with difficulty.  My scouts were a couple of hundreds yards in advance, and as we burst out of the brush we came upon the horse herd guarded by four Indians.  Taking in the situation at a glance, I put spurs to my horse, and calling to the men to come on, made a dash to cut them off from the canyon down which the herders were endeavoring to force them.  We made no attempt to use our rifles, but drawing our revolvers opened fire on the scurrying herders.  It was quite a mix-up, but we managed to capture nineteen head of good horses.  After the fray I looked around for the first time and discovered that instead of all, but one man had followed me, that was the young boy, Eugene Jones.  The others had taken to trees, one going back to hurry up Capt.  Humphrey.  Had they all followed as did the boy we would have captured every horse and probably have got the herders as well.  Descending the ridge on the west side we crossed the trail made by the Indians when coming into the canyon.

At 2 o’clock the next morning I again started to circle the camp with twenty men, leaving Capt.  Humphrey at the Stewart ranch.  I ascended the mountain farther to the east than the day before and reached the timber line at daylight.  A hundred yards or more from the timber line was a clump of stunted trees.  I determined to dismount my men and rest our horses.  As we were dismounting one of the scouts, Al Igo, asked permission to ride up the ridge a ways and get a better look at the country.  I gave consent but cautioned him not to venture too far.  As soon as the girths of our saddles were loosened and guards placed around I threw myself on the grass and was asleep in five minutes.  But my sleep was of short duration, for Igo came dashing back, calling, “get out of here, we are being surrounded.”  He said he had counted eighty odd warriors on one side and fifteen on the other.