“Like a horse snorting,” and he pointed up the trail the way the Capt. should come.  We sprang to our feet and listened, and in a minute more we heard the tramp of the horses’ feet.  We quickly mounted our horses and went to meet them.  I told the Capt. what we had found and what position the Indians were in.

He said, “Mr. Drannan, what do you think is the best way to attack them?” I answered, “It is the easiest thing to do imaginable Capt., if we only work the thing right.  Dismount all but ten of the men, and we will crawl down and surround the Indians and not fire a shot until daybreak or till they commence getting up, and when we that are on foot commence firing, the ten on horseback must charge down the hill, and if any of the Indians escape our bullets, the mounted men must follow them and shoot them down.  When the Indians find that the Whites are after them, they will make a rush for their horses, and that is the time for the mounted men to get their work in.”

The Capt. thought a few minutes and then said, “I believe your plan is a grand idea, and we will follow it.”

He selected the ten men and then asked me where he should place them.  I showed him where I thought was the best place for them to stand.  I then pointed to the place where the stock was still feeding and said, “Now boys, when you make your charge on the Indians, charge down between the stock and the fires, and by doing so you will catch the Indians as they run for their horses, and be sure and get every one of them.  Don’t let one get away.”

Everything being understood, we that were on foot commenced to crawl down towards the sleeping Indians’ camp.  The day was just beginning to break when we got fixed in our positions around them, and it was nearly sunrise before any of the savages crawled out of their blankets.  As soon as the first one got out, we shot him down, and we continued to shoot as long as an Indian remained alive.  The men on horseback gave a yell and made the charge.  When they reached Capt.  McKee, one of the horsemen said, “Where is our part of the fight?  We didn’t get any chance to fire a shot.”

The Capt. answered, “It is all over, boys.  You will have to wait for the next time for your shot, for I do not think one of this band is alive for you to shoot at.  It was one of the quickest-won battles I was ever engaged in,” and turning to me the Capt. said, “Mr. Drannan, you ought to join the army, for you would make a first-class General, and I am sure would always lead your men to victory in Indian warfare any way.”

We now led our horses down to the Indian camp and staked them out to get their breakfast from the juicy grass that was very abundant in the valley, and then we began to think that we were very hungry ourselves.  We had not had a bite to eat since the morning before, and the hard day’s ride and no supper and the all-night vigil had about used us up.

Capt.  McKee said, “Come, boys let’s get some breakfast, for I for one am nearly starved, and we will lay over here until tomorrow morning and let our horses rest and get a little rest ourselves.”