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The
Indian,
seeing that he had missed, raised his hatchet and once more shrugging his
head in his blanket, and turning to look over his other shoulder,
attempted to strike again, but the blow was evaded by a sudden toss of his
intended victim's head. Not satisfied with two abortive trials, the
third attempt must be made to brain me, and repeating the same motions,
with a great "Ugh!" he seemed to put all his strength into the blow,
which, like the others, missed, and spent its force in the earth. By
this time the rescuing party had come near enough to prevent the savage
from risking another effort, and he then addressed the other
Indians
in Spanish, which I understood, saying, "We must run or the Americans will
kill us!" and loosening his grasp, he scampered off with his
companions as fast as his legs could take him, hurried on by several
pieces of lead fired from the old flintlocks of the traders.
By sundown every man had returned to the
forlorn camp, but not an animal had been recovered. Then, with tired
limbs and weary hearts, we took turns at guarding the wagons through the
long night. The next morning each man shouldered his rifle, and
having had his proportion of the provisions and cooking utensils assigned
him, we broke camp, and again turned to take a last look at the country
behind us, in which we had experienced so much misfortune, and started on
foot for our long march through the dangerous region ahead of us.
Scarcely had we gotten out of sight of our
abandoned camp, when one of the party, happening to turn his eyes in that
direction, saw a large volume of smoke rising in the vicinity; then we
knew that all of our wagons, and everything we had been forced to leave,
were burning up. This proved that, although we had been unable to discover
any signs of
Indians,
they had been lurking around us all the time, and this fact warned us to
exercise the utmost vigilance in guarding our persons.
Though our burdens were very heavy, the first
few days were passed without anything to relieve the dreadful monotony of
our wearisome march; but each succeeding twenty-four hours our loads
became visibly lighter, as our supplies were rapidly diminishing. It
had already become apparent that even in the exercise of the greatest
frugality, our stock of provisions would not last until we could reach the
settlements, so some of the most expert shots were selected to hunt for
game; but even in this they were not successful, the very birds seeming to
have abandoned the country in its extreme desolation.
After eight days travel, despite our most
rigid economy, an inventory showed that there was less than one hundred
pounds of flour left. Day after day the hunters repeated the same
old story: "No game!" For two weeks the allowance of flour to each
individual was but a spoonful, stirred in water and taken three times a
day.
One afternoon, however, fortune smiled upon
the weary party; one of the hunters returned to camp with a turkey he had
killed. It was soon broiling over a fire which willing hands had
kindled, and our drooping spirits were revived for a while. While
the turkey was cooking, a crow flew over the camp, and one of the company,
seizing a gun, dispatched it, and in a few moments it, too, was sizzling
along with the other bird.
Now, in addition to the pangs of hunger, a
scarcity of water confronted us, and one day we were compelled to resort
to a buffalo-wallow and suck the moist clay where the huge animals had
been stamping in the mud. We were much reduced in strength, yet each
day added new difficulties to our forlorn situation. Some became so
weak and exhausted that it was with the greatest effort they
could travel at all. To divide the
company and leave the more feeble behind to starve, or to be murdered by
the merciless savages, was not considered for a moment; but one
alternative remained, and that was speedily accepted. As soon as a
convenient camping-ground could be found,
a halt was made, shelter established, and
things made as comfortable as possible. Here the weakest remained to
rest, while some of the strongest scoured the surrounding country in
search of game. During this temporary halt the hunters were more
successful than before, having killed two
buffaloes, besides some smaller animals, in
one morning. Again the natural dry fuel of the prairies was called into
requisition, and juicy steak was once more broiling over the fire.
With an abundance to eat and a few days' rest,
the whole company revived and were enabled to renew their march homeward.
We were now in the buffalo range, and every day the hunters were fortunate
enough to kill one or more of the immense animals, thus keeping our larder
in excellent
condition, and starvation averted.
Doubting whether our good fortune in relation
to food would continue for the remainder of our march, and our money
becoming very cumbersome, it was decided by a majority that at the first
good place we came to we would bury it and risk its being stolen by our
enemies. When not more than half of our journey had been
accomplished, we came to an island in the river to which we waded, and
there,
between two large trees, dug a hole and
deposited our treasure. We replaced the sod over the spot, taking
the utmost precaution to conceal every sign of having disturbed the
ground. Though no
Indians
had been seen for several days, a sharp lookout was kept in all directions
for fear that some lurking savage might have been watching our movements.
This task finished, with much lighter burdens,
but more anxious than ever, we again took up
our march eastwardly, and, thus relieved, were able to carry a greater
quantity of provisions.
Having journeyed until we supposed we were
within a few miles of the settlements, some of our number, scarcely able
to travel, thought the best course to pursue would be to divide the
company; one portion to press on, the weaker ones to proceed by easier
stages, and when the advance arrived at the settlements, they were to send
back a relief for those plodding on wearily behind them. Soon a few
who were stronger than the others reached
Independence,
Missouri,
and immediately sent a party with horses to bring in their comrades; so,
at last, all got safely to their homes.
In the spring of 1829, Major Bennett Riley of
the United States army was ordered with four companies of the Sixth
Regular Infantry to march out on the Trail as the first military escort
ever sent for the protection of the caravans of traders going and
returning between Western
Missouri
and Santa Fe.
Captain Philip St. George Cooke, of the Dragoons, accompanied the command,
and kept a faithful journal of the trip, from which, and the official
report of Major Riley to the Secretary of War, I have interpolated here
copious extracts.
The journal of Captain Cooke states that the
battalion marched from
Fort
Leavenworth, which was then called a cantonment, and, strange to say,
had been abandoned by the Third Infantry on account of its unhealthiness.
It was the 5th of June that Riley crossed the
Missouri
at the cantonment, and recrossed the river again at a point a little above
Independence, in order to avoid the Kaw, or
Kansas,
which had no ferry.
After five days' marching, the command arrived
at Round Grove, where the caravan had been ordered to rendezvous and wait
for the escort. The number of traders aggregated about seventy-nine men,
and their train consisted of thirty-eight wagons drawn by mules and
horses, the former preponderating. Five days' marching, at an
average of fifteen miles a day, brought them to Council Grove.
Leaving the Grove, in a short time Cow Creek was reached, which at that
date abounded in fish; many of which, says the journal, "weighed several
pounds, and were caught as fast as the line could be handled." The
captain does not describe the variety to which he refers; probably they
were the buffalo--a species of sucker, to be found to-day in every
considerable stream in
Kansas.
Having reached the Upper Valley, bordered by
high sand hills, the journal continues:
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