'Memories of a Bear Hunter 



of McCartney, they stopped, with their cars 

 pricked up. McCartney recognized the situation 

 at once and prepared to act. In the meantime the 

 Indians, noticing the action of the horses, rushed 

 forward and opened fire on McCartney and com- 

 panion, who by this time were in full run to a 

 willow thicket about two hundred and fifty yards 

 up the valley. They were not hit, and in a short 

 time were under cover, firing back at the Indians. 

 These had no time to waste, and cutting the lash 

 rope of the pack animal, took only the horse. 



It so happened that Col. Sturgis, of the Seventh 

 Cavalry, who was then, near the lower outlet of 

 Clark's Fort Canon, watching for the Nez Perces, 

 had sent two scouts with dispatches for General 

 Howard, who was following up the Nez Perces. 

 In moving around to avoid the Indians, they had 

 missed General Howard and were on the way to 

 Fort Ellis, traveling the same trail by which this 

 Indian scouting party was returning. The two 

 parties met on Black Tail Deer Creek. With the 

 two scouts, Goff and Leonard, was an Indian boy 

 of about fifteen years, a protege of Goff. The 

 Indians discovered the approach of the white men, 

 and had time to prepare an ambush for them. 

 Some of them hid in the willow brush within ten 

 feet of the trail ; the others took positions on a hill, 



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