THE INDIAN SCARE. 101 



The windows of a block of brick buildings were being 

 boarded up for the women and children to take refuge in 

 when the attack should commence. Everybody was in the 

 streets, most of the women crying and the children howling. 

 There was no possibility of doing my business that evening, 

 so I returned to camp. The infection, however, had spread 

 to it, and I found my men anxiously waiting for news. 

 They begged me to let them hitch the mules to the waggons 

 and drive for safety to the city. I peremptorily refused, and 

 told them the idea of Indians attacking or even coming 

 near with hostile intent such a big place as Denver City was 

 utter nonsense. Though were they to try to take it they 

 could do so easily enough, since in their present state of mind 

 one half of the citizens would die of fright, while the 

 surviving one would run away. That as to the murdered 

 family, I believed selling whisky to Indians had been at 

 the bottom of that affair. But if they liked they might 

 park the waggons in good defensive shape, discharge and 

 then reload their arms, and thus generally prepare for 

 defence. 



This I did for no other reason than that I thought doiDg 

 something and firing off their weapons would inspirit them, 

 arid make them feel better contented and more satisfied. 

 Two or three old hands were cool enough, but some of the 

 rest were in a tremble of excitement. What does the reader 

 suppose one of them did ? He was a fine young fellow, con- 

 sidered to be of good courage, and from boyhood had been 

 accustomed to use both rifle and shot-gun. He discharged his 

 weapon in the air, took a box of Ely's caps out of his waist- 

 coat-pocket a full box deliberately poured all the caps 



