LIFEINTHEFARWEST. 93 



Upper California. La Bonte, with three others, determined to 

 follow the thieves, recover their animals, and then rejoin the other 

 tvv'o (Luke and Rube) on a creek two days' journey from their 

 present camp. Starting at sunrise, they rode on at a rapid pace all 

 day, closely following the trail, which led directly to the northwest, 

 through a wretched sandy country, without game or water. From 

 the appearance of the track, the Indians must still have been sev- 

 eral hours ahead of them, when the fatigue of their horses, suffering 

 from want of grass and water, compelled them to camp near the 

 head of a small Water-course, where they luckily found a hole con- 

 taining a little water, whence a broad Indian trail passed, appa- 

 rently frequently used. Long before daylight they were again in 

 the saddle, and, after proceeding a few miles, saw the lights of 

 several fires a short distance ahead of them. Halting here, one of 

 the party advanced on foot to reconnoiter, and presently returned 

 with the intelligence that the party that they were in pursuit of 

 had joined a village numbering thirty or forty huts. 



Loosening their girths, they permitted their tired animals to feed 

 Dn the scanty herbage which presented itself, while they refreshed 

 themselves with a pipe of tobacco — for they had no meat of any 

 description with them, and the country afforded no game. As the 

 first streak of dawn appeared in the east, they mounted their 

 horses, after first examining their rifles, and moved cautiously 

 toward the Indian village. As it was scarcely light enough for 

 their operations, they waited behind a sandhill in the vicinity, 

 until objects became more distinct, and then, emerging from their 

 cover with loud war-whoops, they charged abreast mto the midst 

 of the village. 



As the frightened Indians were scarcely risen from their beds, no 

 opposition was given to the daring mountaineers, who, rushing upon 

 the flying crowd, discharged their rifles at close quarters, and then, 

 springing from their horses, attacked them knife in hand, and only 

 ceased the work of butchery when nine Indians lay dead upon the 



