196 Life of a Fossil Hunter 



in splendid spirits when I knew that they were 

 safe. 



Having rescued this valuable material from the 

 warehouse, I returned to the Gulch without seeing 

 an Indian, to find the people still in a state of great 

 excitement. General Howard had sent word that 

 the men could put themselves under the leadership 

 of Colonel Bernard, each citizen furnishing his own 

 mount and arms, but receiving his rations from the 

 Government. I tried to raise a company of men to 

 accept this offer, but not a man cared to go. At 

 last, heartily tired of staying in camp, I asked for a 

 volunteer to go with me to the John Day valley to 

 find out how Mr. Mascall and the old man at the 

 stage station were getting on. No one would go at 

 first, but later Mr. Leander Davis, who was for 

 many years a fossil hunter for Professor Marsh, 

 agreed to go with me; and packing a horse with 

 blankets and supplies, we started. 



We were relieved to find both men well, and no 

 sign of Indians. Continuing our journey east, we 

 crossed the south fork of the John Day, and all 

 doubts as to the movements of the Indians were re- 

 moved. For a wide trail, cut deeply into the dry 

 soil by six thousand horses and the three hundred 

 Indians who were driving them north, led down the 

 slope and followed up the main fork on the Canyon 

 City road. 



