78 EIvDORADO 



then, poor fellow, and he never knew what killed him 

 — his head had been cut in, in his sleep. The other 

 groaned as he died. The Delawares (we had four 

 with ns) were sleeping at that fire, and they sprang up 

 as the Klamaths charged them. One of them caught 

 up a gun, which was unloaded, but although he could 

 not do execution, he kept them at bay, fighting like a 

 soldier and didn't give up until he died bravely. 



"As soon as I had called out, I saw there were In- 

 dians in the camp, and I and Owens together cried 

 out : 'Indians !' There were no orde. s given ; things 

 went on too fast, and the Colonel had men with him 

 that didn't need to be told to do their duty. The 

 Colonel and I, Maxwell, Godey and Stepp jumped to- 

 gether — we six — and ran to the assistance of our Del- 

 awares. I don't know who fired and who didn't, but 

 I think it was Stepp's shot that killed the Klamath 

 chief, for it was at the crack of Stepp's gun that he 

 fell. He had an English half-ax slung to his wrist by 

 a cord, and there were 40 arrows left in his quiver — 

 the most beautiful and warlike arrows I ever saw. He 

 must have been the bravest man among them from the 

 wav he was armed and judging by his cap. When 

 the Klamaths saw him fall thev ran, but we lav, every 

 man with his rifle cocked, until davlight, expecting an- 

 other attack. In the morning we found bv the tracks 

 that from iq to 20 of the Klamaths had attacked us. 

 'rhev had killed three of our men and wounded one 

 of the Delawares, who scalped the chief, whom we left 

 where he fell. Our dead men we carried on mules; 

 but after going about 10 miles we found it impossible 

 to get them any further throueh the thick timber, and 

 finding a secret place we buried them under logs and 



