142 MAETIN'S HISTORY. 



we had all been murdered by the Sioux on the Republican 

 River. 



I remained two days at the ranche luxuriating in new bread, 

 butter and cream, and a comfortable bed. And here I may as 

 well say something of my host, as he was a good specimen of 

 what can be done by perseverance and pluck. 



He had come out from England about twenty-five years 

 before, having been a groom in a racing-stable, and his love of 

 fighting was always getting him into trouble. He had worked 

 for wages in the Eastern States till he had saved enough to 

 start with on his own account, when he had moved west, and 

 had put up a house on the stage line between Nebraska city, 

 on the Missouri River, and California. Here he had kept a 

 station, where the overland stage changed horses and the 

 passengers passed the night. This he had gradually added to, 

 and had enclosed fields, till he had a good ranche, which he 

 worked with the help of one man and his wife and sons, finding 

 a ready sale for all he raised to the freighters who were con- 

 tinually passing. The life had been a very hard one at first, 

 and they had to be constantly on their guard against Indians, 

 who on several occasions ran off animals and fired into the 

 ranche, but had never ventured to attack it. He told me that 

 two of his sons, the eldest being only nine, were one evening 

 bringing in the cows, both of them riding one horse bare- 

 backed, and that when about a mile from the ranche, some 

 Sioux, who had no doubt been lying in wait for them, suddenly 

 appeared and chased them, yelling as only Indians can. The 

 boys, though frightened, stuck to the cattle, and brought them 

 in safely, closely followed by the Indians, who were driven off 

 by Martin and his eldest son, as they happened to see them 



