BANCROFT LIBRARY o THE LIBRARY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA UNDER the above title will be issued, in rapid succession, a series of stories by the most popular Foreign and American authors. These will be stories with a single continuous plot, containing the pith of what in more pretentious works is usually extended over a wide field. The series will be hand somely printed, tastefully bound in cloth, and published at 75 cents. No. 1. THE COMING RACE. By BULWER LYTTON. "Together with his usual strength of style and power of arousing interest, ' The Coming Race ' contains a vein of philosophy peculiarly inter esting to those who study social questions and science." No. a. THE BELLS. A Romantic Story from the French novel, " Le Juif Polonais." By MM. ERCKMANN-CHATRIAN, authors, also, of the play "The Bells," which is founded upon this story. No. 3. POWDER AND GOLD. A Story of the Franco- Prussian War. From the German of LEVIN SCHtlCKING. No. 4. A BROWN-STONE FRONT. A Story of New York Society. By CHANDOS FULTON. No. 5. THE MAIDEN OF TREPPI. A Romance of the Apennines. From the German of PAUL HEYSE. No. 6. NOT IN THEIR SET ; OR, DIFFERENT CIR CLES OF SOCIETY. From the German of MARIE LENZEN. No. 7. HELENS MORTEN. From the German of PAUL HEYSK. HENRY I. HINTON, Publisher, No. 744 BROADWAY, NEW YORK. BUCKSKIN MO8E; OB, LIFE FROM THE LAKES TO THE PACIFIC, AS ACTOR, CIRCUS-RIDER, DETECTIVE, RAJST- G-ER, G-OLD-DIG-G-ER, INDIAN SCOUT. AND G-UIDE. WRITTEN BY HIMSELF. 'There nre more things in heaven nnd earth, Horatio, Than are dreamt of in your philosophy." HAMLET. EDITED, AND WITH ILLUSTRATIONS, BY C. G. ROSENBERG. i NEW YORK: HENRY L. HINTON, PUBLISHER, 744 BROADWAY. 1873. 34 X Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1873, by CUETIS B. HAWLEY, In the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington. Stereotyped at the WOMEN'S PRINTING HOUSE, 50, 58 and 60 Park Street, New York. PREFACE. As a young author, although scarcely what the world would consider a young man, I should scarcely feel inclined to say a word in presenting this volume to it, were it not that I wish the public to comprehend one of the two reasons which have induced me to write it. As it would be idle, even for a man of decided literary genius, to deny that pecuniary profit is, in most instances, the incentive to the exercise of his power, so, in a humbler fashion (for I consider myself a man of no genius), I will scarcely affirm that I do not look with a degree of longing on the possible suc cess of my first effort. Let me, however, frankly say that I have another and a stronger reason for writing this work. While hoping that I have not thrust this into undue promi nence, as I have, in every case, made it secondary to the facts which are detailed, it is my wish to demonstrate to the public of the United States, that the manner in which the Government pro tects the settler is neither good for him nor for the Indian. It must equally fail in satisfying its children and its vassals. At times, it leaves the first totally unprotected. When they grow accustomed to the habit of self-protection, it not infrequently represses the sturdy independence thus begotten, instead of guid ing it by the ability, wisdom, and honesty of its appointed offi cials. In like manner, it has no settled course of policy with the latter. At one time it bribes, and at another, it lashes them into subjection. Perhaps, the settler is not entirely elevated in character, nor the Indian thoroughly debased. But this wavering and uncertain line of policy cannot do otherwise than lower the nature of the first, while it certainly cannot raise that of the last. That one considers his Government as weak and capricious, while this one believes it to be both tyrannical and asinine. In addition to this, those who are selected to command the troops employed in the neighborhood of the Reservations, or to act as Indian Agents, are, in nine cases out of ten, utterly igno- 6 PREFACE. rant of the nature of the savage with whom they have to deal, the character of the country in which they have to move ; and, in the lattsr position, not infrequently deficient in one of the cardinal virtues that of honesty. In this last case, they will not only dis gust the settler, but enrage the savage, who. on the score of his own dishonesty and treachery, is far less disposed to smile at these vices in others, when he himself suffers from their exercise. The false philanthropy, also, is deeply injurious, which believes in the possibility of guiding uneducated nature without a due degree of compulsory restriction. If in mentioning these few points in relation to the dealings of our Government with the white settler and the red-skin, I awaken the attention of the public to the real obstacles for the preserva tion of a steady and creditable peace on the Indian territory and in the Reservations, without the complete extermination of the original inhabitants of my country, I shall be satisfied. Nor do I feel that I have said nearly as much, nor said it one-tenth as strongly, as the necessity for plain speaking might have justified me in doing. Before concluding, I would, however, call attention to oife por tion of my volume which, without corroborative proof, might cause considerable doubt as to my veracity. This is my positive mention of the existence of Masonry, of my own knowledge, among the Cheyennes, and by hearsay from them, among other Western tribes. If I am right, it was in 1854, that Judge Harrison, of Red Bluffs, in California, with his wife and children, was captured by the Cheyennes. Like myself, he was a Mason, and was indebted to that circumstance for the liberation of himself and his family. This he told me in Susanville, where he afterwards died. "When he mentioned this circumstance to me, he showed me a war-club presented to him, which was almost identical in its decorative carv ing with my own, and which is now, or lately was, in the pos session of his widow. Nor have I any reason to doubt that there may be others now living, who have also been indebted, for a sim ilar immunity, to the fact of their belonging to the Masonic order. While touching upon this, I might also mention that Peter Las- sen, killed by the Indians, at Black Rock, in 1859, was the first Mason who carried a Charter to, and founded the first Masonic Lodge, on the Pacific coast. Peace be with the old man's ashes. ILLUSTRATIONS. PAGE How I SOLD POP-CORN 16 MY CAPTURE OF JACKSON 31 SPOTTING A COUNTERFEITER .34 A SECOND OFFER OF MARRIAGE 63 MY FIRST APPEARANCE IN SUSANVILLE 92 A STRUGGLE FOR LIFE . . . . . . . . 125 THE MONUMENT ERECTED TO PETER LASSEN IN HONEY LAKE VALLEY 102 BEING REQUESTED TO CHANGE TREES . . . . 119 BOUND TO THE STAKE . 140 AN UNEXPECTED ALLY 155 CLO-KE-TA'S WARNING 222 TAKING PAYMENT . 249 CHAPTER I. MY FIRST EXPERIENCE IN THE CIRCUS AN ACCIDENT AND A CHANGE OF CALLING FAMILY AFFECTION POP-CORN A LIT TLE CHEEK, AND A GREAT DEAL OF DISMAY SUCCESS AS A DEALER IN GRAIN BEING AN ACTOR CAUGHT AGAIN BLOOD, AND ITS CONSEQUENCES BAILED OUT, AND IN AGAIN THE GOOD-NATURED IRISHMAN CHANGE OF VENUE ANOTHER PROFESSION. ACTOR, trapper, scout, gold-digger, and guide, my life, very unlike that of most of my readers, has been one of plenty of change and adventure, but certainly not of money-making. They say " A rolling stone gathers no moss." I have had good reason to feel this proverbial truth, having been a wanderer on the face, if not of this earth, at all events, of this continent. My earliest recollection, which is worth my own remembrance, is a decidedly unpleasant one. When no more than eight years of age I was connected with the Circus of Dan Rice. Necessarily, I was a very unimportant member of it; and not feeling that it was in every respect what I thought a circus-life ought to be, I took it into my head to run away from it. Before I had covered sufficient ground to get out of the agent's reach, he caught me, and I had the gratification of being very well and soundly flogged. The smart of this judicial visitation upon my skin still recurs to me at times, and renders the locality in Kentucky, where the flogging took place, a very sore spot in my memory. I consequently will not name it. 10 BUCKSKIN HOSE. In spite of this escapade, I gradually became a pro ficient in bare-back riding, vaulting, on the slack-rope and in the trapeze-performance, excelling all the boys attached to the circus, and in consequence became the pet of Old Dan, with whom I remained for three years. My youthful ambition to shine in this career was, how ever, brought to an untimely close. An uncle of mine discovered me on the Mississippi, and immediately wrote to my father, who, at the time I left home, had been the landlord of the United States Hotel in Ga lena. Making a somewhat wrathful pilgrimage in search of his missing offspring, he caught up with me at some small place in Kentucky, reclaimed me from the vocation of my choice, and after taking me home and chastising me in a truly parental fashion, bound me out as an apprentice to the village blacksmith. It would be needless to say, that the forge was by no means as pleasant an occupation, to my youthful mind, as the daring life on the sawdust of the arena. Some six months after, I forgot the parental scourge, and wrote a letter to the manager of Older and Orton's Circus, which was then performing at Portage City, "Wisconsin. What sort of a letter it was, I can now scarcely tell. But my education had not been remarkable in its extent, and it may be presumed the orthography as well as the calligraphy, possibly, astonished him who received it. If so, he never mentioned the fact to me, but returned me a favorable answer. Consequently, I once more made tracks, and joined ihem for the season. Here I was so successful, and became such a general favorite, that I received the offer of a star-engagement from Levi North, with whom I remained until an injury BUCKSKIN MOSE. 11 received on the occasion of my benefit, in the execution of an unusually daring feat of horsemanship, brought our connection to an end. The company were obliged to leave me behind them hi Chicago. My recovery was slow and tedious. Although my professional brethren displayed great kindness to me, in every way, the means I had made, even with their as sistance, were insufficient for my needs. Once or twice, I thought of writing to my relatives in Galena. The supposable wrath of my paternal proprietor, however, deterred me from doing so. The shiver of filial fear at his retributive justice induced me to make an effort to support myself in a new field. This was in a grocery store at the corner of Randolph and Deer- borne streets, kept by a man named Martin. It was a widely different sphere of exertion from that in which my previous employment had been cast, as well as one even more different from that in which I was after wards to make my mark. Often, since, I have laughed over this period of my life. In the Forge and the Cir cus, I had learnt much which might fit me for my fut ure. But, it is somewhat curious for Buckskin Mose ever to have figured in peddling or carrying out tea and sugar, potted fruits and whiskey, with other such necessaries and luxuries, from a corner-grocery. But I was not destined to continue at this work for any length of time. One day, a fire occurred on the premises, and in endeavoring to rescue a keg of brandy from the flames, I slipped upon the ice in front of the store it was then midwinter and broke my arm. This untoward accident threw me again out of em ployment, and I remember my angry feelings while the doctor was placing my maimed limb in splints, and I 12 BUCKSKIN MOSE. was thinking what I could do for a living. Some few days after, when, worn out by the suffering and con- pulsory inaction consequent upon this accident, I was wandering through the streets, I stumbled upon another uncle of mine. He was one of the millionnaires of Chicago. As many men have grown rich by the sudden growth of the cities in which they live, rather than by their own efforts, he had gained his dollars. But in doing so, he had for gotten his love for those who bore his name. At any rate, he had done so for me, as far as extending me any helping hand in my immediate necessity. " You must work, my boy ! Only see what I have done. No friends assisted me. I began at the lowest rung of the ladder, and now I am pretty well off in the world. God bless you ! " Then he tapped me on the shoulder in a benevolent manner, and walked on, never thinking of assisting the beneficence he had asked to bless me. But I had to live. With my broken arm, what was there left for me to attempt? Davy Crockett mentions the shell-corn business at one period of his eventful life, as having suggested itself to him. Why should not I become a pop-corn merchant in a humble approach to the calling the hero of Kentucky had once followed. But, to my intense disgust, on diligent inquiry, I could find no pop-corn in the whole of Chicago, whether for love or money, save in one store. The amount de manded for this was thirty dollars. Of the last article mentioned above money I had none. Of the first, I had plenty. But this was not a circulating medium. As, with my unlamed hand, I was scraping my forehead in the hope of exhuming an idea, I looked up and BUCKSKIN MOSE. 13 found myself in front of a grocery store. Its owner was standing behind the counter. His face wore a benevo lent and kindly expression. At no time in my life, from that in which I ran away from Dan Rice's Circus, have I been long in forming a determination. So I walked in, and asked him for the loan of the money, with which I intended to monopolize the pop-corn trade. " Thirty dollars ! " he exclaimed. He was profoundly astonished, and on reflection, I am compelled to say, well he might be. " That's the exact sum I want," was my answer. "But, young fellow! you're an entire stranger to me." " So you are to me," I undauntedly replied. " I don't know you from Adam or any other fellow. But I like your face, and so, if you want a lift, I don't mind taking you with me into the pop-corn business." He smiled. His smile was indeed a full-fed and jolly laugh. " Well ! " he said, " upon my word, I rather like your frank cheek. We'll go and see about it." The result of the inquiries of Mr. Dobbs, the grocer in question, was that lie not only advanced me the money to purchase the whole stock, but allowed me to store the corn in his own establishment. At the time it did not strike me as being so, but was doubtless the result of a sagacious forethought, as, should I fail in keeping my daily accounts square, he could easily fore close on my stock-in-trade. Be this as it may, Mr. Dobbs did more for me. All well-regulated communi ties indulge in the licensing business to a greater or less extent. So did, and probably does, Chicago. The unlicensed sale of pop-corn would have been a risky af- 14: BUCKSKIN MOSE. fair. "When he told me this, my face fell. How was I to get a license. Mr. Dobbs was equal to the emergency on this occa sion, also. " Come along with me to the Mayor." It was the first occasion on which I had ever stood in the actual presence of such a high civic dignitary. The introduction was an era in my life. It would have been in that of any boy. The reader may therefore imagine that my equanimity, which my new friend had thought proper to denominate " cheek," felt somewhat abashed, as the magistrate looked up from his desk, and gazing, as I fancied, sternly at me, said : " What is the matter now, Mr. Dobbs ? " " Mr. Mayor," responded Mr. Dobbs, " I wish to intro duce to you a young friend of mine, who wishes to take out a license to sell pop-corn." " It will be a hundred and fifty dollars." I looked from the Mayor to my new friend. One hundred and fifty dollars ! Where' was the money to come from ? I never before felt so near whimpering. Very certainly, I have never since. My boyhood must be remembered, as an apology for this tendency on my part. I was unable, in the extremity of my trouble, to ntter a word of entreaty. " He has no money, Mr. Mayor ! " answered Mr. Dobbs. " So you must deal as kindly as possible with him." The magistrate laughed, not at what my friend had said, but at my painful look of dismay. Mr. Dobbs also chuckled slightly. Then the Mayor observed : " I will see what can be done for the lad. He seems a bright young fellow." BUCKSKIN MOSE. 15 After saying tins, lie named the most liberal terms for the license, and when it was made out by his clerk and Mr. Dobbs had paid for it, with a very low bow, I turned to leave the office. At this moment a gentle man entered, whom the Mayor introduced to my bene factor. After doing so, he was beginning to mention what I had come to him for, when the new-comer turned to me, saying : " Why, I know this young lad. He is my nephew." The Mayor gazed at me and Mr. Dobbs, with some considerable surprise, as he ejaculated: "Indeed!" I felt that my face had crimsoned up to the very roots of my hair, but my reply was prompt and very bitter: " You are entirely wrong, sir ! " It was impossible for me to avoid recalling the fact that he had not made me the slightest offer of assistance, while my generous benefactor had not only loaned me money, but given me some three hours of his time the last, possibly, being the greatest amount of kindness. " How ? " said my nncle, knitting his brows. " Are not you the son of Mr. , of Galena \ " "Yes." " And you were born there ? " " Of course, I was." " Your father had a brother in this city ? " " I know he had." " Then, I am that brother and your uncle. You know it, for you spoke to me only yesterday." " Did I ? " was my angry exclamation. Making another bow to the Mayor, I turned and 16 BUCKSKIN MOSE. walked out, leaving my disgusted uncle to stare, and, if he was given to profanity, to swear after me. The pop-corn business, so strangely commenced, grew and prospered. From my one small basket, it gradu ally extended itself. At last a regiment or rather one small company of boys with cans containing it, with the name of " Mose " painted on them, strapped upon their shoulders, sold pop-corn in the streets, the cars, the theatres, and the hotels. Why or how I came to take the name of "Mose," it is perhaps difficult to say. But I had commenced life in the Circus, when the " Mose " of Chanfrau was an universally quoted name throughout the country. It had been my name on the bills with Dan Rice, Older and Orton, and Levi North. Remaining in my memory, it probably stuck to me when I embarked in my new calling. Comparative wealth seemed to be pouring in on me. In a measure, I was becoming not only a lad of means, but somewhat locally celebrated under the name of my adoption. To account for my rapidly gaining money,' it must be remembered that one bushel of shelled, makes eleven of popped corn. My profits were consequently in pro portion, even if the whole trade of Chicago, in this thriftily manufactured commodity, had not been in my hands. With the termination of my winter's sale of pop-corn which closed, 1 may state, with gratification, with as much gain for the good Mr. Dobbs as for myself, I had again to think of employment. Luckily, the results of my two accidents were now entirely healed, and although 1 could scarcely have risked appearing yet in the circus, I saw no reason to preclude me from going behind the " The pop-corn business, so strangely commenced, .grew and pros pered. Page 16. BUCKSKIN MOSE. 17 footlights. After some difficulty, theatricals being less overstocked then, than now, I obtained an engagement at Rice's, latterly known as MacYicker's Theatre. It was here decided that comic business was my " line," and the public, not unnaturally, were more than kind to one whom pop-corn had made a sort of favorite. However, it was not until the following winter that a positive success rewarded me in my new profession. I had been offered an engagement by Langrish and At- water, of Wisconsin, and accepted it. This was when I had nearly reached the rawly ripe age of sixteen. These managers gave me every chance of displaying what talent I chanced to have. Not only were such parts as Ragged Pat and the Irish Tutor intrusted to me, but I shone also with, I now suspect, a somewhat doubtful light in u The Flying Dutchman," " The Spec tre Bridegroom," " Nick of the Woods," and " Ten Nights in a Bar-room." Irishman, Dutchman, Cockney, Yorkshireman, and Yankee all came indifferently to my share. Bright visions of future reputation as a legitimate actor began to rise upon me ; but at the close of this season, the difficulty of procuring another engagement forced me to become a theatrical Arab in Yankee Simpson's travelling company. After a brief wandering under their tent, I dissolved my connection with it, and returned to my last year's Eldorado Chicago. The reason for my taking this step, it is unnecessary to put in print. The theatrical profession will readily divine it, when they are told that shortly after, I formed a not unimportant member of a joint-stock travelling company, which for the next six months ran through Illinois and Wisconsin. We had 18 BUCKSKIN MOSE. reached Racine, in the latter State, when our co-operative speculation came to a sudden end. One morning, on quitting our virtuous couches, we found that the bed on which our treasurer reposed had not been tenanted. The vagabond had " absquatulated " with the whole of the joint-stock funds. Here was a situation for the future Forrests, Placides, Broughams, and Jeffersons of the American stage for, as such, we considered ourselves. We were "dead broke." Four of these budding reputations, Wolf, Sam Ryan, McManus, and myself, were tendered by the tender hearted public a Benefit, to rescue us from our finan cial difficulties. It need scarcely be said with what a buoyant sense of gratitude its pecuniary results were received by us. Once more, I struck for Chicago. It was in a bee- line. It need scarcely be explained that I, at any rate, was heartily sick of the joint-stock travelling business in theatricals. Here, old Dan Emmett, of Emmett's Varieties, in Randolph Street, Chicago, gave me a short engagement, after the close of which I accompanied Maggie Mitch ell to Milwaukie, where I played with that lady at the Academy of Music. The engagement had been for Miss Mitchell most successful, when one evening my horror may be imag ined at seeing the face of my father among the au dience in front of the scenes. For the moment, I felt as if I should be glad to see the stage open, and sink through it. My tongue seemed cleaving to the roof of my mouth. How I got through my part, it would be BUCKSKIN MOSE. 19 impossible to say. But I managed to do so, and was iu my dressing-room when the call-boy entered and in formed me a gentleman was waiting to see me. "Why was lie let in ? " I roared out. " Please; Mister ! he said he wanted to see you on most important business." Rushing to the window of the dressing-room, I looked out. It was no use of thinking of escape, that way. The room was on the third story. A leap from it was not to be thought of, even if the loose brick and timber piled at the base of the wall of the theatre had not ren dered it doubly a mad experiment. Delaying as long as I could, I was at last forced to descend. It was, 011 my part, a decidedly unrehearsed scene in real life. I do not like to speak of my father's remonstrance, or the tears which accompanied his appeal to me to return home. My pride prevented me from weeping, but it could scarcely do so. And, indeed, when he took some considerable blame to himself for having thrown me upon this (as he was pleased to call it) vag abond life, I am not quite certain that my eyes were not wet as well as his. Suffice it, that, at the close of my present engage ment, I consented to comply with his wishes, and re nounce the stage. Then, and only then, he left me. On my way home, at the close of the performances, in Milwaukie, of Maggie Mitchell, I had determined to pause for a day or two with a friend who was then in Waukegan. Lewis was considerably older than myself, and since we had first met I had become much attached to him, as youth generally does to greater years when they choose to associate with it. Here occurred my third physical misadventure. 20 BUCKSKIN MOSE. One evening, while walking, with him, down the principal street, a man, in company with several others, accosted him. What words were interchanged between them, I can scarcely recollect. All I know, is, that it was one of those inexplicable quarrels which arise about females. They came to blows, and endeavoring to separate the two, I received a heavy one upon my jaw from a slung- shot, which knocked out two of my back teeth, and stretched me senseless on the ground. After this I knew nothing more, save that when I recovered con sciousness I was led to the room of Lewis, by himself. While lying upon the bed, not yet aware of the full ex tent of the injury done me, I was recalled to my com plete senses by a terrific clamor in the street. Then, for the first time, I learnt from Lewis that he had made short work of one of the gang who had attacked him, by stabbing him fatally. The infuriated populace had followed us, and had determined upon lynching both, as speedily as possible. Lewis looked white, and fearfully scared, as he lis tened to their savage yells. But it must frankly be owned that I was as thoroughly scared as he was ; al though I retained my presence of mind, leapt from the bed, and was about barricading the door of the apart ment because it would have been impossible to prevent them entering the house. Then there came a momen tary pause, and the voice of some one having authority was heard in the street, addressing the crowd. " Thank Heaven ! " cried Lewis. " It is the sheriff." The pause, however, had only been momentary. So wild was the fierce burst of derision that followed, I al most thought my companion had been premature in his BUCKSKIN MOSE. 21 thankfulness. There was a fierce struggle audible with out, which lasted for some few minutes, and then the sheriff and his officers were victorious. They demand ed admittance in the name of the law, and after enter ing the house, arrested Lewis on the charge of murder, and myself as an accomplice. A brief examination, however, soon proved my com plete innocence, and I was discharged, but ordered to give bonds for my appearance against my friend. Of course I was unable to provide the requisite sureties, being an entire stranger ; and in consequence was locked up in the debtors' prison. Here was a situation. With my face swollen from the effects of the blow, two of my teeth knocked out, and my lip and nose fearfully cut, and incarcerated because I could not get bail! Lewis, nevertheless, did not desert me. A stranger in Waukegan who had seen me in Milwaukee, and had heard part of my story from a friend of my father's, recognized my name, and after verifying my identity by ocular proof (it must have been somewhat difficult in my then disfigured condition), wrote the particulars of my trouble to him. He had but just returned to Galena, and was daily expecting me. Only judge what my sur prise must have been, on seeing him one fine morning appear in the place of my confinement. If on our last encounter I would have avoided him, what would I not now have given to have escaped seeing him ; under such circumstances. It seemed, however, that my fears of his reproaches were wrong. He gave bail for my appearance upon the trial at the next term, and took me home with him, without uttering a single reproach. Perhaps, as I have since imagined, he may have 22 BUCKSKIN MOSE. thought all such reproach would have been useless with such a confirmed " ne'er-do-weel " as he must perforce have believed me. At the time appointed I, of course, reappeared in Waukegan. Unfortunately my father had been unable to leave his home, never for an instant imagining his services might again be required. Owing, however, to the incompetency of the District Attorney or the astute ness of my friend's counsel, the trial of the latter was deferred until the succeeding term of Court ; and what was my disgust at finding, having surrendered on my bail, I was again to have a domicile under lock and key until the new trial, unless my parent again put in an appearance upon the scene. But, even while the sheriff was preparing once more to escort me to jail, a voice from among the crowd in the Court-room sang out, in that delicious Irish brogue I had so often endeavored on the stage to imitate with my own tongue : " Would yer honor accept the likes of bail, for the poor boy ? " It must be candidly admitted, that I had never before entertained so warm a love for the Irish brogue. It sounded like perfect music to my ears. Still more did it do so, when, after a brief confab between the Judge and the District Attorney, the proffered bail was ac cepted, and with a kindly but vigorous slap on my back, my new bondsman exclaimed : " Now ! my boy, all I ask of ye, is, that ye don't throw me in for the bail. When ye were shut up be fore, yer face didn't spake much for ye. But now, I couldn't bear to see a good-looking fellow as ye are trotting off to jail for nothing at all." A roar of laughter from those who were present fol- BUCKSKIN MOSE. 23 lowed this speech. Very certainly, as my Irish friend said, my " face didn't spake much for me," upon that previous occasion, if it did possibly justify his warm-heartedness now. But, as the great dramatist says : " One touch of kindness makes the whole world kin ; " and to a certain extent at any rate, on this occasion, it did so. His good ness of heart had struck an answering chord in the bosom of all the spectators. They crowded around me, offering their congratulations, and shaking my hands with a vigor which might have gone far to prove that they would have done the same kindness for me, pro vided they had merely chanced to think of it. Once more, I returned to my father, and resided with him until the Court a third time convened, when I again returned to Waukegan, and proved to the good- hearted Irishman that the lad he had become bondsman for, was not " the boy to throw him in for the bail." ISTow, however, I found that a change of venue had been obtained for the trial, and I was obliged to go to Chicago. It was a fourth time deferred, and on my inability or unwillingness to give new bonds in a city where I could easily have procured bail, I was ordered to prison for a third time. The sheriff, of course, had no discretion allowed him in obeying the order of the Court. He therefore conducted me to prison, when he duly locked the door of my cell upon me. Immediately after, he unlocked it, saying : " Look here, Mose ! I have obeyed orders and locked you, up. Now I have unlocked the door, and am going to let you out, if you choose to act as my deputy." Gladly enough, I consented and entered at once upon my duties. It would perhaps be unnecessary to say that the sheriff had a few years since contributed by his 24 BUCKSKIN MOSE. own patronage to my success as a pop-corn merchant, and had subsequently been acquainted with my theat rical struggles. In addition to this, he had heard the history of my connection with the case, and felt a kindly disposition to befriend one who had been un fairly implicated in the matter from the beginning. CHAPTER II. As A DETECTIVE HUNTING UP A HORSE AND BUGGY A RUN AWAY FROM THE SHERIFF ON THE TRACK THE HIDDEN CORPSE FOLLOWING THE MURDERER UP STRUGGLE AND CAPTURE QUICK JUSTICE A GOOD "UTILITY" MAN MOS QUITOES AND AN OLD STEAM-BOILER" How RICH YOU BE" BECOMING A RUM-SELLER WHAT is IN THE BONE WILL OUT OF THE FLESH. As his deputy, I endeavored conscientiously to answer the good opinion of the sheriff. Suffice it, I so far suc ceeded, that he recommended me very strongly to Pink- erton, the celebrated detective of Chicago. At this time, Pinkerton was going to Waukegan for the purpose of arranging the means with the authorities there for breaking up a gang of counterfeiters, then flooding the whole of Northern Illinois and Southern Wisconsin with bogus money. x\fter a brief interview with me, Pinkerton appointed me upon his staff,, and on his return from Waukegan, left me in that city. Shortly after this, I received a telegram from my chief. It stated that a man, very gentlemanly in ap pearance (his description was given), had stolen a horse and buggy in Chicago. The fellow had gone northward, and Waukegan was designated as the place where he might probably fetch up. When I received the despatch I was with the sheriff, and had just handed it to him, when an individual drove up with a horse and buggy, both of which closely answered Pinkerton's description. This person was 2 20 BUCK8KIN M08K. hailed with the familiarity whose command is peculiar to the functionaries of the Law, and as politely, and with even more oppressive familiarity, requested to " Get out ! " The stranger was necessitated to obey this peremptory injunction, and requested information of its object in a blandly imperturbable manner. u You are my prisoner," curtly responded the sheriff. " For what, sir?" demanded the man. " For stealing that horse and buggy." " Good God ! " was the instantaneous ejaculation. " You were never more mistaken in your life." Certainly, the rascal would have made his fortune upon the stage, his look of astonishment was so perfect, while the touch of indignation in his manner heightened this appearance on his part so admirably. The sheriff looked at me as if in doubt. I nodded my head slightly. That which the fellow was only doing as an amateur, was within my professional experience. " Yes, sir ! you are the man," replied the sheriff. " In a few minutes," said the stranger, " I will prove to you, you are the most mistaken man in the world." "How?" " Do you know Mr. Sutherland, sir 1 " He had named one of the most prominent citizens in Waukegan. " Very well, indeed ! " was the response of the sher iff. "Jump in my buggy, then, and we'll drive to his house. There, I can readily convince you, you are thoroughly mistaken." " All right," ejaculated the sheriff. In spite of my remonstrating look, he jumped into BUCKSKIN MO8E. 27 the buggy, followed by the stranger, and they drove off. It would be needless to detail my reflections. The reader, if gifted with a fair share of acumen, can readily determine them. In less than three-quarters of an hour the horse and buggy once more appeared, driven by the sheriff, lie had been making the poor animal pay for his obtuscness. . " Well ! " I inquiringly uttered. " When we arrived at Sutherland's," said the local official, " the fellow got out and rang the bell. He was some time in waiting for the door to be opened. Then, he told me he would ' go round the house to the back door, and wake them up.' I waited some time longer, when the front door was opened by one of Mr. Suther land's servants. Naturally enough, I got out, expecting to see the man within the house. Would you believe it, the rascal had never entered it." " Very decidedly I should," was my exclamation. Jumping into the buggy, I requested the sheriff, it is to be feared in a somewhat too dictatorial tone, to " lay it into the horse," and drive back. On arriving at Mr. Sutherland's, I asked him to indicate to me the way the man had gone. lie could only point out the side of the house the runaway had passed round. Leaping out, I prepared to track him. It was then, that, for the first time in my life, I discovered, I possessed something of that sleuth-like certainty and readiness, which fitted me for portion of my future career. The morning had been somewhat damp, and by the help of the print his feet had left upon a field at the back of Mr. Sutherland's dwelling, the fellow's track was distinctly visible for some half a mile. Here, the 28 BUCKSKIN MOSE. broken branches and twigs of a low hedge proved that he had crossed it into a lane. On the damp sandy gravel his track was even clearer. Then, he had encountered some one else, and near this spot traces of a recent struggle were apparent. From this point I could merely see one track, and was induced to believe there had been foul play, and that the fellow I was in chase of, had contin ued his flight alone. This led me to make a brief search in the neighborhood of the spot on which the scuffle had taken place. Just beyond the fence, roughly con cealed by torn-up branches, lay the dead body of a man. The skull had been crushed in as if by the blow of a heavy club, and the pockets were turned inside out. I raised the arm of the corpse with ease. The muscles were limp and flaccid, not having had time to stiffen. It was evident that the murder had but recently been committed. My future trapper instinct was strong upon me, and I pursued the one trail for some mile and a half farther. There it was lost upon a stretch of higher and harder soil into which the lane had widened. Half an hour was spent in vainly trying to detect it, and then I made up my mind to return to the town, and give in telligence to the authorities that a murder had been committed. After doing this, and reinforcing my somewhat jaded system with a draught of good Monongahela, I returned with the local police to the place where I had found the 'body. On the way, I had made inquiries about the locality, and found that some half a mile beyond the spot where I had lost the trail, I should reach the main road, which led to Shiloh. Convinced now that the man was a determined ruffian, my young professional pride was BUCKSKIN MOSE. 29 aroused, and the determination was already formed by me to capture him. Consequently, on reaching the scene of the murder, I left the authorities to convey the corpse to Waukegan, and recommenced my pursuit, making every possible inquiry at the houses and farms near the road, until I arrived at Shiloh. But I have neglected to state, that on my return to Waukegan I had disguised myself as thoroughly as possible, and placed in the pockets of my disguise a pair of darbies, (handcuffs) a revolver, and a brass-knuckle. The suspected murderer, and now known horse-thief, was a man of robust, almost of Her culean build. When recognized in the buggy, he had been dressed in the most fashionable style. Added to this, he had sported black flowing locks, with a dark and well-trimmed beard. He had now to be found in what ever other guise of dress or complexion he might choose to adopt, for the criminal alias of person or apparel is to the full as perhaps even more variable than that of name. My whole evening was passed in Shiloh, in wander ing from one place of resort to another. As yet, my search had been fruitless. But I never dreamt of failing in it, because I had determined to succeed. I felt certain, I should capture my man. At last, I found myself in a beer-saloon, where, while standing at the bar and in the act of drinking, my eyes fell upon an individual whom I instinctively knew was the criminal I was in chase of. He had, however, un dergone a great change. His beard was cropped, or rather it was shingled off short. As for his hair, it was notched and jagged, as if it had been curried with a comb that had razor-like teeth. His dress was by no 30 BUCKSKIN MOSE. means of that distinguished character which it had borne earlier in the day. This, however, arose more from the apparently slovenly fashion in which it was worn, than any other change in it. It is true, he had been unable to alter his eyes, al though, now, when he was off his guard, their glance was freer and more insolent than it had been when I had first seen him. Besides, he had kept with him a cane which he had carried that morning. This was subsequently a damn ing proof against him, as the sheriff of Waukegan was able, as well as myself, to identify it. When convinced beyond the possibility of doubt that this was the man, I quietly approached him, and dealt him a heavy blow with my brass-knuckles under the jaw. This stretched him upon the floor. In a moment I was seated on his chest and his hands were secured and pinioned. All had been effected so rapidly, that I was again upon my feet, before the by-standers had recovered from their surprise, and, it might almost seem, before the criminal could realize what had occurred. The persons who had been so suddenly rendered mute by the rapidity of my assault upon the scoundrel, now found tongue. They approached me in an anything but friendly guise, demanding what all this meant, and why I had assaulted " Jackson " in this cowardly fash ion. Only two or three, as I ought to mention, had given him this name, and these were decidedly the most disreputable-looking individuals present. Naturally enough, opening my coat, I displayed my official badge, and told them of the murder which the fellow had u This stretched him on the lloor. In a moment, I was seated on his chest, and his hands were secured and pinioned. " Page 30. BUCKSKIN MOSE. 31 committed on the morning just passed, for plunder. The two or three I have alluded to as calling him by name, slunk out, while the rest, changing their tone, complimented me warmly upon the coolness and skill with which they were pleased to say the arrest had been made. As for myself, I must own that when I looked at the thew and muscle of my prostrate captive, I was far more inclined to compliment myself upon the recklessness with which I had, single-handed, effected his capture. Word was immediately despatched to the sheriff, and, by the following morning, Jackson was safely lodged in the jail at Waukegan, the county seat of Lake County. Shortly after this, he was indicted by the Grand Jury, and a change of venue having been granted, he was removed for trial to Chicago ; where, pleading guilty, he was sentenced to be hanged, and paid the penalty of his crime upon the gallows. As for my poor friend Lewis, he had already pleaded guilty to manslaughter, and been sentenced to imprison ment for eight years. lie died before the term of his imprisonment had expired. In those days, in the West, justice was far shorter and sharper than it has recently been in New York. There was more pride in the detection of crime, and considerably readier justice in its punishment. Red- handed murder had especially little chance of escaping the prompt retribution of the Law, and it will, I think, be granted by the inhabitants of the metropolis that the consequent fear was a tolerably fair degree of pres ervation for human life, considering the character of the various elements from which life in that portion of tlio States was then composed. 32 BUCKSKIN MOSE. Having shortly after tins returned to my home, I assumed the position of under-sheriff to my parent, and lived for several months somewhat quietly, being lion ized in no small degree by my friends and neighbors on account of the capture of Jackson. In a few months, however, Pinkerton, who had evidently consid ered me a good " utility " man in the detective line, wanted my services again. He was engaged in ferret ing out a gang of counterfeiters and horse-thieves, who had been circulating bad notes, and thinning out the stables above Chicago. Their base of operations had been made by them at the foot of Little Dalls, now called Dallton. This was some twenty miles above Portage City. Excitement was the only thing I lacked while under my father's wing, and consequently, in spite of his re monstrances, I determined upon accepting the offer of employment which Pinkerton made me. Starting at once, after seeing my chief, I joined the party with whom I was to work, at Madison. Here, after laying our plans, or rather, arranging for the exe cution of those Pinkerton had laid out for us, we sep arated, with the understanding that wherever we met, we were to proceed as if we had been strangers. The following day, myself and a companion found ourselves at Big Bull Falls. It would be unnecessary to trace out our after-route from place to place. For some time we discovered nothing which might afford any clue to the object of our search. At last we arrived at Grand father Bull Falls, when something occurred which con vinced us we had continued too far in that direction. We consequently returned, and took a straight line to wards Black River Woods. BUCKSKIN MOSE. 33 By the bye, the man who gave them this name must have had a hide tanned to the toughness of a leather boot, or he certainly never would have omitted to com memorate the plague of the mosquitoes which infest it. Of all sections of the country populated with this de lightful insect, that I have ever crossed, this is decidedly the worst. So much BO, that I believe it must have been that part of it, in which the man we have heard of, took refuge from these winged atrocities under an old steam- boiler, amusing himself while in his fancied security by (damping their murderous beaks, with an old hammer he chanced to have with him, to the iron shell through which they were penetrating. The result of this style of pro ceeding was perfectly unforeseen by him. In some hour and a half, the muscle of the trapped mosquitoes was sufficiently strong for them to raise the iron shell and fly off with it. Be this as it may, it is a complete purgatory. You, in vain, try to smash one mosquito whose fangs you feel in your forehead. While doing so, another fastens on your nose, and half a dozen more upon either cheek. The amount of profanity they caused on the tongue of myself and my companion, I even now look back upon, with considerable contrition. The whole of this portion of the country, as far as Black Hiver, w r as under Mosquito dominion ; and when we quitted it, it was with the sincere hope, upon my part, that nothing might oblige me to revisit it. When we once more met the balance of our party at Stevens Point, which had been as unsuccessful as our selves in tracking out the game, it is now a question to me how our swollen and disfigured faces could be at all recognizable. 2* 34 BUCKSKIN MOSE. After Borne consultation, it was decided that portion of the party should strike for the Little Eauclaire River, while another should go up the larger stream called the Big Eauclaire. Myself and companion remained for a few days at this place, and finding nothing deter minate, dressed ourselves as raftsmen, in red shirts and overalls, making up our minds to separate. Then, I hired myself out to run the Caughnaut Rapids, on a trip to Plover Portage. It was on our way in return, when "gigging back," as the raftsmen term it, that I first caught a glimpse of success. One of the pilots, had to employ a term well used in the west and south of the States, " cottoned " to me. This was probably on account of my youth and apparent verdancy, as well as my muscle. I was just the sort of fellow he evidently supposed could be em ployed as a green hand in his illegal calling. We had been talking of the ways of living in the Yfest one morning, when he said : " Look here, young fellow, thar's many a way of making enough to live, that's easier than your'n is." " How is that ? " "D'yer see this?" At the same time he pulled out of his pocket a lot of " queer," or counterfeit bills. He must have had more than two hundred dollars of bogus money of different denominations fives, threes, and twos with him. " How rich you be ! " I ejaculated, with an innocent look of wonder. " Do you think so ? " he asked, with a sly wink and chuckle. " Good Lord ! " I cried out, as if the idea had just come to me. " They're not " ' 'D'yer see this?' "At the same time he pulled out of his pocket, a lot of ' queer' or counterfeit bills." Page 34. BUCKSKIN MOSE. 35 " Ya-as ! They ar' but don't make si eh a row about seeing them." As lie said this, lie glanced around as if he had been afraid somebody might have been within earshot of us. " I only wish I could get hold of sonic of the blamed Btllff." " If yer do," replied lie, " I'll introduce yer to them as makes it." " Will you re-eelly, do that I " " Ya-as! young fellow, I will." Accordingly, we started on the day after our return down the river, and having passed Dutchman's Rapids, entered upon what is called the jaws of the Little Dalls, at the Shingle. Thence, going by the Devil's Elbow and the Sag safely enough, we came out at the foot of the Dalls proper. Here my companion showed me the entrance to the cave in which the work of the gang was carried on. He then told me I would have to wait at Portage City, until he could see his fellows in the business and obtain their permission to introduce a new recruit to them. Otherwise, it might be dangerous. Afterwards, he himself returned to the neighborhood of the Sag. While remaining at Portage, I met portions of my party, to whom I communicated the success I had met with. After talking the matter over with them, it was suggested by me that I should enter into the drinking- saloon business, which would not only afford me an ap parent opportunity for disposing of the false money, but render it easy for me to bring my companions in contact with the counterfeiters. This was agreed upon, and when the pilot returned, I suggested it to him. He 36 BUCKSKIN MOSE. literally jumped at the idea, and ostensibly helped me in. hunting up a location for my debut in rum-selling, as well as vouching for me most strongly to the individual from whom I hired it. The rascal was well known in the place. The whole of the time since I had arrived in Portage City, I was in constant correspondence with Pinkerton, who thoroughly approved of every step I was taking, and gave me to understand he would be ready at any moment to join me. Well ! my saloon was opened, and liquor-drinking was in full blast in it. The pilot was as good as his word. At different times, he brought down to rne most of his accomplices, or rather of his employers, and I quickly became a sort of licensed favorite with them. Of course, if I had been detected in "shoving the queer," and found myself within the grasp of the law, they wouldn't have cared one red cent, but while I apparently bought their bogus notes, I was the best of fellows living. In the meantime, I had gradually introduced them to most of my companions, some of whom also took portion of their spurious money, paying for it in good cash. It must be admitted that the whole of the gang were capital judges of the genuineness of any of, or all, the currency of the various States. " Wild-cat " notes nothing could induce them to take in exchange, even for any of their own shinplasters. Shortly after this, I found that the counterfeiters were to have a full meeting in the cave, which I had now several times visited. It was, I had reason to believe from what the pilot told me, for the purpose of dividing the spoils of the last month, whkjh had been, so he hinted to me, unusually large. BUCKSKIN MOST5. 37 My chief was immediately notified. Very soon after, he joined me, with the United States Marshal, and made arrangements with the sheriff and city marshal to pounce upon the whole gang. I say, he joined me. But this is scarcely the case, as he only saw me once previously to the night on which I knew they were to meet at the cave. Arrangements, under his shrewd supervision, were capitally made. The cave had two entrances, one at the side of it, some considerable distance from the main one. A part of his men, with a section of the local po lice, under the United States and city marshals, were to be placed there to prevent any chance of escape. Jlimself and the sheriff of Portage were to be con ducted by me to the main entrance. It would be need less to say, that as a desperate resistance to us was within the probable chances, every man in either party was well armed. Our suspicions respecting this were not, however, destined to be realized. Pinkerton's precau tionary measures had been too well taken. When we were discovered, a rush had been made for the other en trance. Here, they found out that they had been com pletely trapped. Then, rightly believing that the party at the main en trance was the principal one, they returned, and had a parley with the sheriff and Pinkerton, or rather with the last, ultimately corning out and surrendering. After having been handcuffed, and placed in the boats, part of onr men were left in the cave to secure the spoils, while the rest of us returned with our prison ers to Portage. It was one of the largest hauls of coun terfeiters, with their implements of trade and spurious money, as well as a fair amount of good paper, which 3 BUCKSKIN MOSE. had up to that time ever been made in the West, and redounded very much to the credit of my chief, as well as myself the last, mainly on account of the warm way in which he was pleased to compliment the share I had taken in it. Most certainly it resulted in the break ing up of the gang at that time known as the Guy Fox band, whose depredations had extended for several years from the Lakes to the Gulf. It had been the terror of the country, as it had resorted to every species of crime with the view of furthering their schemes. In due time they were all convicted and sent for various terms to the Penitentiary. All of them had the satisfaction of serv ing out their time, with one solitary exception. This was my friend the pilot of the raft, whose wish to make me a tool had led to their apprehension. He was not, in every respect, a bad fellow, and his look of bewildered astonishment when, with the hand cuffs on his hands, he saw me on the boat with Pinker- ton, was so miserably pitiable, that I could not help feel ing some tenderness towards him. In the fulness of my heart, I spoke to my chief about him on the same night after our return to Portage. "I will see about it, Mose," he replied, with a dry smile. "But, if you had as long an experience as I have, you would know how useless mercy would be to him. What is in the bone will out in the flesh/' The fellow was released, upon Pinkerton's application, some twelve months afterwards, and, as I have heard, verified my chief's appreciation of rascality. It has been said he was shot by a stalwart farmer, some three years afterwards, in the neighborhood of Dubuque, Iowa, in consequence of an attempt at highway robbery. BUCKSKIN MOSK. 39 This fact, however, I am unable to verify. So, let my readers charitably hope, the lesson he had received bore the good fruit of turning him again into the paths of honesty. CHAPTER III. UNDER THE SHADOW OP MY OWN VINE AND FIG-TREE Too MUCH SYMPATHY AGAIN IN THE THEATRE MY FIRST TRIP ACROSS THE PLAINS A FlDDLE AS A SENSATION THE FREE FIGHT MY FIRST LESSON IN SWIMMING WANTED, A NEW Bow JUDGMENT ON A WHISKEY-DRINKER THE THIRD TIME OUT HE GOES A STAMPEDE GROWING INTO FAVOR THE HORSE-THIEVES MILITARY JUDGMENT. FOR a brief time, I again returned to my father, who had been unwilling that I should rejoin Pinkerton. He could stand my being deputy-sheriff under his own eye, but he did not relish my becoming a regular detective. However, his term of office as sheriff was now expired, and I told him : " I must do something." " So you shall," he replied. " There is a nice little farm at some fifteen miles distant. I will buy it for you." I had never yet resided under what Scripture calls " the shadow of my own vine and fig-tree." The idea struck me in a favorable light, and I cordially accepted his offer, although somewhat doubting my capacity in an agricultural line. However, the die was cast, and in a few weeks I had settled down in the original occupation of our common parent, having at the same time become a married man. It must be admitted that from the very start I found wedlock infinitely more agreeable than tilling the soil. My previous almost nomadic style of existence had BUCKSKIN MOSE. 4:1 to a great measure incapacitated me for this weari somely primitive style of life. It was of no use trying to relish it. Luckily, there are all sorts of tempera ments in this world, or what would humanity do for wheat, corn, and garden-stuff. My nature was decidedly not adapted to raising them. My w r ife saw my utter incapability as a farmer. She was a good little soul, and frequently condoled with me on it. This was the very worst thing, possibly, that she could have done. It added edge to my disgust with it. Night after night, when the day's work was over, were spent by me in querulously grumbling, and by her in consol ing my discontent at my condition in life. At length the farming season ended, and then my detestation of agriculture was doomed to be inconceiva bly heightened. While I had out-of-door occupation, I could stand its regular monotony. Without it, what was there for me to do ? I could but wander round the yard, and look at my pigs, fodder my cattle, take a stroll to the next farm, some three miles away, return to my little wife, expect her to console me, and then retire to bed, with the expectation of awaking to another day of the same humdrum existence. My life had a necessity for positive activity. The good little soul to whom I was married saw this ; possibly too late. However this was, it came about that, with her full consent, although not without many tears on her part, and a considerable quantity of gloomy sorrow on mine, I left her at home, and struck out once more into the world. It would be useless to narrate every incident of this 42 BUCKSKIN MOSE. winter, but in the spring of 1S55 I brought up at St. Joseph, Missouri. Here, Maggie Mitchell was at this period playing as a " star," and to her I was indebted for a short engage ment in the Theatre. It lasted for six weeks. When it came to a conclusion, I determined upon visiting California, at that time the Ophir and Golconda of the further side of this continent. However, it was no use starting with the small means I then had, unless some positive manner of living in San Francisco, at my first arrival there, was secured. Therefore, I telegraphed to Thomas McGuire, of McGuire's Opera House, who was about to open the New Metropolitan Theatre. In reply, he offered me an engagement for the September follow ing. It was a long time to wait, but luckily I had re cently become acquainted with John Crim, of the firm of Crim, Ebright and Coutts, who was organizing a party to cross the Plains. lie spoke to me about joining them, and in almost less time than it takes me to pen these few lines, I had arranged to accompany him. It was upon the 6th of May, after having written a long and lovingly explanatory letter to my wife, I started from St. Joseph. There were three hundred and seventy -five head of horses, and seventy-five men, all thoroughly armed and equipped. Each of them was furnished with a Sharp's carbine with sabre-bayonet, and a revolver. It was al most like the moving of a little army. The organiza tion had been made in thorough military style, and per haps with even more discipline, being under the com mand of Captain Crim himself. Naturally, I was almost a total stranger to all of them BUCKSKIN MOSE. 43 except our leader, but I soon began to form acquaint ances, and in a few days became more especially linked in friendship with Dave Ilorner, tlie brother to Puss Homer, and the blacksmith of the party. The last was a sturdy Englishman, rejoicing in the sobriquet, by which he was commonly known amongst us, of Brighton Bill. Our first halting-place was opposite Marysville, on the Big Blue River. It then consisted of some four or five rough stone houses, covered with dirt, half a dozen adobe huts, as I have since learnt to call them, and a gambling hell, specially designed to pigeon emigrants in those delight ful games known as Three-card Monte, the Strap Game, and others of an equally holy and pleasant character. This building, only of one story, was also the station at which the Pony Express changed horses. After supper, Brighton Bill, Ilorner, and Pigeon thus denominated because his outside attire was a swallow- tailed coat strolled through Marysville. It was the first settlement we had struck since leaving St. Joseph, and we were curious about the customs, habits, and style of living of the place. In any case, I was so decidedly. Dave had brought his violin with him. He was a capital fiddler, and in travelling across the plains, it is not always necessary to leave our business behind us. Dave certainly carried the means of displa} 7 ing his ac complishment with him. That fiddle created a veritable sensation. It might have been imagined that none of the inhabitants of Marysville had ever seen a fiddle before. His music was taken in exchange for whiskey, cigars, and anything else we wanted. Indeed. I began to believe that Cap- 44: BUCKSKIN MOSE. tain Grim might run the risk of losing Horner as a member of the party. It almost seemed to me, as if, in a clay or two, Dave might have become the owner of the whole settlement. However, in supposing this, I had not precisely calculated the full effects of temper and whiskey upon Brighton Bill. He began to feel the ef fects of the latter and by degrees lost the former. A somewhat scurrilously jocose allusion to his nationality was made by one of the natives. The indignant Briton no sooner heard it, than he struck out, right from the shoulder, in true Johnny Bull fashion. The offending native went down on the sandy soil of the High Street of Marys ville as if he had been projected by a catapult. Some few rows I had seen in my life before this, but never such a free fight as followed. The whole of the male portion of the settlement (by the bye, it was nearly all of it) joined in the metee. Had it not been for the assistance of many of our companions, who had also amused themselves with an ex ploring tour through Marysville, we might have got the worst of it. Luckily, they took a hand in the game, which saved us. Pistol-shots were, however, freely in terchanged, and an individual was dropped, who had just drawn a bead upon Bill, with a bullet behind his ear. After this, we retreated in as good order as we could, towards the river which lay between us and the spot where our camp was pitched. The darkness of night had, however, by this time, fallen upon us, and being strangers, our party managed to become separated. Horner and myself kept together, but when we reached the stream, it was at a different portion of it from that where the skiff lay that had borne us over. We knew not which side to turn. BUCKSKIN MOSE. 45 While standing there, we heard the sound of oars; or, more properly, of a means of propulsion bearing an equal consanguinity to oars and paddles. They were pe culiar to the Plains at that time. What was to be done ? If we had shouted to our friends, we should have dis closed our whereabouts to our enemies. Homer, however, was a man of educational resource, and volunteered to swim across and return with the skiff for me, as I was unable to accompany him. It may be imagined I felt some repugnance at being left to the mercy of Marys ville, if it should chance to lind me. Searching around, I stumbled over something, which, on examination, I discovered was an old "dug out," or species of impromptu ark. To this I at once determined upon committing myself and my fortunes, with a broad piece of board which I found at some lit tle distance. This might serve as a paddle. Accord ingly, as Horner plunged into the river, I availed myself of it. But the cursed thing gave me a lesson I have never since forgotten, when the chance was given me to remember it. It is contained in the old proverbial say ing, "look before you leap." The dug-out had a hole in it. Scarcely had it got a dozen yards from the shore, than it was fast filling. In a few yards more, it was under water ; and for the sake of remaining above its unpleasantly chilly surface, I, very considerately, let it go to the bottom. This was the worst fix I had yet found myself in. But there is no lane without a turning, although it must be confessed some of these turnings are occasion ally sharp and rough. Thinking my last moment was come, and that some time next morning my unconscious body might arrive on shore some miles lower down the 46 BUCKSKIN M08E. river, to afford a meal to the stray dogs or crows of this part of the country, I struck out recklessly in a battle for as much more of life as I could possibly keep. A few moments passed. Great Heaven ! I did not sink. I was actually swimming. " Where are you, Dave?" I shouted out, joyously. " Here, old boy ! " was the cheery answer. That single exclamation settled my wish for conver sation while in the Big Blue River. It had filled my mouth with water, and was very nearly on the point of bringing my first lesson in swimming to a most abrupt close. So I kept, iny tongue quiet, until at length I arrived drippingly joyous at the further side of the stream. Homer was, necessarily, there before me, and assisted me to mount the bank. ** I thought, Mose, you told me you couldn't swim." " Nor could I, Dave ! You know, necessity is the mother of invention." " So it seems," he dryly replied. " I only wish it would find me a new bow for my fiddle. The black guards smashed that." " It was lucky," I said, " they left you a whole skin." " Upon my word ! it was so," was his answer. We then from the summit of the bank looked round us, and saw the welcome glow of our smouldering camp-fires, some half a mile below. Horner spent the remainder of that night, after our return, in attending to his violin. The truth is, it needed it. I, however, slept soundly, and was awoke on the following morning at an early hour in very fair trim. The truth is, early experience had taught me what the results of bad whiskey are, and led me to BUCKSKIN MOSE. 47 refrain from an unhealthy indulgence in that exhilarat ing class of strong drink. But few of our companions had been as prudent. Brighton Bill and Dave more expressly felt the full effects of it ; and with a parched tongue, and a splitting headache, heaped their fullest maledictions upon Marysville, and all the ungodly dwellers in that location, during the whole of that day. His cold-water bath on the preceding night had, however, so modified the effects of whiskey upon Homer, that I was unprepared to find him so depraved in his appetite for it. He was indifferent how he got it, whether clandes tinely, to use the mildest possible phrase, or not. Hap pening to be on guard one night at our camping-place, he felt this thirst strong upon him. Not having the means of gratification with him, he actually bored a hole in one of the whiskey-barrels, and made free with its contents by means of a straw. In the morning he was what politeness would call "frightfully overcome." In good old Saxon, he was drunk. Now Captain Grim had a holy horror of peculation more especially, perhaps, of whiskey-peculation, when it was committed in the manner Dave had been guilty of. Nor in truth do I much blame him. Instead of boring the hole near the top of the barrel, and insuring himself merely sufficient, Homer had bored it about one-third down. He had also omitted to plug it up when he had satisfied himself. There was perhaps some reason for this, as when he had finished drinking he might have failed again to find the aperture. At all events, when Captain Grim rose in the morn ing, one-third of the whiskey had dispersed itself over the bottom of the wagon devoted to its carriage, and 48 BUCKSKIN MUSE. Horner's guilt was self-evident, putting his own state entirely out of the question. A drum-head, or rather a whiskey-barrel, court-mar tial was immediately called together. The impenitent, because scarcely conscious, thief was arraigned, tried, and found guilty. Sentence was, however, suspended. This was partly, because, at the moment, he would have failed to comprehend its justice. More so, because it was hoped that when restored to complete consciousness, his friends might have influence enough with him to prevent the recurrence of so gross a breach of the laws of social equity. At first it appeared it would have done so. But again he fell from the high standard of morality on the Plains, and the captain had determined upon expelling him from the camp. Brighton Bill and myself headed the rest of the party in a strong remon strance. At first Grim was disposed to defy us, but finding us all united in the wish to save the poor fellow, finally gave way. The luckless Dave swore himself to perennial sobriety. But, alas! he once more fell from grace, in an emi grant-train. Then Captain Grim insisted with Spartan justice on the rigid execution of the lately postponed sentence. What could be said upon his behalf? These who had been willing to deal kindly with him upon the score of his fiddle, could find no word to urge in his favor. Possibly, in their eyes the liquor he had been guilty of abstracting was of greater present value, even, than his violin. One only of us stuck to him. This was a relative, I believe a nephew, of our captain. " If you turn Dave out, you shall turn me, too ; " he said pluckily. BUCKSKIN MOSE. 49 Crim's lips whitened. " Then, by the Lord ! " he said. " Out you both go." And out both did go, with such provisions as might be immediately necessary, horses, arms, and a suf ficiency of powder and shot to last them until they were picked up by another train or scalped by the In dians. The last, however, I doubt, as although I never again heard of Dave Homer, I have reason to believe his companion is now settled in*Sacramento, and is a prosperous merchant in that thriving city. Until we arrived at Ash Hollow, on the south side of the North Platte, nothing of any moment occurred. Here as we were camping, a magnificent and noted bay horse, called Captain Fisher, took fright and started off at a furious pace with a number of the stock. In fact, it was a regular stampede, and one of the most exciting sights I had ever seen, However, I had no more than the first moment to enjoy it in. Action was a necessity, and my old circus-training stood me in good stead, to be of some service. I darted after the bay with a speed that nearly equalled his own. How long this would have held out, it is, of course, impossible for me to say. Something, however, caused Captain Fisher to swerve across my line of pursuit. Leaping, rather than run ning after him, I succeeded in grasping him by the rope attached to the hackamoor or halter. His terrified speed was so great that I was thrown upon the ground and dragged by him for a considerable distance. But for my long experience as a boy on the sawdust of the arena, it would have been absolutely useless for me to have attempted regaining my feet. How I escaped serious bodily injury from the remainder of the stam peded horses, I never knew. Escape I however did, as 3 50 BUCKSKIN MOSE. well as again recover a stand ing or rather a running position. The rest of the business was now compara tively easy indeed, a mere matter of time. Clinging to the rope, I compelled him to slacken his pace, until> at last, I succeeded in grasping the affrighted animal by the mane and vaulting upon his back. There, I was the master, and he was not long in finding it out. It was about three miles from our halting-place when I succeeded in turning him. The remainder of the stampeded horses followed us. Thoroughly cowed by his past fright, and the certainty that he had to do as I chose, we arrived at the camp. All my mates crowded round me with congratula tions, and Captain Grim shook me by the hand as I leapt from the back of the other Captain with a warmth that was at the least as effective as it was affecting. It was the second time he had honored me. The first occasion was when I had entered upon my service with him in St. Joseph. Nor did his second grip mean nothing. It established me, with him, from that hour, as a prime favorite. In the vicinity of Chimney Rock,, we encountered an apparently agreeable party of some half-dozen travel lers, who applied for permission to travel with our train. Captain Crim complied with their request, extending to them the camp privileges on condition of their com plying with its necessary restrictions. Our new friends seemed not only grateful for his hospitable kindness, but too eager to displa}^ their gratitude. They continued with us some two days, without ex citing any suspicion. During the second night after their admission to the camp, it happened to be my watch, and while on my BUCKSKIN HOSE. 51 rounds, I seemed to notice a movement in some of the animals which indicated that all was not perfectly as it should be. They did not seem as quiet as usual. Bending closer to the earth and gazing along it, with my eyes covered by my hand from the glare of the camp-fires, I saw some description of animal, which I at once supposed was a coyote or Prairie-wolf. As yet, such an animal was unknown to me. To make assur ance doubly sure, I raised my rifle to my shoulder, and in another instant should have blazed away at it, when it suddenly straightened itself up, yelling out franti cally : " For God's sake, don't shoot ! " " Come in, then," was my answer. As the fellow gradually sneaked nearer to me, it seemed that I recognized him. And, very certainly, when he was within the light of the camp-fires, I did so. It was one of the party of .agreeable gentlemen whom our captain had hospitably permitted to travel with us. The scoundrel had been tampering with the fastenings of our horses, preparatory to stealing them. Never shall I forget Captain Crim's look of unutter able horror at the fellow, when I woke him up in his tent, with my prisoner. The indignation which he had exhibited on poor Dave Horner's third detection in whiskey-stealing, was nothing to it. " A darned horse-thief ! Who'd ever have thought it!" " I assure you, Captain " " Hold your tongue, you infernal rascal, or, by Heaven ! I'll make short work of you and your companions." " Let me explain, my dear sir ! " he whined. " Have them all turned out, Mose ! " thundered Crim. 52 BUCKSKIN MOSE. " They are lucky to have me to deal with them. Any one else would have hanged the whole lot." By this time, the whole camp was alive, more espec ially our forty-eight hour acquaintances. These dis owned the culprit, as a stranger who had but recently joined them. Their defence was, however, too thin ; and as the ominous murmur arose around them that " Lynching would be the shortest and best settlement of the matter" It was concluded by them, it would be wisest to obey. This, the more especially, as I had collected some dozen of my immediate friends, who stood ominously close to me, with rifles in hand, and six-shooters very palpably visible. In another ten minutes, they had all left the camp. When w T e arrived at Fort Laramie, Grim reported this gang of marauding horse-thieves to the officer in command of that post. Several days on our route be yond the fort, we were overtaken by the Pony Express, and learned that this very band had been captured in its immediate vicinity. Military justice is very prompt. It may make an occasional mistake, although not often. They had all been hung. CHAPTER IY. CAUGHT BY THE INDIANS A PLEASANT BIDE ONE PITYING FACE BENEFIT OP BEING A MASON THE EVIL EYE INDI AN BEAUTY AND INDIAN EATING THE OFFER OF MARRIAGE DECLINING IT, MAKES ME A FRIEND A SECOND AND MORE TEMPTING OFFER DECLINING IT, DOES NOT MAKE ME AN ENEMY PULLING UP MY STAKES WITH HONOR THE PONY EXPRESS AGAIN WITH THE TRAIN. PREVIOUS to our reaching Fort Laramie, we had been able to procure plenty of fresh meat. The antelope and buffalo had almost seemed waiting for our rifles. Now, however, we met with few or none of either of these, and the scarcity began to be severely felt. Even Captain Crim grew more peppery with us than he had before been, and Brighton Bill lost his usual ruddy jollity. Consequently, one morning, I started out with a de termination to find fresh meat or die. To tell the truth, it came very near to being the latter. As yet, all the Indians we had met with on the Plains had been of friendly tribes, and at this time no danger was anticipated. I was already some six or seven miles from our train, on the upper side of the North Platte, past what they call the Rattlesnake Hills, when I be held approaching me a party of Indians. At this time, I was unaware what tribe they were, although now I should pretty readily be able to tell that they were Cheyennes. These are generally hostile to the whites, 54 BUCKSKIN MOSE. unless overawed b} r superior numbers. I necessarily mean, a proportionately superior number about one, perhaps, to three. The party approached me in an ap parently friendly manner, or else the fleet gelding I was mounted on might easily have distanced them. On approaching nearer, they requested, in the usual Indian manner, for tobacco or powder. The first, I readily enough gave them. The latter I was not in clined to part with. Suddenly one of the Indians drew closer to me, and laid his hand on my rifle. I pulled it back from him, and at the same moment was grasped round the waist from behind, by a savage whom I had not previously noticed. My desperate struggles were in vain. I was torn from my horse, and in a few moments more found myself weaponless, with my arms pinioned behind me, and lashed on the back of one of their ponies. The raw hide-whangs round my waist were tied so tightly as almost to stop the circulation. The animal was then turned loose, and followed with whoop and yell by the savages as if they had been nothing else than a band of devils. The Cheyenne who was probably their chief had appropriated my horse. How madly I wished that Charlie would throw the red demon as he galloped after me, shouting and whooping like an incarnate fiend. In that mad race, for at the moment I almost fancied the Indians and myself were all lunatics on a wild race to the infernal regions, what a paroxysm of despairing thought rushed through my mind. AVus I to go out of life something like the dying snuff of a caudle, without one free blow in a square fight ? And these were the Indians I had read of as a boy, these cowardly, sneaking BUCKSKIN HOSE. 55 red curs, who had not dared to give me a chance for my life. Great God ! Where was Brighton Bill and my other companions ? What would Captain Grim say if he ever heard of this ? Then I thought of my father, Pinkerton, Maggie Mitchell ; and, as my wife's face rose on my vision my good little wife, I could or would think no more. All became momentarily a blank. Again, however, I returned to my senses. I heard the whooping yell of the red devil who was astride of my gelding, Charlie, and I cursed him in good round Saxon, as if he could understand me. But what is the use of dwelling upon this. After a ride of some two hours and a half, in a fashion I had never expected to attempt, my captors came in sight of an Indian village. Here I was cut loose from the pony upon which I had performed the most painful feat of horsemanship I had ever attempted, and dragged instead of led into the presence of the chief of the tribe. All the inhabitants of the village surrounded me. Squaws, old and young, papooses of either sex, and all the components of an Indian mob, were crowding around the white captive. One only face I saw which displayed anything like pity. It was that of an Indian girl of some sixteen years. Whether it was pretty or ugly, I knew not. I only felt that I saw sorrow in her large and star-like eyes, as they gazed upon me. Curiously enough, they gave me a sensation of hope. The moment before I had been madly desiring that the drama of life, with me, might come to an end. Now, I began to think and weigh my chances, which, to own up, at the present moment appeared slim enough for safety. 56 BUCKSKIN MOSE. My hands and arms seemed almost dead, and some minutes elapsed before they recovered* the consciousness of life. Looking in the face of the chief, I saw that he was an old man. As in great age it not unfrequently happens, his face had regained somewhat of the kindli ness of youth. At any rate it lacked the repulsive char acter which marked that of my captor. Suddenly, it seemed to me was I dreaming ? No ! This time, I was certain of it. He had made the Masonic sign of distress. The girl's sympathetic glance had been pal pably an omen of good. Trembling with agitation I responded. What immediately followed I am unable to recall. Indeed, I doubt whether at the time I was thoroughly conscious of it. When I undoubtedly had fully recovered my presence of mind, I found that matters had completely changed for me. The death at the stake, which had seemed to be my destiny, had faded from my senses. The red devils almost seemed to have been transmuted into cop per-colored angels. I was seated on a buffalo-robe, and some of the elder squaws were bathing my swollen limbs with cooling lotions, and looking gratitude was almost compelling me to say what literal truth cannot. They certainly did not look in any wise amiable or handsome. While this was going on, a tall and splendidly formed specimen of the red man entered the hut. He was dressed in a robe or tunic, magnificently embroidered with shells and beads. He had evidently been sent for by the chief, as I soon discovered, because he was able to speak English. The only blemish in his personal ap pearance was a sort of dip in his right eyebrow, which BUCKSKIN MOSE. 57 partially closed the organ beneath. White supersti tion might possibly have gifted him with the evil eye. The Indian name he bore somewhat corresponded with this, as he was called Par-a-wau, or " The Warning Devil." First, addressing the chief (I afterwards found this was Old Spotted Tail) in their own tongue, he received an answer. Then turning to me, he extended his hand and gave me the Masonic grip. After this, he seated himself be side me, and addressed me in my own tongue, asking how I came upon the hunting-grounds of the Cheyenncs, where I was from, and whither I was going ? When he had received my answers and repeated them to the chief in the tongue of their tribe, he next began to in quire very minutely about Masonry among the pale faces. In subsequent conversations with him, for in the present case I had only to reply, I found that the In dians had first been initiated in its mysteries by the agents of the Hudson Bay Company. Neither had it been much carried beyond the northern and western tribes. This was learnt from Par-a-wau, when I began to feel perfectly at ease with him. At this time I was merely a captive, although I had, from the mere chance of Old Spotted Tail's apprecia tion of my personal appearance, escaped the risk of no longer being one, by the most speedy means of escape from life my red acquaintances could have devised for me, consistently with their own amusement. Be it re membered, in stating this fact, individual vanity bears no part the Indian idea of comeliness being very much the reverse, in general, of the white man's idea of that desirable qualification. After his examination of me had been brought to an 3* 58 BUCKSKIN HOSE. end, he made an oration of some length to the aged Cheyenne chief. He had risen to his feet as he did so, and the grace of his movements, with his full and roll- ingly sonorous voice, might have done credit to the best of our own orators. Indeed, so completely did his gest ure translate his speech, that I could almost follow every word of the appeal he was making for me. He was evidently pleading for my pardon. This I feel I should have received, if I am sufficiently a judge of human features to have translated the benign savage- ness of Old Spotted Tail's countenance. But there are always two sides to a question, and the young chief, who had appropriated not only myself but my gelding, Charlie, now put in for a long talk. I could swear he was not half as eloquent as Far-a-wau. However, what he said in a harsh voice, and with a large amount of what might be called temperate wrath, settled the ques tion in discussion. The elders of the tribe gave him, twice or thrice, that discordant grunt of acquiescence which Fenimore Cooper, the modern writer, has trans lated more musically as " Ugh ! " Consequently Old Spotted Tail pronounced a few words, and my red lawyer so I began to consider Warning Devil, although I had been unable to fee him turning to me, said in English: "Will my brother come with Par-a-wau to his dwell- ing?" Of course I would, because I must. How, indeed, could I do otherwise ? So I followed him. The fact is, I had begun to entertain a certain degree of liking for the chief with the evil eye. He had befriended me. If my Cheyenne captivity had been a long one, I BUCKSKIN MOSE. 59 scarcely doubt that this liking would have ripened. However, I had now to accompany him. Let my read ers conceive how great was my astonishment when I entered his hut after him, to find my first glance riveted by his daughter. She was the Indian maiden whose look of sympa thizing pity had, some two hours previously, called back my numbed senses to new life and hope. " Will Clo-ke-ta provide my brother food ? " She too, then, spoke, or at any rate comprehended, my language, for she made no reply, but began to busy herself in preparing an Indian meal. During the time which elapsed before it was ready, I was able in a most satisfactory manner to take an inventory of her personal attractions. These I shall, however, refrain from in flicting upon my readers. Let it be sufficient to say that she was one of the most beautiful children of the red man (if not the only really beautiful one) I had ever seen. Perhaps it was well for me, that while I was watch ing her every supple and graceful movement, the thought of the dear little wife who was waiting for me in the far East, appealed to my love for her. Otherwise, it may have been possible that I might have forgotten civilization forever. The nomadic life had always great attractions for me. Where could I more thoroughly have indulged in it, than as the son. in-law of Warning Devil, and the owner of such a c5 ' charming squaw as Clo-ke-ta might have proved to me ? However, this was a wrong, as well as not altogether agreeable, reflection. Turning my head with something like a sigh on my lips to Par-a-wau, I saw that his one unhidden eye was fixed steadily upon me. 60 BUCKSKIN MOSE. " My brother is sad," he said. " But the trees are not always green. He must wait in peace until they once more bud." He had scarcely interpreted the meaning of my sigh. Yet his poetical words (whatever nonsense may be prated about them by novelists, such Indians as I have met with rarely display any trace of poetical feeling) brought me thoroughly back to my present position, and I asked him : " How long I should have to remain a captive with the Cheyenries?" This he was unable to say, but he informed me Old Spotted Tail had granted me the freedom of the village, although with the precaution that an Indian guard should accompany me whenever Par-a-wau could not. Clo-ke-ta now had the meal prepared, which was a very satisfactory spread for an appetite which had been unattended to since the early hour in which I left Cap tain Crim's camp. The jerked antelope and the roasted maize were in truth excellent, and if I only had been offered a horn of whiskey to wash it down with, I might not altogether have regretted the dinner I had lost. This, especially when I now remember the bright eyes and raven hair of her who attended to the need of my inner man. The fancy, which Old Spotted Tail had evidently taken for me, was destined to exhibit itself in true Indian fashion. He offered me one of his own daughters in marriage. But I was not educated in Mormonism ; and even had I been, it may be questionable, while I daily saw Clo-ke-ta, whether El-eu-e-na, which was the name of the chief's daughter, would have had any attractions for BUCKSKIN MOSE. 61 me. She was not particularly interesting in appearance. Whether she had any fancy for my luckless self or not, it would be impossible for me to say. An Indian girl's affections do not count for much in the eyes of their fathers. In spite of this, I most respectfully declined the alluring offer, through Par-a-wau, with, as he after wards informed me, the most profound expression of thankfulness for the undeserved honor Old Spotted Tail had done me. This seemed to me, as I listened without understand ing, to greatly gratify the chief who had captured me, and led to a result that was infinitely more gratifying to myself, as he aspired to the honor of registering himself as one of Old Spotted Tail's sons-in-law. On the same evening, however, I was destined to a really far greater temptation. It was after the evening meal, and I was seated near Par-a-wau. His child was putting away the wijlow platters and other means of serving up and disposing of the food she had, as cus tomary, prepared. While she was attending to her do mestic duties, Warning Devil, without any warning, addressed me. " My brother has keen eyes." " They are sharp enough at times, but they could not keep me out of the hands of the Cheyennes." " He knows that El-eu-e-na is not fair to look on." I could not help laughing as he said this. " Nor would she make a good squaw. She could not prepare the buffalo or the antelope, nor clean my brother's rifle, nor embroider his moccasins, as a great chief needs that she should." What the deuce was he coming to? I was not doomed to wait long, for after a pause he addressed me this question in an affirmative manner, b2 BUCKSKIN MOSE. -vlrieli I at once understood. "My brother has seen 31o-ke-te ? " "Yes!" " And what does he think of her ? " For my life, I could not have helped casting a swift glance at the Indian girl. She was standing near us, with her eyes veiled by their brown lids, and a crimson blush glowing through her dusky skin, over her cheeks, forehead, neck, and all of the upper portion of her person which was exposed. So fierily red was this flush, I could not help seeing it even in the gathering gloom. " Cannot my father see with his own eyes," I replied. " She is as fair as the young red morning." This was said by me in a grave and reserved tone, which among men of my own race would have precluded the continuance of the parent in what I felt he had been about to say. But I had not counted truly upon the Indian nature. My present gravity was the exact re production of his own. It was so unlike my usual man ner, that he evidently supposed I had taken the matter he was about to propose into serious consideration. He consequently again spoke. " If my brother will take Clo-ke-ta as his squaw, he shall be to Par-a-wau as a son, in place of the young warrior who is dead. He knows, for he has seen what Clo-ke-ta can do for her father's friend. She will do more for him who marries her. Shall it be as Par-a-wau Bays?" It must frankly be admitted that for one moment the loveliness of the face I had just seen, and which I dared not again glance at, made me waver. Then, the mem ory of my wife and my own actual father rushed across \ "Looking up, 1 told the uobie savage, tor I have the right to call Mm noble, all. ".?% The small canon in which this rough cabin stood was filled with cotton- wood trees and a dense growth of small underbrush. As we were examining the place, I came upon the first fragmentary testimony of the dark tragedy which had branded this spot with an ineffaceable stain. This was the leg of a man, which had been hewn off just below the knee. While I was yet looking at it, Arnold called out in a tremulously hollow voice, which at once indi cated from how intensely nervous an agitation he must be suffering: " Come here, Mose." He was but a short distance in advance of me ; and when I arrived where he was standing, let me own that I frankly regretted not having cut the throat of the wrinkled old ruffian whose possession of the General's pipe had placed me on the track of this most dastardly and savage murder aye ! and the throats of all the BUCKSKIN MOSE. 261 squaws who were with him, too. Had I not, in my own person, had a sufficient experience of the gentleness of these she-devils ? Could I doubt that it had been also displayed in the atrocious massacre of General Wright and the unfortunate men who had accompanied him ? I shall, of course, be asked for the full particulars of this ferocious butchery. Let me be as brief as I can in penning the details, which almost sicken me while I re call them. We found the General actually spitted, a pointed stake having been forced lengthwise from behind through his body, and protruding beneath his chin. This stake had then been placed upon two crotched limbs of trees, above a fire, of which nothing but the dead embers now remained. As far as we could make out, there were no other marks of violence on the charred shape of the vic tim. He must have been killed by the terrible torture of thrusting this stake through his entrails. The remainder of his party had been literally cut into pieces. Arms, hands, heads, feet, legs, thighs, and bodies had been hewn apart, and were scattered around in the brush. 'Noi- was there more than one of the victims who might have been slain before they were subjected to this inch by inch torture. Only a single wound by a bullet could be found by us, on any of these mutilated frag ments of what had once been life. And these brutal devils are the race that the Govern ment of the United States demand should be dealt gently with by its children. I should refrain from denouncing them, perhaps, when the barbarities I had twice experienced at their hands are remembered by me. But in such a case as the present one, where my memory has no individual suifering to give it edge 262 BUCKSKIN: MOSE. and bitterness, I may surely be permitted to express my opinions. This, the more specially, when I know that these opinions are shared in by every settler who has had some two or three years' practical dealing with the falsehood, rascality, treachery, blood-thirsti ness, and demon-like barbarity, which, almost invaria bly, in every instance, characterize the Western In dian. What, let me fearlessly ask, could in any way have been the natural result of the hesitation of the Govern ment at Washington, to operate efficiently for the pro tection of its own children ? These men had, undoubtedly, the right to claim such a protection. Any other country to which they might have belonged, would have given it to them. It has, however, been consistently refused, or accorded them in a way which renders it worse than useless. They have, consequently, been compelled to rely upon themselves for protection, it being carried out after their own fash ion. Necessarily, this fashion has varied. But, in no case, could it take a shape other than of the struggle ever-existent between the conflicting parties, when law has become paralyzed, or neglects to put in a satisfactory appearance. For many years^ legal restraint had been overridden in San Francisco. At length, the condi tion of society resulting from this became unbearable. It was then that the citizens of the capital of the young and vigorous West took the matter into their own hands, independently of the State authorities. A vigil ance committee sprung from their actual necessity, and, in a short space of time, daily crime was reduced to the ordinary ratio it bears in civilization. Even in the great Eastern metropolis, during the past two or three BUCKSKIN MOSE. years, a similar necessity has been proclaimed, and a like exertion of the popular will has been predicted by some of the leading New York journals. There, how ever, law seems recently to have awakened from its long slumber, and, if consistently active and severe, will repress the lawlessness of passion or criminality. But where there is no law, save on sparsely rare oc casions, as is sufficiently evidenced on the mountains, and in the valleys and plains bordering on California, the action of vigilance committees, or some restraint as sharp and certain, is a paramount necessity. How can it be wondered at, while crime of the nat ure of the last-mentioned, and others which I have re counted, are of well-nigh yearly occurrence, that it should have exerted, on the part of those exposed to its visita tion without the interference of national protection except at rare intervals the determination to repress it, bloodily and mercilessly, as the instances in which it develops its own atrocity and pitilessness, too evidently require ? However, let me avoid the appearance of defending what I believe to be the righteous exertion of a spirit of self -protection, and leave it to the unbiassed judgment of my readers. Burying the fragments of the bodies of the poor vic tims, or as many of them as we could find after a long and sorrowful search, in as decent a manner as we could, we resumed our way to the Ilumboldt. Here we lo cated some six miles above Lancaster, on this river, and met with no very great success in our search for the precious metals. While here, an Indian from above Gravelly Ford, known by us as Shoshonee John, came in to our party. He could talk very fair English, and 264: BUCKSKIN MOSE.' had been driven from his tribe in consequence of his openly professed friendly feeling to the whites. After a brief discussion among the boys, he was permitted to remain with us, until we started on our return. This was some time in August, in 1865. We had reached the back of Granite Creek Station, which was then kept by Allen Simmons, from Oroville, and a man of the name of Bill Curry, when we fell in with some eight or ten Mahalas, with their papooses or children. One of the Mahalas was a white woman. She had been taken by the Bannocks when she was no more than twelve years of age, in 1851. All her relatives and companions had been killed by them. Only her self had been spared. She was now married to a red skin, by whom, she told us, she had live children. On our asking her to leave her captors, with the tears stand ing in her eyes, she refused to do so. She said that she knew of no friends who would receive her. What, she did not attempt to disguise that she considered as the disgrace of her present life, would, as she felt, preclude her from all white friendship. In consequence of this, she avowed herself determined to remain. On being further questioned, she told us that we were the first white men she had seen since the period of her capture. I then asked her, if she had heard of the horrible mas sacre of General Wright and his party. Bursting into tears, she affirmed that it had been " the work of Smoke- creek Sam, and the wretches who were with him." Her grief and disgust at this were so marked and un - mistakable, that I had no hesitation in asking her to tell us how and where we might find this scoundrel and his gang of ruffians. "Without the slightest hesitation, BUCKSKIN HOSE. 265 she did so. Indeed, from the sudden flash in her eyes, and the rush of color to her tanned, yet still smooth cheeks, I felt convinced she experienced a bitter delight in believing that we might punish him. It is generally impossible for the necessity of life, or even for love, to blot out the ties of blood. She might be compulsorily a Mahal a, yet was still, at heart, a white woman. Again I endeavored to induce her to quit her present mode of life, but, unhesitatingly, although sadly, she refused to abandon the red-skin with whom her ex istence had been for so many years' linked, and his and her children. At Granite Station, Al. Simmons gave us additional information respecting Smoke-creek Sam. He had a few days before surprised a party of Chinamen, between the Peuabla mountain and Owyhee River. Some sixty, in all of them, had been murdered by the gang. This had been effected, in a similar way to the cruel mode of death by which General Wright had perished. Pushing on, therefore, to the military station at Smoke Creek, we detailed the circumstances of these bloody outrages to Captain Smith, who was then in command of it. His horror at hearing of the last, and being made acquainted with the details of the first, by those who had seen the remains of the murdered party, was as thorough, almost, as ours had been. An arrangement with him was, in consequence, speedily concluded, by which we were to proceed to Susan ville, and, after giving our horses and ourselves a few days' rest, return to the station. Thence we were to start, in company with himself and men, to inflict, if possible, a well- 12 266 BUCKSKIN MOSE. deserved and retributory punishment on Smoke-creek Sam and his gang. On arriving at the station, we found a party of three or four men from the Humboldt, who had preceded us by a few hours. They had brought the intelligence that a party of Indians had visited Granite Creek on the day before. The station, as they informed us, had been burned to the ground. Al. Simmons, Bill Curry, and another man, had been killed. When A. R. Le Roy, who had joined the Rangers previous to our leaving the Hum boldt River, heard this, he was fearfully excited. Al. Simmons had been one of his dearest friends, and the news of this additional murder increased not only his rage, but that of all of us. Captain Smith was by no means dilatory. His men were soon in their saddles, after we had rejoined him, and we pushed on rapidly to Granite Creek. About one hundred yards west of the station, we found the body of Simmons, lying on his face upon the ground. A small bullet-hole was just outside of his heart. He must have been slain instantly. Myself and the other boys felt his death as keenly as we had done anything, for some time. Scarcely eight days since, we had been sitting with him, and talking of the butchery of the Chinese ; and now we saw that his life had been sacrificed by the red devils as relentlessly, although in a less cowardly manner. As for Le Roy, when he saw the body, lie flung himself on the ground beside it, and throwing his arms around the lifeless form of his friend, burst into a savage flood of tears. Within the burned-up timber of the station lay poor Curry, who had been slain there* The third man had BUCKSKIN MOSE. 267 evidently attempted to escape by flight. But the Indians had been too quick for him. Judging by their tracks, which were still clearly visible, he had been pursued, overtaken, and brought back. Less fortunate than the others, his death had not been so speedy. He had been stretched upon the earth with his face downwards. His hands and feet had been fastened by thongs to stakes driven into it. Brush and branches, hewn from the trees, had been then heaped upon his body and set fire to. It would be unnecessary to say, that had anything been wanting to quicken our desire for retaliation, this must have done so. After attending to a hurried burial, we took the trail, which led us evidently in the direction the white Mahala had indicated to me, when I had asked her to tell me where Smoke-creek Sam and his gang were generally to be found. .Two days after, we camped for the night in a small valley in the mountains above Black Rock. This valley was some six miles, or more, distant from an almost level piece of ground, to which the name of Soldier Meadows had been given. After attending to the demands of our stomachs, for we had been on our own legs or those of our horses since daybreak, I went out with some other of the Hangers, as scouts, to discover if we were yet near the red-skins. Possibly an hour and a half may have elapsed, when some camp-fires were seen by me in the direction of the upper part of Queen's River. Shosh- onee John had accompanied me, and detected them as quickly as I had done. " Pah-ute Ingin ! " he at once said. " Or Smoke-creek Sam ! " I could not help replying. 268 BUCKSKIN MOSE. " All, heap same. Pah-ute as bad, only Smoky- creek Sam some worse." Without pausing to discuss his exceeding Irish sum mary of the merits of the original tribe, and those who had absconded or been expelled from it, we immediately returned to our camp, being joined upon our way by Butch' Hasbrouck, who had also detected the same camp- fires. " How far off, Butch', did you believe the red-skins were ? " " Ten miles will bring yer to 'em." " He right ! " sententiously observed the Indian who had accompanied me. My estimate of the distance agreed with theirs, and upon our reaching the camp, the Rangers immediately took to their saddles, and Captain Smith ordered his men to mount. While they were doing this the red skin addressed me, saying : " Give Shoshonee John a gun, to help shoot heap Pah- utes." " How do I know you will ? " The question was prompted by the knowledge I had acquired of the Indian character. It seemed to me that if the petitioner had owned a gun at the time about which he first joined us, he might, not improbably, have kept out of our neighborhood. He, however, answered me promptly enough. " Pah-ute Ingin heap shoot Shoshonee John when catch him. Shoshonee John shoot him, too." It might be so. But Harry Arnold and Ben Painter took the same view of the case as I did, and the matter was compromised by Captain Smith ordering him to be BUCKSKIN MOSE. 269 given a cavalry sabre. At the same time, Brighton Bill, who had been listening, growled out : " 'E's ha convarted red devil. lii'm blamed hif Il'i wouldn't 'a given 'im a rifle." When within a mile or something more of the camp, a halt was ordered, while some of us made a reconnois- sance. Creeping up to their position, we found the band must count heavily. It had encamped on the very edge of the desert, which was here some forty miles across, without a single bush or shrub growing upon it. It formed almost a dead level, and in the dry season was so hard that a horse would scarcely leave the slightest track by which scout or red-skin could have trailed it. CHAPTEK XIX. A LIVELY COMMENCEMENT THE FIGHT IN THE DESERT EX TERMINATION OP A BAND OF CUT-THROATS THE CAVALRY SABRE A CONTRAST PERMITTED TO RETIRE AND RECEIV ING PROMOTION A LITTLE LOVE CHANCE AND TROUBLE WHAT CAME OF IT "SMOKING OUT A VARMINT" A FEW PRISONERS THE INDIAN AGENT NEW FRUIT ON A TREE- ALONE ON A TRAIL THE END. AFTER a brief council, in which Captain Smith, Harry Arnold, and myself were the principal ones who took a part, it was determined to surround them on the side where we then were, and immediately day had bro ken, to drive them to the desert. By doing this, we calculated scarcely one of them would have a chance of escaping. " At last, Mose ! " said Le Hoy, who happened to be near me, " we have the blood-thirsty devils ! and may God not spare me, if I fail to kill, while a single one of them is left alive." He scarcely seemed to be aware of the meaning of his muttered words. But I knew of what he was think ing. It was of the death of Al. Simmons. In some forty minutes the necessary orders had been given, and we had advanced nearly within gun-shot of them. We had moved into our position with the most complete silence. What had startled the Indians, I was and still am unable to imagine. They had, however, dis covered our approach, and yelling out their war-whoop, dashed towards us, on our centre. It was j ust light enough BUCKSKIN MOSE. 271 for them to make out our strength. When they found this, they recoiled, and, almost at the same instant, made a charge upon our left. For some few minutes the boys and soldiers on that side of our position had lively work, and then, finding out that there also we were too strong for them, the red-skins started out on the desert. We pursued them leisurely for some six miles. Then putting the spur to our horses, we galloped up and sur rounded them. It was now daylight. We could see the work before us. Justice must be done even to such a rascally set of murdering thieves as Smoke-creek Sam's gang. When caught, they did fight, as I honestly believe no Pah-utes have ever before done. However, the blue-coated ser vants of Uncle Sam and the Buckskin Hangers fought better. The soldiers rode amongst the red-skins, hewing them down with their sabres, while our boys were equally busy with revolver and knife. This had scarcely been going on for as many minutes as we had covered miles of the desert, when I marked one Indian. From descriptions of Smoke-creek Sam, which we had almost all of us heard, I determined that this must be the scoundrel, and rode up to him. I was lying on the side of my horse when he saw me. Lifting his revolver, he fired three or four shots at me as rapidly as he could. The last of these crashed through the skull of the noble brute, that had borne me so well and gall an tly for so many years. I felt, even at the moment in which he fell in spite of the enemy who were in the front and on all sides of me a cruel pang. It so happened that when I fell, Arnold was near me 272 BUCKSKIN MOSE. and had seen the shot take effect on the animal I was mounted on. He knew how greatly I valued the gift of Jack Bird, not simply on acount of the giver, but on its own account. I heard his voice, as the report of his own pistol rang on the ear, almost immediately follow ing that of the red-skin's. Giving utterance to a fierce cry, he yelled out : u You have killed the Tipton Slasher. Take that, you red devil ! " Harry's ball had broken the right arm of Smoke- creek Sam, and he had gone to grass as it struck him, or, at all events, I thought so.. The red ruffian had cer tainly fallen, and, extricating myself from the panting body of my dying horse, I leapt towards him for the purpose of raising his hair. While I was in the act of doing this, I saw that he was not yet dead. With a des perate clutch of his left hand, he was trying to grasp the revolver which had fallen from his maimed limb upon the ground. It was lying a trifle beyond his reach, and before I had time even to think of putting him out of his misery, I saw the gleam of a cavalry sabre flash ing through the air. The blade fell. In another instant, the savagely brutal head of Smoke- creek Sam was hanging from his shorn neck, attached to it merely by a small portion of bleeding flesh. At the same moment when this was effected, a voice shrieked out : " Buckeeskin Mose, he now see whether Shoshonee John fight. Think him kill heap." There was clearly no more reason for doubting the sincerity of our Indian ally. " Smoke-creek Sam ? " BUCKSKIN MOSE. 273 This demand was made by me with an inquiring gest ure, as, in doing so, I extended to him the scalp I had just lifted. Looking first at it, and then at the head he had so nearly severed from the body it belonged to, as if to make sure of their former connection, he replied : " Heap sure." The answering affirmative was uttered with a senten tious gravity, exemplarily characteristic of his red as- cestry, as Cooper has painted similar races long since wiped out by our rushing civilization. Striding from us, he then looked around the battle-field for more of his brethren, upon whom he could display the reality of his detestation of them, as well as his capacity as a headsman. However, by this time the strife was well-nigh over. Not one of Smoke-creek Sam's gang could be seen stand ing upon his feet. The hard soil of the desert, for more than quarter of a mile square, was strown with their dead bodies. Eighty-one of the merciless scoundrels had paid with an honorable end for their bloodily dis gusting crimes. Not a single red-skin had escaped from the bullet or the sabre. The band of torturing and vil- lanous cut-throats and murderers had been totally ex terminated. In this instance also, I can justly say, as I have done in Colonel Connor's battle on Bear River, that Captain Smith, although an officer in the regular service, did his work well and thoroughly. The Pah-utes, however, had n'ot been reduced to tran quillity. As I have earlier explained, this gang was merely a section of that tribe whose atrocities and law lessness had compelled their expulsion from it. Not, indeed, their atrocity arid lawlessness against us, the 12* 274 BUCKSKIN MOSE. white settlers, but that which they displayed at the ex pense of their red brethren. Scarcely had I returned and been, for a short time, in the society of my little wife, settled down in Susan - ville, when an incident occurred which fully demonstrat ed this fact. At this time, a body of Uncle Sam's blue-coats were stationed in the vicinity of Summit Lake. The cavalry was under the command of Captain Hall, and the in fantry under that of Captain Meyers. It happened that two of our most prominent citizens were crossing the mountains, some four miles nearer than this post, when they were attacked by a party of red-skins. The leg of one of them, named Kesler, was broken by a rifle- ball at the first volley aimed at them by the attacking Indians. The other of the men was possessed of cool courage and indomitable pluck. This was Frank Drake. ~No sooner did he see his companion fall, than he asked briefly : " Are you wounded ? " " The red cusses have broken my leg, Drake ! " " Yer must be off, then." " How on airth can I \ " " We'll soon see," cried Frank cheerily. Cutting one of the horses loose from their team, he helped Kesler on to it, in spite of the bullets which were rattling on the other side of the wagon. Then, bidding him ride to the Lake to ask for assistance from the sol diers, he proposed to fight it out alone with the Indians. Kesler remonstrated vainly with him. Giving to the horse he had cut loose a heavy lash with the whip he had previously been using, he said : BUCKSKIN MOSE. 275 " Go, yer darned fool, unless yer wish both on ns to be done for, by the red skunks." The animal started with Kesler, followed by a pelting shower of bullets. None of them, however, struck either him or the horse. This unusual hint, in all probability, accelerated the speed of the latter, for he seems to have made good time. In about twenty minutes, Kessler arrived at the place where the blue-coats were stationed, and on seeing Captain Hall, told him the situation in which he had left Frank Drake, and begged him to send his friend "help at once." This officer replied in the usual official slang of the Plains: " I've lost no Indians, and I'll be hung, if I'm going to trot out my men for nothing." " Nothing ! Hain't I told yer Frank Drake is fight ing the red devils, by himself?" " By this time," was Hall's reply, " the man is killed. We shan't find him." In spite of this refusal, in which Uncle Sam's servant persisted, some few of his men, accompanied by several settlers who chanced to be present, at once mounted their horses and galloped off, leaving Kesler behind, to have his leg attended to by the army surgeon, if the post rejoiced in such an appendage. This is by no means invariably the case. The party galloping to save the plucky Frank Drake, made even better speed than his companion had done. No sooner were their rapidly advancing hoofs heard, than the cowardly Indians fled. Upon arriving at the point where the team had been left standing, they, at first, saw no living creature save one of the remaining horses. Frank Drake was found by them stretched under the wagon. When the red- 276 BUCKSKIN MOSE. skins ran, lie knew relief was at band, and had fainted away from loss of blood. Wounded in almost every part of his body as he was, by great luck, not one of the holes made by the Pah-utes was dangerous. Two of them were lying dead on the farther side of the road ; and when he revived, he told those who had rescued him he thought he had seen a third of them carried away as they were approaching. The preceding incident of frontier life is mentioned by me for the purpose of striking a just balance with regard to the protection afforded the settlements by the Government. This will be the better appreciated by the reader, when he hears I have been told that Captain Smith was " permitted to retire," while Captain Hall has since received the reward due to his services, by promo tion. Let me, before closing this. volume, relate another in cident which displays, in an even more striking light, the love for Uncle Sam's relatives which is so very generally exhibited by his servants. Some time in 1865 or 1866, a family had moved into Honey Lake Valley consisting of an old man and his wife, with a daughter, whose charming face and winning manners might have entitled her to a place in far better society than Susan ville could by any possibility afford her. The name of the family was Pierson. Their child was called Ilattie. They had settled on a ranche just below Laithrop's place and near the Hot Springs. Butch' Ilasbrouek had, shortly after the family arrived, become acquainted with them, and greatly to the pleasure of the parents, had made arrangements to reside under their roof. Of course, such fair readers as I may not have terri- BUCKSKIN MOSE. 277 fied into closing this volume, by the too bloody tales I have written out in these pages, will readily enough divine the reason which had led him so quickly into an intimacy with the parents and their daughter. Ilasbrouck loved Hattie Pierson. lie had, I believe, told me, only, of his happiness when he became engaged to her. Certainly, it was not gener ally known. She was still so young, that her father had insisted upon the marriage being deferred until the fol lowing year. In the meantime, Hattie's beauty had attracted other admirers. These she had managed to make understand that she did not love them, without* inflicting upon them, or her own kindly and gentle nature, the pain of a refusal. One of them was, however, more obstinately pertina cious. This was a man of the name of Cockrell, who, in spite of every hint she had given him, persisted in his attentions, and at last made her an offer of marriage. Being thus cornered, as it were, the girl was compelled to refuse him. In the hope of softening her refusal by giving him a positive reason for it, she blushingly owned that she was engaged to Butch' Ilasbrouck. She had learnt to give him the same appellation which all his friends had so long done. What was her horror when Cockrell burst into a fu rious fit of passion, not only reproaching her in the vilest manner, but swearing not only to kill him but the girl also. When this occurred, Butch' had been absent with the Hangers. This was only for a short time, and on his return, Hattie told him how Cockrell had terrified her. Her lover comforted her by laughing away her fears. 278 BUCKSKIN MOSE. However, on the next day, lie made his appearance where I was living, and asked me to go with him in search of this man. "What for, Butch' ?" I asked. "Nare yer mind, Mose! When I find the darned cuss, yer'll know, soon enough.' 7 Of course, I went with him. But our search was a fruitless one. Cockrell had disappeared from Snsan- ville the day before. No sooner had he heard that the Rangers had returned than he had quitted the place. When JIasbrouck found that this- was positively so, he frankly told me the reason which induced him to search for the fellow. " But if you had found him, Butch', what was it you meant to do ? " " What war it I meant to do ? In course, shoot the darned blackguard." Up to this moment, he had been as cool as a cucum ber, or, rather, as the winter snow on Bear River during my campaign in that locality. Your quiet men are always dangerous, and so I told him. At the same time, I consoled him with the reflection that Cockrell's conduct had proved this fact. After abusing little Hattie Pierson like a dastardly cur, he had cleared out, immediately after the return of her plighted lover. " P'raps yer're right, Mose ! " " I know I am, my boy ! A white liver always tells. So has his." " The varmint has run tu the nearest hole he could find," he said with a smile. " If we catch him, we'll smoke him out." We both laughed, and we were both wrong to laugh. In the following year, we again went upon the Ham- BUCKSKIN MOSE. 279 T)oldt, and shortly after we had done so, old Mr. Pierson decided to move further south, to Winamucca Valley, near Red Hock. "When the family were passing up the east side of Honey Lake, they were attacked by Indians and all of them were murdered. When found, the body of the old man was literally riddled with bullets. Mrs. Pierson and Hattie were lying in each other's arms, clasped tightly, as if in the effort to shield each other from death. They had been slain in the same manner. Intelligence of this was brought to us. And I can never forget the effect it had upon Butch' Hasbrouck when he heard it. His face became lividly white, in spite of the tanning by exposure it had so long had. Without a word, he turned, lifted his rifle and his shot-pouch, took a small bag which lie filled with parched corn, and was leav ing us. Throwing my arm around his neck, I said : u Where are you going ? " " After them as killed my Hattie." " Do you think I shall not go with you ? " I asked. " Hand H'i too ? " exclaimed Brighton Bill. Arnold and Painter were already preparing to accom pany him, and, in less than an hour, we were all upon the homeward road. Our search was, for some two weeks, completely in vain. Although, near the scene of the murder, keen eyes could make out the trail, it was lost at a short dis tance from it, owing to the rocky nature of the soil. However, where we had first seen it, Butch' affirmed that he had discovered the track of a white man. Ar nold and myself thought as he did. If so, this man was Cockrell. The belief in this fact made Ilasbrouck untiring in his attempt to recover the trail. 280 BUCKSKIN MOSK. Iii spite of every effort on his part and ours, we were unable to do so. It was a providential chance which enabled us, at last, to fasten upon a portion of the guilty parties. These were, unfortunately, all red-skins. One morning, while on Willow Creek, we fell in with five Pah-utes. It was a surprise party both for them and us, and a luckless surprise for the red-skins. There was no chance for their showing fight. We were nearly five times their own number. Neither could they fly ; we had surrounded them. Butch' had at once recognized upon them portions of old Pierson's clothing and some of Hattie's trinkets. We could not shoot them down in cold blood, and after a brief coun cil, decided upon disarming and taking them with us as prisoners to Susan ville. Had Cockrell been with them, I honestly believe he would never have left the spot alive. Hasbro uck would certainly have slain him where he stood. Nevertheless, he made no opposition to our present purpose. In his horror and wrath at the crime of the white scoundrel, he seemed to pass over that of the red devils who had aided him in accomplish ing it, as scarcely worthy of notice. Accordingly, they were taken to Susanville and placed in a species of lock-up which there did duty as a jail. As we quitted Willow Creek, it may perhaps be men tioned that one of the red ruffians appealed to us to let him go, on the score that he had done nothing but " shoot him gun into old white man." This plea of in nocence was necessarily unattended to. We had intended to give them a fair trial, and it was to come off very quickly. It is only in large cities that justice is slow and dilatory. But on the morning im mediately preceding the day which had been fixed for BUCKSKIN MOSE. 281 it, I mean the second morning of their imprisonment, Harry Arnold, in company with Butch' Hasbrouck, met me. It was in front of J. I. Steward's hotel. The for mer said : " Cap ! we were coming to see you." " What is up now ? " He had given me the rank I had held when out with the Rangers. This he seldom did, even then, unless we were in active and trying pursuit of the red-skins. What did it mean ? " Wall, Mose, du yer want the infarnal red cusses who helped murder my Hattie to git clean off ? " de manded Butch'. "Certainly not!" " Shut up, Butch', 5 ' exclaimed Harry, " until we are somewhere, where none can hear a word you are saying." " Ye're jist right. I will." When Arnold spoke last, I noticed that his strong fingers had grasped the arm of his companion, tightly. Moreover, I was enabled to remark that the face of the latter had more of its old vitality. This was, however, at present, by no means of an alluringly agreeable char acter. His eyes seemed to have the very devil in them. When he replied to Harry, he strode rapidly up the street. Arnold and myself followed him, until we had passed the last house or log shanty in it, and had reached a clear and open spot. Here I came to a dead halt. " And now, man, what is it yon have to tell me ? " " Du yer know the skunk the folks in Washington sent to Pyramid Lake, last fall, as *Injun agint?" * Unfortunately, I am unable to recall the name of this individual, and therefore cannot pillory it. 282 BUCKSKIN MOSE. "Yes!" " What d'yer think he's a' goin' tn du with the cuss'd red devils we cotched up thar, " as he said this, he gave a jerk with his thumb in the direction leading to it, "at Wilier Crik?" " What can he do with them ? " " He's a' goiri' to rin 'ern off to-morrer, on to the Re- sarvation. So we can't du nothing with them," Has- brouck replied savagely. " You must be dreaming, Butch'," I exclaimed an grily. " The thieving scoundrel doesn't dare do it." " Doesn't he ? " asked Arnold, with a bitter smile. " Why ! he isn't even one of Uncle Sam's blue- coats ! " Arnold then explained to me how the other Ranger had learned that this plan had actually been decided upon, and gave me the names of some of our more timidly loyal fellow-citizens, who had been induced by the agent to guarantee him their support. What was there for us to do ? This fellow actually represented our respected Uncle ! He had probably called for the assistance of the regulars stationed in the vicinity of Susanville. Little doubt, perhaps, existed in our minds that our boys could have whipped them with the help of their friends, who, I firmly believe, would have turned out in mass, at such a call as we might have made. But this would have been insurrection, or treason, or something of the sort. I could see nothing left for us to do, but to grin and bear it. That was a natural necessity. But somehow or other, on that night the matter was removed from our hands, as well as that of the Indian agent aforesaid. While we were all sleeping the sound slumber of law-abiding citizens of the United States, a BUCKSKIN MOSE. 283 party of masked men overpowered the jailer, and broke into the prison. On the next morning, a fine tree which stood at the side of Albert Smith's dwelling-house bore a new kind of fruit. The red-skins who had murdered Hattie Pierson and her parents were dangling from its brandies. They had paid for their crime with its legitimate penalty. It was a sound and vigorous specimen of frontier justice. Suspicion pointed its finger at many of my fellow- citizens, possibly, myself included. The Indian agent was furious. But the perpetrators of this act of justice, outside of law, kept their own counsel. Up to the present, as I have reason to know, suspicion has failed to obtain positive proof of the hands that hung the five Pah-ute assassins. This volume is now drawing to a close, as in 1869 I quitted that portion of the country in which I had so long been residing. Nevertheless, in the preceding year, one more bloody act occurred which it may be necessary to record. Hiram Partridge and Vesper Coburn were at this period keeping the station at Deep Hole Springs, to which my pilgrimage in the winter of 1861 with lame Tom Bear may be remembered by any one who has not shrunken from my company up to the present time. Hiram was a cousin of John Partridge, and had once been a partner with me in working my claim at the mines on the Humboldt. Vesper Coburn was an old schoolfellow and playmate of mine, when we were no more than children. Consequently, I no sooner heard of their murder than I determined, were it within my power, to avenge it. Previous to this, the organization of the Buckskin Eangers had been broken up. 284 BUCKSKIN MOSE. Susanville had somewhat declined from its old pros perity. If the settlement round Honey Lake had been growing at all, it was certainly not doing so, at its right end. Montana had sprung into sudden prominence, Idaho was greatly increasing in wealth and the number of its inhabitants, while other places in the surrounding section of the country, to the south and west, were rapidly outstripping us. Many of my old comrades had gone to the two places I have more distinctly named, while some of them had struck on beyond, as far as Lower Cali fornia. "When this outrage occurred, I chanced to be at Reno, a small town on the line of the Central Pacific Railroad, which was then completed as far as Salt Lake City. It is at Reno the junction is now formed with the line for Virginia City, Nevada. Some months had passed subsequent to the death of Partridge and Coburn, when I encountered three red skins in the vicinity of this place, and recognized the horse on which one of them was mounted as Hiram's property. Beside this, they all of them wore articles of clothing which were decidedly not made by the Indians. Had anything else been wanting to convince me of their being the criminals, this was supplied by my personal knowledge of the faces of two of them. These had been in the actual employment of the murdered men. They started on their return to the mountains, and I followed them. My pursuit only counted one white, all told myself. Their number was triple mine. The odds were sufficient to justify the weaker party in employing stratagem. Suffice it that I did so, and counted three scalps against the deaths of my old playmate and recent partner. BUCKSKIN MOSE. 285 If any doubt had been entertained by me of the jus tice of this action, it would have been speedily dispelled by the additional proof shortly after afforded me. It was only a few days after my return to the Humboldt, that a red-skin, known by me as Pah-ute Jim, accused me of killing his brother, one of the two Indians who had been employed by my murdered friends. " Yes ! " I unhesitatingly answered. " I did kill him, because he helped to kill Partridge and Coburn." " Umph ! " he ejaculated. " Batches heap tell 'urn kill. No kill, Natches heap kill Injin." Natches, I ought possibly to mention, was, at this time, the chief of the Pah-utes. With this incident, I may fairly conclude. My Indian hunting, trapping, and fighting ended with it. Since this I have been engaged in mining and other pursuits, having resided for some length of time in Salt Lake City among the Mormons. Should my first literary venture, my dear reader, prove tolerably successful, Heaven only can tell whether it may not be followed by another. If so, it is just within the range of possibility, I may turn from Indian fighting to Mormon polygamy. I can scarcely say which you may think the least interesting. But I can honestly vouch for it, the many-wife business will be the most amusing. HENRY L. HINTON, 74:4= BROADWAY, INTEW YORK. RIP VAN WINKLE, JEFFERSON EDITION. IRVING'S Legend Illustrated with original designs by Darley, Hoppin and other eminent artists, and photographs in photo-relief printing of Jefferson as "Bip Van Winkle," by Sarony. Folio, cloth extra, black and gold, $2.50. WINTER'S TALE. SHAKSPEARE'S PLAY. EDITED BY HOWAED STAUNTON, containing twenty-seven illustra tions by John Gilbert. Bound in white morocco paper, with an illustration by Henry Van der Weyde. Square folio, gilt, $1.25. Two very beautiful little volumes are Shakspeare's "Winter's Tale" and Irving's "Rip Van Winkle," in the "Jefferson Edition." The former work is illustrated by John Gilbert and Henry Van der Weyde, and we hardly need say, is an exquisite example of illustra tive art. The "Rip Van Winkle" is elegantly printed, and is em bellished and enriched by four of Sarony's beautiful pictures of Jefferson, of which we have already had occasion to speak in terms of the highest praise. These pictures are what are known as carbon prints, and are fine specimens of the furthest reach of the photo graphic art. N. Y. Evening Post. SCHOOL DAYS AT MOUNT PLEASANT. INCLUDING Sketches and Legends of the "Neutral Ground," by RALPH MOKLEY. Illustrated by Forbes, Bon well and Waude. Tinted paper, 328 pages, 12mo., cloth extra,, elaborate, designs in black and gold, $1.50 The records of the scholastic novitiate, when pleasantly written, are always entertaining, for they recall the most delightful period of of every man's existence, when life was but a giddy anticipation of worldly success and coveted fame. Tom Brown's ' ' School Days at Rugby " won the universal heart, chiefly because it described scenes that are common to all academies the world over, and gave expres sion to feelings that are experienced as keenly by school-boys in New York as by school-boys in Warwickshire. The author of this little volume, which has been beautifully published by Henry L. Hinton, 744 Broadway, has narrated under the pseudonym of Ralph Morley, the joys and sorrows, the pastimes and emulations of a cadet of the Mount Pleasant Military Academy at Siug Sing. The scenery of the Hudson Highlands, and the traditions and legends of the "Neutral Ground," are skillfully and effectively interwoven with the story, which is destitute of plot, and which seeks only to present the cadet life at Mount Pleasant truthfully and agreeably. There are many fine passages, both of dialogue and description, in the book, which has the obvious and decided merit withal of being a genuine out growth of the soil, a distinctive production of New York. New York Evening Post. THE PUCK NOVELS. UNDER THE ABOVE TITLE WILL be issued, in rapid succession a series of stories by the most popular foreign and American authors. These \\ill be stories with a single continuous plot, containing the pith of what, in more pretentious works, is usually extended over a wide field. The series will be hand somely printed, and tastefully bound in cloth, and pub lished at 75 cents. I. THE BELLS. A Romantic Story from the French of MM. EBCKMANN-CHATEIAN, authors of the drama of "The Bells," which is founded upon this story. H. POWDER AND GOLD. From the German of ScnucKiNa. A Story of the Franco-Prussian War. in. THE MAIDEN OF TREPPI. From the German of PAUL HBYSE. A Story of the Appenines. IV. HELENE MORTEN AND LA ARRABIATA. From the German of PAUL HEYSE. OPIRITUALISM ANSWERED BY SCIENCE. CONTAINING O Proofs of a Psychic Force, by EDWAED W. Cox, S. L. , F. B. G. S. 12mo., flexible cloth, 50c. The Pheno mena Is it Delusion or Fraud? Is it Unconscions Mus cular Action? Are the spectators Biologised? "What is the Psychic Force ? The Theory of Spiritualism. The Scientific Theory of Psychic Force. How to In vestigate. The book is written in a calm spirit by one who reports the evi dence of many experiments, and reasons upon them like a man determined to sift evidence, and believe accordingly. The subject needs further investigation. If there be a force antagonistic to gravi tation, or exempt from its influence, or at least operating to counteract gravitation on the bodies in which it is diffused, science should be eager to discover all that can be known about it. We recommend Mr. Cox's most interesting book to the inquiring and curious. The psychologist and physiologist should be equally alive to the state ments it contains. The Westminister Review. BOOTH'S ACTING PLAYS. SHAKSPEARE AND OTHER Plays Adapted for representation at BOOTH'S THEATRE. 8vo., Paper, 30c. I. RICHARD HI. X. RICHELIEU. II. MACBETH. XI. MERCHANT OF VENICE, III. MERCHANT OF VENICE. [ending with the 4th act IV. FOOL'S REVENGE. of Sbakspeare.] V. ROMEO AND JULIET. XH. RICHARD III. Colley Gib- VI. BRUTUS. b rs's version. VII. LADY OF LYONS. XIII. HAMLET. VHI. OTHELLO XIV. THE IKON CHEST. IX. MUCH ADO ABOUT NO- XV. JULIUS CAESAR. THING. * 4 * Any of the above works sent post paid on receipt of pric*