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Show FORTY YEARS AMONG THE INDIANS. 325 CHAPTER XLVIII. I am Accused of Conniving with the Indians to Steal My Arrest Investigation and Discharge The Fate of Witches among the Natives I Interfere to Prevent their Murder Captain Norval's Threat His Mistake. MORE white people were coming into the valley all the time to settle, and a deep prejudice against the Indians was soon developed. I was accused of being in collusion with them in running off the settlers' stock so as to get a reward for returning it. This charge was presented to the agent at the Gila agency and from him it was sent to the military com-mander at Camp McDowell. There had been many accusations against the Indians and myself before this, but nothing in a formal way. This time notice had to be taken, so Capt. Sum-merhays with a posse of soldiers came to my ranch. I had often been to the camp and had talked to the officers about my affairs with the Indians. There was, from the first, a disposition of honor manifested by the military toward my labors. The posse arrived about sundown. The captain came in, opened some papers and said his orders were to arrest me for being in with the Indians in stealing stock, and asked if I could prove myself clear. I told him I did not intend to try to prove my inno-cence, but would help him to prove my guilt if possible, for if guilty I wanted to find it out and quit it. This rather pleased the captain who laughingly said: " Well you are a prisoner, but I will trust you not to run away." |