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Show 504 AU'fOBIOGRAPHY OP its, arriving about dusk, I entered the house as usual, but was surprised to see no one stin:ing. I walked about a little to attract attention, and no one cominoto me, I stepped into the kitchen to look for some of the inmates. On the floor I saw some one lying down, asleep, as I supposed. I attempted to arouse him with my foot, but he did not stir. This seemed stran()"e . b ' and my apprehenswns became excited ; for the Indians were very numerous about, and I was afraid some misc~ lief had bee1: do~1e. I returned to my horse for my pistols, then, hghtmg a candle, I commenced a search. In going along a passage, I stumbled over the body of a woman ; I entered a room, and found another, a murdered Indian woman, who had been a domestic. I was about to enter another room, but I was arrested by some sudden thought which urged me to search no farther. It _was an opportune admonition, for that very room contained the murderers of the family, who had heard my steps, and were sitting at that moment with their pistols pointed to the door, ready to shoot the first person that entered. This they confessed subsequently. Thinking to obtain farther assistance, I mounted my horse and rode to the nearest ranch, a distance of twenty-four miles, where I procured fifteen Mexicans and Indian~, and returned with them the same night to the scene of the tragedy. On again entering the house we found eleven bodies all thrown together in one pil; for the purpose of consuming them ; for, on searching further, we found the murderers had set fire to the dwelling, but, according to that Providence which exposes such wicked deeds, the fire had died out. Fastening up the house, we returned immediately back to the ranch from which I had started with my , JAMES P. BECKWOURTH. 505 party, making seventy-two miles I rode that night. As soon as I could obtain some rest, I started, in company with the alcalde, for St. Louis Obispo, where, it was believed, we could get assistance in capturing the murderers. Forty men in detached parties, moving in different directions, went in pursuit. It was my fortune to find the trail, and with my party of six men I managed to head off the suspected murderers so as to come up with them in the road from directly the opposite direction froin Reed's house. When I came opposite, one of the men sang out, " Good-day, senors." I replied, but kept on riding in a lope. . The bandits, thrown entirely off their guard, insisted upon entering into conversation ; so I had a fair opportunity of marking them all, and discovering among them a horse belonging to the unfortunate Reed. I then rode to Santa Barbara, a distance of forty miles, and, with a party of twenty men, started boldly in pursuit. After much hard travel, we finally came upon the gang, encamped for the night. Without a moment's hesitation, we charged on them, and gave a volley of rifles, which killed one, and wounded all the others, save an American named Dempsey. The villains fought like tigers, but were finally mastered and made prisoners. . Dempsey turned state's evidence. He stated that, on the night of the murder, his party stopped at Reed's; that Reed told them that he had just returned fron1 the mines, whereupon it was determined to kill the whole family and take his gold, which turned out to be the pitiful sum of one thousand dollars. After the confession of Dempsey, we shot the murderers, along with the "state's evidence," and thus ended the lives of two Americans, two Englishmen, and ten Irishmen, y |