OCR Text |
Show FORTY YEARS AMONG THE INDIANS. 23 The Indians were perfectly friendly, and all hands were making ready to enjoy a feast of fat venison. I kept silent; no one but myself knew how I suffered during my first " big scare." I never questioned my companions about our mutual fright neither did they ever make any reference to the affair, why I do not know unless they, like myself, were afraid of being laughed at. We were surrounded and threatened by the Indians many times on the road ; but through the influence of our guide and interpreter, we were allowed to pass- along on easy terms. We ha* d for guide Thomas Chacon, a Mexican Indian, the same who will be remembered by many of the Mormon Battalion, as he traveled in com-pany with them as assistant guide, and returned and wintered at the old fort in Salt Lake in 1847- 48. Once at the bend of the Dolores river our chances for life seemed very slim. We were surrounded by over five hundred warriors, well armed. We numbered about fifty men, mostly. Americans. The chief had sent a dep-utation to our camp on the Mancos river, the day before, stating that his son had died, and that either an Amer-ican or Mexican would be demanded from our camp for a sacrifice, and if not given up peaceably, war would be opened upon us, and all would be killed. This de-mand was made by the old Elk Mountain chief. Our interpreter, who had lived many years among these Indians, felt quite uneasy, telling us of the power of this chief and his tribe. He did not advise us to give up a man, but probably would not have objected, as he knew we could not spare him, he being the only one who knew the trail. Captain Angley, who had charge of this com-pany, looked upon the threat as an insult, and told the Indians to say to their chief that he had no men to vol- |