It was a miserably rough country across these lava beds, and we had to travel very slowly.

The man in charge dropped back in the rear of the train, thinking that if we were attacked it would be at the rear.

The reader will understand that in crossing this hell-hearth it was necessary for the pack-animals to string out single file.

CHAPTER XXXVII.

The cry of A Babe.—­Capture of A bevy of squaws.  Treachery of gen.  Ross’ men in killing prisoners.—­Capture of the Modoc chief.

When we were across the lava beds, or “Devil’s Garden,” as the place was commonly called, I told the man who was leading the bell-horse to stop and wait until the other animals had come up in order to see whether we had lost any.  This was within a mile of headquarters.  The man in charge, also Jones and the other scouts, came up, but the young man who had been riding in the middle, also four mules and their packs, as the saying is, “came up missing.”

The train went on to headquarters, but Jones and I returned along the trail to see if we could find the missing man.  One of us, however, had to leave the trail and scout along on foot.

After following the back-track two miles I found where the four mules had left it.  It was now late in the evening, and we were within less than a mile and a half of Captain Jack’s stronghold.  We tied our horses there and started out, caring but little about the mules and their packs; it was the man that we were looking after.  We had not gone more than fifty yards from the trail when we found the body.

The poor fellow had been stoned to death, his head being beaten out of shape.  This the Indians had done to prevent an alarm.  They had evidently been hidden in the lava rocks and had managed to turn those four mules from the trail, and the fog being so thick that a person could not see any distance, the man did not notice that he was off of the trail until too late; and when once off the trail a few paces it was impossible for him to get back again.  The mules and packs were never seen again.  The Indians, no doubt, took them to the cave, used the provisions, killed and ate the mules and saddle-horse which the man was riding.  We took the body to headquarters, and the next day it was started to Yreka, Cal.  I do not remember the name of this young man, but he lived near Yreka.

Gen. Wheaton was now fighting, the Indians every day, and at night kept a strong picket guard around the cave.  About this time it was reported that Gen. Wheaton had received orders to take Captain Jack if he had to exterminate the entire tribe.

The feeling was getting to be very strong against Captain Jack in regard to the assassination of Gen. Canby, Col.  Thomas and George Meeks, the interpreter.  One evening in a conversation with Gen. Wheaton he asked me how long I thought it would take to starve them out.  I said:  “General, if they took all their horses in the cave, which I believe they did, and we know for a fact that they got some cattle from the Klamath river, I think it will be May or June before you will be able to starve them out.”