slow and tedious tracking.  After we had ridden about twelve miles, and just as we raised the top of the hill, on looking across on the next ridge we saw the three Indians, and sure enough, it was Captain Jack, his squaw and little girl.  About this time he turned and saw us coming.  He stood and looked at us for a moment or so and the three all turned and started back to meet us.  We both pulled our pistols and dashed up to him at full speed.

When we were close enough, I could see that he had a smile on his face, and I knew that he had recognized me.  When we rode up to him he said:  “Good mornin.  Long time no see you,” and at the same time presented the gun with the breech foremost.

As I took the gun, I said to him:  “Jack, where are you going?”

He replied:  “O, heap hungry, guess go Clear Lake catch fish.”

I said:  “No, Jack; you are my prisoner.  I will have to take you back to Gen. Wheaton.”

He replied:  “No, me no want to go back, no more fight, too much all time hungry, little girl nearly starve, no catch fish soon he die.”  But when he saw that he had to go, he said: 

“All right, me go.”

So I took the little girl up behind me, and George took the squaw up behind him and Jack walked.

It was in the afternoon when we returned to headquarters with the prisoners, and there was no little rejoicing among the soldiers when they learned for a certainty that I had taken Captain Jack prisoner.

That afternoon a runner was started to Yreka with a dispatch to headquarters to the effect that Gen. Wheaton had taken the notorious Captain Jack prisoner.  As a matter of fact, an old scout is never known in such cases.  They, as a general rule, do the work, but the officers always get the praise.  Although Gen. Wheaton had the praise of capturing Captain Jack, he had but little more to do with it than the President of the United States.

CHAPTER XXXVIII.

Story of the captured braves.—­Why captain jack deserted.—­ Loathsome condition of the stronghold.—­End of the war.—­Some comments.

That evening I had a long conversation with Captain Jack, and from him I learned the exact number of Indians in the cave.  He said there were twenty women, and maybe thirty children and twenty-two warriors.  He said they would not stay there long for they had nothing to eat, and their ammunition was nearly gone.