months, but did not have another fight of any consequence with the Indians during our stay in this place.  The Apaches quit their work in this portion of the country, thus enabling the emigrants to pass unmolested.  In about one week after George Jones had returned from his trip to headquarters, Lieut.  Jackson, George and myself went out around the foot of the mountain on a scouting tour.  We were riding in sight of each other, when the Lieutenant signaled us to come to where he was.  On arriving there he told us to keep our eyes on a certain ridge and we would see a little band of Indians rise over the top of the hill in a few minutes, saying he had just got sight of them while crossing the ridge beyond but could not tell just how many there were.

We secreted ourselves in a little thicket of timber where we would be concealed from their view, and in a few minutes they hove in sight.  We counted them and found that there were eleven of them.  Lieut.  Jackson said to me:  “Cap, shall we try them a whirl or not?” I said:  “Lieutenant, I will leave that with you.  If you feel like it we will give them a round.”  The Lieutenant said:  “All right.  I want to try my mare anyway and see if she is any good or not.”

He was riding a mare of fine breeding, as black as a coal and as fleet an animal as there was in the whole command.  By this time the Indians had crossed over the ridge and were then traveling up a little ravine, and by keeping ourselves secreted they would cross the ridge near us.  Just as they turned over the ridge referred to, we were to make the charge.  I was riding a roan horse that I had bought in San Francisco that could run like a deer, for when in this business I would not ride a horse that was not swift, but I never had him in an engagement of this kind.  Being very hard-mouthed, I thought he was liable to run away with me, and I did not know whether he would run in the opposite direction or after the Indians.  The Lieutenant and Geo. Jones said that if he would only run after the Indians they would follow me up closely.

As soon as the last Indian had passed over the ridge out of sight we made a charge, and that black mare went like she was shot out of a cannon.  The Indians were all armed with bow and arrows, but they did not attempt to use them.  They did not suspect anything wrong until they heard the clatter of our horses’ feet within a few yards of them and when they turned to look back we all had our revolvers ready and turned loose to firing and yelling, and for the next half mile we had a lively race.  I had thought up to that time that there wasn’t a man on the plains or in the Rocky Mountains that could beat me shooting with a pistol while on the run, but I must confess that Lieut.  Jackson on his black mare could shoot more Indians in the same length of time than any person I was ever out with, and it seemed that as fast as the Lieutenant would shoot one Indian down his mare would turn and take after the next nearest.  The