Everything being understood between us we separated, each taking his appointed route, and I striking direct for the late emigrant camp.  Before I got there, however, I ran onto the trail of apparently three Indians and concluded to follow them up.  I had not gone a great distance away until I espied them in a little ravine a short distance away and they were having a scalp dance.  I tied my horse secure from observation and then commenced to crawl upon them.  They were circling two scalps that they had hung upon sticks stuck in the ground, every now and then drawing their bows as if going to shoot at them.  I crept along cautiously, expecting that the Indians would be so absorbed in their scalp dance that I would get in close pistol shot before they discovered me; but in this I was mistaken, for when yet a long rifle shot away they espied me, and the moment I saw I was discovered I opened fire with both pistols, which caused them to flee in hot haste, leaving the two scalps hanging on the sticks.  I went up to where they were and found that one scalp was that of a woman and the other that of a man.

I was now certain that there had been some emigrants murdered, and I soon made up my mind that about the first thing to do was to locate the bodies and bury them; but on consulting my watch I saw that I must hurry if I made Sand Point by three o’clock.  Just as I had turned and started back to my horse, who should come up but Jim Davis.  He had been trailing the Indians, which brought him over in my direction, and when he heard the shots he had come with all haste thinking that I was in trouble.  We both turned and rode on to Sand Point, arriving there about half past three, but no Maloney was in sight, so after giving the signal agreed upon and receiving no answer, we made up our minds that he was in trouble, and we struck out to find his trail.

While we were on our way to hunt Maloney’s trail Davis said:  “Captain, I believe those Indians had two prisoners with them, and I think they are both women, judging from their tracks and other indications; see here what I found while I was trailing them.”  And he showed me two pieces of calico of different color.  He thought that they had been dropped by the prisoners in the hope that some white person might find them and follow.  He also said that there were small twigs broken off along the trail, which would indicate that they expected a search for them.

When Maloney left us he made direct for Sand Point, but before he reached there as he was riding along he discovered a small shoe track, he dismounted and tried to follow it, but it seemed that the tracks extended no farther.  This confused him greatly, and he said to himself:  “Be the loife of me it was only just there that I saw the thrack, and it’s sure I am that she could not have flew away.  Oh! here it is again, and begorra I belave it’s the thrack of a white woman, for sure I am that no dhurty spalpeen of an Injun could iver make such a dainty thrack as that.  Sure and I’ll look in that bunch of brush, perhaps it’s there she is, the poor crayther.”