truth of the warning, starts suddenly and leaves the woman alone with the dead.
Tobey’s warning to Boston has reached the ears of the band of murderers at the council fire, who, hastily putting the slightly wounded old sinner, Schonchin, on “Joe Lane,” while the blood-stained uniform of Gen. Canby and the gray suit of the doctor, together with Meacham’s clothes, are lashed on Dyer’s horse, turn away, leaving Boston behind, who grasps the rein of Tobey’s horse. She shouts to Jack, who turns and orders Boston to leave him.
Jack and his party scamper over the rocks, looking back, expecting to hear the guns of the white soldiers who are coming to the rescue.
Tobey again wipes the blood from the face of her benefactor, and, stooping down, places her hand over his heart. “It stop! It stop!” she cries. With her finger she opens his eyes. They do not see her. They are overflowing with blood from the wound in his face and on his head. Again with her dress she wipes the blood from his face. She straightens his limbs and body. Then, standing alone a moment, with three dead men in sight, she sorrowfully mounts her horse and starts for the soldiers’ camp.
While this scene of terror is being enacted at the council tent, another, a little less bloody, is in progress on the opposite side of the Modoc stronghold, the plans for which have been mentioned. Curly-haired Jack (Cum-ba-twas) and Curly-haired Doctor have gone out towards Col. Mason’s camp, with a flag of truce, to decoy the “Little Tyee” (Col. Mason) among the rocks. But he is an old Indian fighter, and cannot be caught by such devices.
Maj. Boyle is there, and, notwithstanding the fact that on the day before Meacham had told him of the threatened treachery, he proposes to Lieut. Sherwood to go out and meet the flag of truce. The major was Indian agent at Umatilla, and had been successful in managing peaceable Indians. He had been with Gen. Crook in Arizona, also; and, having confidence in his sagacity to manage still, he volunteered to go now.
Having obtained the consent of Col. Mason, they leave the picket-line behind them and the guard of the day on the lookout. They go cautiously, and, when within hailing distance, the Modocs, under cover of the flag of truce, ask for the “Little Tyee.”
“He will not come,” replies Boyle. The quick eye of the major catches sight of a musket behind the flag of truce. He turns and flees, calling on Sherwood to “Run! run for your life!”
They run. But see! Sherwood falls! A bullet from the musket of Curly-haired Jack has broken his thigh. The guard rush to the rescue. The Modocs fire a volley, and then flee to their stronghold, pursued by the guard. The signal-station at Mason’s camp says, “Boyle and Sherwood attacked, under a flag of truce.” Capt. Adams, of the signal corps, on the bluff above Gilliam’s camp, receives and dictates it to his secretary, who, after writing, sends it to Gen. Gilliam, in the camp, one hundred yards below. The general reads the dispatch, and calls for Dr. Cabanis to come in, while he writes a message to send by the doctor, informing the commissioners of the attack on Mason’s men. The general has written but a line, when Maj. Biddle, who has the other glass at the signal station, shouts, “Firing on the commissioners!”
The officers order the men to “Fall in!” Soon the bugle repeats the assembly call. The men spring to their arms, and in a few moments the five hundred men are ready to rush to the rescue. Each company forms in line in the order in which they are encamped,—Col. Miller’s company occupying the left front, Lieut. Eagan’s next on the left, and Maj. Throckmorton taking his position behind Eagan’s company; the cavalry companies are on the right.