Piute Indian girl carrying corn (Southern Utah).
“You need not think of escaping this time,” he said to me. “We intend to tie you to that tree and burn you alive.” I tried to reason with them, telling them I knew I was in their power; but it wouldn’t do them any good to kill me. If they did, the soldiers would soon follow and kill the last one of them.
“We are not afraid of the soldiers,” he retorted. “We would rather die fighting than starve.”
“Well,” I replied, “if you kill me, you will kill one of the best friends the Indians ever had.”
But nothing I could say seemed to make any difference with old Sagwich. He was determined to carry out his threat. If he had his way I knew he would do it. The other Indians, however, were not so devilish. One of them gave me some fresh elk meat, and I went back to my camp. Things looked rather black for me that night. My only hope was that the other Indians would not stand by old Sagwich.
Dr. T. M. Bridges
At the Indian agency; squaw with papoose in Indian cradle.
If the worst came, I had determined to sell my life as dearly as possible. The Indians held a council that night. We kept close watch till morning, but as no one offered to harm us, we began to feel a little easier. After saddling our horses, I told Suarki I was going over to have another talk with them, and instructed him that if they made a move to kill me, he should leap on my horse and strike for home to tell the Indian Agent.
Old Sagwich was so sulky he wouldn’t even speak to me. The other Indians, however, acted better. They said nothing of what had been decided, but that day they packed up and took the trail towards home. We followed them. On our way down the river we came upon one of the Indians fishing. He told me about the council. Old Sagwich was stubborn in his determination to kill me, but the rest wouldn’t consent and he had to give up his bloody plan.