Page:California Inter Pocula.djvu/490

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478
SOME INDIAN EPISODES.

cade mountains. These distances in a new country without telegraph lines or railroads, were insuperable obstacles to the swift movement necessary to the emergency which had overtaken the people in Klamath valley. Nevertheless, what could be done by rapid riding was done. Couriers flew in every direction with news of the disasters of the 29th.

As soon as the intelligence reached Klamath agency, Dyar raised a company of thirty-six Klamaths, whom he placed under D. J. Ferree, and sent to Crawley's to reinforce Jackson. Oliver Applegate hastened to Yainax, and after talking to Schonchin, who assured him of the good faith of the Modocs at that camp, placed fifteen of Schonchin's people on guard under the white employés, and taking with him nine reservation Indians, part Modocs and part Klamaths, without any other white man he crossed the Sprague river mountains into Langell's valley, and to Clear lake, the residence of his uncle, Jesse Applegate. This severe test of the good will of the reservation Indians was nobly borne by them, demonstrating on their part the utmost regard for Applegate's person and safety on the dangerous journey.

Arriving at Clear lake on the 2d of December, he found his brother Ivan with a party of six citizens from Linkville, who had been through the country to warn the settlers. They left Linkville on the 1st of December, having been compelled to wait for arms to be sent from Fort Klamath before setting out, and accompanied by five cavalrymen, detached from Jackson's command, had already visited all the settlements known to them, and learned the fate of the settlers on Tule lake, sending the remains of the Brotherton family to Crawley's, as already related.

Leaving the cavalrymen at Clear lake to protect the family of Jesse Applegate, Ivan and Oliver joined their forces and searched the country to recover the bodies of the murdered men, without success on that day. On the 3d Oliver Applegate's party found Shil-