Page:California Inter Pocula.djvu/493

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called Whistler was entrusted with the dangerous duty of carrying a message to the military camp under a flag of truce. As he did not return, and it was not considered expedient to stand a siege under the circumstances, when night came on the party mounted and set out for Crawley's, preferring the risk of meeting the enemy to remaining shut up until Jack should appear.

But the non-appearance of Jack, and the apparent inaction of Scarface, were not occasioned by a fight elsewhere, as was conjectured. The company of Klamaths before mentioned as sent by Dyar to reenforce Jackson, had been on a scout down the west side of the river under Blow, one of the head men on the reservation, and returning was seen by Jack, who prudently kept concealed. Scarface, too, had been frustrated in his designs by the flight toward Yainax of two of Sconchin's Modocs, held by him since the affair of the 29th. Seizing a favorable 'moment, they set off" at full speed, pursued by half the hostile party, which depletion of his numbers left Scarface without the strength to make an attack. These at the time unknown but favorable circumstances deprived the retreat of a portion of the danger in which it was thought to be involved, and also prevented the plan of an attack on the military camp from being carried into effect as designed.

Halfway on their journey, Applegate's party were met by Whistler, accompanied by the Klamath chiefs Dave Hill and Blow, with their company of scouts, who returned with them to Crawley's, where the forces were so arranged for the night that the Indians could not attack without exposing themselves to the fire from two camps a short distance apart. It was discovered next morning that some of the Indians had crawled up within two hundred yards of the camps, but fearing to attack had contented themselves with taking two horses to show their daring.

On the morning of the 4th a party of seven citi-