Forty Years Among the Indians: A true yet thrilling narrative of the author's experiences among the nativesJones, Daniel W. (Daniel Webster)
History
Forty Years Among the Indians: A true yet thrilling narrative of the author's experiences among the natives
Jones, Daniel W. (Daniel Webster)
Frontier and pioneer life -- West (U.S.); Indians of North America; Latter Day Saint pioneers -- Biography
Most of us were old travelers, that is, we had all had considerable
experience in handling animals in camp, but these mules showed more
cunning and perseverance than any we had seen before. Once they
traveled with hopples some sixteen miles. I happened to strike their
trail first. After tracking them about five miles I found Ammon
Tenney's saddle horse with a few other animals. I managed to catch
the horse, and with nothing but my suspenders for a bridle I followed
on alone until I overtook the mules. They tried to run away from me,
but I managed to head them back and drove them several miles before
daring to take the hopples off. The horse I was riding was quite sharp
backed. By this time, not like the king who cried "My kingdom for a
horse," I thought, "My kingdom for a saddle." So I commenced to study
how to make one, and succeeded finely. I took off my overalls, pulled
some hair out of the horse's tail and tied the bottom of the legs
together, then pulled the grass and stuffed the overalls full--both
legs and body. This formed a pad fast at both ends but separate in the
middle. This I placed lengthwise on the back of the horse with body end
forward so that I could hold the waistband end together with one hand
to keep the grass from working out. Under the circumstances this made
me quite comfortable, and I drove the mules back to camp all right. My
companions laughed heartily as I rode in, but acknowledged that I was a
good saddler.
A few nights after we were discussing these mules, Brother Tenney
proposed that we tie each mule to the other's tail. This worked like a
charm. We had no further trouble, as they simply followed each other
round and round and got their fill of travel without going very far
from camp.
There was some uneasiness felt by Brothers Tenney and Ivins about
meeting the Indians who had killed Dr. Whitmore, as they had never come
in to make peace with the Mormon settlements. As we neared the Moa-abby
we were all somewhat anxious and kept a good look-out. Brother Tenney
knew these Indians well and said he would be able to recognize them
from any others. The Navajoes who had formerly been hostile were now at
peace and coming in to trade for horses; but the Indians dreaded were
still supposed to be on the war path.
On arriving at the Moa-abby we camped near the edge of some willows,
keeping a good watch. We made an early camp shortly before sundown.
Brother Tenney, who was on the alert, suddenly said, "Here they are. We
are in for it."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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