Thirty-One Years on the Plains and in the Mountains, Or, the Last Voice from the Plains: An Authentic Record of a Life Time of Hunting, Trapping, Scouting and Indian Fighting in the Far WestDrannan, William F.
History
Thirty-One Years on the Plains and in the Mountains, Or, the Last Voice from the Plains: An Authentic Record of a Life Time of Hunting, Trapping, Scouting and Indian Fighting in the Far West
Drannan, William F.
Frontier and pioneer life -- West (U.S.); Indians of North America -- Wars
I watched for an opportunity and took both of Jim's pistols and
knife away from him and gave them to the clerk at the hotel.
Afterwards I walked to the station-house to see what the charge
was against Johnny West. The man told me the charge was drunk and
disorderly and shooting a pistol inside of a house. I asked him if
he would let Johnny out if I would pay the fine. He said: "Yes. As
soon as he is sober to-morrow morning, you can come around. The
charges will be twenty dollars."
If the reader ever had any experience with a drunken man, which to
me is the most disgusting thing on earth, he can realize something
of the time I had with those two men, for it took me all the next
day to get Johnny West home and get him reconciled.
He was determined to return to Sacramento, and it took me two more
days hard work and coaxing to get Jim Bridger home. I have it by
good authority that this was the last drunken spree that Johnnie
West ever took. He remained on his ranch some six years longer and
having accumulated considerable wealth, sold out for a good price
and returned home to his relations in Texas, and there died a
short time afterwards;
Jim Bridger and myself stayed at Johnny's until about the middle
of January. This now being 1861, we started for New Mexico, via
Los Angeles, with the intention of laying over in Los Angeles
until we could cross the Rocky Mountains. There was a good wagon
road from Sacramento to San Jose, and from San Jose to Los
Angeles.
At this time the Indians were all peaceable through California,
the only trouble with them was their begging. At that I think,
beyond any doubt, that they could beat any class of people it has
ever been my misfortune to meet.
We arrived at Los Angeles on the fifth of February. It being one
of the Spanish feast days, they were having a great time. The
Spanish population of this place having now become reconciled, we
were treated with due respect while we remained here, being about
one week, during which time we lived on fruit. For here were
fruits and flowers, world without end. Beyond any doubt, this is
the greatest place for flowers that I have ever seen.
Soon we pulled out for New Mexico, keeping on the north side of
the Colorado river until above the head of the Grand Canyon, this
being pretty well up in the Rocky Mountains, and here near the
head of the Grand Canyon we began to see more or less Indian sign,
but we were undecided as to what tribe of Indians they belonged.
The second day after crossing the Colorado river we ran on to a
band of Indians, but to our satisfaction they were of the Pima
tribe, and the same young Indian whose sister had assisted me in
rescuing the white girl Olive Oatman, was with them.
As soon as he saw me, he ran to meet me and shouted "Kain, igo,"--
meaning "Hello, friend,"--and shook hands with me.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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