Through Our Unknown Southwest: The Wonderland of the United States—Little Known and Unappreciated—The Home of the Cliff Dweller and the Hopi, the Forest Ranger and the Navajo,—The Lure of the Painted DesertLaut, Agnes C.
History
Through Our Unknown Southwest: The Wonderland of the United States—Little Known and Unappreciated—The Home of the Cliff Dweller and the Hopi, the Forest Ranger and the Navajo,—The Lure of the Painted Desert
Laut, Agnes C.
Hopi Indians; Navajo Indians; Southwest, New -- Description and travel
Taking advantage of the check, the women and an Indian slave dug a hole
with a poker and spoon under the adobe wall of the room into the next
house. Through this the family crawled away from the besieged room to
the next house, Mrs. Bent last, calling for her husband to come; but it
was too late. Governor Bent was shot in the face as he expostulated;
clubbed down and literally scalped alive. He dragged himself across the
floor, to follow his wife; but Indians came up through the hole and down
over the roof and in through the windows; and Bent fell dead at the feet
of his family.
The family were left prisoners in the room without food, or clothing
except night dresses, all that day and the next night. At daybreak
friendly Mexicans brought food, and the women were taken away disguised
as squaws. Once, when searching Indians came to the house of the old
Mexican who had sheltered the family, the rescuer threw the searchers
off by setting his "squaws" to grinding meal on the kitchen floor. Kit
Carson, at this time, unfortunately happened to be in California. He was
the one man who could have restrained the Indians.
The Indians then proceeded down to the Arroyo Hondo to catch some mule
loads of whiskey and provisions, which were expected through the narrow
canyon. The mill where the mules had been unharnessed was surrounded that
night. The teamsters plugged up windows and loaded for the fray that
must come with daylight. Seven times the Indians attempted to rush an
assault. Each time, a rifle shot puffed from the mill and an Indian
leaped into the air to fall back dead. Then the whole body of 500
Indians poured a simultaneous volley into the mill. Two of the Americans
inside fell dead. A third was severely wounded. By the afternoon of the
second day, the Americans were without balls or powder. The Indians then
crept up and set fire to the mill. The Americans hid themselves among
the stampeding stock of the kraal. Night was coming on. The Pueblos were
crowding round in a circle. The surviving Americans opened the gates and
made a dash in the dark for the mountains. Two only escaped. The rest
were lanced and scalped as they ran; and in the loot of the teams, the
Indians are supposed to have secured some well-filled chests of gold
specie.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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