upon us we were enabled to see perhaps a dozen Indians on horseback and others on foot, forcing the cattle along. As soon as they discovered us in quick pursuit after them, they abandoned the cattle and fled. We, taking possession of them and driving them back in the direction of the camp, found others belonging to us on the way, that had broken from the Indians in the stampede, and these we also drove back. After getting back to camp and counting up our stock, we found that three were missing. A party immediately started out in search of the missing ones, and found where our troublesome visitors the night before had butchered one of them, so we gave up any further search and returned to camp, where the bell animal' was butchered in consequence of the many wounds she had received from the bows of the Indians. This job being completed and our breakfasts over, we yoked up our teams and left the encampment, making a short day's drive, where we encamped in fine grass and where we enjoyed a quiet night's rest without any interruption. About sunrise the next morning at this encampment, one of the party heard a noise a short distance from camp and supposed it to be game of some kind and went out to secure it, when 'lo and behold' he discovered an Indian perched up in a tree, probably taking an observation of us for the purpose it may be of facilitating some subsequent movement against us, and the gentleman on discovering him, having no very kind feelings towards all 'Red Kings' for the annoyance they had caused us two nights previous, thought he would make one less of their number, so leveling his rifle brought Mr. Indian to the ground to be taken care of by his friends, should they chance that way. Soon after this affair we broke up this camp, and after a long day's drive, encamped for the night on what is called the Big Blue. Here we saw indications of the encampment of the little party called the 'First Emigration,' who preceded us in the year 1844. From these indications we supposed they must have had rather an unpleasant time of it. Just here, in fact, I have since learned that they were obliged, in consequence of high waters, to remain for, I believe, three weeks or more, the whole country anywhere contiguous to the river being completely inundated at that time. Our party, here being more fortunate than our predecessors, had no trouble in making the crossing of this river, it being in a very good stage for fording. From this encampment on Big Blue we journeyed on this day, encountering Indians who did not seem to be badly disposed. At night when we camped, however, we kept a pretty strict watch. upon them. Nothing occurring at this encampment particularly worthy of note, the next day we yoked up and started on our way and camped for the night on the Little Blue. There we established, for the time being, a sort of ferry, converting our wagon beds into boats for transportation purposes, having, before starting on this journey, provided ourselves with wagon beds that would answer the double purpose of both land and water craft. At this encampment on Little Blue there were more wolves than I ever saw, or, I might say, ever heard, before, for they made the night hideous with their yelling. To persons unaccustomed to such sounds, and in this strange country, it is anything but musical. At least, to me it seemed as though all the wolves for a thousand miles around had congregated at this particular place for the purpose of entertaining us. In the morning they could be seen disappearing in droves in different directions, and be assured we were no way loth to part company with these Traveling Musicians.' "From Little Blue we passed on west from day to day without seeing or hearing anything particularly worthy of note, other than is the case in a journey of this kind, always seeing a variety of game, which imparts some little interest and relieves the monotony of our mode of travel. "We are now fairly in the Platte river country, the rain for the past twenty-four hours pouring down, I might say, in torrents. At the end of this day we stop and encamp for the night, when smoke can be seen at some distance off. Fearing we may be annoyed again by the Indians, the guard is immediately placed on duty, but whether they have discharged their duties diligently or not the reader can decide when he is informed that in the morning several of our horses were missing. Upon this fact being ascertained in camp, the train got under way in the progress of the journey up the valley of the Platte river, whilst myself, accompanied by nine others of the party well armed and mounted on fine horses, started in pursuit of the stolen horses and the party having them in charge. We had, at times, some difficulty in keeping on their track, for the Indians displayed considerable ingenuity, as, in their retreat with our animals, we discovered they were traveling, at times, in the creek, for a considerable distance, for the purpose of avoiding detection or of being tracked. We traveled that day perhaps fifty miles in hot pursuit, when at last, the sun not being more than one hour high, we espied our horses standing in close proximity to some Indians, who were engaged, apparently, in preparing some food for themselves. We commenced the charge when perhaps a half mile distant. They did not discover us until we were within two hundred yards of them, when they sprang for the horses, but anticipating this movement on their part, we commenced a tremendous yelling, and, urging our horses on to the top of their speed, succeeded in deterring them from again getting possession of our horses. In this charge we not only got our own horses, but seven additional ones belonging to the retreating Indians, all of which we captured and took possession of. The Indians, numbering, it was thought, about thirty strong, retreated into a thicket that we deemed it advisable not to undertake to penetrate, feeling very well satisfied with the result of this little expedition, as we got all of our stolen horses and seven others, making in all sixteen head of horses, so we concluded to make our way in the direction of our company or train. We traveled about twenty miles in this direction and encamped for the night, very noiselessly and without fires, and on the evening of the next day we came up with the company, where we had a good rest that night. "The next morning we all started off in good health and spirits. During our travel this day a porcupine was killed by one of the party, and this little incident afforded some sport, as the animal evidenced some of his fretful propensities, to the amusement of some, whilst to some it was not quite so amusing. None of us having seen a live porcupine before, this was a gratification. Towards evening we came in sight of quite a large Indian village, and it being camping time, and no probability of our getting to water until after dark, we concluded to camp here for the night, and we did So. The Indians soon visited our camp and seemed disposed to cultivate a friendly intercourse with us and behave themselves well towards us. This we gave them to understand we appreciated. They brought to us, supposing that we stood in need of some eatables, a few dead prairie dogs, and also a few screech owls. Doubtless these are considered delicacies among them, but fortunately at that time we had plenty of other food more familar and palatable to our tastes, and we declined partaking of these rare dishes, although they were strongly recommended, as near as we could understand the language of our visitors. They also brought deer skins and buffalo robes, and many other kinds of pretty things, all of which they were desirous of trading and some of which we purchased of them. We then visited their camp and discovered many things curious to us. They gave us to understand that they wanted any and everything in the clothing line, for which they wanted to give us anything they had in return. After spending some time with them, and it was growing dark, we thought it perhaps advisable to return to our own camp, not knowing but that all this intimacy might result in a ‘flare up,' for we all know that there is that uncertainty about the character of an Indian that renders them unreliable." EARLY CHAPTER XIX. SETTLEMENTS-A. A. DENNY'S DESCRIPTION OF PIONEER DAYS- The history of the actual and permanent settlement of the Puget Sound Country began in the year 1845, with the arrival of Colonel M. T. Simmons and his associates at the head of the Sound, where Olympia and Tumwater are now located. The first settlements farther down the Sound were not made until 1851, and thereafter. The tardy beginnings and slow progress of these settlements in their earlier years, were due to a variety of causes. The discovery of gold in California in 1848 turned the tide of emigration in that direction, and many settlers in Oregon and Washington, as well as emigrants crossing the plains, were attracted to those gold fields by the marvelous reports of their richness, and the stories told of their wealth lost nothing by repetition. Following the excitement produced by those discoveries, came the Indian war of 1855-6, with its massacres of many families and individuals, the destruction of numerous homes and improvements, the loss of stock, horses, cattle, etc., which were only procured with much difficulty, labor and expense. Following these troubles came the Civil war of 1861-5, which deranged the business of the country, turned the attention of its citizens in other directions, and left the few and scattered inhabitants of the Puget Sound Country in the midst of a wilderness, surrounded by hostile savages and neglected by the government to which they naturally looked for protection, whose officers were three thousand miles away, and whose attention for several years was almost entirely devoted to the nearly superhuman task of preserving the Union itself. The hopes of these brave settlers, left so much to their own resources for protection and defence, that a trans-continental railroad would soon afford them speedy connection with their friends, brothers and government officials on the other side of the continent, were doomed to many years of delay and disappointment. Although their first governor, General Isaac I. Stevens, had conducted with extraordinary courage, skill and ability, a most successful survey for such a railroad in the year 1853, the Northern Pacific Railroad, substantially constructed on the lines he had then marked out, was not completed for more than thirty years. The delay was caused chiefly by the slavery interests, which controlled the country for many years prior to the beginning of the Civil war, and which did not wish a railroad constructed in northern latitudes, and which brought on that war, in 1861, which made its construction impossible for many years afterwards. All these difficulties conspired to retard and prevent the growth and improvement of this section of the country, which otherwise might have been expected. One of the most distinguished of the early settlers of the Puget Sound Country was Hon. A. A. Denny, who was prominent in its political and business circles for more than forty years, and who was always highly respected for his goodness of heart, his kindly and agreeable manner to all with whom he came in contact, and his thorough and unflinching integrity of character. His "Pioneer Days on Puget Sound" is a plain unvarnished statement of facts, and his personal knowledge of these facts makes his narrative one of great value. Some extracts therefrom will be found interesting. "On leaving home for what we called the Pacific coast on April 10, 1851, we had no other purpose or expectation than to settle in the Willamette valley, but we met a man on Burnt river by the name of Brock, who lived near Oregon City and had come out expecting to meet some friends, failing in which he turned and came back with us to The Dalles. He gave us information in regard to Puget Sound, and called attention to the fact that it was about as near to the Sound from where we first struck the Columbia river, now known as Umatilla Landing, as it was to Portland, but as yet there was no road over the mountains by which it could be reached. My attention was thus turned to the Sound, and I formed the purpose of looking in that direction, but soon after our arrival in Portland my wife, one child and myself were taken with ague, which held us until late in the fall, most effectually defeating all my plans for examination of the country. In the month of September, J. N. Low and my brother, D. T. Denny, drove Low's cattle over to Judge Ford's, on the Chehalis river, for winter range, with the purpose also of examining the country, and while waiting a report from them, I received a visit from Thomas Chambers, father of David and A. J. Chambers, who gave me information which greatly increased my interest in the Sound country. At Olympia they fell in with Lee Terry, and the three there joined Captain Robert C. Fay, and came down to the Duwamish river exploring. On the 25th of September they went up as far as where H. Van Asselt, L. M. Collins and Jacob Maple and Samuel Maple, had shortly before determined to locate. "While looking around, Low and Terry concluded to locate a townsite, and with that view made a joint location on Alki Point, and Low hired my brother to remain on the claim with Terry, while he returned to Portland for his family, and on the 28th day of September, Terry and my brother laid the foundation for the first cabin. When Low returned to Portland, the schooner Exact, Captain Folger, was fitting out for a voyage to Queen Charlotte Island with gold prospectors, and to touch at the Sound with emigrants, and we determined to take passage on her. She sailed on the 5th of November, 1851, and cleared at Astoria, as shown by the custom house records, on the 7th. We crossed out on the same day, and on Thursday the 13th, our party, consisting of myself and family, John N. Low and family, C. D. Boren and family, William N. Bell and family, and Charles C. Terry, landed at Alki Point, added to whom were my brother David T. Denny and Lee Terry, making in all twenty-four persons, twelve adults and twelve children. "Our first work was to provide shelter for the winter, and we finished the house begun by my brother and Lee Terry for J. N. Low, and all took shelter in it from the rain, which was falling more or less every day, but we did not regard it with much concern, and seldom lost any time on that |