proceeded
over the mountain on snow shoes to Soda Springs, and gave the details, so far as I knew, of the destruction of the settlement in Pit River valley.
Mountain Joe advised that I should go at once to Yreka with the news. I mounted a strong nimble mule and set out.
On my way I met Sam Lockhart. This Lockhart was a leading man of the country and largely in terested in Pit River valley, where he had a great deal of stock, which was in charge of his brother, who fell in the massacre. My sad news was not news to Lockhart. The two men before spoken of had made their way through the mountain to Yreka, and the whole country was already in arms.
Lockhart was on his way to Red Bluffs, two hundred miles distant, for the purpose of raising a company there, to attack the Indians from that side, while the company already started from Yreka should descend upon them from the other. There was but little military force in the country, but the miners and men generally in those days were prompt and ready to become soldiers at almost a minute s notice. But in desperate cases, as in this, men not directly interested were prepared to arm and equip a substitute such as they could pick up about the camp. Lock- hart returned to Yreka with me.
We arrived in town late in the evening and I was taken at once to the law-office of Judge Roseborough. Some other lawyers were called in ; I was ordered, not asked, to take a seat, and then began a series of
