made their report to Mr. Wright that ten or fifteen Modoc
braves had been watching them and the troops all morning.
None of them knew that at that very instant the Modocs were
holding a hurried talk, not more than eight hundred yards
from them, as to how they had better make the attack. The
troops was glad of the opportunity to eat and rest. They
unpacked the four mules they had along. They had stacked
arms, they thought in a safe place. The officers was joshing
some of the boys about Indian fighting. Some had pulled
their shoes off and were trimming their toe nails. Some had
WWNISHET
Donald McKay, leader of the Warm Spring Scouts in the Mo- doc War, and his right hand men. Donald McKay now dead. Photo by Mr. Heller, 1873. From the collection of Mr. John Daggett.
already begun to eat. The others was laying around like a lot of men will do when they are tired. While the boys was thus taking things or rather life, easy, they was all taken unawares by the dreaded Modoc w r ar whoop, shooting com- mencing at the same time. Col. Wright, the poor unfortunate man, was one of the first to fall, never to rise again. The Modoc fire was so accurate, the troops all broke for safe places, which they gained. Quite a number was killed before they reached places of safety. The Modocs charged the soldiers and succeeded in putting them to rout. Quite a f
