the jacket (the star-rover)-第30节

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general　attack　was　made　at　sundown；　and　thousands　of　shots　were

fired　into　us。　　Nobody　on　our　side　was　scratched。　　On　the　other

hand；　although　we　fired　barely　thirty　shots；　I　saw　Laban　and　Timothy

Grant　each　get　an　Indian。　　Laban　told　me　that　from　the　first　only

the　Indians　had　done　the　shooting。　　He　was　certain　that　no　white　had

fired　a　shot。　　All　of　which　sorely　puzzled　him。　　The　whites　neither

offered　us　aid　nor　attacked　us；　and　all　the　while　were　on　visiting

terms　with　the　Indians　who　were　attacking　us。



Next　morning　found　the　thirst　harsh　upon　us。　　I　was　out　at　the　first

hint　of　light。　　There　had　been　a　heavy　dew；　and　men；　women；　and

children　were　lapping　it　up　with　their　tongues　from　off　the　wagon…

tongues；　brake…blocks；　and　wheel…tyres。



There　was　talk　that　Laban　had　returned　from　a　scout　just　before

daylight；　that　he　had　crept　close　to　the　position　of　the　whites；

that　they　were　already　up；　and　that　in　the　light　of　their　camp…fires

he　had　seen　them　praying　in　a　large　circle。　　Also　he　reported　from

what　few　words　he　caught　that　they　were　praying　about　us　and　what

was　to　be　done　with　us。



〃May　God　send　them　the　light　then；〃　I　heard　one　of　the　Demdike

sisters　say　to　Abby　Foxwell。



〃And　soon；〃　said　Abby　Foxwell；　〃for　I　don't　know　what　we'll　do　a

whole　day　without　water；　and　our　powder　is　about　gone。〃



Nothing　happened　all　morning。　　Not　a　shot　was　fired。　　Only　the　sun

blazed　down　through　the　quiet　air。　　Our　thirst　grew；　and　soon　the

babies　were　crying　and　the　younger　children　whimpering　and

complaining。　　At　noon　Will　Hamilton　took　two　large　pails　and　started

for　the　spring。　　But　before　he　could　crawl　under　the　wagon　Ann

Demdike　ran　and　got　her　arms　around　him　and　tried　to　hold　him　back。

But　he　talked　to　her；　and　kissed　her；　and　went　on。　　Not　a　shot　was

fired；　nor　was　any　fired　all　the　time　he　continued　to　go　out　and

bring　back　water。



〃Praise　God！〃　cried　old　Mrs。　Demdike。　　〃It　is　a　sign。　　They　have

relented。〃



This　was　the　opinion　of　many　of　the　women。



About　two　o'clock；　after　we　had　eaten　and　felt　better；　a　white　man

appeared；　carrying　a　white　flag。　　Will　Hamilton　went　out　and　talked

to　him；　came　back　and　talked　with　father　and　the　rest　of　our　men；

and　then　went　out　to　the　stranger　again。　　Farther　back　we　could　see

a　man　standing　and　looking　on；　whom　we　recognized　as　Lee。



With　us　all　was　excitement。　　The　women　were　so　relieved　that　they

were　crying　and　kissing　one　another；　and　old　Mrs。　Demdike　and　others

were　hallelujahing　and　blessing　God。　　The　proposal；　which　our　men

had　accepted；　was　that　we　would　put　ourselves　under　the　flag　of

truce　and　be　protected　from　the　Indians。



〃We　had　to　do　it；〃　I　heard　father　tell　mother。



He　was　sitting；　droop…shouldered　and　dejected；　on　a　wagon…tongue。



〃But　what　if　they　intend　treachery？〃　mother　asked。



He　shrugged　his　shoulders。



〃We've　got　to　take　the　chance　that　they　don't；〃　he　said。　　〃Our

ammunition　is　gone。〃



Some　of　our　men　were　unchaining　one　of　our　wagons　and　rolling　it　out

of　the　way。　　I　ran　across　to　see　what　was　happening。　　In　came　Lee

himself；　followed　by　two　empty　wagons；　each　driven　by　one　man。

Everybody　crowded　around　Lee。　　He　said　that　they　had　had　a　hard　time

with　the　Indians　keeping　them　off　of　us；　and　that　Major　Higbee；　with

fifty　of　the　Mormon　militia；　were　ready　to　take　us　under　their

charge。



But　what　made　father　and　Laban　and　some　of　the　men　suspicious　was

when　Lee　said　that　we　must　put　all　our　rifles　into　one　of　the　wagons

so　as　not　to　arouse　the　animosity　of　the　Indians。　　By　so　doing　we

would　appear　to　be　the　prisoners　of　the　Mormon　militia。



Father　straightened　up　and　was　about　to　refuse　when　he　glanced　to

Laban；　who　replied　in　an　undertone。　　〃They　ain't　no　more　use　in　our

hands　than　in　the　wagon；　seein'　as　the　powder's　gone。〃



Two　of　our　wounded　men　who　could　not　walk　were　put　into　the　wagons；

and　along　with　them　were　put　all　the　little　children。　　Lee　seemed　to

be　picking　them　out　over　eight　and　under　eight。　　Jed　and　I　were

large　for　our　age；　and　we　were　nine　besides；　so　Lee　put　us　with　the

older　bunch　and　told　us　we　were　to　march　with　the　women　on　foot。



When　he　took　our　baby　from　mother　and　put　it　in　a　wagon　she　started

to　object。　　Then　I　saw　her　lips　draw　tightly　together；　and　she　gave

in。　　She　was　a　gray…eyed；　strong…featured；　middle…aged　woman；　large…

boned　and　fairly　stout。　　But　the　long　journey　and　hardship　had　told

on　her；　so　that　she　was　hollow…cheeked　and　gaunt；　and　like　all　the

women　in　the　company　she　wore　an　expression　of　brooding；　never…

ceasing　anxiety。



It　was　when　Lee　described　the　order　of　march　that　Laban　came　to　me。

Lee　said　that　the　women　and　the　children　that　walked　should　go　first

in　the　line；　following　behind　the　two　wagons。　　Then　the　men；　in

single　file；　should　follow　the　women。　　When　Laban　heard　this　he　came

to　me；　untied　the　scalps　from　his　belt；　and　fastened　them　to　my

waist。



〃But　you　ain't　killed　yet；〃　I　protested。



〃You　bet　your　life　I　ain't；〃　he　answered　lightly。



〃I've　just　reformed；　that's　all。　　This　scalp…wearin'　is　a　vain　thing

and　heathen。〃　　He　stopped　a　moment　as　if　he　had　forgotten　something；

then；　as　he　turned　abruptly　on　his　heel　to　regain　the　men　of　our

company；　he　called　over　his　shoulder；　〃Well；　so　long；　Jesse。〃



I　was　wondering　why　he　should　say　good…bye　when　a　white　man　came

riding　into　the　corral。　　He　said　Major　Higbee　had　sent　him　to　tell

us　to　hurry　up；　because　the　Indians　might　attack　at　any　moment。



So　the　march　began；　the　two　wagons　first。　　Lee　kept　along　with　the

women　and　walking　children。　　Behind　us；　after　waiting　until　we　were

a　couple　of　hundred　feet　in　advance；　came　our　men。　　As　we　emerged

from　the　corral　we　could　see　the　militia　just　a　short　distance　away。

They　were　leaning　on　their　rifles　and　standing　in　a　long　line　about

six　feet　apart。　　As　we　passed　them　I　could　not　help　noticing　how

solemn…faced　they　were。　　They　looked　like　men　at　a　funeral。　　So　did

the　women　notice　this；　and　some　of　them　began　to　cry。



I　walked　right　behind　my　mother。　　I　had　chosen　this　position　so　that

she　would　not　catch…sight　of　my　scalps。　　Behind　me　came　the　three

Demdike　sisters；　two　of　them　helping　the　old　mother。　　I　could　hear

Lee　calling　all　the　time　to　the　men　who　drove　the　wagons　not　to　go

so　fast。　　A　man　that　one　of　the　Demdike　girls　said　must　be　Major

Higbee　sat　on　a　horse　watching　us　go　by。　　Not　an　Indian　was　in

sight。



By　the　time　our　men　were　just　abreast　of　the　militiaI　had　just

looked　back　to　try　to　see　where　Jed　Dunham　wasthe　thing　happened。

I　heard　Major　Higbee　cry　out　in　a　loud　voice；　〃Do　your　duty！〃　　All

the　rifles　of　the　militia　seemed　to　go　off　at　once；　and　our　men　were

falling　over　and　sinking　down。　　All　the　Demdike　women　went　down　at

one　time。　　I　turned　quickly　to　see　how　mother　was；　and　she　was　down。

Right　alongside　of　us；　out　of　the　bushes；　came　hundreds　of　Indians；

all　shooting。　　I　saw　the　two　Dunlap　sisters　start　on　the　run　across

the　sand；　and　took　after　them；　for　whites　and　Indians　were　all

killing　us。　　And　as　I　ran　I　saw　the　driver　of　one　of　the　wagons

shooting　the　two　wounded　men。　　The　horses　of　the　other　wagon　were

plunging　and　rearing　and　their　driver　was　trying　to　hold　them。





It　was　when　the　little　boy　that　was　I　was　running　after　the　Dunlap

girls　that　blackness　came　upon　him。　　All　memory　there　ceases；　for

Jesse　Fancher　there　ceased；　and；　as　Jesse　Fancher；　ceased　for　ever。

The　form　that　was　Jesse　Fancher；　the　body　that　was　his；　being　matter

and　apparitional；　like　an　apparition　passed　and　was　not。　　But　the

imperishable　spirit　did　not　cease。　　It　continued　to　exist；　and；　in

its　next　incarnation；　became　the　residing　spirit　of　that

apparitional　body　known　as　Darrell　Standing's　which　soon　is　to　be

taken　out　and　hanged　and　sent　into　the　nothingness　whither　all

apparitions　go。



There　is　a　lifer　here　in　Folsom；　Matthew　Davies；　of　old　pioneer

stock；　who　is　trusty　of　the　scaffold　and　execution　chamber。　　He　is

an　old　man；　and　his　folks　crossed　the　plains　in　the　early　days。　　I

have　talked　with　him；　and　he　has　verified　the　massacre　in　which

Jesse　Fancher　was　killed。　　When　this　old　lifer　was　a　child　there　was

much　talk　in　his　family　of　the　Mountain　Meadows　Massacre。　　The

children　in　the　wagons；　he　said；　were　saved；　because　they　were　too

young　to　tell　tales。



All　of　which　I　submit。　　Never；　in　my　life　of　Darrell　Standing；　have

I　read　a　line　or　heard　a　word　spoken　of　the　Fancher　Company　that

perished　at　Mountain　Meadows。　　Yet；　in　the　jacket　in　San　Quentin

prison；　all　this　knowledge　came　to　me。　　I　could　not　create　this

knowledge　out　of　nothing；　any　more　than　could　I　create　dynamite　out

of　nothing。　　This　knowledge　and　these　facts　I　have　related　have　but

one　explanation。　　They　are　out　of　the　spirit　content　of　methe

spirit　that；　unlike　matter；　does　not　perish。



In　closing　this　chapter　I　must　state　that　Matthew