Читать книгу Shaman's Dream: The Modoc War - Lu Boone's Mattson - Страница 75

When Ivan could get away from his duties, he rode over to the fort. This Officer Jackson had at first been diffident, but then he had agreed. He would spare a small contingent as soon as he could get himself settled. Ivan had explained where they might look, for Jack had surely taken off for the woods up on the mountains beyond the ford or else for the rocks down on the west side of the lake.

Then, back at Yainax, Ivan waited. For days there was no word, only silence. The troopers, he reckoned, were out looking, but nothing, evidently, was going to come of it. Then word came by a singed and blackened messenger passing through. July 4, Yreka, the man said. There had been the reading of the Declaration of Independence, the speech, the fantastics parade -- all had finished. The celebration had gone awry in the night. Fire. Half the whole downtown district up in flames. Hotels, haberdashers, feed stores, the works. All night long everyone had joined in the battle: miners, sheepmen, women and children, Chinamen and Indians. In the morning, all the townsfolk and their visitors had looked, dismayed, at the many blocks of ruins.

That was it, though, for Ivan. Of course!, he had thought as soon as the man had finished. That was where someone would find Jack. He would still be hanging around the excitement, as would be every loose Indian for miles around. Now they could get him! He sat down and wrote to the sheriff of Siskiyou County, California, at Yreka:

Yainax, July 5, 1871

Sir.

Five Modoc Indians known respectively as “Captain Jack”, “Dandy Jim”, “Boston”, “Goldback” and “Wa-cal-um-chucks”, are charged with the murder of an Indian named “Com-po-twas”. The murder was committed near Klamath Reservation on the 19th day of June 1871. As all these parties belong upon Klamath Reservation, I do most respectfully call upon you to arrest the accused, if they be found in the city of Yreka, holding them until they can be turned over to Major Jackson, USA Commander of Fort Klamath.

Very Respectfully, Sir, Your

Most Humble Servant.

Ivan D. Applegate

Coms. in charge of Snake and Modoc Indians

He re-read the letter, then stepped out of the office and into the road. Looking up and down it, he could only identify Snakes. Finally, he called one of the older boys over to him.

“You know any Modocs?” he asked. “Seen any of them here today?”

“Up by canteen. One,” the boy said.

“Sprague River or Lost River? You know?”

When the boy shook his head that he didn’t, Ivan continued:

“Go see. Fetch him,” he said. “Here, you take this.” He handed the boy a silver coin from his pocket. “You find him, you keep it. But show him it. Say Ivan’s got more like that for him. Say bring horse. Tell him Ivan wants him to deliver a letter.”