the reservation until lost among the rocks…

chunk 551 · paragraph 2099

Where the Indians had dragged the body of Juan Jose and where they had stood around while beating Avaran on the head, were found the tracks of two with moccasins and one bare- footed Indian. The trail was followed across the Salise mountains for several miles toward ( 44 ) the reservation until lost among the rocks. Avaran Barrera, after being shot, was beaten about the head with an axe taken from the wagon and which was found near the body cov- ered with blood. Manuel Barrera owes his escape to having dropped a glove which he had turned back to look for. He heard the shots but supposed it to be somebody shooting at game or for amusement coming down the canon. When he came in sight one Indian was on top of the wagon looking for what he could steal. The Indian on top of the wagon immediately fired at him, the others then fired from the brush. He was so terrified that after dismount- ing he threw away nearly all his clothing in- cluding boots and hat and in this way ran to the houses below. The murder was one of pure wantonness, there being no arms or anything else in possession of the victims to tempt the cupidity of these monsters. The question occurs to us, of what use are U. S. troops at ornamental barracks of the interior states? Could they be of more service on this frontier? They might at least do picket duty around the reservation and let citizens know when the fiends were going out for a raid, if they could not intercept them.