TOLD by the PIONEERS - Washington Secretary of State

Told by the Pioneers
obtained a fair price for them. Just as we were about to set out on
our homeward journey, for safe keeping, we had buried $1,750 in a
dense fir thicket. In some way a man named "Dirty Tom" obtained
kno,,-ledge of the whereabouts of our treasure. This fellow had come
to camp with a party of Oregonians, with whom also came my grandfather,
and was loafing about camp. Tom and the money were missed
about the same time late one October afternoon, so we started on the
trail of Tom. About dark we came to a fork in the road. Jack took
one of the branches and I the other. I traveled until I could see no
more, tied my horse, crawled into a haystack and waited for dawn.
Jack was already at Quinn's when I reached there the next day. So
was our man. He denied having anything to do with the theft, and
tried to enlist the sympathy of Quinn in his behalf. In this he failed
utterly. 'Ve took him back to camp and insisted that he show us
where the money was hidden. At last, after much persuasion, he took
a pick and shovel and went down to the thicket and began digging
near the spot where we had buried the money. Gradually, he worked
up the hillside, where he uncovered the stolen money. 'We let him go
free, and next day he swore out warrants for our arrests, claiming
the money had not been stolen, but that we had forgotten its hiding
place. Fortunately, our friend, the blacksmith, was chairman of the
vigilance committee. He came out to see us and we soon convinced
him that we were in the right. Soon after, notice was given Dirty
Tom to leave the place. Tom left. Late in October. we started home.
I left grandfather in Umatilla and went on afoot. I followed the Columbia
until I found a couple of Indians who had a canoe. After considerable
argument, I prevailed upon them to take me across. For
hours we worked, our clothes thoroughly drenched with cold water,
I gan them $2.00-all I had. We landed on the Yakima side and I
started on my long, long walk, knowing that forty miles lay between
me and the first human habitation Colonel Cook's ferry on the Yak.
ima, where Prosser now stands. There were ten inches of snow on
the ground and temperature about twenty degrees below zero. Right
across the 11ills I went, over what is now known as the Horse Heaven
country. I walked all night in the snow, which became deeper as I advanced.
During all this time I had had nothing to eat and nature was
asserting herself in a most emphatic manner. Sleepy, tired and famished,
I lay down in the snow from time to time, protecting myself as
best I could from the piercing cold with my one light blanket. It was
impossible to build a fire. I knew that my only hope was to keep in
motion as much as possible, so all the next day and night I struggled
along. ~fy feet, ears, nose and hands became frozen and it was only
force of habit that kept me moving.
Late in the afternoon of the third day out from Umatilla, I lay
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