He was furnished an escort from Julesburg to the "wood reserve" on "Lorron's "fork, and there erected a small log house, called by him the "ranch." The day following its completion, he and three others were at work loading some wood about three miles from the "ranch." The thermometer was about twentyfive degrees below zero. His party was attacked by Indians, which rode clown into the valley between them and the cabin. They fled into the rocks, and the Indians pursued as far

HISTORY OF WESTERN NEBRASKA

as they could with their horses, then dismounted and came on foot.

Soon the men found that they must discard their heavy clothing, and in the chase they became separated. One man found a crevasse underneath a rock and crawled into it, obliterating his tracks by covering them with dirt and sand. The Indians went directly past the mouth of his hiding place, then came back and took counsel in front of it. Then they returned to their horses and rode away. Coad and the other two found a hiding place, and after the Indians had gone built a small fire to keep from freezing, and remained hidden until nightfall.

When the men returned to the "ranch" in the night, they found that the men there had been attacked, and stood the Indians off for four hours. The savages then drove away their horses and mules and some of their cattle, but the latter could not travel sufficiently rapid to suit them. The next day it was decided to return to Julesburg, and ask that the government furnish guards to protect them from future similar experience. They took the oxen and went to the tableland in the direction of the old Water Holes, but were caught in a frightful blizzard. It raged all night and the thermometer was thirty below zero.