Mrs. Thompson was the first to discover

 Page 11.

Mrs. Thompson was the first to discover I was missing and ran from our quarters screaming at the top of her lungs, “William and Willow are missing and he's got my Bowie knife with him”. Captain Thompson who was aware of our disappearance was presently in the process of readying a search party. He replied in a rather sarcastic tone, “Adeline my dear, William and Willow are missing and they have my horse”. Almost immediately a group of soldiers took off after the us directly while Captain Thompson stayed behind and consoled his wife but privately did not expect us to be found alive. They brought Bacho with them with one soldier assigned to have his pistol trained on him the entire way and to shoot him dead if necessary. At about this time the morning sun began to flicker through the valley floor giving me a clear view for miles from an outcropping of low granite cliffs. I tied Fremont hidden the best I could in a thick stand of Sonora Pines as Willow and I watched a small band of Apaches on horse back headed our way. As they got nearer I knew something was wrong after noticing they had painted their bodies as well as their horses in preparation for war and not peace or a trade. The Apache had no intention of trading Bacho's granddaughter for Willow but meant to kill everyone and anything in sight it seem to me. They were heavily armed with what looked like new Winchesters and as they got closer I could see they were drinking too.

I knew it wouldn't be long before Captain Thompson would send a scouting party out to find me but they would be riding right into a deadly trap if I didn't warn them. It was then that I noticed an Apache brave trailing behind their war party leading a horse with an Apache girl just about my age. She was tied hand and foot and draped over an Indian pony like cord wood and her legs were red and bloody. The brave that held the reins to her pony was drunk and he continued to poke at her with a stick and once spat at the girl and laughed. This had to be Star Raven and she was about in as much trouble as I was but what could I do to help her I thought to myself when suddenly Willow began to howl attracting some unwanted attention. I gently placed my hand over Willow's mouth and whispered to her to be still but not before she let out another sharp yelp and then stopped. The main group of the waring Apache's didn't appear to hear Willow's cries, all except that young drunken brave who looked up toward the granite cliffs and took one last swallow of whiskey. I knew he heard us and I slowly backed further away from my vantage point but it was too late. The young Apache threw down his empty Whiskey bottle and was riding our way at a gallop still leading Star Raven while the others continued on seemly unaware.

I didn't have time to think as my heart raced and pounded inside my chest but this was real as the sound of approaching hoof beats stopped just below me. I quickly stripped off my shirt and wrapped Willow inside like a sack and safely placed her next to a flatten ledge and climbed several feet above her wedging myself between a narrow cliff wall. Was this the right thing to do or not, I didn't know but what other options did I have and would the entire war party be upon us next. These thoughts of indecision race through my mind like a devil wind just spinning and spinning out of control until Willow started to howl again and then I knew it was over. With my whole body shaking I looked down just in time to see the Apache brave poking at my shirt with his knife and it was then that I jumped from the ledge and missed the brave hitting the granite ledge hard. My fall surprised the drunken brave who stood almost frozen for a second but just a fast he recovered and charged at me with his knife. I managed to pull out the Bowie knife but the drunken brave laughed and lunged again with a lethal  thrust but I spun to my right almost falling from the cliff side. But now he was on top of me pinning my knife hand down with his knee as I desperately grappled with his hand that held his knife to my throat.