After we had gotten into the camp in the high mountains, and rumors of many deeds of the soldiers kept coming up to us. As our freighters would make trips and report the news on their arrivals, we became, not scared but more cautious and concluded that it was best for us to guard the gaps -- there being two trails that led from different points into the camp, Lonesome cove. We had ideal places where we stood guard on the trail, day and night for quite a time. The yonger men were on night duty; the older ones during the day. From two to four men were found at each gap, day or night and all seemed to be expecting something would happen, which did not; thanks kindly. It was an earnest undertaking. Our guards were fed at their posts of duty. Such little boys as Ed and Buster Frasier, Raymond Derr and Scott Frasier were the carriers to be and also the carriers of grub to the guards. Signals were agreed on occasionally like pass words, for occasions in event of trouble coming from either, the news would come first to camp by carrier --on one end of the line by one of the guards or one of the little boys. When in the daytime from the north-east by one of the aforesaid little boys; if from the South-east in the daytime, the courier would be Tom Ingram or Jewel Snell. Of nights, one of the guards was expected to signal. The toot of a horn was on one occasion a signal and about 9 p.m. when all had retired, what should I hear but a number of blasts of a horn -- all signals were to be taken up from house to house to prepare for action. I had a horn at my house that had not adorned the head of a William Goat and had a mouth piece about one-fourth as large as was required and the consequence was not sound from my camp to the next one on the line. The next thing to do was to send couriers; off they went, half clan, Flossie and Jim Frasier. While wvery one of us except a corporal, proceeded at double quick to the supposed attacked gap. On arrival, no disturbance had been disturbing them and then we began to cast notionale looks over our camp and were of the opinion, we had been tricked. It never occured again; for it was given out that false alarms for fun would no more be tolerated. |
