When we last encountered Elizabeth Tallman, she had been forced to return to Denver after spotting the unfriendly Native Americans on Running Creek. Elizabeth's brother-in-law, Mr. Foster built a new mill near Elizabeth. In November of 1865, after Mary and Elizabeth spent the summer at the mill. They headed in to Denver to get supplies. It started raining not long after they left the mill and the mud was awful.

It was nearly dark when they got to the Long's 20-Mile house. They couldn't go any further and knew the Longs as Mrs. Long had cooked for the crews at the Running Creek saw mill. So they stopped there for the night. The Longs only had the kitchen part of the house then and used carpets to cover the windows and doors but they made Elizabeth and Mary Foster welcome. Mr. George Long took care of the team and Mrs. Long fixed a fine supper. When it came to sleeping, the Longs gave Mary and Elizabeth their bed and they slept outside either in or under their wagon. So Mary and Elizabeth became the first guests at the 20-Mile house.

On December 1, 1865, Elizabeth married John M. Tallman at Russellville. Mr. Tallman came to Denver in 1859. He was a member of the Third Regiment of the Colorado Volunteers. He was one of the first people to reach the Hungate Massacre and helped pick up the bodies.

After they married, John bought some cattle and they went to live on a ranch about two miles east of Parker (in the current Canterberry subdivision). The cabin John built is still standing. Mr. Tallman and some of their neighbors built a barn on the place from Foster's mill. All the beams and joists were fastened with wooden pegs instead of nails.

Elizabeth's experience with the Indians on Running Creek wasn't her last. Living along the Tallman/Newlin gulch brought her into more contact with the roaming tribes. The cabin was on the direct route the Utes took down to the Republican River to hunt or out east to the plains to fight the Cheyenne and Arapahoes. It was quite an experience watching them go by. Their tepee poles would be attached to the sides of ponies. The other sides would be dragging the ground with buffalo robes tied across between the poles.

There didn't seem to be any way to keep those Indians out of their cabin after a while. Of the three Ute tribes, the Tallmans were best acquainted with Washington's band. He always made it a point to camp about two miles east of them and they would come down to the house and beg. The Indians would stand at the windows with their faces pressed against the glass until Elizabeth pulled down the shades. They'd pound on the door and say, "Woman, woman, give 'em biscuit, heap hungry. Once they pushed a papoose in the door, Elizabeth gave him some bread and set him outside the door. The squaws rushed him and took his bread away.

Another time, Washington wanted to trade Elizabeth some ponies for her son Straff. He was about two then and she thought they wanted him because he had bright red hair. Washington pointed to Straff and indicated he'd give her two ponies and said "Swap ponies." She shookher head and said "No swap." He went clear up to twenty ponies and was very disgusted when Elizabeth wouldn't take such a great trade.

Sandy Whelchel will be signing her new thriller, Hide and Seek at the Park Meadows Borders store 9515 County Line Road on August 19 from 2 to 4 p.m.