Butte record., 1856-11-29

their DEUS, anu were advancing tow
ards the emigrants. Quick as thought
Calef drew IA pistol from his breast and
warned them off, Instead of retreat
ing, they rushed forward with loud
yells, brandishing their weapons. He
fired, and, at the same instant, the
formost one stumbled slightly, the ro-
covered himself, and finally fell for
ward upou the earth, corpse. At
the same moment Stephens was depriv-
ed OF consciousness by heavy blow
from the man whom he had prostrated
with the goad stick. and who had re-
covered sufficiently to take part in the
affrpy.
How long he lay unconscious upon
the prairie sod, Stephens knew not,
but when he had recovered his senses
1T was night and the moon was shin
ing. The robber had departed. He
strove to rise, but his strength was
gone, and he then, for the first time,
discovered that he had received other
injuries than the wound upon his head.
His father lay near him upon the grass,
and with much difficulty he succeeded
in crawling to the SPOT. He was dead
and cold. Resting his head on the
breast Of his murdered parent, the boy
passed a weary night The cold dews
Of evening We're insufficient to quench
! the fires of fever which burned with
In his veins.
The party who had goue on, await
ed with impatience the arrival of those
who had been left behind, and finally a
search was made for the missing ones
Words cannot describe the frautic
grief of Mrs. Caleb, when the awful
truth was revealed to her that the part
ner Of her life, the husband of her bos-
ON, had been separated from her by
death. The body of the man whom
Calef had shot was found lying near
the wagons, but his companions had so
mntilated his features as to render them
usrecognlztbl9. Stephen Calef was
found to be dangerously wounded. He
hsd been stabbed twice with knives,
and the ruffians had doubtless left him
for dead. lie recovered his wonted
health only aster months of severe ILL
ness OF the murderers of his father
he could give no description likely to
lead TO their detection and punishment,
with the exception that he remembered
to have observed upon the forehead OF
the one vino had commenced the attack
upon Mr. CaleR a broad scar, COM
mencing near the middle of his fore
head and extending high up into the
hair.
The sad events changed tbs plans Of
the surviving members of the family,
and instead of purchasing farm in H.
linois as had beeu proposed, they pro-
cceded on to St Louis, where, with the
assistance Of kind friends they secured
Il shelter and home.
Such was the simple story with which
our young fellow voyager begniled few
hours of our passa e. He Subsequent
ly however, seemed to regret his com
muticativeness, and showed in our fur
ther conversation an evident unwilling
ness to recur to the scenes of the past.
During the brief stay of the boat at
Natohez we were joined by number
OF other passengers, and among the new
cOmers were several whose lll-favored
countenances and staggering gait af-
forded evidence that they were not
strangers in the haunts of iniquity with
which the famous "Natchez under the
hill'' abounded. Hitherto our cabin
had been quiet and peaceful; now its
stiffness was invaded by the loud oath
and clustering laugh of the profession
al blacklee, and the vocation of bar
keeper remained no longer sinecure
On the evening after this new acces-
sion to our company, card party was
formed, comprising, [ observed as they
gathered around the table, two of whom
| suspected to be professional gamblers
At first, no higher stakes were played
for than cigars or "drinks for the
crowd" but as the night wore on and
the drinks" began to exercise their
wouted effect, money was put up, and
tho game became more exciting. AT
length, after various changes of fortune
one of the gamblers, burly, hard fea
tured man was about to sweep up a
heavy stake, when suddenly a well
3 dressed gentleman who had watched
the game for considerable length OF
time, laid his hand gently upon his
shoulder, saying, "stop you did not
play fair !"
The man turned quickly in his chair
SO that the light of the lamp fell upon
his features, and launched vollev oi
r oaths and imprecations at the person
who had intruded on him. At this
D moment Stephen Calef, who had been
!, readin5 quietly in remote part of the
cabin, looked up from his book and be-
held the angry feature of the gambler
e The volume dropped upon the floor as
e he started from his seat and sprung
G towards the table. Before his objeci
could be suspected, or opposed, be
stood behind the strangers chair, anc
: brushing the hair from his forehead re-
! vealed "a scar extending back toward.
: ; the crown of his head.
> "Ha," cried he, speaking so rapid
3 ly as to be scarcely Ineligible, "wher,
+, did Won ret that scar William, VIII