The Buchanan County guardian. (Independence, Buchanan County, Iowa) 1858-1864, 1859-05-05

they find them dead"
"I have been thinking of that, grand
mother, and guess I'd better start al
soon as it's light, for the neighbors-'
"Well, then, / guess you hadn't. Nick,
for as sure as you do, they'll think we
ought to divide the spoils, and shouldn''
wonder if we found enough on these
fellows to make up what we've both lost.
They got their money from the agent
only last month. and just as like as no,
it's on them. You 60 home and get the
sled, and hitch the horses on, and we'll
load them up and put them where their
own mothers couldn't find them"
Daylight was just breaking. but ii was
too dark to see clearly, so the old woman
took her lantern and went out. 1t was a
hideous sight. and would have shaken
the nerves of any but pioneer woman,
for the agony of the death-hour had left
the faces and forms Of the Indians hor-
ribly convulsed. Nick declared he
could't touch them.
"Now don't be fool, Nick, or super
stitious. Dead men amt to be feared
Just help me unstrap these pouches
they're heavy with silver"
II can't, grandmother. I'd rather be
a beggar all my days"
"Well, go, then, and get the sled,
and let me tend to them -
And, unaided, she proceeded to her
unwomanly work j; and when Nick re-
turned. she stood all hooded and cloaked,
and pair of buffalo shoes on her feet,
and buckskin mittens on her hands, ready
to assist him in his painful task.
"Why, grandmother p he exclaimed,
you have not even left them their leg
gings and blankets!''
did they leave me my bed ?" said
she, sharply. "No, indeed And shall
l treat their dead bodies better than they
did my living one. and me an old woman
of sixty ?"
But what will you do with them %
"Do with them, Nick Ill make
mittens for Ed. out of the leggings, and
clothes for him out Of these blankets,
for they're all the first quality"
"I don't believe he'll wear them.
would not.''
No, because you're only half witted.
But Ed is no such fool. We amt afraid
of dead mems shoes. Perhaps you
wouldn't touch any of these, either" and
she shook a leaihern bag till it j;ngled
merrily. "Two hundred silver dollars
found on these wretches, and six splendid
rifles tool know good rifle if am a
woman, for I've kept garrison many a
day, when was girl, in Indiana-and
six hunting knives. and lots ofpowder and
shot, and bullets. But come-we've no
time to lose !"
With averted eyes, and trembling in
every joint-for he was superstitious,
and feared one corpse more than dozen
live men-young Edmonds assisted the
old frontier woman to lift the dead red
men on to his sled.
"Now drive on" said she, "and I'll
follow on foot. Take the road to the riv-
er, and when you've reached that, run
down the ice till you come to where the
creek joins it'll be soft there
He obeyed her. and when they had
reached the designated spot, the two
broke the ice with their axes, and sunk,
one after another. the still, cold bodies,
deep under the clear blue waves that rip
pied beneath.
There. Nick" said the old woman,
in tone that expressed entire self-satis-
faction, "we've done it for them, and for
ourselves too, for water washes out blood
And their red brethren up north may
come as fast as they please to seek them
they'll never find them"
81 But our trail, grandmother. The
load was heavy, and the sled cut In Deep"
Don't you see it's going to snow,
Nick? There's a flake now. Before
night it will all be smooth and white here,
and the keenes. Indian will suffer if he
tries to scent our track
She was right. Long ere evening the
soft white snow had obliterated every
footmark, and even invested the ruins of
Edm ond's homestead with a picturesque
look. And when at twilight the young
husband returned, he found everything
so pleasant and easy in his little cabin,
that he exclaimed involuntarily
Thank God for his kindne IS. You're
all safe and sound"
"Yes," said his mother. and the baby
has laughed twice to-day"
90 Thac ,,o,,co LII L