Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1870-12-03

about EN- for leader who knew how 70 put the
pins for victory. They pitched on me, and 4
drawed mp the plan Of the campaign right
asay. The next night laid for the Moiaves,
and got 'em. They came up the river, yelling
like devils, and drove our picket-guari before
'em Like chat; but, when I got 'em lust in the
right spot gave the word, and we riz on EN-
never did feel guilty at taking hnman life -
fore, but, the fact is that slaughter was fright
ful, and II came to be perfect outehery before
We got through. swear 10 man that the CHA
tlZ over loot, but i don't say IT was ala owing
70 the blood which run into il. There was
seout TWO thousand dead Mojaves floating down
The stream, and they probably chOked il up at
some pint where 10 was narrer like, and 50 set
thiekest OF the tight, when IL seemed for a few
minutes as If the Mejaves-who was game to the
!ast-was goin' 70 get the best Of Us, went for
their chief, and downed him with a blow from
give him a settler, when old Ickthermiree, his
second in command, and about half a dozen
neutenants, made for me, and We all elinched
and went down. got one arm loose; and, pull
and left, when"
Confederation Bill never told US what hap
pened after that. When he commenced the
story, the stranger, who was lying some feet
away, listened attentively for q few minutes,
ard then slowly rose TO a sitting position, and
then TO his feet. AS the story progressed he
moved quietly toward the spot where Bill was
lying, and startled that worthy by suddenly APP
pearing over him, towering up like giant in
excitement.
lyon did that, Stranger" he exclaimed with
stentOrian lungs, and accents indicative of rage
depressed until it was at the point of bursting
him.
YES, mel" was Bilrs reply, delivered in a
slightly less confident tone.
The stranger jumped about four feet into the
air, cracked his heels together 70 that the re-
port sounded like the firing of musket, swung
his revolver around to the front so as to be
ready for instant use, and, as he came down,
"well, by the great horn spoon, stranger, that
IS singular! hope may be sunk in this
minute If there was but one white man thar, an
I'm hs mdRr'
The camp was as still as death in an instant
Every man expected TO hear the report OF re-
volver, and waited in breathless silence for the
GROWING catastrophe.
" You the mani"
ayes, BY the bloody jumping tom-cats of
Jerusalem, ME! Take good look at me. l
can Just cat any ten men that OAR say any
The silence grew deeper. Confederation
Bill lay motiOnless for a moment, looking up at
hi opponent In the moonlight; then, apparently
satisfied that he was a man of his wsrd, and wa.
able TO carry 1t out, slowly turned over on his
side, and drawing the corner OF his blanket over
his head, remarked, with a voice as free from
excitement as that Of an infant quietly resting
in its mothers arms;
"well, reckon that lets M. out,',
peal Of laughter from all but the two rang
ont on the desert air, and was answered BY q
wild yap-yap-yap va hoO-oO- 90 from the startled
wolves, which were prowling around the camp
BY dozens: The stranger went suikily back 70
the loud laughter pealed forth on the air, but
not word or a sound Of any kind came from
Bill 20 denote his consciousness. He had played
that hand for all it was worth, and was fairly
raised out at last
When the SUBMITS of the distant Harcuvar
Mountains were glinting with the rays of the
stirring, as was their wont. The breakfast-bell
sounded, and rush was made fer the dining
room. A familiar face was missing, and there
was vacant place at The table for the nrst time
in weeks. CONSERVATION Bill was gone. The
camp which had known him % long was to know
him 10 more forever. In the gray Of the dawn
he had stealthily risen, folded his blankets,
packed up his traps, saddled his hipshot mule,
and departed. as silently as ghost, not deign-
premises. What became Of hun We never knew ee
that to Salt Lake was beset by the Hualapais;
and that 10 Prescott and Tucson was lined with
Apaches. Did be take ''the road that Wards
ducks went?n We ehuddered at the thought;
but, In sheer desperation, he may have done 70.
few days later, the writer and Q party OF
frontiersmen friends paused before q loviy
grave on the road TO Skull Valley, over which
some wandering MeIicans had erected a rude
croes Of stone in testimony OF the fact that there
rested the remains of Christidno. There was
an bottle ;ss 1y the de Of the grave and
tials stand for" Cognac Brandy" or Conca-
tenation Bill?"
The party were about equally divided on the
Question OF the probabilities; but il is a rule on
the frontier never to miss such an opportunity
merely for an uncertainty, so We reverently
drank to the memory Of the iliustrous departed,
ella" then rode.a into new scenes and new
dangers; and henceforth. TO all that reckless
party save the writer, Bill was as dead, and NJ
most as throughly forgotten, as
"The little birds that sang
A hundred years ago"