The Leavenworth weekly times. [volume] (Leavenworth, Kan.) 1870-1880, 1871-12-07
THE MYSTERIOUS LADY.

| claimed the Nisqualiy as Its hunting ground
C but now only a few poor, miserable, filthy
4 squalid beings remain Of the once powerful
tribe, and ever they have lost their nativ
energy, and fallen into premature decay.
= Many years ago, when these Indians wer
1 famous hunters, the traders OF Hudson Ba
+ Company went into their country, and find
ing them rich in furs, erected fort, estab
Iished trading post, and soon, by means G
blandishments-which they knew 30 vel
D how to use-won the friendship of thos'
, whom they doomed to destruction; for
strange as it may appear, the white trade
has ALWAYS carried to the homes of the In
dians disease and death, all along with hi
blankets and trinkets.
, When We reached Steilacoom, and com
, menced making preparations for fortnigh
in the forest, was deputed to learn some
thing of the country: and IN answer TO IN,
: inquiries, nearly verybody would reply:
Jake Warden can tell you all about TIL
country, and if you want to have a goo,
time, YOU had better get Jake to 10 will
you"
hunted up Mr.. Warden, and found hin
| in liquor saloon, in the acl of swallowing
quantity of brown amber colored liquor
tie was i tall, sunburnt man, drawing very
near to the three-score mark of human life
: His frame appeared loose and flexible, bu
. it was vast, aud in reality, of prodigiou;
power The inferior lineaments of hi:
countenance were coarse, extended, and va
cant: while the superior, or those nOblel
parts, which are thought to effect the intel
Iectual being, were low, receding and mean.
His dress was a mixture of the coarsest vest.
ment of a husbandman with the leather gar
ments that are affected by the frontiersmen
There was also singular and wild display
OF prodigal and ill.judged ornaments blended
in his motley attire.
introduced myself Immediately, anG in.
formed the hunter What l desired. After
having explained my wishes to him,
awaited his reply. He looked at me in a
law sort of manner, and drawled out:
You fellars ar from the city, ar'nt yep
"Yes."
"And We don't know nolhin' abou; the
woods?''
| ''Our knowledge Is limited"
"Ani We would like to have some good
huntin' and tishin'?''
| YES"
Ar We soin' for reg lar time ov it''
| "Yes."
Coin to take a good supply OF drinkables
along, hain't YEP
YES"
'Then I'll 60: and ef yer don, have lots
OF fun, Pm Siwash INDIAN. When do
| You want to startg'
AS soon as possible
''Then l II just go and git my plnnder, and
jine VI"
| He had kept his word, had led us into the
forest. and now, al the end of the first day 5
hunting and fishing, we were enjoying such
comfort as rest always brings after great
fatigue.
The conversation was beginning to flag and
loose its interest, when our guide said:
''Ef you'll pass along that ar jug of pizin,
I'll lake drop to moisten my outlet and lie
the hinges of ms tongue, and then spin Yes
yarn Of the 'airly days of this yere coun-
try"
Mr.. Warden raised the denIijOhn to his
lips and held il there for something more
than minute, and until two great lachry-
NAL globules burst from his eyes and slowly
rolled down his cheeks. Then, setting the
cherished casket between his legs, and WHIP
ing his lips with the cuff of his coat, he said:
"Boys, We are trumps. FL We don't know
nothin' about huntin' bar or skelpin' red
skins, yer has taste that can't be denied,
and I'm proud TO bear Testimony to the fact
that yer selection of ticker can't be beat. In
fact, boys, We poses a talent for it which al
most amour TO TO genius. I'll drink yer
healths."
"Now, femme see, said Mr.. Warden, at
ter having paid his respects to the demijohn
second time; "Lemme see whar I'll begin.
Yes, / guess I'll tell We about the Mysterious
Lady Of Nisqually. That was something |
never could understand, although l was
quite Gurus, and tried TO sift the matter to
the bottom. But them old factors was too
close mou;hed, and wouldn't let out word"
LIS now nearly forty years since arrived
ON the PaciIc coast and took employment
with the Hudson's Bay Company. During |
my wanderings over this county, and my
tarrying at the various trading posts learned |
good deal OF their trickery; but nothing in |
all my experience ever puzzled me half 40 |
much as the history of that Mysterious Lady |
of Nisqually
think it is nigh on to thirty years since
l came up to the Sound, and pr up my
wigwam at the fort, built by the Company,
a few mile, below, on the river. l amt
may get little mixed, but the fac.s are re-
only yesterday.
At the time Of my arrival there were
hardly any white men in this part of the
world; and what few there were owed allie
glance to the Company, and dared not Objec,
to anything decreed by factor.
A factors word was law among those EN-
ployed by the Company as we'll as among
the Indians that made their home in the
nd / hnr tho, 1
instance where the sentence of death was
persons whose offenses were not hanging
matters. il they had been tried by tina. law.
mention these things, in order that you
may know why l never got at the bottom of
The mystery. A short distance from the lac
tors residence was little cottage, inclOsed
BY high fence. The only means of ingress ,
or egress TO this cottage was through a heavy :
gate, which was always kept locked and ;
who wou.l make no acquaint. :
ance with any Of the employees. The I
,nly thing he was ever known TO do, was to /
'tLDd guard at the gate. and to follow and !
watch the person held there a. prisoner, ,
Efien she was permitted to 20 abroad-or,
a,her, when she desired to go abroad, for,
: tie cASVte.ou VI AoepiuS AAeA 10 /
,erself, she was permitted the largest lib =
.rty. I
had beer at the fort only few days be-
ore l discovered that the cottage was the 4
,rison-house of female-a young woman {
bout as pretty as human flesh could be d
made. 81 hain't got no descriptive powers
O use his exact words-''or I'd tell you how 4
he looked; but I'm a drst-rate judge ov &
eauty, and will pledge you my faith that =
be was regular stunnin'. That old Scotch. I
nan, standin' or sittin' in front of that CRATE .
II the time. had aroused my curiosity, and / 5
xed good many questions, to find on; what O
all meant, but could get from them only a d
hrug of the shoulders and peculiar grim G
&c, which meant very little or a good deal, Il
,st "a it happened" ii
finally made bold enough to AK the old g
cot, but got from him only surly, growing
animation that had better mind nv own Il
ueiness, and not NEEDLE with the concerns v
T Others. Shortly after l was called into d
,e store BY the factor, cautioned against pur- p
ling nv investigations, and dismissed with d.
warning. Il
The evident desire TO keep the secret of Al
Mt cottage wae q sore temptation to me, and h
determined to rsk everything to solve the X
'ystefy, but ws compelled to bide my
me and opportunity. Ny rashnen had ri
'ussd me- to Be watched, and it W. not un- Il