The Republican journal., 1871-06-29

: q good turn, partickly for me and Canvas
! which had often helped them shoe thei
team when the blacksmith was sick, an
we went up to the spring together. Yo
couldn't see wink, and we darsent tax
a light for them thieves to shoot us by
and we softly crawled up to the spring
There was big cottonwood growin' jus
aside of 1t, and as we ran agin this, an
hit somethin' sittin' like, leanin' gains
the trunk; Canvas says l, Canvas
my boy, is that you ?" And he neve
made me no reply but kept as quiet as
skull on tombstone. Jim Bruce say
|. Just scratch for a lantern, there's some
thin wrong ! felt for the body, ant
there was wet stream upon it. Can
yas,' says |, what's the matter?' and NJ
word. Jim soon fetched u light an,
there was Canvas, stone dead, pinned t.
the tree by seven arrows. And the Thieves
had cut off his hands and put them into
his pockets, and cut off his ears and fasten
cd them on his lorehead!'
Oh, what vcngeiul glitter shonc in hi:
eye!
"Young man, thev say when woman
loses her first young un, it breaks her and
a lion robbed of her cubs Is crazy; but
may you never feel as | did when | saw
| Canvas-him as had been my pard had
sol by the same fire, and drank out Of the
same dipper, and shared his last terbackel
with me-when | saw old Canvas. cut up
like a sheep and dead forever from me. .
The emotion of the stranger almost
overpowered him, as he recalled these
agony-davs of the past.
"When morning came. they buried
| Canvas near where he died. They didn't
| leave no mound to draw the Indians, but
on that ground knelt and cried. | don't
look as if could cry, but | did then
Canvas said | ..old pard, you're gone
You was thirty-four years old. SO help
me God, I'll kill an In un for every year
OF yours, till wipe out the score :! They
took me away, and for four weeks | was
pass in my checks; but | didn't, for |
couldn't die till Td kept my word with
Canvas
Young man." he continued, after a
pause, Il left that train at Tucson; and
since that time I've been roamin. | have
come in this trip to get a little money, and
Pm going back. Dye see this knife %
lie pulled out from his belt 4 huge.
broad knife, with a wide handle, and
handed it to me. In the wood | saw
thirteen holes, as if bored with gimlets-
You see them holes? Every one is a
'Pache. Its my account-book, and every
4niun | kill, in goes a hole. Iye got u
good many more to make fore | do Us
SAID to Canvas but I'm going back, and
p'r'haps | may meet Canvas some day, ii
| keep my word which the preacher says
is the right lay"
What room there was here for Il homilv
on human vengeance But | could not
give it.
'Well, you've kindly heard my story,
and you're from Maine; thank We for both.
Pm going to turn in"
And with this rough goodnight, he
rolled himself in his blankets, and the
regular breathing soon showed him to be
asleep had but tittul slumbers until
early morning, when the teamster reused
NE to take his leave, and he disappeared.
Nearly a year after, my connection
with the mines took me to Tuscan, and
while | was there Il scouting party came
in with Il badly wounded man who had
been With them not q soldier, but one
who was always eager for IN Indian fight
and further that this, nothing was
known OF him.
Ont Of curiosity | went in with the sur
geon to see him; and there lay Center
pole Bill lie recognized no one. but
kept in deep stupor, bleeding from in
ternal wound, that could not h. siruchcI
"lle was an awful fighter said the
doctor, '.and has done nothing hut follow
the scouts.
..Doctor.n said II know that man :"
And rs we watched told his story.
We sat there several hours, and 1T last
the struggle came. The dying man,
raised himself on the pallet, looked fixed
Iy at the ceiling. and in u hoarse voice,
said
"There's the show-and Canvas and
he fell back, dead.
| looked, aiterward, in his belt and found
two knives, and in each of the handles
were seventeen holes. These Eeepsakes
Of the man | begged, and have them to
tins day.