The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1872-03-19
u..s uoser,, Luck.--An Indian STORY

u.rk Hober'H LurR"-'A" A''''~- -
w.. 11.be, returned home from MS IA
~ n,nsrsi with the problem OF MS own
f,,tnre nressjne upon his Thoughts, ana @e
,n.nd,nr prompt solution.
'pi t.,s home had been from his earliest re-
,,e,nbrauce upon stony, worii'ont iaIih VI
af,v scres, situated upon the SENECA AXE, III
Western New York. His father had become
20 heavily involved In debt That Two weeks
before his death the farm had been SOFA oy
foreclosure Of mortgage.
And now what was Mark to do! ,...
lie was a lad Of nineteen, slight ana pos I'M ~
in frame, but with the strength OF LA" .a ~
his sinewy arms. He had had tae us s',,,n,.s,
vantases Of education afiordcd " i"' "''
sons. 81, c,,,or,s orave
TO the small imprinted Aoi! ",iu ,
ho,So and after him came his fathers only
brother, a wellto-do i"'hie'' ""'
the pcighborhood.
Th,s ,,ncle, Mr.. William Hcber. was aman
,f sivtv years, ponipots and self-Important.
YI;S so,;I was of the smallest pattern, and he
Ind never been known to do generous
decd. while he had done many mean ones.
Dwell. Mark" said his uncle, " Eve sent
INV folks on home, so that I can have good
talk with YOU. Morgan tells me he wants the
farm. He has held off two weeks while
George was dying, but he wants to move in
next week. What are you going to DOR
"Idon't know, uncle. am trying to think.
What can do!"
az have thought the matter over" said
Mr., Heller. and have thought upon plan.
/ am willing to take you, Mark, and treat
YOU "a nv own son. You shall have home
Mt my house. md seat at my table. What
do you say?"
"You forget, uncle, that have some one
TO provide for besides myself" said Mark.
"Snppose were to accept this offer of yours,
what will you do for Gay3" ..E--.-
"The girl is no relation of yours, Mark"
The boy sighed.
Poor little Gay,' he said; "hers lisa hard
lot DO you remember how the child came
by her name lit is thirteen years this spring
since lady stopped at our door and asked
leave to remain over night. She staid on day
after day, growing weaker and weaker. 1t
did not take long to discover that she was
insane. She called the child Gay, and some
times Gabrielle, which is Gays true name
But she did not tell her surname, nor any
thing concerning herself Late that summer
she died. No one ever came to inquire after
her or the child"
"Her mother was crazy tramp, and no.
thing more. No wonder George was behind
hand, when his wife adopted the child of n
tramp and brought her up lady," said his
uncle.
Mark colored.
81 cannot hear word against my mother,
sir" he said. II shall protect Gay while |
live, and she shall not be separated from me"
Then l wash my hands Of you," eN-
claimed Mr.. Heber angriIy. "You can 60
your own way and get your own living"
Every well, sir" said Mark quietly; that
is settled. then"
In one week Mark had sold a pair Of colts
which he had raised himself for five hundred
dollars, the household furniture for nearly rs
much more, and was on his way, with little
Cav. to the far West, to seek their fortune.
The young travellers arrived at Leaven-
worth after long and fatiguiDg journey.
Here Mark, while looking for wagon and
yoke of oxen with which to cross the prai-
fies, fell in with an old farmer named Whit
man, who had been living in Western Kan
s;,s. bnt did not like it, and was now on his
WY to Nebraska Mark concluded to join
him, and Mr.: Whitman assisted him in pur-
chasing suitable oatft, and that same night
Mark and Gay were snugly ensconced in
their huge travelling Wsgen, outside Of the
city, on the edge of the IYarie, where Mr..
Whitman, with his wife and seven children,
hid encamped. Six other families were with
them.-the seven wagons being "pdrked " i'll
the form of circle-that is, the pole Of one
wagon resting upon the rear of dnotfses--
and the oxen, mules, horses, cows, dogs, and
pigs, being gathered into the circle thus pro-
teCted.
Outside the circle of wagons a great fire
was burning, and rs Marks wagon drove up,
Che conductor of the train, Mr.. Landlord,
came forward and welcomed the newcomers.
1t seemed to Gay and to Mark that they
had entered q new and wondrOus world.
Both lay long awake that night in their
wagon, close up under the canvas roof, and
flley talked in whispers Of their great
future and wondered what it had in store for
them. ,
The next morning ut day break the camp
was astir. By sunrise the wagon train was
on it's way toward the northwest.
At night they halted beside small stream
and parked the wagons, and had supper, and
talked and sang songs and told stories, like
one great joyous family.
At day break again they were on the way.
tn the course Of ten days, having travelled
ia11dlt for ORLEANS, they REACHED the Little
Blue river, branch of the Big Blue. The
women built fires, and began the pre- paration
of supper. The men proceeded to park the
wagons.
"The last train took over This route was
attacked by Indians just here" said Cendac- |
tor Landlord. "They were unusually bold, |
and we had tough 6ght--. Good Heavens
What Is that?"
He beheld, by the last rays of the sunset, a
mounted band of Indians, their weapons
glittering in the yellow light, their plumes |
nodding In the wind as they came on like a
whirlwind.
Indians yelled the conductor, in
voice that made every woman's face turn
white. "Pawnees or Sioux" can't tell
which. They seem to be on the war-path.
i can see their weapons. They outnumber
children. We shall have to defend our
selves"
He blew shrill blast OF, his bugle that
rang out far and wide. They were sweeping
down upon the train, with whoops and yells,
murder and rapine in their very aspect.
Conductor Landlord was skilled in Indian
warfare, and was q scout of considerable
note. ....
"Thsre are twenty savages, he announced.
Remember, boys, you are fighting for your
mothers and sisters. Show us what stuff
you are made Of"
Then he shouted:
Now, men, the gun Have out the gun
They are out in war paint, and mean mis-
chief. When give the word, firep'
The Indians came nearer and nearer. ad-
vanctng in straight line.
"Now, boys, give them hint that we are
not fooling," said the guide, grimly.
Mark Heber and his young comrades fred
"A volley ----'.