Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1872-12-28
A ROMANCE or GILA BRND.

MANY u pressure III uhlulltT BNNi,
Leaves darker traces than Fannys mud pies.
A ROMANCE or GILA BRND.
From the Overland Monthly.
The day that brought us to Oatman's
Flat was murky and gloomy-a day in
full harmony with the character Of the
country through which we were travel
ing. We descended into the Flat by I'm
abrupt fall in the road, that landed lis
at once among a Glump Of scraggy,
dariding willows, dropping YEARLY over
sluggish little creek. In the distance
glittcrcd the white sand-bcd of the
Gila; and half buried in it, here and
there, were the CHASTITY, water-blcached
limbs of the trees that the river had up
rooted in its annual frenzy. Tcrdc, or
grease wood, as ragged and scraggy as
the willows, covered the whole Flat, eX-
rcpting where, toward the centre, a
dlapidated shanty stood on a sandy,
chcerlcss, open space. Not far from it
were the remains of a fence, inclosing
some six PAGES of uneven ground; and
on the only upper rail left of the III
closure sat a dismal-looking, solitary
crow.
The Flat was repulsiyely dreary and
dcsolate: and when Sam, the driver,
pointing to it with his whip, said it was
the spot where the Oatman family had
been murdered and lay buried, it added
nothing to its attractiyeness. Only one
of the whole family escaped little
chap, who had crawlcd away after he
had been left for dead, and brought the
white people from the next settlement
to the scene Of the massacre, There
was nothing to be done but to bury the
mutilated corpses. After this the place
was deserted and Stunned, though there
had been no more Indian dcprcdations
committed for years.
watched the solitary cabin with =
strange fascination. Sam, too, had his
dycs fixed on something that might have
been the shadow of one of the victims,
hitting by the black gap which had
once been the door. The place was so
weird. and the ghostly shadow chimed
in SO well with the rest, that accepted
it as a part Of the uncanny whole. We
were going along at the usual leisurely
gait, when Sam suddenly and exctedly
whipped mp the mules, and leaned out
of the ambulance to speak to Phil, who
drove the army wagon continuing our
baggage. The road was good and solid,
50 that | took no alarm; but when the
speed was continued, and the baggage
wagon kept laundering close in the
rear, | ventured to ask, /" Is there dan
ger from Indians hcre?'
"There hain't no linens been seen
round here for more'n three year, was
the answer.
Travelling from Los Angeles to Tue
son, you can, if you choose, sleep under
q roof almost every night, providing
you have good teams. There are gov
ernmcnt forage stations along the whole
route, where travellers are taken in
by the station keepers rs-thOugh not on
government account. | do ~ bay that
| it is pleasant at all these stations-par-
ticuIarly for woman, as she will sell
dom or never meet one of her own sex
on the way. When we left Fort Yuma,
Sam assured me that | would not see q
white woman's face between there and
/ Tucson We were happily disappoint.
| ed. for we met not only one, but u whole
/ family of them, one after the other.
At Buke's Station, where we We're tC
pass the night the first surprise awaited
us The house, u squalid 0dobc, wa
built in the style common along the
route: an open passage-way from from
to rear, with rooms ON either side The
principal room to the left was bar-roon
and store-room; the one to the right
sitting-room and bedroom, and behinC
it, was the kitchen. The passage-waN
was dining hall. When the tall youn2
Missourian, mine host, had ushered mt
into the room ON the right, he stepped
to the opening leading to the kitchen
and called out:
"Here. Sis; come and speak to tho
lady"
Obcdient to the call, a bashful, half
grown girl appeared, wiping her hands
ON her apron, and looking up timidl!
from under her long eye-lashes. | tool
her bv the hand. Glow do you do
child? How in the world did you ge
here-amd where is your lho'heI'
asked.
Sam and Phil stood in the hall door
nudging each other, till Sam eoul'
restrain himself no longer:
"Why, that's his wife," pointing t.
Young Goliath from Missouri, "and he
dad and MANS living in the old shant
down on the Flat. I'll be derned
they didn't give me the worst scare
r had yet-thought they was linens
shore"
= .And how old are your" asked tn
girl.
"Almost Fifteen" was the answer
! and. when the men withdrew, she tol
me about the rest of her family, who