Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1872-03-25
MARK HEBEK'S LUCK.
AN INDIAN STORY.


membrance, upon a stony WORKOUT farm
of fifty acres, situated upon the Seneca
Lake. in Western New York. His father
had become SO heavily involved in debt,
that two weeks before his death the farm
had been sold by foreclosure OF mortgage.
And now what was Mark to doP
He was lad of nineteen, slight and boy
ish in frame, but with the strength OF a
man in his sinewy arms. He had had the
usual advantages of education afforded to
farmers sons.
He returned home from his fathers
grave to the small, implanted story and a
half house, and after him came his fathers
only brother. well-to-do farmer, who re-
sided in the neighborhood.
This uncle, Mr.. William Heber, was a
man of sixty years, pompous and self i'm
portant. His soul was OF the smallest
pattern, and he had never been known to
do generous deed, while he had done
many mean ones.
well Mark" said his uncle, 1--WE
sent my folks on home, so that l can have
good talk with you. Morgan tells me
he wants the farm. He has held OFT two
weeks while George was dying, but he
you going to do ?"
think What can l do ?''
81 have thought the matter over" said
Mr. Heber, land have thought upon a
plan. l am willing to take you, Mark.
and treat you as my own son. You shall
have home at my house, and a seat at
my table. What do you say9"
You forget. uncle, that l have some
one to provide for besides myself" said
Mark. Suppose l were to accept this
offer of yours, what will you do for Gay ?"
1.-The girl is no relation of yours, Mark"
The boy sighed.
Poor little Gay he said; ''hers is a
hard lot. ''Do you remember how the
child came by her name? 1t is thirteen
years this spring since lady stopped at
our door and asked leave to remain over
night. She staid on day after day, grow
ing weaker and weaker. 1t did not take
long TO discover that she was insane
She called the child Gay, and sometimes
Gabrielle, which is Gays true name. But
she did not tell her surname, nor anything
concerning herself. Late that summer
she died. No one ever came to inquire
after her or the child
Her mother was q crazy tramp, and
nothing more. No wonder George was
behindhand, when his wife adopted the
child of a tramp and brought her up
lady" said his uncle.
Mark eolored.
Il cannot hear word against my
mother, sir he said. II shall protect
Cay while live, aud she shall not be
separated from me-
Then | wash my hands OF YOU ex-
claimed Mr.. Heber angrily. You car
go your own way, and get your own
living
Very well, sir said Mark quietly
that is settled them
In one week Mark had sold pair o
colts which he had raised himself, for fiv
hundred dollars, the household furni ur
for nearly as much more. and was on hi
way, with little Gay, to the far West, t
seek their fortune
The young travellers arrived at Leay
enworth after long and fatiguing jour
new.
Here Mark. while looking for a WACO
and yoke Of oxen with which to eros
the prairies, fell in with an old farme
named Whitman, who had been living i
Western Kansas, but did not like it, an
was now oa his way TO Nebraska Mar
concluded to join him, and Mr.. Whitma
assisted him in purchasing a suitable out
fit, and that same night Mark and Ga
were snugly ensconced in their hug
wagon, outside of the city, on the edge O
the prairie, where Mr. Whitman, with hi
wife and seven children, had encamped
Six other families were with them-th,
seven wagons being ''parked" in the form
OF a circle-that is, the pole of one Wagon
resting upon the rear of another-and thu
oxen, mules, horses, cows, dogs and pigs
being gathered into the circle thus pro
tected.
Outside the circle of wagons great
fire was burning, and as Marks Wagon
drove up, the conductor Of the train, Mr.
Landlord, came forward and welcomed
the newcomers
1t seemed to Gay and Mark that the,
had entered new and wondrous world
Both lay long awake that night in thei
wagon, close up under the canvass root
and they talked in whispers of their erea
future, and wondered what it had in stor
for them.
The next morning at day reak the cam
was astir. BY sunrise the wagon trail
was on its way toward the north west.
At night they halted beside small
stream and parked the wagons, and hac
supper, and talked and sang songs anC
told stories, like one great joyous family
At daybreak, again they were on the
way.
In the course of ten days, having tray
elled rapidly for OK teams, they reached
the Little Bluc river, branch of the Big
Blue. The women built fires and began
the preparation of supper. The men pro-
ceeded to park the wagons.
THE last train took over this route
was attacked by Indians just here" said
Conductor Landlord They were I'M
usually bold. and we had tough-Good
Heavens What is that .
lie beheld, by the last rays of the sun
set, mounted band of Indians, their
weapons glittering in the yellow light,
theT plames nodding in the wind, as they
came on like whrlwind
matdns ~ yelled the conductor. in
voice that made every wo,nan's face tnrn
white. "Pawnees or Souix, | cant tell
which. They seem to be on the war nath '
! can see their weapons. They outnum.
the children We shall b.,o al