Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1872-03-21
Union AND AMERICAN.
MARK HEBER'S LUCK.
An Indian story.

MAhk HEBEho LUOhs
An Indian story.
Mark Heber returned home from his
fathers funeral with the problem Of his
own future pressing upon his thoughts,
and demanding prompt solution.
His home had been, from his earliest re-
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 days before his death the farm had
been sold by foreclosure Of mortgage.
And now what was Mark to do?
He was lad of nineteen, slight and boy
ish in frame, but with the strength Of man
in his sinewy arms. BE had the usual ad-
van ages of education afforded to farmers
SONS.
He returned home from his fathers grave
TO the small, implanted story and half
house, and after him came his fathers only
brother, a weli-to-do farmer, who resided in
tbs neighborhood.
This uncle, Mr.. William Heber, was a
man Of sixty years, pOmpous and self-im-
portant. His sOJl was of the smallest pat
tern, and be had never been known to do a
generous deed, while he had done many
mean ones.
"Wen, Mark" said his uncle, give sent
my folks on home, so chat can have
good talk with you. Morgan tells me he
wants the farm. He has held off two weeks
while George was dying, but be wants to
move in next week. What are you going
to do?"
81 don't know, uncle. l am trying TO
think. What can l do?''
81 have thought the matter over" said
Mr.. Heber, "and have thought upon 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 say?"
"You forget, uncle, that / have some
one to provide for besides myself" said
Mark 'Suppose were to accept this offer
Of yours, what viii you do for Gay9"
FsThe girl is no relation of yours, Mark"
The boy sighed.
"Poor little Gay" he said; ''hers is hard
lot. Do you remember how the child
came by her name? 1t is thirteen years
this spring since a 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 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 her child"
@Her mother was a crazy tramp, and
nothing more. No wonder George was be-
midland, when his wife adopted the child
of tramp and brought her up lady" said
his uncle.
Mark colored.
81 cannot hear a word against my moth
er, sir" he said. 81 shall protect Gay
while live, and she shall not be separated
from me-"
"Then 1 wash my hands of you," ex-
claimed Mr.. Heber angrily. "You can 60
your own way, and get your Own living"
every well, sir, said Mark quietly; "thst
is settled then"
In one week Mark had sold pair of colts
which he had raised himself, for five hun
bred dollars, the household furniture for
nearly as much more, and was on his way,
with little Gay, to the far West, to seek
their fortune.
The young travellers arrived at Leaven-
worth after long and fatiguing journey.
Here Mark, while looking for a wagon and
yoke of oxen with which TO cross the prai
ries, fell in with an old farmer named
Whitman, who had been living in Western
Kansas, but did not like it, and was now
on his way to Nebraska. Mark concluded
TO join him, and Mr.. Whitman assisted hin
in purchasing a suitable outfit, and thai
same night Mark and Gay were snugly en-
sconced in their huge haveling wagon, out.
side of the city, on the edge of the prairie
where Mr.. Whitman, with his wife anC
seven children, had encamped. Six othel
families were with them-the seven wagons
being parked in the form of circle-tha
is, the pole Of one wagon resting upon th'
rear Of another-and the oxen, mules
horses, cows, dogs and pigs being gathered
into the circle thus protected.
Iputside the circle of wagons a great fire
was burning, and as Marks wagon drove
up, the conductor Of the train, Mr.. Land
ford, came forward and welcomed the new
corners.
It seemed to Gay and Mark that they hat
entered new and wondrous world.
Both lay long awake that night in thei
wagon, close up under the canvas roof, an,
they talked in whispers of their great futur
and wondered what it had in store 70
them.
The next morning at daybreak the CAM
was astir. BY sunrise the wagon train wa
on its 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 daybreak, again they were on th
way.
In the course of ten days, having travelet
rapidly for OK teams, they reached the Lit
tie Blue River, branch of the Big Blue
The women built fires and began the prep
aration for supper. The men proceeded q
park the wagons.
- The last train took over this route wa
attacked by Indians just here" said conduC
tor Landlord. "They were unusually bold
and we had tough fight Good Heay
ems! What is that?'
He beheld, by the last rays Of the sunse
a mounted band of Indians, their weapon
eIittering in the yellow light, their plume
nodding in the wind, as they came on Liz
a whirlsnd.
s,Indials p yelled the conductor, in
voice that made every woman's face tur
white. "Pawnees or Sioux, l can't te
which. They seem to be on the war patti
I can see theirweapons. They outnumbe
MS. counting in our women. Call in th
children. We shall have to defend on
selves"
He blew a shriIl blast on his bugle thu
rang out far and wide. They were sweel
inc down upon the train, with whOops an
wells. murder and rapine in their very a
pect. ,.,.-
warfare. and was a scout Of considerab
note.
"Tbere are twenty savages," he al
nounced. "Remember, boys, you are tigh
inc for your mothers and sisters. Show I
what stuff you are made Of"
Then he shouted:
"Now, men, the gun! Have out the gu