Litchfield enquirer., 1872-03-28
Mssg HEsER.s LUCK.
An Indian Story.

An Indian Story.
 AAIasE Rehar returned home from his fafEFr's funeral with the problem of his own future pressing upon bis thoughts, and demanding prompt solution.
 ss home had been, from bis earliest remembrance. upon stony, worn -out farm of fifty acres, situated upon the Sen cz Lake, ill Western New York. His faith CT had become 90 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 do? He was lad of nineteen, slight and boyish in frame but with the strength of man in his sinewy arms. He had had the usual advantages of education afforded to farmers sons. He returned home from his father's grave to the small, unpainted story and a half house, and after him came his fath- er's only brother, awell-to-do farmer, who resided in the neighborhood. This uncle, Mr William Heber, was a man of sixty years, pompous and self-im- portant His soul was of the smallest do . generous deed, while he had done many mean ones.
 "Wel, Mark said his uncle, ''Ive a good talk with you Morgan tells me he wants the farm. He has held of two weeks while George was dying, but he wants to move in next week. What are you going to do?"
 ''I don't know, uncle I am trying to think. What can l do?' Lax %b, T Mir. Heber, ''and have thought upon 8 plan; am willing to take you, Mark, and treat you as my own son. You shall have home at my house, and seat at my table. What do you say?'
 tsYou forget, uncle, that I have some one to provide for besides myself" said Mark. Suppose were to accept this offer of yours, what will you do for Gay?'' sThe 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? It 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 It did not take long to discover that she was insane. She called the child Gay, and sometimes Ca brielle, which is Gays true name. But she diu not tell her surname, nor anything concerning herself. Late that summer she died. No one ever came to inquire after or the child"
 'sHer mother was a crazy tramp, and nothing more. No wonder George was behindhand. when his wife adopted the child of tramp and brought her up la. dy," said his uncle.
 Mark colored.
 '1 cannot bear a word against my mother, sir," he said. ''I shall protect Gay while live, and she shall not be sep arated from me-"
 '.Then 1 wash my hands of you," ex. claimed MT. Heber angrily. ''You can go your own way, and get your own iv. ing"
 Every well, sir" said Mark quietly s'that is settled then"
 In one week Mark had sold pair oi colts which he had raised himself, for five handred 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 8 yoke of oxen with which to cross the prairies, 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 MT. Whitman assisted him in purchasing suitable out fit, and the same night Mark and Gay were snugly ensconsed in their huge tray cling wagon, outside of the city, on the edge of the prairie, where Mir. Whitman, with his wife and seven children, had en- camped. Six other families were with them-the seven wagons being parked in the form of circle-that is, the pole of one wagon resting upon the rear of an other-and the oxen, mules, horses, COWS, dogs and pigs being gathered into the cir. cle thus protected.
 Outside the circle of wagons great fire was burning, and as Marks wagon drove up, the conductor of the train, Mr. Land ford, came forward and welcomed the newcomers.
 It seemed to Gay and to Mark that they had entered a new and wondrous world.
 Both lay long awake that night in their wagon, close up under the canvas roof, and they talked in whispers of their great future, and wondered what it had in store for them
 The next morning at daybreak the camp was astir. By sunrise the wagon train was 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 the way.
 In the course of ten days, having tray. eled rapidly for OK teams, they reached Blue. The women built fires and began the preparation of supper The. men pro- Conductor Landlord. 'Th 'sThey T were 1ur un. usually bold, and we had tough fight Good Heavensl What is that?'5
 He beheld, by the last rays of the sum- set, mounted band of Indians. their weapons glittering in the yellow light, their plumes nodding in the wind, as they came on like whirlwind
 'sIndia,asy" yelled the conductor, in g voice that made every woman's face turn
 
 which. They seem to be on the war path. can see their weapons. They outnum- Der us, counting in our women. Call in the children. We shall have to defend ourselves" He blew shrin blast on his bugle that rang out far and wide. They were sweep ing down upon the train, with whoops and yells, murder and rapine in their very aspect. @
 Conductor Landlord was skilled in In- dian warfare, and was scout of consid- erable note.
 ''There are twenty savages," he an- nounced. Remember, boys, you are fighting for your mothers and sisters. Show us what stuff you are made of" Then he shouted:
 'sNow, men, the gun! Have out the gun! They are in war paint, and mean mischief. When give the word, fire!" The Indians came nearer and nearer, advancing in 8 straight line. . ssNoru howe rr,x-r, %bn,c, h;rX %bo@ ~x1c