The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1875-12-30
For Life or Death,

For Life or Death.
From Chambers Journal
-'lon'll not do it, and get in, you chap,
with hair on your head, tell you that ;
and. mark We, Britisher, It's no town-bred
nreenhorn who says it, but old Joe Bur
ton, that has fought lujuns and hunted
butler on the Plains atorc You left your
mothers side, calculate Faint to be
done"
but, coloncl'--I put in, smiling, yet
not quite so much at my case as desired
TO appear; for this tough old frontiers
man, who remembered the foundation OF
the settlement, was no light authority as
to the practicability of such an enterprise
as that which | had, perhaps rashly, un-
dertalen.
"A clear throwing away OF ille, that 5
ALL grutlly rejoined the veteran, as he
stopped to pat the hound that Jumped up,
whmpering to receive his masters ca
ress. ''He that rides the line to the head
waters Of the Gila now has only to thank
his own folly if his scalp dries in some
pcsky wigwam on the prairie. But there :;
i'm wasting words. A witul lad, like a
half-broke mustang. amt easy to hold
back. Anyway, Master Harry Lyndham
| wish YOU well out Of the ugly scrape
YOU have got into"
Colonel Burton was by 10 means the
only friend who stroye to dissuade me
from my project. but my word was
Pledged my mind made up, and it only
remained to complete the preparations
or my hurried and periious journey,
This was how matters stood with me. !,
Harry Lvndham, one of the many young
Englshmen whom the hopes of growing
rich had drawn to the Far West of Amer
lea. was then IL resident Of Tucson City.
and clerk in the employment of Curtis
Brothers. The firm consisted Of two old,
and somewhat eccentric men-old-bach-
elor brothers-selt-educa as we'll as,
in the commercial sense of the word, self
made, and whose namcs were known ana
respected throughout all that wild region
that comprises Arizona, Montana, and the
northern counties OF Texas.
Oddly enough. it was because | was an
Oxford man that my then employers had
given me the preference over score OF
candidates, for, in truth, there was moth
ing that old John and James Curtis 50
much priced as the learning which they
had never had leisure or opportunity to
acquire; nor had they had occasion to re-
pent of their choice. since | had served
Them zeaously enough, during the past
wear. to have gained a high place in their
esteem; while ] liked them well, since
their hearts were as warm as their man
ners were quaint Mine were no scden
tary duties, and ! was more often III the
saddle than at a desk; for Messrs. Curtis
were spectators and general jobbers,
dealing in maize, and wine, and hides, in
tobacco, quicksilver, gun powder, and
''notions"; and, above all, in cattle, the
great staple Of the far southwest.
1t was not for hire alone that toiled rs
did, earning in Tucson-Where lmml-
grants from the old country are seldom
held OF much account when compared
with the clustering, pushing Yankee
the reputation OF Il model clerk, rs CLERKS
are understood in that out Of the-Way
nook of the earth. My great stimulus
was that | was in love with pretty,
charming Rosamond Gray, the daughter
of old Mr.. Gray, the banker at Cristobal,
u town living to the eastward of the MINI
bres, and famous as market for the ag-
ricuItural produce of the vast districts
bordering on Mexico. In one sense !
was happy, for my love was returned;
but in another | had met with what was
almost a repulse, since Mr. and Mrs.
Gray, although entertaining no personal
objection to me as a son-in-law, were I'M
willing to bestow their daughter on any
but wealthy suitor.
"Get rich, Mr.. Lyndham," the banker
had said, good-naturedly, land l see no
reason why Rosamond and you should
not be happy according to your OWE
fancy. But neither her mother nor can
sanction an unconditional engagement" ,"
was in hopes that | might take Mr..
Gray's advice, and By growing rich, or at
least by acquiring q competence, win
Rosamond's hand, the prize | valued
above all earthly considerations; and
such is the rapidity with which, in those
argentiterous regions, fortunes are some
times amassed that | was not without
warrant for aspirations which in Europe
would perhaps have seemed futile.
And now to explain the present posi-
ton of the firm, and the reasons for my
undertaking Il Journey fraught, according
to the rugged old militia colonels die
tum, with almost certain disaster. Cur
It's Brothers, who, by a long course of ju-
diclous operations, had raised themselves
from poverty to aifluence, had at that
time on hand speculation Of unusual
Importance They had made. chiefly in
Texas, very large purchases OF horned
cattle, sheep, and swine, destined to feed
the swarming population OF the sterile
mining districts, where provisions. and
me t especially, command high prices.
The investment seemed the more likely
to be profitable since the twin plaques of
New Mexico, drought and locusts, had
occasioned notable mortality among the
cattle of Arizona and the ad]ourning ter
ritores, and great pecuniary returns were
anticipated.
All these calculations seemed likely to
be upset by the sudden outbreak OF that
smou,dering Indian war which never
quite come to an end in that dangerous
region. The Apaches, the irrecla;mable
foes of all white men, were on the war
path, leagued, as was reported, with sun
dry other tribes, the kiowas, the Nava-
ioes and the dreaded Comanches; and
already hideous tales of Indian cruelty
and massacre reached us from many q
lonely homestead within reach of the
spoiler. The troops had been hastily
withdrawn; the caravans about to tra-
verse the prairie had halted for lack OF an
escort; and it was thought rash to ven
ture more than few miles beyond the
cultivated country. Yet the day was at
hand when the great herds Of oxen and
droves of swine, already purchased,
would be waiting at Cristobal for the
completion of the bargain, and my en-
ployers were well aware that unless the
cattle could be paid for in hard dollars. a
fatal blow would be dealt to the credit OF
the firm. Messrs Curtis had strained
every nerve to collect the ready-money