The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-01-09
LIFE IN EARLr cALIroRyfA.
How Two Frcnchmcn Defended Themselves
The Little Cadet.

Fro'' Pc Vnckce RslHbHc0n.
"TaiN of shooting and Of sand and |
that, nut you cant hamo single ono OF yOur
old timc boys that can't beat the Cadets Of the
IT lnisl tus.'
con, fudge, ikel You are always blcwne
about those chats that Vuu used to mine WI h,
and Of the wonderful deeds they performed {;
now give Us rest "
Ilnt Ike had not started, and LEANING forward
IN his chair and hooking nut through the bar
room window VI watrhiuy souur ouie t al r.
of. tho Old ger told u 8 story.
I'VE never knew tnpir right names. They
were brothers. and c"mo fruiu Mohclufunc ilitl.
and the French miners ni"knam, them the
Cadet brothers. IL wa. IN rs, aud there was as
lawless a set OF rouRbs around Peoria Bar ~
ever dis2racel a minlnR camp. hrnever IL
was known that miner h ID struck 1t bug tins
gang 81 bul1es would dr. We him out OF his clai 10,
clean up he suiCe., and take possession OF his
ground II was notorious tart h Il Fr'nch-
man or an II Han not rloWrd to hold iicb
claim for miles around the bar. The roughs
ruled the camp.
"when the Cadet boys came and began work
on the river just above the bar, it was ruinored
around town that there would he some fun.
IRISH Jack and HOokn0se Andy bOasted one
night IN the corner saloon thai Ia TIE morning
they were going tn chuck the Frencnles Into the
river Hut Jack and ANDY were so drunk that
they qudfrollcd about who should have the nrst
lick ut the Bug Frcnchman, ana In settling the
matter two decinte,s and a pewter water pitch
er ROt mixed . with their heads. and the Pitch
or was the ONLY thing that WASN'T broke IL was
sevrr'l DAYS pefure either Andy pr Jack got
out, and several more before ey mace up and
resumed their pIstti ms ~ Chtrf illios, and
turned their attention to the Frpuchmen. The
Cauet brothers wore quietly "Orkiug away ut
their claim They, mad put w littie brusl,
caUin on the hill side, close % their work. aud
were building m. They had teen warned
Of their niger, but only laushed aud shook
their mead, anu one, the little gray-syed fellow,
sad wUen the roughs Jnmt ed his ciaim they
mtg ut bury him under the tailngs.
when the job was finally put ~, Andy spoiled
It al by leaving the b q nttle Inrld OF the
crowd. when no neai ed the olain the biggest
Cadet brother was wheeling dirt on the dam. A
long, narrnw ! lark led from tho bank 10 the
diam a. M iiaI lp a "a ul IN ~
board with his wheclbarrOw OF dirt, AndS
caught hold Of the plank and turned 1t Yer.
he vince barrow, the dirt. and tue Ffeuchtian
were precipitated into the Prospect mole. but
some Ow Andy was with thcin. WIN spring
Ike a panther, the FrenChWan had gr tbDeu the
bully, and together they were wrtthlnS. slrug-
Cling, ana lighting like iuiuriatod demons. ANDY
mad 10 nd his match, but. with the cuwardly IN
stiuct OF the rOugh. he was not willing to I Ike
even chance. and drew his bowie KATE. Just
then the liitle Cadet Appeared IN tue cahin door
with MS rife tie suw his brother struggling
with the rum IN he saw the KNIFE m tie hands
of the latter; ana down toward the bar he saw
the ruughs coming on n run. sometimes Anuy
was on top. sometimes the Frencnman. and 1t
WIS forty yards away. However mere WIS not
a moment TO consi er, ana hca as Hash the
eray eyes sighted alnna the barrel, ana tie biH
Cadet WAS struggling with-a curpse. Hook
nosed Andy had 'uilet in his br,in
g he two brothers took their rifles, and In 1ve
minutes were NJ In the chapp raj on the moan
tin There was too mucn consternHtiln among
the rougOs to admit II immedia g pursuit. but
that afternoon over forty of the dead mans
friends were nun ing through the bushea and
along the steep mountain sides, resolved on
vengeance. That ulsht at miunignt the tauet
brothers came into Peoria Bar. and we're sup
pied with an abundance 81 the best ammuni
ton anu provisions Dy their French friends.
For three days e search was IN vail =, nut
on the fourth gang Of eight or zen men DIS
covered the mid NJ ri zee Of the Cadets That
l., they ali disc Jvertd IL bu. the head man. woo
tell dead IN ms tracks just a. he came IN sight
OF the jagged cf wnere hey were concealed.
you may believe 1t oi not uuy-, but every man
who lived n the ~ uisaus IN those days knows
that the Caaets stVed on the mountains nd
around toward Naukee HUI tor two or three
" eks, and deheu every man thar was sent alter
tnem. lh Carter, the CITY NJ rshai Of Cuium-
bia tooor fellow, be VS. Killed afterwaid at Au-
r'ruh swore he would tase them or ole, tut
somehow Bill lever MANAGED 20 hnd them.
Others did, however. Mckinney. as bold man
as ever lived, was vcrv eager IN the search until
q bullet struck him IN the upper part Of his fore
mead, and eianciny uDw ird gouge1 an ugly mole
In his scalp Mckinney got well and IS living
now, but ne never afterward inGuised in the
pleasure of hunting feucn uen. only tbs small
CT Que dtd tine shooting. ne Oi9 brother aiw.y "
loaded the guns. lheir pursuere often shOl at
them, and sometimes sur O Inded tdeir position
~ IA to compel them to retreat he little
cadet would fire a shot. h nd che empty gun 10
hts brother and the Iat'er would load tue mus
ket while relocating up tre hill. liy tn time II
WAS ioided the little fellow would fire a-ain,
guns Tney Killed two men outright, ana seri-
OusY wounded three othefs.
III you have ever beer on the Stanislnus you
know that the granite ,llfs rise almost perpcn
dicularly upward IN many places from the river
on one OF these clifs the Frenchmen found II
enemies were In hot pursuit. anI a change Of
y sluon bscame inevitable. rhey had u choose
between cling their pursuers or jumping per-
pendicularly down the chn 1OD fert into the
river. There seemed to he very little choice IN
the matter, fur there was "A score or more Il
hrmed men below them. As soon, however, as
IA y turned heTcely and hogan o. rush down IN
tue crowd, the Inter Nc so utterly amazed
That they Wheeled and ran, ana rolled. aud tum-
blcd heller SHELTER down the mountain.
- bullet irD IN tie little Cade 'sriile nailed one
OF tnom, however. n poor old fellow whose
name FORGET, ar he laN wounded ana fOrsuken
I'm the pain of the FrcnChmcn. lie W. TOO
badly shot to move, ANA when ne saw the biz
4 tdet come 10 aud clup hi mu~ket ana RAISE Il
L. knock hts brtius Gus, he could only nut MS
eyes aud prN th 4 the last blow uight nc effect
I've. The lttle Cadet mad fingered brhtud , mo.
nent to ~ and get u suOt at tine rrtreAtiug Toe.
lie arrived where the wounded man ldN Just as
the butt " the muskst, after performing very
swift but deliberate circle around the big
cadets he id, was descending upon tho old
mans skull. Win az lex bound the iittle let
low pas Ieu his Olg brother Hsine and warded oil
toe ulow. Let aim alone, hc cannot hurt us.
he said, and the next moment he was DR. iwing a
lead on deputy sh rr far down the noun
tam. VINO seemed II have forgotten something
IN the c non, and was hurr,ing down to get II.
Ven, after wbie, wnep no one red u hunt
them any longer. they quietly Slipped down to
the bay, and the lass ever heard OF them they
had shipped as sailors T. Australia
Somewhere IN & lifOrniI the Old fellow who
was wounded rs living, and he stlll enteTtains a
high opinion OF the little Cadet, but thinks the
big one an Internal scOundrel."
THE GIRLS GOING HOME.