Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1877-06-01
"Never mind, Joseph we are trying to

"Never mind, Joseph we are trying TO
do right"
That night, when the wagon train Of the
gold hunters went into camp, they could
not see the lone wagon, though many of
the men, ashamed of their conduct, looked
long and earnestly for il. They had seen
Indians afar Off and they knew that the
red devils would pounce down upon a sin
gle team as soon as they sighted it.
Darkness came; midnight came, and the
sontinels heard nothing but the stamping
o: the horses aud the howls Of the coyotes.
| At two o'clock the reports Of rifles and the
| fierce yells of Indians hoated up through
the little valley, and the camp was aroused
In a moment
"The devils have jumped in on Joseph
and his brother ~ whispered one of the
men, as he stood on knoll and bent his
head 10 listen.
"Good 'nuffl Cowards have no business
out here" growled the Texan.
The first speaker wheeled, struck the
rufian sledge-hammer blow in the face,
and then, running for the horses, cried
out:
"Come on! come oni A dozen of US
can he spared for the rescue"
Sixteen men swept down the valley like
the wind. The firing and the yelling con-
tnued, proving that the man who had been
called a coward was making heroic fight
In ten minutes they came upon the lone
camp, made light as day by the burning
wagon. Fifty feet from the bonfire, and
hemmed in by circle Of dancing, leaping,
| bowling savages, was Joseph's brother
standing over Joseph's dead body. The
gold hunters heard the pop, pop, pop, of the
boys revolver as they burst into view, and
the next moment they we're charging down
upon the demons, using rife and revolver
with terrible effect. In two minutes not a
live Indian was in sight. Joseph's brother
stood over the body, an empty revolver In
his hand The men cheered wildly as they
look ed around, but the boy looked up into
their faces without sign of exultation, sur
prise or gladness.
There were three dead Indians beside the
wagon, killed where the fight commenced,
and the corpses in front of Joseph's broth
er numbered more than the victims of the
sixteen men.
"Is Joseph badly hurt?' asked one Of
the men as he halted his horse beside the
boy.
"He is dead r. whispered the white.faced
defender.
"He is! God forgive me for the part l
took last nightr'
"You called him cowardv' cried jos
seph's brother, land you are 10 blame for
this! Was he coward2 Look there and
there and therel We drove them back
from the wagon-drove them clear out
here Joseph is dead. You are his muir
derersr'
Every man was near enough 10 hear his
voice and to note his action as he picked up
the rifle Of an Indian and sent bullet
through his own head. With exclama-
tons of grief and alarm trembling on their
lips, the men sprang from their saddles
The boy was dead-dead as Joseph-and
both corpses were bleeding from a dozen
wounds.
"We'll carry 'em up to the Train and
have a burial in the morning." said one ol
the men, and the bodies were taken up be-
hind two OF the horsemen. They did have
a burial, and they looked into the grave
with tears in their eyes, for they had dis
covered that Joseph's brother was wo
man,-yes, a woman with the whitest throa
and the softest hands. 1t might have beer
Joseph's wife, or sister, or sweetheart. Nc
one could tell that; but they could tell how
they had wronged him and they said, a:
they stood around his grave
"We hope the Lord wont lay it up agir
us w. y. Sun.