The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1877-06-01
"If ye amt a coward yell resent that

A boyish figure sprang out of the wagon
and stood beside the lone man. A small
hand was laid on his shoulder, and voice
whispered in his ear
''Bear the insult for my sake"
There was full minute in which no one
moved. Joseph's face looked ghastly white
in the gloom, and they could see him trem-
ble
"He's a coward, just as / thought" said
the Texan, as he moved away. The others
followed him, some feeling ashamed and 9TH
ers surprised and gratifed and by and by
the word had reached every wagon that
Joseph and Joseph's brother were cow
ards
Next morning when the wagon train was
ready to move, the Captain passed near Jo-
| seph's wagon on purpose to say
"1f there is any towards in this train, they
needn't travel with US any further"
It was cruel thrust. Joseph was harness
ing his horses, and the brother was slowing
away the cooking utensils. The strange
mans face grew white again, and his hand
went down for revolver, but just then
voice called out
"Don't mind it, Joseph we'll go on
alone"
| The train moved off without them, some
of the gold hunters tauntng and joking and
others fearful that the two would be butch
cred by the Indians before the day was over.
When the white-topped wagons were so far
away that they seemed no larger than his
hand, Joseph moved along on the trail, his
face stern and dark and so busy with his
thoughts that he did not hear the consoling
words
"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 it. They had seen Indians fal
off, and they knew that the red devils would
pounce down upon a single team as soon as
they sighted it..
Darkness came, midnight came, and the
sentinels heard nothing but the stamping Of
the horses and the howls of the coyotes Al
two o'clock the reports of rifles and the
fierce yells of Indians floated up through tn,
valley and the camp was aroused in mo
ment
"The devils have jumped in on Joseph ant
his brother!" whispered one of the men a
he stood on knoll and bent his head t,
listen.
"Good 'nuff! Cowards have no bushes
out here!" growled the Texan.
The first speaker wheeled, struck the rui
fan sledge-hammer blow in the face, an
then, rushing for the horses, cried out:
"Come on come on dozen of us ca
be spared for the rescuew
Sixteen men swept down the valley lik
the wind. The firing and yelling continued
proving that the man who had been called
minutes they came upon the lone camp
made light as day by the burning wagor
I Fifty feet from the bonfire. and hemmed i
) by circle OF dancing, leaping, bowling say
ages, was Joseph's brother, standing owe
Joseph's dead body. The gold hunters hea
the pop pop! pop! Of the boys revolver q
they burst into view, and the next momen
they were charging down upon the demons
I using rifle and revolver with terrible etfec
In two minutes not live Indian was i
sight. Joseph's brother stood over the body
and empty revolver in his hand. The me
cheered wildly as they looked around, bu
the boy looked up into their faces withou
signs of exultation, surprise, or glaJness
There were three dead Indians beside tn
wagon, killed where the fight commence,
and the corpses in front of Joseph's brothe
r numbered more than the victims of the six
teen men.
is Joseph badly hurt?" asked one of tn
, men, as he halted his horse beside th
= boy.
"He is dead p' whispered the whiteface
defender.
"He is /! May be forgiven for the part
took last night?'
"You called him a coward !" cried Jc
seph's brother, "and you are to blame ft
this Was he coward ? Look there an
there and there We drove them bac
from the wagon-drove them clear out here
Joseph is dead. You are his murderers
, Every man was near enough to hear h
2 voice and note his action as he picked u
the rife of an Indian and sent bulls
. through his own head. With exclamation
of grief and alarm trembling on their lip
e the men sprang from their saddles. Th
boy was dead-dead as Joseph-and bot
| corpses were bleeding from doze
wounds.
y well carry 'em up to the train, an
have burial in the morning." said one
n the men, and the bodies were taken up b
hind two of the horsemen. They did hay
a burial, and men looked into the grave wit
A tears in their eyes, for they had discovert
that Joseph's brother was a woman, yes,
woman, with whitest throat and softe
hands. 1t might have been Joseph's viii
4 or sister,or sweetheart, No one could t.
that but they could tell how they h.
4 wronged him, and they said, as they stoC
a around the grave;
Q We hope the Lord won't lay it up ag
r usw-N Y. Sun
A gentleman has just died in Paris WI
owed most of his celebrity to the quail
| manner in which he manaped to disemba