The Portland daily press., 1877-06-18
THE PRESS.
The Story Of Joseph and
His Brother.
BY BRETE HARTE.

uiuh COY cOS3 AtSSN"N Va oOoSph3
when speaking of or to the man.
The two had wagon in the band, drag
gng itself toward the Black Hills day by day
and mile by mile. They messed by them
selves, scarcely spoke except to each other,
and their lives and their actions were a sort
of mystery to the rest, who were jolly set,
drinking, carousing, fighting, playing cards,
and wishing for brush with the Indians.
Some said that Joseph was a fugitive from
Justice, and that he wouldn't fraternize with
them tor fear OF betraying himself when in
terrogated. Others thought he felt too proud
to mix with such society, and between their
two theories he had nearly all the men think
ing ill of him before the train was four days'
travel from Cheyenne.
she keeps his brother hidden away in the
wagon as if little sunshine would kill the
boy" growled one of dozen gold hunters
sitting around their camp fire in the twilight.
perhaps he thinks our luggage isn't high
toned enough-blast his eyes!' exclaimed an
other.
Saint we all bound for the same place
all sharing the same danger-one as good as
another?" demanded broad shouldered iel-
low from San Antonio.
"Yes, yes?" they shouted.
"Then don't it look low down mean for
this ere man Joseph to edge away from us as
if were pizen? If he's so mighty refined and
high-toned, why didn't be come out here in
balloon?"
There was laugh from the circle and the
Texan went on
monnars as uolI os Tho 49, ho1;o.,a ~.
49, Is ra1,,,or storoh 81, 'o. S. nc.
dor1,, as saor' &c ,;u4 ~, W wv iisns
,T,, oo ,T oar 20 is NY a. n, aiiu
ssE San tta w 49,, o w pun ms n9se O.,
ihaO JIG saHe, jazz! 70 IN, olu lei
low! nan ior Ine man rom leXasE yelled
s snS gnu nun'oi'' Do 'ney spians u Cheir
iee aco.no r;ob+ .,orc and s.o ,ho e,np, mn
49,, 9u 1 i Kn AUS anu zee tne lun con
1 Iaan sne aeXan' DIS e leu the way towards
1osspns wagon:
.. LII Gro tor tot p f. ~ snG .lee, ana
az Insn,, d h ,G" ot, tm w.. niuu WheelS
Oa aI oO s,,Ipn ""a A tI J oa.lns lneir fu
sar Suppei d as tmJ odomt catne near me boy
speans up anu cLn a1e lnIo tne covered wag,
", 80, "nio ooaopI o,oIy ioso W anu iooked
"' . sSem h anAiII W anu ahquliingY.
n.me %; he1on Tho Taxon ns b. Ia a
name began inc leXan as ne matted be-
t lore .ne nian we come 10 tne conclusion
snas you il anu .nat ooopy Drotner OF yours
oo sr iahe our s!yie. are we kerect?
T.. ICY o Lo.nins "S9 1,l any VI YOU, quiet
y aepneu o9sepn. Luz Journey mus lar mas
peeI very Pieasant sna agreeable 10 US.
Dus you nanS 9nLyou uoh speak 10 any
Oh usE. perslslea Jack.
;, am sorry II l nave incurred any mans
Ill . WI. leel irlsn 10, towards you ALL"
IN, you oo' Gu sneered Inc Iexan feel
ing mat ne was losing ground. "WelI, it's
my OPINION snat you are sneak"
0osepIs FACE turned wnlte, and the men
saw dangerous geam IN ms eyes. He
seemed ABOUT TO speaKor 10 make some move
ment when soft voice from the wagon called
OUT
Joseph, Joseph"
=, A soft light came into the mans face. The
Texan noticed it, and slapping Joseph's face,
he blurted out
fye amt a coward, yen resent that,
sure!"
A boyish figure sprang from the wagon and
stood beside the lone man. A small hand
was laid On his shoulder, and voice whis-
pered in his ear
mBear the insult for my sakep'
There was full minute in which no one
moved. Joseph's face looked CHASTITY white
in the gloom, and they could see him trem-
Bile.
"He's a coward, just as I thoughtp' said
the Texan as he turned away. The others
followed him. some feeling ashamed and 9TH
ers surprised or gratified, and by and by
word had reached every wagon that Joseph
and Joseph's brother were towards.
Next morning when the wagon train was
ready to move, the captain passed near Jo-
seph's wagon on purpose to say
"If there are any towards in this train,
they needn't travel with us any further"
1t was cruel thrust. Joseph was har-
Messing his horses, and the brother was stow
ing away the cooking utensils. The strange
mans face grew white again, and his hand
went down for his revolver, but just then a
voice called out
Don't mind 1t Joseph wen 60 on alone"
The train moved OFT without them, some of
the goid hunters tauntlng and joking, and
otners learlqi tnat tne Two would be butch
ereo Dy lne inalahs before the DAY was over.
WHEN the "nte topped wagons were SO lar
away InaI tney seeineu no larger IMAM his
hand, Joseph moved along on the trail, his
lace Stern anu oa1k, ana SO p9sy with his
Iuougats 'naC he oiu noG near tne consollng
WINS .1N
Meyer hlnu, Joseph; we are trying 10 90
rigme
Inat nIgnt, Wnen lhe wagon Train OF the
golu hunters went lnto camp, tney could not
PEE .ne iong WAGON, tnougn many Oh Inc
m nnd asnaeu u tneir conduG1 looked long
a aton eS R tDa ~. lucy nau seen INDIANS
o "r 1o %mu w. ao Arum 'lal .ng ieu ueVls
s mWmu pVau0e uIma apon s'nsie team as
so9n a. tney signteu u;
..,;.air ls oae, n.unisut ealne, anu lne
sha hnrss ne ear . hot h ous sne stamping OF
I ,I. "nu eno n1 f WIS y. az Two
UoIiS of InJ;anS eo ~ smO times anu .ne 1eIce
yyeiien anJ a. oa. " niousn Tue iltIle
Sanoy' anu 'ne ca"p was rouseo III mo-
nne e.T. ao.,,,
bic hrnst JEWS w naxe Jumped 10 on Joseph and
nis nIo.ner! whispered one OF the men as ne
S'oS @o U ,n nn9 ad peds ms neaa 70 listen.
horo ~ o, un ~, GoM T Lave ho business
The frst ". Snaa .he A s.hoa;oa ..,,
LUG n,sg Speaker wheeled, struck the tut
then rnnnp nr thu bor uo" o IN .9e lace and
'n SGo .unninS iol Sne Iotses, crleo OUT
o.o5 &C. III H. oone ou oozeh oi Us can De
'pS S;s.o ~, Suo ioSoue
ML LEI emepI uoWn we valley IKE tne
WIN. tne ntiDs anu tIe yeillng continued,
proving mat lhe man VINO mad been called a
coward was making heroc hght In ten
lninutes Iaey cams upon tne lone camp, light
as uay py Inc burning wagon: Fifty feet
l ne d .ne ponnre, anu nemmed IN by circle
u 9 uauchg, ieaplng, moving savages, was
S S Sgt pIolHer STANDING over Joseph's dead
pouy. ~. une gola hunters heard Inc pop! pop!
Pop. ., we ~, poys revolver as tney burst into
view, anu tne nexs moment they were charg-
ing aown ~ upon tne demons using rife and
tssoaer WIN terrible eneet. In Two minutes
tne,e was hot i've Indlan IN sight. Jo-
stpu' DrOInef $1,000 over Inc body with an