The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1877-06-07
He seemed about to speak OF make some
movement, when a soft voice from the


A soft light came into the mans face.
The Texan noticed it, and, slapping
Joseph's face, he blurted out
IF ye amt coward, yell resent that,
sure r'
A boyish figure sprung from 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 ghostly
white in the gloom, and they could see
him tremble.
He's a coward, just as I thought l''
said the Texan, as he turned away. The
others followed him, some feeling
ashamed, and others surprised or graft
fed, and by-and-by the 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 Joseph's wagon on purpose to
say:
eff there are any towards in this train,
they net Int travel with us any further. !"
1t was cruel thrust. Joseph was
harnessing his horses, and the brother
was slowing away the cooking utensils.
The strange mans face grew white again,
and his hand went down for his revolver,
but Just then q voice called out
"Don't mind it, Joseph we'll go on
alone"
The train moved off without them, some
of the gold hunters taunting and joking,
and others fearful that the two would be
butchered by the Indians before the day
was over. When the white-topped wag-
ons were SO far away that they seemed no
larger than his hand, Joseph moved
along on the traii, his face stern, 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 con-
duct, looked long and earnestly for it.
They had seen Indians afar 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
"a
stamping of the horses and the howls of
the coyotes. At two o'clock the report
of rifles and the fierce yells of Indians
foated up through the little valley, and
the camp was aroused in moment.
"The devils have jumped in on Joseph
and his brother p whispered one of the
men, as he stood on knoll and bent his
head to listen.
Good huff! Cowards have no busi-
ness out here r' growled the Texan.
The first speaker wheeled, struck the
ruffian a sledge-hammer blow IN the
face, and then, running for the horses,
cried out i:
"Come on come on! A dozen of us
can be spared for the rescue !''
Sixteen men swept down the valley
like the wind. The firing and the yell
ing continued, proving that the man who
had been called a coward was making a
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, 1eaping, bowling savages,
was Joseph's brother standing over Jo-
seph'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 were charging down
upon the demons, using rifle and re-
volver with terrible effect. In two min
utes 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 looked
around, but the boy looked into their
! faces without exultation, surprise OF
gladness.
There were three dead Indians beside
the wagon, killed where the fight COM
menced, and the corpses in front of
Joseph's brother numbered more than
the victims of the sixteen men.
is Joseph badly kurt?" asked one of
the men, as he halted his horse beside
the boy.
"He is dead p whispered the white
faced defender.
"He is? God forgive me for the part
I took last night -
"You called him coward I'' cried Jo-
seph's brother, "and you are to blame
for this Was he coward ?'Look there!
and there and therel We drove them
back from the wagon-drove them clear
out here Joseph lead You are his
murderers y
Every man was near enough to hear
his voice and to note his action as he
picked up the rife of an Indian and sent
bullet through his own head. With
exclamations of grief and alarm trem-
bling on their lips, the men sprung from
their saddles. The boy was dead-dead
as Joseph-and both corpses were bleed
ing from dozen wounds.
"We'n carry 'em up to the train and
have burial in the morning. said one
of the men, and the bodies were taken
up behind two of the horsemen. They
did have burial, and men looked into
the grave with tears In their eyes, for
they had discovered that Joseph's broth
er was woman-yes woman with the