The Findlay Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Hancock County, Ohio) 1870-1881, 1877-04-20


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 reach
ed every wagon that Joseph and Josephs
brother were towards.
Next morning, when the wagon train
was ready to move, the Captain passed
near Joseph's wagon on purpose to say:
~Ifthere are any towards in this train
they needn't travel with us any farther" !"
It was a cruel thrust. Joseph was
harnessing bis 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 voice called
out:
Don't mind it Joseph; we'll go on
alone"
The train moved on without them,
some of the gold hunters taunting and
joking, and others fearful that the two
would be butchered by the Indians be-
fore the day was over. When the white
top wagons was so far away that they
seemed no longer than his hand, Joseph
moved along on the trail, his face stern
and dark, and 50 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 1t,
They had seen Indians afar of, 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. At two o'clock the reports
of rifles and the fierce yells of Indians
fioated up through the little valley, and
the camp was aroused in 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 to listen"
Good 'nuff, Cowards have no business
out herel" growled the Texan.
The first speaker wheeled, struck the
ruffan a sledge- ge-hammar blow in the face,
and then, running for the horses, cried
out:
"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 coward was max
ing 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 a
circle of dancing, leaping, bowling saw.
ages, was Josephs brother, standing
over Joseph's dead body. The gold
hunters heard the pop. pop pop, as
they burst into view, and the next mo
ment they were charging down upon
the demons, using rifle and revolver
with terrible effect. In two minutes
not live Indian was insight, 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 up into their faces without
a sign of exultation, surprise or gladness
There were three dead Indians beside
the wagon, killed where the fight com
menced, and the corpses in front o
Joseph's brother numbered more thar
the victims of sixteen men.
ais Joseph badly hurt?' asked one o
the men, as he halted his horse beside
the boy.
lie is dead,' whispered the white
faced defender.
"He is God forgive lie for he par
/ took last night"
"You called him a coward" criec
Josephs brother, and you are to blame
for this Was he a coward? Lool
there. and there. and there We drove
them back from the wagon-drove then
clear out here. Joseph is dea'. Yot
are his murderers.'
Every man WAS near enough 10 hea
his voice and to note his action as h'
picked up the rifle of an Indian and sen
a bullet through his own head. Witt
ordinations of grief and alarm trem
bling on their lips, the men sprang iron
their saddles. The boy was dead-deat
as Joseph-and both corpses bleedin:
from dozen wounds.
Well carry iem up to the train, ant
have a burial in the morning" said on
of the men, and the bodies we're takel
up behind two of the horsemen. The.
did have burial, and the men looket
into the grave with tears in their eyes
for they had discovered that Joseph
brother was woman, yes, a woman
with whitest throat and sof,est hands
1t might have been Joseph's wife, o
sister. or sweetheart. No one could tel
that; but they could tell how they hat
wronged him, and they said. As the,
stock around the grave:
1--WE hope the Lord won't lay it VI
agin us,"-Bret Hdde, ia Ner York San
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