Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1877-04-25


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
If there are any towards In this
train, they needn't travel with us any
further"
It was q cruel thrust. Joseph was
Harvesting 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 a voice called
| out:
"Don't mind it, Joseph; we'll 60 or
alone"
The train moved on without them,
some of the gold hunters haunting and
Joking, and others fearful that the two
would be butchered by the Indians be.
fore the day was over. When the
white topped wagons We're 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 heal
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 then
conduct, looked long and earnestly fol
it. They had seen Indians afar off
and they knew the red devils would
pounce down upon the single team as
soon as they sighted 1t.
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 re-
ports of rifles and the fierce yells OF
Indians hoated up through the little
valley, and the camp was aroused in 8
| moment.
"The devils have jumped in on 10.
seph and his brother!" whispered one
of the men as he stood on knoll and
bent his head to listen.
"Good huff! towards have no bus.
mess out hereY' 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 on! A dozen Of
us can be spared for the rescue"
Sixteen men swept down the valley
like the wind. The firing and yelling
continued, proving that the man who
had been called 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, 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 were
charging down upon the demons, using
rifle and revolver with terrible effect
In two minutes not live Indian was liz
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 up into
their faces without sign of exultation,
surprise, or gladAess.
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.
els Joseph badly hurt?" asked one
of the men, as he halted his horse be-
side the boy. ..E. ..........
"He is dead!" whispered the white
faced defender. .s.#
"He is! God forgive me for tie part
[ took last night! Z"
"You called him a coward!" cried
Josph's brother, "and you are to blame
for this! Was he coward? Look
there! and there and there! We drove
them back from the wagon-drove
them clear out herel Joseph is dead
You are his murderers!"
Every man was near enough to heal
mis- voice and to note his action as be
picked up the rifle of an Indian and
sent a bullet through his own head
With ordinations of grief and alarm
trembling on their lips, the men sprans
from their saddles. The boy was deac
dead as Joseph-and both corpses
were bleeding from a dozen wounds.
"We'll carry them 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 a burial
and men looked into the grave with
tears in their eyes, for they had discov
cred that Joseph's brother was Wo
man. Yes, a woman, with the whites
throat and softest hands. It NIGH
have been Joseph's wife, or sister, o.
sweetheart. No one could tell that;
but they could tell how they hac
wronged him, and they said, as they
stood around the grave: m aa5 ~
eve hope the Lord won't lay it W
agin us
] Rnoaino tn Mako Fashion ahln Won, On,