Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1880-12-11

volver, but just then a voice called
out:
Don't mind it. Joseph, we'll so
on alone ~
The train moved off without
them some of the gold-hunters
haunting and joking, and others
fearful that the two would be
butchered by the Indians before
the day was over. When the
white-topped wagons got so far
away that they seemed no larger
than his hand, Joseph moved
along the trail, 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 conduct, looked
out anxiously for it. They had
seen Indians afar off and knew
that the red devils would pounce
down upon 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 nowis of coyotes. AT 2 clock
the reports of rifles and the fierce
yells of Indians fioated up through
the little valley, al d the camp was
reused in moment.
1.-THE devils have jumped in on
Joseph and his BROTHER" whisper
ed one of the men, as he stood on
a knoll and bent his head to listen.
Good huff! towards have no
business out here" growled the
Texan.
The first speaker wheeled struck
the ruffian sledge hammer blow
in the face and then running for
the horses cried out:
"Oome 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
a coward was making heroic
fight. In ten minutes they came
down upon the lone camp, made
light as day by the burning wag-
en-. Fifty feet from the bonfire
and hemmed in by circle of dane
ing, leaping, bowling savages, was
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 revolv-
er with terrible effect. In two
minutes not a living Indian was
in sight. Joseph's brother stood
over the dead body, turning it
over with his hand. The men
cheered wildly as they looked
around, but the boy looked up in
their faces without exultation, sur
prise or gladness.
There were three dead Indians
beside the wagon, killed where
the fight commenced, and the
corpses in front of Joseph's broth
er numbered more than the vic
Tins of the sixteen men.
SIS Joseph badly hurt ?" asked
one of the men as he halted his
horse beside the boy. .
"He Is dead ~ whispered the
white-faced defender.
lis he? God forgive me for the
part 1 took last night"
"You called him a coward ~
cried Joseph's brother, "and you
are 20 blame for this Was he a
coward ? Look here and there
We drove them back from the
wagon-drove them off out here
Joseph is dead! You are his MUIR
derers
Every man was near enough to
hear his voice and to note his ac-
ton, as he picked up the rifle of
an Indian and sent a bullet lhro'
his own head.
With EXPLANATIONS of grief and
alarm trembling on their lips the
men sprang from their saddles
The boy was dead-dead as Jo-
seph-and both corpses were bleed
ing from a dozen wounds.
Well carry them up to the
train and have a burial in the
morning." said one of the men !;
and the bodies were taken up be-
hind two Of the horsemen. They
did have a funeral, and the men
looked into the grave with tears
in their eyes, for they had discov-
cred that Joseph's brother was
woman-yes, a woman with the
whitest throat and softest hands.
1t might have been Joseph's wife,
or sister, or a sweetheart No one
could tell that but they could tell
how they had wronged her; and