Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1882-03-21

I 7
small hand was laid on his shoulder
and voice whispered 10 his ear:
"Bear II for my .aken
There was full minute. In which n,
one mos ed Joseph's face Inoked ghost
" white 10 the gloom. aud they coulG
see him tremble-
Hes . coward. just as thought h'
was" said the Texan, % he turne'
away.
The other followed him, some feelin,
aahame,t and others surprised or graft
fled. aud by and ny the word reache,
every v agOn that Joseph and Joseph
brother were towards.
Next morning. when the wagon
train was ready tn move. the captaiu
passed near Josrph's wagon on purpOs'
TO say:
"If there are any towards In thi
train. they needn't travel with Us an.
further" I.
1t was . cruel thrust. Joseph wa
tharnessing bis h0rs-, and his brOthe
was busy slowing away the COOKING
tuieusii
The strage mans iace grew whit
again. aud his hand went down for th,
revolver, but just then . voice callet
out:
Don't mind 1t, Joseph we'll go OF
alone" 'ttre
The train moved off without them
some Of the gold hunters taunting and
joking. and others fearful that the two
would be butcbered by the Indians be.
fore the DAY was over.
When the white topped wagons got
30 far away that they seemed no larger
than his hand. Joseph moved along the
trail, his face stern, and 90 busy with
his thoughts that he did not hear thu
consulting words:
Never mine, 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 aud earnestly for it.
They had seen Indians afar of, and
knew that the red devils would pounce
Down upon siDgle team as they sight
ed it.
Darkness came-midnight came, and
the seDlinels beard nothing but the
stamping of the horses aud the howls
of covOtes. At two O'Clock the reports
Of rifles and the fierce yells If Indians
fioated up through the little valley, and
the camp was reused in moment.
"Tbe DEVILS have jumped In on 10
seph and hts brother" whispered one
Of the men, as he stood on q knoll and
bent his head TO listen.
Good 'nuff! COwards have no bu.
siness out here" growled the Texan.
The first speaker wheeled, struck the
ruff1an y siedge- hammer blow in the
face. and then running for the horses.
cried out:
Come on Come onl A dozen of us
can be apared for the rescue"
Sixteen men swept down the valley
like the wind The firiDg aid yelling
continued, proving tn the mau whG
had been called = coward WAS making
An heroic fight In ten minutes they
came down upOn the lone camp, made
light rs day by the burning wagon
Fifty Ieet from the bonfire, and hem
Iled 10 by circle of dancing. leaping
hoWlinR savagPs was JOseph's dead
body. Tho gOldhunters heard the pop
pop! pop! of the Ooy's revolver rs they
burst into view, aud the next moment
they were charging down upon the de
mons. using rifle and rev Oliver with ter
ribie effects. In two minutes not q liv
Ing Indian was In sight -Joseph's
brother stood over the dead body
turning him over with his hand. TIT
| Men cheered wildly as they looked
around. but the hoy looked up In theiI
faces without exuitation, surprise o.
giastness.
There were three dead Indians be
side the wagon, killed where the f1gh,
commenced, and the oOrpses in from
of Josepb's brother Numbered NOR
thap the victims of sixteen men.
rs Joseph badly hurt ?" asked one
OF the men, ~ he halted his horse be
side the boy.
HE is dead!" whispered 1he white.
faced defender.
us hep God forgive me for the par
took last nightl"
"You called him q coward !" erie,
Joseph's bin her, and you u, to blam
for this. Was he q coward? L0Ol
hrre-and there and there J. We drOv
them back from the wagon drove then
back from the wagnn-drOvs them ou
here Joseph is dead-and you are hi
nurderers!'
Every man was near enough to hea
his voice, and to note his action. as b
picked up the rifle of an Indian an
sent bullet through bis own head
With exciamations of grief aud alXru
trembling on their lips. the nlsn spran
from their saddles. The bov was dea,
-dead as I"seph-and both corpse
were bleeding from a dozen wounds
We'll carry them up to the trail
and have burial in the morning,
said one of the men, and the bodie
were taken up behind two of the horss
men.
They did have a funeral, and th
men looked into the grave with tear
in their eyes, for they had discovers
that Joseph's brother was q woman :
yes, q woman, with the whitest tbr0s
aud the sOftest hands, It might hav
been IOseph's wife. or sister, or sweet
heart. No one could tell that, but the
could tell how they had wronged be-
and they said. as they stood around th
grave:
I'VE hope the Lord won't lay 1t u
against u.s."