The Northern Pacific farmer. [volume] (Wadena, Minn.) 1878-1885, 1883-05-03

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on h m. am not going to tell how lit
most maidens to Christion Pete. He
was nothing but a mail. carrier, working
for SUBJ contractor on "star route u
and COULDN'T we'll be very beautiful. But
as he drove on to cross the valley he
gave the mules their heads and looked
long up and down the little stream, with
its fringe Of blue willows, its small clus-
ters of Mexican jacels with "chile" burn
ing itself to bright red on dirt roofs.
"I'll be darned if it don't look to me
like peace" he said to himself. And
then he began to reflect on Mexican wo-
men as wives.
A half.hour later, as he turned over
his express and the mail matter at Ra-
vine City-a city only in name and the
number of its s2loons--the agent said:
"Your wages are put up again, Pete?'
'1ndians?"
Isl, senor," answered the agent, with
that affection of knowing much Spanish,
which all newcomers take on the south.
west, and thereby betray themselves
"tenderfeet."
"Where?"
"Near the old fort"
"Killed anybody?" asked Pete.
Nobody but an old Mexican herder.
Run off a lot of stock, though"
"What Mexican was it?"
"Juan de DiaS. His names better than
his deserts. But; don't reckon for all
that that the Lord and he'll recognize
each other, though"
Pete did not answer, but an hour later
he sat in jacel whose inside walls were
white show, and tried to console Wild
owed woman and a fatherless daughter.
On the hearth OF the COR
ner fireplace a few brands gave a
little light that wavered and kept the
shadows OF the room dancing to and fro
unsympathetically; perhaps it was well
that there was not more light, tor the
c0ntortions of Pete's face as he tried to
be sad and to give comfort in the Suan-
ISL language would not have added to
the solemnity OF the occasion. Nov and
then, as he became more in sympathy
with the grief OF the girl whom he had
stopped to see at her work by the river,
he talked in English entirely, but caugbt
himself as often with Darn my skin"
and returned to the attempt at Spanish.
The next morning Christian Pete
started back over his route, thirty five
miles up hill and down. He was in
clined to be light-hearted, partly be-
cause he knew he Was earning more
money, partly because as he went down
through the valley the young
Mexican girl came out and
rolled a cigarette for him. A fear of In
dams did nut.enter his mind; nor did any
thought OF them till he h ID crossed the
Rio Grandc and started up the long hill,
on the top of which stood the old fort.
1t was, and is now, an extremely lone
some place, the effect being undoubtedly
heightened by the ruins Of the old bar
racks, whose walls of adobe were fast
crumbling away. There he did think of
them, and, what was m,re, saw them.
They were, perhaps, twenty in number,
and had already seen him, having left
the high ground on which they had been
travelling to come down towards the
road.
Christian Pete was scared. A moment
before he had been complaining of the
heat, but now cold waves of perspiration
seemed to have enwrapped him from
head to foot. He lacked the power to
move, and his mules went IN to meet
the Indians with that blindness to tragic
fate that mule seems always to have
concealed about bis person. The In
dams had collected on little knoll
which overlooked the road, and there
they sat on their horses as Christian
Pete drew near; was opposite to them;
Disappeared.
And when he was sure he was out Of
s:glit-but to let Pete tell it:
Them mules must have thought an
earthquake had broke loose"
Voy1 no n I'LL hon~ - <ho k;n.1 L .
OF his trip back and Of his subsequently
escaping more than a dozen times from
a like peril. It has never been ex-
could not account for it, but came to &C.
cept it as matter Of course. So equally
of course, his value as stage-driver
grew, and he became more independent.
But during this time he did not forget
the Mexican girl. He was progressing
fast in learning her language, and the
boys had concluded Pete was about to
take her for his wife, In this they were
not mistaken.
Soon after came Victories awful raid.
Not half a mile from where Pete had
stopped that day to talk with
the Mexican girl, they began their
bloody work, and that night Pete did
not come in.
He never came in. Two months after
ward some ranchmen drove off small
body Of Indians, forcing them into quick
retreat. As the white men followed af-
ter, one of them came upon Christian
Pete, with a lance through his body,
pinned to tree. They had hastily left
him with their compliments. He was
still alive. and only that The lance was
drawn from his body and he sank at the
foot of the tree. bis lone-tortured soul
giving up at last body Scared W deep
manned and burned to black
ness. No greater amount of unrecorded
suffering was ever seen before or since
DIVIDED into two months, unless-unless
It is that Of the girl who was to have
been Christian Pete's wife, and, who,
being, captured among the first, must
have been a witness Of part At least of
bis suffering. She gave up her tie when
squaw camp was taken, and at
the hands OF q courageous soldier of the
great army of the United States-D Detroit
Free Press.