The weekly Thibodaux sentinel and journal of the 8th Senatorial District. [volume] (Thibodaux, Lna. [i.e. La.]) 1875-1898, 1883-10-27

vetes froaa tke yseotcatielSu
s~J0seph, JoeSpS!"s1 asa
A soft light came into Ii. name face.
The Texan noticed 7it. aud stamping
Jos~ph's face. he blsrtsd out :
III 80 ah,'t i coward veil resent
that, sure!'
a boyi.h figure sprang from the
wagon aud stO-.d bes ide the lone man.
A small hand wa. laid gu his shoulder.
and u voice whispered in his ear:
bear it fur my sake
There WAS u full minute in which M
one moved. Juse: his face looked
gh"''Iy white in tn gloom aud thu
bystanders could see hinl tremble.
Hes = coward, ju.t u. thuu.ht..,
said the Texan y. h. turned away.
The others followed him. some f.sl-
ing ashamed and others surprised ar
g'atiti-d, aud BY aud by the word had
eachrti every wag0n that Joaeph and
JOseph's brother Were EDWARDS.
Next morning, when the wagon
train was ready to move. the captain
p''sed near J'.erh'. Wagon on pur-
pOse to say
"lf the'e are any c"wsrds in this
train they nredn't travel with Us any
furth~r.'
1t was q cruel thrust. Joseph was
~harnessi"g hi. horse aud his brother
was slowing away the cooking utensils.
The strange mans face grew white
again, and his hand went down Tor the
revolver. but just then y voice called
out :
Don't mind it, Joseph we'll 60 on
al0ne.''
The trail" moved off without them.
some of the gold hunters tnumtin9
and Joking. aud Others fearful that III.
tvO would 10 butchered by the Iu.
dians before the day was over.
When the white topped wagons got
." Tar away that they seemed no lar
ger than his hand, Joseph moved along
the trail, his face stern and a. busy
with mis- tho"gh,s he did not hear th.
con.oling wo1ds:
Never mind, Joseph ; We are trying
to do right"
That night, when the wagon train
OF the gold hunters went iuto camp.
they could not zee the lone wagon.
Though many Of the men. ashamed Of
their conduct. tlOoked long and earnest
" for 1t. They had se.u Indi.ns afar
off, aud knew that the red devil. would
po"nce down upon y single train az
thy sighted it.
Darkness came, midnight came, and
the srntineIs heard nothing but the
stamping If the horses aud the h.wls Of
the Coyotes.
At two o'clock the reports 0: rifles
and the fierce yeIIs Of Indians floated
mp though the valley, and the camp
Was aroused in u moment.
THE devils have jumped in on
Joseph and his brother," whispered opc
Ut the men. as he stood on u knoll and
bent his head to listen.
"GoOd 'nutf! COwards have no bust.
ness out here" growled the Texan.
The fret speaker wheeled. struck
the ruffian q eledge-hammer blow in
the face, and thea running for the hor-
SEES, cried out:
"CO'ne on! come on ! a dozen of US
a b. spared for the rescne ;"
Sixteen men swept down the valley
like til" wind. The firing and ceiling
continued, proving that the man who
had been called Il coward was making
il heroic fight. In ten minutes they
came down upon the lone camp. made
light as day by the burning wagon.
Fifty feet from the bonfire. and hem-
med in by q circle Of leaping. dancing.
savages was Joseph's dead body.
The gold hunters heard the pop, pop.
pop OF the boys revolver as they burst
view, aud the next momen they
were charging down upon the demons.
using rifle aud revolver with telling ef-
feet.
In two minutes not a living Indian
was in sight. JOseph's brother stood
over the dead body, turning him over
with his hand. The men cneered wild
" rs they looked around, but the boy
looked up in their faces without exulta
ton, surprise or gladness.
There We're three dead Indians be.
side the wagon. killed where the fight
and the corpses before
JOseph's brother numbered more than
the victims Of the sixteen men.
''Is Joseph badly hurt" a.ked one Of |
the men as he rude up and halted be.
side the boy.
He is dead" whispered the white.
faced defender.
lis he J God forgive me for the part
| took last nightr'
"YoH called him a coward !" cried
josephs brother. and You are to blame
Tor THIS! Was he Il coward Look
here. aud there and there! We drove
them back from the wagon-drove
ont of here -
Every man was near enough to hear
his voice and note .hrs action. as T.
picked up the rifle of an Indian and
sent a bullet fhrouvh his ou,, h..a