Fair play., 1883-01-06
III 0TC y
! NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. 1
A TrueSt0ry.


TrueStory.
.Tsfsan a8ssi1wh sinking, M the
western sky rs Stcenie Burton came out
OF his cabin, aud glanced down the galcii
&. inward the ssaess -an elevated table hand.
The hills .on both sides were golden IN
: tsaGght,I Ilshils here and there dark.
shadows between the high points Of rock
t4ase q aunasiy arabes 4ieeaeef-t TO tbs
J: riansiseape.aT - O. 7.i .-zf -s;lf
= ''".Now, I wonder. said Steenie. rchec..
e, Lively. '.whether the gal ,has reached
.hwAe." ZG ,. g. SFr,t - asIs-' p. fsisaf'
80 -. Steenie papse;l. glanced at. his boots.
>, and in,liilg that l,e had. jim n: nlnIasut OF
abstraction, put on. his spurs, resolved to
: ssyl,us np apd .ads. .nssr,to. ind ont, 3 1t
did not take many seconds before he was
going slowly down the gulch on his
mustang. Reaching the ~ ST.. he struck
to the south in Il lope. and was soon lost
to sight around the base of the hills.
Helen Mansfield stood at the jeGh OF
her fathers cabin, kglancng y0aeaAiiy
northward. Tine day before she had
come home. and that morning her father
had started, Nth his wagon. to make a
trip through Che mining towns, leaying
Helen and her little brother, Tom. who
was ten fears old. alone on the ranch.
Helenss anxiety was twofold. She hal
heautsher father talking with some men
a who were prophesyiug an outbreak of
Ythe Huallapais. and she was wondering
whether Steen ME would come that day or
not. The two had been engaged for.
some months, and one Of the clliefsob-
jecis of her visit to Los Angeles; when
her father went OH to buy goods foe Dis
tfN,le, hadb been to purchase the neeos-,
sary'things with which to set up hoQses
keeping, She wanted to see Stecpie on.
general principals, and she wanted To-
show him what she had bought. gOf her
two subjects Of thought. imagine. that
Steenie's coming occupied her the more,
but AS Tue evening shadows heightened
she gave npexpecting visit from him
that day. and turning 4ent into the
house. Tom capie in sod4. aftefwarb
and Helen closSi hp the hasty yinA1ls
and doors. put the lNrs into No. "a,
began to think it waskme to SHtoe&
About eight O'Clock She heard 6E
tious footsteps outside. Going 10 theN6or
and looking through one of the small
holes cut through it. she saw, to her
horror. an Indian standing about forty
feet 2way~iesise WaSsaHUctr woms;
born and faisef 6n,f SouA ldrts OF civili-
zation. and she neededs no msn to. teus
her what the bright htrcaka. of paints
which stood out so plsinH in theVmoetf-
light across the redskin,s facs meant. sss-
GaHastIy calling Tom. she pointed the
Indian out 10 him and told him to take
down a rifle and watch the other sidsDf !
the house Then taking one II the aeng
ciouded barrels herself, she returned 70
her post ses3sySsited.s@s s-ssT.2Ss.'
She I'd Soth4e to wait long Arsp
on the tloo and 1 summons 10 o;eu. de-,
irrret ina mkt IRE of broken English
and Spasish. toltlh that the 4ght must,
be. Helen -naaintaiRad q dead sileacss~
Another rap ienforcsl by a strong kick
followed. and then she heard. with ears
that were strainiug for the slightest
sound, some quick, sharp orders given.
4 A. sihmcespf~a a few minues, and then
Helen could $50 seven or eight Indians
bringing up a heavy post to use as 4 bat
tarinr-ram. Cautiously She put the
nluzzie of the rifle through the hole in
in the door, and waiting until she got
four of the ssvages in line. tired. The
fall of three of them. and yeiis from che
whole party, followed b, a hasty disper-
sion. and a search for shelter, showed
the effects of the shot. The Indians
were. genuinely surprised. They had
supposed that the cabin was empty and
thai there was 10 danger i'll attempting
to force it open.
I'm a moment after the shot there was
NOT an Indian to be seen, but the flight
of some score of arrows aud the sound |
of three or four rifles. showed that they !
we're still there Helen knew that the |
cabin would stand all the firing at it that |
4. far larcer force could do, but she also !
knew that Indians have many WAYS of |
f;gh,inc and that she could scarcely hope |
to keep them of for any length of time. !
Instinctiyely. too. her thoughts turned |
10 Steenie and mingled with the wish
that he was there, was the fear that he /
would come and fall a victim TO the red
skins.
Tom had become wildly excited by the
attack so galIantly repulsed by his sister.
For wears he had been wanting chance 1
to Eight Iniuns,'' and he fel, it was
shame that they should attempt the side
n the cabin on which Helen was. rather
than that on which he was posted. for he
Lnew that unlike himself. Helen did not
in the least want to take part in a diifi-
Guilty.
Tom watched through his peep holes
with all his eyes. and in a few minutes
wa, rewarded by seeing crouching
form crawling towards the cabin. The
HOY leyeled his weapon. but shook SO
with excitement that he could not aim.
a whispered: STEADY, Tomr' from his
sister seemed to bring him to himself.
and as he pulled the trigger the rifle was
a. firm as 4 rock. A copper-colored
body leapng into the air with yell
showed that Fom's bullet had struck.
Then there was long silence once
more. In about ten minutes Helen saw
an arrow. with some mes4uit grass
,rranned around il and set On fire, fly