The Red Cloud chief., 1885-05-29

which Mrs. Richie had fed with her
child. and guessing that the family to
whom she would impart the informa-
ton Of the destruction of her own dwell
ing would lie frightened thcre:y into
leaving also. and thus enable them 10
avoii the scene which, in justice, it
Ifrxt be mid was no pleasure TO them;
api evidently they Thought that the
rye had succeeded, for the leader Of
The squad remarked rs he halted the
men:
"Guess we shan: have to frighten
anybody to death here to get them to
icaye.'
lie was right. The occupant Of the
Gotta 70 was not frightened. but in
another minute the oificer was. for lie
heard the cink of q rifle Icck AMI
knew that there was not only some
body within, but that tina. somebody
Meant business; and. hastily stepping
back off tho porch. he said TO the men:
Nobody at home here: guess we've
done enough for one day. anyhow;
let's quit and 60 home" And in
another moMJ1hcy whole posse was
out upon th(s I'd dsS%Ihs The
direction frd fhich they CAM.
II is more In possible. it is prob
able. that thu oicer did not intend to
destroy the hSaf from which this little
family had IL and which Erastus
Hemmingwaybsd determined to do
fend al the riSk u his life.
IL was one Il ike best c,ttages in the
whole ranch .s6Gywas too valuable to
be destroyed t,e family could be
frightened into 3e1ving without; hence
those nearest had been destroyed
hrst. with the e pdetation that il would
r"sult in its Abandonment, II not i'm
mediately. at leatt within . very short
time; and the p 6posc of the posse in
stopping at all h4a hcen to add TO the
fright Of it, occutai1s BY threats and
by their pre.ene: instead Of which
their leader had fc.A.d q fright him.
self. which induced aim to move a lit
tie more rapidly Aan was his wont,
ana to keep his perspa well sheltered
behind the wagon id. which was de-
posted the axcstara iron bars. by
means of which tte, bad carried on
their work Of d{~stretion n other
places.
When Erastus WI ssasted that the
men were really gone. he u~nbarricadcd
the door and returned d the .ous
group behind the bluE.
AT first they could nOs be persuaded
to go back To the hou&. thc little girls
crying and begging stl sir mother 20
hitch right up and 90 back to the
States" where at lcae ty1r lives were
safe; but finally ventu1n5 far enough
ont to take |. look. then ssw approach
ing a man, whom Mrs. Richie recog-
nized as 4 neighbor. and e reas-
sured.
The neighbor proved 70 10 another of
the Ovicted snuaitcrs lOokiER for shelter
for his hOuscless family. and when John
Parsons and Bill Ritch'e tciAed up their
heated ponies in front 81 he cottage
that night. it was the onlyoSe standing
within a circle OF two m1es ION every
side. and n dozen fam'li0 NTH their
little stores OF h~ousehold g3pds were
dOmiciled within. or campsh& beneath
its h~ospitablc shadow.
CHAPTER v.
on THE MOVE AGAIN
The report made by ParsSas and
Ritchie Of The advantages ana rdsourcc.
Of the country which they rod visited
was quite rs favorable as anysc 9e had
expected. "a
Ii was q wild country. q Joufse.
There was no land for prc-empfio6 suit
able for their purposes wItho4 going
back from Sacramento some &lst&nce,
and they must expect a hard In Tor .
number Of years; but ii was a hbaAttiful
country. and would one day bc v1hGkly
settled. Already u few familfb had
started fruit ranches. and had OF ealhOd
the most gratifying results.
Melons. and indeed all kinds o vites
and vegetables. were wonderfully pto.
life. and Irish potatoes. turnipA s:4r-
rots. bcets ana other Dot crops kpg1d
be raised in abundance, and bN Tie
simplest methods OF cultivation.
For the present it was probable NM
the mines in the vicinity would cod
sumo. at larg. prices. any surplus fhst
the squaitcrs might produce: and IM
time this market should fail. q Hkttjt
work would enable them to t-ans1 bit,
everything they produced to the riVrl
where it could be- shipped to Sacraun
to. Or down t. the river. ~
Those whose duty it had been to
certain regarding the title to the lad
in the locality under c~onsidetAr
ton reported it free from taint
Of any kind. In point of faOt
the clam Of these men IL the land
upon which they settled in the foothills
above Sacramento City was never dis
puted.
A motion that they locate upon the
lands described was put to 3 vote and
carried unanimously, and preparations
for the journey ut once began.
Inc team which had brought John
family across the plains was
again Mitchell to the canvas-covcred
wagon. their little store of goods was
therein. including rs much of
products If the garden as could be
added without overlooking the team.
all, v Mrs. Parsons and the
children, to walk. and thus they again
took up their journey, \ dozen families.
all told.
Some in the little company were en-
without money. All. not except
ing John Parsons. We're nearly SO. And
knew well that worse hard ships
than walking for a few days. or even
beside the team. awaited her
and her children before they could erect
, shelter or procure the whercwithal to
a comfortable. home.
True, the men nigh. so back 10 min-
The.c would De mnes in the vi-
cin.ty of the Gains they expected to To-
cate. but these men hal los. ali faith in
their luck with the pick. they had
at it. more o. less. all of them.
but none h al ever - rucs il rich" Be-