The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1886-07-17


Bring out the bully and cowardv
There was rush but it was checked.
Men had pistols and knives in their
hands, but the sight of Big Jim with a
navy in each hand cooled their ardor.
A life for life is no revenge. They lied
when they called him bully. Bullics
strike and run or bluster and dare not
strike. They lied when they called him
a coward. Cowards do not remain to
face death.
Big jim advanced little. The crowd
fell back. lie stood at the door and
surveyed the mob as coolly as another
man might have looked up at the pine
covered crest of Carter's Peak The
mob grew quiet. There were two hun
dred right hands clutching deadly
weapons, but not hand moved. Two
hundred TO one is appalling odds, but
the one was master Seeming to face
every man. of them--seeming TO cover
every breast with the black muzzles of
his reyolvers-the man backed away up
the road into the darkness, out of their
sight and hearing. He said not a word.
There wasn't a whisper from the crowd
until he had disappeared. Then men
drew long breaths of relief. a terrible
menace had passed away.
Out into the darkncss-down the
rough road--oYer the rude bridge, and
there Big Jim put up his revolvers,
turned his face square to the West, and
stepped out without look back at the
camp. IL was ten miles to Harvcy's
Bend. Men driven from the one camp
took refuge in The other. The half way
landmark was a bit OF valley skirted
by a creek. Wayfarers who were jour
neying by team many times halted
here. On this night there was a lone
wagon. Under the canvas cover slept a
mother and four children. Resting
against the wheel was the husband and
father, his eyes Dcerlng into darkness,
his ears drinking in every sound.
Big Jim hsd not reached the valley
yet when the still night air was rent
with war-whoops, the crack of rifles,
the screams of woman and her child
ren. Indians had discovered the lone
and almost defcnscless family. There
were five scalps to adorn their lodges
| The bully and the coward had not beer
discovered. lie could find safe hid
ing place. Did he?
\ half-dozen screaming, yelling iiend'
were dancing about the wagon-shoot
ing-striking-dodging-closing in OF
| one white man who somehow escaped
| their blows and bullets, when there wa'
cheer and rush, and the Navys begar
to crack. Sixty seconds later deaC
silence had fallen upon the valley.
Onc-two-,hrec dead Indians. Tn,
immigrant leaned against the wagon
faint with a wound in his head. Th'
wife looked ont with an awful terror a
her heart. Bullets had chipped an,
splintcred wheel and body.
"Who are you?" asked the lmmi
grants as a figure approached from tn,
darkness.
Big Jim.'
You have saved us from massacre.
Yes, It was well that | happenct
along! Rouse up the fire, for there /
no further danger
When the blaze caught the fresl
iagots and lighted up the little vale
the immigrant counted the dead In
dians again--one-lwo- lie turn
ed with extended hand, but big Jim hat
departed Next day, when men fron
Hilrs aud IIarney's found his dead bod
beside the rocks half mile away, Will
five wounds which had let his lifc-bloo
out, they whispered TO each other:
! we thought we knowed him, but W
didn't.