Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1886-09-16

Of the iarmen after Few momcnts'
reflection.
lie thought 10 himself. II better
hot tell Jack, because he'll bo sure to
tell that trifling Bill Martin, and it'll
be sure TO be all over the country"
'Is the stranger bad hurtp"
'Yes, but NOT dahgefous; Ne has a
beoken arm and some bruises Of the
head
s.Does he know whs the fobbefs
wereP"
mo; he's stranger here, and
knows no one but Mr.. Smallwecd, tho
banker. His namo Is Brown, and he
has iust returned from California. Ha
is immensely rich, think, but has all
his gold ia Smallweed's bank at
Bushville
AZ they wese on the point Of scpara-
hom MIR Miles inquired as to the
whereabouts of Bill Martin, and was
informed that he had received
slight injury in the shoulder by being
thrown from borsei nhd Wotld piob-
gbly he cchllhed TO his bed for several
days.
Pinkey Miles was the nurse Of the
wounded man. He dictated a letter
which she wrote Mr., Smallwned in re.
gard TO business affairs ~ u She
learned that 10 was expecting two
more boxes of gold coin, on the cx-
press, and he wished him to go 10
Queenstown and receive w. stdgdsting
that he had hc,tup have strong guard
To prevent the capture Of the treasure.
"You shall be amply repaid for all
your kindness to me, Miss Pinkpy'
said the Californian,
81 have done nothing moro than my
duty, sir and do not require any
pay"
"But you deserve pay for your
trouble"
It was the third day after the injury.
and Mr.. Brown was flushed with iuvch
which made him talkatlvo,
"You must he quiet You have sat
up too much to-day" she said Mn
Brown was propped up IN bed with
his arm strongly bandaged, lying snug
~ Under the coverlet
II feel better, though, Miss Pinkey,
than have felt for years" said the
Zsn.
ri am glad to know II, and hope
you will soon be well again"
"S,s here by the side OF the bed as |
wish Ga talk to you, said Mr.. Brown.
Pinkes did as requested.
How rang have YOU lived hcre?" he
asked,
For ten 'cars," she answered.
"Where did you come from, when
you came heref
"My father is fN,m Pennsylvania"
"You never lived Ia lllinoisP"
"No. sir"
II once did. It was many years be-
fore you were born. | was a young
man then The man spoke i'm short
sentences and there was considerable
feeling in his tone. II married one
who was the pride of my heart. |
loved her and She loved me. but We
werp poor. The gold excitement of
1919 swept over the country; people
went wi over il. ] was swept away
in the vortex. The parting was hard.
but the cherished hope OF returning
wealthy overcame every other consid.
Grafton. She gave me up. pressed
my wife and babe 10 my breast and
joined the wagon train waiting in the
road. As we rolled away / turned to !
catch last glimpse of the little home |
that had been so dear TO me. saw my |
wife standing in the doorway; tears
We're streaming down her checks, and |
she held alOft ,lH babe that croWed 4
and clappcd its hands. unaware of the
separation. The sight overcame Int
and | shed manly tears. - -
'Months were spent in crossing the
plains. need not tell you of tho hard
ships OF an overland Journey 10 Cali |
tornia. A journey that took months TO |
months Of suffering and priv |
atoms. / laborcl with zeal and deter |
received letters regularly |
from home. Years passed. was dis /
appointed in acquiring the fabulous /
wealth had been promised and | had |
almost made up my mind TO return /
home when | fell sick and came near I
deaths door Some rude, though kind /
hearted friend nursed me 10 partial |
health. / filled to more than mako /
a living. A year later. in company \
with a party of prospectors, we struck |
the richest mine ever known in Cali |
fornia. There were five of us and we /
dug every day out Of the earth |
fortune. At the end of n week each |
man uiado cache and buried his /
Treasure, This we did several times. |
just as we had determined to return to |
civilization, the Indians attacked us, |
killing three nf my companions and /
took the remaining two OF US as prison |
ers. For fourteen long years | was a /
prisoner among the red men. A few |
months ago | managed to escape and |
then began to inquire about my wife |
and child in the East. / learned that
my wife was dead and that my son
lived somewhere near here.
"Aly treasure in the cache found
where / had left il, and dug il up, and
had it expressed to Queenstown In
boxes, and was on the hunt Of my sor
when the robbers attacked me-
do you know whore he is2' askod |
Pinkcy.
IL do not.
II was evident that the Californian |
had been exciting himself too much. |
and Pinkey insisted on MS keeping
quiet.