New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-04-07
NOLTCHE.

l.
That was her Indian name. Among the whites
about the post and in the valley she was known
ma Confidence She was q M0jave sQuaw, as broad
she was Long With white ' her once blue
black hair--as lively and chlrpy as cricket on
the hearth from morning TO night, ana-uniesS
sound asleep-from night until morning.
like all her tribe she was al lnveterate, shame.
less beegar; but unlike the majority OF them she
appreciated the fayo.s she received, ana tried
and often managed-to return them rs best sne
Noitchc was great favorite with the wives and
daughters Of the army officers stationed az FGrt
'Mojnye and from sunrise until sunset, when the
bngles sounding retreat warned all Indians 70
leave the precincts OF the post and go back to their
IN the ss tST SfaSw Gfs MoaTe
stripes, running from the lower lip 10 tpe eha OIL
the chin, and red and pellow painted gridiroh
spreading itself on her fat greasy cheeks was al,
doors and windows OF the officers 9nafteEs,; OF
waiting patiently at the kitchen doors like aIalth.
i ~ old dog for such 0'e anu sup
She wus as good as newspaper at carrying
pews-in her broken English and mongel Spanish
from one house to another; and as II was matter
of utter impossbility for her to keep TO herself
ANYTHING she ever saw or heard her talkativeness,
which often gave rise to most ludicrons mai
cntendus, had been the sponsor OF her Anglo-Saxon
cognonen, OF which she was exceedingly proud.
One summer morning, as the post quartefmastef
was sitting at his office desk, engaged in official
business, dark shadow projected itself across the
paper he was verifying and turning in his seat he
perceived Noltche. whom he did not know, having
but lately arrived at the post, standing In the
open doorway, with q broad instnuating smile
shining all over her still comely fat face
Bucnos dasl Mister Quarter.masts how you
been, eh?"
"How are you, and who are you p replied the
auasMasra@ae @prS;ud %yus'HSE he Confidence"
sSs6s SSda forward wssS ike lat 'Si
until she stood close TO his chair and his ofaetory
nerves became at once most unpleasantly aware Of
that peculiar, almost indescrtbable, smoked Wild
game odor that exudes from all Indians, whether
male or female.
Me and my boy Jim-you know my boy Lying
Jim PINE querido muchaeho-he@p hungfy-mueho
hambre and the majors squaw, she says this
morning: Confidence, no NADIA for you today, but
the quart-mast down yonder in the big casa, he
mucho everything; and me want q little bitty
mucho of everything; for me muero de hamore."
But Confidence" replied the quartermaster
impstiently, for be received many such begging
requests all day long from the other Indians loaf.
ing about the post the heap -four, heap bacon
and heap sugar is not mine 70 give away II be- be:
soldiers with, and he don't know anything about
you. II give yor the coffee and sugar and
other things you want win have TO pay for them
Wen. rejoined Noltche--and her smile grew
broader and more insinuating -" that's all right
You 'i got heap plata; and much pesos, too It
was OF no use trying to make her understand that
the plata and the pesos were derived from the
same source, ana must De accounted IOf IN the
same manner as the coffee and the sugar; and in
order to get rid OF her and go on with his business
the quartermaster told his conmisSary sergeant
TO give her sack of flour and charge 1t TO his
ouarter-mast !" said Confidence, as the -four
was brought in, you heap good man, and me
corezon But -four no good without bacon; -four
stick in frying.pan; give me little bitty bacon,
aNoltche," put in the sergeant coming to the
Ynl NJ oh VOn
quartermaster any longer. III give You the
bacon, and you must 60 home and never come here
begging any more"
And Confidence, with the sack of -four on her
shoulder and q side of bacon thrown across IL 70
balance it, started at dog-trot on her way down
the valley: putting and blowing like an overloaded
bsrro and as happy as o king could make her,
with crowd Of hungry, lazy Indians following in
her wake, hoping 70 have a share in the feast
which they probably did.
As time vent on The Quartermoster became
p9rforce very we'll acquainted with Noltche,
who took quite motherly interest in him and in
thoroughly convinced, despite bis repeated
assurances to the contrary, that all the public
stores in his charge were his own personal
what rank, were simply beggars on horseback in
her estimation, compared TO her. friend the
aQuart-mast." as she insisted on calling him.
o once iae n While she kept Els table well supplied
musk and water melons raised by the Indians in
their small garden patches; but her greedy nav
was never satisfied, and the more she got the more
In less than six months after first meeting her.
the poor quartermastef's wardrobe contained only
one bran-new uniform fun dress and fatigue
all the Others, but little more than half worn, had
been begged away from him. one after another on
some plea or other and now adorned the seductive
q her p ssSSse sn o LyHR s s v SaS
"a another, envied by all the males, and evidently
much admired by ell the females; for no barn
Yard rooster ever had such following az thai
Snmitigated, worthless rascal, who fully deserves
the qualifying epthet attached to his name. III
never spoke the truth except by mistake, and when
be found IL out he regretted 10 for weeks after
He was besides as mischievous as a monkey
and there was no end to his tricks and his pract
ical Jokes, More than once he had passed on OF
tho ouartermaster-who being city bred did moi
know any better -rnesses Of mesquite beans
gathered OF the bushes TO replace those sent bj
6is mother, which the scoundrei had sold to tn
While the poor officer wondered what had hal
poisoned him. Although Eoltohe had never heart
sarsl warning that sparns the rod meant spelling
the child: and Jim, already an overgrown leu'
: nearly twenty-five years old, was very often re
minded Of IL with big club, which his mothe
kept ready OF hand for the purpose. But he could
not overcome his pFankish propensity, and tn
quartermsster having from after-taste an IN
pleasant suspicion that he had eaten 1nknow1ng.
rsore thnn one dead eat and turkey buzzard sinc'
his arrival at Mojave was compelled at last 3
Insist that Jim should thereafter bring his rabbit
and wild turkeys au natural, instead Of alread!
dressed.
One morning Noltche rushed into the quarter
masters Office In the widest state Of excitement
Her fat cheeks were bedewed with tears, and 81,
wrang her chubby old hands together in q frenz
Of despair
: Qnart-mastin she cried as she came in, CONS
quick right away-Vuelva presto, pfonto-my
SONNY Lying Jim-me qIierido muchacho-
other indians want 20 kill himiS
IT seems that Lying Jim, IN addition 70 his oths
cIairps as q disreputabiy useful member Of Moiay
society. was an Indian doctor; his knowledge o
rnsserle medica and the American pharmaoopoeia
such As II wal, having probably been picked al
svl,ih ioatfng about the post hospital NeveRthe
iess IN the professional hierarchy obtaining aponi
sI,e Moiave6 he came aext In order 70 the medicn'
man. whose functions and attrfbutes pertain NOR