The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1889-09-27
cllaucuus.
Capt. Duck.

Capt. Duck was Modoc Indian with
the shortest possible legs. His legs were so
short that when he walked he waddled along
like very fat duck. And that is why he
was called Capt, Duck at the stage station
which was ut the foot of the great white
mountain in the heart of the Modoc country,
Mount Shasta. Some said his legs had been
eaten off by bear. But | do not very well
see how that could be, for his feet were there,
all right. And very big feet they were, too !;
wide and big and fiat like ducks feet. So |
think he must have been born that way,
Poor Capt. Duck could not hunt very well
or go on the war path with the other Indians,
and so he came to the stage station to hire
out with the few rough men who kept the
old log fort and took care of the stage horses
there.
These men did not like the old Indian, but
as they were lazy set, they were glad to get
him at the fort to rub down and water the
stage horses when the sun was hot or there
was frost in the mir But they made all sorts of
sport of the poor Indian. And indeed, they
laughed Mt him so much, and made so much
fun of his short legs and big feet, that he often
wished he was dead. For he was very sad
and sensitive.
One day, Big Dan the stage driver left at
the station little boy whose father and
mother had died for the boy had no money
to pay fare further. The rough. lazy men
there put him to work with the Indian, and
they named him climber Tim" because he
was so slim and timber. And then they did
not know his name. But suppose that
would have made no difference, anyway; for
in the mountains of California, they name
folks just what they please. And ifa boy
looksas il his name ought to be climber
Tim" or Climber Slim or anything of that
sort, why that must be his name and he can't
help ii.
The little orphan boy was sent out every
day with the short legged Indian, up on the
side of the mountain, 10 herd the stage horses
and keep guard over them. He had belt,
and q pistol in it, and bowie knife in il and
also gun to carry on his shoulder.
Pretty soon he came to like this very much
andGbegan to grow like weed and get fat
lie and the Indian were the best friends 10
the world But the men of the station, some
how, were harder and harsher than ever.
But Capt Duck and the boy did not mind
it so very much now, for each had friend
"A friend in the other.
They would buckle on their pistols us soon
as it was daylight and they had had little
breakfast of crackers and broiled bear meat
or vensOn, and, each mounting horse and
driving the Others, they would go up on the
mountain side and there, by little grove of
thick wood they would stop and then let
them Craze all day. Sometimes Timber Tim
would go to sleep warm flat rock, willie
he was supposed to stand guard and look
away TO the right and to the left for Indians
on the war path. But Capt. Duck would
never betray him.
Every time that Big Dan, the stage driver,
came by he would make all sorts of fun of
Capt. Duck as he hobbled about and hitch
ed up the four horses while the driver sat
high up in the box and snapped his long
whip.
The Indian did not like Big Dan, and Big
Dan did not like the Indian. Dan said the
Indian was Il spy, and told the men Mt the
stage station that some night Capt. Duck
would set fire TO the place and run away by
the light of the blaze.
One hot day, as he sat on the box with the
four lines in his hand ready to start off at
gallop down the great mountain, he told the
Indian, with an oath, to "waddle in on his
duck legs" and get him drink
The Indian did not move. Then Dan
struck him with his whip. The men stand
ing around roared with laughter. Still the
sad faced cripple did not move. Then Dan
struck him another cut across the face.
The Indians brow grew dark and terrible,
but he did not stir Some one else brought
the drink, and them the driver snapped his
whip, the stage dashed away down the noun
tam and left the Indian standing there, with
the boy tenderly wiping his friend bleeding
lace and speaking kind and ptiml words TO
him. The two friends went up on the noun
tain side by the little pine grove, and watch
ed the horses rs before and tue Indian never
spoke at all of what had happened.
A month or two went by and everybody
forgot about the trouble between Big Dan
and the sad faced savage. Everybody, did
say?
One day the stage came laundering in with
Big Dan, the driver, leaning forward help
ess on the box. There had been shot fired
rom the thick wood back upon the noun
lain side. The man was dying, and the four
-eins wereslipping lhroughhis helpless hands
Who could have fired that shOtp When |
he stage driver was dead and buried some of
he men took Timber Tim aside and asked |
him whether he had been all the time with |
Capt. Duck the day the shot was fired.
"All the time, every minute, every second" |
answered the lad, earnestly. For he had no
suspicion at all that Capt. Duck had shot |
he stage driver. Indeed, theboy believed |
what lie said and would have maintain
edit at any hazard. He forgot that |
re had fallen asleep on the warm flat rock |
hat cool autumn day.
The next summer signal fires were seen one
hight on the mountain tops. The men at the
stage station FASTENED to fasten the old log
ort. For this, they knew, meant war. The
NlOdOCs were On the war path.
The men made their guns ready and gave
;,,,I HiF,No tra, t,1 T. Ia,
,elt, so that he might fight with all his might
'ame to look for Capt. Duck next morning
lie was gone. He had Joined the Indians.
Then the men at the stage station were
'ery much afraid, for they had been very
ruel, not only to the cripple, but to all the
indians, and they knew that if they fell into
heir enemies hands they had no right to ex-
,ect any mercy at all.
The next night the Indians set the woods
IN fire. and all the land was dark with smoke.
The great pine trees were falling across the
DAD, and no soldiers nor anybody could come
o help the men shut up in the little log fort,
md surrounded by the blazing forests
The men looked one another in the face Us
he air grew dark and dense from the smoke,
nd shook their heads sady-for they believed
heir time to die had come.
About III O'Clock one morning the Indians
ppeared behind the stables and began to fire
IN the fort. They took the horses out,
Dounted them and then set fire to the stables
And now there was little hope, for the
lanes would spread tothe fort, and then all
must perish. The smoke was SO dark and
hiCk that the men were almost choked.-
They could not see TO shoot the Indians, for
t was like night
"Whnt can we do ~ cried the men ahnt