The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1891-04-04

e.
From the eastern states thousands
went forth to the far west in search
of fortune. Broad, fertile lands were
ready for them. Cities yet unbuilt
were marked upon large maps.
With energy every man could pros
per, it was said. Fired with this
idea Charles Graham and his bride
Joined the throng. The journey was
neither easy nor pleasant, but they
were full of hope, and the merriest
of the long, caravan-like procession,
with its covered wagons, mounted
men, and led horses, that day by day
went farther and farther westward.
At last one evening they found
themselves upon the verge of an
Indian settlement, and though the
very name of Indian was associated
in the mind of the white settler with
treachery, the signs were all propi-
tious. The gray-hired chiefs came
forth to meet them. The squaws
offered them corn and fish and fruit.
The music of reed flutes and of
laughter filled the village as the
moon arose. All seemed to speak
of peace and plenty.
Weary with her long sojourn in
the wagon, Graham's wife reclined
upon blanket spread under some
great trees, and her husband sat be-
side her. A little half-breed boy
who had been playing at his moth
er's knee, came running to her, and
she took him in her arms and kissed
him. AS she did so the mother ap-
preached and stood looking down
upon them. She wore a blanket,
and with it seemed to shield her
face, either in modesty or shyness.
But she made friendly gestures, and
boy to whom she beckoned inter-
preted what she said to him.
''She asks the white squaw who
loves her little boy to sleep in her
tent tonight, and to eat first of her
food in its shelter"
Margaret Graham was delighted
with the invitation.
Come" she said to her husband,
"it will be something to remember
in the future. They arose and fol-
lowed the woman to the tent. With
in its shelter a feast was spread.
The viands were tempting and the
great calibashes were filled with
delicately favored drink. This the
woman, still yelling her face, pressed
upon Charles Graham. He drank
rather to crafty her than because
he liked it, and soon a drowsy feel
ing stole over him, his hands drop
ped to his sides, and he slumbered.
Hour after hour passed in obliv-
ion. But at last a restfulness began
to fall upon him; strange visions
passed athwart his brain-scenes
of his early youth, faces forgotten
for years, and for the first time in
his life he dreamed of Bright-Eyes,
the Indian girl who had saved his
life and loved him there in the old
woodman's home among the west
ern forests. She stood before him,
smiling into his face. He slipped
a shining ring on her brown finger.
"Before the snow falls will come
back to marry you," he said.
"Come soon; come soon;" she
answered. for you are my all my
life, my soul, my everything"
With these words in his ears
Charles Graham awoke, and sitting
up, gazed about him.. The light of
dawn was struggling through an
aperture of the tent, the remnants
of the feast lay before him. Beside
him on the rug lay his wife, closely
wrapped in blanket. How still
she lay? He did not wish to dis
turb her, but she was SO motionless
that she alarmed him. He put forth
his hand-she did not stir. He
flung back the blanket from her
face-she lay before him, dead. A
great wound in her bosom, her face
gashed in many places. and scalped,
and tied by thong to her neck was
a ring with a bright stone in it; and
a piece of paper on which was
written
$50 return it to you. An Indian wo-
man can revenge herself. | have gone
where you cannot find me.
BRIGHT EYES"
There were strong, desperate men
among those enligrants. AS they
listened to the hideous tale their
told, wrath took possess
ion of them. They put no faith in
the protestations of sorrow made
by the Indians, and they were many
and we'll armed.
Before nightfall there remained
of that peaceful little village moth
ing but a heap Of ashes, among
which lay the bodies of its men,
women and children. The inassa-
Gre was complete. Several emi-
grants were wounded, but only one
killed outright was Charles
They found him gashed
with wounds. lying beside the body
of his murdered wife. There they
buried them, heaping the stones
high above the grave, and left them
sadly. 1t was day no man cared