The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1892-06-10

nad lalled 10 rescue young Laurence.
Fairfax was painfully but not ser.
iously wounded, and the survey wen,
on under the direction Of the Assist.
ant Engineer-in- Chief
| Next day we found all that the
Indians had left of Steve Laurence.
who had given his life for the man
who had befriended him. Perhaps
they had left 1t as q reminder to the
rest Of US of what they had in store
for us He had been scalped. The
honest brown face had been hacked
and slashed. the nose had been cut
off and the tongue cut out Fingers
and toes had been hacked of, and the
poor body was mangled In every
way that savage ingenuity could sug.
gest.
THAT was all done while he was
yet alive. /" said an old plains man
who was n member Of our party.
have seen it before. Ny only
brother
He stopped. and we did not press
him to continue
We buried the poor body where
they had left IT and the survey
pushed on. Upon the morrow oul
| mail and that of the soldiers came
under strong escort from the nearest
| post Among the letters was one ad.
dressed to Stephen Laurence, in a
dainty, womanly hand Fairfax was
deliriOus from his wound. and we fel,
that Laurence's relatives ought 10
be notified of his death. And 30 his
letter was opened by the Assistant
Chief Engineer.
1t was only q love letter. tender:
trusting missive from a true heart
that had loved him we'll Reading
between the lines one learned a little
OF the dead mans history. He had
been farmer boy. as we had sus-
pected. and had worked and saved
till he was able to accomplish the
dear desire of his heart-to become a
civil engineer He had begun at the
bottom that he might learn his pro.
fession thoroughly. and. after finish.
ing the theoretical course. which had
cost him more than a little self-de-
nial he sought the humble position
IN our corps that he might obtain the
practical experience.
He had been working for something
else. -too-for the little woman who
lovingly waited for him. We gathered
that she was a school teacher poorly
paid, not over strong and an or
phan. His advancement meant very
much to them both, for by-and -by,
when he had won a little share of for.
tune. he was to have come back for
her.
She was afraid for him. she hardly
knew why, she said. It was so terri.
bly, dangerous out there in the wilder
ness. But she prayed to the good
God. and trusted in him to watch
over her dear boy and bring him back
safe to her. There were trusting lit.
tie condolences for it was a long let
ter. and CHEEKY words that he might
not grow homesick or discouraged.
And then the letter closed with
words OF endearment and trust which
it seemed almost like PROCLAMATION to
read. There was a little bunch OF
pressed flowers tioa with d Jluy blue
ribbon. And the man for whom they
had been plucked lay under the sod.
The assistant chief engineer was a
profane, finty-faced man. but his chin
quivered and the tears ran down his
hard face as he read.
Poor devilr' he said. .Poor
devil!'
And then he turned away and
cursed our red brother in way that
was good to hear And the survey
went on.
Something like fifteen years later /
happened to be at Mt Vernon, Ala
where little village of captured
Apaches were being taught the arts of
peace. when Geronimo and sixteen of
his sub-chiefs were brought thither
from Ft. Pickens Fla. where the
climate was considered detrimental to
their health. The arrival of the old
chieftain-' the savage Napoleon "the
little correspondent of a great Eastern
daily who had been sent thither, called
him-was an event of considerable
moment.
l interviewed old Scar Face. sub .
chief who sat bumped up on pile of
dunuage Did he remember heading
the charge against the surveyors so
many years ago?
t''Umph!" Had | any whisky? No?
Well, then tobacco would do.
Yes he remem bered it. He re-.
membered great many attacks of
that kind. gave him more tobacco
and added details.
''Ulnph!' He presently recalled
the particular incident to which | re
ferred. He had helped to kill many
men in those old happy days, but he
had never before nor since seen one
die as bravely as did that young sur.
veyor.
''Die like Injun!' added the red
brother. NO yell! no groan! heap
brave! No got whisk'p Umphr'-
Tom p. Morgan in the National Trib
| une.