Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-06-04


party of eastern capitalists, who were to arrive
about noon, and Bob was with the herders on a
range nearly five miles distant, leaving mamma
and me in sole possession of the ranch.
Il finished my washing about 10 o'clock, and
shaking my damp hair down over my shoulders
sat down on the steps Of the porch to give it
sun bath. got 20 interested in The Be-
trothed that was oblivious OF my surround
ings, and was just ready TO scream with Lady
Evelin when the wild Welshman seized her for
hawking on the demesnes of Dewfyd with the
one eye when pull at my flowing hair startled
me and l screamed in dead earnest as hur-
riedly glanced up and faced;;a big, burly Indian,
in blanket and moccasins and paint, who had
handful Of my hair, holding il at full length SO
the sun would shine through it.
"'White squaw heap much scalp lock, he
grunted, as darted up the steps, nearly uproot-
ing the locks he held in my haste to get out of
his reach.
"'You can't have it, though 1 retorted
weakly, as gained the doorstep, and reaching
inside the room grasped my rifle, which lay
across chair, where ! had left it the night be-
fore after target practice with papa.
"'Ugh! Me no want scalp lock. Me good In
jun; me want OK
i"'Ox,' I repeated stupidity. I'VE have no
oxen, nor anything else for you, SO clear out
"'Square lie! Her got heap OK. Me see um
Limp with terror, could only gasp,
"'Ox there he replied, pointing to the base
ment window, past which he had come Then
l remembered the quarter of beef. 1 learned
later that the Indian English for all beef is
COX"
"He started up the porch steps as though to 20
down the basement stairs, which were just in
front Of him, when mamma came on the scene
and complicated matters by screaming> and
fainting dead away.
"'Old squaw heap damfool.' he grunted, con-
temptuously, as dropped my rifle and sprang
20 do
forgot my fear. snatched up my rifle by
the barrel and rushed at him as though to
strike with the butt end and must have looked
such terror as to brighten him a little, for he
backed off the steps toward his pony which
stood at the corner of the house, still demand
ing 'ox!'
'rd have given him the whole quarter Of
beef if it had been out Of doors, but 1 couldn't
bear to think of letting himinto the house. As
the distance between us was increasing as he
went toward his pony I grew very brave, and
thinking he had no gun brought mine to my
shoulder and told him to clear out or would
shoot.
"'Hugh, he said, with an ugly leer, 'squaw
heap big lie! Her 'fraid! Her can't shoot
nothin'r
"By that time was 50 enraged that had not
an atom of sense left. 1 turned to the target of
the night before, tin cup hanging by slender
rope from the center Of the swing posts, and
sent a ball crushing through the cup not five
feet from the Indians head
''With a whoop of disguised amazement he
bounded to his pony's side, and jerking from
its trappings a wlcked-looking carbine, placed
the animal between us and leveled the gun at
me over its back.
81 was paralyzed with terror, and stood with
my gun half raised to my shoulder, unable to
move a muscle. The Indian evidently had more
sense than l, for he dropped his carbine and
springing on his pony exclaimed:
Tniu
brave squaw, and disappeared from my view
up big ravine that ran by the stable.
1.-The report of my gun had brought mamma
to her senses, and she screamed Historically sew
eral times before collected my wits enough to
answer her. The brute has gone called at
last and dropping my rifle, ran to her assist
ance.
''She was sitting on the floor, picture Of abb
ject misery. we will all be scalped, and am
sure of it. 1 have felt it in my bones ever since
we decided to come to such barbarous coun-
try she cried.
Enlightened as was had to laugh at that
sally, for we had been wild to come, and the
thought Of Indians had never entered our heads.
helped mamma to the couch, where she sank
limp and white; then flew for restoratives-
camphor, whisky ammonia, anything that would
smell or smart. After she revived sufficiently
1 fortified her with a little '22' that would have
frightened her into spasms had it gone off,
but she insisted upon having it to protect her.
self; then turned my attention to may hair.
''By that time it was in an awful snarl. 1t
hung to my knees in heavy curling masses, and
you can imagine its condition. Just as got
the tangles we'll out of it heard the believing
Of the cattle in the corral. Hastily twisting my
hair into knot snatched from bracket a
slender stiletto, which papa picked up on the
battlefield of Chickamauga, iapd thrusting it
through the mass rushed outdoors. Just as
reached the porch steps fiendish laugh greeted
thay with vel lie hat Tv,di
dashed by me on his pony, firing his carbine 80
close to me the powder almost burned my
cheek.
Il caught my rife from the floor and fired,
this time with murder in my heart With
howl of pain the Indian dropped on the side of
his pony away from me and all could see of
him was the toe of his moccasined foot as he
lashed his pony and was soon out Of sight
"Watching till I made sure this time that he
was gone l turned and ran to the corral
dreadful sight met my eye. Three Of the fine
cattle were dead with their throats cut and
just disappearing in mad fight.
"My first thought was to get word to papa
ran into the stable and there lay the pony har-
ness cut in inch pieces and my beautiful silver
mounted saddle utterly ruined and the silver
gone, all but the stirrup. Dashing the tears
from my eyes, l turned to 60 to the house and
met mamma staggering out.
"'Oh, my darling child, she cried as came
in sight, Il thought you we're killed and scalped
surely. What does it all mean? Do let us get
away from this awful place at once!
II told her Of the last catastrophe as I helped
her back to the house, and suggested that go
for papa at once. She was terrorized at the
thought of remaining alone, but as there was
nothing else to d. she consented. Not waiting
for anything after that caught up Bob's white
sombrero and started for Gringo, who was run
ming on the lariat rope nearly q quarter of a
mile away, down in q big draw as they call
the ravines out west. I thought that very
fortunate, too, for il she had been in the stable
her throat would have been cut, too.
81 needed no saddle. l did most of my riding
bareback and my clean-limbed little piebald
was so trained that without bride or saddle she
would answer the motion of my hand or pres
sure Of my knee. was really an expert bare
back rider much to my patrician mothers dis
gust, and when l cOndescended to burden
Gringo with fashions trappings it was in defer
ence to her wishes.
''Al out Of breath with running, when l
reached Gringo jerked up the picket pin. and,
not waiting to unbuckle the halter. sprang on
her back, and at the pressure of my knee on her
shoulder she broke into swift gallop. drew
the picket rope in loops over my arm az she
ran, holding it well out, so that the picket pin
would not strike her TANKS.
"On we sped over the prairie, choosing no path
and stopping for no buffalo wallOw. At my low
whistle GringO fattened out to the race and We